Insights From The eLearning Frontier
This Edition: Neural Networks, Escape Rooms, Simulation Learning, & More
- How Neural Networks Work—and Why They’ve Become a Big Business – Computer scientists have been experimenting with neural networks since the 1950s. But two big breakthroughs—one in 1986, the other in 2012—laid the foundation for today’s vast deep learning industry. The 2012 breakthrough—the deep learning revolution—was the discovery that we can get dramatically better performance out of neural networks with not just a few layers but with many.
- Learning from Escape Rooms – You open the desk drawer to find a box with a lock on it. You look at the timer on the wall – only 4 minutes left. How will you figure out the combination in time? It takes 4 digits… wait. Didn’t you just solve a math problem that had a 4 digit answer?
- 3 Questions to Ask Before Investing in Your First Simulation Learning Solution – Perhaps the most compelling aspect of simulation learning is that participants are immersed in incredibly authentic, true-to-life training exercises, thanks to the advancement of modern-day technology. And with the emergence of computer-generated experiences like virtual reality, simulations are only becoming more and more representative of true-life experiences.
- How Do Libraries Clean Books? And More Questions From Our Readers – Fumigation was used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when book-borrowing was seen as a possible disease vector. Today, collections use nonchemical methods, like freezing, to treat mold and insect infestations. The observation that the coronavirus can survive on paper and cardboard for up to one day is leading libraries to disinfect nonporous surfaces and quarantine recently circulated materials for 24 hours.
- How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive – The ballpoint’s universal success has changed how most people experience ink. Its thicker ink was less likely to leak than that of its predecessors. For most purposes, this was a win—no more ink-stained shirts, no need for those stereotypically geeky pocket protectors. However, thicker ink also changes the physical experience of writing, not necessarily all for the better.
With this acute and rapid shift to virtual learning going on, we want to show you Reach, our mobile-first learning app, with a serious games engine to motivate learners. To see for yourself the power of the Reach platform, schedule a free demo with us.