<![CDATA[Education news from metro.us/newyork]]> en-us <![CDATA[Sabermetrics: Analysts and athletes play ball]]> By 2004, Andres founded his own sabermetrics (see sidebar) course at Tufts University, following the Red Sox's first World Series championship in more than 80 years. Now this full-time Boston University biology professor finds himself amidst a growing field of academic study (baseball, not biology). These days sabermetric courses can be found at many universities, with more on the way.

"Students are doing it on their own all over the country, and there's hundreds if not thousands of them that want to do this kind of work for their careers," says Andres. "I think there will be a slow groundswell. It's a niche course right now. I don't think it will remain that way."

But will we ever see a job  listing that reads: "Wanted: General Manager of Boston Red Sox. Requirements: extraordinary patience and an M.A. in baseball analytics"?

Likely not. But, in the post-"Moneyball" era, the MLB has certainly warmed to the eggheads in the front office.

"We're seeing the trend now: Baseball teams are hiring very good analysts. They're all college graduates," says Andres. "These people are very good at computer science and statistics. So, already, you need to be very proficient in these areas of your college study to work in baseball."

What is sabermetrics?


Sabermetrics is the use of statistical analysis to study baseball. It is typically used to better understand the value of individual players and the effects of in-game strategy. The term was coined by analyst Bill James and later popularized by Michael Lewis' 2003 book, "Moneyball," which chronicled the implementation of these principles by the Oakland A's.  ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/life/article/1143567--sabermetrics-analysts-and-athletes-play-ball Sun, 20 May 2012 17:06:55 -0400 BRUCE WALSH, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/newyork/life/article/1143567--sabermetrics-analysts-and-athletes-play-ball <![CDATA[Can video games help us learn?]]>
In his latest book, "The Gamification of Learning and Instruction," Kapp lays out his vision for appropriating the principles of video game design for the classroom. Surprisingly, his theories have little to do with online learning and more to do with the nuts and bolts of the traditional classroom.
"If we're clever about it, we can get to what really matters in games: It gives people a sense of purpose and mission, and it taps into our internal drives to overcome challenges," says Kapp, a professor at Bloomsburg University. "It's about thinking like a game designer. They think challenge first, interactivity first, engagement first. In training, we tend to think content first. But content doesn't mean anything unless it's in a certain context."

For Kapp, at the heart of a well-designed course is providing students with an opportunity to learn as they fail -- to throw away the instruction manual and get right to work.

"Recently I oversaw an investigator training class, and the first day they said, 'today we're going to learn the model for investigating,'" explains Kapp. "I think that's a bad model. As soon as the person walks into the class, you should say, 'look, someone's been accused of embezzling $10,000. What are you going to do?'"

Common themes


Kapp has identified four common themes of video game design that can be applied to college-level lesson plans.

1. A challenge put forth at the outset of the course
2. Integration of the student's experience into a narrative
3. Constant feedback on individual progress
4. A freedom to fail without penalty ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/life/article/1143559--can-video-games-help-us-learn Sun, 20 May 2012 16:30:38 -0400 BRUCE WALSH, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/newyork/life/article/1143559--can-video-games-help-us-learn <![CDATA[Is it the end of the public university?]]>
Do you believe that we are facing the end of publicly funded higher education in the U.S.?

Yes. But what we mean by this is no longer being dependant on the state for the primary source of funding. It does not mean a lack of access or diversity.

You write that a truly public university is no longer sustainable. Is a 35 percent tax rate for the wealthy sustainable? Are these issues related?

Tax rates will have to go up for everyone over the next decade. Those long-term trends are pretty clear. That's the macro. But the micro here is the question of efficiency with most major public universities. For instance, most of them offer at least 80 undergraduate majors. Some offer more than 200. Is that scope efficient in any sense of the word? Our model is a high tuition, high financial aid model, rather than the current low tuition, high subsidy model. Ours is more market-focused, reacting to the needs of the marketplace and the students.

But when we alter public higher education to reflect consumer choices, do we risk having luxury gyms on campuses at the expense of rigorous study?

I think there's some truth to that. But the issue is that somebody's willing to pay for luxury gyms, and it's reflected in the price of their education. But if you're doing a lot of things on public campuses that people are not willing to pay for -- taxpayers, students, donors -- you have to ask why you're subsidizing it.

Are too many people influencing decisions at public universities?

We have a lot of governance resting with the faculty at the lower levels, and a lot at the board of regents -- the higher level -- and very little in the middle. That creates havoc with trying to be innovative.

That sounds democratic. Why is that bad?

The most democratized country in the world is India. Democracy is important. Too much of it is very inefficient. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/life/article/1143555--is-it-the-end-of-the-public-university Sun, 20 May 2012 16:22:28 -0400 BRUCE WALSH, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/newyork/life/article/1143555--is-it-the-end-of-the-public-university <![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/newyork/life/article/1142916--graduation-ceremonies-going-viral Sun, 13 May 2012 16:20:53 -0400 BRUCE WALSH, PHILADELPHIA http://www.metro.us/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/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/newyork/life/article/1136926--a-study-has-found-homework-is-pointless