Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eCampus News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

How digital publishing is changing higher education

Digital publishing should be part of a mobile marketing plan that leverages best practices and help inform business decisions.

digital-publishing-educationWalk around any college campus today and, more than likely, you’ll see students heads down in their studies.

What’s different about today’s campuses compared to those just a few years ago is the number of students engaged with a mobile device.

Today’s college freshmen class, in particular, has been using smartphones or tablet devices for more than six years, according to a recent IDC study commissioned by Adobe.…Read More

5 sure-fire ways to get hired at Google

Do you think you have what it takes to work for Google? An inside look at five key traits Google looks for in employees.

google-ways-hiredWhile good grades and knowledge in math, computers, and coding are important skills for employment at Google, they alone do not make a candidate marketable.

In fact, Google actually prefers hiring people without a college degree.

Just what qualifications, then, does Google look for in new employees?…Read More

Untangling federal rules for online learning

In talking with institutional personnel, I’ve noted some confusion about different aspects of the federal government’s state authorization regulations.

federal-online-learningThere are still many who believe that the federal deadline to be in compliance for those offering distance education in each state is July 1 of this year. That is not so.

There is currently no federal deadline deadline for distance education, but there is another deadline that is explained below. Meanwhile, states expect institutions to be in compliance prior to performing any activities (such as advertising, enrolling students) in a state. Each state’s regulations are still in force.

By now everybody knows that one of the more controversial Program Integrity Regulations is the State Authorization Rule found at 34 C.F.R. § 600.9, which is the subject of a negotiated rulemaking beginning  next week.…Read More

5 of the best science apps for higher education

Just like technology, science is always changing to reflect progress and information learned. With these five science apps for education, you’ll find an array of apps that not only use high definition-quality visual representations, but also integrate the newest requirements in science standards.

scienceThese apps are some of the most current (and most vetted) for students and teachers interested in exploring the world science opens up, all through mobile technology.

This is just a sampling of available science apps. Do you use an app that isn’t on the list? Make sure to mention it in the comments section below.

[Editor’s note: Prices are current as of press time. Please note that app prices may fluctuate. Apps listed in alphabetical order.]…Read More

What every college should know about Big Data and analytics

Colleges and universities need to understand why it is important to differentiate between Big Data and analytics.

big-data-analyticsBig Data, a complex collection of data sets used to analyze information, can be characterized by the degree of complexity within the data set and how much value can be derived from innovative vs. non-innovative analysis techniques.

But just how does Big Data differ from analytics, a multi-faceted discipline of discovery and communication of relevant data patterns?

Andrew McAfee, a principal research scientist at MIT’s Center for Digital Business and Erik Brynjolfsson, director of the MIT Center for Digital Business, attempted to answer this question by arguing that big data differs from analytics in three key ways:…Read More

Collaboration in the ‘cloud’ helps develop key skills

Microsoft Lync, SharePoint, and other technologies facilitate collaboration across three continents for students in this innovative class.

collaboration
Students work in cross-continental virtual teams to complete research assignments that focus on effective decision-making.

In today’s world, businesses are grappling with the need to equip their employees with state-of-the art technology—and the skills necessary to deal with the continuous information overload employees face.

As a faculty member in the Biology Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I speak for many of my colleagues when I say preparing our students for success in this globally connected world is a high priority.

We have to be diligent in ensuring our students have both the hard and soft skills needed to be successful. We have to make the time in our classrooms directly applicable to our students lives once they leave our campus.…Read More

6 steps to better emergency preparedness on campus

Campus emergency plans must be actionable—and they must be available to all stakeholders via smart phones and other mobile devices

Today’s college campuses are faced with a myriad of potential risks, ranging from active shooters and natural disasters to power outages and medical emergencies.

emergency While most institutions have emergency preparedness plans in place, these often involve extensive paper-based manuals and websites that aren’t frequently updated or readily accessible in the midst of an emergency.

As a majority of the U.S. workforce and college students now use mobile devices to get news and information, many institutions are now mobilizing campus-specific emergency guidelines and procedures by pushing critical information out to their population.…Read More

4 critical components to online learning design

A recent survey from the WICHE Cooperative for Education Technologies found that more than 80 percent of institutions design their own content for more than three-quarters of their online courses.

With a third of American students taking at least one online course, the demand for institutions to create that content is high. But there’s more to making an online course than just replicating an in-class lecture.

design-online-courseJeff Bergin, vice president of Digital Design for Pearson, offers the following four keys that learning designers believe lead to effective online learning.…Read More

The 10 most inventive cheating attempts on online exams

Exams are just around the corner and there is so much of the syllabus still left to cover. It’s the story of every student’s life.

exams-cheating-onlineAnxiety and fear has often pushed us to cheat. We all have seen, heard or even participated in some form of cheating. I had a friend who would use all his time making crib notes before exams instead of studying.

His argument: most of the subjects are unimportant and a waste of time.

Call it genius at work or another smart innovation, but here are some of the smartest ways in which candidates have cheated in exams. And by no means, intentionally or unintentionally we are advocating in favor of cheating.…Read More