EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Paper | March 15, 2023
On March 14, 2023, Paper, the education support system (ESS), announced the acquisition of Readlee to address the literacy crisis. It would use Readlee's innovative learning tool, artificial intelligence and speech recognition technology to improve learners' reading skills.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress report, about one-third of 4th and 8th graders cannot read the basic achievement level, which is the test's lowest level. The National Center for Education Statistics data shows that about 34% of American high school students graduate with reading proficiency. Unfortunately, this proficiency decreases further to 18% for recent graduates. This data shows that the literary crisis has become a systemic issue, and there is a flaw in the current educational approach.
Master teachers collaborated with Harvard researchers to design Readlee for better learning outcomes, and it would become 'Paper Reading' after complete integration into Paper's ESS. This tool will listen to students' reading, give real-time feedback with individualized support, and measure their success. With AI and speech recognition, it approaches reading through learning science, showing that reading aloud improves vocabulary, memory, and confidence. It aims to support students throughout their academic journey and after graduation.
Co-Founder and CEO of Paper, Philip Cutler said, "This acquisition reflects our commitment to providing the academic support that empowers students throughout every stage of their learning journey. Improving literacy proficiency is an essential component of our mission, and we believe research-backed technology and repeated practice are the keys to addressing the mounting literacy crisis." He added, "We are excited to join our forces and aligned missions to have an even bigger impact on students. Our teams are already working together to change the future of education. Our mission is to help create a world where everyone has the ability to read, learn, and become a success."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About Paper
Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Paper, an e-learning solutions provider, offers services for personalized learning, tutoring, essay review, academic and student support, homework help, teacher support, remote education, teacher assistants, and virtual tutoring. It develops confidence in every student with its educational support system. It serves over 3 million students from different school districts across the United States and Canada. It provides individualized support to every learner to solve their problems and discover different ways of learning. It helps teachers and administrators review student activity and track their progress with its data-driven insights and metrics. It instantly connects students with tutors for support in their tests and assignments.
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ONLINE EDUCATION
International Schools Services | February 20, 2023
ISS, International Schools Services, has recently announced that it will be hosting an additional 90-minutes virtual workshop for K12 educators on ChatGPT. This workshop will help educators understand the implications of generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT in academics.
ChatGPT is an AI tool having the capability to generate content which is quite like that of human creation. It gives direct implications for educational instructions, assessments, and assignments. Through the workshop, ISS would encourage educators to learn how this technology can transform learners' personalized learning experiences and explore its ethical use in the educational field.
ISS offered virtual professional development during the pandemic, supporting classroom educators with online learning. In addition, its single sessions and ISS EDUlearTM passport subscription connected educators, school leaders, and professional staff.
President of ISS, Liz Duffy, said, "The response to our events has been overwhelming. ISS is committed to helping K12 educators worldwide deliver the best education possible, especially when circumstances shift. ChatGPT and other AI tools aren't a fad. They have the potential to dramatically change what happens in the classroom—and that change is already beginning. Our session will help educators identify, use, and prepare for this disruption."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
"With Microsoft, Baidu, and Google now entering the Generative AI race, we're about to witness the rapid evolution of these technologies in real-time. We need to remain on the cutting edge of these innovative learning tools and their myriad of applications in education", said John Burns, Chief Innovation Officer of ISS.
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About ISS
Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, ISS, a non-profitable educational organization, has worked with international schools and educators since 1955. It offers more student-centric services, operating future-oriented schools, providing professional learning opportunities, sourcing school supplies and administrating school foundations, and promoting innovation. It has supported job-seeking educators and administrators, launched and managed international schools, provided school supplies, developed virtual and in-person learning programs for leaders and educators, and offered accounting and nonprofit board management. It currently operates around 20 international schools worldwide.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
BibliU | February 10, 2023
On February 9, 2023, BibliU, an EdTech innovator democratizing content accessibility, received a contract from Lee College in Baytown, Texas, to provide the company's Universal Learning solution to the college. Lee College is BibliU's largest Universal Learning client, with approximately 8,000 students enrolled.
Utilizing Lee College's Learning Management System (LMS), BibliU's Universal Learning solution provides students with access to content on the first day of class and covers approximately 90% of the booklist. In addition, the solution eliminates many inconveniences associated with acquiring textbooks, including long lines at the bookstore and inaccessibility to course materials once classes begin.
BibliU had to demonstrate that it could provide Lee College learners with electronic textbooks and courseware on the first day of classes while saving students money to earn the contract. In the fall and spring, Lee College offers approximately 800 courses, while around 300 are available in the summer. Nearly 70% of classes require a textbook, and an estimated 18% of those classes also need courseware.
Dave Sherwood, Co-Founder and CEO of BibliU, shared, "Prompted by high costs and the possibility of burdensome debt, many young people are questioning the value of attending college." He added, "I believe that college provides opportunities that should be available to everyone. A digital-first, ed tech solution is a path forward for colleges, offering affordable and available content on the first day of class."
(Source – Business Wire)
About BibliU
New York-based BibliU is a learning enablement platform that is democratizing content accessibility. It facilitates higher education institutions to optimize their textbook and courseware workflows to enhance affordability, student outcomes, and social mobility. The future of higher education will involve securing affordable access to course materials for every student. To accomplish this, the company has partnered with tens of thousands of publishers and developed a Learning Enablement platform dedicated to making education more efficient, equitable, and effective.
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