Top Benefits of Student Engagement and Retention Platforms

People in all spheres, including students and lecturers, have benefited from the continual advancement of technology. Plenty of websites and apps are available to help college and university students manage their schoolwork such as proessaywriting.co.uk. Additionally, students are increasingly using laptops, tablets, and smartphones in class and at home, both for academic purposes and for personal use.

However, the widespread adoption of these gadgets and the shift to the online sphere have resulted in a decline in students’ attention, thus decreasing their engagement in learning activities considerably. Luckily, this is where student engagement and retention platforms come into play. 

What Are Student Engagement and Retention Platforms?

A student engagement and retention platform is a tool that keeps a record of student profiles and academic information. It is the most effective way to capture each student’s personal input, plus it facilitates real-time communication between students and faculty members. 

Every time students interact, their data are added to centralized, unified profiles. This contributes to a more personalized experience for each student and is an excellent way for lecturers to track their students’ performance and understand them better. With apps like the student engagement and retention platform by campusM, educators can gain valuable insight into areas such as student attendance, daily submissions, and interactive activities. 

In addition, a platform like this can be used to promote events, increase attendance, and engage students more effectively. But the ultimate goal is to encourage student participation and retention in the classroom and on campus.

Benefits of Student Engagement and Retention Platforms

The following section outlines a few benefits of using a student engagement and retention platform.

Better Understanding of Student Needs

Detailed analyses and student participation reports can help universities determine which events or methods of delivering courses should be used and which ones should be discarded. With this data, lecturers can plan for the future and make informed decisions.

Automation of Tedious Tasks

Lecturers no longer have to spend hours on time-consuming processes such as grading, marking, and tracking student performance. Engagement and retention apps can make grading assignments, conduct discussions, and manage event participants instead.

Personalized Student Experience

Using engagement platforms allows institutions to tailor learning to the needs of each student. Thanks to the app’s unique features, learning content is customized according to the student’s strengths, interests, ethnicity, community needs, and cultural background.

Furthermore, teacher assistants, with their teacher aide courses, can provide further personalized care, behavior, and experience for the teachers to their students. Students can choose topics that interest them and participate in related activities.Still, these platforms don’t only benefit the students in the long run — they are good for the lecturers, too. Personalizing a student’s experience requires an ongoing team effort, but in the end, the lecturers will also reap the benefits of streamlined workflow, automated alerts, and automatically generated feedback.

Increased Student Engagement

The software tracks students’ participation and evaluates a course’s effectiveness based on their feedback. Moreover, it may be possible to increase engagement and retention levels with emerging technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) — especially for those students who have difficulty following text-heavy courses. This article also provides valuable information on increasing student engagement in the classroom. 

Valuable Student Insights Uncovered

Understanding student behavior allows teachers to make better decisions that will help young minds flourish. A student engagement and retention app enables lecturers to easily create robust reports and generate actionable insights that everyone can use to stay on top of things and take the best possible action.

Universities can also gather information about the common reasons for dropping out. Collecting such feedback allows the faculty to identify at-risk individuals and improve their overall experience.

Unified Student Profiles

The data on student engagement and retention is often scattered across multiple formats and systems. However, with student engagement and retention platforms, this information is easily collected, unified, and organized into a single profile that can be accessed anytime.

UPS Healthcare Revolutionises Prioritised Shipping with Enhancements

UPS Healthcare today announced a market expansion and the next generation in the UPS® Premier product line. The UPS® Premier service portfolio provides unique flexibility to meet healthcare customers’ unique needs. The expansion will see the service become available in Ireland this year.

UPS Premier monitors packages at all times, creating visibility and prioritisation for each shipment. In addition, sensor technology enables real-time recovery of UPS Premier shipments if they encounter network delays, temperature deviations, or other issues.

UPS® Premier Silver and Gold are now available in major markets around the world. UPS® Premier Platinum adds the ability to monitor temperature, light and humidity while tracking shipments in and out of the UPS network.

“The expansion and enhancement of UPS Premier supports the complex needs of our laboratory, medical and pharmaceutical customers around the world,” said EVP and President International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solutions Kate Gutmann. “Whether efficiently moving healthcare products between countries, maintaining negative 80-degree temperatures or locating life-saving shipments with precision, UPS Premier provides industry-leading visibility, control, reliability and recovery.”

This specialised service connects major global trade lanes and is now expanding geographically. These new offerings provide customers even more benefits, including efficient customs brokerage, environmental monitoring, and visibility to meet the challenges of global healthcare logistics leaders.

“Visibility and traceability are essential to prioritizing the life-saving medications our customers ship and their customers need,” said UPS Healthcare President Wes Wheeler. “The difference between life and death for patients often hinges on the ability to quickly ship and precisely track, monitor and locate medications.”

Innovations in biologics, specialty pharmaceuticals, and medications genetically personalized for each patient’s needs are driving significant demand for precision logistics to support more patient-critical, time and temperature-sensitive products.

The global market for biologic therapeutic drugs is set to increase from $285.5 billion in 2020 to $421.8 billion by 2025. [1] UPS Healthcare has added these new UPS Premier capabilities to support the complex needs of this growing market.

For more information on UPS Healthcare’s innovations and customer-driven solutions, visit Healthcare.ups.com and about.ups.com.

ASUS Announces Upcoming Zenfone 9 Launch Event

Asus has announced the upcoming virtual launch event that will reveal the latest Zenfone 9 smartphone, an ultra-compact phone with big possibilities and big performance. The event will introduce performance improvements in both hardware and software, along with exclusive new features and never-before-seen accessories. The online-only event will take place on July 28, 2022 at 15:00 (CEST).

The fully immersive event will showcase the many improvements featured in Zenfone 9, including camera modules, processor and graphics performance, display speed, battery life, user interface and more. Zenfone 9 will feature the latest flagship Snapdragon® 8+ Gen1 Mobile Platform processor from Qualcomm®, giving it previously unimagined capabilities with up to a 3.2 GHz CPU clock speed. Zenfone 9 has also been completely redesigned, making it the most modern-looking Zenfone ever.

As part of the show, ASUS will showcase novel UI improvements and tunings, which will allow Zenfone 9 users to enjoy the intuitiveness and flexibility of a one-handed smartphone experience. Other new software improvements, combined with an extensive range of optional accessories, help users capture memories anytime, anywhere. Working in concert with the incredible performance improvements of Zenfone 9, this new UI is the perfect way to capture life, with just one hand.

Join the launch event online to see Zenfone 9 unveiled at https://asus.click/Zenfone9_edmpr

Tech Review – FiiTii HiFiPods from MIFO

Recently here we tested out the mifo MIFO active S earbuds which are one of my favourite earbuds to date this year, well these boys are from the same company and are aimed at a different user and the company does this well with how they sound and look, however one might look at how a product is targeted this does not mean you don’t want or need them but it is how things work today and with these earbuds they are almost twice the size of the MIFO ones and a different design too which is cool by the way and overall a bigger profile and this allows for some more inside.

Th HiFiPods offer up to 70 hours battery life which is fantastic considering some headphones cant reach that even today and with their presentation too they are new brand to watch out for in my opinion. Just look at the case, it is again another cool unseen design with metal and not plastic it is just cool.

The profile is bigger as mentioned however they have a unique design and finish that stands out in the crowd which for me is a good thing, they might be too big for some and that is a standard thing these days with design elements, once fitted with the correct tips though there is great passive noise isolation straight away as there is again no app here which is fine.

These are easy to control too, the same as the previous pair we tested and of course we go through this in the video review below and overall they are quite good and consistent given their size.

The sound though is what you want to know about and these sounded brighter than the MIFO, with no app there is no option to change the sound or features however they sound good, the ANC is decent but not the best in the world and you cant access your voice assistant but I can live with this and I am sure many others can. Highs can be hard to pick out lows and mids are fine and there is some bass however not strong so overall a quite middle tone experience or bright, for videos and gaming you have latency options but there was some lag playing games from time to time but this is minute and hardly noticeable to the untrained ear and lets not forget the aptX support.

Calls are find you have a mild noise cancelling’/ ANC off setting and the ANC on and Transparency mode it still does pick up a bit of wind but the quality is fine here.

Battery life is excellent lets not mess around here it will however depend on the settings used  but for the most it is hitting the near 70 hour claim they make..

Overall they are good but the price might be a but hefty for some given they look great and come with a super cool case there is room for those to rightly claim the price is too much and missing an app but that is the earbud market today and design of features might suit some over others but the choice is yours at the end of the day.

BUY

Creative Launches Latest Soundbar; The Stage Air V2

Creative Technology today launches Creative Stage Air V2, its latest under-monitor soundbar designed to give users a filling audio experience with a minimalist form factor which is versatile on connectivity options too.

Revamped inside-out from its popular predecessor (Stage Air), Stage Air V2 sports a new look while retaining a slim and compact profile. It delivers fuller-sounding audio with significantly better bass, even though a subwoofer is not included – thanks to its new dual full-range racetrack drivers and an oversized passive radiator.

This soundbar has a comprehensive connectivity profile for compatible devices (which include PC, Mac, PS5, Nintendo Switch, mobile devices) – users can conveniently connect a single USB cable for audio and power, or revert to the trusty 3.5mm port for analogue connectivity. It also delights as a wireless speaker, featuring the latest Bluetooth 5.3 technology with six hours of playback on a single charge – encouraging users to bring it with them on their in-home adventures.

Creative soundbar V2 techbuzzireland

Stage Air V2 is eager to please, whether as a compact and space-saving desktop accessory, or at the kitchen counter to spice up a cooking party. Users undoubtedly get more than their daily share of good audio vibes in an altogether budget-friendly package.

Pricing and Availability

Creative Stage Air V2 is aggressively priced at $48.88 (US), £49.99 (UK) and €54.99 (EU) and is available at the Creative online store.

For more information on Creative Stage Air V2, visit creative.com/StageAirV2.

Jabra Amazon Prime Day Deals

Amazon Prime Day has arrived and here are the latest deals on Jabra’s true wireless earbuds range! If you need some new earbuds Jabra is one of the best places to start and do check out all our reviews too. 

Enjoy tuning into your favourite podcast, workout soundtrack or dial into work calls with ease with Jabra’s Elite range of earbuds, equipped with ANC. 

 

Jabra Elite 4 Active: Was £119.99 now £79.99

 

Blacknavymint – the latest in Jabra’s Elite Active range, sure to stay put during your next gym session. 

Full review 

 

Jabra Elite 3: Was £79.99 now £49.99

 

Greynavylilacbeige – the newest all-round earbud just got even more affordable

Full review

Jabra Elite 7 Pro: Was £199.99 now 139.99

 

Blacktitanium blackgold beige – professional audio for taking calls on the go

 

Full review 

 

Jabra Elite 85t: Was £229.99 now £129.99

 

Blackcopper blackgrey – for superb sound quality with ANC

 

 

Full review 

Nokia announce three new iconic feature phones and a new Nokia tablet to enhance HMD Global’s 2022 portfolio

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announces three new feature phones to offer an alternative for people seeking to escape technology fatigue and ‘always on’ culture. As a leader in the $1 billion feature phone market in 2022 HMD Global’s new feature phone launches cement the Nokia phone legacy of unbeaten durability and battery life.

Taking inspiration from the resilient trio of feature phones, is the durable Nokia T10 – a tablet designed for work, home and family life. It comes in an affordable, compact 8” package with handy capabilities. It is a great all-rounder for juggling a busy life, whether you’re taking video calls from home, streaming your favourite TV shows, using the second screen feature to make it an expansion of PC display or keeping the kids entertained on Google Kids Space.

The latest portfolio additions reaffirm HMD Global’s commitment to ensuring everyone has access to affordable and long-lasting technology in both the phone and tablet categories. More importantly, these value devices are being released at a time of anxiety for consumers as the cost of living continues to rise. And the feature phones land at a time when 90s consumer culture is seeing a resurgence and resonating with customers.

Florian Seiche, CEO, HMD Global: ” Classic Nokia heritage is combined with innovation in our feature phone portfolio. This iconic range is gaining momentum as your trusted companion for all your communication needs.  At the same time, we have brought our signature longevity promises to the tablet market.

Innovation is just as important as heritage in our range which shines through with Nokia Aquila – a feature phone built for the 21st Century.  The Nokia Aquila delivers audio freedom through game-changing design.

Nokia T10: Quality that outlasts the competition

Small but mighty, the newest Nokia tablet is durable inside and out. Its unibody polymer design and nano-textured finish hide scratches so it looks almost as good as new when you pass it down to a family member or friend. Inside, the latest Android 12 software, two years of guaranteed Android upgrades, and three years of monthly security updates (twice as many as the competition) future-proof the device.

It also comes with Google Entertainment Space and Google Kids Space to make life easy whether the kids are enjoying tablet time, or you’re searching for your next favourite show. Meanwhile, a new range of accessories complements the Nokia T10’s functionality. This includes the Nokia Flip cover which handles most workplace environments and guards the entire device against bumps and scratches. It is available in Dark Blue or Cyan (green-blue shade) so you can stand out while keeping the tablet protected.

Nokia 8210 4G: Reviving a style icon

Nokia 8210 4G – a new addition to the ‘Originals’ family – celebrates the iconic Nokia 8210 launched in 1999 at Paris Fashion Week. Inspired by the classic feature phone, the new Nokia 8210 4G turns heads by combining memorable design and signature durability with 4G, VoLTE capability, a large 2.8” display and intuitive user interface. Things just got so much simpler! Plus, it has weeks of standby battery like the good old days.

Nokia 5710 XpressAudio: Game-changing audio meets 21st century innovation

The Nokia 5710 XpressAudio takes what people loved about the Nokia 5310 and makes it even better. A bigger battery, dedicated audio control keys, and a built-in wireless earbuds ramp up the audio experience to the next level and meet the needs of modern users. When not in use, earbuds are housed beneath a sleek slider on the back of the phone, so you always know where they are and charged. That, together with loud dual speakers means you can enjoy music privately or together with friends just like the artist intended with rich bass, clear highs, and natural vocals..

Nokia 2660 Flip: accessibility and durability in a flip phone

The flip functionality and thoughtful design of the Nokia 2660 Flip makes call handling simple by bringing the mic and earpiece closer to you. Enhanced, confidence-boosting accessibility features mean it is loved by everyone, especially those over 55. Its big display, hearing aid compatibility, stellar battery life, and big buttons provide a seamless experience for those who need it the most. The dedicated emergency button provides peace of mind by allowing quick contact with your loved ones. In case the unexpected happens, five contacts will be notified, so they can ensure help is on the way. And, if you’d like to always know where your phone is and that it is charging when not in use, the sturdy Nokia Charging Cradle[iii] is the perfect accessory.

Pricing and availability

  • The Nokia T10 will be available in Ireland in early August from €169. The Nokia Flip Cover will be available in Nordic Blue for €34.99
  • The Nokia 8210 4G will be available in Ireland in early August in blue for €74.99
  • The Nokia 5710 XpressAudio will be available in Ireland in August in black/red for €84.99
  • The Nokia 2660 Flip will be available in Ireland in early August in black for €84.99. The Nokia Charging Cradle is available for €19.99.  For launch, Nokia.com customers can buy the Nokia 2660 Flip with Cradle bundle for €94.99

Commonwealth Games photography tips: Capture sporting action like a pro this summer

Mario So is a filmmaker and photographer specialising in visual story telling as well as high impact product commercials. He is part of ZHIYUN creator’s club. Mario So is also an educator in the field. You can find him teaching tutorials or talking about gear on his YouTube channel.

The Commonwealth Games will be held from 28 July to 8 August 2022 and are set to be the biggest sporting event of the year. If you’re lucky enough to have tickets for this or any other major fixture, taking the perfect video will be something to share and marvel at in many years to come. Film like a pro with these top tips.

 

  1. LIVE AND BREATHE YOUR SPORT

Having extensive knowledge of the sport you are shooting will show in your footage. By being passionate about the sport you are filming, you will be more able to anticipate where an athlete is going to move for those next level shots.

It takes practice and dedication to be able to feel your shots by instinct, so the more events you capture, the more you will understand where to go for the best shots. Watching lots of sports games will also give you a better idea of what players to look out for and understand what the audience likes to see.

  1. FREESTYLE SHOTS FOR AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

Filmmakers (whether amateur or pro) can create an immersive experience for their audience in so many ways including by following the action with close-up shots of, for example, in outdoor or extreme sports.

Raise the camera, we like using the Sony a7siii for it’s great video capabilities, above your head for an overhead view of the action or sweep in lows for added drama. One way to do this while keeping the camera steady is by using a gimbal.

Gimbals offer versatility, and lightweight models like the Weebill 3 or smartphone champions such as the SMOOTH Q4 offer more freedom for you to move around and try different techniques such freestyle shots and can be used to get the perfect dolly shot.

Why not capture the classic push-in or pull-out shots you see onscreen by moving your camera steadily forward or backwards?

Alternatively, you can hold your camera or gimbal vertically or inclined, push in at a low angle, tilt up or down, and pan. The options are almost endless. As long as the camera is steady and facing your subject, you can shoot some excellent sports footage.

  1. SMOOTH, DYNAMIC ACTION SHOTS

To get the best out of your footage, ensure your camera is in focus and steady. The Sony A6600 offers a compact body with excellent autofocus. With many sports, like basketball you still want to be mobile – which is not always possible with a tripod.

Standing in one place, follow your subject with the camera by rotating your body and camera in the same direction as your subject is moving. This is a great shot for those sports that require the camera to stay focused on a moving subject over a shorter distance, such as a cricketer running between wickets or for swimmers.

  1. CAPTURE ACTION FROM ALL ANGLES

With a gimbal, you’ll get smooth footage that shows the action from all angles. This is called a parallax shot  – a 180 or 360 rotating motion that places the subject in the centre of the frame.

Parallax shots are particularly suited for slower, indoor sports like snooker, darts, or chess and work best if you’re a short distance from what you’re shooting. Your subject can be stationary or mobile.

  1. BEAUTIFULLY UNBROKEN SHOTS

This type of shot is called the handover. Equipment like gimbals make it possible to hand over the camera to another operator mid-shot for continuous, unbroken filming.

Take parkour for example. Users stand on different levels, handing the video stabiliser to another operator while the initial subject leaps and rolls over obstacles. For extreme sports like these it’s always a great idea to get a gimbal with a secure locking system for your smartphone or camera.

 

  1. FAST PACED, LONG DISTANCE ACTION

For fast paced, long-distance sports such as cycling or marathons, be ready to capture the action from a moving car or motorbike. You can film as you walk, run or bike alongside your subject too, depending on the sport.

Professional photographers should consider the Sony A9 Mark II  to capture shots that need to be delivered to a news desk or website quickly…with super-fast WiFi transfer, a class-leading autofocus system and attractive burst shooting, this camera is leading the way in sports photography.

  1. NON STOP WIDE SHOTS FOR BREATHTAKING ANGLES

For extreme or winter sports, filmmakers can opt to record the action while also participating in sport such as skateboarding, skydiving and skiing. While it does take fitness and certain skill from the videographer, the potential results are worth it.

Stabilise your camera as you follow your subject for a start-to-finish action scene. Make sure you choose equipment durable enough to withstand a few bumps along the way.

  1. GETTING GREAT AUDIO

Great audio is a key component of the video. When shooting outdoors or where there is an audience, there are various factors that you need to be aware of, such as the weather.

Strong winds and background noise could interfere with the microphone and negatively impact the sound quality. Noise-cancelling microphones, a deadcat, or capturing your audio with external recorders can be of great help.

Images from Mario So around parkour/gymnastics training and skating:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kFJUSc8pHs0q8-LhZRi5RhitATbeMJTb

Capturing smooth shots of sporting action is easy using a camera stabiliser. Here are three of our top picks:

Crane M3 –  professional, 3-axis gimbal, claiming five industry firsts for looks, unmatched versatility, easy operability and trademark high-performance ZHIYUN design. The CRANE M3 is compatible with smartphones, action cameras, and full-frame mirrorless cameras with certain lenses.

CRANE M3 £329.00 from the official ZHIYUN store

Weebill 3 – portable, high performance gimbal for DSLR cameras. Incorporating a new SLING 2.0 design for improved ergonomics, built-in microphone, fill light and a powerful, inbuilt battery supporting all-day use

WEEBILL 3 £449 from the Official ZHIYUN store

Smooth Q4 – aimed at on-the-move filmmakers, live-streamers, vloggers and influencers, the new 3-axis stabiliser, is designed for super quick-shooting capabilities and ultra-creative output, day or night.

Smooth Q4, from £119 on the Official Zhiyun store

About Mario So

Mario So is a filmmaker and photographer specialising in visual story telling as well as high impact product commercials. He is part of the ZHIYUN creator’s club. Mario So is also an educator in the field. You can find him teaching tutorials or talking about gear on his YouTube channel.

More about Mario So:

www.mariosomedia.com

www.youtube.com/MarioSoMedia

www.tiktok.com/@maritoso7

Petoi unleashes 20% off Bittle robot dog for Amazon Prime Day

To celebrate Amazon Prime Day (12th & 13th July 2022), Petoi, the maker of futuristic robotic pets, is offering 20% off its palm-sized, bionic robot dog – Bittle. Available from Amazon UK here, Bittle will be reduced from £299.99 to £239.99, a saving of £60. Petoi will also be offering 20% off Bittle accessories including the Additional Battery Pack (was £39.99, now £31.99) and the Intelligent Camera Module (was £59.99, now £47.99).

Small but agile, Bittle is a powerful robot that can be programmed to walk, do tricks and roll around just like a real dog. Bittle operates on OpenCat, an open-source quadrupled robot platform that offers endless programming and customisation possibilities. It is an ideal tool for teaching, researching and learning about STEM and robotics.

Users bring Bittle to life by assembling its puzzle-like frame which is made up of 3D interlocking components, eliminating the need for screws. The bionic construction of legs rather than wheels means that Bittle is able to move more freely over unstructured terrain. With a simple and beautiful design, Bittle can be configured and controlled using Petoi’s official mobile app.

Evolving with an open-source gene, Bittle is built on Petoi’s OpenCat open-source platform which was first launched in 2018 by Petoi’s founder Dr. Rongzhong Li specifically for quadrupled robots. Bittle’s dynamic maneuverability and behaviours are features typically seen on luxury robots but Petoi’s technology is now making it accessible to more consumers.

With a customised Arduino board coordinating all instinctive and sophisticated movements, users are able to clip various smart sensors onto Bittle or mount a Raspberry Pi or other AI chips through wired/wireless connections to inject perception and artificial intelligence capabilities.

Features include:

  • OpenCat framework
  • Arduino compatible motion controller & wireless connectivity
  • Interlocking plastic frame
  • Shock reduction joints
  • Programmable gaits and behaviours
  • 9 x fast, powerful digital metal servos

For more information, please visit https://www.petoi.com.