Archive for February, 2008
Top Online Colleges Give You an Edge
February 29th, 2008
I've started a new blog with a sharper focus on .
Many people are concerned about the economy and maintaining a competitive edge. In the upcoming weeks, I'll profile programs geared towards providing the kind of career training that keeps ambitious professionals one step a head when it comes to job opportunities.
Feel free to visit the website and make use of the free resources and tips available!
Science Sunday: Wrap-up of recent advancements in science from EurekAlert!
February 29th, 2008
Bacteria successful in cancer treatment:
Bacteria that thrive in oxygen starved environments have been used successfully to target cancer tumours, delivering gene therapy based anti-cancer treatmentBacteria successful in cancer treatment:
Bacteria that thrive in oxygen starved environments have been used successfully to target cancer tumours, delivering gene therapy based anti-cancer treatments, according to scientists speaking today, Sept. 6, 2007, at the Society for General Microbiology's 161st Meeting at the University of Edinburgh, UK, which runs Sept. 3-6, 2007.
New viruses to treat bacterial diseases -- 'My enemies' enemy is my friend':
Viruses found in the River Cam in Cambridge, famous as a haunt of students in their punts on long, lazy summer days, could become the next generation of antibiotics, according to scientists speaking today (Monday Sept. 3 2007) at the Society for General Microbiology's 161st Meeting at the University of Edinburgh, UK, which runs from Sept. 3-6 2007.
Superbugs, shapes and nanotechnology:
A common hospital superbug called Clostridium has a protective coat of armor that can self assemble when put into a test tube on its own, which may have important commercial uses in nanotechnology, according to scientists speaking today, Sept. 6, 2007, at the Society for General Microbiology's 161st Meeting at the University of Edinburgh, UK, which runs Sept. 3-6, 2007.
Bacteria from sponges make new pharmaceuticals:
Thousands of interesting new compounds have been discovered inside the bodies of marine sponges according to scientists speaking today, Sept. 4, 2007, at the Society for General Microbiology's 161st Meeting at the University of Edinburgh, UK, which runs Sept. 3-6, 2007.
New technique producing small things in large quantities:
New fabrication technique capable of producing nanodevices to outdate LCD televisions.
The genes involved in rheumatoid arthritis identified:
The human genome has now been thoroughly screened in the hunt for the genetic causes of rheumatoid arthritis. The results, which both confirms previous hypotheses and turn the spotlight on entirely new genes, are presented in two articles in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.
Skin as a living coloring book:
The pigment melanin, which is responsible for skin and hair color in mammals, is produced in specialized cells called melanocytes and then distributed to other cells. But not every cell in the complex layers of skin becomes pigmented. The question of how melanin is delivered to appropriate locations may have been answered by a new study.
Dangerous Liaisons:
A German-American research collaboration discovers how the immune system can drive the formation of new species.
Migrating squid drove evolution of sonar in whales and dolphins, researchers argue:
Sperm whales, dolphins and other "toothed" whales hunt squid so deep in the ocean they must rely on biosonar. UC Berkeley paleontologists argue for a likely evolutionary scenario that explains how these whales developed echolocation. What initially was a rudimentary echolocating ability to find hard-bodied nautiloids in surface waters 40 million years ago was perfected, as nautiloids declined, into a refined biosonar system able to find soft-bodied squid as they migrate downward during the day.
Scripps Research scientists reveal pivotal hearing structure:
A team of scientists made up of two laboratory groups from the Scripps Research Institute and one from the National Institutes of Health has shed light on how our bodies convert vibrations entering the ear into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. Exactly how the electrical signal is generated has been the subject of ongoing research interest.
Physicists establish 'spooky' quantum communication:
Physicists at the University of Michigan have coaxed two separate atoms to communicate with a sort of quantum intuition that Albert Einstein called "spooky."
Princeton engineers develop low-cost recipe for patterning microchips:
Creating ultrasmall grooves on microchips -- a key part of many modern technologies -- is about to become as easy as making a sandwich, using a new process invented by Princeton engineers. The simple, low-cost technique results in the self-formation of periodic lines, or gratings, separated by as few as 60 nanometers -- less than one ten-thousandth of a millimeter -- on microchips.
Virtual Coffee
February 25th, 2008
Mae's Coffee Bar
I am currently enrolled in a Distance Education (DE) class and we use an educational management system called *. We participate by typing into discussion threads, and even though attempts are made to reproduce a f2f (face to face) class, I miss Real Life (RL) coffee breaks!
Coffee breaks are a low key, casual time with no supervisor leaning over your shoulder. People are often more honest and open than in class, and though they might use the opportunity to grumble or moan about the class etc, they share lots of information with each other. The assignments get clarification, and tips and resources are shared. And yes, the various quirks of the instructor are analyzed as students look for clues to help them produce pleasing papers! All these dynamics contribute to the learning process of the class, and though less important than the class itself, they are an important component.
Pacific Coffee on Hong Kong Island
My question is how to recreate a ‘coffee break’ experience in DE with students scattered across the landscape? I found an article on that suggests to me virtual coffee breaks in Second Life are possible and could provide this missing experience in DE.
Quote taken from Eurogates:
Rebecca Nesson, an instructor at Harvard who brought her Legal Studies class to Second Life in the second half of 2006.
"Normally, no matter how good a distance-learning class is, an inherent distance does still exist between you and your students," she says. "Second Life has really bridged that gap. There is just more unofficial time that we spend together outside of the typical class session."
Joe Sanchez, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin evaluated the use of Second Life in education in an interactive qualitative analysis, finding that once students overcome the technical and interface difficulties with Second Life. They "indicate a preference to social learning activities and find it enjoyable to interact with other avatars while learning in this space".
Pacific Coffee on Hong Kong Island
Pearly Gates Coffee Shop
*There is a Second Life version of this for educators who are already delivering classes from within Second Life. This version is called
Easy Guide To The Best Online Degree Tips
February 22nd, 2008
Working on your online degree at home enables you to learn in your own way and will allow you to decide just how quickly you want to earn your degree. One survey some time back, found that 55 percent of employers preferred traditional degrees over online degrees. In 1996, the University of Colorado at Denver expanded its metropolitan campus with the formation of CU Online, creating one of the first fully accredited online education programs offering online university degrees.
Today, you can easily learn a bachelor's degree, master's degree or graduate degree online from a major university without ever having been in any one of their classrooms. Many of the long-time established colleges and universities are now offering online courses and online degree programs. The term online degrees refers to college degrees (sometimes this includes high school diplomas and non-degree certificate programs) that can be earned primarily or entirely through the use of a computer connected to the Internet, rather than attending college in a traditional on-campus setting.
Your reading skills should be above average to be a good online degree student. Of the many types of online degrees available today they include: interior design degree online, "online law degree, education, engineering, paralegal, computer science degree, nutrition, mechanical engineering, music, nursing, animal behavior, and online history degree".
It has been reported that employers think that an employee receiving an online education degree compared favorably, in terms of the knowledge learned, to someone who has a resident degree. Make sure that any online credits you earn are transferable; ask the institution directly or in person if possible because most schools vary from course to course and with individual school policy.
And do make sure you know that your credits will be transferable into the college or university you plan to attend if you plan to transfer in the future. Check and double-check this with the counselor at both schools. Whether you want to earn an associate degree online, a bachelor's degree online or even a master's or doctorate degree online, know that most online programs are fully accredited, but make sure to check this out before you commit to any program. Today if you want to earn a degree while you're working or you're just a busy person with a busy schedule and don't have to go to school on campus, know that getting an online degree just isn't as hard as it used to be.
Visits our Health Blogs:--
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Shakeup in For-Profit Education?
February 20th, 2008
The most recent Sunday edition of The New York Times carried an interesting article written by Gretchen Morgenson entitled "The Insiders Are Selling, But Why", about the fact that 13 Apollo Group insiders have recently sold 1.6 million shares of stock. In addition, the Apollo Group, which owns the University of Phoenix, did no share repurchasing during the most recent quarter, in contrast with extensive repurchasing in the past. Apollo stock, Morgenson tells us, is down 14% from it's peak, while Career Education Corporation and the Corinthian Colleges...two other major players in for-profit education, have seen their stock prices fall by 31% and 50% respectively.
It has since been announced that the Career Education Corporation will close several of its schools and colleges after allowing currently enrolled students to complete the programs in which they are now enrolled. McIntosh College in Dover, New Hapshire, founded in 1896, is among the institutions scheduled to close. Lehigh Valley College, and Gibbs schools and colleges in New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are also scheduled to cease operating.
For many reasons, including significant enrollment growth, Apollo seems to be in better shape than most of its competitors. But, with recent changes and heightened government and consumer interest in the student lending industry, the nation's current economic woes, the financial pressures being felt by lenders, and the number of high risk loans awarded to students at proprietary institutions, life in the for-profit education world may become more difficult for the schools, for investors, and for students.
Typically, for-profit schools offer limited . And, such schools attract a fair number of low income students who require to continue their education. Thus, if loans become more difficult or costly to obtain, it may well be proprietary schools and the students they serve who will be impacted most dramatically.
Nobody is predicting the demise of for-profit education. In fact, recent events may make some stocks in the sector a good value. But, when the insiders of the most successful corporation in the sector sell off massive holdings for relatively small profit and a major player closes long established schools after failing to find buyers for them, many questions arise.
Among those questions; is a major shakeup coming in the for-profit education sector? Will we see more closings (and perhaps displaced students)? Will there be mergers or will the larger chains acquire smaller chains and/or independents? Will the small independent hair dressing schools, massage schools, and business training schools be able to survive? Will more students turn to community colleges? If so, will 25% go on to four-year colleges as they do now?
Will students, who now find programs increasingly attractive, turn to in even greater numbers?
It will be very interesting and very telling to watch the trends in the fairly immediate future (perhaps 12 months) and in the next few years.
New discussion forums on WebJunction
February 20th, 2008
There's been some recent interesting activity on WebJunction's discussion forums. Conversations about and are the most recent.
Go check them out.
Full disclosure - I work for WJ and help moderate these discussions.
E-Learning 2.0
February 20th, 2008
Online information and communication is changing the way instructors and learners interact and learn. Today, the Web is no longer just an information repository or a place to search for resources. Traditional Web applications typically consist of browsing and searching on the Internet and are essentially a reading operation. In contrast, the new Web (Web 2.0 or Read/Write Web) is a place to find other users, to exchange ideas and thoughts, to demonstrate creativity, and to create new knowledge. Web 2.0 applications, such as wikis, blogs, social bookmarking, and podcasts, have emerged in a rich, interactive, user-friendly application platform that allow users to read and also to write to the Web. Web 2.0 has transformed the Web into a global network community where every user is invited to create content. The Web is shifting from being a medium, in which information is transmitted and consumed, into being a platform, in which content is created, shared, remixed, repurposed, and exchanged. The unique feature of many Web 2.0 applications is that it harnesses the collective intelligence of users. Learners become part of a global human network in which they can harness the collective intelligence of people in the world that could have never been possible previously. Learners can interact with other learners, gain from their experiences, and then construct their own knowledge. The advent of Web 2.0 technologies allows teachers and trainers to empower learners and create exciting new learning opportunities.
The widespread Web 2.0 applications have the capacity for educational institutions and corporations involved in training to extend the possibilities of e-learning. Consequently, the model of e-learning 2.0 (as coined by Stephen Downes) has been emerged. Stephen Downes, in his 2005 article , noted:
What happens when online learning ceases to be like a medium, and becomes more like a platform? What happens when online learning software ceases to be a type of content-consumption tool, where learning is "delivered," and becomes more like a content-authoring tool, where learning is created? The model of e-learning as being a type of content, produced by publishers, organized and structured into courses, and consumed by students, is turned on its head. Insofar as there is content, it is used rather than read- and is, in any case, more likely to be produced by students than courseware authors. And insofar as there is structure, it is more likely to resemble a language or a conversation rather than a book or a manual.
Similarly, Steve O'hear, in his 2006 article, pointed out that the early promise of e-learning has not been fully realized. He wrote:
The traditional approach to e-learning has been to employ the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), software that is often cumbersome and expensive - and which tends to be structured around courses, timetables, and testing. That is an approach that is too often driven by the needs of the institution rather than the individual learner. In contrast, e-learning 2.0 (as coined by Stephen Downes) takes a 'small pieces, loosely joined' approach that combines the use of discrete but complementary tools and web services - such as blogs, wikis, and other social software - to support the creation of ad-hoc learning communities.
Web is no longer an information repository or a place to search for resources. The new Web a place to find other learners, to exchange ideas and thoughts, to demonstrate creativity, and to create new knowledge. With the new tools and services provided by the new Web, it starts laying the foundation for innovative ideas such as Classroom 2.0, Library 2.0, School 2.0, University 2.0, and E-learning 2.0.
E-learning 2.0 can capitalize on many sources of content aggregated together into learning experiences and utilize various tools including online references, courseware, knowledge management, collaboration and search. E-learning 2.0 differs from traditional e-learning. Instead of learners simply receiving, reading, and responding to learning content in traditional e-learning; e-learning 2.0 allows learners to create content and to collaborate with peers to form a learning network with distribution of content creation and responsibilities. In addition, e-learning 2.0 allows learners to easily access content through search, aggregation, and tagging. It provides learners with opportunities to interact with the content and share their thoughts and comments with not only the instructors but also with other learners. E-learning 2.0, therefore, is evolving to one of the most exciting, dynamic, and challenging fields involving teaching and learning.
[My colleague, Dr. Harrison Yang at the State University of New York at Oswego, also contributes to this post]
It is a funny thing about life
February 18th, 2008
“It is a funny thing about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it” (W. Somerset Maugham).
Well, I guess I like this quote and I guess that I’m thinking it might tempt you to carry on reading this blog entry! It’s themed around commitment – can I stay the course in my studies, will I ever see the end of them and what can I do when things get in the way? I also guess that I’ve got to begin by asking “why are you studying, or thinking of it?”
It goes without saying (but, of course, I’ll say it anyway!) commitment can be much, much easier if you’re studying something that you’re passionate about, interested in and doing well in. Also, if there are goals to your studies and support around you. There’s a place in this too for planning – are your studies well organised and can you see a clear, logical pathway through them?
If you’re studying at Massey, or thinking of doing so, our are great people to contact for help with planning your studies, and with navigating a path through them. Neatly, they’re based around the country so you may well find that there’s one in your area who can meet with you face-to-face. Equally, the people noted under ‘contacts’ on the web pages for each of Massey’s can help too, as can our on-line .
Note too that some of these people go on the road, once a year (around October/November), with me for – road shows designed for current and prospective students distance students who can drop in to explore their next academic and career steps.
Where distance study through Massey appeals to you, it’s well worth taking a look at the section on the extramural pages of our website – and the and sections. For those with assignments to do, ‘hot off the presses’ is our and, for all types of help with your studies, there’s an on-line
In this, and in my previous two or three blog entries, we’ve been looking at some of the challenges that distance students might face. You’ll have seen that we’ve also explored some of the support on hand here at Massey. This might seem like a shameless plug for what is, after all, the place that pays me. However, I genuinely think that they’re pretty good and they were one of the reasons I applied to work here. So – given that – we’ll carry on with the theme of challenges and countering them.
Kauffman Foundation Teams with Hot Lava Software to Deliver STEM Content via Mobile Devices
February 15th, 2008
Haymarket, VA and Kansas City, MO (February 12, 2008) - Hot Lava Software is teaming with the Kauffman Foundation to deliver mobile learning content to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This teaming effort is based on the premises that students can learn more effectively when they relate STEM to real-world occurrences and that their STEM achievement levels can improve by applying mobile learning to the solution of authentic problems. One of the goals of the project includes developing context-based instructional materials delivered via mobile devices that demonstrate the convergence of real-world events with STEM concepts. Such access and exposure can facilitate the educational equilibrium needed to participate in our global society. A recent interview with Merillea J. Mayo, Ph.D., the Director of Future Learning Initiatives for the Kauffman Foundation, and Bob Sanregret, CEO and Heather A. Katz, Ph.D., Instructional Technologist both from Hot Lava Software, Inc., revealed exciting news in what is being coined as the Global Telephony Competition!
So just what are the details of this exciting Global Telephony Competition…who are the end users and how will they access, learn from, and use the STEM content?
“There are 2 to 3 billion cell phones in use around the globe. Cell phones are 40% more prevalent than televisions, twice as common as computers. Cell phones could represent a breakthrough opportunity to deliver education on a massive global scale, particularly to teens, populations of third world countries and underrepresented groups in the U.S.,” said Dr. Mayo. “These demographics all use cell phones as their primary technology device. The Global Telephony Competition you’re referring to is a large scale proof of concept. Through it, Hot Lava Software will help us answer the question: if you could build it (cell-phone-based education), would anyone use it? How many would use it? Thousands? Millions? Billions?” “The end users will access the STEM content via the Hot Lava Mobile Delivery Tracking System (MDTS) using a mobile device. Since there are over 3 billion mobile phones in use around the world the number of possible users that can access these mobile STEM modules is astounding! Leo Png, our partner in Singapore, put the first round of STEM content together using LMA and the MDTS, designing the content so that it would work on multiple devices. The MDTS senses the type of mobile device attempting to access the module and configures the screen and content to cater to that device. The MDTS and LMA were designed from day 1 to cater to the masses of users who have normal mobile phones but also allow more advanced designers to add multimedia and other advanced content elements into their LMA modules,” said Mr. Sanregret. “The challenge for the STEM project was to use least common denominator content like images, animation and text to allow for the greatest possible reach while maintaining the best instructional design to facilitate effective learning while keeping the users cognitively engaged. Dr. Katz is one of the world’s leaders in mobile content instructional design. Her contributions to this project have ensured that the content is learning effective, engaging and usable from multiple devices.”
“First, we started with a pilot consisting of 4 STEM modules — The Science of Cycling, The Science of Table Tennis, Baseball: The Science of Swing, and Baseball Aerodynamics. Each module was created in collaboration with STEM university professors and myself. The Professors ensured the integrity of the science and math content and I ensured that the content was infused with effective learning strategies and research-based instructional design,” said Dr. Katz. “The modules will assist users in understanding the science and math behind various Olympic sports. Hence, the users can access this information while attending Olympic competitions, watching them on TV or when simply discussing the Olympic Games with friends. There are also engaging quizzes that allow the user to check their understanding of the STEM content. The goal is to associate STEM content with everyday activities such as sports.”
How will accessing STEM content via mobile devices benefit the public as well as our global society?
“For this competition, and indeed, much of our work, we focus on science, technology, engineering and math education because proficiency in these subjects is so critical to one’s ability to thrive in the global economy. Personal wealth, as well as the wealth of nations, will depend on our ability to apply these fields to the betterment of mankind.” expressed Dr. Mayo.
What type of results do both the Kauffman Foundation and Hot Lava expect from this Global Telephony Competition?
“We hope at least one person dials in. In all seriousness, every big effort like this starts very small. I’m always amazed at how different a project looks by the time it’s done, compared to where we started.” said Dr. Mayo. “By the end of this competition, we hope to be able to report that we were able to produce the single biggest educational event on the planet; and, that the participants enjoyed learning what we delivered. Those two outcomes will be enough to inspire others, and transform cell phone-based education from a novelty into a reality.” “A repeatable, replicable and recurring process for life change is the result we feel is most critical. My Uncle Jack once told me “an idea is worth ten cents but implementation of a good idea is worth ten million dollars.” Through the vision, passion and dedication of Dr. Mayo we — Hot Lava Software and the Kauffman Foundation — are creating a process to bring education to the people, to all people.” Adds Mr. Sanregret. “There are over 3 billion mobile phones in the world, some in the hands of people who will never use a PC. Success for me is designing, creating, testing and implementing a process that will bring education to them as well as the rest of the world.”
Hot Lava has created a URL that the public can use to access these exciting STEM modules via their mobile devices. You can access this by going to . Follow the directions on the login page and then jump right in to the modules.
Contact:
Bob Sanregret, CEO, Hot Lava Software
+1 (703) 754-1218
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Merillea J. Mayo, Ph.D., Director, Future of Learning Initiatives for the Kauffman Foundation
+1 (816) 932-1015
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Laisa Bernard, Marketing Specialist, Hot Lava Software
+1 (479) 524-8468
What Would You Recommend?
February 11th, 2008
A colleague of mine is teaching a distance education course for the first time. He asked me to recommend a couple of readings focused on the K-12 environment or virtual schooling. I recommended:
Smith, R., Clark, T., & Blomeyer, R. L. (2005). A synthesis of new research on K-12 online learning. Naperville, IL: Learning Point Associates. Retrieved on October 8, 2007 from
Clark, T. (2007). Virtual and distance education in North American schools. In M.G. Moore, Handbook of Distance Education (2nd ed.), pp. 473-490. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
As I felt both were good introductory pieces that gave a good overview, but also provide a comprehensive look at some of the work that it going on right now.
He has one student who is quite interested in this topic and asked for additional readings. I wrote the following response:
Let me recommend three entries from my blog.
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-All three of these outline specific issues in virtual schooling with the appropriate citations (mostly online or open source items) that you can track down.
I'd also recommend that you take a look at my website:
Click on RESEARCH and then PUBLICATIONS (and to a lesser extent PRESENTATIONS). This will give you a sense of some of the work that have done in the area (and, in particular, you might find the bibliographies useful).Then, if you have any further questions feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
But what about you, what would you suggest?