...Education in the Digital Age Welcome to the digital age where everything is accessible on the internet, even a masters degree. Is an online degree easier to obtain than a traditional brick and mortar college degree? Online education can be considered equivalent to a traditional degree, but requires unique learning habits. Online education is a different style of learning. Taking a class requires self-discipline and a mindset of self-teaching: “Students need to determine if online learning is an option for them because not everyone does well with this type of study. Some questions that any potential online students should ask is whether or not they can learn independently; how organized they are with their time; whether they are computer savvy; their level of reading comprehension; and if they have at least ten hours a week to devote to each course”(Snyder 1). Online learning will not work for every person seeking higher education. To add to the level of difficulty: ”Often online instructors assign more reading materials than required in a regular classroom to ensure that students are engaged”(Snyder 1), thus requiring a higher level of independence. Earning a higher degree online provides a unique benefit to those able to handle self-guidance: “Students will be able to learn at their own pace”(Snyder 1). Earning a college degree online is very different than that of a traditional school. Schools with online courses are rewarding students for prior learning experience cutting...
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...Impact of Information Technology on Activities of the University Information technology has been a focus point on many potential students who are seeking higher education. Based on recent dramatic increases in instructional computer use in American colleges and universities, it would appear that the promise of information technology has a considerable amount of logical appeal (Lamont Flowers, 2000). The mission of colleges and universities as creators and consumers of valuable knowledge and information can no doubt be greatly improved if IT is strategically and proactively embraced in support of the institution’s mission (Unknown). Information technology is becoming a major appeal factor in the colleges and universities it is causing them to become creative in the digital world. The availability of high bandwidth access to instrumentation, data, and colleagues is also changing the way scholars do their work (James Duderstadt, 2003). At the national level many universities,particularly publicly supported institutions, were required to develop and implement experiential learning methods across all of their disciplines and in their curricula (Fahmy).Universities can design their core curricula according to an overall educational philosophy. Because decisions about program philosophy and course content are made by the faculty, the contents of and boundaries between courses are flexible; they can be changed to suit evolving circumstances, not least the interests of the best...
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...What is the future of printed books in the digital age? Marvin Kobek Test Essay Academia.research.com 3rd June 2014 For decades, printed books have been the undoubted medium in which people expressed their thoughts, stored information, transferred knowledge and codified laws. This method of communication dates back 500 years. Before the coming up of the digital age, printed books have been the only source of material available for citizens seeking to access any recorded information, students studying for exams or even for the religion searching for the scriptures[1]. Printed books were the only source of mass media. However, this dependency on printed books has changed. There has been an alteration in the reliance of printed books by the advent of the digital age. Applications such as kindles, internet, and Ipad affect the regularity of use of the printed books. Today, practically every phase of man’s activity is influenced or captured by automation. The variations and the far reaching effect have calls to enquire about the future of printed books in the digital age. The digital age has the birth of technologies that impact the way people organize things. A good example is in the in the music division. People are composing a sound without the usual pianos or guitars but over the means of a device called electronic mixer[2]. When it comes to press, there is the publication...
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...Technology doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00793.x Vol 39 No 5 2008 775–786 The ‘digital natives’ debate: A critical review of the evidence Sue Bennett, Karl Maton and Lisa Kervin Sue Bennett is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong. Karl Maton is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Sydney. Lisa Kervin is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong. Address for correspondence: Sue Bennett, Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong, Australia. Email: sue_bennett@uow.edu.au Abstract The idea that a new generation of students is entering the education system has excited recent attention among educators and education commentators. Termed ‘digital natives’ or the ‘Net generation’, these young people are said to have been immersed in technology all their lives, imbuing them with sophisticated technical skills and learning preferences for which traditional education is unprepared. Grand claims are being made about the nature of this generational change and about the urgent necessity for educational reform in response. A sense of impending crisis pervades this debate. However, the actual situation is far from clear. In this paper, the authors draw on the fields of education and sociology to analyse the digital natives debate. The paper presents and questions the main claims made about digital natives and analyses the nature of the debate itself. We argue that rather than being...
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...Digital Citizenship in K-12: It Takes a Village Randy Hollandsworth, Lena Dowdy, and Judy Donovan Students will require awareness that online behaviors can impact people within their immediate circle of friends but also outside of that circle. Abstract Digital citizenship encompasses a wide range of behaviors with varying degrees of risk and possible negative consequences. Lack of digital citizenship awareness and education can, and has, led to problematic, even dangerous student conduct. If our educational village does not address these issues, the digital culture establishes its own direction, potentially pushing a productive, long-term solution further out of reach. By tapping into the experience of various practitioners and experts in the field this article provides the reader with a number of suggestions that can help the professional to help their students become better digital citizens. Keywords: Digital Citizenship, School Library Media A ccording to Wikipedia (2010), the Nigerian Igbo proverb, “Ora na azu nwa”, translates as “it takes a village to raise a child” (Proverb Question section, para. 6). Whether this popular phrase derives from international cultures or from one’s own experiences in life, it provides a framework for our schools and society to meet a cultural shift in a global society. Creating awareness and enhancing digital citizenship in our society could best be assessed as having reached a pivotal point. Weigel, James...
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...reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by 30-80%, according to the US Department of Education and studies by the National Training and Simulation Association. 2. 81% of K-12 teachers believe that "tablets enrich classroom education." The survey of technology in the classroom by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) also concluded that 77% of teachers found technology to "increase student motivation to learn." 3. Tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks on one device, plus homework, quizzes, and other files, eliminating the need for physical storage of books and classroom materials. The average tablet contains anywhere from 8 to 64 gigabytes (GB) of storage space. On the Amazon Kindle Fire, for instance, 1,000 books take up one GB of space. 4. E-textbooks on tablets cost on average 50-60% less than print textbooks. According to a 2012 report from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), K-12 school districts spend more than $8 billion per year on textbooks. E-textbooks can save schools between $250-$1,000 per student per year. Tablet prices also continue to drop, making them increasingly affordable. Tablets cost on average $489 in 2011, $386 in 2012, and are projected to cost $263 in 2015. 5. Tablets help to improve student achievement on standardized tests. Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt tested an interactive, digital version of an Algebra 1 textbook for Apple's iPad in California's Riverside Unified School District. Students...
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...Gabrielle McQuire Prof: Mr. Flood English 101 December 1st, 2014 Digital Technology is Positively Here to Stay Since more than half of the people in our nation use some form of digital technology, it is safe to assume that it is here to stay. Digital technology restructured our society and changed the way that we do things. Almost everyone, from the very young to our senior citizens, is learning how to use some form of digital technology. It aims to support us in communicating with others, achieving an education, and succeeding in the workplace. There are countless ways that digital technology is being used both positively and negatively. However, the most commonly shared belief is that the good outweighs the bad. We have to rely on our digital tools and toys that it seems impossible to envision life without them. The advancement in digital technology changed the way people communicate with friends and family, seek job career opportunities, and the foundation of the education system. It is important to realize that many people don’t get to see their family and friends on an everyday basis. For this reason, digital technology is a great source for people to remain in contact with their loved ones. There are many social media sites where people can keep in touch with their family and friends. Several of them are Facebook, Instagram, Skype, Twitter, Tumbler, Foursquare, and Face Time. Since many families today are mobile, immediate families and their extended...
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...The digital divide is an economic inequality between specific groups of people in terms of access, usage of, and ability to utilize computers and technologies. Even so, the notion of the digital divide is changing over time. When the term “digital divide” first came to, it was centered on the availability and ability to operate technology. Now because of the falling prices of technology, a bigger majority is able to gain access to some form of technology, specifically a computer. Now, the “digital divide” has a new connotation. The phrase has grown to include technological literacy and the total cost of running a computer, meaning the technical and economic ability to make full use of the technology available. This involves the access or lack or access to the Internet. The digital divide is not only an issue in lesser-developed countries, but prosperous countries have the same problem as well. These countries, even the wealthy ones, have various communities facing barriers to access a computer or the Internet, whether for economic, demographic, linguistic, or even generational reasons. By comparing the digital divide within and between different countries, ranging from the economically developed and developing, solutions can be made. The United States is one of the most developed countries and a forerunner in technological advancements for the past century. The digital divide in the US has gotten smaller over the years, but even with the low cost and easy access to technology...
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...2010, 1(2) Informal Online Learning Practices: Implications for Distance Education Fawn Winterwood The Ohio State University, USA fwinterwood@ehe.osu.edu Abstract This qualitative ethnographic study examines five American teenagers‟ historical and current digitally-mediated multiliteracy practices within digital popular culture. The participants included three male and two female students of a private high school in the Midwestern United States. The study is framed by the notion that literacy is a socially, culturally, and historically situated discursive construct rather than a purely individualized cognitive endeavor. This social constructivist theory of literacy emphasizes the social conditions necessary to navigate the economic, social, and political worlds of the 21st century. The purpose of the study was to explore the students‟ multiliteracy practices that they enact through their activities within digital popular culture. Data collection methods included synchronous interviews facilitated by video conferencing tools as well as observation of the participants‟ online activities and member checks conducted via email and instant messaging. The analytic strategy employed during this study was informed by Clarke‟s (2005) situational analysis method. The study‟s findings indicate that literacy practices in which the study participants have engaged through informal learning activities within digital youth culture have had a much greater impact on enabling them to cultivate...
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...Digital divide The digital divide is a term which is used to describe the difference between those who have the access to the information technology this involves mobile phones, internet, computers and television and those who do not have access to these services. The expression can also represent those who have the skills and expertise to use different types of technology. The digital divide can exist between those who are living in rural areas and those who are living in urban areas. Factors that can contribute to the digital divide are economic factor, geographical factor, and fear of technology. One of the factors that contribute to the digital divide is fear of technology as many people do not use technology due to them having less confident about their ability to use computer skills. Due to the lack of confidence in which some people may show this will create digital divide between technology and themselves this means that they will find it harder to access the internet. As well as being able to find jobs. Another aspect that will result in a fear of technology is due to people fearing that others around them will laugh at them which mean that a person will have a low self esteem when trying to use technology. Furthermore factor that it’s the main issue that why people fear technology is due to people being scared of hackers and computer fraud. Overall a fear in technology will result in digital divide due to people not using technology which will mean that they will...
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...Into the Great Divide The digital divide can be understood as inequalities in four successive types of access: motivation, physical access, digital skills and different usage. It is claimed that the divide has shifted from the first to the last-called types of access in the last ten years. For the purpose of this paper I will touch base on all types of access. Disadvantages Amongst Man Contemporary research of the digital divide and digital skills is marked by a descriptive nature. Inequalities are described using simple demographics of individuals who have more or less access to computers and the Internet and a different level of digital skills. The explanation of these differences has far less attention. One of the reasons for this state of affairs is the predominance of individualistic notions of inequality. Like most social scientific and economic investigations, digital divide research works on the basis of so-called methodological individualism (Wellman & Berkowitz, 1988). Differential access to information and computer technologies (ICTs) is related to individuals and their characteristics: level of income and education, employment, age, sex, and ethnicity, to mention the most important ones. This is the usual approach in survey research, which measures the properties of individual respondents. Making multivariate analyses of several individual properties and aggregating them to produce properties of collectivities, one hopes to find background explanations. This...
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...Information Literacy in Higher Education: Consensus, Collaboration, Capability, and Cultural Considerations The 21st century is a rapidly-evolving era of global communication, information, and technology. In 1989, information literacy was defined as an individual’s ability to recognize the need for information, and to possess the skills to retrieve, comprehend, critically evaluate, and apply the acquired information (Association of Colleges and Research Libraries, 1989). Since that time, the Information Age has been over-shadowed by the dawn of the Digital Age. In higher education, the Digital Age has led to such a vast and complex array of choices in the types of materials available, literature search format options, and information navigation technologies, that most colleges and universities are simply unequipped to meet the literacy needs of their students (Li, 2007). In 1992, the National Adult Literacy Survey revealed that approximately 70 million adults ranked in the lowest level of literacy testing, and estimated that by 2030, that number would grow to nearly 118 million (Olson, 2007). Information illiteracy in American schools is a result of the inability of librarians and faculty to resolve issues, such as consensus, collaboration, capability, and culture when planning information literacy training programs. The differences in role perception between librarians and faculty may explain some of the difficulties in reaching consensus and collaboration in...
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...CHAPTER 1 Managing in the Digital World CHAPTER OBJECTIVES After reading this chapter, you will be able to do the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Describe the characteristics of the digital world and the advent of the information age. Define globalization, describe how it evolved over time, and describe the key drivers of globalization. Explain what an information system is, contrasting its data, technology, people, and organizational components. Describe the dual nature of information systems in the success and failure of modern organizations. Describe how computer ethics impact the use of information systems and discuss the ethical concerns associated with information privacy and intellectual property. CHAPTER OVERVIEW This chapter helps the student understand the role of information systems as organizations move into the digital world, and how they have helped fuel globalization. The student will learn what information systems are, how they have evolved to become a vital part of modern organizations, and why this understanding is necessary to become an effective manager in the digital world. The student will also learn how globalization evolved, and what opportunities globalization presents for organizations. The importance of ethics as it relates to IS is discussed especially as it relates to information privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility. A number of cases and illustrations are used, for example, Apple products and how they have evolved over time (such as...
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...SOCIAL MEDIA IN HIGHER EDUCATION Neil Selwyn This essay was first published in The Europa World of Learning 2012. For further information see the final page of this PDF or visit www.worldoflearning.com. © Routledge 2011, all rights reserved. INTRODUCTION Few people will have failed to notice the recent emergence of social media—especially much-publicized applications such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Wikipedia. Even the most casual of internet users will now be aware of the notion of social network sites and blogs, maybe even wikis and virtual worlds. Since being declared Time Magazine‘s ‘Person of the Year’ at the end of 2006, social media have come to dominate the ways in which digital technology is now used around the world. Of course, there are distinct geographical and cultural variations within this global adoption—whereas people in the USA may log on to Facebook and Twitter, Chinese users are more likely to access Renren and NetEase. Yet in all these guises, the general principles of social media remain the same. These are internet applications that rely on openly shared digital content that is authored, critiqued and re-configured by a mass of users. Social media applications therefore allow users to converse and interact with each other; to create, edit and share new forms of textual, visual and audio content; and to categorize, label and recommend existing forms of content. Perhaps the key characteristic of all these social media practices is that of ‘mass...
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...Group 2 (III-2 BECED) TEACHNOLOGY IN ECE MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Software for Teachers (Example) Assess2Achieve- is a comprehensive software package that includes planning, assessment, evaluations and report writing for teachers Benefits: • Assess2Achieve enables you to store all the assessment information for each child in one place. You are able to search for an individual child records or a group of children records as an efficient means for using assessment successfully. It enables the teacher to record individual pupil assessments rapidly, therefore saving the teacher time. • Assess2Achieve solves this problem because it is a software system that enables you to store all the evaluation information in one place. Then you are able to search for a particular subject or topic as an efficient means to using evaluations successfully. • With Assess2Achieve teachers can now pass on their back-ups to the class. future teacher to enable him/her to access more detailed information about his/her class. Data stores from different teachers can be amalgamated to give an overview of a whole school so that reports can be created with information supplied by different teachers. • The format is friendly to non-computer professionals. Assess2Achieve has a paper like look to the application, even though it is a data store. Teachers can use the software flexibly to suit the needs of the curriculum, their pupils, the differentiation...
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