University of New Orleans to offer classes on Second Life.

This post comes from Kact in New Orleans. To get an idea of the future at the University of New Orleans, just imagine Barbie, Ken and hundreds of their clones dropped into the world of "The Matrix.

It's a virtual world, populated by perfectly proportioned people with great hair and cool clothes who strut, stroll and even fly through an airy virtual building that is UNO's Internet home.

Whether teacher, student or administrator, each visitor to the site chooses an online alter ego _ an avatar, in computerspeak _ which is assigned a name and can even be custom-designed.

Merrill Johnson, an associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts who showed off the system earlier this month, outfitted his avatar with a bright red tie, hip glasses and a thatch of streaked blond hair.

The system, called Second Life, is tricked out with enough gimmickry to appeal to students who have grown up playing computer games. In a development reminiscent of the movie "Being John Malkovich," users can go inside their avatars' heads to see the world from their point of view as they stroll down virtual brick paths past lush lawns, a gazebo and stark modern buildings alongside a placid lake.

"You have flood insurance?" someone cracked during the presentation.

But there's a sensible side to Second Life, too. If the New Orleans area should be struck by another monster storm that forces students, teachers and administrators to scatter widely for an indefinite period, Second Life will let teachers set up online classrooms overnight, Johnson said _ keeping school functions from shutting down, as they did after Hurricane Katrina, and helping them hold on to students. To read the rest of this great article click here.

Wii + Second Life = New Training Simulator.

This post was recommended to us by Dr. Ray Campbell of Kutztown University. This article comes from Wired Magazine. Nintendo games have made the Wii controller a satisfyingly realistic controller for pretend tennis, golf and baseball. But how about using it to practice doing surgery, applying pesticides or operating a nuclear power plant?

Real-world simulations like these are perfectly suited to Nintendo's Wiimote, says MIT research fellow David E. Stone. In fact, he claims the motion-sensitive controller is "one of the most significant technology breakthroughs in the history of computer science." Say what?

For Stone, the Wiimote is the key to building realistic training simulators within the virtual world of Second Life. He is helping companies and universities do that through his WorldWired consultancy. Clients include a company interested in training workers for its power plants, a manufacturer of medical devices and pest-control firm Orkin. To read the rest of this article click here.

Senate Passes Higher Education Act Reauthorization Legislation.

This post comes from the American Council on Education. The Senate today unanimously passed the Higher Education Amendments of 2007 (S. 1642), taking a significant step toward reauthorizing the Higher Education Act of 1965, which has languished in Congress since it was due for renewal in September 2004.

The legislation includes some major modifications in programs important to colleges and universities, including raising the ceiling for the maximum Pell Grant to $6,300 and increasing restrictions on the relationships between lenders, guarantee agencies and institutions.To read the rest of this article click here.

iPod Course Design.

This post comes from Campus Technology. YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR the sigh of relief today, as more and more students review course requirements and see that they will be learning, creating, and presenting with their iPods, as well as reading text and listening to course content with them. The Apple iPod and its related set of technologies are bringing a freshness, spontaneity, and engagement to learning experiences that we haven’t seen in a while; possibly, ever. Why are these small devices having such an impact? Click here to read the rest of this article.

Maori language teaching to go online.

This post comes from Stuff.co.nz. Internet-based teaching software is being developed to try to address a shortage of Maori language teachers in schools nationwide.

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia said he had asked the Education Ministry to investigate ways of dealing with the shortage, with a focus on early childhood and primary education.

He wanted more children to learn te reo at a young age and online teaching software was one way to make sure this happened, given the shortage of Maori language teachers.

"We all know that the younger children learn another language the better it is for them."

Mr Horomia said he believed teachers should be given more training in te reo when they entered the profession.

Maori language commissioner Erima Henare said the online project would be rolled out within the next year. To read the rest of this article click here.

Duke exonerates iPhones.

This post come from eSchoolNews. Duke University at first blamed and then subsequently exonerated Apple iPhones in statements concerning outages of the universities computer network. The reversal came only hours after the initial claims from a school technology spokesman. The university now says iPhones were not the cause of the problems.

In a swift reversal, Duke University first accused and then exonerated students’ iPhones. A problem with Duke’s wireless network caused outages at the school, Duke officials said July 20—not Apple's new iPhone.

The retraction came only hours after Bill Cannon, a university technology spokesman, said an analysis of network traffic found that iPhones had flooded parts of the university’s wireless network with access requests, freezing parts of the system for 10 minutes at a time. This analysis turned out to be faulty, according to Duke’s most recent statement. To read the rest of this post click here.

’Open Universities’ Try to Bring College to Masses.

This post is from PBS. A college education in the United States can be one of the most costly in the world. For many young people, college isn’t an option because of the economic strain it represents for their families. And many older people who would like to attend classes must forego studies to make ends meet.

But thanks to the power of voluntary collaboration, technology tools and the reach of the Internet, college-level classes and learning resources are becoming more and more accessible to anyone who has the interest and an Internet connection. But can you really get an education for free online? Yes and no. I set out to try to see what I could learn from two high-profile initiatives, Wikiversity and iTunes U.

When we hear the words “online university,” many of us tend to cringe, thinking of the ads that appear incessantly online for diploma mills promising anyone a Bachelor’s degree in no time with little to no effort. But the term is also becoming used to describe the phenomenon of the open university, which allows anyone with an Internet connection to access courses, media and resources on the topic of their choice, sometimes without a fee. To read the rest of this article click here.

Connecting People, Creating a Virtual Life Sciences Community.

This article comes from DLib Magazine. To help faculty, researchers, and students in the life sciences discover common interests and make connections, the Cornell University Library has created a virtual life sciences community that uses an entity-relationship ontology model to organize and present information on people, research, and education activities. This single point of access for scholarly activity in the life sciences at Cornell – VIVO (http://vivo.library.cornell.edu) – transcends campus, college and department structure to provide Cornell faculty, students, and administrative and service officials, prospective faculty and students, external sponsors, and the public an integrated view of the life sciences at Cornell. At the request of university administration, the VIVO database is currently being augmented to provide similar content for the social sciences, engineering, physical sciences, international activities, and potentially other areas at Cornell. To read the rest of this article click here.

Student thrives in new career after graduating from online pharmacy technician program.

This story is the success story of a recent Gatlin Education Services Pharmacy Technician student.

From motherhood to medicine: student thrives in new career after graduating from online pharmacy technician program. Laura Weaver, 37 year-old mother of four, recently faced uncertainty of starting a new career after being a stay-at-home mom for 16 years. With no prior professional experience, not only did she need to complete a formal education program, but she’d have to do it between carpools and diaper changes.

Ms. Weaver became interested in becoming a pharmacy technician after researching about the position and comparing it to other jobs. The career would offer her versatility of hours and a comfortable work environment, but knowing she needed a comprehensive education in order to be successful, she became apprehensive about fitting school into her busy life as a mom.

“I wanted to have an actual career, make better money and be able to move up, but it would have been extremely difficult to attend any classes.”

Luckily, her mom knew that a local university, California State San Bernardino, offers online courses through Gatlin Education Services, giving her a home-based learning alternative. She decided to enroll in Gatlin’s online pharmacy technician program, a course that teaches students the skills and knowledge that will enable them to qualify for positions in pharmacies as well as prepare for the mandated national certification.

Were it not for the availability of the online courses, Ms. Weaver said she would have encountered trouble completing a program held in a traditional classroom because her kids are all different ages with different schedules.

“With the online class, I could get up at 5 a.m. and start studying, or I could do it when my two-year-old was taking a nap. The fact that I didn’t have to drive and didn’t have to find a sitter was appealing.”

In addition, Ms. Weaver participated in on-the-job training the course offers through Gatlin’s partnership with Walgreens. The 40-hour externship not only gave Ms. Weaver practice assisting pharmacists with prescriptions, but it also provided her with the job she has today.

“It helped because I knew I could get my foot in the door with some hands-on experience,” she said. “I don’t think I would have been hired if I would have just taken the course without the Walgreens externship.”

Because all of Gatlin’s online programs are self-paced and instructor-supported, Ms. Weaver had the peace of mind that she’d made the right decision. And most of all, she gained the confidence she needed to find her place in the professional world.

“The course gave me a very good knowledge base. Everything was covered, so when I went into my externship or work, I felt fine,” Ms. Weaver said. “I would definitely recommend going through the program.”

About Gatlin Education Services

Established in 1989 by Stephen Gatlin, Gatlin Education Services is the largest provider of Web-based, instructor-supported training to community colleges and universities. Gatlin’s courses are open enrollment, allowing interested students to start their desired training immediately. Gatlin’s online career training courses are designed to provide the skills necessary to acquire professional caliber positions for many in-demand occupations.

About the Pharmacy Technician course

Offered solely in partnership with major accredited colleges and universities, the Pharmacy Technician course teaches the skills needed to gain employment as a Pharmacy Technician in either a hospital or retail setting. The objective of the program is to provide graduates with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to qualify for entry-level positions in pharmacies as well as prepare for national certification. This online program pairs students with an instructor for one-on-one assistance and includes a forty-hour externship. To enroll through a college or university near you, visit www.gatlineducation.com.

About Walgreens Co.:

Walgreens Co. is the nation’s largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2005 sales of $42.2 billion. The company operates more than 5,250 stores in 46 states and Puerto Rico. Walgreens also provides additional services to pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Services, its managed care division, which includes Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefits manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc. and Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy.

Tech jobs on the rise; schools aim to fill demand.

This post comes from eSchoolNews. Employers across the nation are finding it increasingly difficult to fill information technology (IT) positions, mainly because of a shortage of qualified entry-level and advanced employees, according to industry experts.

Contrary to what many people believe--that available IT jobs are on the decline--businesses throughout the United States say the IT sector offers more job opportunities than ever, and they're struggling to find employees to fill these many openings.

Industry insiders point to a few reasons for the shortage, including the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law and lingering perceptions from the dot-com bust that occurred earlier this decade. Now, experts are trying to change these perceptions--and they're looking to schools for help.

Part of the reason many people think the IT field holds little promise is they don't understand things have changed since 2000 and 2001, when the IT field took a hit, said Gene Longo, senior manager of U.S. field operations for Cisco Systems' Networking Academy program.

"In 2000 and 2001, when the dot-com bust happened, and then [immediately after] September 11, we saw lots of layoffs in the IT and tech industries," Longo said, adding that many students and professionals shied away from the IT field when they saw jobs were scarce. Click here to read the rest of this article.

The future of Google search technology.

This post comes from Technology Review. Peter Norvig, Google's director of research, is an expert ace at building machines that answer tough questions. An authority in programming languages and artificial intelligence, he has written an oft-cited book on AI (Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach), has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Southern California, and was the head of computational sciences at NASA. In 2001, Norvig came to Google to be the director of search quality. Four years later, he became Google's director of research, overseeing about 100 researchers who investigate topics that range from networking to machine translation. Technology Review spoke with Norvig to get a hint of what we can expect from search technology in the years to come. Click here to read the rest of this article.

Web sites introduce preteens to social networking.

This post comes from eSchool News. An explosion of social-networking web sites aimed at kids as young as 6 or 7 is forcing parents and educators to teach children important lessons about internet safety and online etiquette at a much earlier age.

This past spring, 10-year-old Adam Young joined other tweens on Club Penguin, playing games, throwing virtual snowballs, and chatting with fellow kids who appear on screen as plump cartoon penguins. A few weeks later, Adam asked Mom to pay $5 a month for extra features, such as decorating his online persona's igloo.

Karen Young demanded to learn more about what some have billed as "training wheels" for the next MySpace generation. She spent time on the site with Adam and consulted with her sister, the mother of another daily visitor.

"I said, 'Well, what is it? What does it involve?'" Young recalled. "I wanted him to show me what he wanted and what it was about." Click here to read the rest of this article.

Schools May Not Be Reaching Tomorrow’s Students.

Wakefield, MA - CourseAdvisor, a marketing and lead generation company that operates one of the top online education directories (OED), and Eduventures, education’s leading research and consulting firm, recently announced results from an online poll of executives representing a mix of more than 75 online and campus-based postsecondary educational institutions. Surveyed during an online webinar, more than 33 percent of executives from the participating educational institutions noted that they were not sure if they were reaching tomorrow’s candidates.

Led by Noah Carp, Senior Analyst with Eduventures, and Greg Titus, founder and CEO of CourseAdvisor, the webinar discussed postsecondary marketing trends, the changing student profile, best-practice ways to reach today and tomorrow’s students, and advanced tools for lead generation and enrollment strategies. As the postsecondary market grows and the student landscape continues to evolve, Eduventures projects school spending on marketing initiatives to grow to almost $2B by 2010 – after topping $1B in 2006. The webinar, “How to Identify Your Ideal Student: Using New Marketing Techniques to Boost Enrollment,” can be viewed at: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/135484837.

“Data is a key ingredient in postsecondary recruiting, but today’s institutional leaders are still figuring out how to capture the right data, and how to put that data to use,” said Noah Carp, an Eduventures Senior Analyst. “Schools need to leverage data to drive strategic decisions, evaluate objectives against the backdrop of broad market dynamics, craft marketing plans that are targeted, and invest in the technologies to facilitate these initiatives.”

The online poll also found that while more than 60 percent of respondents are implementing traditional advertising and direct marketing programs and/or relying on events to connect with candidates, less than 50 percent are using search engine optimization techniques or buying leads, and 4 percent admitted to having none of those marketing vehicles in place.

“The postsecondary education market is changing, and today’s colleges and universities can no longer rely on reputation or traditional marketing techniques to connect with and enroll the ideal candidates,” said Greg Titus, founder and CEO, CourseAdvisor. “We deliver the mathematical, data-driven way to match the right student with the right school so school administrators can focus on retaining the ideal students from enrollment to graduation.”

Wisconsin study calls for more adult training.

This post comes from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online. Enhancing adult education in Wisconsin would have the one-two punch of making state employers more competitive while raising the earning power of low-income workers, according .

The report by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families cites various research and programs in other states to assert that by making postsecondary training more accessible to low-skilled workers, Wisconsin will improve its work force - and its economy.

Short-term, demand-driven, job-focused education is a way to address employer cries for more skilled workers, said Charity Eleson, executive director of the Madison-based organization, and it's also a pathway for low-income workers trying to improve their job prospects.

"We're moving toward a chasm of need here, both in terms of what employers need in order to thrive, but also what families need in order to thrive," Eleson said. "And we have an opportunity to be proactive and address those needs."

The report calls for lower barriers and stronger supports for workers trying to upgrade their skills through Wisconsin's technical colleges and two-year campuses. It calls on the Legislature to take greater oversight and leadership in how low-skilled workers gain postsecondary training. It suggests a payoff for workers who advance beyond high school or a GED. To read the rest of this article click here.

Digital kidsThe ABCs of learning online.

This post comes from CNET News. Like many 7- and 8-year-old girls online, Emily and Kayla Strickland are regulars to Barbie.com and the virtual world Webkinz.

But much to their mom's delight, the sisters also have been longtime fans of Starfall, an educational Web site whose star is quickly rising among parents, teachers and kids as young as 2 years old.

Like a Sesame Street program, the free Web site teaches kids their ABCs and the basics of reading through the use of audio and visual phonetics, games and animations. Exercises on Starfall include sounding out vowels ("ah"), reading books like The Little Hen and decorating a virtual character. To read the rest of this article click here.

The Art Institute Online Launches in Second Life.

This post comes from San Francisco's NBC11. The Art Institute Online, a division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, has opened a student campus in Second Life, a virtual online community, which will be the forum for a new Business Communications course. The faculty, realizing the potential for a rewarding learning experience, credits student interest in Second Life as the source for the course's development.

Developed by San Francisco-based Linden Lab, Second Life is a rapidly growing and constantly changing 3D MUVE (multi-user virtual environment) where residents can discover a world of exploration, socializing, creativity, self-expression, and learning. The online society uses real-time 3D streaming technology and runs on proprietary software that students can download from the Second Life web site at www.secondlife.com. Click here to read the rest of this article.

Thomson Completes Sale of Education Unit.

AP - Canadian financial information provider Thomson Corp. said Thursday that it completed the sale of Thomson Learning assets and Nelson Canada to a consortium of funds in a deal valued at about $7.75 billion.

Funds advised by private-equity firm Apax Partners and Ontario-based pension plan OMERS Capital Partners are buying the higher-education, careers and library-reference assets of Thomson Learning. The funds are also acquiring Nelson Canada, an Ontario-based book publisher and provider of online resources.

Thomson announced it had entered into agreements with the funds on May 11. The company said in October that it would sell Thomson Learning because it did not fit the company's long-term strategic goals. Thomson is selling the assets ahead of its planned purchase of British financial news publisher Reuters.

Morgan Stanley (nyse: MS - news - people ) and RBC Capital Markets acted as financial advisers to Thomson on the sale.

PDA's, laptops, cellphones -- are an ever-growing presence in higher education.

This post comes from the Chroncile's Wired Campus blog.

The latest issue of The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning devotes its pages to a complete discussion of what works, what doesn't, and why.
PDA's, one paper notes, have proven difficult to use. Short battery life and small screens make it hard for students to take electronic notes.

Cellphones get fewer complaints, though they would seem subject to the same problems. But researchers suggest that students are more likely to own cellphones, unlike PDA's loaned out for a class, and are likely to be more comfortable using the phones.

Another paper, taking off on cellphone popularity, looks at the utility of instant text messaging for learning. Though standard text messages are limited to about 160 characters, researchers tested a prototype system that allowed 4000-character messages. That proved much more amenable to educational settings. --Josh Fischman






http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=2197

Gatlin Education student flourishes in her career.

Barbara Scott, a 52-year-old professional, recently faced adversity when a job-related injury forced her to choose a new career after years in the educational sector of the beauty industry. Not only did she have to study foreign concepts, she’d have to do it in a manner in which she was not accustomed.

Ms. Scott was interested in learning about freight brokering, a burgeoning home-based business. But the course was only available to her in an online format, and after years of creating training manuals and teaching others how to instruct classes, she was an advocate for the traditional classroom.

She needed a comprehensive education in order to be successful, and she felt that surely a Web-based class wouldn’t suffice. A phone call to course author Brooke Transportation Training Solutions, which offers its freight broker/agent training program online through Gatlin Education Services, quelled Ms. Scott’s initial reservations and introduced her to BTTS President Jeff Roach.

Ms. Scott decided to enroll in the course, which provides students with the skills to become a powerful intermediary between manufacturers who need goods moved and truckers who can move those goods. She completed the program in less than two weeks.

“It surpassed my expectations,” Ms. Scott said. “I was amazed at how the narrative learning program provided all the information I needed to excel in this field.

“If a person is truly sincere that they really want to learn a particular field, it’s phenomenal. If you give it the proper time and attention, there are no interruptions and you’re just able to focus.”

Mr. Roach was so taken by Ms. Scott’s commitment to the material and her overall zeal that he hired her right away, even as she received offers from multiple freight broker agencies.

“Barbara’s work ethic, passion for learning and serving others were very obvious from the start,” Mr. Roach said. “She is by far the perfect demographic for this course – she has a great attitude and loves education, both learning and teaching. In my six-plus years of training, she is one of the most impressive students I’ve ever had.”

Ms. Scott serves as an executive assistant to Mr. Roach, and ironically, one of her initial duties is to promote the online course. She has embraced the role wholeheartedly, a testament to her own experience. She’ll also work on a multi-million dollar shipping project with a freight brokerage company in Houston.

“I take great pride in my work, so I’m always striving to learn and to share what I learn,” she said. “I created follow-up information to review the modules and the major points. I’m really enjoying this, and I appreciate the wonderful opportunity it has brought into my life.”

Were it not for the availability of the online program, Ms. Scott said she would have encountered difficulty attending a class because she is currently undergoing medical treatment. Juggling therapy sessions and doctor appointments with a rigid class schedule would have been stressful.

Because all of Gatlin’s online programs are self-paced and instructor-supported, Ms. Scott had the peace of mind she’d made the right decision. She has developed a good working relationship with Mr. Roach, and she’s both at ease and excited about her new career path. And most of all, she is grateful.

“I highly commend Mr. Roach and Mr. Gatlin,” Ms. Scott said. “The multimedia presentation and the videos are informative and not at all boring. My compliments go out to them for the development of an extraordinary program.”

Gatlin's Freight Broker/Agent Training course is offered solely in partnership with major colleges and universities, the Freight Broker Training Course teaches the practical applications of building up a freight brokerage or agency, from licensing and operations to sales and marketing. Upon successfully finishing the course, students receive a certificate of completion and are ready to join the $400 billion-plus shipping industry.

Freight Brokering is currently one of the top home-based businesses as well as the largest growing sector of the transportation industry, according to Entrepreneur magazine and The Wall Street Journal. It is an ideal business for truck drivers who want to advance in the industry, entrepreneurs in search of a profitable home business and immobile and qualified military veterans, who are provided government subsidies to take the training. To enroll through a college or university near you, visit Gatlin online career training courses.

Online classes keep soldier in touch.

This post comes from the Miami Herald. Juan Ramos hunkers down in Army barracks just outside Saddam Hussein's hometown, hoping insurgent fire doesn't interrupt his online biology class.

He chats via computer with a professor at Miami Dade College and tells fellow students in an online posting, ''Well, I am not your typical guy or your typical Latino'' before describing the gunshot in the head he survived and the inspiration he finds when he ''breathes'' Pachelbel's Canon. To read the rest of this article click here.