Supplementary Course Readings

These reading selections are not required, but provide additional background and more in-depth insight into many topics about which we study in this course.

_Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies A report from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. The main finding? Analysts noted that blended conditions (online plus face-to-face instruction often led to the best outcomes due to increased opportunities for learning outside of class time.
_Study links restricting screen time for kids to higher mental performance Parents who possess the resolve to separate their children from their smartphones may be helping their kids' brainpower, a new study suggests.

_Google and the New York Times Team Up: NYTVR: The New York Times in Virtual Reality!
_Students Think They Can Multitask. Here's Proof They Can't This brief review cites several recent articles and studies discussing the latest research on the topic of multitasking and its impact on student learning.
_You're distracted. This professor can help. Will readers in the future be able to sustain their attention long enough to read long-form material, such as classic 19th-century literature? Called the "Anna Karenina problem," some scholars fear the answer is no.
_France bans smartphone use in schools: Students can still have their phones, but they better be turned off, mister
_A Gadget for Every Need: Assistive Technology for Students: Have a specific learning challenge? Find recommendations for tools that support cognitive tasks as well as specific subject areas.
_Using Technology to Empower Students With Special Needs: How one educator uses G Suite for Education to help students overcome their negative self-images and embrace learning.
_Technology Changing How Students Learn, Teachers Say: There is a widespread belief among teachers that students’ constant use of digital technology is hampering their attention spans and ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks, according to two surveys of teachers.
_Gaming to Learn: Do educational computer and video games lead to real learning gains? Psychologists say more research is needed.
_The Mother of All Demos Dr. Douglas C. Engelbart was one of the visionaries whose thinking provided the foundation for many of the digital tools we now take for granted. In 1950, Engelbart had an epiphany that changed the world. He imagined a computer, similar to the radar consoles he manned in the Navy, with a display that could show him all the information for a given project. Computers of the time were monstrosities that filled entire rooms and were programmed with arcane punch cards. In 1968, Engelbart showed off the work that resulted from his epiphany. Eventually dubbed “The Mother of All Demos,” his demonstration included an interactive keyboard and mouse, text editing, hypertext, video conferencing, windowing, and more -- many of the foundations of modern computing that we take for granted today. In a little over 90 minutes, Douglas Engelbart changed the world. View his presentation on YouTube by clicking on the link above.
_CAPTCHA: What's the deal behind those strange squiggly computer letters you find on certain websites? There's a lot more than you think! Read more about the secret behind those squiggly computer letters.
_Internet of Everything: What if everything was connected to the Internet? Billions of sensors power a Wichita State professor’s vision of an interconnected world.
- Watch a short YouTube video on the same concept.
_Your Brain on Computers (Articles in this New York Times series examine how a deluge of data can affect the way people think and behave.)
_In Classroom of the Future, Stagnant Scores (Schools are embracing digital learning, but evidence is scarce that the expensive technology is improving educational outcomes.)
_The Zuckerberg Revolution: Social media have increased the volume of our communications yet diminished the substance of them--by media writer Neal Gabler.
_At School, Technology Starts to Turn a Corner (A New York Times essay reporting on some promising new developments that may herald a new day in the use of technology in K-12 schools.)
_For Some Teachers, Excitement About Classroom Tech (The New York Times and its Learning Network asked teachers to make videos demonstrating how the use of technology has changed their classrooms.)
_Mind Over Mass Media (According to Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, technologies such as Twitter, e-mail and PowerPoint are far from making us stupid -- they are keeping us smart.)
_The Power of the Internet for Learning: Moving from Promise to Practice (A report issued by the Web-Based Education Commission, a committee established by Congress to develop specific policy recommendations geared toward maximizing the educational promise of the Internet for pre-K, elementary, middle, secondary, and postsecondary education learners.)
_I, Robot: One Man's Quest to Become a Computer (Newsweek feature article: Ray Kurzweil can't wait to be a Cyborg—a human mind inside an everlasting machine. But is this the next great leap in human evolution, or just one man's midlife crisis writ large?)
_How the 'Net Works, from Access Magazine
_When Are Children Ready to Use Computers?
New Puzzles That Tell Humans From Machines (A New York TImes article on new ways of keeping robots from misappropriating Internet resources.)
Four Ways to Strengthen a Password (Just what the title suggests!)
How St. Paul Was Almost Silicon Valley (After World War II, St. Paul was one of two incubator sites for the computer industry — but missed out on later explosive growth.)