MOOCs – their value in the HE sector

MOOCs stands for Massive Open Online Courses; its aim is to help make access to higher education (HE) available for everyone and its free. Also it is beneficial to students. These courses help students learn and give you a qualification at the end of it. With the course being free and open access it will be able to teach to a higher volume. However, there are some concerns about how certified the qualification is and does it give you the same skills and knowledge as other similar qualifications. If this qualification is free, less people are going to want to go to university as they will be able to access lectures for free. If MOOCs does become more popular, universities may have to adapt and decide whether they are going to use MOOCs as part of their education. There is a shift to more online learning in the recent years and is a big threat higher education institutions. However, universities are always looking for new online developments and opportunities. MOOCs has a range of online resources including videos and message boards. MOOCs has hundreds of different courses from Chinese to Medicinal Chemistry and some more specialist courses. I feel MOOCs is suited to those students which are advance learners, that do not need much academic support. However, there is the option to pay for support services for people that need a bit of help. Once you have completed the course you receive a certificate but in order to have their examination validates they would have to a pay extra. MOOCs is a globally accessible therefore it can reach international institutions.

The main benefits of MOOCs are being able to reach a vast number of people that want to learn and not just those that are at university. You can review other peers work and feedback which is very valuable when looking back and trying to improve on your work. You can access your course at any time, so you can work around any other commitments. There are only chats if you need any assistance and it is very cost effective. However, there are a few problems and disadvantages with MOOCs. One being if you want a more professional course then it could cost up to £300. It has an extremely high number of people do not finish their courses, you have to have access to the internet and if you are not highly self-motivated this course will not suit you. The course does not have much value compared to a degree and there is not credit recognition.

References

https://www.mooc-list.com

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/distance-learning/moocs-(massive-open-online-courses)/

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/533406/what-are-moocs-good-for/

Google Power Searching – helping students search the web

Google Power Search helps students to get the full potential out of Google and use it to their advantage. Everyone can search the internet but they do not necessarily get the results they are looking for. Google Power Searching gives you advice on how to get exact results and fast. Google has power searching classes online conducted by Dr Dan Russell, who is a research scientist for Google. It shows you how to filter your results by giving your search a special instruction. For example, if you put “site:” in front of a search it will only search within a specific site. “Filetype:” is also useful and it can narrow your search results to a specific type of file such as a PDF. When searching for a specific phase put it into quotation marks so that it does not search for the words individually. If you are searching a synonym which is something that is called a few different things but all mean the same thing. Then you put “OR’ in capital letter in between them and Google will search for all the different options that you search.

It shows you how to use the search by image tool this is useful when you have an image but you are not sure where it is or what it is. You just put the image into the search engine and the results should tell you what you need to know. When using the google image search you can filter your searches by clicking on search tools which enables you to sleet what colour image you want and size. It teaches students to pick out keywords in their question and think about what they are trying to find when putting in search terms. The order in which you order the words in your search influences the results. Some people think that putting searches in capital letters makes a difference to the search results. However, it does not and neither does punctuation, spelling mistakes most of the time as google normally corrects them and certain symbols such as (¶). There are some characters that can make a difference which include the plus sign (+), percentage sign (%) and dollar sign ($).

Another, useful skill for students that google power searching teaches you is how to find specific words on a page efficiently. As sometimes you can find the right website but it can take time to locate the information that you need. One way in which you can do this is using the find feature using Control-F to find the text that you want. Instead of searching normally which only find the web pages that include the words. Where the find box is located can differ depending on which browser you are using, for instance if you were using Firefox then the find box is in the bottom left hand corner on the screen. It also allows you to select the highlight all button which will highlight the words in yellow. This I feel is very useful for students and it will save them a time searching through all the information on the page.

References

https://coursebuilder.withgoogle.com/sample/unit?unit=2

http://dmrussell.net/PSWG3/lesson1.4TheArtofKeywordChoices/lesson1.4TheArtofKeywordChoices.html

http://dmrussell.net/PSWG3/lesson1.5WordOrderMatters/lesson1.5WordOrderMatters.html

http://dmrussell.net/PSWG3/lesson1.6Findingtextonawebpage.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-be-a-google-power-searcher-2014-7?op=1&IR=T/#e-operator-filetype-is-also-useful-for-example-you-could-narrow-your-results-to-only-include-pdfs-6

Digital Analytics – What value can good data analysis tools add to business decision making

As the world is becoming more globalised business are more similar. Using the same technology causing decision making to difference between how business perform. Analytics tools can add to businesses decision making as it can help them understand their customers and their performing operations. Analysing tools can look at large amounts of data, identifying trends, patterns and other information that stands out which would be useful for a business. When using digital analytics your business it can add value to the business and aid decision making. It can do this as digital analytics enables a business to build a stronger understanding of customer behaviour and service experience. By collecting data on customer transactions and services. A recent worldwide study by Strategy showed that on average companies that are leaders in data analytics abilities are 38 percent more likely be increasing in growth and are forerunners in commercial performance. If you ask the right questions to start with such as “What does the data tell me about customer needs and preferences, and how well do our existing propositions fit to these needs?”. This will help understanding the data and assisting growth goals, therefore helping businesses make decisions. Analysing data can show where processes need to be altered, errors need to be solved and spending reduced. It allows you to look at the whole picture of all the different operations that go on in a given business. Therefore, shows where decisions need to be made to decrease costs and change processes that the data suggests are inefficient.

Data analytics can not only measure the past but also help plan future operations. However, you need the right data and performance measures that are send to people that can understand the data, at a certain time. The data can highlight improvements in productivity and give incentives to act on them to optimise efficiency. Tools such as process optimisation and simulation tools are becoming more common and available which allows businesses to forecast outcomes from operating changes. When using data analytics to make key strategic business decisions, business must be careful that that data is not of a poor quality as this creates barriers to using data to make decisions. Business need to eradicate poor data to be sure that they are using that data effectively. Businesses can do this by identifying how the data is detained which errors often start addressing the root of the problem. When trying to improve data quality you must ask the question “Are data creators aware of the needs of data consumers?”.  The higher quality of decision making permits a business to adjust more quickly compared to competitors to opportunities and threats in the market. Personal views and instincts should still be considered when making decisions but should be back up by data. To make sense of digital analytics you need people to give the data meaning. Sometimes this makes it hard for businesses to convert the data into insights on how to make decisions. People that are analysing the data need to be trained to the tools and cannot be bias, management accountants could fit this position.

References

http://searchbusinessanalytics.techtarget.com/essentialguide/Guide-to-big-data-analytics-tools-trends-and-best-practices

http://www.pwc.co.uk/issues/data-analytics/issues/achieve-top-line-growth.html

http://www.pwc.co.uk/issues/data-analytics/issues/analytics-to-run-operations-more-efficiently.html

http://www.pwc.co.uk/issues/data-analytics/issues/quality-data-for-better-decisions.html

Click to access business-analytics-briefing.pdf

E-Commerce websites vs. Brick and mortar shops

Online retailers make shopping more convenient as you can buy an item in seconds in your own home. Online stores not only benefit consumers but also businesses as it is less expensive than storefront shops. Alternatively, they can use warehouses which are much more cost-effective. You can shop wherever you are as long as they have access to the internet using many different devices such as laptops, smartphones and iPads. It also allows consumers to search for the best price for their goods or services, saving them time and money. Shoppers can find discounts online for 10% off when shopping online or free shipping. Geographical issues are not a problem when using e-commerce websites as customers can buy goods from shops located all over the world. Goods are delivered straight to your door therefore it can cater to the needs of disabled or seniors that struggle traveling or if weather conditions are dangerous to travel in. It is easier to compare products online as you can gather more information on other similar products in the market. Online shops can often offer a wider range of products and they can also give customers notifications when a product is back in stock. E-commerce websites can be run from anywhere around the world and it can be operational 24 hours a day so that customers can buy goods anytime they want to. Unlike brick and mortar shops normally open for 12 hours a day and often closed on bank holidays.

In brick and mortar shops you can try on clothes before purchase and feel the material for quality and durability unlike e-commerce websites.  One of the main advantages of instore shopping is that customers can acquire their goods immediately. Also shopping is often used as a social activity to have a day out with friends or family, which you cannot do online. Brick and mortar stores give the customers a more personal experience, enabling them to connect with employees and the capability to touch and hold the product prior to purchase. Employees in shops tend to be trained to have good customer service and knowledge about their goods and services. Allowing them to assist customers in shops immediately whereas immediate responses if often not possible online.  If you have a brick and mortar store in a good physical location with lots of people walking or driving past, the store can market itself. Start-up costs are high when setting up a brick and mortar business, with rent and employees to pay. In-store shopping means you do not have to pay for shipping costs other than the cost of you traveling to the shop. It also allows consumers to support local shops who sell local goods, which count on local traffic. It is hard to leave reviews and businesses can miss potential promotional opportunities in a brick and mortar shop. However, it is easy to leave reviews and promote products on e-commerce websites using social media.

References

https://www.aabacosmallbusiness.com/advisor/pros-cons-online-retailers-vs-brick-mortar-stores-173028000.html

http://www.smallbusinessideasblog.com/brick-and-mortar-vs-online

http://www.go-gulf.com/blog/e-commerce-brick-and-mortar-store-infographic/

How blogging helps with student reflection

Getting students to write a blog post in the last ten minutes of a lesson about what they have learnt and any discussions that engaged them particularly. Also google things in relation to their blog and add the links to their post. This helps students reflect on their learning as it allows them to view other class mate’s options of the lesson and reflect on how they are differing compared to their and discuss this between them. As students know that their work could be read by anyone rather than just a teacher or an examiner. It makes students write out their thoughts more clearly. Blogging also allows you to comment on other people’s blogs and other people can leave feedback on your blogs as well giving you feedback to reflect on. Instead of just learning lots of information and trying to store it in your brain, blogging permits you to think about what they are learning and create a connection. By doing this openly on a blogging website we can reflect on what we ourselves have learnt but also other people’s blogs and get their advice.

Blogs are great when you are reading a book in class and are wanting students to reflect on what they have read. Helping students to develop their skills in analysing and critiquing. It is a quick and easy way to actively reflect on their work while it is still fresh in their mind, this is especially useful ongoing reflections of learning processes. Rather than students just answering a question it inspires them to share their own thoughts and views with everyone. It gives students the opportunity to think about their work and studies on a deeper level. Blogging encourages students to write more and read other people’s work then analyse therefore improving their comprehension skills.  Teachers can also use blogging in the classroom by getting students to tell stories. Then asking them to write a blog on how they can relate to the story through anything that has happened to them or put themselves in a certain character’s position and describe how you would feel and how you would react. This is another way to help students with reflecting. Students find blogging less daunting than traditional literary reflective ways of learning which motivates students to respond putting more thought into their analysis. Blogging about their actual thoughts on a particular topic, book or piece of text. When blogging it prompts students to think about what type of language they are using, how they can connect with their audience and how their words with be portrayed and the impact they would have on people.

References

http://www.virclass.net/eped/ep_tmp/files/17842056574abc85cdf304e.pdf

http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/3721

http://ii.library.jhu.edu/2013/11/27/using-blogging-as-a-learning-tool/

https://chip-chase.com/2012/02/08/blogging-with-students-for-reflection-collaboration-and-literacy/

http://blog.whooosreading.org/5-benefits-of-blogging-in-the-ela-classroom/