Educational Institutions Creatively Using Mobile Technology

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Rashid Faridi

 Guest Post by Kaitlyn Cole

Seeing as how mobile devices and related technologies have completely overtaken a good chunk of society already, naturally the education sector has followed suit. Oddly enough, though, smartphones, social media, tablet computers, and other hallmarks of the mobile technology revolution still have yet to fully creep onto campus, with many schools somewhat puzzled over exactly what to do with the exciting new toys the kids are into these days. Others, however, saw innovation as opportunity, and went about drawing up innovative strategies for letting these digital developments enhance lessons, streamline college life, open up new possibilities, or some combination thereof. Get inspired by some of the seriously cool, creative ways the following schools have harnessed mobile media for current and future students.

  1. Abilene Christian University:

    This tech-savvy Texas school hosts numerous open houses, conferences, and other events centered around incorporating iPads, iPod Touches, laptops, and other portable computing devices into classroom settings. Apple even rewarded Abilene Christian University with its Distinguished Program moniker for its efforts in leading the education sector’s general movement towards digital integration. In the 2010-11 Mobile Learning Report, it highlights innovative breakthroughs such as the Optimist’s status as the first college newspaper with its very own iPad app and the efforts of chemistry professors Dr. Cynthia Powell and Dr. Autumn Sutherlin to podcast and comprehensively research student engagement with technology. Powell is also the founder of Mobile Enhanced Inquiry-Based Learning, a “blended learning strategy” focusing on mobile usage in the STEM fields.

  2. Stanford University:

    Stanford University’s partnership with Bling made it easier for Palo Alto residents and students alike to pay at local vendors, helping reduce their risk of identity theft. Through the use of an application and tiny tag, users purchase items via PayPal accounts as opposed to the traditional credit and debit cards, and the alliance draws praise from both Cardinals and the businesses they patronize for its ease. Along with this creative little time-saving measure, the school also hosted Mobile Persuasion in 2009. The Nokia-sponsored event, organized by Stanford’s Persuasive Tech Lab, to converse about all the ins and outs of mobile learning and draw up some strategies to explore — extending the department’s own overarching goals.

  3. University of Ottawa:

    Via uoMobile, University of Ottawa’s bilingual mobile app, students enjoy comprehensive access to the most popular sections of the main website. Services also include quick access to their personal schedules, grades, emergency information, and more, making it one of the more jam-packed college mobile applications out there. Plenty of colleges and universities have started drifting toward taking advantage of tablet computers and smartphones to make things even more convenient for anyone wanting to learn more, though uoMobile stands as one of the most notable for the number of options and accessibility.

  4. Bangladesh Open University:

    Seeing as how Bangladesh Open University’s entire modus operandi revolves around distance learning, it makes perfect sense that it would embrace what mobile technology has to offer higher education. One method utilized in its classrooms blends SMS with TV and/or radio for a multimedia experience encouraging digital discussion while soaking up recorded lessons. BOU hopes their developments taking advantage of the country’s fondness for wireless will nurture education in more remote areas where resources remain difficult to acquire.

  5. Northeast Community College:

    Journalism students at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb., received a thorough glimpse into the intimate inner workings of television studio KTIV — in Sioux City, Iowa. Webcameras allowed the two buildings to connect with one another, giving learners a tour of the facilities and putting them face-to-face with professionals eager to answer their questions. Most of the discussion revolved around KTIV’s transition from analog to digital media and succeeding in an Internet-driven market.

  6. Purdue University:

    Developers at Purdue University created Hotseat so tech-loving teachers could encourage running commentary during lectures. Students connect via Facebook, Twitter, or SMS to discuss the lectures and presentations at hand, with their messages relayed on a screen in real time. Professors use this for a few different reasons, including more richly detailed class talks with fewer interruptions and garnering immediate feedback. The application is available on web-based browsers and mobile devices and its “backchannel” structure has earned it a plethora of praise.

7.Griffith University:

Because Twitter manages to influence everything from the latest musical trends to serious social upheaval (as was the case in Egypt and Libya), journalism majors at this Australian college are now required to take a course in the ubiquitous social media outlet. Reactions to this new devotion to mobile technology have proven mixed, and course content blends both history and practicums in how to go about navigating the 140-character limit. Griffith University educators think thoroughly comprehending all the ins and outs of emerging technologies such as Twitter is an absolutely essential skill in the news outlets of the future.

8.Emerson College:

Learning Twitter is also mandatory in David Gerzof’s Emerson College classroom, where students partner up with real companies and design online marketing campaigns around them. Which, of course, includes incorporating common and not-so-common social media strategies. He arranged sponsorship with Sprint Nextel, who donated 10 EVO phones for student use, which included digital video and blogging in addition to the expected Facebooking and tweeting. Another creative project involved a social media scavenger hunt around Boston and utilizing it as a way to promote the cellular provider’s services.

9. University of Michigan:

As with even some of the most humbly connected institutes of higher learning, University of Michigan does boast its very own personal mobile app used by students, faculty, and staff. But it also plays host to the Mobile Apps Center, a department entirely devoted to developing these handy little bits and bytes. It hosts an annual Hackathon challenging students to spend 48 hours drawing up their own apps for use on and off campus, as well as contests and conferences challenging young and old thinkers alike to test the limits of where the technology can go.

10.Seton Hall U.niversity:

Seton Hall University marked a significant turning point in mobile integration when it became the very first institute of higher learning to assign every full-time student and faculty member an iPad back in 2010. Also an Apple Distinguished Program, its Griffin Technology Advantage homepage features an impressive archive of news stories regarding professors, staff members, and their creative approaches to the available devices. Reeves Library, for example, integrated holdings with iPads via the Polaris app. And chemistry professor Dr. Demetra Czegan loves how the devices allow her students to go paperless, downloading lecture notes and PowerPoint presentations and lightening their loads.

also published here

Posted in Guest Post | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Rashid Faridi

Wanderlustress's avatarWanderlustress

As long as we’re doling out tons of AFAR love, I’ve been wanting to share with you my photos of the Sossusvlei Dessert in Namibia that I’ve posted for their “highlights”. The theme for these photo entries was “Top of the World”. Enjoy!

“I tried going through Nambia as a solo-traveler and found out that it’s very difficult to do. After hitching a ride from a honeymooning couple from Cape Town across the border into the Orange River region of southern Namibia, the hostel owner where we pitched for the night was alarmed that I didn’t have any on-ward plans other than continue being a third-wheel on a honeymoon or be stranded with him for a week or more before another tour bus came through. Luckily, a “Whichway Overland Adventures” bus arrived at the hostel that night, and he nudged me to ask the driver to joining them all the way…

View original post 490 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Rashid Faridi

Association CONCERT-URBAIN's avatarCONCERT URBAIN : pour une citoyenneté créative

See on Scoop.it – URBANmedias

David Harvey, theorist and author of Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution, says that postwar capitalism can be understood with reference to the history of urbanisation and suburbanisation. Urban investment gets you out of a crisis but defines what the next crisis is going to look like, he argues. The emerging powers of the east are now in the midst of a massive urbanisation project and could fall victim to the same outcome

See on www.guardian.co.uk

View original post

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Bike-Friendly Campuses in America

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Rashid Faridi

Guest Post by Tim Handorf

May is National Bike Month, and we’re totally on board, even as the month wraps up. Biking is such a fun, healthy way to get around campus, and these days, so many colleges are making it a super convenient option. With extensive bike racks, maintenance shops, and even bike rentals, lots of schools are taking great steps to encourage biking on campus. The League of American Bicyclists recently announced their second annual Bike Friendly Universityawards, and we’re so inspired by the incredible amenities and resources that these top-notch biking schools have to offer. Read on, and we’ll explore what these schools have done to become havens of college biking.

  1. Stanford University:

    Topping off the League of American Bicyclists’ list is Stanford University, the very first university to be named a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Campus, and currently the only one to hold this rank. The honor is well deserved, as Stanford boasts an amazing list of bike-friendly achievements. More than 21% of the university community bikes daily, and it’s easy to understand why: Stanford makes it incredibly easy to bike, on campus and off. They’ve created a Commute Buddy program that pairs experienced bike commuters with newbies who need help getting started, the campus offers access to showers and lockers for bikers, and there’s even a free bike safety class held twice a month. Plus, visiting alumni can enjoy two-wheeling as well, with free bike use offered for former students.

  2. University of California, Davis:

    One of two UC schools in the top 10, University of California, Davis is an incredible place to be if you’re a bike-loving student. Although Stanford took top honors, UC’s numbers blow them out of the water: 45% of UCD’s students, faculty, and staff have a bike on campus each day, compared to Stanford’s 21%. UC Davis encourages these numbers by providing a staggering amount of resources for bicyclists: services include bike classes, DIY bike repair and maintenance, summer bike storage, commuter showers and lockers, and even maps and directions created just for campus bikers. But Davis isn’t just providing practical bike love; they’ve embraced the history and art of biking as well with the Pierce Miller Bicycle Collection, an exhibit of vintage bicycles that is the core of what will eventually become a major bicycle museum. Off campus, the city of Davis, Calif., is recognized as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, with more than 100 miles of bike lanes and paths, designated lanes and signals, and local bike maps.

  3. University of California, Santa Barbara:

    At UCSB, almost half of the student body bikes to school. Really. With 49% of students, and 9% of faculty and staff commuting by bike, it’s clear this campus has a lot of bicycle support. UCSB takes care of their legion of bikers with enough secure bike racks and parking spaces to accommodate each one of them, as well as bicycle lockers, free showers and clothes lockers (including towel service), and several bicycle roundabouts. The university has clearly made an ongoing investment in the future of campus biking with infrastructure offerings including 10 miles of Class I bicycle paths, and freely distributed bike maps showing these campus paths as well as a Santa Barbara County bike map. The UCSB campus is home to the Associated Students Bike Shop, where campus bikers can find repair and maintenance services to keep them on the road safely.

  4. Boise State University:

    Boise State has been hard at work to create programs that support campus bicycling, including repair services, parking, and maps. They’ve created a Cycle Learning Center, where students can find information, instructional clinics, as well as bike repair services. There are plenty of places to park bikes on campus, with many bike racks and bike barns operating in a variety of different locations, plus showers, lockers, towels, and free compressed air stations. The university doesn’t just make it easy to make biking a part of the daily commute, though: they also offer bike-friendly services for special events with a bike corral for football fans riding to Bronco Stadium. Boise State is also working to further the future of bike transportation, hosting a Community Bicycle Congress since 2004 to offer an open forum for bicycle knowledge, research, and progress.

  5. California State Long Beach:

    California State University, Long Beach is in the perfect climate for biking, with manageable temperatures, flat terrain, and low rainfall. But beyond this natural advantage, the university encourages biking on and off campus with a wealth of resources. Rideshare @ The Beach boasts events including weekly rides, scavenger hunts, bike checks, and traffic skills courses. Plus, Rideshare boasts a $1 million annual fund devoted to supporting not just these events, but infrastructure, services, and other resources that support the needs of CSULB cyclists. Cyclists who commute by bike also enjoy special perks like a $1/day reward point for cycling that can be turned into bike shop gift cards.

  6. Colorado State University:

    Colorado State University has a long history of supporting biking on campus, so their BFU Silver award is no surprise. A large part of the CSU population uses biking as a primary means of transportation, with 36% of students, 25% of faculty, and 15% of staff commuting by bike on a regular day. CSU estimates that there are about 15,000 bikes on campus each day. This is made easy thanks to the CSU Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee, which works to make sure that the needs of cyclists are met with every new development and rule on campus. Along with the CBAC, CSU has invested greatly in biking infrastructure, including a recent six-figure installation of new campus bike racks. Of course, this bike-friendly attitude is just an extension of the overall situation in the city of Fort Collins, which has long been recognized as one of the nation’s most bike-friendly communities.

  7. Georgia Institute of Technology:

    Georgia Tech does so much to make biking a viable commuting option for its community. The Bike GT resource is home to resources and programs including advocacy, the StarterBikes co-op, viaCycle bike sharing network, and a Bicycle Infrastructure Improvement Committee tasked with improving bike infrastructure on the Georgia Tech campus. Plus, Bike GT hosts Bike Week, a celebration of biking on campus that encourages everyone in the community to ride their bikes to and around campus, including fun events like a music video, bike fashion show, and a social ride.

  8. Northern Arizona University:

    Northern Arizona University has provided immense support of cycling culture on campus. Perhaps most impressive is the university’s Yellow Bike program, which offers students, faculty, and staff an absolutely free bike to borrow along with a helmet and bike lock, making it dumbfoundingly easy to bike on campus. In addition to this great program, NAU has bike registration, public air hoses, locker storage, and recently improved bike pathways to facilitate cyclist transportation. Plus, they have fun biking events including bike-in movies and bike-in tailgating.

  9. Oregon State University:

    Oregon State University’s status as a bike friendly university has a lot to do with its home, the city of Corvallis. This college town is known as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in America, second only to Davis, Calif. The city has an astonishing bike lane infrastructure: 97% of its streets have bike lanes, and by percentage, more people take trips by bike in Corvallis than any other Oregon city. It’s no wonder that this culture has spread to OSU, with 30% of students biking to campus. Bikers at OSU can take advantage of amenities including used bikes for sale in the university’s surplus property, free bike repair, bike maps, and plenty of lockers for storage.

  10. Portland State University:

    PSU has done a lot to make commuting by bike as easy and affordable as possible. With extensive bike parking facilities and the PSU Bike Hub repair shop, they’ve gone a long way to making their campus bike-friendly. There are plenty of free maps, changing stalls, lockers, and repair resources sprinkled around campus, and students can even rent a bike for just $45 per term through the VikeBikes program. They’ve recently launched a campaign to encourage even more biking at PSU with the Bike2PSU Challenge, creating competitive biking teams, workshops, prizes, and more.

previously published here

Related articles
Posted in Guest Post | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment