Worthy of Note: July 2017                                                 
This issue of Worthy of Note focuses on eight of the 10 Critical Issues in Educational Technology — data, bandwidth, emerging technologies, new learning models, student digital literacy, technology security, accessibility and policy.


 Data

• “States Can and Must Include Postsecondary Enrollment Data on Report Cards”
• Data Quality Campaign, June 13, 2017
  • The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to provide meaningful postsecondary data, to show how successful students are at transitioning to college. Most states make the information available but not all do it on their state report card, as DQC suggests they should. Kentucky is highlighted as one of the states that does a good job of reporting postsecondary outcomes data on the state report card. Kentucky includes in its report “the number and percentage of students who attend in- and out-of-state colleges, students who work part time while in school, and students who transition directly into the workforce.”

Bandwidth

• “E‐rate Modernization Progress Report”
• Federal Communications Commission, January 18, 2017
  • The Federal Communications Commission shelved a staff report in January that reviewed “the success of the expansion of E-rate, a multibillion-dollar program that pays for school internet connections to help teachers use modern tools in the classroom.” This report is available online, even though it was pulled from the public record. The report indicates that in the four years since E-rate modernization, the cost to schools for bandwidth has dropped from $22 to $7 per megabit per second. While still higher than the goal of $3 per mbps, this makes that goal seem more attainable.

 

•  “Standardized Networks Provide Flexible Connections at Ivy Tech”
• EdTech: Focus on Higher Education, June 27, 2017, Meghan Bogardus Cortez
  • Colleges need a robust, flexible network to support the multitude of devices and services on campus, yet most colleges piece together their networks as they add new buildings and functionality – rather than developing a strategic approach for a new network. Ivy Tech’s 32 colleges had a mishmash of networks until 2015 when they standardized and upgraded the networks on all campuses and centralized file and print servers. CDW logistics helped with the planning and shipping to each campus. Cisco switches make the networks more stable and flexible, allowing centralized management of a very reliable system.

   
Emerging Technologies  

• “5 ways teachers can improve student learning based on current brain research”
• eSchool News, May 24, 2017, Martha Burns
  • Poverty has a detrimental effect on brain development for language and reading in young students. However, teachers can help overcome those deficiencies through five practices: 1. Feed the brain — both nutrition and exercise are important for brain development. 2. Build relationships — positive teacher-student relationships help diffuse the stress of home situations. 3. Use neuroscience-based interventions — target cognitive skills such as memory, attention, and processing speed, as well as language and reading skills. 4. Give students intensive practice — deliberate repetitive practice strengthens neural connections. Technology-based programs that adapt to a student’s skills are particularly helpful. 5. Provide timely rewards — brain secretions that come with rewards such as neuromodulating chemicals (dopamine and acetylcholine) help to lock in learning.

 

• “Community Colleges Filling STEM Pipeline”
• U.S. News & World Report, May 27, 2017, Lauren Camera
  • As companies are requiring more technological know-how, even of entry-level employees, community colleges are filling that need with students who only need a two-year degree or certification. Many of the skills needed, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) didn’t exist 10 years ago, so companies are relying on colleges to provide a workforce to meet their needs. Albert Pisano, Dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California–San Diego, says “states should think about designing STEM internship programs that could potentially grow into a national STEM internship program to introduce students at a young age to the various types of careers available.”

     
New Learning Models  

• “3 Things Schools Must Know About the Rising ’Phigital’ Student”
• eSchool News, May 31, 2017, Meris Stansbury
  • The term “phigital” stands for a blending of physical and digital. Students characterized as “phigital” are unwilling or unable to draw a distinction between the physical world and its digital equivalent. Generation Z is the first generation to be born into the digital world without any prior knowledge of the world before Wi-Fi. Three things to know about them: 1. Digital is king. They don’t draw a distinction between working in the office and working from a coffee shop. Their K-12 experience was digital and mobile, so they are using phones to interact for college choices. 2. Individualization is critical. They want to focus on their unique talents and interests, making personalization a must. 3. Real world relevance is a must. With the world at their fingertips, they want relevance, “to work on projects or look for jobs that prioritize real-world issues and social causes that often align with their own.” This has had a positive effect with colleges often “partnering with industry to create tailored student pipelines to some of the world’s most desirable careers.”

 

• “Arizona State University Expands Adaptive Learning Software by McGraw Hill”
• EdScoop, June 28, 2017, Corinne Lestch
  • Arizona State University’s Global Freshman Academy (GFA) is expanding its use of personalized, adaptive software, ALEKS, by McGraw Hill. GFA launched its first class in 2015, “offered for free through online course platform edX, but students can earn college credit if they opt to pay $600 and earn a grade of C or higher.” Nearly 56,000 students have enrolled in algebra in the past year, and 7,000 in precalculus in just the last six weeks. In these two classes “students are assessed by the adaptive software in about 45 minutes. The software then builds a map of skills that students have some proficiency in or have already mastered.” Once students have earned freshman-level credit, they can transfer those credits to other institutions.

                          
Student Digital Literacy 

• "On-Air Ed Tech: How Audio Journalism is Helping Students Build Digital Literacy”
• EdSurge , January 12, 2017, Sydney Johnson
  • Global Kids Inc., a New York-based education nonprofit that provides in- and after-school programs for youth development, uses audio journalism through Radio Rookies to teach digital literacy, audio editing and journalistic storytelling. “Students learned how to use audio recording devices on iPhones and mobile USB recorders. They worked with microphones, headphones and other handheld audio devices. And to refine their recordings, they learned fundamental editing skills on programs like Audacity, GarageBand and audioBoom.” Through capturing, curating and relaying information in a purposeful way, students learned about personal bias in a story, fake news, making choices in what to report and providing different perspectives. The free, standard-aligned curriculum is downloadable (http://www.wnyc.org/story/radio-rookies-basics-audio-journalism-curriculum/) for teachers to use in the classroom. You may also request additional information at radiorookies@wnyc.org.

Technology Security

• “Southern Oregon University Lost $1.9 Million Due to CEO Fraud”
• KnowB4 Blog, Cyberheist News Vol 7 #25, June 19, 2017, Stu Sjouwerman
• • A recent FBI service announcement reveals that university employees and students have been targeted for email compromise. Southern Oregon University was tricked into sending payments for a construction project to a fraudulent bank account for a valid contract to construct a student pavilion and recreation center. Criminals identify construction companies with big projects, spoof their email address and domain with something similar, and set up accounts for a fraudulent company. The university transmits payments to the accounts, which they discover are often unrecoverable. Last year this type of fraud was responsible for $5.3 billion in losses, according to the FBI.

Digital Accessibility

• “The Neglected Demographic: Faculty Members With Disabilities”
•  The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 27, 2017, Joseph Grigely
  • The National Center for College Students estimates that about 4 percent of faculty members have a disability, a surprisingly small number compared to 22 percent of the general population, and 11 percent of undergraduate students according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Most colleges do not have an accommodations officer trained in various disabilities to serve faculty members. Often faculty must seek services through their department chair, generally someone who does not have training on accommodating individuals with disabilities. Some disabled faculty members spend countless hours advocating for themselves. Requiring the faculty member to depend on the department chair to provide services can be a conflict and is particularly objectionable because that person will be responsible for the faculty member’s evaluations, tenure and promotions.

 
Policy

• “Report: Online Students Seek Interaction and Speed to Degree”
• Inside Higher Ed, June 21, 2017, Jean Dimeo
  • The report released by Learning House and Aslanian Market Research on June 20, 2017, shows that online students want more interaction with their faculty. At least half of the 1500 students surveyed nationwide prefer online courses of eight or fewer weeks, and they want frequent start dates offered year-round. They are very interested in competency-based programs and alternative pathways to degrees. Other findings: Students want to be part of a class or cohort-based community. Students experience buyer’s remorse after starting a program only to find the classes are not what they expected. Students are expanding their search for more school options despite their desire to stay closer to home.

 

• “2017 CHLOE Report”
• Quality Matters, June 2017
  • Quality Matters and Eduventures partnered for this multi-year study of the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE), primarily because of the faulty IPEDS distance learning data and the announcement in February by Babson that they would no longer complete the annual Online Report Card: Tracking Online Education. The need for data and interpretation continues, as the growth of fully or partially online programs and courses means more competition for institutions. One interesting finding of the report is that although online programs generate a significant portion of institutional net revenue, that revenue is seldom put back into online support services. It is more often mainstreamed into the general revenue financial budget.

 

• “The Top 30 Two-Year Trade Schools: Colleges That Fight the Nation’s Skills Gap”
• Forbes Magazine, June 19, 2017, Carter Coudriet
  • Forbes’ college rankings focus on four-year institutions, giving credit for low student debt, high graduation rates and salaries of graduates. But Michael Rowe, of the show "Dirty Jobs," points out that two-year trade schools don’t get the credit they deserve because they are not considered in this ranking. The national average for trade school graduates is $23,400, but if you look at specific high-demand areas such as nursing, aeronautics, and advanced manufacturing, salaries are higher than the average for students with a bachelor’s degree. “Between 2014 and 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that over 700,000 jobs will have been added in the occupations of registered nurses (439,300 jobs) and nursing assistants (262,000). … There will only be 1,600 more aircraft mechanics and service technicians in 2024 than there were in 2014, but with over 30,000 job openings over that time. … Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers … alone will have experienced 128,500 job openings and 14,400 jobs created.”
  • Editor’s Note: The top 30 list includes mostly private, not-for-profit nursing schools, with a few other careers scattered throughout. The article did not address the fact that many hospitals are moving toward hiring only BSN nurses because of accreditation requirements. Additionally, it did not address the fact that most community and technical colleges offer nursing degrees (as well as aeronautics, manufacturing, etc.) at a much lower tuition cost than private schools, greatly reducing student debt.

 
Editor:  Wanda Barker, director of SREB’s Educational Technology Cooperative, Wanda.Barker@SREB.org