5G brings new capabilities to the University of Miami - eCampus News

“In collaboration with AT&T, the University of Miami will be able to support 5G using millimeter wave spectrum (“5G+”) and Edge technology on its Coral Gables campus, placing the university at the forefront of digital transformation impacting every field,” says Ernie Fernandez, vice president of Information Technology and chief information officer for the University. “It will allow students, faculty, and staff to develop, test, and use the next generation of digital apps, including Magic Leap’s spatial computing platform, in new and exciting ways.”
https://www.ecampusnews.com/2019/11/20/5g-brings-new-capabilities-to-the-university-of-miami/

2019 IPEDS Update: Five Insights into the Online Master’s Market - Michael Miller, Eduventures

2019 IPEDS data shows Master’s programs now make up nearly 16% of completions across all levels of U.S. higher education. For several years, this market has been the primary sector of growth for many institutions—led in large part by the development of online programs. In October, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released new data about the number of academic programs offered in specific fields of study and how many students completed those programs for the 2017–2018 school year. As a critical dataset for anyone interested in the health of online master’s programs, we’ve done some initial analysis.
https://encoura.org/2019-ipeds-update-five-insights-into-the-online-masters-market/

7 Things You Should Know About Artificial Intelligence in Teaching and Learning - EDUCAUSE

The term artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems that undertake tasks usually thought to require human cognitive processes and decision-making capabilities. To exhibit intelligence, computers apply algorithms to find patterns in large amounts of data—a process called machine learning, which plays a key role in a number of AI applications. AI learning agents have the potential to function like adaptive learning but at a much more sophisticated and nuanced level, potentially giving every student a computer-simulated personal mentor. Many colleges and universities are developing AI projects that aid teaching and learning.

https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2017/4/eli7143.pdf

Machine Programming: What Lies Ahead? - Knowledge@Wharton

Imagine software that creates its own software. That is what machine programming is all about. Like other fields of artificial intelligence, machine programming has been around since the 1950s, but it is now at an inflection point. Machine programming potentially can redefine many industries, including software development, autonomous vehicles or financial services, according to Justin Gottschlich, head of machine programming research at Intel Labs. This newly formed research group at Intel focuses on the promise of machine programming, which is a fusion of machine learning, formal methods, programming languages, compilers and computer systems.
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/ai-machine-learning/

Colleges See Equity Success With Adaptive Learning Systems - Shailaja Neelakantan, EdTech

At Columbus State Community College’s Bridge to College Math course, there is no professor at the front of the room lecturing students. Instead, students sit in pairs at carrels — one at a computer and another with a notebook — as two math instructors make their way through the room. As this happens, a central workstation monitors the students’ computer screens to keep track of their learning progress. Instructors then analyze this information and tailor teaching to each student as part of an adaptive learning system — powered by AI and advanced algorithms — introduced at this Ohio community college seven years ago. The system has transformed Columbus State’s course completion rates, especially for historically disadvantaged students.
https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2019/11/colleges-see-equity-success-adaptive-learning-systems

What to Expect from AI in 2020 - Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

If you’re like me, you probably wonder what the future holds, especially in the arena of technology as it relates to education. As I read about the advancement of artificial intelligence, I can’t help but look to 2020 for what I think will be some of the most welcome trends in AI development.
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-i-expect-from-ai-in-2020/

Credly's CEO on how colleges can prepare students for skills-based hiring - Hallie Busta, Education Dive

Jonathan Finkelstein, Credly's founder and CEO, is optimistic that the market will become more open to these credentials. Traditionally, whether students complete 25%, 50% or 90% of their programs, they receive the same level of recognition from their institution — none at all. This has created a population of "some college, no degree" students who have invested significant time, effort and resources into their postsecondary education, and who have gained skills and competencies but have no way of demonstrating what they've learned or of unlocking the labor market value of these abilities.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/credlys-ceo-on-how-colleges-can-prepare-students-for-skills-based-hiring/568078/

Arizona’s public universities see spike in students taking online classes - KVOA

Just under 45,000 students attend the University of Arizona during this fall semester, according to the Arizona Board of Regents.  However, some students are not coming onto campus at all thanks to a big rise in online classes.  “It’s broadening our borders beyond the main campus,” Associate Vice Provost for Digital Learning Melody Buckner said. Campus officials say the number of undergraduates taking one or more online classes is up more than 45 percent compared to a year ago.
https://kvoa.com/news/2019/11/25/arizonas-public-universities-see-spike-in-students-taking-online-classes/

What Are Current Trends In Higher Education Facilities? - Facility Executive

The survey found respondents have overwhelmingly shifted their belief that online education will materially impact the nature and number of higher education institutions in the U.S. In 2012, 33% believed online education will have an impact on higher education, that figure rose to 74% this year indicating that higher education professionals underestimated the extent online learning would transform education. This has led to administrators placing a higher priority on developing the classroom of the future and ensuring facilities can endure the growth of online learning.
https://facilityexecutive.com/2019/11/what-are-current-trends-in-higher-education-facilities/

4 Unsung Environmental Benefits of Online Education - Triple Pundit

Online learning reduces the negative environmental impacts that come from manufacturing and transportation. The materials needed for traditional education institutions (textbooks, desks, electricity, buildings) are dramatically reduced. This reduces waste and conserves natural resources. Additionally, online learning saves money and time for both the learning institution and the student.
https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2015/4-unsung-environmental-benefits-online-education/35151

8 Tips To Develop eLearning Courses For Online Learners With Attention Deficit Disorder - Christopher Pappas, ELearning Industry

The human attention span is already short. But those who suffer from attention deficit disorder must deal with a litany of other issues, including impulsivity, lack of concentration, and trouble following through. Thus, you must take their unique traits and learning needs into consideration when designing your eLearning course. Here are 8 top tips to help online learners with attention deficit disorder focus on the eLearning activities and immerse themselves in the eLearning content.
https://elearningindustry.com/how-develop-online-courses-learners-with-attention-deficit-disorder

Big Ten libraries begin creating shared collection - Niamh Coomey, Minnesota Daily

This year, Big Ten university libraries have begun work on creating a more collective system of books across institutions, including the University of Minnesota. Earlier this semester, library leaders within the Big Ten Academic Alliance released a statement outlining their intent to create a more coordinated and accessible system of shared library materials.  A report by the Online Computer Library Center in collaboration with the BTAA earlier this year suggested three action areas for the project going forward: policy, content and technology. The BTAA has formed committees around those three distinct areas to discuss how to move forward with this project, Lougee said.
https://www.mndaily.com/article/2019/11/n-big-ten-libraries-begin-creating-shared-collection

Is AI a Job Killer or Job Creator? - Kathleen Walch, Forbes

There is no question that the world’s economies are undergoing a revolutionary shift as we move from one age of industrialization to another — something that many in the industry are calling Industry 4.0. The transition between each wave of industrialization is not necessarily a clean one. If new job categories are not created before old job categories are retired, then the transition can be a messy one. However, it’s clear that we’re already embarked on the transition, and now it remains to be seen what the future will create with the new capabilities that are being developed.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2019/11/24/is-ai-a-job-killer-or-job-creator/#1340fa3437e8

It's On All Of Us To Build AI For Good - Tara Chklovski, Forbes

Today, AI algorithms are changing everything from how we navigate the world around us to how we think about our humanity. In the words of author and media theorist Neil Postman, “A new technology does not add or subtract something. It changes everything.” In 1992, Postman was writing about the rise of computers, but also about the printing press, the steam engine and television. These revolutions led to incredible benefits while fundamentally altering society. We should expect AI to do the same. And instead of ignoring or fearing this change, we should analyze the negative consequences and address them.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2019/11/22/its-on-all-of-us-to-build-ai-for-good/#5791f66c7882

The Practice of Game-based Learning - Tomorrow's Teaching and Learning

Video games are not widely used to develop graduate skills, but they are utilised by some educators to support the teaching of subject material. Using games in such a manner does not preclude skills development, however, and those educators who leverage games to develop students’ disciplinary knowledge understand this potential, as the examples in the following excerpt illustrate.
https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1756

Virtual Classes in a Virtual World - Lila Burke, Inside Higher Ed

On a clear and sunny day, the perfect temperature, a few students and administrators from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business run into each other on campus. After a brief discussion -- what room they’re headed to, why they came in today -- the crowd disperses. Each individual teleports away. If that last phrase didn't give it away, this scene does not take place on Stanford’s campus in Northern California, but on a virtual campus Stanford built with the virtual reality company VirBELA.
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/11/22/stanford-conducts-classes-virtual-world

The most perceptive criticism of AI often comes from women - John Naughton, the Guardian

Last week, the New York Times had the idea of asking three prominent experts in the field to talk about the bias problem in artificial intelligence. The three experts were all women. One, Daphne Koller, is a co-founder of the online education company Coursera; another, Olga Russakovsky, is a Princeton professor who is working to reduce bias in ImageNet, the data set that powered the current machine-learning boom; the third, Timnit Gebru, is a research scientist at Google in the company’s ethical AI team... the most trenchant and perceptive critiques of digital technology – and particularly of the ways in which it has been exploited by tech companies – have come from female commentators.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/23/to-secure-safer-future-for-ai-we-need-benefit-of-female-perspective

The top 20 tech skills of 2019—and the easiest one to learn in 2020 - Abigail Hess, CNBC

The tech industry offers some of the highest-paying opportunities in the country.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for a worker in high-tech industries (sectors with high concentrations of workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics occupations) is about $70,230. The median annual wage for workers outside of tech is closer to $34,800. One reason tech wages remain so high is the result of a skills gap, in which the lower supply of workers with tech skills does not meet the higher demand from employers. So what tech skills are employers looking for the most?
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/24/top-20-tech-skills-of-2019-and-the-easiest-one-to-learn-in-2020.html

The Rise of Do-It-Yourself Education - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

DIY has become pervasive in our culture. In part it is fueled by the internet, most particularly by YouTube. In part it is energized by time and money savings. It is further driven by the possibility of personalization and customization to meet individual needs just in time and just in place. More than 50 percent of the DIY-ers are between 24 and 44 years of age, and the numbers are growing. This trend is immutable now; it is continuing to grow in numbers and expand into new fields every year. Perhaps we have not been losing learners in the U.S. at all. In fact, there may be millions more postsecondary learners in the U.S. than ever before; they are simply not enrolling directly in colleges and universities, but instead choosing to DIY via MOOCs and other online, nondegree modes.
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/rise-do-it-yourself-education

Adaptive, Flipped Approach to Introductory Statistics Lifts Outcomes in 4-Year Schools - By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

A multi-year pilot in Maryland that aimed to redesign the curriculum for introductory statistics using adaptive learning technology and active learning pedagogy found a spark of success among students in four-year institutions. The "Adaptive Learning in Statistics" (ALiS) study involved numerous players: Ithaka S+R; Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Math (TPSE Math); the William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation at the University System of Maryland; the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP); Montgomery College; the Urban Institute; and adaptive learning platform provider Acrobatiq.
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2019/11/21/adaptive-flipped-approach-to-introductory-statistics-lifts-outcomes-in-4-year-schools.aspx

Dartmouth & IMT named 2019 winners of annual edX prize - AAAS

Dartmouth professor Petra Bonfert-Taylor and Rémi Sharrock from Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT) of France were named winners of the 2019 Annual edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions in Online Learning and Teaching today. The pair were chosen from among 10 finalists from across the globe for their Professional Certificate program in C Programming with Linux, which launched in 2018 on the edX platform and will be offered again in March 2020.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-11/tsoe-di112119.php