March, 2010
17
Mar 10
Learning on Demand – Online Education on the Rise
Ten years ago online learning was almost unheard of, today it is all anybody is talking about. In the past, courses online had a questionable reputation and were not considered valid by many. Now, all types of educational institutions are providing new programs online and a larger number of students are participating. With events like the economic downturn and the H1N1 virus, there are advantages for both students and schools. Students can take courses at their own leisure in the safety of their homes and schools can save money on facilities and faculty.
A new study called Learning on Demand – Online Education in the United States has shown some interesting statistics regarding how online schooling works, who is participating and what are the opinions of current educators.
Here is some of the most interesting data from the report:
- Over 4.6 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2008 term; a 17 percent increase over the number reported the previous year.
- More than one in four higher education students now take at least one course online.
- Public institutions (74 percent) are more likely to believe that online is critical for their long-term strategy than either private for-profit (51 percent) or private nonprofit (50 percent) institutions.
What exactly is online learning? To help us understand, the report provides a table to help define the different types and their popularity:
Is online learning the future of education or is it just a fad? What can this mean for teachers, students? Should we embace this uber popular mode of study or should we be hesitant to let the face of education be a screen and mouse?
What do you think???
15
Mar 10
Course of the Week – Earthquake Engineering
It seems that 2010 is the year of the earthquake. Everytime we turn on the news there is a new-er, bigger, more destructive earthquake and it has got us all wondering what is going on and what we can do, from a technological stand point, to minimize earthquake damages. This week we decided on Earthquake Engineering at the Universidad Católica de Chile as our course of the week for those of you who are interested in studying earthquakes and the behavior of stuctures and building due to earthquake-generated agitation.
An earthquake engineer studies the relationship between seismic preformance and structures, evaluates the potential for strong earthquakes in urban areas and designs, constructs and maintains structures to withstand earthquakes of various degrees.
Earthquake-Engineering-Simulation-Wood-Project
This is a video of an earthquake simulation test.
One of our team members here at Educaedu witnessed the earthquakes in Chile, read about her first-hand experience here.
12
Mar 10
Universities Equipped for Visually-Impaired Students
Bianca looking at a menu. She has to keep it close to her eyes to read. (Photo - Michael Godehardt)
School can be difficult for many. Homework, tests and pressure to succeed sometimes lead to low motivation and even dropping out. Some students, like Bianca from Germany, have even more challenges than the average student. Bianca is legally blind with only 2% funcional vision.
Her disability isn’t noticable at first. She has no cane and her movements appear confident. It is only after a conversation does one realize that her eyes do not follow her speech. At the age of 26, she has been losing her sight since she was 10 years old. At first her vision was just blurry, but now she can just barely see when the sun shines.
Bianca wants help other people with similar disabilities so she decided to become a teacher, now having completed three semesters at the University of Dortmund for a degree in Special and Social Education.
Certainly not all universities are capable to handle visually impaired students. The University of Dortmund, however, offers a broad spectrum of assistance for Bianca: special exam papers and texts allowing people with severe visual impairment to participate – through translation into Braille, large print or by conversion into audio files. Installed in a special work space are magnifying glasses, special lamps, and computer keyboards with Braille display.
Other schools around the world have similar facilities. Whitman College in the United States, for instance, has a special study room in their library for students with learning and physical disabilities. Other students can also be hired to help by taking notes for students who have trouble making it to class.
Now that technology is getting more sophisticated, students like Bianca are able to take advantage of an education that was previously not available to them.
Reference |
11
Mar 10
New Jobs at the European Union
Working for the European Union is a dream job for many young graduates. It is well-paid (unmarried officers get just under 4000 euros per month to start), sophisticated, and it is a job for life – a career. This March, around 320 positions will become available. Incredibly, the EU expects the personnel office to receive 50,000 to 100,000 applicants, all of whom must have at least a bachelor’s degree. But how does one nag one of the most sought after jobs in Europe? Let’s just say, you have to be pretty awesome.
First of all, one has to have a great background. University degrees with good grades and related experience in the form of an internship are preferable. Languages are also a great asset. Do you speak English, French and German fluently? Even better. Statistically, one in five successful candidates come from Germany. This could be related to their education backgrounds and their general domination of foreign languages.
One of the most challenging aspects is the amount of the tests one has to take. Candidates are first given a multiple-choice test in logic and reading comprehension in English, French or German. Those who pass are then invited to the final round where they will participate in case studies, group exercises and a formal interview (If you need help, check out some resume tips and interview advice we wrote about a couple of days ago).
The lucky few selected will be able to work in various countries in Europe and have something to tell mom and dad about. Want to be one of them? Bulk up on your European awareness by taking some courses in European Studies, Business in Europe, or European Governance and Public Policy. With these extra courses you might be able to stand out when they evaluate the other 99,999 applicants.
10
Mar 10
Gaokao – The Most Intense Test in the World?
Students in Henan, China preparing for the Gaokao. (Photo - chinaSMACK)
Every year in June, Chinese students in their final year of high school must prepare for and take university entrance examinations. The test is called the Gaokao, or high test. If students do well, they can get into a better school, which improves future career prospects. The Chinese test is in some ways like the SAT in the United States, except that it lasts more than twice as long. The nine-hour test is also the only way admission is determined to virtually all Chinese colleges and universities. Only three in five students even pass.
Students spend hundreds of hours studying for this test, one that will decide the fate of more than 10 million Chinese students each year. Parents take it just as seriously. They anxiously wait for hours outside testing centers with promises of gifts, like new cars, if their children are successful. With incentives like these, students will stop at nothing to do well. Cheating for the test is extremely sophisticated. Read more about that topic here.
There are many critics of the exam saying that it promotes memorization over understanding and analysing subjects. It has become a popular topic now that China has more than 1,900 institutions of higher learning, almost double the number in 2000, with close to 19 million students currently enrolled.
One thing is for sure – China is an education powerhouse.
Below is a video of students celebrating after finishing the Gaokao (You can see how intense it must be).
9
Mar 10
How Did You Celebrate International Women’s Day?
The 1932 Soviet poster dedicated to the 8th of March holiday. The text reads: "8th of March is the day of rebellion of the working women against kitchen slavery" and "Down with the oppression and narrow-mindedness of household work!".
International Women’s Day was first celebrated during labor movements in the early 1900s, ironically before most women could vote. Slowly, suffrage gained steps forward. In the United States, women received the right to vote in the early 1920s, around the same time as Albania and Burma. In 1929, Canada determined that women were “persons” for electoral purposes. In 1971, surprisingly recently, women got the right to vote in all elections in Switzerland, where previously the right to vote was determined by provincial law. Kuwait was even later in 2005.
Yesterday, International Women´s Day was celebrated in different ways all over the world. The Womens League of Burma continued to fight violence against women and crimes against humanity. The Global Partnership to End Violence against Women gave Melinda Gates a Woman of Courage Award. Women everywhere from Iran to Australia showed their support with ralleys and demonstrations. Although the exact origins of the days seem to be claimed by various countries, we all can now celebrate this day together.
Interested in learning more about the history of this day? Check out some of these related programs:
Modern British Women’s History Program – London Metropolitan University – UK
Master of Arts in Women’s Studies – Flinders University - Australia
Women’s Studies and Gender Relations Diploma – College of New Caledonia – Canada
P.S. In case you did not know, there is also an International Men’s Day (IMD) on November 19th.
8
Mar 10
Course of the Week – Shoe Design Course
One can tell a lot about a person by looking at their shoes. Confidence, personal style, occupation, and economic status can be interpreted by the color, cost and type of shoes. They are a way to express yourself to the world around you. But what if you could express exactly what you wanted to through your shoes? Create your own pair that represent you? Espacio Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires, Argentina is a first class fashion and design school that offeres a Shoe Design Course. It teaches you to design and create your own shoes, from classic pumps to sandles with and without heels, and from little strappy numbers to ballet flats. The objective of the course is to introduce students to the process of making shoes, combining originality with practicality – learning step by step. One of our team members is currently taking this course, and even considers it her dream job.
Not planning on being in Buenos Aires any time soon? The school also offers all of its courses online!
5
Mar 10
Fulbright – The Best Way to Study Abroad
Students from the U.S.:
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for U.S. graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study abroad for one academic year. During the 2008-2009 academic year, more than 1,500 U.S. students were studying abroad with either full or partial support from the Fulbright Program.
Full Grant Award Benefits
Full Grant benefits for Study/Research and English Teaching Assistantships include:
- Round-trip transportation to the host country
- Maintenance for the academic year, based on living costs in the host country
- Limited health benefits
In addition, Full Grants may include:
- Book and research allowances
- Mid-term enrichment activities
- Full or partial tuition
- Language study programs
- Pre-departure and in-country orientation
For foreign students:
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program enables graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to research and study in the United States for one year or longer. About 1,700 new awards are awarded to foreign graduate students for support at U.S. universities, and some 1,350 renewal awards are also made each year.
Full Grant Award Benefits
- Round-trip transportation to the United States
- Monthly stipend
- Limited Health Benefits
- Univeristy tuition and costs (total or parcial, depending on the university)
4
Mar 10
The Graduate School Interview
A member of our Educaedu team recently had a round of interviews for graduate school in the U.S. and we decided to share the experience with our readers as well as give some advice for graduate school admissions.
So here it is: an interview about an interview.
Q: How do you get an interview at a graduate school in the U.S.?
A: The grad school application varies by program but the series of events is virtually the same. First you must put together all your application documents, like an official transcript, letters of recommendation, and essays. Then send in your completed application as early as possible as many programs have “rolling admissions”, which means that they fill seats in the class as they find acceptable students. Then you wait. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear anything right away as the application review process can take time.
After your application is reviewed you will either get a rejection letter or a request for an interview. If you get rejected you should contact the program for advice on improving your application so that you can apply the following year. If you got an interview, congratulations!
Q: There are a lot of websites with tips about grad school interviews. What are your personal suggestions?
A: Dress to impress. That means a collared shirt and a suit. A tie if you are a guy. Close-toed shoes and a kept appearance. Easy on the make-up and perfumes.
Be yourself. But be your best self. Introduce yourself with a firm handshake and eye contact. Always appear engaged and thank your interviewer when you are finished.
Rehearse but don’t sound scripted. You should prepare with a friend answering some practice questions but be sure to not sound like a robot. Part of the reason they request the interview is to see if you are personable, likeable, HUMAN.
Bring some breath mints and chap stick. Often the programs have breakfast items and coffee and they force you to eat and mingle with other students and faculty. Coffee breath and a dry mouth is not the best impression to leave.
Q: What did they ask you in the interview and how long was it?
A: One of my interviews lasted a little over an hour and the other was only 30 mins. Here are some example questions I was asked:
- How did you decide to apply to the ________ program.
- What other schools did you apply to and why?
- What was the hardest subject/course in undergrad and why?
- How do you cope with stress?
- What does honor mean to you?
- What are you most proud of and why?
- What is your ideal job?
- Describe a moment in your life when you were faced with a hardship and explain how you overcame it.
- What are you looking for in a graduate program/school?
Q: Did you mess any of them up?
A: Totally. I was feeling rather buoyant towards the end of the first interview as I thought it was going rather well. I was then asked about my ideal job and I blurted out “I would love to design shoes”, which has nothing to do with the program to which I was applying. Fortunately, they thought it was funny and assumed I was kidding. I wasn´t. I would love to design shoes.
Q: That’s awesome. Do you have any other advice for our reader who may also be getting ready to interview or possibly apply?
A: Yeah, make sure to ask questions. You should always do some research about the school, program, and faculty, and prepare some intelligent questions for the interviewer. Schools like to see that you have done your homework.
You can check out some graduate programs in the United States here. Good luck!
3
Mar 10
5 Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
The Do’s
1. Be error free
Misspelled words and grammatical mistakes are the kiss of death in a resume. Two words – Spell Check.
2. Be pretty
Make sure the format of your resume is pleasing to the eye. It needs to be evenly laid-out and have white space in the right places.
3. Tell the truth
Avoid making things up or embellishing any facts. The truth will come back to haunt you sooner or later.
4. Be concise
A resume shouldn’t be a novel. Depending the country and postion, resumes should be no longer than one or maybe two pages. Showing that you can organize and select key information will be a positive reflection on your skills.
5. Have references
You don’t need to include these on your resume unless it is specifically asked for by the employer. It is necessary, however, to have them ready and printed out. You never know when they will be asked from you.
The Don’ts
1. Don’t tell your life story
Don’t confuse your resume with your autobiography. While there are many pieces of information that your resume must have, its primary purpose is to focus on the aspects of your life and career that address the employer’s needs. Your babysitting job from when you were 16 is most likely not necessary.
2. Don’t provide personal data
Marital status, date of birth, height/weight, and similar non-work-related information can be used to illegally discriminate against applicants, and they rarely add anything of value to your qualifications (This depends on the country and culture).
3. Don’t be a broken record
Don’t repeat the same action words throughout the resume. Instead of using the verb developed or organized over and over, pull out your thesaurus and mix in terms like accelerated, delivered, directed, established, initiated, or reengineered.
4. Don’t be cliché
Don’t say you are a people-person or use adjectives like dynamic or self-starting. Let the details of your resume convince the employer that you have these qualities.
5. DON’T WRITE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
IT DOESN’T MAKE ANYTHING MORE IMPORTANT AND IT IS KIND OF ANNOYING.
Well, there you have it. Some helpful tips for you resume. Something else that adds legitimacy to your experience? Having an impressive educational background and continuously taking courses to keep competitive in your field.
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