Sep 8
Facebook is all the rage. Everyone I know has a Facebook account. It's no wonder everyone under the sun seems to be doing studies about Facebook and how it is impacting our culture, education, social habits, and consumer spending. In relation to education, The Chronicle of Higher Education references multiple reports in this article including a recently published study in The Journal of College Student Retention that found a connection between the likelihood of Facebookers returning to their initial college after their freshman year.
While little if any academic impact is noted, it turns out that using social media like Facebook helps students connect, meet friends, and find a place to fit. This phenom translates into a stronger support system resulting in students staying in school longer. While all don't admit to being social creatures and may have a "solitary" learning style, the latest findings echo everyone's need to "belong". Connection gives us identity and draws us to finish what we started when we have others cheering us on.
Aug 5
In a recent article published in The Arizona Republic, University of Phoenix appears to be taking a short-term hit to sacrifice for the greater good. The greater good being the preparedness of their students. UofP is driving a strong effort to help their students be successful and increase retention in the non-traditional learning environment. Including a new required orientation course and individualized learning paths, Greg Cappelli, the company's co-chief executive officer says, "We believe this is the right thing to do for the students".
Although risking short term losses, if University of Phoenix's gamble pays off and they improve retention, long term they will once again be leading the online learning global pack.
Jul 2
At the recent DLA conference in Jekyll Island, Georgia, Dr. Mac Adkins, President of SmarterServices was awarded the AliveTek Innovation Award. He was awarded for his long standing efforts in distance learning.
Jun 21
Did the lines get crossed somewhere? What do television shows, movies, and college courses have in common? According to a recent blog post I stumbled upon, there is a connection. Check out the list below from OnlineClasses.org. Do you have others that could be added to the list?
"The Wire": HBO’s five-season drama about crime, politics, and the economy of Baltimore has been hailed by many critics as the best show ever made, so it was only a matter of time before it made its way into the classroom. Harvard University announced plans last fall to use the show in fall 2010 in a course examining poverty in America.
Star Wars, The Matrix, and The Lord of the Rings: The "Myth and Science Fiction" course at Centre College used these three popular films series to deconstruct narrative patterns and talk about what makes stories work.
"Judge Judy": Students at UC Berkeley were able to take a course that used "Judge Judy" to examine logical fallacies in arguments witnessed on television court series. A great way to get to the heart of rhetoric.
"The Muppet Show": Jim Henson’s Muppets are iconic characters, and this UC Santa Cruz course examines the series’ impact on puppetry and effects, children’s entertainment, and the popular media.
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer": The cult hit TV show has spawned legions of passionate fans and high-level studies, including this UC San Diego course that uses the series to explore feminist writing, religion, and more.
"The Simpsons": This is just the place to argue about whether the show’s still any good: Rochester Institute of Technology’s introduction to cultural studies uses the animated modern classic to demonstrate changes in political and social climate.
"Star Trek": There have been numerous series and films set in the world of "Star Trek," but it’s the original 1960s series that Georgetown students used to learn about philosophy.
"The Apprentice"The show that brought Donald Trump even more prominence has inspired courses on business ethics and personal relationships in the workplace.
"South Park": CUNY’s Brooklyn College used Comedy Central’s irreverent animated series to talk about the show’s very real messages on everything from war to political correctness.
Soap operas.: Yes, soap operas. This University of Wisconsin course used them to show how the roles of women on the shows had an impact on real-world families and workplaces. Who knew?
May 20
It seems as though there are new technologies or devices launching on a monthly basis to help us do things better and faster! The recent release of Apple's iPad is no exception. In short, it seems to be an overgrown iPhone that you use for virtually anything but to make a phone call (well not yet anyway). Some describe it as the iPhone and laptop reproducing. Whatever your take, one thing is for sure, it will become a part of the educational world one way or the other.
Kevin Cummings of EdGalaxy (a cool site for nerdy teachers) warns red flags should go up when products claim to "revolutionize education" when they haven't been used extensively to prove theory. A recent blog post from his site list the pros and cons to using the iPad in an educational setting. He references battery life, multi-tasking, breakability, cheap apps, and more.
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