New Study Tests Effectiveness, Interest for Using VR in the Classroom

rdmag | February 26, 2019

As part of a multi-phase study investigating the use of virtual reality (VR) as a teaching tool, Cornell University researchers found that while students were more interested in learning using VR,  actual learning rates were no different with VR than using traditional teaching methods such as hands-on activities and computer simulations.Natasha Holmes, PhD, senior author on the study and the Ann S. Bowers Assistant Professor in the College of Arts & Sciences in physics at Cornell, said that the VR study began based on her curiosity as to what type of classroom activity produces the best learning environment. “There is research out there that says that computer simulations and things like that can be as good as or better than learning from a more traditional, hands-on activity,” Holmes said in an exclusive interview with R&D Magazine. “When you go into a lot of cognitive science research there’s ideas that having something physical and tangible in front of you and being able to embody the experience improves learning a ton. Part of the idea is that we had this hypothesis that virtual reality might provide the best of both worlds with the embodiment of a real hands-on activity combined with the controllability of a desktop simulation.”

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ONLINE EDUCATION

K12 Celebrates Teachers with New “Be Kind 365” Campaign

Stride | May 15, 2023

The nation’s four million teachers inspire students to make the impossible, possible. To honor their extraordinary contributions—to students and the country—K12, a Stride Inc. company, announced a unique “Be Kind 365” campaign that highlights special acts of kindness toward teachers. Beginning this month and continuing throughout the year, K12 is expanding its efforts to champion teacher-centered accomplishments, initiatives, and programs nationwide. The company is launching Thank My Teacher, a new tool that allows families across the country to send messages of appreciation to their favorite educators. And through a new social media campaign, students and families are sharing posts and experiences that highlight the special and unique ways they show appreciation and kindness to their teachers. K12’s new Teacher Appreciation Week campaign comes at a time when 44 percent of new teachers leave the profession within five years. Beginning teachers with little to no preparation are more than twice as likely to leave the classroom after one year compared to their better prepared counterparts. That’s why this week, K12 is also launching a new “Teachers Win” initiative that supports new teachers. As part of this initiative, every 2023 teaching graduate in the U.S. is eligible to receive a one-year paid subscription to the Stride Professional Development Center: an ever-expanding library of interactive, mobile-friendly courses designed by educators, for educators. “Our goal is to help new teachers get off to a strong start to their careers,” said Darren Reed, head of Stride’s Professional Development Center. “We want every teacher to feel confident in their ability to achieve early success in the classroom.” Additionally, eligible teachers at every experience level can receive six months’ free access to Stride’s Professional Development Center through the company’s Learning Solutions Division. Learning Solutions is also launching a new video series featuring the stories of teachers who are making a difference in their communities. This company-wide Teacher Appreciation Week effort is a launching pad to shine a light on who teachers are, their core values as educators, their resilience and dedication, and their critical role in shaping the people that students become. As part of their personalized and holistic approach to education, Stride’s K12-powered schools provide students with access to a rich curriculum taught by state-credentialed teachers who are specially trained in online instruction. Throughout the year, K12’s new Be Kind 365 campaign will promote different ways to show kindness and outline strategies for fostering positive mental health and wellness. About Stride, Inc. At Stride, Inc , we are reimagining learning—where learning is lifelong, deeply personal, and prepares learners for tomorrow. The company has transformed millions of people’s teaching and learning experiences by providing innovative, high-quality, tech-enabled education solutions, curriculum, and programs directly to students, schools, the military, and enterprises in primary, secondary, and postsecondary settings. Stride is a premier provider of K-12 education for students, schools, and districts, including career learning services through middle and high school curriculum. For adult learners, Stride delivers professional skills training in healthcare and technology, as well as staffing and talent development for Fortune 500 companies. Stride has delivered millions of courses over the past decade and serves learners in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. More information can be found at stridelearning.com, K12.com, galvanize.com, techelevator.com, and medcerts.com.

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CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS

Code Fellows Launches Education Rescue Scholarship

PRnewswire | May 05, 2023

Code Fellows, a premier technical skills training academy offering high-quality job-focused education and training to aspiring learners since 2013, has launched an Education Rescue Scholarship. This scholarship is designed to help students who have invested money in a bootcamp, college or university, and have not received the education, knowledge, or skills needed to find rewarding careers in tech. Prospective students who wish to be considered for the Education Rescue Scholarship must complete an application, be accepted into the program and provide evidence of all payments made towards tuition at a prior educational institution. The amount awarded will be based on the amount of tuition paid and will cover up to the full cost of attending any of the Self-Paced courses offered by Code Fellows. Code Fellows' Self-Paced courses include access to online learning resources and support from full-time professional instructional staff. These courses are designed to help students gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their careers. "Too many programs are teaching outdated curriculum that is not in sync with the industry demands of today, leaving students with a mountain of debt and skills that are subpar or obsolete," said Mitch Robertson, SVP of Business Development and Growth at Code Fellows. "Through continuous iteration, we build, refine, and adapt our curriculum to ensure we are keeping up with the demands of the industry and preparing our graduates for the rigorous expectations of a career in tech today and well into the future." The Education Rescue Scholarship is designed to help students fill in any gaps in their knowledge or skills while equipping them with additional training and skills from industry-leading certified instructors. This may include skills from coding fundamentals to advanced concepts like data structures and algorithms, professional applications and development. Code Fellows offers students, including those utilizing the Education Rescue Scholarship, a number of other resources and support services which increase student success. This includes career services like resume reviews and employer connections, as well as ongoing educational opportunities. In today's rapidly evolving technological world, computer science is a highly sought-after field that offers a plethora of career opportunities. However, not all colleges and universities offering computer science programs are keeping up with the changing demands of the industry. Some institutions continue to use outdated curricula and teaching methods, leading to poor outcomes for students and their future careers. In addition, bootcamps have become increasingly popular over the years, offering an intensive, immersive learning experience in fields like software development, technical operations, and cybersecurity. However, not all of them are delivering on their promises, leaving students without the skills or knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen careers and a mountain of debt. Many students have been let down by these institutions, leaving them frustrated and disheartened. Code Fellows Education Rescue scholarship aims to provide these students with a solution to their problems. "Code Fellows is committed to providing high-quality technical education and supporting students who may have been let down by other educational institutions," said Jeff Malek, CEO of Code Fellows. "The Education Rescue Scholarship is an innovative and much-needed initiative that will help bridge the gap between education and employment. We are excited to offer this scholarship to students who are looking for a solution to their educational problems." The commitment to education and support that Code Fellows demonstrates is a testament to their dedication to their students and to the tech community as a whole. By offering resources and support to students who may have been let down by other educational institutions, they are helping to create a more inclusive and supportive tech industry, while ensuring graduates are exceeding employer expectations. About Code Fellows: Code Fellows is the Pacific Northwest's premier technical skills training academy, delivering high-quality live instruction both online and in person to people from all backgrounds. Learners are guided toward vocational change and life transformation through software development, technical operations, cybersecurity and career training. They guide people from all backgrounds to change their lives through fast-paced, career-focused education. They shape passionate learners with immersive training to meet industry needs and improve diversity.Code Fellows has taught thousands of graduates and iterated on their curriculum and format to ensure students receive the most industry-relevant training as effectively and efficiently as possible. Students are immersed in their learning from full-time instructional staff who are seasoned industry professionals with daily lectures, pair programming, weekly presentations, one-week project sprints, and more. Code Fellows graduates work at Amazon, Microsoft, Zillow, Expedia, XBOX, NIKE, Starbucks, Nordstrom, and over 800 other companies.

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CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS

General Assembly and LHH Join Forces to Help Employers Recruit, Train, and Deploy Diverse Tech Talent At Scale

PRnewswire | May 16, 2023

General Assembly (GA) today announced the launch of GA Talent, a new division created within global talent solutions provider LHH to close persistent skill gaps as demand for tech talent increases across a range of industries. GA Talent's flagship solution, known as Recruit-Train-Deploy (RTD), is designed to help businesses build stronger and more diverse tech talent pipelines while also creating new pathways into resilient, high-wage roles for aspiring tech workers. "Business leaders today are facing an economic landscape defined by uncertainty. But one thing that's clear is that the old methods of recruitment and talent acquisition aren't working," said Roger Lee, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at General Assembly. "As market demands fluctuate and the economy continues to shift, we're launching RTD to meet businesses where they are, and to unlock opportunities for tens of thousands of workers with the skills to succeed in high-demand tech roles. This is about helping tech talent leaders look outside traditional talent pools to not just find and recruit competitive tech candidates at scale — but also equip them with the skills needed to succeed in a changing world of work." According to GA's recent "State of Talent Acquisition 2023" report, more than nine in 10 tech hiring managers are not completely confident that their current approaches to recruiting and hiring will be enough to fill open roles in fields like software engineering, data analytics, and UX design. GA and LHH are launching the RTD solution to address this challenge head-on, providing employers with new hiring systems that can reduce costs and fill more specialized junior tech roles from a large and fast-growing talent pool. GA Talent will fully harness the power of GA's parent company, The Adecco Group, by bridging GA's industry-leading tech training models with cutting-edge Recruitment Solutions from global talent solutions provider LHH. Drawing on decades of combined experience sourcing, training, and deploying talent into higher-paying technology jobs, the two companies will play an active role in connecting companies with reliable pipelines of junior tech talent; improving performance and retention rates through mentorship and training aligned with each client's tech stack; and saving financial resources with more flexible and scalable onboarding and talent management processes. At a time of declining college enrollment, GA Talent's Recruit-Train-Deploy solution will enable employers to look outside an increasingly limited university graduate pool for non-traditional, new-to-technology talent by connecting them directly to approximately 5,000 new graduates per year as well as GA's global community of nearly 100,000 alumni. Candidates will be directly deployed to employers on a 12-18 month contract basis, during which GA and LHH will cover all HR costs and processes – including benefits, competitive hourly pay, holiday pay and sick leave, as well as coaching services for talent over the course of their contract – streamlining and speeding up the process of vetting, onboarding and retaining new talent. "Amidst growing demand for workers with technology skills, even outside of traditional tech industries, GA is doubling down on its commitment to connecting employers with job-ready, diverse junior talent," said Shannon Adams, Global Head of Client Solutions for GA Talent. "By bringing together GA's best-in-class technology training with LHH's leading-edge recruiting solutions, we're taking an entirely new approach to helping companies build their future workforce while also expanding access to opportunities for career and economic mobility." About General Assembly: Since 2011, General Assembly (GA) has launched the technology careers of tens of thousands of diverse individuals and cultivated emerging tech talent pipelines for hundreds of the world's leading employers. As featured in The Economist, Wired, and The New York Times, GA offers bootcamps, digital upskilling, apprenticeships, and other career onramps into today's most in-demand jobs in web development, data, design, and more. Part of global HR solutions giant The Adecco Group, GA has become a leading provider of world-class technical training, equitable job opportunity, and social impact. GA has been recognized as one of Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, and a Fast Company World-Changing Idea, as well as the #1 Most Innovative Company in Education.

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