Digital learning tools drive student success

By Submission For The Southside Times

Across the country, colleges and universities are embracing innovative, digital technologies and customized learning platforms to drive academic achievement. While print textbooks remain the foundation of higher education course materials, publishers are creating new digital applications that enable institutions and faculty to become more effective, and engage digital learners to enhance their academic achievement and succeed in an increasingly competitive global economy. Educational publishers recognize the power of today’s technology and devices like the iPod and Amazon Kindle to adapt to how students learn. They’re studying how students interact with these tools and process information, and how instructors teach, to design new ways to make learning a more effective, efficient, and personalized experience for students. [ad#single-post] “By observing thousands of students and their learning styles, we’ve ascertained a great deal about their work habits, study plans, and other learning preferences. This information is being used by today’s publishers to create digital tools to connect students to content on a new level and empower them to succeed,” says Ed Stanford, president of McGraw-Hill Higher Education. “A transformation is occurring on campuses across the country as students embrace technology in every aspect of learning.” McGraw-Hill’s Connect for example, is a powerful, web-based assessment and learning platform that assists both instructor and student. One feature of Connect can assess a student’s knowledge by delivering appropriate questions at the right time to help them master course content. It’s one more major development in educational technology that is helping students learn more efficiently and achieve greater success academically. Students studying for midterms and finals now have online tools to test themselves, share notes, and listen online to key concepts from lectures. Digital assessment tools are also becoming mainstream. At some schools, introductory math fail rates are as high as 50 percent due mainly to inaccurate course placement. Today, students who once failed are now succeeding, thanks to an innovative Web-based software system that ensures accurate course placement and can even provide individualized learning plans. Artificial intelligence now provides the power behind new tutoring software for accounting courses that is proven to increase test scores by at least a full letter grade. Then there’s GradeGuru.com, an online note-sharing Web site for students, which operates as an online study group to help students engage in their coursework. College courses, departments, and in a few cases entire campuses are experimenting with going digital by replacing print textbooks with eBook versions of course content. EBooks are digital resources that allow students to search, highlight and print content, share notes and create personal study guides directly on their computers, iPods or digital reading devices. Available through online marketplaces like CourseSmart, eBooks truly engage students, making it easier for them to learn and offering cost-savings of almost half the price of print textbooks. To test this concept, in 2008, more than 500 students at Northwest Missouri State University participated in an eBook trial to investigate the usefulness and efficacy of eBooks compared to traditional print textbooks. Once students learned how to use eBooks and work the technology behind them, they found tremendous value in the convenience and accessibility of digital course content. Today’s educators and publishers are working together to craft the best learning solutions for colleges and universities. Innovative digital tools are being developed to not only make learning easier and more effective, but most importantly to better prepare students for the world that awaits.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Laptop security: Think beyond the dorm room

By Submission For The Southside Times

(ARA) - There are more laptops on college campuses today than ever before, which has caused increased temptation for laptop theft. College students should follow these tips to help prevent laptop theft: 1 When working in a public place, like a coffee shop or library, do not leave your laptop unattended. 2 Leaving your laptop out on your dorm room desk is an invitation to thieves. Many dorm rooms have a constant flow of traffic going in and out, without anyone really paying attention to their belongings. 3 Do not use the telltale laptop bag or sleeve. 4 Even if you are discreet and constantly aware of your laptop’s location, use a tracking and recovery program in case of theft.

Ancestry.com now available to researchers at the Johnson County Museum Library

By Submission For The Southside Times

The Johnson County Museum of History Genealogy Library, located at 135 North Main St. in Franklin, is now providing researchers access to the library edition of Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com is an online tool that offers genealogy researchers access to national census records, marriage and death certificates and military records. The site charges an annual fee to individuals wishing to use the site from home; however, thanks to a generous donation, the Johnson County Genealogy Library can now offer access to Ancestry.com to visitors. Access to Ancestry.com and admission to the Johnson County Museum Genealogy library are free to the public.

Counting your laps

By Submission For The Southside Times

It’s the Pool-Mate automatic lap and stroke counter watch from Swimovate. The watch has accurate motion sensors that can recognize each swim stroke and change of lap so you won’t need to count anymore. It displays Lap count, Time, Average Strokes per lap, Speed, Distance, Calories and Efficiency and stores the details in a large memory for later recall. Pair this with the Finis SwiMP3, and you have an amphibious gadgeteer.

- www.the-gadgeteer.com

METAL DETECTORS WITH SOLE

By Submission For The Southside Times

Carrying around a metal detector while wearing a big set of headphones isn’t exactly the coolest look for the beach this summer, but neither are these metal detecting sandals which presumably are meant to be a more subtle approach to finding buried treasure. There’s a copper coil embedded in the sole of the right sandal which connects to a removable battery pack you’re supposed to wear strapped to your calf. The detector can find metal objects buried as ‘deep’ as 2 feet underfoot, and it will alert you to their presence via a flashing red light, a gentle vibration and an audible buzz. It’s powered by a single 9V battery which is good for about 6 hours of use, and you can find it at Hammacher Schlemmer for $59.95.

- www.ohgizmo.com

ADDING PURPOSE TO SHUFFLE

By Submission For The Southside Times

We appreciate Apple's efforts to make the iPod shuffle into something that no one's ever done before, but seriously, the no-buttons approach is sort of, um, annoying. Thankfully, the good guys and gals over at Scosche are totally in agreement, and thus, they've taken the time to develop the remarkable tapSTICK. Put simply, this 3rd-gen iPod shuffle case protects one's player from the elements while adding hard buttons that simulate the commands on Apple's own VoiceOver-friendly earbuds. The result? An MP3 player that's not partial to lackluster white 'buds, not to mention one that you can actually control with relative ease. Too bad it'll cost you $29.99, but we suppose that's the going rate these days to extinguish frustration.

- www.engadget.com