Educators question RateMyProfessor annual college rankings
Can 10 million college students be wrong? The popular site RateMyProfessor released its 2010-11 rankings April 26 – naming the top university and professors – as many in higher education remain skeptical of the site and said students shouldn’t base their school choices on RateMyProfessor’s reviews.
Patients control computer using only their minds
A temporary surgical implant enabled patients to “talk” to a computer. Just by thinking the words aloud in their head they were able to control a cursor on a computer screen, Singularity Hub reports.
University of Colorado seeks $1.5 billion in private gifts
In a move president Bruce Benson called the most ambitious in the school’s history, the University of Colorado on Monday launched the public portion of a campaign to collect $1.5 billion in private donations, the Denver Post reports.
How online education could stop the higher-ed bubble from bursting
Low-cost online courses could help higher education from becoming the next economic bubble that bursts and inflicts fiscal pain on institutions, investors, and students, said educational technology experts who want more inexpensive options for those seeking a college degree.
Journals: USA, others need to re-tool their science programs
According to USA Today, the system of awarding science Ph.D.s needs to be either reformed or shut down, a provocative series of pieces in one of the world’s pre-eminent scientific journals says this week.
Samsung sues Apple on patents
Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday it filed patent infringement lawsuits against Apple Inc. in Seoul, Tokyo and Germany, in apparent response to Apple’s suit against it over trademark issues in the U.S. earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reports.
After balking, Yale switches to Gmail
More than a year after Yale University technology officials delayed the school’s adoption of Google’s Apps for Education, citing privacy and security concerns, the campus has announced students and faculty will use Gmail and a host of other Google programs by 2012.
Online education may transform higher ed
Several industry experts believe it will have a significant ripple effect on colleges and universities of all sizes in coming years–but only if it’s subject to regulation, governed by a common set of accreditation standards, and widely accepted by institutions who have long clung to the traditional face-to-face model of instruction, says U.S. News & World Report
App maker: Don’t just play on your smartphone–study, too
When Ashish Rangnekar wasn’t studying for his business school entrance exam, he played games, perused websites, and checked eMail on his iPhone. Now he – and 75,000 other students – can do both simultaneously.
Roommate charged with hate crime in NJ webcam case
A former Rutgers University freshman who prosecutors said used a webcam to spy on his roommate’s same-sex encounter was charged April 20 with a hate crime and accused of deleting tweets and texts to cover up his tracks.