There has been a rise in the use of electronic computing devices in the education sector and the figures are quite mind-boggling. These indicate the current trends and also predict trends of the future.
Smart Education:
Using tablets for the purpose of education is an important step towards creating an excellent user interface between student and technology. This is reflected in the percentage growth of users using tablets for education from 7% in 2011 to 25% in 2012.
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Pinterest and Education:
Pinterest, a social networking site, which allows users to pin things on its notice board, has become a rage with students. The many features that Pinterest offers to students include creating resource boards, providing students with notice boards, create lesson plans, and organize ideas in a clear manner.
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Technology and Education:
The facts speak for themselves. 15% students in the US own a tablet, while 62% own a Smartphone. 86% own a laptop and 12% own an e-reader. Therefore, it is quite understandable that the infrastructure of education has changed a lot.
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Students’ Need for Technology:
66% students claim that they needed the assistance of technology upon entering college and 75% affirm that technology has improved their grades as well. The ranking of various electronic devices in their use as educational tools are as follows: 31% [e-reader], 33% [scanner], 37% [Smartphone], 45% [Tablet] and so on.
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Cost of Education:
The rise in the cost of education has taken a toll on the budget of most families. In the public research sector, for example, 37% of funds are spent on instruction, 11% on academic support, 22% on research, 7% on public services, 5% on student service, 9% on institutional support, and 8% on operation and maintenance.
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More on Cost:
The tuition fees in the US have risen to 900% since 1978. This creates a massive debt cycle which affects almost all students, with the amount of student debt in US being a whopping 910 billion USD, which is astoundingly more than the credit card debt in the country [796 billion USD].
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The Need for Education:
Given that 28% of Americans who are 25 or older have a Bachelor’s degree at the least, as compared to 5% only half a century ago, the need for education can be gauged. Using a Smartphone, learning from a professional tutor, touring the world, turning off the TV and reading more books are also educational in their own way.
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Rising Costs of Education:
Over the last 25 years, the cost of higher education has grown by 440%. This is 4 times the rate of inflation and 2 times the rate of medical costs. In 15 years, the cost of a four year college education will be more than 400,000USD at a private college.
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Pinterest Again!
From March 2011 to March 2012, the percentage of visitors to the Pinterest site has increased by a sheer 4,377%. A visitor spends almost 98 minutes per month on the site indicating its popularity and usefulness.
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Entrepreneurial Colleges:
The five most entrepreneurial colleges in the US include Stanford, MIT, Harvard, California Institute of Technology, University of California Berkeley. They are followed by University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, University of California, Princeton University, and Haverford College.
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What to Expect as Salary:
The starting salary for an MIT graduate is 69,700 USD per annum and that of an engineering college graduate will be 56,219 USD. Ivy League grads can expect 53,675 USD against the average starting salary of 41,656 USD.
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Schools and Smart Education:
55% schools allow students to bring their PDA with him, while 87% schools provide low cost wi-fi networks to students. Apple is the most common brand among students with 40% using them, and at 26%, Blackberry comes a close second.
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