Techno-News Blog. Open source software company Moodle today announced it is ending its partnership with LMS giant Blackboard. Blackboard will “transition out of Moodle’s Certified Moodle Partner program in the coming months,” and “will no longer be allowed to use the Moodlerooms name or the Moodle trademarks that had been licensed to them to advertise their Moodle-related services,” according to a press release. More...
Survey: Students say textbook costs have ‘big impact’ on finances
Techno-News Blog. A new Morning Consult study shows that 46% of students surveyed believe textbooks and other course materials have a “big impact” on their financial situations, and some experts say the costs heighten stress and force students to make tradeoffs that affect their ability to pay for housing and food, according to Inside Higher Education. More...
OER is at a tipping point. Here’s how to keep it moving in the right direction.
Techno-News Blog. In his now-classic book “The Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell explains how everything from “Sesame Street” to Airwalk shoes has sky-rocketed in popularity and shaped society. More...
Parker McCurley’s Amazing Journey To Becoming A Blockchain Developer
Techno-News Blog. He got kicked out of high school in Ohio. Today, he’s the co-founder of a blockchain technology firm. His company is making money, and he’s now contributing his subject matter expertise to Udacity’s Blockchain Developer Nanodegree program. More...
True or false: Breaking down myths about online classes
Techno-News Blog. Nearly half of all MU students took an online class during the 2016-17 school year, according to the university’s website. They are popular for a variety of reasons. More...
Transform Your Staff Meetings with Edtech
Techno-News Blog. As necessary as they may be, staff meetings are usually not something most teachers look forward to. The meetings are often held at the end of the day when teachers are exhausted and likely to disengage from instructional matters. More...
Fewer Americans are making more than their parents did—especially if they grew up in the middle class
Techno-News Blog. One of the most striking social science findings of recent years is that only half of today’s 30-year-olds earn more than their parents. Raj Chetty and his coauthors showed that rates of absolute mobility—that is, the share of children with higher inflation-adjusted incomes than their parents—declined from around 90 percent for children born in 1940 to just 50 percent for those born in 1984. More...
How Alexa and Siri are changing SEO: AI and Voice Search
Techno-News Blog. Alexa, how is AI-assisted voice search changing the SEO landscape? It’s putting more emphasis than ever on conversational content, integration with Google Maps, and dominating the SERPs. As smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon Echo become more popular and available, people are beginning to use them to conduct searches. More...
California’s online community college will break new ground in higher ed
Techno-News Blog. Gov. Jerry Brown envisions the college as a training option for so-called “stranded workers” – the estimated 2.5 million 25- to 34-year-old Californians who don’t have a college education. More...
Columbia U Opens Research Center Devoted to Blockchain Tech
Techno-News Blog. A new center at Columbia University will focus on research and innovation in blockchain technology. The institution partnered with IBM to create the Columbia-IBM Center for Blockchain and Data Transparency. More...