Google’s Chromecast: A Cloud-First Approach to Digital Content in the Classroom

This is part of our series of weekly roundups curating the best higher education technology news, articles and resources from around the web. Tweet us to suggest an article.

Chromecast in the Classroom

Google just announced Chromecast, a new tool that will connect computers and mobile devices to TVs. Chromecast connects to a television via an HDMI port and requires Wi-Fi access. Users can send content from an Android or Apple mobile device and any computer running Google’s Chrome browser. At just $35, educators are already speculating that this could be a hit in classrooms.

Chromecast released today: How awesome is this for classrooms? http://t.co/UbxblmqKHD #edchat #edtech #chromeedu

— Rich Kiker (@rkiker) July 24, 2013

For $35, I could see putting a lot of these into classrooms - time to kick some tires! http://t.co/8FBr9StgC2

— David J. Hinson (@davidjhinson) July 24, 2013

San Jose State University Puts Its MOOC Experiment on Hold

What does this mean for the future of for-credit massive open online courses (MOOCs)?

San Jose State Provost Ellen Junn said disappointing student performance will prompt the university to stop offering online classes with Udacity this fall as part of a "short breather."

Junn wants to spend the fall going over the results and talking with faculty members about the university’s online experimentation, which extends beyond the Udacity partnership and has proved somewhat controversial. She said the plan is to start working with Udacity again in spring 2014.

Read more on Inside Higher Ed.

Number of the Week

85 percent of college students who own smartphones are intermediate or advanced users. (Source)

The Best of EdTech

We covered some important topics this week, including wearable technology, gamification and mobile apps.

• The Pros and Cons of Gamification in the Classroom

  Professors from Marist College and Rochester Institute of Technology weigh in on gamification. Their conclusion? Metrics are good and bad: Success or failure of gamification depends on how you analyze and act on the metrics.

• How Andrew Vanden Heuvel Is Revolutionizing Education from Outside the Classroom

  This online teacher has big ideas for the future of education. His goal is to use technology, Google Glass in particular, to help students find their passion.

• The App Impasse: College Students Love Apps, but Should Colleges Invest?

  Native apps are expensive to build and maintain, and it’s likely they’ll be replaced by HTML5 apps in the coming years. The problem? College students love them.

• Distraction or Opportunity? A Guide to Embracing Technology in the Classroom Instructional technologist Julie Tausend explains how to make sure computers in the classroom aren’t a distraction.

Tweet us to suggest stories for next week.