01
Aug
2017

anonymous browsing data

categories: digital identity, Digital literacy

‘Anonymous’ browsing data can be easily exposed, researchers reveal

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/01/data-browsing-habits-brokers

A similar strategy was used in 2008, Dewes said, to deanonymise a set of ratings published by Netflix to help computer scientists improve its recommendation algorithm: by comparing “anonymous” ratings of films with public profiles on IMDB, researchers were able to unmask Netflix users – including one woman, a closeted lesbian, who went on to sue Netflix for the privacy violation.

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A hacker explains the best way to browse the internet anonymously.
https://www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/824655787732779/

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more on privacy in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=privacy

19
Jul
2017

millennials and gen z

categories: Millennials, social media

Report: Millennials and Generation Z are Changing Media Habits

By Richard Chang 07/17/17
https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/07/17/report-millennials-and-generation-z-are-changing-media-habits.aspx

These findings come from a March 2017 survey by content provider and streaming solutions company Fullscreen and market research firm Leflein Associates, which polled 1,173 American internet users from ages 13 to 34.

younger internet users, the so-called Generation Z (ages 13 to 17), are moving away from text-based content online, as well as television, while increasing their time with video and social media.

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More on Gen Z in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=gen+z
more on Millennials in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=millennials

12
Jul
2017

apps online learning

categories: Digital literacy, distance learning, distributive learning, e-learning, educational technology, instructional technology, mobile learning, online learning, technology literacy

20 essential apps to include in online courses

By Meris Stansbury June 9th, 2017

Online learning apps are broken down into specific categories to maximize production and streamline online communication..

20 essential apps to include in online courses

From attending class to talking with peers and professors, and from going to the local bookstore to having everything on a laptop in a dorm room, students on campus typically have a more “organic” learning experience than an online student who may not know how to best access these features of a higher education in an entirely mobile setting.

The essentials for getting started

Computer terms (Android) (Apple): Online learning means you’ll need to know basic computer technology terms. Both apps are free and break down terms ranging from words like “cache” to “hex code,” all in layman’s language.

Mint (Android) (Apple): Online learning students are usually financially savvy, looking for less expensive alternatives to traditional four-year tuition. This app allows students to keep careful track of personal finances and spending.

Study Tracker (Android) (Apple): These paid apps help track the time spent on courses, tasks and projects to help online students better manage their time and be able to visualize unique study patterns with the aim of ultimately improving efficiency.

Wi-Fi Finder (Android) (Apple): It’s a no-brainer: If you’re learning online and on-the-go, you’ll probably need to find a connection!

To access actual courses (LMS)

Blackboard Mobile (Android) (Apple): Access all courses that are integrated with Blackboard’s LMS.

Canvas (Android) (Apple). Access all courses integrated with Canvas by Instructure.

Moodle (Android) (Apple): Access all courses integrated with this open-source learning platform.

My note: No D2L in this list, folks; choose carefully in 2018, when MnSCU renews its D2L license

For access to files and remote annotation

Documents to Go (Android) (Apple): Students can access the full Microsoft Office suite, as well as edit and create new files without requiring a cloud app for syncing.

Dropbox (Android) (Apple): This app allows students to access any-size files from their computer anytime, anywhere. My Note: Google Drive, SCSU File space as alternatives.

iAnnotate (Android) (Apple): Read, edit and share PDFs, DOCs, PPTs, and image files.

Instapaper (Android) (Apple): Recall websites for research purposes; strip away clutter for an optimized view of content; and read anywhere, since no internet connection is needed.

Marvin (Apple): A completely customizable eBook reader that includes DRM-free books, customizable formats, layouts, and reading gestures, as well as highlighting and annotations tools. Considered one of the best replacements for the Stanza app, which is now discontinued.

Pocket (Android): An app that allows students to save websites, blog posts, videos, and other online resources to access at a later time. It also saves the information to the device, meaning no internet connection is needed.

Wolfram Alpha (Android) (Apple): Considered the scholar’s version of Google, this app is a search engine that reveals precise information for natural-language searches. For example, if you ask “What is the graduation rate for Harvard?” the engine will bring up exact numbers with citations and suggestions for similar queries.

For online communication with peers and profs

Dragon Dictation (Android) (Apple): Create text messages, social media posts, blog posts and more by using your voice (speech-to-text). According to the company, Dragon Dictation is up to five times faster than typing on the keyboard.

Evernote (Android) (Apple): Whenever you look at a list of education apps, Evernote is usually listed. This app allows students to scribble notes, capture text, send notes to computers and other users, and much more for ultimate multi-media communication.

Hangouts (Android) (Apple): Google’s social network shines for its own online video chat solution, which lets teachers, students and third-party experts easily videoconference in groups—it’s even been used to broadcast presenters live to packed auditoriums. My note: desktopsharing is THE most important part. Alternatives: SCSU subscription for Adobe Connect. Skype also has desktopsharing capabilities

Quora (Android) (Apple): Ask questions to experts including astronauts, police officers, lawyers, and much more to receive industry-insider responses.

Smartsheet (Android) (Apple): An app that allows students to create task lists and assign deadlines to share with remote group/team members.

Tom’s planner (Web): A Gantt chart-based, online planning tool that uses color-coded charts to reveal work completed and many more features for project management.

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more on online learning in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=online+learning

12
Jul
2017

innovation online ed

categories: distance learning, distributive learning, e-learning, learning, mobile learning

Is innovation severely lacking in online education?

Laura Ascione, Managing Editor, Content Services, @eSN_Laura

July 6th, 2017

https://www.ecampusnews.com/online-learning/online-education-wheres-innovation

the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE)

The emergence of the chief online officer position at many institutions is strong evidence that online education is becoming more mainstream

Revenue generation and tuition

most responding institutions have online program tuition rates that are aligned with standard tuition or that are higher. Those higher tuition rates ranged from 12 percent of private institutions to 29 percent of four-year public institutions, and lower than standard tuition rates ranged from 3 percent of community colleges to 37 percent of private institutions. None of the larger online programs reported tuition rates for online students that are lower than standard tuition rates, and 20 percent reported higher tuition rates for online study.

Course development

Forty percent of chief online officers in larger programs larger programs use instructional design support, and 30 percent use a team approach to online course design. Ten percent outsource course design.

This kind of course development is in stark contrast to practices of chief online officers in mid-sized and smaller programs. Among the smallest online education programs, 18 percent of chief online officers expect faculty to develop online courses independently, and 53 percent treat instructional design support as a faculty option. This means that a combined 71 percent of smaller programs do not mandate the use of instructional design specialists.

In 13 percent of mid-sized programs, faculty are expected to develop courses independently, and in 64 percent of mid-sized programs, they are free to choose whether or not to involve instructional design specialists, yielding a combined 77 percent of programs that do not require the use of instructional design expertise.

Teaching, learning and technology

The CHLOE survey also asked chief online officers to name three technologies or tools they consider most important or innovative for their institution’s fully-online programs. Eighty-one percent first listed an LMS, while others named audio and video conferencing and lecture capture. The technologies most-cited for second- and third-most important were conferencing, video and lecture capture software. (see Plamen’s effort to start faculty discussion on lecture capture here: http://blog.stcloudstate.edu/coursecapture/)

“There was no sign of much-hyped innovations like adaptive learning, competency-based education LMS solutions, or simulation or game-based learning tools,” according to the study. “Such tools may be in use for specific courses or programs but based on responses to CHLOE, these have yet to achieve institution-wide adoption at any scale.” (see Plamen’s efforts start a discussion on game-based learning here: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=game-based+learning

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more on online ed in this IMS blog:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=online+education

10
Jul
2017

intro to stat modeling

categories: Digital literacy, educational technology, information technology

Introduction to Statistical Modelling (bibliography)

These are the books available at the SCSU library with their call #s:

Graybill, F. A. (1961). An introduction to linear statistical models. New York: McGraw-Hill. HA29 .G75

Dobson, A. J. (1983). Introduction to statistical modelling. London ; New York: Chapman and Hall. QA276 .D59 1983

Janke, S. J., & Tinsley, F. (2005). Introduction to linear models and statistical inference. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. QA279 .J36 2005

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resources from the Internet:

visuals (quick reference to terms and issues)

https://www.slideshare.net/albertlaporte/introduction-to-statistics-6941185 (basic terms, simple explanation of the process)
https://www.slideshare.net/BryanMills/introduction-to-statistical-terms

consider this short video:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/07/06/misleading-graphs/

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more on quantitative and qualitative research in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=quantitative
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=qualitative+research

07
Jul
2017

safe social media

categories: social media

Tips Toward a Safe and Positive Social Media Experience

By Stephen Spengler 06/01/17

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/06/01/tips-toward-a-safe-and-positive-social-media-experience.aspx

Family Online Safety Institute recommends that parents engage in “7 Steps to Good Digital Parenting”

1. Talk with your children.

2. Educate yourself.

3. Use parental controls. Check the safety controls on all of the Android and Apple devices that your family uses. On the iPhone, you can tap SETTINGS > GENERAL> RESTRICTIONS and you can create a password that allows you enable/disable apps and phone functions. On Android devices, you can turn on Google Play Parental Controls by going into the Google Play Store settings

parental monitoring software such as NetNanny, PhoneSherriff, Norton Family Premier and Qustodio.

4. Friend and follow your children on social media. Whether it’s musical.ly, Instagram or Twitter, chances are that your children use some form of social media. If you have not already, then create an account and get on their friends list.

5. Explore, share and celebrate.

6. Be a good digital role model.

7. Set ground rules and apply sanctions. Just like chore charts or family job lists, consider using a family social media or internet safety contract. These contracts establish ground rules for when devices are to be used; what they should and should not be doing on them; and to establish sanctions based on breaches of the family contract. A simple internet search for “family internet contract” or “family technology contract” will produce a wealth of available ideas and resources to help you implement rules and sanctions revolving around your family’s technology use. A good example of a social media contract for children can be found at imom.com/printable/social-media-contract-for-kids/.

Managing Your Digital Footprint

Your digital footprint, according to dictionary.com, is “one’s unique set of digital activities, actions, and communications that leave a data trace on the internet or on a computer or other digital device and can identify the particular user or device.” Digital footprints can be either passive or active. The passive digital footprint is created without your consent and is driven by the sites and apps that you visit. The data from a passive digital footprint could reveal one’s internet history, IP address, location and is all stored in files on your device without you knowing it. An active digital footprint is more easily managed by the user. Data from an active digital footprint shows social media postings, information sharing, online purchases and activity usage.

Search for yourself online
Check privacy settings.
Use strong passwords
Update software.
Maintain your device.
Think before you post

Keep These Apps on Your Radar

Afterschool (minimum age 17) – The Afterschool App was rejected twice from the major app stores due to complaints from parents and educators. It is a well-known app that promotes cyberbullying, sexting, pornography and is filled with references to drugs and alcohol.
Blue Whale (minimum age 10) – IF YOU FIND THIS APP ON YOUR CHILD’S DEVICE, DELETE IT. It is a suicide challenge app that attempts to prod children into killing themselves.
BurnBook (minimum age 18) – IF YOU FIND THIS APP ON YOUR CHILD’S DEVICE, DELETE IT. It is a completely anonymous app for posting text, photos, and audio that promote rumors about other people. It is a notorious for cyberbullying
Calculator% (minimum age 4) – IF YOU FIND THIS APP ON YOUR CHILD’S DEVICE, DELETE IT. This is one of hundreds of “secret” calculator apps. This app is designed to help students hide photos and videos that they do not want their parents to see. This app looks and functions like a calculator, but students enter a “.”, a 4-digit passcode, and then a “.” again.
KIK (minimum age 17) – This is a communications app that allows anyone to be contacted by anyone and it 100 percent bypasses the device’s contacts list.
Yik Yak (minimum age 18) – This app is a location-based (most commonly schools) bulletin board app. It works anonymously with anyone pretending to be anyone they want. Many schools across the country have encountered cyberbullying and cyberthreats originating from this app.
StreetChat (minimum age 14) – StreetChat is a photo-sharing board for middle school, high school and college-age students. Members do not need to be a student in the actual school and can impersonate students in schools across the country. It promotes cyberbullying through anonymous posts and private messaging.
ooVoo (minimum age 13) – IF YOU FIND THIS APP ON YOUR CHILD’S DEVICE, DELETE IT. ooVoo is one of the largest video and messages app. Parents should be aware that ooVoo is used by predators to contact underage children. The app can allow users to video chat with up to twelve people at one time.
Wishbone (girls) & Slingshot (boys) (minimum age 13) – Both are comparison apps that allow users to create polls, including ones that are not appropriate for children. Many of the users create polls to shame and cyberbully other children, plus there are inappropriate apps and videos that users are forced to watch via the app’s advertising engine.

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Texas Teen May Be Victim in ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ That Encourages Suicide

Isaiah Gonzalez, 15, found hanging from his closet after an apparent suicide, as allegedly instructed by macabre online game

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/texas-teen-latest-victim-in-challenge-that-promotes-suicide-w491939

Nationally, the Associated Press reports that educators, law enforcement officers and parents have raised concerns about the challenge, though these two back-to-back deaths mark the first allegations in the United States about deaths directly linked to the online game. Internationally, suicides in Russia, Brazil, and half a dozen other countries have already been linked to the challenge.

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more on social media in education in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=social+media+education