My colleague Leslie Silvey is out today enjoying some well-deserved time away from our busy office. So, I’m very happy to pinch-hit for her! Here’s my take on some of the top stories from the past week.
One of the most interesting education stories this week comes from Japan. A Japanese university president suggested to his students that they should get rid of their “poisonous smartphones.” In his opening remarks to incoming students, Dr. Kiyohito Yamasawa of Shinshu University said that students should quit using their smartphones because they are “nothing more than poison to intelligence, personality, and creativity.” Needless to say, this has sparked quite a debate within Japanese educational circles.
I’m sure there are people all around the world who wish we could dial back the clock to the time before smartphones and tablets became pervasive. But, as was pointed out in a 2013 survey, the modern college student now arrives on campus with an average of 7 tech devices. A new McGraw-Hill study on digital trends in higher education finds that more than 80% of college students use mobile technology to study.
Perhaps a better approach might be “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Why not incorporate technology like smartphones into the course design. Echo360’s Active Learning Platform lets students view course content on any device, including smartphones. Our student engagement solution lets students use their smartphones or other devices in class to respond to instructor questions. This technology isn’t going away. The question is, how will you effectively use it to engage directly with your students?
In other news, Echo360’s own Dr. Perry Samson was featured in an article about engaging students with active learning in Campus Technology. The article highlights the relationship between increased student participation and improved outcomes. By using active learning methods, Dr. Samson helped his students improve their examination performance by just under half a standard deviation.
If you’re an educator, have you joined the #edtech and #edchat conversation on Twitter? Here’s an article that says Twitter for educators is like attending a free, global education conference! Not sure who to follow? Follow this list of the top 30 #edugeeks on Twitter!
Finally, with all of this talk about active learning, we hope that you’ll make plans to join us on May 13-14 at the University of Illinois in Chicago for the first leg of the Echo360 Active Learning World Tour. Just click on the “Register Today” button below for all the event details, agenda, and registration information.
