Educational Technology News

"Solving real world problems in local communities—now that's relevant learning experience for students! Ian Quillen at MindShift uses the Design Learning Challenge to demonstrate an intriguing competition with over 750 students tackling real world problems and developing creative and innovative solutions. The competition's popularity and attraction highlight the student's quest for participating in a meaningful challenge to improve their communities. ”

We often talk about iPads in K-12 classrooms, the availability of information on the web for college students to access, and a host of other similar topics in too many categories to mention.

"Late last year I read an interesting article about, "The Virtues of Daydreaming And 30 Other Surprising (And Controversial) Research Findings About How Students Learn". It contained many interesting references to studies and research that indicated positive results from the use of gaming in an educational setting. Following are a few of those findings."

Skills used for programming could also be used for a wide range of careers, such as constructing meteorological simulations, making financial predictions, or creating personalized online learning curricula.

The stars are finally aligning for a dramatic shift in terms of education technology. Dr. Jeff Borden weighs in on why right now matters.

"More than half of recent college graduates in Washington state enter the stiff job market more than $20,000 in debt. But now, many universities are launching online courses, some even for free."

"When students are involved in on-campus activities, they are more engaged in their lessons, they develop friendships that bolster them through their challenging courses, and they feel a sense of ownership over their school and the experiences they have there."

Organizations will not change until the people within them are ready to change, and those people have differing attitudes towards change.

The Center for Digital Education is on a quest again to find the top technology innovators that are transforming education for our 3rd-annual YEARBOOK...

Too often these unique individuals must toil long hours and combat skepticism at every turn to see their ideas reach fruition. Once implemented, their efforts become best practices for others to model and follow. The 2013 YEARBOOK is about getting these thought leaders the recognition they deserve by celebrating their efforts and impact.

We want to hear from you! Who are the digital education pioneers? Who is driving change that is impacting educational outcomes where you live?

"The flipped classroom model generated a lot of excitement initially, but more recently some educators — even those who were initial advocates — have expressed disillusionment with the idea of assigning students to watch instructional videos at home and work on problem solving and practice in class. Biggest criticisms: watching videos of lectures wasn’t all that revolutionary, that it perpetuated bad teaching and raised questions about equal access to digital technology."

"As I do most years, I gave my students some reflection questions about our school year together.  Since it was my first year of a totally flipped classroom, I was very curious to see what they’d have to say."

"When people think of gamification or game-based learning, they most often envision a classroom with students sitting at computers, playing games. What they never imagine is students in small groups out in the field interviewing people, in the library conducting research, sitting around a table with paper and pencil sketching out scripts and storyboards, or sorting through usability test results. These scenarios all represent the seldom considered side of gamification – game design and development."

"Since I made the switch to Project Based Learning, I am always amazed at the different projects I receive from my talented students. These projects manage to show me a depth of understanding that a multiple choice test could never reproduce."

Learn how you can create engaging eLearning immediately through some advice from the industry experts.

As with any behavior involving kids, mistakes will be made with online behavior -- and that’s a vital part of the learning process.

"Teenagers are revealing more about themselves on social media than ever before, but they’re also taking more steps to protect their privacy online, according to  “Teens, Social Media, and Privacy,” a May 21 report issued by Pew Internet, part of the Pew Research Center, and Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. The report also found Twitter use among teens—especially African Americans—is rising, while teens’ fondness for Facebook is on the decline."

"Google Plus hangouts allow users to video chat with up to 10 people in real time and for free. Users can see each other in small boxes while the person who is speaking appears in a large window top. This is a great way for teachers to hold online classes with group of students who need help. They can also arrange for online chatting sessions to discuss topics of relevant interest. I have listed the three ways to do it, use the one that suits you the best."

"During the digital age, the potential for technology tools to help change the products generated during class work are unparalleled. The SAMR framework helps to flesh out a pragmatic definition of how technology changes learning. Many programs are starting to implement tablet or BYOD initiatives with exciting, transformative results. This wonderful article from Jeff Dunn at Edudemic also highlights how an iPad game can promote competition and collaboration with the use of mobile devices; generating real-time data to help teachers with instruction."

What happens when you enroll in an online school? What's it like to be an online student? Get some insight from a long-time online learner.

Here's an interesting perspective to take on technology in the classroom. A new report sheds some light on the people actually buying all that BYOD.

Why do eLearning programs crash and burn? Here are some specific mistakes to avoid and prepare for when planning for your next program.