<![CDATA[Education news from metro.us/boston]]> en-us <![CDATA[Graduation ceremonies going viral]]> But this year, Soler gave a battalion of IT and marketing students specific instructions to take FIU commencement viral.

Each interdepartmental ceremony was posted on YouStream, but Soler's team's main focus was creating as many free, professional-quality Facebook-, Flickr- and Twitter-ready images as possible. Every student had the opportunity to pose for as many photos as they wished, and all of the photos featured the FIU logo prominently. With nearly 4,300 students walking, the idea generated an enormous boost to FIU's Facebook presence.

"I wanted to give the graduates something to take home. We offer paid photos, but we wanted to do something free and fun for everybody," says Soler. "Plus, we liked the idea of having something that our graduates could connect back to us after they graduate."

Washington and Jefferson College -- a small liberal arts school just outside of Pittsburgh -- has no intention of making its commencement ceremony more Web-friendly.

While schools around the country are pulling out all the stops to boost flagging commencement participation, W&J's 100 percent participation rate is holding strong, without going online. In 2012, all 320 graduating students donned the cap and gown. The reason is simple: At W&J, if you don't walk -- live and in person -- you don't graduate.

"We focus on relationships. We build it right from the beginning, so to be there in person is, to us, a very important part of that," says James M. Sloat, associate dean for assessment and new initiatives. "We're very intentional about how we bring people into the community, so it's so important to us that they continue that relationship with us right up to the moment they graduate." ]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1142916--graduation-ceremonies-going-viral Sun, 13 May 2012 16:20:53 -0400 BRUCE WALSH, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1142916--graduation-ceremonies-going-viral <![CDATA[Top US colleges to offer free classes on the Web]]>
Coursera joins a raft of ambitious online projects aimed at making higher education more accessible and affordable. Many of these ventures, however, simply post entire lectures on the Web with no interactive component. Others strive to create brand-new universities.

The founders say Coursera will be different because professors from top schools will teach under their university's name and will adapt their most popular courses for the Web, embedding assignments and exams into video lectures, answering questions from students on online forums -- even, perhaps, hosting office hours via video conference.

Students will not get college credit. But Coursera may offer certificates of completion or transcripts for a fee. The company may also seek to turn a profit by connecting employers with students who have shown aptitude in a particular field, a spokeswoman said.

For their part, participating universities expect to benefit by boosting their reputations overseas, connecting with far-flung alumni and bringing in donations from grateful online students. "It will increase our impact on the world," said Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania.

Trial and error


In trial classes Coursera hosted this year, the production values were a bit rough.

Scott Page, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, filmed his lectures for a class called Model Thinking. Interruptions forced him to reshoot several segments -- and as a result, he looks undeniably grumpy in some takes. A few of his online quizzes contain errors. His slides are sometimes hard to read. From time to time, his dog wanders into the frame.

Yet 30,000 people from around the globe stuck with the class -- doing the homework, watching the lectures and chatting with one another in lively discussion forums. ]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1141682--top-us-colleges-to-offer-free-classes-on-the-web Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:07:33 -0400 REUTERS http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1141682--top-us-colleges-to-offer-free-classes-on-the-web <![CDATA[Enrollment gaps close, but degree completion lags]]>
"While the gap between high- and low-income students, in terms of going to college, has decreased, the gap in college completion between high and low income has actually increased," explains Tinto, a professor at Syracuse University. "So something's amiss. The sum set of my experience is telling me the following: While colleges have instituted a range of retention programs, for the most part those programs have sat outside the classroom. They're disconnected."

In the new book, Tinto calls for a reinvestment in the undergraduate classroom. That may sound logical enough, but he also highlights institutional forces working against an undergrad-learning-first institutional approach. "For low-income students, most of them work outside the college and often commute. The only time they're on campus is when they're going to the classroom," explains Tinto. "If we don't make success in the classroom the centerpiece of our work, we've missed the whole point of it."

Class criteria


Tinto points out four key steps for a successful, retention-focused classroom:

Clear and consistent expectations
Support, which is connected to and contextualized within the classroom
Frequent feedback and assessment for both students and faculty
Active student engagement with repeated student interaction ]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1141169--enrollment-gaps-close-but-degree-completion-lags Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:34:10 -0400 BRUCE WALSH, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1141169--enrollment-gaps-close-but-degree-completion-lags <![CDATA[Summer school doesn’t have to be traditional]]> There are a variety of options:

Accelerated classes
Accelerated classes are in-person classes that complete a semester's worth of material in seven weeks, meeting either more days per week or more hours per class. Most schools offer two or three summer terms. If you start a course in  May, you can be done by the end of June, and still have two months of summer for working or travel.

Web-based
Online classes enable you to head down to the shore for the summer and still take a class. With online classes, you can do your schoolwork at midnight or at noon, whatever works for your schedule.

Hybrid sessions
Hybrid classes combine in-person sessions -- usually at the beginning of the term -- with  online assignments. If you've never taken an online course, Wallace recommends starting out with a hybrid. "Online requires a lot of discipline, even more so in a seven-week term," he says. "Hybrid courses offer both convenience and structure." ]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1141147--summer-school-doesn-t-have-to-be-traditional Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:02:56 -0400 JUDY WEIGHTMAN, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1141147--summer-school-doesn-t-have-to-be-traditional <![CDATA[This summer, get ahead with college courses]]>
Several types of people take advantage of the convenience and low costs of summer courses at community colleges, according to Penny Sawyer, director of admissions at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pa.

The biggest group is students who are enrolled in a degree program at a different institution the rest of the year. "They're looking to get a jump start on completing  their degrees sooner rather than later, at a more affordable price," Sawyer says.

High school students who want a challenge -- and a taste of college-level work -- can also benefit from a summer course at their local community college. A third group is recent high school grads who will be entering the community college in the fall, but who want to get a head start on their program. 

People going back to school for a master's in a new field may also benefit from economical courses at a community college to take care of prerequisites for their graduate studies. "For instance, if you have a degree in history but plan to go for a master's in nutrition, you'll need to take biology," Sawyer says. "Or if you want to get an MBA, you may need accounting or statistics before you start."

Know your credits


Students planning to use the credits they earn at the community college for a degree program at a different institution should do their homework in advance. "It's up to the home institution to decide what credits they will accept," Sawyer explains. "It's usually straightforward -- we have transfer agreements with many schools in the region -- but you should check before you take the class." Some schools may require preapproval, for instance. ]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1141141--this-summer-get-ahead-with-college-courses Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:51:13 -0400 JUDY WEIGHTMAN, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1141141--this-summer-get-ahead-with-college-courses <![CDATA[Don’t speak: Report ranks 2012’s ‘Worst Colleges for Free Speech’ in the country]]>
FIRE president Greg Lukianoff released the list on his Huffington Post blog.

Topping the dozen was the University of Cincinnati, due to a pending civil rights lawsuit filed against them by Young Americans for Liberty, a Ron Paul-inspired activist group. In February, the officially sanctioned student organization was limited to a small "free speech zone" in which to gather signatures for a law that would disallow required union membership in any Ohio workplace. The group was also instructed to file an official request for the zone two-weeks in advance.

"Free speech zones are basically quarantining speech to an area where maybe the police can watch them or they can't really be seen," says Robert Shibley, senior vice president of FIRE. "It's understandable that people in power wouldn't want to have protesters all over the place, but sometimes that's the nature of living in a free society. And universities should be the beacons of freedom in a free society."

Greg Hand, UC's associate vice president for public relations, says the zone was established to strike a delicate balance between the rights of outside evangelizing ministers and students that felt harassed by them. Hand also says it has not been imposed on other groups, such as the Occupy movement and anti-abortion protesters.

He did not provide an explanation as to why YAL was limited to that space.

"There's a lawsuit going on. There's a lot of 'who shot John' about this particular case. In practice, you either ask for the space or you describe a situation that can only be accommodated in that space," says Hand. "There are certain criteria you have to meet to be assigned to that zone, and I don't know which button was pushed."

Top offenders


These are the "12 Worst Colleges for Free Speech in 2012," according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).
   
1. University of Cincinnati
2. Syracuse University
3. Widener University
4. Harvard University
5. Yale University
6. St. Augustine's College
7. Michigan State University
8. Colorado College
9. Johns Hopkins University
10. Tufts University
11. Bucknell University
12. Brandeis University ]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1139114--don-t-speak-report-ranks-2012-s-worst-colleges-for-free-speech-in-the-country Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:44:58 -0400 BRUCE WALSH, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1139114--don-t-speak-report-ranks-2012-s-worst-colleges-for-free-speech-in-the-country <![CDATA[A Study Has Found: Homework is pointless]]>
Researchers at Sydney University in Australia found that too much homework can often have the opposite effect on students. Instead of enhancing their intellect, they become bored and unhappy, leading to absolutely no academic advancement.

"What the research shows is that, in countries where they spend more time on homework, the achievement results are lower," Dr. Richard Walker, from Sydney University's Education Faculty, told The Telegraph.

The study found that 59 percent of 10 and 11-year-olds do less than two hours of homework per week. About 22 percent do three or four hours a week, and five percent complete seven or more hours of homework per week.

"At the moment homework (is often) an add-on because parents want it," Walker added.

The one exception to the study was high school students in grades 11 or 12. Those students did prove to benefit from more than a few hours of homework each week.

However, recalling our own high school days, the last two years were exactly when we started blowing off homework all together.

More adventures in psuedoscience:

  • While 17-year-old students are likely to benefit from homework, they aren't likely to benefit from Plan B's over-the-counter availability. A new study found that one in five pharmacies will deny access to the emergency contraceptive to 17-year-old's, despite a federal mandate.

  • A man in the U.S. has undergone the most extensive face surgery in history. You have to see these before and after photos.

  • If those pictures make you blurt out an obscenity, have no fear. A new study found that cursing in the work place can actually boost relationships. Sh**, that's cool!
]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1136926--a-study-has-found-homework-is-pointless Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:51:25 -0400 CASSANDRA GARRISON, CASSANDRA GARRISON http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1136926--a-study-has-found-homework-is-pointless <![CDATA[ROTC: When the military meets the quad]]>
Next month, Cambridge University Press will release the first comprehensive analysis of this fraught, ever-evolving relationship: "Arms and the University: Military Presence and the Civic Education of Non-Military Students," by Donald Alexander Downs and Ilia Murtazashvili.

In 14 chapters, the book traces ROTC history from the program's meager beginnings in 1916 to its banishment from campuses in the '60s and from the "don't ask, don't tell" controversy to ROTC's return to the Ivy League. Along the way, Downs and Murtazashvili argue for a more substantive military presence on all U.S. campuses.

"It's not a left-right issue in the end. Bringing the ROTC back was originally kind of a right-wing issue, led by conservative groups on campus," says Downs, a professor of political science, law and journalism at the University of Wisconsin. "But after 9/11, people on the left started agreeing that there is something to this argument of equal recognition for military students -- civic equality, and broadening the university's mind to this reality."

Closing the gap


After authoring "Arms and the University," Downs is pleased to see ROTC programs returning to revered institutions -- but dismayed by the growing gap between privileged universities and the military.  
   
"America has the most prominent position in the world, and the military helps secure that. There's just something wrong when members of the elite don't contribute in a direct way to that, because they're the ones that get the most privilege out of the system," he says. ]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1135233--rotc-when-the-military-meets-the-quad Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:39:45 -0400 BRUCE WALSH, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1135233--rotc-when-the-military-meets-the-quad <![CDATA[Behind the degree: Physician assistants]]>
Langstaff entered a MSPA program at Arcadia University  in Pennsylvania in 1996, bracing herself for two years of rigorous study. "For me, it wasn't the level of the material that's so difficult, it was more the volume and the pace," she explains. "Trying to get through PA school at times feels like you're trying to drink from a fire hydrant."

Langstaff currently works as a clinical physician assistant at Jefferson University Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia. Working in the cardiac care unit, she manages multiple patients with critical heart conditions, working with a team of doctors and critical care specialists. "It's a great career for people who have a powerful interest in medicine, but maybe they don't want to go through the training to become a physician," she says. "You're sacrificing autonomy of course; The doctor takes the lead. But what you get back is more reasonable hours and, I think, a more livable lifestyle."

Ask the expert

Elizabeth A. J. Salzer is the director of physician assistant studies at LIU Brooklyn.
   
What major should a person pursue if they want to enter a graduate-level physician assistant program?

As long as the prerequisites are taken, I don't think it's important what the student's major was. There's a great deal to be said for a strong liberal arts background: history, literature, computer science, etc. That makes a student, in my view, more well-rounded and ultimately a better practitioner.

What kind of students should consider an MSPA?
   
Someone who is fascinated by medicine -- the human body and disease processes. And you have to have a strong compassion for people. However, people often make the mistake of applying for an MSPA program because they want to help people, but they don't have a passion for medicine and science. Also, you're not the final decision-maker as a PA, so you absolutely need to be a great team worker. ]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1134026--behind-the-degree-physician-assistants Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:25:37 -0400 BRUCE WALSH, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1134026--behind-the-degree-physician-assistants <![CDATA[Getting smart about summer camp options]]>
But recently, there has been a surge in camps that are academic programs in their own right.
These camps are not to be confused with summer schools -- they are summer camps for kids, which parents would recognize from their own childhood.

But they have a distinctive academic edge, combining traditional outdoor activities with educational programs designed to fit children's year-round curriculums.

Camp providers know there is no such thing as the typical child -- which is why they offer a wide range of options for academic summer camps. Everything from day and resident camps are available, to multi-day or multi-week stays.

Some academic camps charge fees, some are free. Some camps are run by schools, so the relationship between camp and academic activity is formal and measured.

In other cases, camps simply match their local state's educational standards in what they offer.
Some academic camps can fill in gaps left by year-round education.

Camps teach specifically to academic subjects, some prepare children for SAT tests, others prepare children for kindergarten or, for older children, focus on leadership skills.

Camps focus on improving learning techniques or teaching kids how to stay focused on a subject they find dull or unappealing.

But the time to act is now. In a globalized world, as American parents understand the need for a high standard of basic education, demand for places at academic camps has risen sharply.

Wait lists are common, and now is the time to act to avoid disappointment. 

Get online

Among the best websites for further information are www.howtolearn.com and www.camp.findthebest.com.
   
Local and state listings for academic camps are found on the website of the American Camp Association: www.acacamps.org. ]]> http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1130735--getting-smart-about-summer-camp-options Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:54:42 -0400 METRO http://www.metro.us/boston/life/article/1130735--getting-smart-about-summer-camp-options