The past couple days I’ve had a few requests for help involving Mathematica. It turns out this problem is not just had on earth, but in space as well: Loaded onto [astronaut] Foale’s now-inaccessible computer was an off-the-shelf technical computing software system called Mathematica, which Foale has used for many years to perform calculations involving …
Category Archives: News
Spectacles
Snapchat just changed its name to Snap and came out with a new glasses-type device called Spectacles. *Queue the curmudgeon* Unfortunately, they’ve completely neglected the percentage of the population (more than you’d think) that wears corrective spectacles, which is too bad. It would be neat to have a camera on my glasses that could take …
Innovative ideas for mobiles
I just heard about two interesting innovations. The thingCHARGER and Reviveaphone. Both are thoughtful solutions to problems people have. These are not really ground-breaking technologies, but they are creative solutions to somewhat common problems. I personally know people who have had their phones immersed and I’d be willing to bet that 80% of the people …
Web page accessibility
Earlier, I posted about OpenDyslexic, a font that makes it easier for a person with dyslexia to read. While I don’t advise anyone to change their course materials to use the font, they should certainly be aware of it. People who create, post or publish anything online should also be aware of other issues with …
ChemicalSams on open internet testing
Aaron Sams, the Woodland Park educator who has been flipping his instruction for years, discusses the four or five kinds of students he has in his classes, based on how they use the world wide web for taking tests (or don’t). Basically, there are students who know how to use the tools, students who don’t …
Student Research
I recently read about an interaction between employers and a college professor. The professor asked what the employers look for when hiring. In essence, the employers said they look for real world experience. Not their GPA. Not their test scores or transcripts. Their what-have-you-done files…Providing real experience has become the task of the school, and …
MOOC Students Who Got Offline Help Scored Higher, Study Finds – The Chronicle of Higher Education
This really isn’t news, per se, but it is proof of something our friends in the Writing Center have known for a long time. I suspect that students in any class, whether online or offline, will benefit from getting help outside class… For online learners who took the first session of “Circuits & Electronics,” the …
Does the world want our MOOCs?
Oh, burn! What a disappointment to think that “we” don’t have all the answers. Inside Higher Ed reports that: Online higher education is increasingly hailed as a chance for educators in the developed world to expand access and quality across the globe. Yet it may not be quite so easy. Not only does much of …
Students Launch “Button” to Put Denied Access to Research on the Map | Open Access Button
One lament I have as a student and researcher is that my library often does not have full text access to a journal. Being the info geek that I am, I have access to various databases (my public library, the school I attend, and of course the databases here at Colorado College). As a last …
Injury and Education: Speech Recognition
An injury can make learning difficult, especially on the block plan. A concussion, if untreated, can permanently harm a student’s ability to think and react. Treatment usually involves complete boredom: limiting stimulus and light (no music, no reading, no watching things) for a long time. (Here’s an effective test for concussion) and here’s Kristi Erdahl’s …