Top News

  • Researchers mull gaming's impact on learning
    Tue, Aug 19, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  Gaming
    Researchers gathering in Boston for the American Psychological Association's annual convention highlighted a series of studies Aug. 17 suggesting that video games can be powerful learning tools--from increasing the problem solving potential of younger students to improving the suturing skills of laparoscopic surgeons. [ Read More ]

  • Low-cost laptop experiment under way
    Mon, Aug 18, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  One to one computing
    Ask Amicah Bitten about her home life, and what she likes to do outside of school, and the 9-year-old is cagey, doling out only small details: she reads the J.C. Penney catalog, she likes to swim sometimes, and she knows someone who does drugs, and she hates that. [ Read More ]

  • Technology key to New Orleans school revival
    Fri, Aug 15, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  Tech Leadership
    New Orleans schools chief Paul Vallas recently passed his first major test when fourth and eighth graders in the city's public schools posted significantly higher scores on the state exam--and his plans for using technology to help spur achievement might lead to even further gains. [ Read More ]

  • Four-day week on the rise in education
    Thu, Aug 14, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  State Policy
    School districts and universities are taking cues from the business world and instituting four-day weeks, a trend that some say could become the norm as gas prices and energy costs continue to rise. [ Read More ]

  • Postyourtest.com raises ethical concerns
    Mon, Aug 11, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  Campus-based
    As a student at St. Louis University, Demir Oral met students acing exams partly because they had access to a bank of previous tests from the same professor. Fraternities and sororities had compiled exams from prior years and made them available to students, providing an invaluable study tool during pressure-packed final exams. So last November, Oral launched Postyourtest.com, starting a free online service that he hoped would democratize the sharing of college exams. And as the site has attracted attention from students nationwide, educators have become wary of the potential for academic dishonesty. [ Read More ]

  • Electronic displays a sign of the times
    Thu, Aug 07, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  Emerging technologies
    Billboards are getting a makeover, and not just at the mall or your local bank: On university campuses from coast to coast, administrators are realizing there's more to digital signage than just a pretty picture--it can enhance communication and maybe even help save lives. [ Read More ]

  • Free laptop-tracking software now available
    Wed, Aug 06, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  Open-source
    Two Ph.D. students and their professors have developed an open-source system for tracking the location of a lost or stolen laptop that does not rely on a proprietary, central tracking service--providing some competition for commercial software developers. [ Read More ]

  • Filing amplifies concerns over wireless mics
    Tue, Aug 05, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  Wireless Technology
    In a complaint filed in mid-July, consumer groups are accusing users of wireless microphones--including educators and others speaking in large lecture halls--of unwittingly violating Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules that require government licenses for such devices. [ Read More ]

  • Congress: Schools must clamp down on file sharing
    Mon, Aug 04, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  Legislation
    Colleges and universities soon will be required to take measures to combat illegal file sharing on campus and ensure that students enrolled in online classes are the ones taking their tests, according to a bill passed by Congress July 31. [ Read More ]

  • FCC: Comcast violated 'net neutrality' principles
    Fri, Aug 01, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  Litigation
    In a victory for advocates of "net neutrality," a divided Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that Comcast Corp. violated federal policy when it blocked internet traffic for some subscribers and has ordered the cable giant to change the way it manages its network. [ Read More ]

  • Panel seeks level field for disadvantaged kids
    Fri, Aug 01, 2008    Primary Topic Channel:  School Administration
    Raising expectations, recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers, encouraging the most talented teachers to work in the neediest schools, and focusing on early childhood education are all ways that educators can work to ensure minority and low-income students are receiving a good education, speakers at a recent conference said. [ Read More ]