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TeenTech Weekly: Research pledges, digital literacy, student tracking

The weekly roundup of Generation Y and student resources you may have missed.
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer

This edition of TeenTech weekly rounds up Generation Y and student technology news that you may have missed. This week we've read about university research budgets, the result of Dharun Ravi's webcam case, student monitoring and the future of the digital economy.

1.) Budget: £100m university research pledge for UK. (BBC)

Chancellor George Osborne has announced a £100m fund to boost university research in the UK through private sector involvement. The funding is intended to attract outside investment for universities.

2.) Student found guilty of charges in webcam suicide case.

Former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi, 19, was found guilty of using a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, 18, in a charge described as a 'hate crime'. In total, 15 charges resulted in a guilty verdict; including 4th degree invasion of privacy, tampering with physical evidence, and witness tampering.

3.) Thousands of student emails exchanged in data breach.

The Student Loans Company, UK, has come under fire after releasing 8,000 student email addresses by accident. SLC staff emailing reminders inadvertently included an attachment that contained the emails of every recipient -- which was then received by each of the 8,000 to-be students being sent the original message.

4.) Getting their money's worth. (Inside Higher Ed)

Lasell College wants 100 percent of faculty members to be actively using the college's Moodle-based learning management system (LMS). Furthermore, it wants usage on every course in every department by the end of the year.

5.) The digital economy: Yes, we're failing you.

Without computer skills now considered 'basic', both school leavers and graduates are not acquiring the knowledge and ability which are now arguably as important as basic literacy and math. The European Commission estimates that by 2015, at least 700,000 of young people will leave education without these skills -- and yet not enough is being done to tackle the issue.

6.) HK university website hacked. (iol Sci tech)

A university website that offered citizens of Hong Kong to vote for their next leader ahead of Sunday's scheduled and official election is under 'systematic attack' from unidentified hackers, according to organizers.

7.) Microsoft, Bihar govt team up to promote digital literacy. (Times of India)

The government of Bihar has announced it will be partnering with the Indian branch of Microsoft in order to pilot a program designed to 'showcase a model of a future school'. Beginning next month, it aims to promote programs that will increase digital literacy for both students and teachers.

8.) Uniform computer chips track student locations.

In the the northeastern city of Vitoria da Conquista, students from some of the city's 213 public schools have all begun wearing t-shirts with the special radio frequency chips embedded in the material. These 'smart uniforms' tell a parent when their child has entered school by sending a message to their mobile phone -- or when they've skipped a class.

9.) Prof: In defense of friending your student. (eCampus News)

To friend, or not to friend a student?

10.) Gaming can inspire healthy behavior, study shows. (CNET)

Researchers out of Stanford and HopeLab find that Re-Mission, a video game that involves killing cancer cells, activates parts of the brain involved in motivation.

Bonus: Gallery - Social media charges and prosecutions Bonus: Gallery - Apps for Academia

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