SmartClassroom :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Case Study

Hybrid Learning: Maximizing Student Engagement
By Ruth Reynard
I became involved with hybrid teaching simply as a common-sense approach to the challenge of transitioning traditional faculty from classroom to online learning environments while I was director of a center for instructional technology at a university in the South. The challenge that faced me was working with faculty who were almost completely resistant to the idea of distance learning via the Internet, believing it to be a diminished learning experience. Many faculty also demonstrated a fear of technology in general and saw it as potentially time-consuming and overwhelming....

News & Product Updates

Mississippi College System Adopts Blackboard
A statewide initiative launched in Mississippi will bring Blackboard's CMS and LOM systems to 15 community and junior colleges. The program was initiated by the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges....
Kansas State Deploys Online Event System
The College of Technology and Aviation at Kansas State University's Salina campus has adopted Trumba Connect for its online event management....
Howard Builds Web Presence on SiteExecutive
Howard Community College in Maryland was looking for a way to transform its website into a more user-centric information vehicle that was also designed with security in mind. The college announced this week that it has done that with SiteExecutive from Systems Alliance....
Pearson To Acquire eCollege
Pearson said this week that it plans to acquire eCollege, an online distance education provider. The deal will cost Pearson $477 million net, including the agreed $41 million sale of eCollege's Datamark division to a group of investors. The acquisition is expected to take place next quarter and has not yet been approved by shareholders....
Apple MacBooks Get Speed, Memory, Networking Upgrades
Apple's entry-level series of notebook computers--the MacBook--today received performance improvements across the board, including processor speed, memory, hard drive capacity, and networking. The new models are shipping now, with education pricing set below $1,000 on the low end....

Tech Notes

Fighting Fire With Fire
By Linda Briggs
Using the material of others without permission or attribution has always tempted students, but the internet has fed the flames by making an unlimited amount of content easily available for copying. Forget term paper mills and the like; legitimate sources like Wikipedia and Google Scholar make scholarly content readily accessible, and any popular search engine can deliver thousands of site options in seconds...(Campus Technology)

Upcoming Events

Campus Technology 2007
Washington, DC, July 30-August 2, 2007

Featured

  • geometric pattern features abstract icons of a dollar sign, graduation cap, and document

    Maricopa Community Colleges Adopts Platform to Combat Student Application Fraud

    In an effort to secure its admissions and financial processes, Maricopa Community Colleges has partnered with A.M. Simpkins and Associates (AMSA) to implement the company's S.A.F.E (Student Application Fraudulent Examination) across the district's 10 institutions.

  • stylized figures, resumes, a graduation cap, and a laptop interconnected with geometric shapes

    OpenAI to Launch AI-Powered Jobs Platform

    OpenAI announced it will launch an AI-powered hiring platform by mid-2026, directly competing with LinkedIn and Indeed in the professional networking and recruitment space. The company announced the initiative alongside an expanded certification program designed to verify AI skills for job seekers.

  • Abstract AI circuit board pattern

    New Nonprofit to Work Toward Safer, Truthful AI

    Turing Award-winning AI researcher Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a new nonprofit aimed at developing AI systems that prioritize safety and truthfulness over autonomy.

  • hooded figure types on a laptop, with abstract manifesto-like posters taped to the wall behind them

    Hacktivism Is a Growing Threat to Higher Education

    In recent years, colleges and universities have faced an evolving array of cybersecurity challenges. But one threat is showing signs of becoming both more frequent and more politically charged: hacktivism.