E-learning Technology Expands U.S. Enrollment

New technology has allowed educational institutions to take the distance out of distance learning, which has made online degree programs more popular than ever. "Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the US, 2005", a report published last year by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, gives a very positive outlook on the future of online education. The report indicates that online enrollment in the US increased from 1.98m in 2003 to 2.35m a year later, a growth rate more than 10 times that predicted by the National Center for Education Statistics for the general post-secondary student population.

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Search for classes, search for colleges, education online, online education, get a career online, get a career at home

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New technology has allowed educational institutions to take the distance out of distance learning, which has made online degree programs more popular than ever. "Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the US, 2005", a report published last year by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, gives a very positive outlook on the future of online education. The report indicates that online enrollment in the US increased from 1.98m in 2003 to 2.35m a year later, a growth rate more than 10 times that predicted by the National Center for Education Statistics for the general post-secondary student population.

The earliest inception of e-learning closely resembled a classroom on a CD-ROM, and was structured in such a way as to present students with a rigid format that offered little in the way of a flexible learning environment. Most recently, however, e-learning has evolved from a formal presentation of information to a much more fluid and integrated type of learning. As technology has improved by leaps and bounds, demand for high quality online educational programs has steadily increased. The flexibility of current technology now available has allowed many institutions to offer a multitude of ways for students to interact with not only faculty, but with each other as well. The end result has been the creation of a more community inspired experience that leaves students feeling they are part of a greater whole instead of an island unto themselves.

Investing in an integrated learning curriculum is not cheap, though the institutions who have made the effort to stay abreast of the newest technology have certainly reaped rewards from their efforts. With the most current formats available being favored by many students, it is an investment that is likely to yield favorable results for years to come. With each new student that graduates from an online university, the public acceptance of this form of learning will continue to grow. Though it's likely that online degree programs will never surpass traditional university programs, there is a good chance that in the near future, most graduates who enter the workforce will have gained a level of experience with an online learning format within some point along their educational journey.

Consumers Get in Touch With New Technology

No matter who you are or where you are, you are likely feeling the growth of touchscreen technology.

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Consumers Get in Touch With New Technology

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No matter who you are or where you are, you are likely feeling the growth of touchscreen technology. Today, frequent fliers often enter flight information using self-serve kiosks and soar through airport check-in, skipping the otherwise long lines. Busy moms may use car touchscreen systems to find directions, control air temperature and more. And businesspeople who require communication access at all times invest in advanced communication devices to stay in touch.

Whether it's used by people stopping by the ATM to get some quick cash or casting a vote, touchscreen technology is taking off, converting everyday tasks into fast and convenient experiences.

The technology appeals to all ages and in a variety of industries. Retail outlet store merchandisers are using touchscreen as a new marketing strategy to engage consumers while delivering product information at the touch of a finger.

FAO Schwarz, for example, has installed 17-inch Planar touchscreens as part of a consumer design center for the Hot Wheels Custom Car Factory in its New York store. Using the Planar touchscreen kiosk, shoppers can customize their own Hot Wheels car with special colors, designs, wheels and rims.

Other toy manufacturers are taking advantage of touch technology to provide entertaining and educational toys for children who are too young to have developed the motor skills required for a regular computer.

The restaurant industry also is seeing the benefits of touch-integrated point-of-sale systems to improve order-processing time. Easy-to-use touchscreen devices enable servers to enter food orders faster and more accurately, enhancing the overall dining experience.

Tableside units in restaurants provide customers with a variety of entertainment and information options, such as playing video games or surfing the Web.

Other industries embracing touchscreen technology include automotive (car rental information portals, GPS systems), industrial (ATMs, gas station service pumps) and health care (outpatient information kiosks).

Receptive consumers and falling prices have enabled touch technology to spread its reach across a wide range of markets. As a result, it is making strong inroads as a primary way for consumers to get more "in touch" with products, services and information. - NU

Career Choice: Automotive Systems Technology

Is your high school student unsure of his or her career choices? If so, a career as an automobile mechanic might be right up their road. Please read why this field has evolved to the point where it is both secure and lucrative for the right person.

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cold air intake, AEM cold air intake, K&N cold air intake, careers, automotive services technology

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Bobby Ventura, a lanky 6’2” blonde-haired blue-eyed high school junior, is a self described home mechanic who enjoys tinkering with his screaming yellow ’97 Mustang at every opportunity he can get. Having an uncle who runs a garage helped him to land his first car several months before he obtained his driver’s license.

“I’m not much for studying, but auto shop has kept me focused. I plan on working for my uncle when I graduate from school and I’ll take night classes at Tech to get my AAS in Automotive Systems Technology. Cars have changed a lot over the years and my uncle wants someone who can not only turn a wrench, but be able to read a computer. Today’s cars have much more diagnostic stuff to figure out and that is what I am going to learn at Tech,” Bobby quipped.

Cars have changed and the market for new mechanics has changed as well. As older mechanics retire, they will need to be replaced by professionals who not only know cars from bumper to bumper but can also understand computer software. Installing a K&N cold air intake is still a necessary skill, but many repair shops now want students who can understand and fix global positioning systems, such as OnStar, which are found on many vehicles today.

Indeed, new cars such as the BMW 7 Series come equipped with fiber optic cables which connect the navigation system, cellular service, radio, and CD player. Hybrid cars, too, have introduced a whole new area of specialty and with the hopeful introduction of hydrogen powered vehicles in a decade or two another area of expertise will also open up.

Bobby’s guidance counselor, Ted Winslow, is pleased with his career choice. “Bobby identifies with fixing things and he is quite good at what he does. I can’t see him sitting behind some desk when I know that he is much more interested in working underneath the hood of a car, installing a cold air intake, replacing a radiator, or swapping out a heater core. Besides, if he does really well someone like BMW may hire and train him and their mechanics can make over 100K per year.”

If the student in your home is contemplating his or her career choices, exploring the automotive technology field is worth a look. A general shortage of highly skilled mechanics ensures that the brightest students will find work and be paid quite well. Bobby Ventura is starting his career off right by attending technical school where an AAS degree in Automotive Systems Technology is certain to point him in the right direction.

Hats Off To Technology: Five Reasons Why

The next time you send an e-mail to your family, plan a vacation online, or send a photo of your newborn to your parents, you may want to tip your hat to technology.

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Hats Off To Technology: Five Reasons Why

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The next time you send an e-mail to your family, plan a vacation online, or send a photo of your newborn to your parents, you may want to tip your hat to technology. Technology, and its use, is an integral part of our everyday lives. It is so pervasive, we would be hard-pressed to live in a world without it.

When Sandra Johnson was young, she thought an engineer was a person who drove a train. A few years later, she became the first black woman in the U.S. to earn a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. Now a Chief Technology Officer and Senior Technical Staff Member for IBM's Systems & Technology Group, Dr. Johnson believes it is imperative for black families to incorporate technology into their daily lives. "There are any number of reasons blacks can't live without technology," Dr. Johnson says. Here are her top five:

1) Technology Levels the Playing Field: From small and medium-size businesses to visual, literary and recording artists, to information dissemination-technology brings the world to our fingertips. This offers a special advantage to members of the black community who have traditionally encountered obstacles to success in these and other areas. Technology levels the playing field, so that black voices can be heard, black offerings can be marketed and creativity and innovation can flourish.

2) Economic Empowerment: Technology enables blacks to do some incredible things at the click of a mouse. They can shop for just about anything, pay bills, plan vacations, purchase entertainment, wine and dine at reduced cost and use online services to find the best banking services.

3) Strengthens Family Ties: For many who are no longer living in physical proximity to their closest relatives, technology enables them to communicate on a regular basis in a cost-effective manner. They can exchange photographs, share videos, send e-cards, text message and call from one place to another at a fraction of what the cost was just a few years ago.

4) Careers in Technology Are Awesome: A career in a technology-related field can be extremely rewarding. It can also improve your quality of life. Technology skills are unique and in short supply, the work is exciting and gratifying and the financial rewards are relatively high.

5) Great Futures for Your Children: Through technology, the world is literally at your children's doorstep. Technology enhances the education of black children. Just imagine what could happen if black children spent time designing or improving games for the Xbox 360 and PS2, or used their ingenuity to create videos, films, music and literary works. The possibilities and opportunities associated with technology are endless.

According to Dr. Johnson, there are a number of programs available, including Black Family Technology Awareness Week, that provide technology access and training. "If America is to maintain its competitive advantage," she says, "we must encourage our children to join the next generation of innovators, scientists and engineers, and our adults to build and improve their technology skills."

Educational Changes in the Field of Information Technology

As the information technology industry has grown, so have the related educational opportunities. Educational curriculum isn't always the best gauge of industry changes within a particular field, although the rules which make that fact a plainly evident reality for most industries rarely apply in the modern world of information technology. In fact, unlike disciplines such as medicine, the very nature of the current IT industry promotes the idea that advancements in technology are only truly valid and successful when they are recognized and widely accepted by all.

Keywords:

Search for classes, search for colleges, education online, online education, get a career online, get a career at home

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As the information technology industry has grown, so have the related educational opportunities. Educational curriculum isn't always the best gauge of industry changes within a particular field, although the rules which make that fact a plainly evident reality for most industries rarely apply in the modern world of information technology. In fact, unlike disciplines such as medicine, the very nature of the current IT industry promotes the idea that advancements in technology are only truly valid and successful when they are recognized and widely accepted by all. For this reason, IT curriculum is often on the heels of the latest developments, with competition among educational providers also helping to spur the cutting edge component of the coursework.

Lately, another trend is beginning to emerge, with more universities offering specializations in the field of IT. While IT and computer science related programs with specializations are becoming more commonplace than ever, the marriage of IT and education was not always such a happy, fruitful union. Not long ago, computer science curriculum could be summed up in two phrases: network administration and programming. Large scale hardware and software IT implementations were performed by technicians certified by Cisco or Microsoft. These were the certifications one sought after they graduated from college but before attempting to find employment. Now, with the implementation and operation of server based intranet systems having long ago been de-mystified, most IT professionals are going from cap and gown to business casual with few if any stops along the way. The reason this is possible has a lot to do with changes in the educational system's view of information technology.

Most institutions are moving toward a diverse curriculum that incorporates IT fundamentals with an emphasis on a particular area of specialization. Educational institutions are reacting to the needs of employers in the job market. From the implementation of infrastructures to systems security, an area of study that once might have had a course or two devoted to it now comprises an entire degree program.

The result of these changes in the educational landscape regarding IT is indeed a direct reflection of changes in the workplace. As alterations to the structure of IT management have occurred, so have evolutions in the way IT personnel are educated and trained.