By Azer Bestavros

Freshman Composition MOOC?

March 22nd, 2013 in Noteworthy 0 comments

Here a MOOC, There a MOOC: But Will It Work for Freshman Composition?

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Badges get a platform!

March 21st, 2013 in Noteworthy 0 comments

A digital badge is an online representation of a skill; Mozilla Open Badges takes that concept one step further, and allows skill verification through a credible organization. Because the system is based on an open standard, it is possible to combine multiple badges from different issuers both online and offline. Employers, organizations and schools can explore the data behind every badge issued using Mozilla Open Badges to verify individuals’ skills and competencies.

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CETLI Spring Activities

March 20th, 2013 in News, Noteworthy 0 comments

The Council on Educational Technology & Learning Innovation (CETLI) invites all faculty, staff and students to join in the many opportunities this spring to discuss and learn more about the uses of educational technology to support residential education and reach new audiences. Please check out the CETLI community blog and comment on posts. When it appears in your inbox, please respond to the CETLI survey later this month. Please contact CETLI at cetli@bu.edu with any questions. We hope to see you this spring!

Roundtable Series

If you are interested in attending any of these roundtable discussions, RSVP by emailing cetli@bu.edu. Space is limited.

MOOCs: To Credit or Not?
Thurs., March 21, 1:30PM – 3:30PM
808 Commonwealth Ave., Room 109

Residential Education in the Age of Educational Technology
Mon., March 25, 1PM – 2:30PM
Hariri Institute Seminar Room, 111 Cummington Mall, MCS-180

EdTech and the Future Workforce of Higher Education
Tue., April 2, 12:00Noon-2PM
School of Management, Room 326

The Three-Year Degree?
Mon., April 8, 10:30AM-12PM
College of Communication, 640 Commonwealth Ave., Rm. 317

Resources & Support for Tech-Enhanced Teaching & Learning
Tues., April 16, 12PM-1:30PM
1 Silber Way, 9th Floor, Kenmore Room

Flipped Classrooms and Faculty Compensation
Wed., April 17,12PM-1:30PM
Medical Campus, Talbot Building, 715 Albany Street, 3rd Floor Boardroom

Flipped Classrooms and Other Blended Experiments
Fri., April 19, 9AM-10:30AM
Hariri Institute Seminar Room, 111 Cummington Mall, MCS-180

Developing EdTech and Faculty Compensation
Thurs., April 25, 3PM – 4:30PM
Hariri Institute Seminar Room, 111 Cummington Mall, MCS-180

 

Symposium: Online Technology and the Future of Higher Education

This symposium brings to campus major thinkers about higher education and innovators in educational technology for discussion with the BU community. Speakers include Anant Agarwal, MIT Professor of EECS and President, edX; David Attis, Education Advisory Board; Jennifer Campbell, Senior Lecturer, Computer Science, University of Toronto; Lisa Dierker, Professor of Psychology, Wesleyan University; Eric Rabkin, Professor of English Language and Literature, and Professor of Art and Design at the University of Michigan; and Charmaine Williams, Associate Professor, Factor-Inwentash Chair in Health and Mental Health, University of Toronto.

Friday, April 26, 8AM-3PM, Photonics Center, 8 St. Mary’s Street, 9th Floor Colloquium Room. RSVP by emailing cetli@bu.edu.

 

Seed Grant Program

To facilitate the development of creative uses of educational technology, last month CETLI announced a seed grant program. The original Call for Proposals, sent to all faculty, can be found here.

Seed Grant Office Hours: For faculty wanting to explore their ideas for concept papers.

  • Thurs., March 28, 5-6 PM, Hariri Institute Seminar Room, 111 Cummington Mall, MCS-180
  • Thurs., April 4, 5-6 PM Hariri Institute Seminar Room, 111 Cummington Mall, MCS-180
  • Thurs., April 11, 5-6 PM Hariri Institute Seminar Room, 111 Cummington Mall, MCS-180

Deadline for Seed Grant Proposals: Friday, April 12.

 

Ed Tech Ideas Fest

Monday, April 22, 4:30-6PM, Hariri Institute Seminar Room, 111 Cummington Mall, MCS-180. Join us to hear faculty present their concept proposals. RSVP by emailing cetli@bu.edu.

 

Talk Series

Learning and the Massive Open Online Course
Educause Learning Institute Spring Focus Session, April 3-4. Online. Draft agenda available here. Please contact Amod Lele (lele@bu.edu), to request an individual login so you may participate from your personal computer, or if you would like to watch one or more of the sessions from a meeting room.

Teaching Online: Faculty Insight from Around BU
May 3, 10-11:30am, Hariri Institute Seminar Room, 111 Cummington Mall, MCS-180. Short talks and a panel discussion featuring BU professors who teach online:

  • Donna McLaughlin (School of Social Work)
  • Stephen Quigley (College of Communication)
  • David Walker (School of Law)
  • Vladimir Zlatev (Metropolitan College)

Spring Faculty Assembly

Thursday, March 28, 3-5PM, Tsai Performance Center, 685 Commonwealth Avenue. CETLI Co-chair Beth Loizeaux will report on CETLI activities. Faculty are encouraged to attend this assembly to learn more.

 

Survey of MOOC professors

March 19th, 2013 in Noteworthy 0 comments

The survey, conducted by The Chronicle, attempted to reach every professor who has taught a MOOC. The online questionnaire was sent to 184 professors in late February, and 103 of them responded.

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edX platform SDK released

March 19th, 2013 in Noteworthy 0 comments

edX releases XBlock SDK (Software Development Kit) for building interactive courses.

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From badges to financial aid

March 19th, 2013 in Noteworthy 0 comments

Colleges can now award federal student aid based on measured "competencies," not just credit hours. In a letter sent to colleges, the U.S. Education Department told them they may apply to provide federal student aid to students enrolled in "competency-based" programs and spelled out a process for doing so.

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The Professor’s Big Stage

March 6th, 2013 in Noteworthy 0 comments

Thomas Friedman's reflection in the New York Times on a conference convened by M.I.T. and Harvard on “Online Learning and the Future of Residential Education.”

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MOOCs as University Spinoffs

March 3rd, 2013 in Noteworthy 0 comments

While other universities move quickly to offer courses online for free, Carnegie Mellon University is instead starting for-profit efforts designed to capture segments of the education market.

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Company-tailored MOOCs

March 3rd, 2013 in Noteworthy 0 comments

Should CIOs consider creating their own massive open online courses to fill the skills gaps?

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Rate My MOOC

March 1st, 2013 in Noteworthy 0 comments

At least three sites have started in recent months to let users of massive open online courses review the MOOCs they’ve taken.

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