Educational Technology

Doug Lederman, Inside Higher Ed

Survey finds significant increases in professors’ confidence in virtual learning and their sense of support from their colleges — but continuing concerns about equity for underrepresented students. But the report on the survey, “Time for Class COVID-19 Edition Part 2: Planning for a Fall Like No Other,” from Every Learner Everywhere and Tyton Partners, also suggests that instructors’ increased — if forced — experience with remote learning last spring has enhanced their view of how they can use technology to improve their own teaching and to enable student learning. The proportion of instructors who see online learning as effective may still be just under half — 49 percent — but that’s up from 39 percent who said so in a similar survey in May.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2020/10/06/covid-era-experience-strengthens-faculty-belief-value-online

Alia Wong, Education Dive
Dozens of institutions have joined consortia for exchanging online classes since the pandemic began, and new options have sprung up. Course-sharing networks historically have tended to comprise small groups of neighboring colleges with similar curricular goals, such as the Five College Consortium in Western Massachusetts and the Claremont Colleges in Los Angeles County. While the early course-sharing happened in-person, newer initiatives let students take classes online from schools all over the country. But demand for course-sharing services has soared since the pandemic began. Forced to quickly adjust to remote instruction, some colleges looked to consortia for help filling out their online program offerings.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/the-shift-online-has-colleges-looking-to-share-courses/586346/

Holly Chilsen, WSAW

Since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the education sector, Americans are reconsidering investing in higher education, according to a new Edward Jones and Morning Consult study. Respondents cited concerns over the current economic climate and the quality of online learning as top reasons some students are considering skipping higher education and choosing to look for full-time employment or internships instead.

https://www.wsaw.com/2020/10/02/americans-are-reconsidering-investing-in-higher-education-due-to-covid-19/

Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
In a recent ASU+GSV session, five college presidents gave their views of what’s next for higher education. What does the future of higher education look like? A panel of five university and college presidents offered their crystal-ball visions in a recent session during the recent ASU+GSV Summit, which took place online this week. Moderator Michelle Marx, chancellor of the University of Colorado Denver, asked panelists — each representing a unique higher education model — to look forward five years and beyond.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2020/10/02/envisioning-the-future-of-higher-ed-in-a-post-pandemic-world.aspx

Anthony C Ogden and Denise Cope, University World News
There may be some major shifts under way in international student mobility patterns. The current upheavals in the United States higher education landscape appear to be driving greater numbers of US students to consider full degrees abroad. US universities and colleges were on the ropes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many institutions already facing shrinking enrolments, budget crunches and stagnating public funding. Add COVID-19 to the mix and the challenges only get worse for US higher education. The cracks in the system are growing into chasms and the landscape may be forever changed.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20201002154520979

Dejania Oliver, the FAMUan

Since universities started to shut down around the country in late February, professors wondered what would happen for the upcoming year. Now that schools are midway through the fall term, professors have noted the difficulties of virtual teaching. Dealing with technology issues and the ongoing pandemic, many educators have decided the stress is too much to bear. According to a nationwide poll done by the National Education Association (NEA),28 percent of teachers said the COVID-19 pandemic has made them more likely to retire early or leave the profession. There is a lot of pressure on educators now. Not only do they have to navigate new technology, but they have the enormous responsibility of making sure their students still receive quality education. This is a time of change for everyone, and teachers have had to find ways to cope with that change.

http://www.thefamuanonline.com/2020/10/01/some-professors-struggle-with-distance-learning/

Anant Agarwal, Fast Company

In recent weeks, colleges and universities have had to radically adapt traditional learning to keep students safe as COVID-19 shows little sign of abating. Now, students and teachers are grappling with how to avoid learning disruptions and maximize engagement in a remote world. The good news is, the online learning space is more sophisticated now. EdTech (or educational technology)platforms have not seen this much demand, pressure, and energy around online learning since the MOOC movement (massively online open courses) first exploded onto the scene in 2012. The difference is that now we have experience and data about what resonates in the online learning experience to create the most seamless and engaging education journey for students.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90559185/prepare-for-a-blended-future-why-virtual-learning-is-here-to-stay

Kyungmee Lee, the Conversation

There is no doubt that student experience as a whole will not be the same if universities move entirely online. But we must not assume that online teaching is automatically inferior to face-to-face teaching. Universities can provide students with engaging and invaluable learning experiences online.

https://theconversation.com/universities-have-invested-in-online-learning-and-it-can-provide-students-with-value-for-money-147061

JILL ANDERSON, GSE Harvard

Khan says, “A lot of it is just going to be a mental health issue, making sure they’re engaged. I think if kids are engaged in mental health and they’re having regular touchpoints with amazing teachers, things are going to be fine. The crisis is going to stay a crisis. It won’t become a catastrophe.”

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/20/10/harvard-edcast-making-online-learning-work

DAVE TESKE, eCampus News
Speaking at the annual conference of the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI), the presidents of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, and Texas A&M University—San Antonio agreed that the ongoing “collision of crises” marks a defining moment for how universities and colleges will conduct business in the future. The panelists emphasized the need for higher education to determine new ways for “reskilling” workers due to changes in business ecosystem models, the urgency of addressing issues related to the structural inequities of institutional racism, and the opportunity to clearly define, as a whole and at the individual institution level, a compelling value proposition.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2020/09/30/change-higher-ed/

Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
A pilot at the University of Phoenix found that a well-designed interactive textbook can help people stick with their math studies. The university worked with zyBooks from John Wiley & Sons in a two-course undergraduate sequence on quantitative reasoning. The pilot began in October 2019 and was transitioned into full implementation beginning in December 2019. The adoption involved 800-plus adult learners with an average age in the mid-30s.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2020/09/21/u-phoenix-e-textbook-pilot-improves-adult-math-engagement.aspx

St. Mary’s University

Prof. Amanda Hill says “as a recent student, I have had the opportunity to take online courses that used Canvas and had additionally taken classes in online education during my graduate work. My experience with, and knowledge of, technology also played a role in helping me feel prepared to teach online. This also helped me approach my work this summer as co-director of the Community for Teaching and Learning, where I helped other faculty prepare to teach online. While I would rather be in a face-to-face classroom where I can more easily get to know my students, I do think online education has its benefits. I like that it opens access to folks who need to work during the day, or who are not capable of physically being in a classroom. I think online education will work really well for some students.”

https://www.stmarytx.edu/2020/communication-professor-online/

Chris Westfall, Forbes

How important is upskilling and leadership training? The World Economic Forum reports that 42% of the core skills required for jobs will change by 2022. And many of those changes are already in evidence today. Fostering a safe and successful recovery means expanding access to the digital skills that can get people working again – and make companies more efficient. Clearly, upskilling and training is vital to the future of work – and to your future career success.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriswestfall/2020/10/28/how-to-upskill-corporate-training-and-development-the-4-missing-links-in-online-learning/#3e02e4982e9c

Isaac Lee, Daily Pennsylvanian

Last week, students in STEM classes reported being slammed by the increased workload due to the combination of synchronous and pre-recorded lectures. Behind the scenes, however, some professors say they are working double or triple the usual amount to run a fully virtual course.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2020/09/stem-penn-professors-increased-work-virtual-covid

Andrew Cadotte, EDUCAUSE Review

To create a diverse team, you first need to reach out to potential team members and explain the purpose of the project. On campus, this might look like reaching out to other departments or divisions (tech or otherwise), soliciting team members during a virtual meeting, or sending invites through an email list or group chat. You can also communicate with stakeholders and project owners to find potential team members whom you may not have considered. Communication is also essential once the team is assembled because members need to understand the “why” of the project and why they have been chosen. Choosing team members who have different educational or cultural backgrounds will help the team look at issues that may arise with a fresh perspective.

https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2020/9/creating-diverse-teams-during-a-time-of-uncertainty

eCampus News

The Covid-19 pandemic has permanently changed higher education. While other sectors may rebound to pre-pandemic conditions and some may disappear forever, our nation’s colleges and universities are most certainly going to rebound to something that looks quite different from just one year ago, Forbes reports.  There is upside and downside to this fact. The upside: change was needed and perhaps long overdue. The downside: it’s expensive and not everyone will be successful.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2020/09/30/whats-on-the-horizon-for-higher-ed/

eCampus News

Over a quarter (27%) of university students were unable to access online learning during the Covid-19 lockdown, according to new research which suggests that disabled students and those from poorer backgrounds were worst affected, The Guardian reports. The survey, which was carried out in July by the National Union of Students (NUS), found that disruptions to studies arose from a lack of IT equipment and software, insufficient course materials, and poor internet connections.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2020/09/28/too-many-students-couldnt-access-online-learning-in-the-spring/

Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
The State University of New York is working with Extreme Networks to launch a systemwide esports league. The goal: to promote “safe competition, connection and camaraderie” among students at SUNY’s 64 campuses, while they’re being encouraged to physically distance from each other. Free registration for varsity and club teams is now open for the fall league, which runs for five weeks. A similar eight-week league will run in the spring semester.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2020/09/28/suny-opens-esports-play-systemwide.aspx

Amy Smith, Hechinger Report

Debate about the fairness of online learning tends to revolve around technology access. And there are indeed sharp disparities in home access to computers and reliable broadband service. But equity in online learning is more than simply making sure students have decent technology and fast internet. Every student — not just the marginalized and disenfranchised — needs sound course design, sufficient student support and testing programs that make sense and protect integrity.At this time in our history, the global pandemic presents a unique opportunity to establish and refine an online learning model that is fair and equitable for all students.

https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-equity-in-online-learning-is-about-much-more-than-technology-access/

Sean Gallagher and Jason Palmer, Harvard Business Review

Higher education is being pummeled by the Covid-19 pandemic. This spring’s campus shutdowns led to a quick rush to “remote learning,” exposing the fragmented adoption of high-quality education technology and digital capabilities across thousands of colleges and universities. The tumultuous fall semester, complete with aborted campus openings and widely diverging online and blended options, has only increased the pressure on America’s colleges and universities. Pre-pandemic, there was already widespread acknowledgement that the traditional higher education business model is seriously challenged. Fall 2020 marks a clear inflection point as students, educators, and government leaders alike scrutinize the price and value proposition of higher education through the new lens of traditional classroom versus multiple modes of digital delivery.

https://hbr.org/2020/09/the-pandemic-pushed-universities-online-the-change-was-long-overdue