Ghost Students

ghost studentsGhost students, as their name implies, aren’t real people. They are not spectral visions. Had you asked me earlier to define the term, I would have said it is a way to describe a student who is enrolled in a college or university but does not actively participate in classes or academic activities. However, these new ghosts are aliases or stolen identities used by scammers and the bots they deploy to get accepted to a college, but not for the purpose of attending classes or earning a degree. Why? What's the scam?

These students may not attend lectures, complete assignments, or engage in the regular responsibilities expected of them, yet they are still listed as part of the institution's enrollment. In some cases, ghost students may be enrolled for reasons such as maintaining financial aid, benefiting from certain privileges, or fulfilling scholarship requirements. Alternatively, the term can sometimes refer to students who may be technically registered but are not engaging with the academic community in a meaningful way.

But more recently, I have seen the definition of a ghost student include when a fraudster completes an online application to a college or university and then, once accepted, enrolls in classes. At that point, the fraudster behind the ghost student can use the fake identity to act like a regular student. He or she can access and abuse cloud storage provided by the institution, or use a college-provided VPN or .edu email address to perpetrate other scams. In the most serious cases, a ghost student’s new enrollment status may be used to apply for and receive thousands of dollars in financial aid.

Institutions targeted by these scams can face consequences ranging from minor inconveniences to significant financial burdens. Ghost students may disrupt campus operations by occupying spots meant for qualified applicants or prompting schools to add course sections for high-demand classes, only for those seats to go unused. Once the issue is identified, colleges must invest substantial time and effort into carefully reviewing applications and monitoring student activity, placing a heavy burden on admissions officers, faculty, IT teams, and other staff.

I read about an extreme example from California’s Pierce College, where enrollment dropped by almost 36 percent — from 7,658 students to 4,937 — after ghost students were purged from the rolls.

If ghost students secure financial aid, often through federal Pell grants, it diverts funds from legitimate applicants and taxpayers. Their presence also strains admissions and IT teams. Additionally, if granted email accounts and access to instructional technology platforms, ghost students can overwhelm data centers and pose serious security risks, increasing vulnerabilities for institutions already targeted by cybercriminals.

Making the application process more rigorous is the most direct way to limit the presence of ghost students. But for many institutions, especially two-year colleges, that approach is antithetical to the college’s mission and desire to offer easier access to higher education. In addition, with enrollment still a major concern for all types of institutions, anything that limits the pool of potential students is a nonstarter.

What Happened to the Internet of Things?

IoT uses

IoT applications

After writing here about how the Internet and websites are not forever, I started looking at some old posts that perhaps should be deleted or updated. With 2200+ posts here since 2006, that seems like an overwhelming and unprofitable use of my time. Plus, maybe an old post has some historical value. But I do know that there are older posts that have links to things that just don't exist on the Internet anymore.

The last post I wrote here labeled "Internet of Things" (IoT) was in June 2021. IoT was on Gartner's trends list in 2012, and my first post about IoT here was in 2009, so I thought an new update was due.

When I wrote about this in 2014, there were around 10 billion connected devices. In 2024, the number has increased to over 30 billion devices, ranging from smart home gadgets (e.g., thermostats, speakers) to industrial machines and healthcare devices. Platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit provide hubs for connecting and controlling a range of IoT devices.

The past 10 years have seen the IoT landscape evolve from a collection of isolated devices to a more integrated, intelligent, and secure ecosystem. Advancements in connectivity, AI, edge computing, security, and standardization have made IoT more powerful, reliable, and accessible, with applications transforming industries, enhancing daily life, and reshaping how we interact with technology. The number of connected devices has skyrocketed, with billions of IoT devices now in use worldwide. This widespread connectivity has enabled smarter homes, cities, and industries.

IoT devices have become more user-friendly and accessible, with smart speakers, wearables, and home automation systems becoming commonplace in households. If you have a washing machine or dryer that reminds you via an app about its cycles. or a thermostat that knows when you are in rooms or on vacation, then IoT is in your home, whether you use that term or not.

Surveying the topic online turned up a good number of things that have pushed IoT forward or that IoT has pushed forward. Most recently, I would say that the 3 big things that have pushed IoT forward are 5G and advanced connectivity, the rise of edge computing, and AI and machine learning integration:

Technological improvements, such as the rollout of 5G networks, have greatly increased the speed and reliability of IoT connections. This has allowed for real-time data processing and more efficient communication between devices.

Many IoT devices now incorporate edge computing and AI to process data locally, reducing the reliance on cloud-based servers. This allows faster decision-making, less latency, and improved security by limiting the amount of data transmitted. IoT devices have increasingly incorporated AI and machine learning for predictive analytics and automation. This shift has allowed for smarter decision-making and automation in various industries, such as manufacturing (predictive maintenance), healthcare (patient monitoring), and agriculture (smart farming).

The integration of big data and advanced analytics has enabled more sophisticated insights from IoT data. This has led to better decision-making, predictive maintenance, and personalized user experiences.

One reason why I have heard less about IoT (and written less about it) is that it has expanded beyond consumer devices to industrial applications. I discovered a new term - Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) that includes smart manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, and transportation, improving efficiency and productivity.

There are also concerns that have emerged. As IoT devices proliferate, so have concerns about security. Advances in cybersecurity measures have been implemented to protect data and ensure the privacy of users. The IoT security landscape has seen new protocols and encryption standards being developed to protect against vulnerabilities, with an emphasis on device authentication and secure communication.

The rollout of 5G has enhanced IoT capabilities by providing faster, more reliable connections. This has enabled more efficient real-time data processing for smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and industrial IoT applications, which can now operate at a larger scale and with lower latency.

IoT devices are now able to use machine learning and AI to learn from user behavior and improve their performance. For example, smart thermostats can learn a household’s schedule and adjust settings automatically, while security cameras can differentiate between human and non-human motion.

Edge computing has allowed IoT devices to process data locally rather than relying solely on cloud-based servers. This reduces latency and bandwidth usage, making it especially beneficial for time-sensitive applications like healthcare monitoring, industrial automation, and smart grids.

Despite the growth, the IoT market faces challenges such as chipset supply constraints, economic uncertainties, and geopolitical conflicts

 

 

 

Opening the Classroom Door Into 2025

Whenever I post predictions of what might be coming in edtech for the new year, I find myself writing about things that were present in the past year or even for several years. In other words, it takes more than a year for any trend or new thing to catch hold. And some things are predicted to be big for many years in a row but just don't seem to emerge. (item 5 in my list below is a good example.) 

I wrote earlier about the general trends for 2024 edtech, and honestly, it all seemed old already and one-sided..

So, what educational technology might we expect to be significant in 2025? I looked online for trend reports and the topics seem very familiar.

Here is the list I compiled from other writers' lists. How much of this list is familiar to you?

  1. artificial intelligence
  2. AI-driven personalized learning
  3. cloud computing
  4. immersive experiences with virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR)
  5. gamification
  6. hybrid learning models
  7. data analytics
  8. adaptive learning systems that cater to individual student needs

I find nothing new in this list; some have been on trend lists for years.

Is nothing new on the horizon in edtech?

 

Google AI Essentials Course

I mentioned in an earlier post that everyone in education - students and teachers - says that they use AI in their work, but very few can say they are formally trained or certified in the use of AI.

One option is Google AI Essentials. It is a short and affordable ($49 USD) online course that takes under 10 hours and provides you with an AI training certificate.

The course outline explains that there is a 21x increase in job postings mentioning AI technologies, so this training should give you an edge.

Google AI Essentials can help you discover how you can use AI to assist, empower, and inspire you. Learn how to use generative AI tools to help speed up daily tasks, make more informed decisions, and develop new ideas and content.

A course like this can help you use AI tools to boost your productivity. You can complete the course at your own pace. Zero experience is required

You can get started on Coursera

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