Education - Issue #171: a Hybryd Education Model, Federal Funds, and Cyber-Attack Simulation

A hybrid model combining face-to-face and virtual learning has become more predominant since the beginning of the pandemic. Such a model creates additional burdens for teachers as they try to engage both in-person and remote students at the same time while also learning to use new edtech tools. While significant challenges remain to be overcome, it is becoming increasingly clear that virtual and hybrid learning are here to stay.

What is the future of higher educational institutions? See how educational institutions are embracing the digital transformation.

K–12 schools are seeing a wealth of federal funding in response to the pandemic, yet in some cases — such as with the latest round of Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) support — this money is going unclaimed. Of the ECF’s available $7.17 billion, more than $2 billion remained after the first application window closed. This prompted the Federal Communications Commission to open a second window for applications and encourage schools and libraries to apply.

Cyber-attacks are growing steadily in number, strength and variety, with a shocking 83% of UK schools having experienced at least one cybersecurity incident. This statistic is disturbing, but it becomes increasingly concerning with the realisation that 98% of schools use antivirus software and 99% have some sort of firewall protection; these security efforts are failing. Highly experienced hackers can mimic legitimate user actions and operate under the radar, successfully infiltrating schools and universities. This begs the question – what if you could see through the eyes of the attacker?