e-learning | InforMedia Services (IMS)

AI is being used to monitor students and their work. The most prominent uses of AI in higher education are attached to applications designed to protect or preserve academic integrity through the use of plagiarism-detection software (60%) and proctoring applications (42%) (see figure 1).

The chatbots are coming! A sizable percentage (36%) of respondents reported that chatbots and digital assistants are in use at least somewhat on their campuses, with another 17% reporting that their institutions are in the planning, piloting, and initial stages of use (see figure 2). The use of chatbots in higher education by admissions, student affairs, career services, and other student success and support units is not entirely new, but the pandemic has likely contributed to an increase in their use as they help students get efficient, relevant, and correct answers to their questions without long waits.^Footnote10 Chatbots may also liberate staff from repeatedly responding to the same questions and reduce errors by deploying updates immediately and universally.

AI is being used for student success tools such as identifying students who are at-risk academically (22%) and sending early academic warnings (16%); another 14% reported that their institutions are in the stage of planning, piloting, and initial usage of AI for these tasks.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents said that ineffective data management and integration (72%) and insufficient technical expertise (71%) present at least a moderate challenge to AI implementation. Financial concerns (67%) and immature data governance (66%) also pose challenges. Insufficient leadership support (56%) is a foundational challenge that is related to each of the previous listed challenges in this group.

Current use of AI

Chatbots for informational and technical support, HR benefits questions, parking questions, service desk questions, and student tutoring
Research applications, conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and data science research (my italics)
Library services (my italics)
Recruitment of prospective students
Providing individual instructional material pathways, assessment feedback, and adaptive learning software
Proctoring and plagiarism detection
Student engagement support and nudging, monitoring well-being, and predicting likelihood of disengaging the institution
Detection of network attacks
Recommender systems

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more on AI in education in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=artificial+intelligence+education

02
Jul
2021

robocolleges

categories: Digital literacy, e-learning, educational technology, gamification, information literacy, information technology, instructional technology, technology literacy

https://higheredinquirer.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-growth-of-robot-colleges.html

some frightening full-time faculty numbers at some large online universities.

Robot colleges have de-skilled instruction by paying teams of workers, some qualified and some not, to write content, while computer programs perform instructional and management tasks. Learning management systems with automated instruction programs

The assumption is that managing work this way significantly reduces costs, and it does, at least in the short and medium terms. However, instructional costs are frequently replaced by marketing and advertising expenses to pitch the schools to prospective students and their families.
The business model in higher education for reducing labor power and faculty costs is not reserved to for-profit colleges. Community colleges also rely on a small number of full-time faculty and armies of low-wage contingent labor.
In some cases, colleges and universities, including many brand name schools, utilize outside companies, online program managers (OPMs), to run their online programs, with OPMs like 2U taking up as much as 60 percent of the revenues.

13
Jun
2021

Instructional approaches

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

A Beginner’s Guide to Flipped Classroom

https://www.schoology.com/blog/flipped-classroom

Our 2018-2019 Global State of Digital Learning research study revealed some interesting insights about instructional approaches. It was taken by 9,279 education professionals from all across the country in various roles and districts.

When we look at instructional approaches most frequently used, the top ones are differentiated instruction (73.5%), blended learning (54.8%), and individualized learning (47.8%). And while flipped learning, personalized learning, and gamification command the most press, they aren’t being practiced as much as one might think. In many ways, this makes a lot of sense. These approaches require more time and resources than many of the others.

24
May
2021

Students and Online

categories: distance learning, distributive learning, e-learning, educational technology, hybrid learning, instructional technology

73 Percent of Students Prefer Some Courses Be Fully Online

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/05/13/73-percent-of-students-prefer-some-courses-be-fully-online-post-pandemic.aspx

Cengage‘s Digital Learning Pulse Survey, conducted by Bay View Analytics on behalf of the Online Learning Consortium, WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies, University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and Canadian Digital Learning Research Association, polled 1,469 students and 1,286 faculty and administrators across 856 United States institutions

Sixty-eight percent of students were also in favor of some combination of in-person and online courses. On the faculty side, 57 percent said they would prefer teaching hybrid courses post-pandemic — slightly more than those who preferred teaching fully online.

both students and faculty agreed: Roughly two-thirds across the board said they would like to use more tech and digital course materials in the future.

19
May
2021

Hybrid-Flexible Course Design

categories: distance learning, distributive learning, e-learning, educational technology, instructional technology

Hybrid-Flexible Course Design

Implementing student-directed hybrid classes
Brian J. Beatty

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

19
May
2021

Engageli

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

Zoom-alternative Engageli raises $33M to grow its digital learning platform

https://www.highereddive.com/news/zoom-alternative-engageli-raises-33m-to-grow-its-digital-learning-platform/599901/

Rather than create plug-ins for Zoom or similar services, however, Engageli’s founders created a standalone platform that combines video with active-learning features such as quizzes and small-group breakouts. Instructors can also track engagement.

Class, formerly named ClassEDU, last year began testing add-on software for Zoom that allows instructors to administer assignments and track student engagement.

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

19
May
2021