Tuesday 26 February 2013

Can flipped classrooms improve student performance?

What if traditional techniques of classroom teaching and homework were swapped around?


For some years now, teachers have been looking at changing the way classrooms work and how they can integrate modern technology to let them spend more time guiding students from the side rather than lecturing to them from the stage.

Rather than using homework periods to consolidate teaching that happened in the classroom, flipped learning means that students are responsible for absorbing information at home and consolidating it in the classroom.

Friday 22 February 2013

MOOCs count towards full degree

Increasing impact of MOOCs: Massive Online Open Courses
In a recent post we considered the impact of an online phenomenon that’s rapidly gaining support throughout the USA and parts of Europe. We reflected on whether UK universities are about to follow suit and embark on the trend that’s being pitched as a global online revolution.

Two months later and one of the emerging powerhouses among American universities has announced that it will be joining forces with a further 29 institutes throughout the USA, Europe and Asia.

Coursera, an educational technology company formed by academics at the prestigious Stanford University, will now offer a range of online courses from 62 institutes including Humanities, Biology, Social Sciences, Mathematics, and many others.

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Student viral videos – tips and ideas to get started

Student viral video: how-to guide
In our previous blogs we’ve discussed the rise in cloud computing and the upward trend in the integration of smart devices in the classroom. Schools throughout the UK are becoming hubs for innovation, which is helping to raise learner engagement and promote higher levels of learning. But where will this take us next?

Monday 18 February 2013

Will flipped learning replace traditional lesson techniques?

One of the hottest topics in education at the moment has prompted educationalists throughout the UK to consider the application advantages of reversing the traditional lesson structure. Commonly termed ‘flipped learning’, it has quickly become a trending theme at networking events, conferences and throughout social journalism circles.

The Flipped Classroom


In this article we offer guidance and support to teachers who want to implement flipped learning into their classroom.

Tuesday 12 February 2013

A teacher’s guide: helping students use Google Search effectively

Google Search: A Teachers Guide
In this article we consider the Google resources and lesson plans developed to help teachers and educators enhance their learners’ search skills.

Classroom tasks are becoming increasingly digitalised and, with greater access to the internet, teaching professionals are acknowledging the need for students to conduct greater levels of independent study and research. In the recent past, learners would head to their school or local library to refer to journals, newspapers and other literature. Nowadays, the first port of call for the majority will be Google and the somewhat infinite and instant access it offers to literary content.

This has significantly expanded students’ access to information from a wider range of sources, but conversely, it has also increased their access to misinformation and to material unrelated to an exam syllabus.

Thursday 7 February 2013

To tweet, or not to tweet?


Safer Internet Day considers our fascination with Twitter

 

Issues surrounding social networking site - twitter
Are you an avid tweeter? Do you spend an hour or two each day updating your social network statuses?

A recent study by the UK Safer Internet Centre found that over 95 per cent of 11−19-year-olds communicate online, through social networking sites like Twitter.

To coincide with this month’s Safer Internet Day this article will consider the issues surrounding Twitter and offer advice on how young people can avoid many of the associated problems and risks.

Monday 4 February 2013

How can cloud computing improve educational performance?

Cloud Computing in Education
Technology has continuously impacted on the way we teach young people. In the 1950s learning theorists concluded that repeated drills and the repetition of content-supported learning and more specifically recall. This led to the introduction of listening stations in the classroom where students were able to use headphones to listen to audio tapes and cassettes. This progressed to the integration of video tapes a year later and the trend has not slowed since.

Today, technology is advancing quicker than ever and, as it does, schools and learning institutions are starting to gain pace with new technologies − a very welcome change, if you ask us.