University Center struggling as students head online

by Megan Raposa, Argus Leader

The center’s reserve funds dried up in recent years as enrollment fell, and last year the center had to rely on its three main university partners — South Dakota State University, University of South Dakota and Dakota State University — to cover a $450,000 shortfall, said Craig Johnson, the center’s executive director. SDSU, USD and DSU continue to fund the center this year, with tuition revenue going directly back to those schools’ coffers. Mike Rush, executive director for the Board of Regents, which oversees the center, told the task force Monday that student tuition no longer covers the costs for classes offered. “We need to figure out how to modify that model,” Rush said Monday. “If we don’t have it figured out in five years we’re going to be in trouble.” Online classes don’t bring any revenue to the University Center, Johnson said. Students pay tuition directly to the universities.

http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/education/2016/09/22/university-center-struggling-students-head-online/90832978/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18897

Higher Ed Cloud Adoption on the Rise

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Cloud investment is mostly expected to grow next year in higher education; 81 percent of IT leaders or professionals said their institutions would be increasing spending on cloud computing in 2017. Sixty percent said they’re integrating cloud thinking into their IT strategies. But it will take a few more years before the majority of applications in colleges are running in the cloud. Today 39 percent of apps are cloud-based; by 2021 it could be closer to 62 percent. Those results came from a survey done among IT respondents who work in government or higher education by MeriTalk, a publishing company focused on government IT, on behalf of sponsors NetApp and Avnet, which are both technology providers. All of the participants that provided information for “Destination Cloud: The Federal and SLED Cloud Journey” work for agencies or institutions that have adopted cloud technology.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/09/22/higher-ed-cloud-adoption-on-the-rise.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18885

The 20-Year History Behind Internet2

By Frank DiMaria, Campus Technology

Internet2’s story begins in 1985 when the NSF connected researchers and scientists to NSF-funded supercomputer centers across the country, which formed the NFSNET Backbone. Colleges and universities were eager to connect to theses center so their professors could share data and collaborate on national research projects. NSFNET also spurred activity at the regional level, resulting in the creation and formalization of a set of cooperatives that extended the NSF network to a significant number of institutions. Looking to the future, Lambert and Hunsinger think Internet2 will continue to play a key role in major science research projects like Cancer Moonshot, the Large Hadron Collider and LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory).

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/09/22/the-20-year-history-behind-internet2.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18869

Zombies Help Stretch Innovative Teaching at Revere High School

By Seth Daniel, Journal

Flesh-eating Zombies have been slowly taking over one Revere High School (RHS) classroom this school year, but there isn’t anyone fighting it, and in fact the educational experiment has become celebrated. In response to the hugely-popular, Zombie-laden television show, ‘The Walking Dead,’ among students at RHS, teacher Nancy Barile has capitalized on that enthusiasm to use the show as a way to pound home concepts like character development, elements of fiction and essay writing – things teens in almost any classroom would grimace at the mere mention. But Barile said her new ‘Walking Dead’ class, which is for juniors and seniors, has taught students just those very things that many teachers struggle to convey using conventional methods. Now, she said her students are enthusiastically analyzing the popular television show, which features a team of young people fighting to remain human and not being turned into a ‘Walker,’ or flesh-eating Zombie.

http://www.reverejournal.com/2016/10/01/zombies-help-stretch-innovative-teaching-at-revere-high-school/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=19181

Education Sector Now Most Targeted with Ransomware

By David Nagel, THE Journal

Education has surpassed healthcare as the sector most targeted by ransomware, a variety of malware that makes data inaccessible to users until a ransom is paid. According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics, some 4,000 ransomware attacks occur every day in the United States this year alone. According to a new report from security analyst BitSight, the number of attacks against educational organizations now dwarfs attacks in all other sectors.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/09/22/education-sector-now-most-targeted-with-ransomware.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18864

Technology is key if universities want to perform well in world university rankings

by Paul Feldman, Times Higher Education

Nobody would disagree that digital technology has revolutionised the world we live and learn in. The days of bulky textbooks, overhead projectors and paper handouts have all but gone. Universities have adapted and evolved to meet the needs of their students and staff. We are now at a point where entering students consider connecting via video to be as meaningful as being in the same room. In June, Jisc, the UK higher education technology charity, released the findings of the first in-depth survey into students’ expectations and experiences of their digital environment. The results showed us that 70 per cent of higher education respondents believe that when technology is used effectively by teaching staff it enhances their learning experience. A truly successful global university must have technologically literate staff and students at its core.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/technology-key-if-universities-want-perform-well-world-university-rankings

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18852

Learn how to deploy OpenStack for free

by CIO

The Linux Foundation is collaborating with edX to offer an online course titled, LFS152x. The course spans across seven chapters, with a quiz at the end of each chapter. Students must take a final exam in order to complete the course. The complete course is available free of cost. Students can obtain a verified certificate of completion for $99. OpenStack may be ruling the private cloud but it’s not very easy to get started with OpenStack. In fact, a survey sponsored by SUSE found that one of the biggest challenges for customers is OpenStack implementation.

http://www.cio.com/article/3123005/cloud-computing/learn-how-to-deploy-openstack-for-free.html

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