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Launch of Purdue OWL
Artifact Type: Educational Resource
Description: Purdue University's Online Writing Lab, known as Purdue OWL, was established as a free resource for writing, research, grammar, and citation guidelines. It quickly became an invaluable tool for students and educators, providing detailed writing help and APA, MLA, and Chicago style guides.
Impact on Education: Standardized writing assistance and citation practices for students globally. -
Khan Academy
Artifact Type: Educational Resource
Description: Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization that provides free, high-quality online lessons and resources across a wide range of subjects. Founded by Salman Khan in 2008, Khan Academy offers personalized learning experiences through video tutorials and practice exercises
Impact on Education: Democratized access to high-quality educational content, allowing students worldwide to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. -
Introduction of Grammarly
Artifact Type: Writing Assistance Tool
Description: Grammarly was launched as a digital writing assistant using AI and natural language processing to check and improve spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, engagement, and delivery mistakes in English texts. It offers suggestions via a browser extension, a desktop app, and an online editor.
Impact on Education: Enhanced writing quality and reduced errors in academic and professional communication. -
Introduction of the Ipad
Artifact Type: Hardware
Description: Apple's iPad was introduced in 2010 and quickly became a popular tool for educational purposes. Its portability and intuitive touch interface made it ideal for interactive learning apps and textbooks. Schools around the world began integrating iPads into classrooms to enhance student engagement and personalized learning.
Impact on Education: Revolutionized mobile learning and content delivery. -
Turnitin Feedback Studio
Artifact Type: Plagiarism Detection Software
Description: Turnitin is widely adopted by educational institutions for its robust plagiarism detection capabilities. It helps educators assess the originality of students' work and provides tools for peer review and feedback. Turnitin Feedback Studio, enhanced in 2016, integrates similarity checking, feedback, and grading features.
Impact on Education: Improved academic integrity and streamlined grading process. -
Launch of Coursera
Artifact Type: Online Learning Platform
Description: Coursera, founded by computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller from Stanford University, was launched to provide massive open online courses (MOOCs). It offered courses from top universities globally, making high-quality education accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
Impact on Education: Democratized access to higher education. -
Launch of Zotero
Artifact Type: Reference Management Software
Description: Zotero is a free, open-source tool designed to collect, organize, cite, and share research sources. It integrates with browsers and word processors to capture and manage bibliographic references and documents, supporting a wide range of citation styles.
Impact on Education: Simplified the process of managing and citing research sources for students and researchers. -
Google Classroom
Artifact Type: Digital Learning Environment
Description: Google Classroom was introduced as part of the Google Apps for Education suite. It provided a free and integrated platform for file sharing, assignment submission, and communication, simplifying the creation and distribution of assignments and fostering collaboration between students and teachers.
Impact on Education: Streamlined communication and assignment management in educational institutions. -
Evernote for Education
Artifact Type: Note-Taking Application
Description: Evernote launched features tailored for educational use, helping students and teachers organize notes, lectures, and research in a single place. It supports multimedia notes and syncs across all devices, making it a versatile tool for both classroom learning and personal study.
Impact on Education: Enhanced organization and accessibility of study materials and notes. -
Rise of Adaptive Learning Technologies
Artifact Type: Software/Platform
Description: Mid-decade saw a significant rise in adaptive learning technologies, with platforms like DreamBox Learning, which offered math learning tools that adapt to a student's individual learning pace and style. This technology uses AI to assess a student's answers and tailor content accordingly.
Impact on Education: Personalized learning experiences and improved student performance through tailored instruction. -
Introduction of Google Scholars Profiles
Artifact Type: Academic Research Tool
Description: Google Scholar Profiles provide a simple way for scholars to present their papers online, track citations, and calculate metrics that reflect the impact of their research. This tool has become essential for students and researchers for tracking academic impact and exploring research papers.
Impact on Education: Streamlined access to scholarly work and enhanced visibility of academic contributions. -
Advancement in AI Tutors and Chatbots
Artifact Type: AI Applications
Description: AI-powered tutors and chatbots became more sophisticated, providing real-time assistance and personalized tutoring to students. Tools like Carnegie Learning's MATHia software utilized AI to offer step-by-step tutoring in math, adapting to each student’s learning curve.
Impact on Education: Enhanced individual support and learning assistance outside traditional classroom settings. -
Expansion of Canva for Education
Artifact Type: Graphic Design Tool
Description: Canva, initially popular for general graphic design, expanded its features to support educational users, offering templates and tools specifically for creating educational content and classroom materials. It provides a user-friendly interface to create presentations, posters, and digital content.
Impact on Education: Empowered educators and students to create visually appealing educational materials with ease. -
Shift to Virtual Learning Environments Due to Covid-19
Artifact Type: Digital Transformation
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid shift to online learning, accelerating the adoption of comprehensive virtual learning environments. Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and existing educational technologies were quickly adopted or expanded to facilitate remote learning.
Impact on Education: Rapid innovation in digital learning tools and widespread adoption of virtual classroom technologies.