In this publication I will collect and list some recent articles on higher education issues, online learning best practices, deliver some tools/app suggestions and links to interesting news/videos on the web published in the past month. Planned release schedule is between the last week of the past month and the first full week of the current month.

1. The Guzman Monthly
April 2015 | Volume 2, Issue 4

2. Index
• Welcome
• About the author
• News (4 slides)
• Apps & Tools (3 slides)
• Online Learning (3 slides)
• MOOCs
• ADA/SARA
• Faculty Development (2 slides)
• Student Learning (3 slides)
• New Ways of Learning
• Upcoming Movie & TV Trailers

3. Welcome to the next issue of “The Guzman Monthly”.
In this publication I will collect and list some recent
articles on higher education issues, online learning best
practices, deliver some tools/app suggestions and links to
interesting news/videos on the web published in the past
month. Planned release schedule is between the last
week of the past month and the first full week of the
current month.
To view previous newsletters please visit my slideshare
page: http://www.slideshare.net/TJtheTiger

4. My name is Tony Guzman and I serve as the Director of Online
Programs at the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Social
Work (SSW).
I also oversee the UB SSW Podcast series: inSocialWork®, and
the Technology in Social Work Resource Center. Feel free to
listen to some of our podcasts and review our resources.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tguzman/
Scoop.it!: http://www.scoop.it/t/the-future-of-higher-
education-by-tony-guzman-1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/professor_tg

5. News
Instagram being leveraged by high school students during the admissions
process. There are pros and cons here but overall I think it allows students to
get a realistic picture of the college they are considering. Thoughts?
http://time.com/3762067/college-acceptance-instagram-high-school/
This opinion piece on Forbes shares the disruption that higher education is
undergoing by the digital age is similar to the digital age disruption of news
media organizations in the past decades. Thoughts?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/07/16/why-higher-education-
cannot-resist-disruptive-change/
How often is your data being shared from your smart phone? This article
describes research that may very well surprise you. Smart phone user
beware!
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/06/people-are-shocked-
shocked-when-they-learn-just-how-much-mobile-data-they-share.aspx

6. News (cont.)
This Pew Research report shares some interesting data results regarding
teens, their use of social media and other technologies. Any surprises?
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-
2015/
Ellucian acquired Helix Education’s competency-based LMS to add into their
product line. Has anyone tried out this LMS?
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/13/ellucian-adds-
competency-based-ed-lms.aspx
This opinion piece shares thoughts on why enrollment in masters and
professional degrees are currently down. Agree or disagree?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/04/13/are-
masters-degrees-on-their-way-out-alternatives-grow-as-enrollment-fades/

7. News (cont.)
What is true disruption? This article addresses this term and how it should be
identified within higher education.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/16/disrupting-higher-
education.aspx
This article shares some astounding stats for how big data will get even bigger
by 2020. No wonder we are creating additional certificates and degrees to
tackle big data. Where will it stop?
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/15/internet-of-things-data-
to-top-1-6-zettabytes-by-2020.aspx
Going hand-in-hand with my previous post of big data becoming even bigger
by 2020, NYU is launching 3 new certificate programs about big data.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/16/nyu-school-of-
engineering-launches-3-online-certificate-programs-for-big-data-skills.aspx

8. News (cont.)
This article shares initiatives in NY and CA on tackling higher education
needs. How will other states tackle this, and what will be done at the
federal level?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-
point/wp/2015/04/15/california-and-n-y-are-thinking-big-on-higher-
education-will-the-feds/
This article shares some astonishing facts of where the money is at in
higher ed. and certainly shares some concerns for the smaller
institutions in the long run. What will higher education look like in the
next decade?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-
point/wp/2015/04/16/rich-colleges-and-universities-are-getting-a-lot-
richer-study-finds/

9. Apps & Tools
Blackboard asking the FCC to expand and clarify what exactly is an emergency
message. Any of your institutions using Bb Connect to send out alerts to your
student body?
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/03/31/fcc-seeks-comment-on-
what-emergency-means-for-school-mass-notifications.aspx
This article helps any iPad 2, or later, owners get more out of their aging
mobile devices.
http://www.teachthought.com/technology/18-ways-to-make-your-ipad-
faster/
This article shares ideas on how to convert your book into an app. What
works and when and how to do it.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/15/book-to-app-
replacement-versus-transformation.aspx

10. Apps & Tools (cont.)
This is a great infographic describing Creative Commons.
http://bit.ly/1hFvp09
This infographic is a good start for any parent considering giving their
child a smart device and wanting to keep them safe in the online world
of today.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/keep-your-kids-safe-when-theyre-
using-a-smartphone/
LinkedIn has purchased Lynda.com. What does this mean for higher
education?
http://chronicle.com/article/How-LinkedIn-s-Latest-Move/229441/

11. Apps & Tools (cont.)
For those seeking a proctoring capability for their online courses, this article
may hold the answer to your quest.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/22/proctoru-launches-
multifactor-online-student-verification.aspx
This article includes a video tutorial on Screencast-o-matic, a video capture
tool that can help you create videos for your students to help them in their
learning.
http://www.emergingedtech.com/2015/04/3-minute-tech-tool-tutorial-
screencastomatic/
This article shares from multiple sources, tutorials on how to use Evernote.
Many use this tool already, do you?
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2015/03/everything-teachers-need-to-
know-about-evernote.html

12. Online Learning
Stephen Downes, one of online education’s forerunners, recently presented a keynote
presentation. This page lists his slides and a video recording of the presentation.
http://www.downes.ca/presentation/359
This article shares some excellent points on how to prepare to convert your on-ground
course to an online course. My addition is realizing that the initial conversion time
could be lengthy but will pay off in the long run as you re-teach the course in following
semesters.
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/taking-the-leap-moving-from-
in-person-to-online-courses/
This article takes a long way around to the question: What purpose do I want this
online discussion to serve? What methods are you using in your online discussion
boards?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/youre-asking-the-wrong-
question/

13. Online Learning (cont.)
This article shares the “Save the Last Word for Me” protocol which can be used in
online discussion threads dealing with complex subject matter. Anyone using this
method in their classes?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/save-the-last-word-for-me-
encouraging-students-to-engage-with-complex-reading-and-each-other-2/
This article shares some great tips on helping your online students cope with group
work within your courses. The last tip is extremely important but make sure to be
genuine in your encouragement.
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/five-steps-to-improving-
online-group-work-assignments/
In honor of Earth Day, this article shares how online degrees can help us be more
sustainable.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/14/online-degrees-show-net-positive-
campus-impact.aspx

14. Online Learning (cont.)
This article shares some excellent tips on how to
increase the learning motivation of your online
students. How many have you used already?
How has it gone?
http://elearningindustry.com/5-tips-to-enhance-
motivation-in-elearning

15. MOOCs
A research draft report shares findings from edX MOOC courses and some
findings may surprise you. Thoughts?
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/01/edx-mooc-research-gives-
clearer-picture-challenges-assumptions.aspx
edX settles to revamp their MOOC courses over the next year and a half to
become fully ADA compliant. This is great news and should have additional
ripple effects across online higher education courses.
http://chronicle.com/article/edX-to-Improve-Access-to-MOOCs/229059/
This article shares some ideas for those interested in developing a smaller
MOOC than usual.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/20/6-tips-for-creating-a-
mini-mooc.aspx

16. ADA/SARA
This article helps faculty who may be struggling
in helping students with ASD within their
classroom. Their last tip I think should be one of
the first ones to be suggested and implemented.
Thoughts?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-
classroom-management/teaching-college-
students-with-autism-spectrum-disorders/

17. Faculty Development
This article addresses the authors perspective on the education
landscape of the past 15 years. Interesting reflections. Thoughts?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/what-
we-have-and-havent-learned/
This article addresses the need to strike the right balance between
teaching and scholarship. Thoughts?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/faculty-development/how-
teaching-can-inform-scholarship/
This article addresses the three main knowledge domains of teaching
and learning. Where do you get most of your knowledge?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-
blog/pedagogical-knowledge-three-worlds-apart/

18. Faculty Development (cont.)
This article shares about the value of faculty
mentoring faculty. Thoughts?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-
professor-blog/faculty-mentoring-faculty-
relationships-that-work/

19. Student Learning
This article and video help us start to discuss student-centered learning and
how vastly different this is to the current model used in our K-12 public school
systems.
http://www.nmefoundation.org/
This article shares some great ideas on how the design of your assignments
can dictate the type of student learning that can occur. It shares an example
of different writing assignments available in today’s classrooms. Anyone using
journals and/or blogs for writing assignments?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/how-
assignment-design-shapes-student-learning/
This blog entry shares some excellent tips to share with your students about
how to take efficient class notes.
http://blog.remind.com/17-tips-for-effective-note-taking/

20. Student Learning (cont.)
This article poses the question: When looking to eliminate plagiarism, are we
explaining academic integrity sufficiently?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/promoting-
academic-integrity-are-we-doing-enough/
This article shares results from an empirical study conducted with two
separate courses and the results may surprise you. Who is using this
technique in their courses? How has it gone?
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/helping-
students-who-are-performing-poorly/
This article shares some strategies on how faculty can help their students deal
with their fears and anxieties in your course.
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/strategies-for-
addressing-student-fear-in-the-classroom/

21. Student Learning (cont.)
This article shares the research conducted to
help high school students improve their
academic performance after attending online
intervention sessions on “growth mindset” and
“sense of purpose”.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04
/29/research-brief-online-interventions-can-
improve-student-achievement.aspx

22. New Ways of Learning
This article shares some ideas on how to increase
the level of engagement for your students with
active learning techniques.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/15
/engaging-students-with-active-learning.aspx
This article looks at what is in store for the flipped
classroom movement.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/15
/where-flipped-learning-research-is-going.aspx

23. Upcoming Movie & TV Trailers
Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer, Release Date: 5/1/2015
http://youtu.be/JAUoeqvedMo
Mad Max: Fury Road Trailer, Release Date: 5/15/2015
https://youtu.be/hEJnMQG9ev8
Terminator: Genisys Trailer, Release Date: 7/1/2015
https://youtu.be/jNU_jrPxs-0
Full Favorite Trailer playlist on my YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp4nJo9D2kEs3McWG18x5Um
IcSsVhNjq0

24. Thanks for checking this monthly newsletter out
and hope to see around again next time!