Online Learning: Should I? Shouldn’t I?

Education Technology, Continuing Education

Article | August 8, 2022

EdTech has been at the forefront of a lot of education news recently with so many brilliant resources being made available to schools free-of-charge. But, make sure you look out for the evidence showing the resource’s value. Learn why in dansandhu’s blog. In the wake of coronavirus, the team here at Sparx worked tirelessly to create a maths learning solution that would help schools cope with the enormous challenge of remote teaching. In just six weeks, over 500 schools from 75 countries signed up to our Virtual Classroom. It’s just one example of how quickly schools have implemented technologies to support learning at home. And, importantly, this crisis has proven that it is personal, teacher-led learning that drives student engagement and success.

Education Technology

Article | July 20, 2022

You in the community seemed so impressed with this recent Boston Dynamics–inspired build that we decided to feature another. This time, maker Harry was inspired by Boston Dynamics’ research robot Handle, which stands 6.5 ft tall, travels at 9 mph and jumps 4 feet vertically. Here’s how Harry made his miniature version, MABEL (Multi Axis Balancer Electronically Levelled). MABEL has individually articulated legs to enhance off-road stability, prevent it from tipping, and even make it jump (if you use some really fast servos). Harry is certain that anyone with a 3D printer and a “few bits” can build one.

Education Technology

Article | August 4, 2022

Perhaps you remember the story of William Miller, the Baptist preacher who predicted that Jesus Christ’s second coming would occur on Oct. 22, 1844. When the advent failed to occur as Miller foretold, many of his followers turned away from the Millerite church in disappointment and disillusionment. But some did not. In the face of Miller’s failed prophesies, true believers found ways to preserve their earlier beliefs. Loyalists reinterpreted Miller’s prophesies. Some insisted that Christ had returned to earth spiritually on Oct. 22, marking the beginning of a new age of atonement. Others claimed that the date witnessed the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, a precursor to Christ’s second coming. These ideas helped shape several religious sects, including the Seventh Day Adventist Church and the Baháʼí faith. We’ve all heard variations of Thomas Huxley’s 1870 phrase “the great tragedy of Science—the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.” Facts may indeed be stubborn things, but prior beliefs and ideological commitments often trump facts.

Article | April 11, 2020

Determining a timeline for when higher education will go back to “normal” is an aimless guessing game. Will it be weeks? Months? Years? For colleges and universities, the sudden shift away from traditional classroom spaces has upended typical teaching tactics. Even schools with minimal online infrastructure must now deliver distance learning at scale. For educators who are tech-savvy (and those who are not) to make this transition and develop curricula that support student success, the right resources are critical.