by Robin DeRosa and Scott Robison, EDUCAUSE Review When no meaningful relationship exists between an educational technology and pedagogy, the tool itself loses value. We should start with a vision for our courses and curricula, and then identify the technologies or strategies that can help us achieve or further develop that vision. Open educational resources provide a relevant example of how pedagogy can point toward a richer way to integrate technology into our courses and our teaching philosophies, shifting to a student-centered approach to learning. http://er.educause.edu/articles/2015/11/pedagogy-technology-and-the-example-of-open-educational-resources Share on Facebook

By Judi Griggs, Houston Chronicle With so many options, here are reasons to consider distance learning for your higher education needs. »Time - Commuting to your own computer or tablet and having the flexibility to build your education schedule around other commitments and priorities remain the largest advantages. »Tools - Today, most classes have seamless production and participation tools and can be completed on a PC, tablet or smart phone. »Geography - Choices for working adults are no longer limited by programs within commuting distance. »Quality of programs - While some in traditional academia still voice resistance to distance learning, most of the top colleges and universities in the world have at least some online offerings, and many are highly competitive…. http://www.chron.com/jobs/article/Top-reasons-online-education-can-work-6647171.php Share on Facebook

by Gabrielle Russon, Orlando Sentinel Tiffani Harper’s online homework seemed to have a mind of its own. It knew that she learned best by watching videos and detected what topics she struggled to grasp. "It’s teaching me the best way to study," said Harper, 32, a UCF student from Sanford. Harper’s nursing class is part of a growing pilot program that uses cutting-edge technology to personalize online homework for students. The University of Central Florida is one of a handful of schools in the country using the adaptive-style learning for several online courses, school officials said. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-ucf-nursing-online-class-20151120-story.html Share on Facebook

By John K. Waters, Campus Technology For-profit online education provider Udacity and Google today unveiled a new micro-credential program, the Senior Web Developer Nanodegree. The online program is designed to provide students with "the tools, frameworks, and techniques needed to write robust code for progressive Web applications that are secure and easy to use," said Sarah Clark, program manager in Google’s Developer Training group, in a blog post. "Progressive app," a term attributed to Google developer Alex Russell, refers to apps that "earn their spot on our home screens over time and preserve URL-based nature of the Web" and work offline. According to Clark, students who spend approximately 10 hours per week on the course should be able to earn the credential in 9 to 12 months. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/11/17/udacity-and-google-unveil-codeveloped-nanodegree.aspx Share on Facebook

by Jillian D’Onfro, Business Insider Content from the nine apps that Google partnered with will now show up in mobile-search results, even if it doesn’t exist on the company’s website, and users will be able to click a "stream" button to get the full app experience without installing anything. Until this week, Google could only turn up information that also lived on a website. That meant that you were potentially missing out on the best results, because that information was locked away inside an app. But now that Google will show app-only content in search, you’ll be more likely to get better results since it can talk to both the apps and the websites. And with streaming, you won’t be limited to the "mobile-friendly" version of a service’s website, which could lack features. Instead, you’ll get the full experience as if you were really using their app, without the commitment or smartphone space required to download. http://www.businessinsider.com/google-app-streaming-2015-11 Share on Facebook

By Megan Carson, Duluth News Tribune An entrepreneurship course offered at the University of Minnesota Duluth allows students to take the reins of a competitive class project and try to turn it into a profitable business. "This class is about how to identify new opportunities, and learn how to pursue those opportunities," said Raymond Jones, associate professor of entrepreneurship and professor of the class, Management Studies — Entrepreneurship in the Labovitz School of Business and Economics. In addition to testing and running a business, students are simultaneously competing for points that count toward their grade. http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/education/3887992-entrepreneurs-class-turns-projects-reality Share on Facebook

by Julie Wurth, News-Gazette Not everyone would show clips of the unfortunately named British game show "Golden Balls" to illustrate a microeconomics lesson, but Jose Vazquez is not a typical teacher. The UI professor no longer uses the centuries-old "chalk and talk" lecture style. Vazquez has chosen to "flip" his Principles of Microeconomics course — having students watch videos of his lectures online before coming to class in the cavernous Foellinger Auditorium. http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2015-11-22/students-flip-over-profs-class-which-blends-online-and-class-learning.html Share on Facebook

by Julie Wurth, News-Gazette As a first-semester freshman, Madison Aiello was leery of piling too many hours into her class schedule at the University of Illinois this fall. So she signed up for four classes on campus and two more eight-week UI courses online: introduction to theater and integrative biology. With 16 hours of classes, a slightly above-average load, Aiello can better manage her time by doing part of her course work online, at her own pace. "It’s just easier," she said. On today’s campuses, students mix easily between the face-to-face classroom and the online world, sometimes in the same course. http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2015-11-22/class-only-click-away.html Share on Facebook

by Will Worley, CNN Nanodegrees are a new form of online learning, focusing on specialized tech related subjects. They are run by a company named Udacity, which has close links with Google.  If successful, they could herald changes in business practice (CNN)While college degrees take years to complete and cost many thousands of dollars, Google is now backing a scheme to get people a "nanodegree" in just six months. Devised by U.S.-based company Udacity, Nanodegrees are online learning courses aimed at providing up-to-the-minute qualifications in specialized tech subjects like "Android development," "full stack web developer" and "data analysis." Proponents say they are shorter, more focused and more practical than traditional degrees, and can be easily kept up to date in today’s fast-changing environment. The benefits, they say, are a cheap, world-class education that is easily accessible. http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/23/tech/nanodegrees-google/ Share on Facebook

By Benjamin Farniok, Minnesota Daily About 75 percent of faculty are part-time or adjuncts nationwide. Adjunct faculty members instructing online courses often don’t receive enough training, according to a recent study. The study, released earlier this month, suggested schools develop clearer policies and laid out a number of problems with adjuncts teaching online classes. The report found many institutions do not have specific rules to handle faculty who teach online courses. Seventy-four percent have written policies for how often they are expected to interact with students, and 42 percent have policies detailing when instructors must respond to student inquiries. And the number of adjunct faculty in colleges across the country is expected to rise, said Russell Poulin, policy and analysis director with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Cooperative for Educational Technologies, a nonprofit that studies online learning. http://www.mndaily.com/news/campus/2015/11/23/study-calls-clearer-rules-adjuncts-teaching-online-classes Share on Facebook