Techno-News Blog

Holly Heller-Ross, EDUCAUSE Review

I have found that library and IT leaders (my areas) often structure their communication efforts to go up the reporting chain and prepare executive updates, knowing that keeping other academic leaders informed will make gauging or obtaining their support easier. Communicating 360 degrees means communicating out and around to all parts and people in your campus ecosystem. Effective leaders also communicate broadly with their direct reports, their leadership teams, their customers, and their business consultants or vendors—staying on top of industry news, trends, technology, and products.

https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2020/11/communicating-360-degrees

Judy Brewer, Carly Gerard, and Mark Hakkinen; EDUCAUSE Review

Students with disabilities are a vulnerable population in higher education. And the emergency move to remote instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the vulnerability of this population into stark relief. One of the technologies that is being explored to help improve and create tools for a more accessible learning environment is artificial intelligence.

https://er.educause.edu/podcasts/educause-exchange/the-impact-of-ai-on-accessibility

Sherry Negrea, Unbound

The rise in popularity of MOOCs comes as the model in this online space has shifted to credit-bearing courses and degrees, with at least 50 MOOC-based degrees now offered by universities globally. As more students and adult learners turn to MOOCs, the online courses and degrees are accelerating the adoption of online learning in higher education. “The pandemic has been transformative for many institutions,” said Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor for online learning at the University of Illinois Springfield, who organized a MOOC in 2011. “They have awakened to online learning. It could take years to tame a mutating virus, all the while universities will have to cope with periodic campus outbreaks. Online learning will become a mainstay of learning delivery among the institutions that survive.”

https://unbound.upcea.edu/online-2/online-education/massive-open-online-courses/creating-a-new-model-for-moocs/

Stephanie Fairchild, the Buchtelite

Associate Professor of Practice Julie Cajigas has some tips on how students can boost their success in an online learning environment.  “Students should first carefully consider the options available to them,” Cajigas said. “Synchronous options are great for students who feel that having a fixed time with live instruction will help them succeed. Some students thrive with asynchronous online courses, which allow them to work at their own pace.” One issue students are facing is maintaining a work and school balance. In a typical semester, the time students can work is limited due to physically being in class. A 15-credit schedule means about 15 hours of in-class time, plus time for studying and homework.

https://buchtelite.com/40316/news/tips-tricks-for-success-in-online-learning/

Jim Fong, Unbound

With the evolution to the 4IR accelerated due to the pandemic, many new jobs are expected to be created, while others will be eliminated. In addition, it is estimated that 75 million[3] workers in the United States will need to be reskilled while worldwide, upwards of one billion will need new skills by 2030.[4] As a result, higher education can no longer rely solely on a credit-based model, often taking four or more years and 120 credits to complete an undergraduate degree and another two years and 30 credits for a graduate degree.

https://unbound.upcea.edu/research-and-policy/demographics/new-economy-and-changing-demographics-that-will-impact-professional-continuing-and-online-education/

APLU, USU, Workcred, UPCEA

Improved career outcomes for students―including higher salaries, improved rates of hire, and faster promotion tracks―are the ultimate goal of this initiative. Along with its partners APLU, USU, and Workcred, UPCEA brought together universities and certification bodies from across the nation to identify opportunities to embed certifications into undergraduate degree programs in the growing fields of healthcare, cybersecurity, manufacturing, and the liberal arts.

https://upcea.edu/aligning-and-embedding-industry-certifications-with-bachelors-degrees/

Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
Even though first-year college students are more likely than students in later years to say they intended to return to school in the spring (73 percent versus 68 percent), they’re less confident they’ll see the value of the investment in higher education (45 percent compared to 51 percent), according to a recent survey done by education technology company Top Hat. The students in higher grades reported that they’re having a tougher time adjusting to online learning.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2020/11/16/survey-interactive-in-class-engagement-makes-a-difference-to-students.aspx

BY RICHARD WANG, eCampus News

Since the coronavirus hit full force in the early months of 2020, remote-work models are fully in place for the foreseeable future. To remain competitive, companies now need to support these new paradigms by giving their employees the tools to make them happen A new generation of young tech workers is entering the workforce right now, already armed with tech experience. They’ve grown up with the internet, social media, and coding as core parts of their culture. They recognize and value flexibility beyond the old confines of office attendance and 9-to-5 routines.  Students poised to enter the workforce should strive to hone skills that will make them competitive and successful in remote environments.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2020/11/16/e-learning-future-of-work/

Sharon Hurley Hall, WebSite Planet

If you’re a Caucasian male, you’ve won the lottery when it comes to getting hired in tech, or so it seems. According to tech diversity reports, in the biggest tech companies, men represent between 77% and 88% of the workforce, and Caucasians between 40% and 51%. Those figures seem to reveal a stark truth: if you’re a woman or a person of color, it’s much harder to get a tech job. In the past, recruiters have subtly discouraged women from applying to tech jobs. Plus, a LinkedIn study shows that even when women apply, recruiters are less likely to pick up their resumes or interview them. It’s a similar situation for people of color. But does that still apply if you’re going for a mid-level position at a tech firm? Here at Website Planet, we wanted to test this for ourselves. [see the link below for intriguing results]

https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/gender-racial-bias-hiring-in-tech/