Group items tagged

By Dian Schaffhauser in Campus Technology, August 1 2010. This article first frames the issues around developmental education, and then argues that technology alone is not enough to achieve desired completion rates. Faculty play a key role, and students must also learn to use technology effectively.

"Learning is at the center of higher education. It is an essential part of the mission of all colleges and universities. The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) is a community of higher education institutions and organizations committed to advancing learning through information technology (IT) innovation. ELI is a strategic initiative of EDUCAUSE. While EDUCAUSE serves those interested in advancing higher education through technology, ELI specifically explores innovative technologies and practices that advance learning. As these innovations mature, ELI works with the larger EDUCAUSE community to integrate them into the higher education mainstream."

By Trent Batson in Campus Technology, May 20 2009. Batson argues that, though the e-Portfolio movement seems to have gained some traction in recent years, the technology offerings are still inadequate, and the rate of successful adoption and integration is also low. He introduces a new organization, the Association for Authentic, Experiential, and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL), a professional association that focuses on e-Portfolios. Follow the aaeebl tag for more.

See page 3, where LaGuardia is included in the list of "shining examples of good work" on the e-Portfolio front!

By David Hayward and originally published in April 2009 Integrating Technology column of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears; here it is part of the blog Expert Voices published by the National Sciences Digital Library. The post provides a great overview of Diigo, with advice on how middle school teachers can use it.

Like GSCC, NCAT was also the recipient of a Gates Foundation emerging technologies grant. NCAT will redesign developmental math courses in community colleges integrating technology and learner-centered pedagogy.

eduTecher is a great place to look at new educational technologies, or to find just the right technology to do a job (e.g. document collaboration or word clouds). Each tool is reviewed by the staff, and users can search the database various ways. While many tools have a K-12 focus, there are plenty that would be useful in postsecondary education as well.

"This article provides a rationale for incorporating the development of critical thinking skills into the online learning environment. The author also presents possibilities for building these cognitive skills into online classes. She maintains that incorporating critical thinking skills is a necessary component of learning; these skills assist learners to evaluate and link the abundance of information and ideas that is available via information communication technologies (ICTs). "

By Heather Kanuka, chapter 4 of Theory and Practice of Online Learning, ed. Terry Anderson, published by Athabasca University, 2E, 2008. The author suggests that, before evaluating whether new e-learning technologies work, it is important to reflect upon philosophies of technology and education.

"The New Media Consortium (NMC) is a community of hundreds of leading universities, colleges, museums, and research centers. The NMC stimulates and furthers the exploration and use of new media and technologies for learning and creative expression."

Along with the GSCC project, the Monterey Institute was also awarded a Gates Foundation technology-related grant. The Institute's grant is to produce developmental math materials that will be released as Open Educational Resources (OER).

By Diana Laurillard, London Knowledge Lab, London Institute of Education, Inaugural professorial lecture, February 2008. From the abstract, Laurillard argues for "an education-driven approach to the use of digital technologies to achieve our ambitions for education."

By Jeffrey R. Young, in Technology (College 2.0), The Chronicle of Higher Education, February 27 2011. A variety of ways that college students are seeking "relevant" education outside of the classroom, some of which are more technology-reliant than others. The article cites the National Survey of Student Engagement (Indiana University) and states that "four of the eight 'high-impact' learning activities identified required no classroom time at all...."

Looks closely at learning outside of the classroom.

Contents of eLearning Papers No 27, published by elearingeuropa.info December 2011. This collection of 6 papers (plus an editorial) focus primarily on how technology has (or has not) impacted learning design. Full text of all articles is available here, along with a PDF of the print version.

Familiar terms in some of the article titles, including patterns, students as learning designers, invitational online learning environments, and "blended collaborative construction participation."

By Ian Quillen of the Digital Education (blog) in Education Week, September 2 2010. This study suggests that "Algebra I teachers who were trained in and used a program that allowed them to monitor students' progress on graphing calculators led to significantly improved achievement by their students on a researcher-designed test." This blog post (and the video link) both stress that it is the combination of technology AND professional development that has provided these positive results. \nNOTE: First link to Summary of Findings is a Texas Instruments report (TI produces the graphing calculator that is part of the study). However, the study was conducted with outside consultants, including SRI.

By Ros Smith, published by JISC, Sept 6 2010. Announcement and podcast posted on the JISC site. This newly published guide raises questions about the meaning of assessment, and how more effective assessment (ideally taking advantage of current technologies) might also promote the idea of students becoming lifelong learners. There is a 13 minute podcast with Ros Smith, the author. The new guide can be downloaded by chapter, of full guide (as PDF or Word docs). Also, until Oct 31, 2010, printed copies can be ordered for free.

From About page, "EdTechTalk is a community of educators interested in discussing and learning about the uses of educational technology. We webcast several live shows each week." Webcast categories include 21st Century Learning, EdTech Weekly, EdTechTalk, and many others.

From the Overview page, Next Generation seeks to "identify, improve, and scale solutions and will stimulate adoption of the many ways technology can deepen, accelerate, and support learning." The Gates Foundation is one funder.

PA brought this to our attention in October Coffee Klatch, having read several articles about the new initiative.

Professional development that allows teachers to choose what they want to learn, is accessible through technology, and ties data to student success works.

A sub-site of Teaching Matters, Writing Matters provides writing curricula, interactive technology, and professional development targeted at upper elementary and middle school level. There is a related product, TeXT which facilitates publishing of student e-zines.

Novel by Cory Doctrow. Published by Tor Teen, 2008. This book has been published both in print (see WorldCat or Amazon to find a copy) and for free, online (at this link) under Creative Commons license. This is tagged with technology; online texts provide new opportunities for teachers and students.