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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

SAFE™ Partners with Three Colleges to Improve Cybersecurity and Make Distance Learning Easier

SAFE, Inc. | October 18, 2021

Today SAFE™ formally announced its new partnerships with 3 major higher education institutions, including Marist College, Boston College, and the University of the Bahamas. Each institution will pilot SAFE products which are built to eliminate passwords, save valuable time, and ensure accurate student activity reports in hybrid and distance learning environments.

The pilots are expected to add additional data proving that SAFE OnTime Meeting Manager can save hours per month for each faculty member by using SAFE's patent-pending combination of cybersecurity and communication tools, which make it easier to call students into class, automate attendance of hybrid classes, and practically eliminate unauthorized access.

The pilots are also expected to add more evidence that people prefer to login without passwords, and smartphone technology provides a more secure convenient access method. Eliminating hacker-friendly passwords is the primary function of the patented SAFE Authenticator. Previous market studies conducted by SAFE indicate that 49% of all user groups studied are willing to try SAFE Authenticator to reduce or eliminate passwords.

The combined student populations of the partner colleges and universities is almost 30,000 students and 2,200 faculty, providing the opportunity for multiple pilots and future growth beginning with a subset of pilot participants.

"We awarded grants for these initial pilots to Marist College, Boston College, and University of the Bahamas because of their excellence in higher education, computer science, and market studies. Students can use SAFE to access classes and on-line systems with the same 5-second authentication process with no passwords. And, faculty will save hours per month with our automatic attendance feature." 

David W. Schropfer, CEO of SAFE

Over 53% of all network attacks on Higher Education Institutions involve stolen passwords, according to the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report by Suzanne Widup. And Bluevoyant.com reports that there are 337,000 such attacks in Colleges and Universities in the United States every week.

"By eliminating passwords for all student access, we eliminate a widely-exploited attract vector," Schropfer added.

About SAFE
SAFE™, a brand of Anchor ID, Inc., is a secure, privacy-centric, alternative to "Sign-In with Facebook" and other social sign-in products. The product replaces passwords with smartphone technology, and enables smartphone biometrics such as FaceID® or Samsung Fingerprint Reader®. The Company received a regular US patent on its technology and systems that enable their SAFE Authenticator product, and has a patent pending on the SAFE OnTime Meeting Manager. Categorically, the product is an Engagement Management System (EMS) which combines military grade authentication technology with customizable user controls and enterprise controls that make online authentication a highly secure, enjoyable customer experience.

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Bluum Unveils "The Modern Classroom" in Las Vegas Office to Transform The Immersive Learning Experience

Bluum | May 10, 2023

Bluum, is pleased to announce the opening of "The Modern Classroom" in their Las Vegas office. The Modern Classroom is designed to transform the learning experience by providing an environment that encourages critical thinking, adapts to student needs, promotes collaboration, increases student engagement, and heightens motivation to learn. "Technology is not a substitute for a teacher, but a tool that, when used effectively, can enhance the teacher's ability to engage and inspire students to reach their full potential," Wayne LawsonThe Modern Classroom is equipped with the latest educational technology solutions and tools to support teachers and students in achieving their educational goals.With interactive flat panels, software, STEM products and other cutting-edge classroom solutions, students will be able to engage in collaborative and interactive learning experiences that foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. About Bluum At Bluum, we provide technology design, engineering, solutions and services that make business and learning environments more exciting, accessible and interactive, empowering professionals with the resources and knowledge they need to build a brighter tomorrow. Visit Bluum and Bluum Technology to learn more. About Wayne Lawson Wayne Lawson, a seasoned educator with nearly two decades of experience, has devoted his life to teaching and has positively impacted numerous students by enabling them to realize their full potential and develop a lifelong love of learning. Wayne's enthusiasm for educational technology has led him to spearhead the integration of cutting-edge tools and methodologies into his teaching methods.

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Black-Owned Edtech Company Stemuli Announces Merger of Infinity.careers and Oppti, Founders Take on New Roles

PRnewswire | May 02, 2023

Today, Stemuli—a gaming company at the intersection of AI, education, and workforce development—announced the merger of Infinity.careers and Oppti into Stemuli, with all companies focused on providing career navigation tools to empower students with the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century economy. Stemuli, led by Taylor Shead, Founder & CEO, is a Black and woman-owned company with a mission to provide a pathway to an intellectually and economically fulfilling career for all. Naomi Thomas, Founder of infinity.careers, will take on the role of Head of Digital for Stemuli, while Khiry Kemp, Co-founder of Oppti, will serve as Head of Operations. The company announced the merger was made possible because the three founders met in Jobs for the Future's (JFF) Entrepreneur in Residence incubator, led by JFFLabs, JFF's innovation lab, which brings together talented and driven entrepreneurs to collaborate and solve real-world problems. "Stemuli is a shining example of what can happen when we bring together and incubate talented and driven entrepreneurs to collaborate and catalyze new ways to support people facing systemic barriers to advancement," said Kristina Francis, executive director of JFFLabs, JFF's innovation lab. "We are thrilled to see the success of our program in action, and we look forward to seeing the impact this merger will have on the future of learning." According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, access to capital is a major barrier for black entrepreneurs. Despite making up over 13% of the US population, Black-owned businesses only receive less than 1% of venture capital. The merger of Infinity.careers and Oppti into Stemuli highlights the power of Black founders coming together in a way that hasn't been done before, and demonstrates their commitment to creating new opportunities in the edtech space. "This merger marks an important milestone for both black entrepreneurs and the edtech industry as a whole," said Taylor Shead, Founder and CEO of Stemuli. "We are excited to join forces and bring our collective expertise to create a company that truly empowers students and addresses the needs of the education system. We believe that education is the key to unlocking opportunities and driving social and economic mobility, and we are committed to making that a reality for students across the country." About Stemuli: Stemuli is a Black and woman-owned gaming company at the intersection of AI, education, and workforce development.Stemuli is a Black and woman-owned gaming company at the intersection of AI, education, and workforce development. Stemuli connects students to meaningful career development experiences and maintains a portfolio of students’ every achievement, certification, and development milestones to help them showcase the to the marketplace and land the job of their dreams.

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XPRIZE and The Institute of Education Sciences Announce Winners of $1M Digital Learning Challenge

Businesswire | May 10, 2023

XPRIZE, the world’s leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges, hosts a virtual event today to celebrate the grand prize winner of the $1M Digital Learning Challenge, Adaptive Experimentation Accelerator from Raleigh, North Carolina, and showcase the technology developed by the challenge’s three finalist teams, including team Terracotta from Indiana University and team UpGrade by Carnegie Learning. Launched in 2021, the Digital Learning Challenge incentivized teams to modernize, accelerate, and improve the technology and processes for evaluating and measuring effective learning and education. Using tools like AI methods, big data, and machine learning, teams sought to better understand the effectiveness of specific teaching techniques and practices, with the goal of providing substantial benefit for educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the tens of millions of Americans enrolled in formal education every year. The challenge is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the independent and nonpartisan statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education. The three finalist teams participating in the Accelerate & Modernize: New Methods to Assess Student Learning Outcomes closing event include: • Grand Prize Winner: Adaptive Experimentation Accelerator – Raleigh, North Carolina (Partnership between Intelligent Adaptive Interventions lab at University of Toronto, Open Learning Initiative at Carnegie Mellon, & North Carolina State University) o The Adaptive Experimentation Accelerator network aims to involve everyone in using experiments to enhance and personalize education. Our 'MOOClet' toolkit democratizes the contribution of ideas from many teachers, students, and scientists, then experimentally tests which ideas work for which students. Artificial Intelligence algorithms analyze data to adapt experiments in days vs months. This aims to test more ideas more quickly, and to use promising data to more rapidly get better approaches to students. • Finalist: Terracotta – Bloomington, Indiana (Indiana University) o Terracotta is an open source plugin to the Canvas learning management system, enabling researchers and teachers to conduct rigorous and responsible experimental studies on learning activities within a course site. Using Terracotta, the team was able to conduct over two-dozen mini-experiments across a variety of courses, ranging from 6th grade to college seniors, where each experiment used local materials and authentic teacher-created assessments. • Finalist: UpGrade by Carnegie Learning – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania o UpGrade is a free, open-source platform that enables iterative experimental design and deployment of new learning experiences that compare the efficacy of different tools and resources—such as lesson content, interactive elements, videos, algorithms and more—during active student learning. Each experiment measures what works best for whom, advancing the way we understand student learning and engagement and enabling the rapid design, deployment and analysis of large scale studies, including but not limited to complex K-12 school environments. The final round or demonstration phase of the competition required teams to replicate their experiments at least five times with three or more distinct learner demographics. Based on their demonstration performance, Adaptive Experimentation Accelerator receives the grand prize designation and $500,000, while runners-up Terracotta and UpGrade will each receive $125,000 prizes. The three teams previously shared a $250,000 prize when they were announced as finalists in September 2022. During the closing event, each of the three teams will present their technology and how it works, followed by a discussion of lessons learned from the Digital Learning Challenge. With the Challenge now concluded, the teams will seek to work with partners across the education and technology sectors to scale the impact and implementation of their solutions.“Through their participation and success in the Digital Learning Challenge, each of these teams has helped make advancements in technology to improve the ways that educators teach and that students learn,” said IES director Dr. Mark Schneider. “These teams have laid the groundwork for a new phase of experiments of frequency, scope and scale not possible through traditional methods of education research, which will ultimately lead to better experiences and outcomes for all learners.” In the initial pilot phase of the competition, 10 teams had six months to demonstrate the capabilities of their rapid, reproducible experiments in an accredited education institutional setting and then 30 days to launch a replication study with at least one unique learner demographic. A judging panel of education and technology experts reviewed the pilot study technical submissions and selected three teams to move on to the final round and ultimately designated the winner.“We are deeply proud of the achievements of the Digital Learning Challenge finalist teams, whose creativity and commitment to improving education outcomes through technology and experimentation will resonate far beyond the conclusion of the competition,” said XPRIZE Digital Learning Challenge Technical Lead Dr. Monique Golden.“We look forward to working with these teams to forge new partnerships that will ensure they can continue developing and refining their technologies and scale the impact of their solutions.” The Digital Learning Challenge is part of XPRIZE’s Learning and Society domain which is committed to achieving a future where everyone, regardless of income, race, age, identity, gender, or geography, has access to learning experiences to reflect their unique capabilities, disposition, and aspirations. About XPRIZE XPRIZE is a global future-positive movement delivering truly radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. XPRIZE inspires and empowers a global community of problem-solvers to positively impact our world by crowdsourcing solutions through large-scale competitions, tackling the world’s grandest challenges in exploration, environment, and human equity.

Read More

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Bluum Unveils "The Modern Classroom" in Las Vegas Office to Transform The Immersive Learning Experience

Bluum | May 10, 2023

Bluum, is pleased to announce the opening of "The Modern Classroom" in their Las Vegas office. The Modern Classroom is designed to transform the learning experience by providing an environment that encourages critical thinking, adapts to student needs, promotes collaboration, increases student engagement, and heightens motivation to learn. "Technology is not a substitute for a teacher, but a tool that, when used effectively, can enhance the teacher's ability to engage and inspire students to reach their full potential," Wayne LawsonThe Modern Classroom is equipped with the latest educational technology solutions and tools to support teachers and students in achieving their educational goals.With interactive flat panels, software, STEM products and other cutting-edge classroom solutions, students will be able to engage in collaborative and interactive learning experiences that foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. About Bluum At Bluum, we provide technology design, engineering, solutions and services that make business and learning environments more exciting, accessible and interactive, empowering professionals with the resources and knowledge they need to build a brighter tomorrow. Visit Bluum and Bluum Technology to learn more. About Wayne Lawson Wayne Lawson, a seasoned educator with nearly two decades of experience, has devoted his life to teaching and has positively impacted numerous students by enabling them to realize their full potential and develop a lifelong love of learning. Wayne's enthusiasm for educational technology has led him to spearhead the integration of cutting-edge tools and methodologies into his teaching methods.

Read More

TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Black-Owned Edtech Company Stemuli Announces Merger of Infinity.careers and Oppti, Founders Take on New Roles

PRnewswire | May 02, 2023

Today, Stemuli—a gaming company at the intersection of AI, education, and workforce development—announced the merger of Infinity.careers and Oppti into Stemuli, with all companies focused on providing career navigation tools to empower students with the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century economy. Stemuli, led by Taylor Shead, Founder & CEO, is a Black and woman-owned company with a mission to provide a pathway to an intellectually and economically fulfilling career for all. Naomi Thomas, Founder of infinity.careers, will take on the role of Head of Digital for Stemuli, while Khiry Kemp, Co-founder of Oppti, will serve as Head of Operations. The company announced the merger was made possible because the three founders met in Jobs for the Future's (JFF) Entrepreneur in Residence incubator, led by JFFLabs, JFF's innovation lab, which brings together talented and driven entrepreneurs to collaborate and solve real-world problems. "Stemuli is a shining example of what can happen when we bring together and incubate talented and driven entrepreneurs to collaborate and catalyze new ways to support people facing systemic barriers to advancement," said Kristina Francis, executive director of JFFLabs, JFF's innovation lab. "We are thrilled to see the success of our program in action, and we look forward to seeing the impact this merger will have on the future of learning." According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, access to capital is a major barrier for black entrepreneurs. Despite making up over 13% of the US population, Black-owned businesses only receive less than 1% of venture capital. The merger of Infinity.careers and Oppti into Stemuli highlights the power of Black founders coming together in a way that hasn't been done before, and demonstrates their commitment to creating new opportunities in the edtech space. "This merger marks an important milestone for both black entrepreneurs and the edtech industry as a whole," said Taylor Shead, Founder and CEO of Stemuli. "We are excited to join forces and bring our collective expertise to create a company that truly empowers students and addresses the needs of the education system. We believe that education is the key to unlocking opportunities and driving social and economic mobility, and we are committed to making that a reality for students across the country." About Stemuli: Stemuli is a Black and woman-owned gaming company at the intersection of AI, education, and workforce development.Stemuli is a Black and woman-owned gaming company at the intersection of AI, education, and workforce development. Stemuli connects students to meaningful career development experiences and maintains a portfolio of students’ every achievement, certification, and development milestones to help them showcase the to the marketplace and land the job of their dreams.

Read More

TALENT DEVELOPMENT

XPRIZE and The Institute of Education Sciences Announce Winners of $1M Digital Learning Challenge

Businesswire | May 10, 2023

XPRIZE, the world’s leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges, hosts a virtual event today to celebrate the grand prize winner of the $1M Digital Learning Challenge, Adaptive Experimentation Accelerator from Raleigh, North Carolina, and showcase the technology developed by the challenge’s three finalist teams, including team Terracotta from Indiana University and team UpGrade by Carnegie Learning. Launched in 2021, the Digital Learning Challenge incentivized teams to modernize, accelerate, and improve the technology and processes for evaluating and measuring effective learning and education. Using tools like AI methods, big data, and machine learning, teams sought to better understand the effectiveness of specific teaching techniques and practices, with the goal of providing substantial benefit for educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the tens of millions of Americans enrolled in formal education every year. The challenge is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the independent and nonpartisan statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education. The three finalist teams participating in the Accelerate & Modernize: New Methods to Assess Student Learning Outcomes closing event include: • Grand Prize Winner: Adaptive Experimentation Accelerator – Raleigh, North Carolina (Partnership between Intelligent Adaptive Interventions lab at University of Toronto, Open Learning Initiative at Carnegie Mellon, & North Carolina State University) o The Adaptive Experimentation Accelerator network aims to involve everyone in using experiments to enhance and personalize education. Our 'MOOClet' toolkit democratizes the contribution of ideas from many teachers, students, and scientists, then experimentally tests which ideas work for which students. Artificial Intelligence algorithms analyze data to adapt experiments in days vs months. This aims to test more ideas more quickly, and to use promising data to more rapidly get better approaches to students. • Finalist: Terracotta – Bloomington, Indiana (Indiana University) o Terracotta is an open source plugin to the Canvas learning management system, enabling researchers and teachers to conduct rigorous and responsible experimental studies on learning activities within a course site. Using Terracotta, the team was able to conduct over two-dozen mini-experiments across a variety of courses, ranging from 6th grade to college seniors, where each experiment used local materials and authentic teacher-created assessments. • Finalist: UpGrade by Carnegie Learning – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania o UpGrade is a free, open-source platform that enables iterative experimental design and deployment of new learning experiences that compare the efficacy of different tools and resources—such as lesson content, interactive elements, videos, algorithms and more—during active student learning. Each experiment measures what works best for whom, advancing the way we understand student learning and engagement and enabling the rapid design, deployment and analysis of large scale studies, including but not limited to complex K-12 school environments. The final round or demonstration phase of the competition required teams to replicate their experiments at least five times with three or more distinct learner demographics. Based on their demonstration performance, Adaptive Experimentation Accelerator receives the grand prize designation and $500,000, while runners-up Terracotta and UpGrade will each receive $125,000 prizes. The three teams previously shared a $250,000 prize when they were announced as finalists in September 2022. During the closing event, each of the three teams will present their technology and how it works, followed by a discussion of lessons learned from the Digital Learning Challenge. With the Challenge now concluded, the teams will seek to work with partners across the education and technology sectors to scale the impact and implementation of their solutions.“Through their participation and success in the Digital Learning Challenge, each of these teams has helped make advancements in technology to improve the ways that educators teach and that students learn,” said IES director Dr. Mark Schneider. “These teams have laid the groundwork for a new phase of experiments of frequency, scope and scale not possible through traditional methods of education research, which will ultimately lead to better experiences and outcomes for all learners.” In the initial pilot phase of the competition, 10 teams had six months to demonstrate the capabilities of their rapid, reproducible experiments in an accredited education institutional setting and then 30 days to launch a replication study with at least one unique learner demographic. A judging panel of education and technology experts reviewed the pilot study technical submissions and selected three teams to move on to the final round and ultimately designated the winner.“We are deeply proud of the achievements of the Digital Learning Challenge finalist teams, whose creativity and commitment to improving education outcomes through technology and experimentation will resonate far beyond the conclusion of the competition,” said XPRIZE Digital Learning Challenge Technical Lead Dr. Monique Golden.“We look forward to working with these teams to forge new partnerships that will ensure they can continue developing and refining their technologies and scale the impact of their solutions.” The Digital Learning Challenge is part of XPRIZE’s Learning and Society domain which is committed to achieving a future where everyone, regardless of income, race, age, identity, gender, or geography, has access to learning experiences to reflect their unique capabilities, disposition, and aspirations. About XPRIZE XPRIZE is a global future-positive movement delivering truly radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. XPRIZE inspires and empowers a global community of problem-solvers to positively impact our world by crowdsourcing solutions through large-scale competitions, tackling the world’s grandest challenges in exploration, environment, and human equity.

Read More

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