American's lead the world in self-confidence and obesity... and sadly, despite poor performance and lagging test scores, we also lead in spending per student. Here is an article from '98 on this phenomena.

Were you surprised to learn this? Apparently funding is NOT a panacea to fix the ills of a broken education system. It is interesting to note that the US also spends the most per inmate and incarcerates the most prisoners... hmmm.

From: BrainTrack.com

As we continue to explore Twitter to promote our work and life at EdLab, I thought I would share this visualization of political engagement.

Jess3 the data viz blog I follow had this to say about the visualization which was developed by two Twitter employees:

The interactive map shows individual Tweets as a series of horizontal bars, which are sized by the level of engagement that each Tweet received. Selecting a Tweet, or searching for a specific term, reveals the corresponding state-wide engagement level by the color of the state. Darker colors correspond to higher rates of engagement, which is measured by the number of favorites and retweets.

Do you think that this visualization is a helpful way to gauge effective messaging for both candidates? It seems that social media is changing so much more than just communication during this election... it is creating a whole body of data to analyze and aggregate. Have you tweeted re: the election?

With the recent launch of both the iPad Mini and Microsoft Surface (Plus Windows 8), it seems that the two companies are now directly competing for a piece of the education pie. Do you think that the Youth Spark Initiative explored below is a part of this push? Regardless, do you feel it has value for young people? Learning?

Brought to you by: TeachingDegree.org

"Open textbooks" are a part of the move towards wiki-based, easily editable & Open Education Resources (OER)... learn more about OER here. Also, check-out my New Learning Times Profile of Neeru Khosla, one of the pioneers of the open textbook movement and a part of the CK-12 Foundation. The infographic below is focused on only a few providers... do you think the designer should have listed more? If so, which ones would you prioritize?

Have you ever used or created an open textbook? If so, please add your thoughts and experiences below!

From: OnlineColleges.net

MOOCs & MOOCites everywhere take notice... Antioch University is now the first to grant official credits to students who successfully complete Coursera courses. Learn more here.

Antioch President Tex Boggs had the following to say:

“Coursera provides an unprecedented opportunity, for both nontraditional and traditional students, to access rigorous higher education courses at a time and place that is convenient to them. By working closely with Coursera and their university partners, Antioch University Los Angeles will offer to those who choose to enroll in Coursera MOOCs an opportunity to earn university credit at an affordable cost."

Currently, the only courses available for credit to Antioch students are two courses developed by UPenn: Modern and Contemporary American Poetry, and Greek and Roman Mythology. There are plans to offer more courses for credit in the near future and to expand the for-credit courses beyond their initial pilot and to offer them to learners nationwide.

In my ongoing series exploring infographics focused on education and edtech, embedded below is another on the pricing plans for online courses. Would you pay for the offerings with a price-tag? If so, what is your threshold for cost? Is $30 too much? $20 a month? Have you ever paid for online courses? Does it depend on whether or not you get a "credential?"

When we reinvigorate mSchool should we charge a fee for content?

Via: OnlineUniversities.com

This infographic explores the costs and benefits of using tablets as a part of the higher ed experience. What have your experiences been with "learning" on tablets? I use mine mostly for content consumption (NLT!), but not for online courses or informal learning... you?!

By: OnlineDegrees.org

Learn more about Turnbull and his work with UNSW here and add your thoughts to the vialogue below!

Learn more about Amazon's much-touted new "Whispercast" service here. Amazon makes the following claim on their site referenced above:

Whether you’re looking to distribute literature for class or use Kindle for your corporate training or incentive program, Whispercast helps you reduce the administrative cost and complexity of sending Kindle content and managing your Kindles.

Do you think this push is in part driven by Apple's recent announcement of the iPad mini? Apple really tried to stake a claim to the education market at their recent launch event. I do see the iPad mini as the Kindle's more expensive competition... do you?

This infographic asks the question... are educational games really, well, educational? Do you feel the visual/data balance has been achieved? Do you come-away-from exploring this infographic and feel more informed?

From: OnlineCollegeCourses.com