ESM College Blog

College from the comfort of home?

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:45:00 -0400

At CSU, the beginning of the end for traditional lecture classes?

By Katy Murphy

Oakland Tribune

Posted: 04/11/2013 06:07:50 AM PDT

SAN JOSE — Students at San Jose State and other California State universities might soon find themselves watching lectures at home and doing their homework in the lecture hall as part of the system’s latest experiment with technology and free online courses.

Encouraged by unusually high student pass rates in a dreaded electrical engineering course, nearly all CSU campuses with engineering programs are expected to join SJSU in offering a partly online, partly in-person course in the fall through a partnership with edX, a nonprofit online education provider.

Proponents have billed the free online platform as a powerful tool for professors, who will spend more time working with students and assessing their progress instead of preparing and delivering long lectures.

From left, San Jose State University students George Mao, Benjamin Lee, and Brian Ha work on their class homework in the EE98 Introduction to Circuits class taught by Professor Khosrow Ghadiri, at San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif. on Wednesday, April 12, 2013. (LiPo Ching/Staff) ( LiPo Ching )

“Five hundred years ago we gave them a textbook, and in 1862 we gave them chalk,” said Anant Agarwal, president of edX. “What tools have we given them since then? Please don’t say PowerPoint.”

San Jose State also plans to test the technological waters in other disciplines, such as humanities, business and science. It is paying edX nothing for the partnership, which gives participating professors special access to the platform to add their own content and check their students’ online coursework.

Eighty SJSU students in EE098, an electrical circuit analysis course that all engineering students must take, were the guinea pigs for the new approach, which blends online

quizzes and lectures from MIT with in-class quizzes, tutoring and exams.

The results were astonishing, even for online education’s most ardent proponents: The pass rates for the two traditional sections of the engineering course offered in the fall were 55 and 59 percent. In the revamped version, in which randomly assigned students took the same final exam as the others, 91 percent passed — by far the highest that Professor Khosrow Ghadiri had seen in his 22 years at the university.

The structure of the 80-student class, with its emphasis on in-class problem solving, is simply more effective, said SJSU President Mo Qayoumi, who noted another benefit: Only a handful of the students will have to retake the class, reducing bottlenecks in the system.

But there’s another factor, too: The online videos and quizzes can take 10 to 12 hours a week to watch and complete, far more than expected in the traditional format. In addition, Ghadiri said he and his teaching assistants spend a combined 80 hours a week on the class, preparing materials, checking students’ progress and sending them emails when they fall behind.

“It does require a lot more time,” said Marisa Williams, a civil engineering major, taking a break from a group quiz on the power generated from electrical circuits and each of their components.

Entering the large lecture room after a news conference, Ghadiri stripped off his suit jacket and roved among groups of students, answering questions about a quiz. The gregarious professor, brimming with enthusiasm and information, knows not all of his students share his love for the material — especially non-electrical engineering majors forced to take the time-consuming version of the class.

“They say, ‘Why should I put so much time into something that is not my field? This is a core course, and I have to take it. Why do you make my life miserable?’” he said.

But chances are, at semester’s end, they won’t have to take it again.

http://www.today.com/video/today/51426965#51426965

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:58:00 -0400

http://www.today.com/video/today/51426965#51426965:

Are colleges lying to students to “just be yourself?”

Check out what one student had to say on The Today Show

How to pay for college

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:12:40 -0400

How to pay for college:

NY Times hosted a Q&A this past week on how to pay for college. IT’s worth a look!

College Savings at an all-time high.

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:37:13 -0400

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

As tuition soars, parents and grandparents are putting more money than ever into 529 college savings plans.

Average balances for 529 college savings and prepaid tuition plans grew to a record $17,174 in 2012 — up 12% from an average of $15,349 in 2011, according to a report from the College Savings Plans Network, a nonprofit and affiliate of the National Association of State Treasurers. Also known as “qualified tuition programs,” 529 college savings plans are typically offered by the states and allow holders to save money and withdraw it tax-free, as long as the proceeds are used towards approved college costs — typically tuition, fees, room, board and other required supplies.Another kind of 529, prepaid tuition plans, let savers prepay for future tuition and lock in current prices, but they typically do not cover other expenses.

In December 2012, the number of existing 529 accounts increased by about 4% to 11.1 million, up from 10.7 million in December 2011. Total 529 investments reached a record $190.7 billion, up from $165 billion in 2011.

Those numbers were also helped by a strong stock market last year. In 2012, the S&P 500 soared 13%.

Children with a college savings account are seven times more likely to attend college than those without one, according to a 2010 study by Washington University in St. Louis’s Center for Social Development.

The increased savings will also allow these students to be less dependent on costly student loans, said Michael Fitzgerald, Iowa State Treasurer and chair of the College Savings Plans Network. “Every dollar you can save is a dollar you don’t have to borrow,” he said.

Yet, students and their families are still struggling to keep up with rapid increases in tuition.

Related: Five top-rated 529 plans

“We are sort of on a national treadmill,” said Patrick Callan, president of the nonprofit Higher Education Policy Institute. “States are putting more money into financial aid. Students are borrowing more, and parents and grandparents are saving more. But tuition is still outpacing people’s likely ability to pay.”

Average tuition paid at public community colleges and four-year colleges and universitiesrose by 8.3% last year, according to a recent report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.

For the 2012-13 school year, the average prices for tuition, fees, room and board for in-state students at public four-year colleges and universities is $17,860, according to the College Board. And the average bill at private institutions is nearly $40,000.

“It’s getting so expensive so the importance of saving for college is growing as well,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a real problem we face, but [529 plans are] one tool that will help.”

Footing the bill not always a good idea for Mom and Dad

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 10:54:00 -0500

The study is based on figures from three large federal data sets that allow parental contributions and grades to be compared. Hamilton controlled for family socio-economic status, allowing a comparison of similar students whose families make different choices about how much of the cost of college to pick up.

The effect on GPA is relatively small, Hamilton said. “The reason it was so shocking, however, is that all the research on parental investments from pre-school through (college) assumes you give something to your kids, particularly money, it leads to good things. This is one case where it not only doesn’t have the expected good effect, it has a small negative effect.”

When parents pick up greater absolute amounts and shares of college costs, it affects GPA across the income distribution, though the effect is steepest at families earning over $90,000. At that level, and controlling for other factors, parents not giving their children any aid predicts a GPA of 3.15. At $16,000 in aid, GPA drops under 3.0. At $40,000, it hits 2.95.

While rich families obviously find it easier to contribute, poorer families help as well, at greater sacrifice. But Hamilton says the damage may be greater for those families, because lower GPAs don’t hurt better-off students as much in the job market. Wealthier students can rely on connections and further help from parents.

Students without those connections “have to have the 3.0 in order to pass the initial resume glance,” she said.

Hamilton found grants, scholarships, work-study, student employment and veterans benefits don’t have similar negative effects on GPA, though loans do, along with direct parental aid. She suggests that’s because loans and unconditional parental grants have no immediate strings attached, whereas scholarships and grants often carry GPA requirements. There may also be a psychological effect. With grants, “students feel like they’ve earned them in some way” and want to justify them.

Hamilton said the findings don’t suggest parents should stop supporting students financially, especially considering there is a larger positive effect on graduation rates than the negative effect on GPA. But they should lay out standards and expectations. And even if parents can afford the whole bill, it may be worthwhile to make students put up some of their own funds, or work part-time, so they feel invested.

In her broader research on the topic, Hamilton says she’s found some parents signal it’s OK to take advantage of their support for a more social experience.

“Some parents were 100 percent complicit in this,” she said. “They absolutely wanted their children to go to school and party hard. They told me explicitly it’s not about grades, it’s about having fun, the best years of your life.”

“Now for some families it all works out OK,” she said. “The ‘best years of your life’ idea has trickled down to what everybody thinks college should be. But not everybody can afford for college to be like that. And they pay for that for a long time.”

The 10 Richest Colleges in the U.S. are...

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:17:28 -0500

The 10 Richest Colleges in the U.S. are...

Bye-Bye New UC Logo

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:04:00 -0500

The new UC logo went down because tradition rules on campuses

By Scott Herhold

sherhold@mercurynews.com

The first is that university administrators were overwhelmed by the backlash in social media. More than 53,000 Cal grads and nongrads signed an online petition denouncing the new logo.

The second explanation — it lacks wide currency, but it should probably be discussed here — is that my embrace of the new symbol a week ago delivered the kiss of death.

“What? That curmudgeon in San Jose likes it? He thinks it has artistic merit?” you can hear some UC fundraiser saying. “We have to dump this puppy right now.”

Naturally, I prefer the first explanation. UC administrators hoping to raise money with a new marketing campaign found it hard to risk indignation over a logo. In my version, they caved.

My readers and colleagues savor the second analysis. If I were to summarize the polite response, it might go this way: “You are an idiot.” The views went downhill from there.

“You are WRONG!” wrote one Cal grad. “It’s a disgrace and a design flaw at best. If you want to be fair about this issue, run a poll of your readers, then let’s hear your thoughts.” When I wrote back that I expected to be in the small minority — and that it never had discouraged me — she vowed to report me to my bosses.

Credentials

A number of other readers took issue with my admittedly flimsy Cal credentials: I camped with my family for 14 summers at Cal’s Lair of the Bear family camp.

“Of course you like the new UC seal,” wrote a correspondent with the handle Chica Fina. “One should expect nothing less from an elitist Ivy League commie You hate America. You hate tradition.” Thoughtfully, the message included a seal with a hammer and sickle over a “C.”

The most common critique touched on what the new symbol evoked. One writer compared it to the Round Table Pizza shield. Others saw a flushing toilet. And one reader thought the new logo turned upside down resembled an elephant’s butt (This actually is true, although we can quibble about the size of the tail).

UC administrators are sensitive to this because they depend on public funds. And I can accept that there’s room for a wide variety of opinion of the new logo.

I worry about a couple of things. The first is that universities and alumni communities are hardly the havens of free debate they pretend to be. Because campuses are enviable and sheltered places, a challenge to tradition shatters on the rocks of orthodoxy.

The second is that social media, with all its immediacy, can invoke the tyranny of the mob. You have to wonder how the design for the Vietnam War memorial or Alexander Calder’s Flamingo sculpture in Chicago would have fared in the age of Facebook and Twitter.

Sure, a quick and vehement backlash might have prevented a travesty like the Quetzalcoatl sculpture in San Jose’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez. But you have to question: Who’s going to defend upside-down elephant butts?

Video of the 2012 ESM Leadership Camp

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:49:37 -0400

Video of the 2012 ESM Leadership Camp

Congratulations to our Founder and CEO, Billy Downing for being...

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:24:51 -0400

Congratulations to our Founder and CEO, Billy Downing for being named 2012 Social Entrepreneur of the Year at the 4th Annual Liquidity Event hosted by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Downing was cited for the award for his social contributions to making our community a better place for all. Way to go, Billy! We’re proud of you and know from working with you, that you deserve this.

Students from the A’s Academy belting out “take me...

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 12:41:23 -0400

Students from the A’s Academy belting out “take me out to the ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch in a game won by the A’s over Cleveland, 6-4. What a great way to end a very successful A’s Academy. Thanks to the A’s organization and the people at ESM!

More pregame access for the students RIGHT ON THE FIELD!

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:12:34 -0400

More pregame access for the students RIGHT ON THE FIELD!

VP of Media Relations, Bob Rose, talks to the students about how...

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:08:54 -0400

VP of Media Relations, Bob Rose, talks to the students about how the media/PR staff handles media requests, local and visiting newspaper and tv reporters and all that goes into the process of showcasing the Oakland A’s (and their opponents).

Presentation time for the students. Each group is assigned a...

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:58:23 -0400

Presentation time for the students. Each group is assigned a specific issue that relates to the organization and has to come up with a Powerpoint presentation to outline specific ideas and solutions to that issue or problem. Not an easy thing to do in front of people but the students are always prepared and succeed wonderfully.

Final day of A’s Academy features the group presentation...

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:02:11 -0400

Final day of A’s Academy features the group presentation from the students and then everyone heads to the field for batting practice and a chat with Manager Bob Melvin and maybe some of the players before retreating to the stands to watch the A’s battle the Indians.

A pair of A’s Academy students off in a quiet corner...

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:46:05 -0400

A pair of A’s Academy students off in a quiet corner working hard on their resumes.

Day 3 of the A’s Academy begins with Vp of Ticket Sales,...

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:46:26 -0400

Day 3 of the A’s Academy begins with Vp of Ticket Sales, Steve Finelli, talking to the students about individual, group and corporate tickets sales for A’s games at the O.co Coliseum.

Day 2 done, two more great days left!

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:23:39 -0400

Students at the A’s Academy today (and every day) close the day by saying “one word’ that expresses how they feel about camp. Today we heard, “amazing, informative, connections, informational, productive, enjoyable.”
Music to ESM’s ears and to the great people at the Oakland A’s!

So, you think you can broadcast? A’s announcer-wannabes...

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:11:07 -0400

So, you think you can broadcast? A’s announcer-wannabes taking to the mic ”and…there’s a long drive to left-centerfield…”

Day 2 of the A’s Academy gave students the chance to check out...

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:09:18 -0400

Day 2 of the A’s Academy gave students the chance to check out the A’s Locker Room.

Day 2 of the A’s Academy is featuring small group projects...

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:35:14 -0400

Day 2 of the A’s Academy is featuring small group projects where the students are given an issue that relates to the Oakland A’s business and they have to brainstorm and come up with reasonable, workable ideas.