Archive for January 2016

Blended Learning, MOOCs Have Opportunities to Improve

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<i><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A recent overview of studies on Massive Open Online Courses, also known as MOOCs, explores how they are used by both independent students and in the classroom, suggesting that more discussion and instructor feedback may increase both learning outcomes and student satisfaction.the paper discusses the emerging trends in MOOCs as stand-alone online courses, the ways that MOOCs are integrated in traditional classrooms, the effectiveness of combining MOOCs with face-to-face classes, and how to improve blended learning.</span></b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the key problems with MOOCs is the dismal completion rate, which for most courses is less than 10% of the students enrolled. However, Stephen Downes notes that people often engage in MOOCs to meet a specific goal or to complete a specific action, and therefore a student may consider the course a successful learning experience without finishing the course. In one study, students reported that they had multiple reasons to take these online classes, and many of these reasons did not rely on expectations of completion or traditional achievement.the paper also discusses multiple models of blended learning that have been studied.</span></b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One variation on blended learning, called “wrapped” courses, integrate the MOOC with the course’s schedule, and assignments are screenshotted and submitted to the instructor. Another model involved students signing up for an MOOC of their own choosing and then using a social mobile learning management system to connect with others in their class. In a third study, students were offered college preparatory MOOCs, and matriculated students did much better than non-matriculated students in terms of math problems submitted and minutes of video watched.the overview found that MOOCs that were incorporated into traditional classrooms led to a positive impact on student learning outcomes, with no evidence of negative effects for any racial, socio-eceonomic, or gender subgroups. However, it did not always lead to student satisfaction with instructor feedback, leading to limited student participation in discussion forums.</span></b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The author of the overview suggests that MOOCs can be used as learning resources and can provide students with two points of view on the same subject matter. However, MOOCs are often not designed for traditional classrooms and therefore do not always mesh well. She recommends that MOOC providers should consider making their courseware more modular and expanding their licensing to allow their resources to be used in traditional classrooms.provers can also improve discussion forums by encouraging community among the MOOC’s students, connecting with other similar courses, and forming a network allowing students to communicate with each other.</span></b></i></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEW0RKfmUSSC16KJuvQdI5pVvuqcPEA_gpNuPrgohyTSjPuqovwvqj4k7e9sg5PUvuhqlQWGoBijrGeyDpxW_eCZHQA2MFCWM2TtCyzJ4aD45_pUqbZcFN4G7lODgrFuY8DHOKBGQr0zU1/s1600/images+%252861%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></b></i></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEW0RKfmUSSC16KJuvQdI5pVvuqcPEA_gpNuPrgohyTSjPuqovwvqj4k7e9sg5PUvuhqlQWGoBijrGeyDpxW_eCZHQA2MFCWM2TtCyzJ4aD45_pUqbZcFN4G7lODgrFuY8DHOKBGQr0zU1/s1600/images+%252861%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEW0RKfmUSSC16KJuvQdI5pVvuqcPEA_gpNuPrgohyTSjPuqovwvqj4k7e9sg5PUvuhqlQWGoBijrGeyDpxW_eCZHQA2MFCWM2TtCyzJ4aD45_pUqbZcFN4G7lODgrFuY8DHOKBGQr0zU1/s320/images+%252861%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><i><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The preliminary findings in the reviewed blended MOOCs include: Students in blended MOOCs in traditional classrooms performed almost equal or slightly better than students in only face-to-face class environment, no significant evidence of negative effects for any subgroups in the hybrid model, lower levels of student satisfaction, and limited participation in discussion forums provided by MOOCs. MOOCs, in general, have the potential to offer excellent resource materials in the form of video lectures, quizzes, and assignments, though there are challenges in synchronizing them with in-class traditional courses and repurposing MOOCs with on-campus LMS and policies.the study, entitled “Effectiveness of Integrating MOOCs in Traditional Classrooms for Undergraduate Students,” was published by Maria Joseph Israel of the University of San Francisco in the International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning.</span></b></i></div>
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Blended Learning, MOOCs Have Opportunities to Improve

A recent overview of studies on Massive Open Online Courses, also known as MOOCs, explores how they are used by both independent students...

Orient Planet, Irish Academy Join on Arab-Focused PR Courses

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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Orient Planet Academy, the first online Public Relations and Communications Academy in the Middle East, has announced enrollment dates for their online PR courses available beginning in the first quarter of the year.the timetable for the courses was created based on increasing requirements within the Arab e-learning segment stemming from the needs of people, businesses and governments in the Middle East region.now that the program schedule has been announced, prospective students of the Orient Planet Academy need to register before the start of classes, set for January 21, February 18, and March 10.</b></i><i><b>According to managing director Nidal Abou Zaki, OPA hopes to help their students further their personal and professional growth by offering relevant courses in popular industries.  These courses will be created by the leading experts in their fields who make use of their own personal experience, as well as practical examples and case studies, to impart their knowledge on students.in addition, all tutors have worked in the industry they are teaching, allowing their advice pertaining to best industry practices to remain up-to-date.</b></i><i><b>“We have received overwhelming response from people across the region. In light of the e-learning industry’s explosive growth over the past few years and in recognition of the Middle East’s expanding economies, we are dedicated to help enhance the skills of people in the Arab world.”</b></i><i><b>Recent studies suggest positive growth within the e-learning sector, with the global e-learning market estimated to have reached $107 billion by the end of 2015 and the Learning Management System  market expected to reach $7.8 billion by 2018.</b></i></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx5SZGbIvz2fC1kTksTfr-j2E9RezE0y64e80D_co8NfUci5p3EQGAW-Lj2gABK-P_SeOmOgWQH1aPE515MI9suhDRzXEWsqJvN1TyiP_zy9HlQGZVSwumcyGUW66wm5Z8NTqXHjVsmip/s1600/images+%252859%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx5SZGbIvz2fC1kTksTfr-j2E9RezE0y64e80D_co8NfUci5p3EQGAW-Lj2gABK-P_SeOmOgWQH1aPE515MI9suhDRzXEWsqJvN1TyiP_zy9HlQGZVSwumcyGUW66wm5Z8NTqXHjVsmip/s320/images+%252859%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></b></i></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b><br /></b></i><i><b>OPA is working to close the market gap currently in existence through the creation of internationally recognized certificate courses in public relations, online marketing, journalism, event management and English grammar.each course will last between 10 and 12 weeks.  In order to receive a certificate, students will complete 10 to 12 modules and pass all additional requirements.orient planet Academy was created in response to the increasing needs of professionals in the Middle East with the goal of boosting the communications industry there.</b></i><i><b>The Academy is a collaboration of Orient Planet, one of the fastest growing PR marketing and communications consultancies in the Middle East, and the Irish Academy, a private, international online education provider in communications disciplines based in Ireland.  Courses offered through OPA were developed by the Irish Academy specifically for the needs of Arab students, including public relations, journalism, grammar, and event management.“Orient Planet Academy’s mission is to serve as a center of excellence in communications education and training and inspire a new generation of Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing and PR and Event Management professionals capable of meeting the unique needs of the Arab world.”</b></i></span><br />
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Orient Planet, Irish Academy Join on Arab-Focused PR Courses

Orient Planet Academy, the first online Public Relations and Communications Academy in the Middle East, has announced enrollment dates for...

Urban Education Report: Inequality, Disparate Opportunities

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<span style="color: #20124d;"><i>A report released by the University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Public Education has taken a closer look at the state of urban education in 50 of the largest cities in the United States, finding “staggering” inequalities for poor and ethnic students.the report, titled “Measuring Up: Educational Improvement and Opportunity in 50 Cities,” found that, on average, white students were four times more likely than Black students to attend a high-performing school.  Black students were twice as likely to be punished through the use of out-of-school suspensions.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><i>Some exceptions did apply.  In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, black students were found to be suspended slightly less than white students, and black and Hispanic students in Chicago participated in advanced courses and college entrance exams at higher rates, writes Anya Kamenetz for NPR.the report found that fewer than 1 in 3 students from the districts analyzed take the ACT or SAT in a given year.  The most students to take either exam were found in Memphis, at 30%. For three-fifths of participating districts, fewer than 15% of students were found to take either of the exams each year.  Although colleges are beginning to lean toward making the tests optional for admissions, most institutions across the country still require one or the other.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><i>In terms of overall performance, 40% of the lowest performing schools remained at the bottom three years later.  However, some schools were able to improve their grades, writes Amy Scott for Marketplace.  On average, graduation rates were found to be around 75%.“In New Orleans, the schools that started in that bottom 5 percent went to zero, so none of them stayed there for three years running,” said Michael DeArmond, a senior research analyst at the center and one of the report’s authors. Washington, D.C., made similar gains.the report made no mention as to what worked in those cities to increase performance.  However, DeArmond said he would like to see the data used by mayors and other city leaders to improve school systems across the country for all students.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzlJZ_FMnSmMTAxjGEYaeE96kytfs-zssWQ0KAgXRCqFK_nru06DH0FsgC0wsItHaI5miv1a4xFa6plsF4hTtREY09XWFS99NpzBFzyTuqiEz-wjCwEyBYtfN29ajBrdrY9MBQSVmeEii/s1600/images+%252853%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzlJZ_FMnSmMTAxjGEYaeE96kytfs-zssWQ0KAgXRCqFK_nru06DH0FsgC0wsItHaI5miv1a4xFa6plsF4hTtREY09XWFS99NpzBFzyTuqiEz-wjCwEyBYtfN29ajBrdrY9MBQSVmeEii/s320/images+%252853%2529.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><i>While suggestions to increase performance were not included, the report did show how cities measure up on a number of different metrics, including test scores, graduation rates and suspension rates, and cities that are making progress by increasing opportunity were identified. A report released by the University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Public Education has taken a closer look at the state of urban education in 50 of the largest cities in the United States, finding “staggering” inequalities for poor and ethnic students.the report, titled “Measuring Up: Educational Improvement and Opportunity in 50 Cities,” found that, on average, white students were four times more likely than Black students to attend a high-performing school.  Black students were twice as likely to be punished through the use of out-of-school suspensions.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBZoLCnOyG7HdVr7rkY_cPw4mYwYOt7ov3D0wNQGeOvjUBgh-q9qVYZm0EpzHU2G4eMMSHoXqiVGVs8yJqGAaaQZINkLF_ONMm2QlecYeAregMBgFki0i51s5ykvElzCQLjlTgc-lDh4c/s1600/images+%252852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBZoLCnOyG7HdVr7rkY_cPw4mYwYOt7ov3D0wNQGeOvjUBgh-q9qVYZm0EpzHU2G4eMMSHoXqiVGVs8yJqGAaaQZINkLF_ONMm2QlecYeAregMBgFki0i51s5ykvElzCQLjlTgc-lDh4c/s320/images+%252852%2529.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a><span style="color: #20124d;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><i>Some exceptions did apply.  In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, black students were found to be suspended slightly less than white students, and black and Hispanic students in Chicago participated in advanced courses and college entrance exams at higher rates, writes Anya Kamenetz for NPR.the report found that fewer than 1 in 3 students from the districts analyzed take the ACT or SAT in a given year.  The most students to take either exam were found in Memphis, at 30%. For three-fifths of participating districts, fewer than 15% of students were found to take either of the exams each year.  Although colleges are beginning to lean toward making the tests optional for admissions, most institutions across the country still require one or the other.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><i>In terms of overall performance, 40% of the lowest performing schools remained at the bottom three years later.  However, some schools were able to improve their grades, writes Amy Scott for Marketplace.  On average, graduation rates were found to be around 75%.“In New Orleans, the schools that started in that bottom 5 percent went to zero, so none of them stayed there for three years running,” said Michael DeArmond, a senior research analyst at the center and one of the report’s authors. Washington, D.C., made similar gains.the report made no mention as to what worked in those cities to increase performance.  However, DeArmond said he would like to see the data used by mayors and other city leaders to improve school systems across the country for all students.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><i>While suggestions to increase performance were not included, the report did show how cities measure up on a number of different metrics, including test scores, graduation rates and suspension rates, and cities that are making progress by increasing opportunity were identified.</i></span></div>
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Urban Education Report: Inequality, Disparate Opportunities

A report released by the University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Public Education has taken a closer look at the state of urban ...

Smart Phones, App Track Student Illnesses

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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">One elementary school has partnered with a San Francisco-based startup in the creation of a smartphone application that they hope will prevent the spread of illnesses.eastridge Community Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado was selected earlier this year to participate in the FLUency program, which makes use of a mobile application to offer parents and school officials the ability to keep track of each students’ health using smartphone-enabled thermometers.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">“The program is a way for schools to keep their communities healthier by knowing more about what’s going on around them,” said Nita Nehru, marketing and community manager for Kinsa, the startup spearheading the program. “We have so much access to knowledge around us with Google Maps and Waze and Foursquare, but we have very little information about when and where symptoms and illnesses are starting.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">Additional symptoms such as runny noses or other pains can be uploaded manually, reports Nelson Garcia for 9News.nehru said the app allows parents to discover a flu going around the school before an entire group of children is infected, writes Quincy Snowdon for The Aurora Sentinel.there are currently about 40 schools across the country participating in the program.  So far, over 1,000 schools have applied to take part.  Eastridge was chosen after Brandon Loy, the school nurse, showed interest.loy said the program has been working well so far in the school, but because it has only been two weeks, not enough time has passed to tell if it is having any effect on students’ overall health.  She said that she hopes more families will join in.  As of November 21, there were 127 Eastridge users of the app.  Nehru said in all, the app has a little over 4,000 users.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">The app is in its first full school year of use, but saw a high level of success in its pilot program last winter in which 18 schools participated.  Nehru added that all of the pilot schools had less children missing school due to illnesses while the app was being used from January to March.  While she said it is difficult to say that was completely because of the app, she did note that a correlation could be seen.nehru went on to say that one of the important goals of the app was to increase student attendance because schools lose money each time a student is absent.  According to data from the state Department of Education, the cost per absence in the state amounts to $32 per student.  That number is derived from a per-pupil funding formula combined with the number of days per year that children are in the classroom.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">Although it remains to be seen how the app will influence attendance at Eastridge, </span></b></div>
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Smart Phones, App Track Student Illnesses

One elementary school has partnered with a San Francisco-based startup in the creation of a smartphone application that they hope will...