TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Businesswire | April 21, 2023
Labster the world's leading edtech platform for virtual labs and interactive science courseware, is rolling out a major free user experience (UX) upgrade that will improve the Labster platform for millions of students in high school and higher education institutions worldwide. The upgrade will be pushed automatically to users when they log into Labster and will impact more than 80% of Labster simulations across all devices and LMS systems, including the Labster app for iOS and Chromebook.
With Labster, students explore interactive simulations in state-of-the-art laboratories from their digital devices. But the advanced scientific concepts and lab techniques that Labster simulations bring to life can sometimes be challenging for students who are not as well prepared. Based on extensive feedback from both users and instructors, Labster has developed a new intelligent “hint and guidance” system that will nudge students in the right direction toward successful completion of their assignments when needed. Among other features, this includes helpful new indicators and suggestions for students who appear to be stuck or struggling.
Leveraging gamification techniques has been proven to boost student enthusiasm, engagement and learning outcomes. Labster offers 300-plus titles in its catalog of STEM curriculum-aligned virtual lab simulations in fields such as biology, biochemistry, genetics, biotechnology, chemistry, and physics. Labster simulations are especially useful for pre- and post-lab assignments, so science department leads can fully optimize the time students spend on-site in high-demand physical laboratories.
“Labster plays an important role in helping students complete challenging STEM courses, so it’s critical that we leverage the power of our platform to support their learning and progress through each simulation,” said Michael Bodekaer Jensen, co-founder and CEO of Labster. “Our ultimate goal is for Labster to increase STEM student retention by encouraging students on their path to becoming the next generation of scientists to change the world. Our thanks go out to the generous educators and students who helped us build this major upgrade by providing valuable feedback and ongoing testing for continuous improvement.”
Better STEM access for all
According to the National Science Board, academic institutions need to dramatically increase the proportion of students in STEM to preserve U.S. economic and innovation leadership. But women and minority students are already underrepresented in STEM education, and inherent design flaws in introductory STEM-subject courses can actually act as a barrier for minority students rather than as a springboard for success, according to a 2022 Pennsylvania State University research study led by mathematics professor Nathanial "Nate" Brown, Ph.D.
“We know that different students have different levels of comfort with online courseware,” said Jolita Kiznyte, Labster’s lead product manager for content. “That’s why we’re continuously working to improve the UX design of Labster’s gamified, interactive science simulations. It’s really important that we accommodate a diversity of user backgrounds and technical skills. These latest updates provide key hints and signals that can offer a helping hand to students where they need it while navigating the learning experience in our simulations.”
Labster has been innovating in science education for more than a decade, providing educators with the ability to digitally explore and enhance their science offerings and supplement their in-classroom activities. In 2022, Labster released five new course packages, including Basic Lab Skills, focused specifically on practical lab skills and simulations. Additionally, more than 150 of the 300-plus Labster simulations are now available in Spanish, with over 100 also in French, German, and Italian. Labster simulations can be played on a variety of the most commonly used desktop, laptop, and tablet computers available to the broadest range of students.
Getting to know (and love) Labster
About Labster
Labster is dedicated to developing fully interactive virtual training simulations that are designed to enhance traditional learning outcomes by stimulating students’ natural curiosity and reinforcing the connection between science and the real world. The simulations can be used in a variety of different ways, from a full lab replacement to a supplemental learning activity. Over 5 million students in high schools and universities in 100 countries have used Labster to perform realistic experiments, learn key science concepts, and practice their skills in a risk-free learning environment. Labster’s team members are passionate about improving science learning, resulting in collaborations with over 3,000 leading educational institutions.
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CONTINUING EDUCATION
Globenewswire | May 18, 2023
The Alliance for Decision Education, a national nonprofit organization leading the movement to have decision-making skills taught in K-12 schools, today announced the celebration and forum held on May 16 for the sixteen graduate student recipients of the Decision Education Research Scholarship Award. Over the course of eight months, graduate students from universities worldwide submitted research papers that demonstrated insight and innovation in the field of Decision Education.
Sixteen graduate students were selected to each receive the first-ever $1,500 Decision Education Research Scholarship Award. These awardees gathered at the Graduate Student Research Forum to present their research projects, sharing their ideas and findings with each other and the Alliance.
"We hope that through initiatives like the Decision Education Research Scholarship Award, we can create more opportunities and pathways to encourage future research in the field of Decision Education," said Jinsol Lee, Ph.D., Alliance Deputy Director of Research. "By tapping into the creative and innovative minds of these participants, we aim to cultivate the growth of future Decision Education researchers and foster contributions to the growing body of credible research."
The research papers focused on various areas of Decision Education chosen by the participants and aimed to evaluate the application of Decision Education to student learning and outcomes. Submissions were evaluated based on the clarity of the literature review, depth of analysis, quality of writing, and relevance to Decision Education. The award recipients presented their research to the entire group at the forum. Four of the awardees were selected due to the excellence of their research papers to give long-form oral presentations at the event. These awardees and their research topics were: Marina Castro-Meirelles, University of Pennsylvania – Working Toward Tomorrow Today in the High School Classroom; Kristen Loughlin, University of Pennsylvania – The Work of Children: Creativity, Play, and the Development of Skillful Decision-Making in Elementary Education; Ghassani Swaryandini, University of Queensland – Improving Adolescents’ Rationality to Improve Their Career Decision-making Skills; and Sophie Wang, University of Chicago – Exerting Self-Control: Challenges and Strategies.
About the Alliance
The Alliance for Decision Education is a national nonprofit and field builder leading the growing call to have Decision Education taught in schools across the country. Founded in 2014 and backed by experts in decision science and education, including several Nobel laureates, the Alliance believes that better decisions lead to better lives and a better society.The Alliance is working with teachers, academic and business leaders, families, and community members to raise awareness and improve lives by empowering students with essential skills and dispositions for making better decisions.
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TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Businesswire | April 10, 2023
Brightwheel, the leading all-in-one early education platform, today announced that it has acquired Experience Early Learning, a nationally recognized brand that produces a comprehensive research-based early education curriculum and assessment system. Through the acquisition, brightwheel is merging the best of physical and digital learning tools for the first time as it advances its mission to deliver high quality early education for every child.
“Young children need to learn in-person with physical materials that they can touch and feel,” said Dave Vasen, Founder and CEO of brightwheel. “The merging of physical and digital will save providers many hours each month, improve the classroom learning experience, and even extend it to the home, all through the brightwheel platform. I couldn’t be more excited to bring these two companies together and completely rethink what’s possible in early ed.”
Aligned with NAEYC, Common Core, Head Start, and all 50 states’ early learning standards, Experience Early Learning covers all areas of development including social-emotional, physical, language & literacy, math & reasoning, science, social studies, and creative arts, designed for infants through pre-K aged children. This leading program provides a monthly toolkit with everything a teacher needs to bring the curriculum to life in the classroom, including hands-on materials such as books, music, posters, art supplies, games, and workbooks, each tailored for specific ages.
Brightwheel allows preschool administrators and teachers to manage everything that happens day-to-day such as billing, enrollment, attendance, compliance, and communications all through the brightwheel app. Teachers can easily capture learning moments in real time through photos and videos, take notes, track child development, and conduct assessments. Brightwheel is the first and only platform where teachers can automatically share prewritten notes with parents that help to continue the learning at home.
Experience Curriculum is now live on brightwheel for Preschool and Toddler levels, with Baby coming in the future. Benefits of the newly integrated offering include:
• Elevated quality of learning during the most critical first five years of a child’s development with a professional, research-based curriculum aligned to all 50 state standards.
• Makes teachers’ jobs less time consuming and more rewarding, thereby improving staff retention at a time when turnover in the industry is at an all time high.
• Greater engagement from families in their child’s learning through automated sharing of progress, photos and updates in real-time.
As brightwheel invests in expanding its curriculum offering, it has appointed Julie DeLoyd as Head of brightwheel Education, responsible for leading and scaling the company’s education business. DeLoyd joins brightwheel from developmental toy company Melissa & Doug where she served as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer.
“I have long admired brightwheel’s dedication to improving the early education experience for children, families, and teachers,” said DeLoyd, Head of brightwheel Education. “For the first time ever, there is a one-stop destination for everything education providers need, empowering them to focus on what they do best. I am proud to join this talented team as brightwheel scales its education offering and improves the quality of early learning.”
About Brightwheel
Brightwheel is the complete preschool and childcare platform providing everything educators need to easily run their program all in one place. Quick to set up and even easier to use, brightwheel’s #1 rated platform enables providers to save time, get paid faster, connect with families and staff, and support child development. Trusted by millions of educators and families across North America, brightwheel is committed to elevating the early learning experience for every child.
About Experience Early Learning
Experience Early Learning is a research-based early education program that fosters a joy for learning through sensory-based experiences. Since 1984, this nationally recognized curriculum system has supported children’s social-emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Monthly thematic kits with lesson plans and hands-on learning materials support teachers in and out of the classroom and encourage learning through play. Experience Early Learning is a community of educators with a mission to help children embrace their unique strengths, grow confidence, and love others.
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