Up until now, virtual reality has been largely used for entertainment purposes. However, the applications extend to other facets, including that of education.
Newsela is an education technology startup dedicated to transforming the way learners access the world through words. The founding team members combine powerful technological know-how with real-world experience earned in the classroom, the newsroom, and the boardroom. Launched in June 2013, Newsela publishes high-interest news articles daily at five levels of complexity for grades 2-12 using Newsela's proprietary, rapid text-leveling process. Common Core-aligned quizzes attached to articles give educators and parents insight into their students' reading strengths and weaknesses. Newsela develops nonfiction fluency and critical-thinking skills necessary to master the Common Core standards for informational text.
"Any institution, he maintained, demonstrates its quality in five inter-related areas - learning effectiveness, access, scale (capacity enrollment achieved through cost-effectiveness and institutional commitment), faculty satisfaction, and student satisfaction. These five have become OLC's Five Pillars of Quality Online Education, the building blocks which provide the support for successful online learning. "
"While the delivery of on-line instructional courses in higher education institutions is flourishing, it is the faculty who play the key role in its successful implementation (Betts, 1998; Rockwell, Schauer, Fritz, & Marx, 1999; Willis, 1994; Wilson, 1998). Limited research has shown that a number of circumstances influence whether or not faculty choose to teach via on-line. Since faculty are pivotal to the success of online instruction, this study explored their backgrounds, concerns, and their on-line teaching practices. The information that is provided will update decision-makers of the current needs and concerns of on-line instructors so an effective distance-learning program can be fostered."
A FREE and safe way for teachers to text message students and stay in touch with parents. From their website: "Remind101 was built, in conjunction with educators, to solve communication obstacles between teachers, students and parents. Across all grade levels and institution types, Remind101 is a safe and simple communication solution to help teachers extend their classrooms."
"Many professors consider social networking sites as great tools to communicate with their students, colleagues and other educators. This infographic explains how faculty use social media and what are their remaining concerns regarding it. "
The following researched based best practices are recommended to demonstrate quality in online course design. In November 2010 the Distance Education Committee developed and approved an online course review tool for individual faculty and departments to use in identifying minimum course requirements and online course readiness.
"Students and faculty may love them, but IT personnel get a major headache when they try to integrate Apple tablets--and the company's TV technology--in an enterprise setting."
"The work of a writing instructor never ends. Grmr.me can cut down on that work and improve student learning by providing instruction on common writing errors rather than simple correction. "