CEO – Dr. Karim Abdel-Malek Cyber Science 3D is an interactive tool from Cyber Anatomy Corporation for use in Biology and science classrooms where regular anatomical dissections might not be feasible. It is used with a computer and projector or 3d projector. Although fairly specialized, I do think this would be useful. Examples of this […]
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joeltremblay
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coralk
Jose Ferreira, Knewton Founder & CEO The Knewton platform is a cloud-based, adaptive learning technology that continuously analyzes student data to provide the most relevant learning activities to each individual student at that particular moment in time. The program makes its recommendations to the student by harnessing not only that student’s data, but the data that […]
Continue reading Jose Ferreira, Knewton Founder & CEO Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp-
joeltremblay
Isn’t this just an updated form of standardized testing though? The credentials of the team are impressive to be sure and if it works it would really be something, but if the data is being analyzed and acted on by a computer how is this better for the students who are already lacking in face time to begin with?
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coralk
I actually think of this as the opposite of standardized testing – the system learns about each individual student and provides that student with the specific learning activities that they need in order to learn best. It helps them make the most of their study time by feeding them questions about the topics that they are having the most trouble with. From their website:
The platform is continuously adaptive, meaning it responds in real time to each student’s activity on the system and adjusts to provide the most relevant content. Some Knewton recommendations are straightforward: having trouble with algebraic expressions involving fractions? The platform may serve up a video lesson on how to multiply fractions. Other times the recommendation may veer seemingly off-course: struggling with a uniform rate word problem? The platform may recommend a reading comp exercise – having determined that weak critical reading skills are more likely at fault than gaps in math knowledge.
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joeltremblay
Don’t get me wrong, it’s an interesting idea, especially if it works. However it seems to function on the same premise as Google/Facebook advertising by tracking your progress and then using algorithms that are sometimes accurate. The reason I compare it to standardized testing is that regardless of the adaptive nature of the program, is that it still requires a broad based approach, at least initially, to focus in and gauge the trends or directions that the student is moving in. This to me, is an updated form of standardized testing because it doesn’t individualize the learning until it has the opportunity to learn more about you and instead using a blanketed methodology that may or may not be useful depending on the learning style. Good article though and definitely thought provoking.
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rebecca42
We use a somewhat similar program called Reading Plus in our district. It tests reading skills and constantly changes what level the students are at based on their current performance. It’s great for this specific area and even though initially I was skeptical it has worked wonders for many students. It is nowhere near as complex as Knewton, but it follows a similar idea, where it assesses student need and assigns levelled activities based on student needs.
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kstackhouse
Interesting to see that it is using cloud-based technology. I am curious to see how other companies will take advantage of the cloud movement. I think more gain be gained than the basic sharing possibilities associated with the cloud. The act of collaboration and creative work within the cloud will be an interesting tool in education and business.
Ken
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adi
I see this as a good option for paced learning. Maaaaannyyy years ago I went to an experimental school in Iowa City, called Ernest Horn School. For all subjects there were a set of files full of activities that each student would work through at their own pace. The teacher, rather than teach everyone at once, became a kind of facilitator. Depending on how we did, what came next in terms of the content of each students’ individual course. What Knewton has done ,is to take this idea online. It sounds like an amazing system, even if not always very accurate. I also think that Ferreira did a great job of partnering with a key player to make this a success; what better than a major publishing company. It’s what we read about this week; the need to not only have a great idea, but to make sure you partner with people who can make the idea grow.
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coralk
Yes – I agree. A lot of the MyLabs containing Knewton are just being released now and I’ve been reading about the new MyFoundationsLab with Knewton (developmental reading, writing and math) to see exactly how it works. From what I’ve seen so far the system asks the student to take an assessment and builds a personalized learning path for that student, but then as they start to work through their learning path, it changes based on how they are doing. There are also features built in for instructors, such as alerts when students are in trouble, and information on topics that the system is recommending for the student that are not covered in that particular class.
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stammik
Here is a terrific profile of Jose and adaptive learning, published at Mashable today:
http://mashable.com/2012/07/17/knewton-adaptive-learning/
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Jenny Brown
Pooja Sankar – Founder & CEO of Piazza
Pooja Sankar –Founder & CEO of Piazza Piazza’s platform helps classmates share their questions and answers in a format that’s a mixture between a wiki and a forum. Each class gets its own hub for Q&A, and students can bookmark any questions if they’re also eager to find out the answer. Multiple students can […]
Continue reading Pooja Sankar – Founder & CEO of Piazza Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp-
rebecca42
That’s a great point about personal interest and passion. It’s like that saying about finding a job you love; basically that it will never be work. In addition, we have been learning how important a CEO’s enthusiasm is. A person who loves what they’re doing will be able to relate their passion to others and get them excited by being excited.
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Pat A Son
From what is placed here she certainly has what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur for she has leveraged the available technology to create a social approach to answering questions at the class level, With the large numbers of educational ventures on the web this is one that stands out to me and one that I can try with my class.
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Paula Poodwan
Duolingo : Luis Von Ahn
Venture: Duolingo The project was started by Professor Luis Von Ahn and his PhD. student Severin Hacker, and then developed also with Antonio Navas, Vicki Cheung, Marcel Uekermann, Brendan Meeder, Hector Villafuerte, and Jose Fuentes. Duolingo is a free language-learning website using crowdsourced model where language learners are invited to translate […]
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coralk
Hi Paula: thanks for highlighting this company – this idea is fascinating. I watched the TEDx video you have posted and his other company, reCAPTCHA, is also amazing. He states that 750,000,000 people or 10% of the world’s population have helped digitize human knowledge just by filling in those security word boxes that appear when you are purchasing something or signing up for something like on Ticketmaster or Twitter. This has added up to approx 2.5 million books per year so far. When you think about the potential of harnessing the learning of millions of people to translate the web it is very inspiring, a way to bring language education to those who can’t currently afford it.
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adi
Hi Paula,
I checked out the video (pitch) on their web site, and it’s excellent; it’s a perfect example of all a pitch should consist of: it presents a problem and a solution, plus some very interesting figures.
One query I have, as I did not sign up, is if what you learn is all in writing/reading. Do you ever get to hear the translated sentence in order to learn the pronunciation?
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jkotler
Armie Carabet is the founder, director and CEO of ClickN KIDS Inc. He is a unique leader with extensive knowledge, understanding and capability, which he has strengthened through his experiences as a business owner, franchisor, franchise, marketing director and general manager. For more than a decade, Armie owned and operated many successful companies like TyRyMow […]
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Jonathan
These are the type of solutions that people probably envisioned entering the 21st Century Learning. Where you able to see how some of the games were played? Were the innovative or simple games?
We are always looking for new solutions to implement inside the primary realm.
— Cheers,
Jonathan-
jkotler
Hi Jonathan,
The countless games they offer are all really amazing because they are all animated and interactive making it really engaging for the learner, but they also range in content from simple to complex depending on the age and level of the user. I also really like that the approach they used in designing the steps the user moves through was so well-thought out. For example when a child is just starting to read, the program offers many lessons on teaching the basic sounds of letters and then after much practice they are automatically taken to the ‘listening cube’ to hear and see how those letter sounds fit into various words.
If you are interested in learning more about it, the website is http://www.clicknkids.com.
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Mike Rae
Darrell Ward is one of the co-founders and CEO of ALL in Learning. He is described as an educational technology pioneer, executive and entrepreneur. ALL in Learning is a company that seeks to make assessment data of students more efficiently. Further, it appears that the original company of this team, eInstruction Corporation, started “the clicker […]
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avninder
I have used clickers in corporate training and found them to be effective in increasing class participation and gaining feedback as an instructor. As with any learning technology the clicker can be extremely useful but also a hindrance in learning, if its use is not executed correctly.
I do not foresee the assessment data provided by ALL in Learning being used at my organization in the immediate future. However, it is good to know that this service is available. Thanks for the info.
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Jenny Brown
We were looking for an option for gaining better student engagement in our large food safety classes (100-400 students) and we ended up using polleverywhere.com I think this is the sort of technology that is replacing clickers. Essentially it is the same idea except it uses “polls” and mobile devices. The poll comes up on the PowerPoint slide and then students text in their answers. You can also send in answers through the Internet and Twitter too. Grade reporting and other reports are available to teachers.
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jenbarker
I briefly looked at this company too and when I read about the cost of the clickers it doesn’t surprise me that users are turning to polls. It makes me think of programs such as Socrative and GoSoapBox where students can use a computer, mobile device or any smartphone to key in their selections. I have never used a clicker and do not know if they allow for open ended answers but I know the other programs do.
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Mike Rae
Yah when I saw the picture of the clickers I was kinda surprised at how dinosaurish they looked, that they were for sale, and how expensive they were. That being said, the clicker could definitely be seen as the great grandparent of the BYOD revolution that allows students to do things like polleverywhere.com. Maybe that’s why Ward consider’s himself an “educational technology pioneer”.
On a side note, in my school (BC offshore in China), there is a “no cell phones in class policy” to limit texting between friends mostly. Some teachers have been flirting with using student cell phones as cameras for scavenger hunts, polleverywhere.com, and things like that. Once word got back to administation, there was a slap on the wrist group email sent about breaking a school rule and teachers are not to be doing these activities…..this email was sent three days ago….ugh!
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kstackhouse
We have a set of clickers at our school (I can’t remember the brand). I know that they math teachers use them more than the other departments. It does work well for quick checks on concepts and to do simple quizzes. I think now people are relying on twitter more to do the same thing. This is being done in university courses and even in church services I have seen the Twitter feed on the screen and people can ask the pastor questions.
Mike, I feel your pain. We have a no-BYOD rule in our district. It is frustrating because we were told to provide 21st C learning opportunities and at the same time told there would be no spending on technology…Students are coming to school with great resources available to them. I know there is are issues between those that have and those that don’t and security concerns. I think there must be a way to make it work.
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jenbarker
Biography of John Baker
John Baker is the founder and CEO of Desire2Learn. Desire2Learn Incorporated, also known as Desire2Learn or D2L was founded in 1999 by John Baker who desired eLearning or a Learning Management System (LMS) that was not available when he was studying systems design engineering in his third year at the University of Waterloo. Baker […]
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Doug Connery
I was at the D2L Users conference this summer and saw John Baker speak several times. He speaks just as he looks with confidence and passion about his company. It is interesting as at the conference he was introducing some of the new members of the D2L management team. Many of them were from Research in Motion (RIM) which is located in the same area of Kitchener-Waterloo in southern Ontario. I can only imagine that these people felt the uneasiness of RIM and decided to move over to a different technology company that is currently more stable than RIM.
Doug.
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jenbarker
Doug – From what I have read about D2L, those people who moved from RIM will likely not be disappointed. Do you use D2L in your area of work?
Just want to let anyone else who is taking ETEC 511 know that I just realized that we are reading about the D2L and Blackboard court case this week. I am actually geek’d about the serendipitous connection. I plan to read the article tomorrow and will repost if it sheds any new light on John Baker.
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Doug Connery
Hi Jen:
Yes we use D2L; we migrated from WebCT two years ago and have not looked back.
Doug.
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tomwhyte1
Great synopsis of the D2L product, I got a good sense of what the founder/CEO is like and his overall approach in various aspects of the educational technology business world.
On a side note though, I am wondering, did you notice if this company has any true educators, or people with classroom experience in their core group?
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jenbarker
I did notice that indeed there are no executive team members with educational backgrounds. I think the way they get around this is the meet with educators from within the classroom and listen to their needs and concerns to develop a personalized LMS that fits their school’s requirements. It is an interesting point you bring up. Thanks Tom.
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tomwhyte1
I guess, if done properly, this would not be a big deal. However, too many times, both personally and professionally I have used Educational Software created by non-educators and have been easily frustrated, for these products have been designed, developed, and deployed from a non-educator perspective. Again this may seem not a large issue, but the intuitive feel is not educationally focused, creating frustration for many users, forcing them to avoid or potential drop the program entirely.
Thoughts?
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Peggy Lawson
I believe that Blackboard finally did buy out Desire2Learn, did they not? Or perhaps just a very close partnership. Blackboard also absorbed WebCT (a UBC initiative!!! And my 1st experience with an LMS when I became a provincial online teacher for Saskatchewan), among others.
This is another topicthat is perhaps beyond the scope of ETEC 522, but clearly related. Is it good practice for an entreprenuer to think to the future – what company do I want to impress, that will absorb me down the road? In the Web 2.0 world, would this not be a critical consideration?
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Doug Connery
Hi Peggy:
Blackboard has not bought out Desire to learn. Rather Desire to Learn keeps luring Blackboard customers over to them. The mantra of many new Desire to Learn customers at their recent Users conference was “Bye bye Blackboard”!
Doug.
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adi
I often wonder like Penny about what happens down the road. Do some of these entrepreneurs design these products for long term success, or in the hope of threatening to compete with a big company in order to be absorbed. I’ve looked at Desire2Learn and for me it’s just yet another LMS to add to the list that is already out there. As I student and teacher, it just makes life harder having to get used to yet another platform, so unless it’s drastically different, or free, I’m not sure I’d bother. I think that more than ‘bye bye Blackboard’, Blackboard will end up buying this one, too.
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Jonathan
Learning A-Z Several teachers at our school have been using Learning A-Z products for reading recovery purposes. I’ve known about it for some time but this year, I’ve decided to take the program on and give it to the majority of my primary students. As a result, I couldn’t think of a better product/service to […]
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Colin
Moodle stands for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment and is a free open-source LMS that offers many tools like quizzes, assignments and grading. It was developed by Martin Dougiamas who is the founder of Moodle and who continues to be the leader developer of the Moodle.org community. Moodle continues to be one of the most […]
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Peggy Lawson
I’m interested in learning is Martin Dougiamas made money/makes a living from Moodle? When someone develops and releases open source – is it purely altruistic, for the benefit of all with no thought or at least key desire for personal gain? Or do they realize that production for the public good will produce spin-offs that will be personally rewarding?
Thanks for posting this Colin. I’d never thought of the venture aspect of something like Moodle before. I know there are developers who are hired to customize Moodle installations, but what benefit do the founders gain? Even though open source – do they profit financially, and if so how well? Would one invest in such a venture? You’ve mentioned the Moodle Network, so there are obviously some side sources of revenue.
This topic opens a wider question, for me at least – how do all of the “free” websites – facebook (pre stock options days), wikis, blogs, etc. exist? Strickly on advertising? Are they all working for years, for free, hoping for the eventual payoff when they’ve hooked users? Once Xtra-Normal starting charging users a fee – did it kill the enterprise or did they become suddenly profitable?
What is the best way for a Web 2.0 to become profitable – more advertising as more free users hit the site, or hooking users and then starting to charge for the service?
Peggy
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Colin
Hi Peggy, Martin Dougiamas does not appear to be in it for the money but he does generate revenue. In March of this year he sold Moodlerooms to Blackboard and this is what Martin had to say about the decision.
“The decision of Moodlerooms and NetSpot to work under Blackboard may sound very strange at first to anyone in this industry…but it’s my understanding that these three companies have some good plans and synergies. I’m happy to say that Moodlerooms and NetSpot will remain Moodle Partners, and have promised to continue…participating in the community…and contributing financially to Moodle exactly as they always have.”
As you can see they do have continuous funding from their Moodle partners. In addition to Moodlebooks they also have Remote-Learner and Classroom Revolution who contribute a portion of their profits back into Moodle. They also use proceeds from license agreements to continue their funding.
“Free websites” as you mention are not always free. When you sign up for an account on one of these sites you are agreeing to their terms and conditions and suddenly you are a captive audience. Advertising is one key way that sites do make money where they track your likes and dislikes and target market certain products to you. Other companies do sell the information you give them to third parties. In the case of free downloads you often find they include third party products who pay to be a part of the download. I find that companies are often quite creative in how they make money. With Facebook for a long time they didn’t generate much revenue but people invested in them for their potential. Coming up with a revenue model really depends on how you are positioning your product in the market and who your target market is.
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Peggy Lawson
Thanks Colin. I know I am naive about how much money companies, esp. Web 2.0, make money strickly from advertising. This is something that will be useful to gain from ETEC 522 – how something that is “free” still generates sufficient revenue for investors. As I start work on my assignments for this course, I can’t help but feel that this is an important consideration.
Peggy
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Peggy Lawson
EduVision
For the past few years my school division has been looking for a streaming video solution – to support our online learning program, to host & serve videos created within our division of school events and “best practices” videos, and to provide a way to control access to videos. (Blackboard, our LMS, is a poor […]
Continue reading EduVision Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp -
David Vogt
Here Comes Week 4 – The Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp
Great action in the Pitch Pool, everyone. Thanks! The main point, as described, was to start some active thinking and role-playing about ventures, both pitching them and reviewing them. While there is well-defined content and context for a great pitch, there’s enormous room for an entrepreneur’s art, talent and personality to have impact. I’m an […]
Continue reading Here Comes Week 4 – The Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp Posted in: Announcements, Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Peggy Lawson 6:15 pm on September 25, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Joel – Your post has me very intrigued about this product. I’m a former science teacher, and now train & manage our school division online program. I can see this product being extremely useful for our online biology courses (still to be developed). A real disadvantage of online science courses is the difficulty in replicating a true lab experience. Minus the formaldehyde, this product seemed to offer an acceptable alternative.
It’s a product I would invest in, as I see the potential for online learning, and for F2F classes where for costs and squemishness, real dissections are not a viable options. The product costs, after a very cursory look, seem reasonable.
Thanks for posting!
Peggy
jhodi 9:51 pm on September 26, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi,
As a former science student that was squeamish about dissections, I feel like this is a great idea! Not only is it clean, but it has the potential to be extremely affordable since the school can purchase the tool for multiple uses rather than purchasing various animals, etc. for dissection that are a one-time use. I also think that it can very very helpful to have a full 360 degree view of the dissection, especially if it were used with a 3-D projector. From a student’s standpoint, I would find this very engaging and motivating.
Jhodi