Data Systems

 
More Than the Numbers: Teacher Preparation Data Systems - State Policy and Recommendations
SREB, September 2017, Jim Wyckoff
 
What if states had a better way to use data to support teacher prep? It turns out, a few states have begun to figure out a way. Louisiana, North Carolina and Tennessee are designing systems that collect and integrate the data needed to improve teacher education – and with it, student achievement. These systems focus on outcomes, accessibility and transparency, tracking teacher employment, and breaking down data silos.  While there is work to be done to improve these systems, they offer promising models for other states to build on.
 
Using data to expose industry needs and design degree programs accordingly
Campus Technology, March 8, 2018, Dian Schaffhauser
 
Montclair State University in New Jersey, used data on industry needs to map out a program in their business school for students to learn precisely that – how to analyze data. Specifically, they collected data from LinkedIn, online job listings related to data analytics, and similar courses at other schools to determine three main areas for growth their students would need. Then, as they implemented the program, they tracked measures of student success at different points in the curriculum and after they graduated. The program has proven popular among prospective students.
 

Predictive Analytics

 
Five reasons why analytics tech is a game changer for universities
eCampus News, November 16, 2017, Georgia Mariani
 
The University of Alabama has kissed manual data entry into spreadsheets goodbye and said hello to the power of data analytics. Alabama’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment works closely with administrators to gather, crunch and respond to data through analytics and visualization tools. These tools are saving them time and connecting dots they couldn’t see before. For example, they discovered that requesting a transcript was a major indicator of students leaving the university. As other departments begin to adopt the tools, the university expects to be able to find more ways to help students – reducing debt, boosting graduation rates, etc.
 
Fascinating: Can college orientation predict a student’s experience?
eCampus News, September 25, 2017, Laura Ascione
 

Survey data from nearly 25,000 students across 150 institutions in 2016 show that a students’ experience of orientation can impact college satisfaction overall and even grades. Students who reported a positive orientation experience were 17 percent more likely to report a positive experience of life as a student. By contrast, students who reported having a poor orientation experience were 71 times more likely to also report grades of C or lower.
 

Bandwidth

 
Cost is still keeping districts from boosting broadband speeds
eSchool News, January 3, 2018, Laura Ascione
 
A 2017 survey of 445 school district leaders across the U.S. found that cost is the greatest barrier to increasing broadband connectivity speeds. However, the survey also found that fewer than one-tenth of the schools are paying $50/mbps or more for internet or WAN. At the same time, about 45 percent of schools are spending more than 10 percent of their budget on network security. Only 16 percent of districts indicated they are achieving the FCC’s long-term connectivity goal in every school.
 
Why technology is at a tipping point in US schools
EdScoop, March 9, 2018, Wyatt Kash
Experts believe that the decisions a school makes about how to use technology, between this year and next, will determine whether or not it will truly transform classroom learning. That’s because, they argue, we’re reaching the point where nearly all schools in the U.S. have broadband connectivity. Making the most of technology will require coordination, buy-in and a willingness to learn from mistakes among teachers, developers and administrators. The technology divide in the future will separate schools that are able to use tech as a tool to build and create, and those which use it only as a way to passively consume content.
 

Emerging Technologies

 
25 Education Technology Trends for 2018
eCampus News, January 1, 2018, Meris Stansbury
 
This year, eSchool Media’s Annual Trends Report suggests that augmented and virtual reality technology will dominate education technology in 2018. Educators and industry leaders say that while much new technology reached students in 2017, none of it has been transformational in the way that AR and VR will be this year both for K-12 and higher ed. Other things to keep an eye out for this year include: noisy makerspaces libraries, data-driven social-emotional learning and a strong focus on equity.
University Builds Virtual Reality CAVE for a New Higher-ed Era
eCampus News, September 29, 2017, Frank Klassner
 
What’s the best way to integrate immersive technology into K-12 curriculum? Findings from Villanova University’s virtual CAVE may hold insights. In 2014, Villanova built an enclosure with an extendable ceiling onto which images are projected. The CAVE can hold up to 10 people, and when students enter with 3D glasses a virtual world unfolds before them. The experience has been found to be most effective for collaborative social learning, rather than individual learning.
    

New Learning Models

The Makings (and Misgivings) of a Statewide Effort to Personalize Learning in Massachusetts
EdSurge, October 17, 2017, Tony Wan
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with support from the LearnLaunch Institute, has formed a group of teachers to learn and spread best practices for using technology to implement personalized learning. The Massachusetts Personalized Learning Edtech Consortium recently released its first report, an analysis of 15 districts implementing personalized learning. The group’s work suggests that while technology is an essential component of personalized learning, it alone is not sufficient. In fact, leaders in Massachusetts say it can be a distraction if not implemented with an overall strategy in mind. There has also been pushback from the Massachusetts Teaching Association, whose members see the state’s partnership with the private sector as allowing profit-driven companies to shape public education.
 

Student Digital Literacy

 

New cyber security course teaches teens the ABCs of ethical hacking

EdSurge, February 2, 2018, Stephen Noonoo

This spring, an education company will beta test a new course on cybersecurity for high school students in schools without robust computer science departments and expert faculty. Students will learn through hands-on experiments the fundamentals of online safety, or “cyber hygiene,” including cyber vulnerabilities, phishing attacks and cryptography. While many experts believe in educating students about cybersecurity, some fear that it makes school systems vulnerable to students itching to test out their new hacking skills – even if the course covers ethics.

Technology Security

 

Data of 15,000 people potentially exposed in Fresno State incident

EdScoop, March 7, 2018, Ryan Johnston

 

Officials began notifying individuals in March that they may be affected by a data breach that took place in January at California State University, Fresno. A hard drive was stolen that contained personally identifiable information of 15,000 individuals from 2003-14.   This is the second major public data breach in California in recent months, and an investigation is underway.

Digital Accessibility

Roll Up Your Sleeves! Why Accessibility in Higher-ed Needs All Hands On-deck
eCampus News, October 11, 2017, Rick Johnson
Standards for making online content accessible are rapidly changing, and vendors must continuously work to meet them. There are new standards for EPUB publications that include Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and new book-specific guidelines. Setting these types of standards for the industry will make it easier for consumers to make decisions about a product and whether it will meet their needs. Still, there are gaps in the standards and implementation. It will take a continuous effort from stakeholders to organize working groups, test creation and community discussions about improving not just standards, but the actual user’s experience.

 
Policy
 
New Media Consortium Suddenly Folds
Inside Higher Ed, December 20, 2017, Doug Lederman
The nonprofit New Media Consortium, a group of museums, academic institutions and other groups with a focus on new media, shuttered at the end of 2017 due to bankruptcy. Founded in 1993, the group was best known for its annual reports on learning technologies.

Students from defunct ITT Tech get a shot at claiming school's remaining assets

Stars and Stripes, January 24, 2018, Danielle Douglas-Gabriel 
A court has approved a settlement for former students who attended ITT Technical Institute, which is going through bankruptcy proceedings. The agreement says that the $60 million in student debt will be erased, and the $3 million students paid to the school will be refunded. Additionally, students will stand to receive a portion of the company’s remaining assets. In 2016, the company filed for bankruptcy while it was under investigation for breach of contract and consumer protection violations.