Teaching Old Birds New Tricks

Zebra Finches Defy Age-Related Learning Limits

Munich (GER), November 2024 - We all know the adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." As we age, our ability to learn new skills, like mastering a foreign language or picking up a musical instrument, seems to fade. The culprit? A decline in brain plasticity - the brain's capacity to rewire itself and adapt to new challenges. But what if we could rewind the clock on this age-related decline? A new study led by Daniela Vallentin at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence offers a tantalizing glimpse into this possibility.

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OeAW and Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation

New Institute for Biomedical Artificial Intelligence in Vienna

Mainz (GER), October 2024 - The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) is further expanding its focus on life sciences by opening an Institute for Biomedical Artificial Intelligence (AI) based on €150 million funding from the German non-profit Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation (BIS). The new institute, called AITHYRA, will make revolutionary advances in biomedicine by developing AI-based research approaches.

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Launch

International eLearning Platform for Buddy Building

Jena (GER), September 2024 - A multilingual eLearning platform has been launched at the University of Jena, Germany so that children and young people can experience how enriching and constructive it can be to overcome challenges together and to learn from and with each other.

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TinkRworks

Two New Projects That Inspire STEAM Learning

Elmhurst, IL (USA), September 2024 - Mixing art and music into STEM instruction provides an effective way to inspire creative and critical thinking and create richer learning experiences for students. TinkRworks has introduced two new projects, Tech-A-Sketch and TinkRsynth, to help elementary and middle schools engage students in hands-on "STEAM" learning.

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Advancing Innovation

ESMT Berlin Joins Digital Education Council

Berlin (GER), July 2024 - ESMT Berlin has joined the Digital Education Council (DEC), a prestigious global alliance dedicated to advancing sustainable innovation and AI adoption in higher education and workforce development. This is one more step towards the business school's goal to advance innovation in education.

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In MyLab and Mastering

Pearson Unveils AI Tool to Help Educators Save Time

Hoboken, NJ (USA), July 2024 - As student usage of generative AI surges in higher education, many instructors report lacking an understanding of how AI can support their teaching. To address this gap, Pearson, a global lifelong learning company, has announced a new generative AI-powered tool for instructors.

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Workflow Enhancements

Camtasia 2024 Simplifies Video Creation

East Lansing, MI (USA), June 2024 - TechSmith Corporation, an industry leader in visual communication, has released the highly anticipated Camtasia 2024, the new version of the company's award-winning, all-in-one screen recording and video editing software. The latest release unveils a powerful new recording engine for higher frame rate and resolution screen capture, while delivering transformative features including AI-powered dynamic captions, new effects, filters, and transitions, as well as heightened asset integrations so users can explore 100+ million professional, royalty-free video assets directly within the editor.

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During Challenging Times

Supporting Staff's Mental Health and Wellbeing

Ilkley (SCT), May 2024 - The challenging times in which we find ourselves are affecting people's mental health, including our employees’. To assist in efforts to provide support in this realm, Virtual College has put together a handy guide filled with tips and advice. We hope you find it useful and that reading it will help you feel more prepared to support your staff's mental health during difficulties such as the current cost-of-living crisis.

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Christian Stracke

Expert at "Leaders and Legends of Online Learning"

Christian StrackeBonn (GER), February 2024 - Educational scientist and researcher Dr. Christian M. Stracke has been granted a special honour: He has been selected as the 90th expert for the Leaders and Legends of Online Learning. What is unique about this is that the selection is only made by the other experts and colleagues worldwide. Marc Nichols started this project at the Open University of UK back in 2018 and has always recorded a podcast with all the selected experts. In his questions, he is particularly interested in the personal long-term perspective.

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Four-Day Program

Professional & Executive Development Program Develops LGBTQ+ Leaders

Cambridge, MA (USA), February 2024 - Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education's Professional & Executive Development has launched a new leadership program designed to empower LGBTQ+ professionals to thrive as leaders. The intensive four-day program, held on Harvard's Cambridge, MA campus in July 2024, will provide participants with leadership strategies tailored to their unique experiences and identities.

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