IBL News

Category: Platforms

  • Potential Applications of AI in Education

    Potential Applications of AI in Education

    IBL News & IBL Education | New York

    There are many potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, including the following:

    Personalized learning: AI can be used to create personalized learning experiences for students, providing them with tailored content and feedback based on their individual needs and abilities. This can help students learn at their own pace and provide them with support and guidance when needed.

    Adaptive testing: AI can be used to create adaptive tests that adjust to the individual student’s level of knowledge and ability. This can help ensure that students are challenged and engaged, and can help teachers identify areas where students may need additional support.

    Automated grading: AI can be used to automatically grade student work, freeing up teachers’ time and allowing them to focus on providing personalized feedback and support to students. This can help reduce the workload of teachers and allow them to focus on more important tasks.

    Language learning: AI can be used to provide personalized language learning experiences, including speech recognition and natural language processing technology to help students learn and practice new languages.

    Virtual tutors: AI can be used to create virtual tutors that can provide personalized support and guidance to students. These virtual tutors can help students learn new concepts, practice skills, and get feedback on their work.

    Overall, the best applications of AI in education are those that help improve the learning experience for students and provide personalized support and guidance. By leveraging the power of AI, educators can create more engaging and effective learning environments that can help students succeed.

    A SERIES OF ARTICLES ABOUT ‘AI, CLOUD, AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION’ WRITTEN BY THE IBL AI ENGINE IN DECEMBER 2022*

     

     

    *The IBL AI/ML Engine extends and hosts leading language models (LLMs) via a combination of fine-tuning, customized datasets and REST APIs to provide an all-in-one AI platform for education featuring content recommendations, assessment creation and grading, chatbots and mentors, and predictive analytics.

     

     

     

  • Cognizant Offers Five Train-To-Hire Courses on Java through edX.org

    Cognizant Offers Five Train-To-Hire Courses on Java through edX.org

    IBL News | New York

    Tech company Cognizant partnered with edX / 2U (Nasdaq: TWOU) to offer a new suite of Java courses, expanding its existing train-to-hire Skill Accelerator program.

    The initiative, announced this month, is intended to give qualified learners the opportunity to either pursue a full-time job at Cognizant or other companies requiring software programmers.

    There will be five self-placed, free Java courses to complete under 90 days. After that period, a professional “Introduction to Java Programming” certificate will be granted.

    Courses are focused on core Java programming, JavaScript, cloud computing, HTML5, and CSS3.

    To date, Cognizant has hired over 100 graduates from 2U boot camp training.

    The Cognizant Skills Accelerator program is aimed at U.S. veterans, women returning to the workforce, non-profit beneficiaries, and community college students.

    “The Cognizant Skills Accelerator program is a powerful example of a hiring initiative that recognizes the quality and value of alternative credentials,” said Lee Rubenstein, Vice President of Partnerships at edX.

    “With edX, we are able to cast a wider net, granting aspiring technology workers the opportunity to skill up and start new careers at Cognizant,” said Eric Westphal, Associate Vice President of Workforce Strategy and Operations at Cognizant.
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  • An edX Course on Volcanoes Wins the Prize for Innovative Pedagogy

    An edX Course on Volcanoes Wins the Prize for Innovative Pedagogy

    IBL News | New York

    Professors Ben Kennedy and Dr. Jonathan Davidson, from New Zealand’s University of Canterbury, won the edX’s sixth annual Prize for Exceptional Contributions in Online Teaching and Learning for the course “Exploring Volcanoes and Their Hazards: Iceland and New Zealand”. EdX, the online learning platform from 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), made the announcement this month.

    This science course includes virtual field trips, engaging assessments, and immersive learning environments. It is the result of 10 years of research and field trips.

    The two instructors designed the course “to deliver an immersive and fun virtual science experience focused on volcanic landscapes,” explained edX. “By integrating a special emphasis on Māori knowledge, the course also enables learners to empathize with and understand different perspectives.”

    “Learning online helps students from all backgrounds to experience the magic of volcanoes in a safe way and from exciting new angles,” said Dr. Jonathan Davidson. Professor Ben Kennedy also shared, “It has been brilliant for us to interweave indigenous knowledge with interactive volcanic landscapes to create an online learning experience that benefits everyone. It was fun to see how students from all around the world have embraced this approach to develop new skills in science communication.”

    The edX prize intended to award innovations in pedagogy included twelve more finalists:

     

     

  • Udacity Issues a Two-Month Free Course on AWS Machine Learning Foundation

    Udacity Issues a Two-Month Free Course on AWS Machine Learning Foundation

    IBL News | New York

    Udacity announced last week the launch of a new version of its AWS Machine Learning Foundations course with AWS (Amazon Web Services). It’s two months, free course for beginners with little to no experience in the area. The class is taught by two AWS engineers.

    In addition, 425 students who successfully complete the course will be selected to receive a full scholarship for the entire AWS Machine Learning Engineer Nanodegree program.

    “The goal for this program is to remove barriers to skills training in machine learning, and to cultivate the next generation of Machine Learning (ML) leaders from underrepresented backgrounds, including Women, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and People of Color,” said LaDavia Drane, Global Head of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity at AWS.

    According to the World Economic Forum, by 2025, 97 million new roles in Machine learning may emerge.

    Launched in 2019, The AWS Machine Learning Foundations course has been updated with several new modules, including an introduction to Reinforcement Learning (RL) with AWS DeepRacer, generative AI with AWS DeepComposer, and computer vision with AWS DeepLens. Students will also have the opportunity to further advance skills with the AWS DeepRacer League.

    In addition, the AWS Machine Learning Engineer Nanodegree, one of Udacity’s most popular courses, includes updated content covering advanced machine learning techniques and algorithms, and expert-led tutorials on how to quickly build, train, and deploy ML models in the cloud and at the edge with Amazon SageMaker, a fully managed ML service for data scientists and developers.

     

  • LEGO Announces a Playful, Hands-On Learning Program for Educators

    LEGO Announces a Playful, Hands-On Learning Program for Educators

    IBL News | New York

    LEGO announced this week its Education Professional Development program that enables teachers to choose STEM, hands-on, playful courses for their classrooms.

    Built on competency-based learning, this free program is modular and contains four categories: Pedagogy, STEAM Concepts, 21st Century Skills, and Classroom Management.

    It includes two kinds of self-guided modules: Learning Bursts for quick and focused skills practice and Learning Quests for deeper competency development. Teaching can be developed in-person, remote, and virtual classrooms.

    LEGO Education has been working with seasoned classroom practitioners at Tufts University Center for Engineering Education Outreach (CEEO) to ensure the program was designed for the needs of educators.

    “When teachers are truly confident in playful hands-on learning, they deliver more motivating, engaging, and joyful learning experiences,” said Esben Stærk, president of LEGO Education.

     

  • Open edX & Learning Platforms | March 2021: Skillshare, Coursera, Google, Codeacademy, Newsela…

    Open edX & Learning Platforms | March 2021: Skillshare, Coursera, Google, Codeacademy, Newsela…

    [ Newsletter format  |  Click here to subscribe ]

    MARCH 2021 – NEWSLETTER #35  |  Breaking news at IBL News  |  Noticias en Español

     

    edX

    • edX, Skillshare, and Outschool Featured in the Top 10 of Innovative Ed Companies

    • edX’s Courses Will Be Included in Microsoft Viva’s ‘Employee Experience Platform’


    Coursera

    • Coursera Files for IPO. It will be listed on the NYSE as “COUR”

    • Coursera Partners with Howard University, Facebook, and Others to Empower Black Learners


    Google

    • Google Issues New Certificate Courses Oriented to Entry-Level Jobs on IT

    • Google Classroom Adds 40 Million Users and Includes New Mobile Features

    • Google For Education Announces 50 New Features on Its Products

    • Tech Conference Cancels Google as Sponsor after Two Female Scientists Were Fired


    Open Platforms

    • Open LMS Will Release Its Moodle Modules and Enhancements as GPLv3

    • Saylor Academy Releases a Free Certificate Course to Educate on Bitcoin


    Learning Platforms

    • Udemy Launches LenovoEDU Community for Learners in Australia, U.K, and the U.S.

    • Learning App Babbel Adds Live Classes by Certified Teachers


    Funding

    • Codeacademy, Another EdTech Startup is Able to Raise Capital Amidst the Pandemic

    • Newsela Raises $100 Million to Accelerate K-12 Schools’ Transition into Digital Textbooks

    • VR Labs Company Raises Another $60 Million to Remotely Educate Science Students

     

    2021 Events | All of the Key Conferences Listed!

    • Education Calendar  –  MARCH — APRIL — MAY — JUNE — JULY-DECEMBER  |  Conferences in Latin America & Spain

     

    This newsletter is created in collaboration with IBL Education, a New York City-based company specialized in AI and credential-driven learning platforms and communities. Read the latest IBL Newsletter   |  Archive of Open edX Newsletters

  • Google Issues New Certificate Courses Oriented to Entry-Level Jobs on IT

    Google Issues New Certificate Courses Oriented to Entry-Level Jobs on IT

    IBL News | New York

    Sundar Pichai, CEO at Google and Alphabet, announced in a blog post three new online, self-paced, certificate courses in Data Analytics, Project Management, and User Experience (UX) Design.

    These courses—currently developed on Coursera.org at $39 per month—prepare learners for an entry-level, well-paid job in under six months. The certificates don’t have any prerequisites.

    • Data Analytics Professional Certificate – This seven-course certificate explores analytical skills, concepts, and tools used in many introductory data analytics roles – including SQL, Tableau, RStudio, and Kaggle.
    • Project Management Professional Certificate – This six-course certificate prepares learners to launch a project management career. It covers industry-standard tools and methods, including the agile project management system, and key soft skills, such as stakeholder management, problem-solving, and influencing.
    • User Experience (UX) Design Professional Certificate – This seven-course certificate explores UX principles, UX terms, and industry-standard tools, including Figma and Adobe XD. By the time they complete the program, learners will have three portfolio projects to use in their job applications.

    Each certificate includes resources to help learners enhance their resumes and prepare for interviews.

    Upon completion, learners can share their information with 100+ partners committed to sourcing talent from Google certificate programs, including Deloitte, Anthem, Verizon, SAP, Accenture, Walmart, Infosys, and Google. The employers are “eager to hire people who have earned these certificates,” according to Pichai.

    Google is also launching apprenticeships in the certificate fields of data analytics, project management, and UX design, with applications opening in April.

    To make its Career Certificates more accessible, Google is offering 200,000 scholarships to learners across the U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Africa. They will be distributed through organizations such as Merit America, Per Scholas, NPower, Goodwill, Futuro Health, and Generation USA.

    Additionally, Sundar Pichai announced a new Associate Android Developer Certification.

    The search giant said that since launching Grow with Google program in 2017, it has already helped 6 million Americans get training in digital skills and nearly 170,000 Americans get a new job and increase their income.

    With more businesses embracing digital ways of working, it’s estimated that 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025.

     

     

  • Live-Voice Chat Clubhouse, a New Social Way to Connect and Learn

    Live-Voice Chat Clubhouse, a New Social Way to Connect and Learn

    IBL News | New York

    The audio-chat app Clubhouse has reached a valuation of roughly $1 billion and a ton of buzz, despite the fact that it remains “invite-only”.

    It started last summer with Silicon Valley venture capitalists and tech workers who wanted to connect with one another during the pandemic. Specifically, the app was launched by two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Paul Davidson and Rohan Seth, who later got funding from Andreessen Horowitz.

    Now it has two million users. Recently, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg appeared on Clubhouse and the platform nearly crashed.

    This social networking app lets people gather in audio chat rooms to discuss various topics, listen to conversations and interviews. Topics of interest can be tech, business, books, or health. Rooms—”clubs”—are divided into two groups: those who are talking and those who are listening.

    Participants can see a list of everyone who is in a conversation. A moderator oversees discussions and has the ability to let someone chime in. Two or more users can join together and start their own chat rooms.

    Clubhouse is like tuning into a live podcast or a conference call, with some people talking and most listening. When the conversation is over the room is closed, the audio-chat disappears. However, users would be able to record the conversation. That’s what a YouTube user did with a live-streaming conversation launched by Elon Musk.

    The creators’ goal for 2021 is to open up Clubhouse to everyone and help creators get paid, including subscriptions, tipping, and ticket sales.

  • The Culinary Institute of America Launches an Online Master’s Degree in Wine and Beverage Management

    The Culinary Institute of America Launches an Online Master’s Degree in Wine and Beverage Management

    IBL News | New York

    The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) announced this month an Online Master’s Degree in Wine and Beverage Management.

    Enrolling for Fall 2021, this program follows the in-person wine and beverage management master’s and the Online Master’s in Food Business—both of which graduated their inaugural classes in September 2020.

    The Online Master’s Degree in Wine and Beverage Management will be a 30-credit curriculum program and will immerse students in every facet of the business, from bottle to glass, exploring global wine business management; spirits, fermented, and non-alcoholic beverages; entrepreneurial innovation, marketing, distribution; and much more.

    The program will include three short residencies: two in Napa, CA―the heart of wine country―and one at the CIA’s Hyde Park campus, in New York’s Hudson Valley.

    “Today’s beverage professionals need a foundation that goes beyond product knowledge,” said Cathy Jörin, Senior Director of the CIA School of Graduate and Professional Studies. “Solid business acumen, an understanding of sustainability and world cultures, and the ability to innovate are vital. By bringing this program online, we’re making it accessible to even more people, giving them an opportunity to develop these skills without putting their current careers on hold.”

    To enroll, students must have a bachelor’s degree.

    https://youtu.be/slg4-s_WRKg

  • edX’s Courses Will Be Included in Microsoft Viva’s ‘Employee Experience Platform’

    edX’s Courses Will Be Included in Microsoft Viva’s ‘Employee Experience Platform’

    IBL News | New York

    edX will be part of the Microsoft Viva initiative, making its low-cost, self-paced courses and programs available to employees that use Microsoft Teams and other tools. This way, corporations will be able to contract for bulk licenses for seats in edX through Teams.

    Coursera, Pluralsight, Skillsoft, LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn, and other content providers will be part of Microsoft Viva’s educational library, as well. Microsoft Viva includes LMSs as Cornerstone On Demand, SAP SuccessFactors, and Saba.

    “Our collaboration with Microsoft Viva Learning puts the life-changing tool of education into the hands of millions of more potential learners,” said Adam Medros, co-CEO and President at edX.

    “With the launch of Microsoft Viva, we are bringing learning directly to workers, putting people and teams at the center,” explained said Chuck Friedman, CVP, Employee Experience at Microsoft Corp. “Integration with key partners will add robust content libraries and bring learning into employees’ flow of work.”

    Announced on February 4th, Microsoft Viva is a new employee knowledge and learning platform—or Employee Experience Platform—that integrates with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams productivity and collaboration tools. It is a service designed for the pandemic and post-pandemic times that redefines how employees remotely work.

    Satya Nadella, CEO at Microsoft, justified the initiative by stating: “Every organization will require a unified employee experience from onboarding and collaboration to continuous learning and growth. Viva brings together everything an employee needs to be successful, from day one, in a single, integrated experience directly in Teams.”

    Analysts size the nascent Employee Experience Platforms (EXP) category at $300 billion in annual spending, according to Microsoft. It spans what is today a fragmented market of services, infrastructure, and hundreds of tools, many that go undiscovered and underutilized by employees at the companies that have invested in them. The pandemic is accelerating this market.

    On Microsoft Viva, the Seattle-based corporation incorporates features built on SharePoint, Yammer, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and other tools.  

    Microsoft Viva—priced at a $60 user/year–uses AI “to empower people with knowledge and expertise in the apps they use every day; help people learn, develop new skills, and innovate faster while they work; and automatically connect, organize, and protect content across teams and systems.” On the learning side, AI is used for personalized recommendations.