Educational Technology

April 10, 2021

Generation COVID will embrace digital revolution with support

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:36 am

Nathan Schultz, the Age (AU)

In a university sector used to gradual change, COVID-19 has brought an overnight revolution as numbers of overseas students fall and revenue suffers. When the government announced in June major changes to universities’ funding, including a 113 per cent price rise for humanities courses, Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie warned this could lead to “whole faculties gutted”. With undergraduates taking all their courses online during lockdown, it is likely that COVID-19 will further expedite a move away from the “traditional university experience”. The class of COVID-19 – the first to grow up as “digital natives” – are well prepared for this change.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/generation-covid-will-embrace-digital-revolution-with-support-20210211-p571lv.html

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CWRU’s Siegal Lifelong Learning responds to pandemic demands with virtual courses

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

Case Western Reserve

Some things, such as restaurants and movie theaters, have been hurt by the pandemic, while others — namely Zoom — have grown and thrived. Siegal Lifelong Learning at Case Western Reserve University can be placed in the category of things that have thrived. In the days before COVID-19, Siegal was known for helping people who wanted to delve further into topics of interest and enrich their lives through in-person classes and lectures. Early on in the pandemic in March 2020, Siegal — which already had a lineup of in-person courses and lectures planned — moved to adapt to the times and the growing need for online learning.  The result has been that its online learning courses have attracted a more varied and far-reaching audience.

https://www.cleveland.com/community/2021/03/cwrus-siegal-lifelong-learning-responds-to-pandemic-demands-with-virtual-courses-sees-growth.html

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April 9, 2021

Challenges of a break-free semester of virtual learning

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

Julie Bobyock, TNH

It’s no secret that attending college during a pandemic is difficult. Hours of Zoom classes and meetings, and online homework, projects, and exams have changed student life on campus all over the nation – and have also affected student mental health. While spring breaks have been cancelled at colleges all throughout the country in order to keep communities safe, including University of New Hampshire (UNH), a college semester without a break has seemed to increase the stress levels on campuses.

https://tnhdigital.com/2021/03/26/challenges-of-a-break-free-semester-of-virtual-learning/

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Why online learning could be key to closing the STEM gender gap

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:31 am

Silicon Republic
Coursera’s Anthony Tattersall discusses the importance of closing the gender gap in STEM industries and how online learning could help. STEM subjects have long-standing problems with proper gender representation. A recent report by the World Economic Forum highlights that just 30pc of STEM researchers are women, men publish more than their female colleagues and women are paid significantly less.Closing this gap is vital. Careers in STEM are critical in shaping the world we live in. But how do we get there? Experts say the way academic curricula are designed can make an important difference. With the rise of online learning as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we should look at how this particular medium can help. Here are a few ways in which online learning can support us in closing the STEM gender gap in higher education.

https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/online-learning-stem-gender-gap

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April 8, 2021

Poll: Nearly half of parents don’t want their kids to go straight to a four-year college

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:41 am

JILL BARSHAY,
Hechinger ReportA Gallup survey, commissioned by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a philanthropic foundation, and released April 7, 2021, found that 46 percent of parents said they would prefer not to send their children to a four-year college after high school, even if there were no obstacles, financial or otherwise. Only a slim majority of parents — 54 percent — still prefer a four-year college for their children. In lieu of a four-year college, 16 percent of parents said they were interested in non-college vocational training and 22 percent said they preferred to see their children consider an array of other options, including starting a business, joining the military, getting a job or doing community service.

https://hechingerreport.org/poll-nearly-half-of-parents-dont-want-their-kids-to-go-to-a-four-year-college/

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Five Reasons Online Learning Is The Future Of Professional Development

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

Fahim ul Haq, Forbes

Online education has been on the rise for the last decade, and the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated its widespread use in unprecedented ways, particularly for professional career advancement. Degree-based programs and expensive learning and development (L&D) initiatives are no longer required to foster an efficient ongoing training environment for those seeking career advancement. Online learning has its own unique advantages and disadvantages, but the disadvantages alone are no reason to shy away from this education revolution.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/03/26/five-reasons-online-learning-is-the-future-of-professional-development/

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College students sue universities, ask for refunds over online learning

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:34 am

ABC News

Students at the University of Oregon and Oregon State are filing proposed class action lawsuits demanding a refund, saying they didn’t get what they paid for when the schools transition to online instruction. Now, the three students involved in the lawsuits want their money back.

https://abc7ny.com/education/students-sue-universities-ask-for-refunds-over-online-learning/10444926/

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Now is the time to rethink undergraduate education in the liberal arts

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

JEAN-PAUL BOUDREAU, University Affairs

While our 20th-century models of education celebrated specialization, it is becoming clear that no one profession or technology or set of skills is capable of navigating the inscrutable way ahead. Instead, I believe the 21st century belongs to the thinkers: the agile, inquisitive, empathetic, and counterintuitive collaborators who embrace a diversity of knowledge. These are tomorrow’s changemakers and entrepreneurs, who both ask, “What if?” and answer, “Here’s how.” So where will we find these minds? Primarily, in undergraduate liberal arts institutions across this country: the place where ideas are our lifeblood and critical and creative thinking our consequence.

https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/now-is-the-time-to-rethink-undergraduate-education-in-the-liberal-arts/

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April 7, 2021

From Badging to Blockchain: Documenting Skills Learned

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 9:41 am

Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Education

Increasingly, higher education is placed in the position of updating and upgrading the curriculum to ensure that students are prepared for the careers of today — not those of yesterday or those careers that will never materialize due to the impact of artificial intelligence, shifting societal needs and the changing economy of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Clearly, the pressure is on for universities to respond.  The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) has recently released the “Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation” that explores the emerging best practices and considerations for effective and efficient credentialing.Failure to adequately prepare students for the current job market will result in accelerating the steady decline in enrollments that we have seen over the past decade.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/badging-blockchain-documenting-skills-learned

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The Future of Learning Begins and Ends with Learning Data: An Interview with Cathy O’Bryan

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

John O’Brien, EDUCAUSE Review

The new CEO of Unizin discusses the offerings, advantages, partnerships, and future of the higher education consortium. In October 2020, Cathy O’Bryan was named CEO of Unizin. A consortium of higher education institutions, Unizin enables its members to meet the moment of digital transformation by developing and delivering solutions that address the pressing and complex challenges of data, analytics, and digital content. Through its consortium model and partnerships, Unizin builds technology solutions, establishes relationships, and pursues research that no single institution could achieve cost-effectively on its own.

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/3/the-future-of-learning-begins-and-ends-with-learning-data-an-interview-with-cathy-obryan

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Federal Cyber Security 800-171 Compliance on the Horizon

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

Jarret Cummings, EDUCAUSE Review

A few days before Christmas last year, Federal Student Aid (FSA), an office of the US Department of Education (ED), released a notice providing a high-level overview of its cybersecurity compliance plans. FSA posted the notice with little warning or opportunity to provide feedback in advance.  The notice begins with FSA announcing its intention to establish a Campus Cybersecurity Program framework. At this point, what FSA means by a “Campus Cybersecurity Program” remains unclear, as does the role, if any, that higher education cybersecurity leaders and professionals might play in its development and application. The notice does make clear, however, that the NIST SP 800-171 controlled unclassified information (CUI) guidelines will form the foundation of the program that FSA is envisioning:

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/3/800-171-compliance-on-the-horizon

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Got Terrible Internet Speeds? The FCC Wants to Hear About It

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

Michael Kan, PC Mag

If you’ve long struggled with slow broadband speeds, the FCC wants to hear about it. The agency is now collecting input from US consumers concerning actual broadband availability where they live, rather than merely relying on data from internet service providers.“Far too many Americans are left behind in access to jobs, education, and healthcare if they do not have access to broadband,” Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “Collecting data from consumers who are directly affected by the lack of access to broadband will help inform the FCC’s mapping efforts and future decisions about where service is needed.”

https://www.pcmag.com/news/got-terrible-internet-speeds-the-fcc-wants-to-hear-about-it

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April 6, 2021

Moving Online Learning from Challenge to Opportunity

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

Mark Lombardi, Campus Technology

Necessity is the mother of invention. And within the context of a global pandemic, necessity was the mother of wholesale transformation. The monumental challenges educators overcame in 2020 is astounding. From preschool to grad school, the race to adopt and adapt online learning platforms hit a pace and scale previously unimagined.Now, as we consider the post-pandemic academic landscape, one thing is sure: Online learning isn’t going anywhere. To think otherwise is a massive failure of imagination.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/03/17/moving-online-learning-from-challenge-to-opportunity.aspx

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Online learning poses new challenges, advantages for faculty with disabilities, those in the Deaf community

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

Emily Stevenson, Detroit Free Press

Boston University faculty and staff members who have disabilities and those in the Deaf and Hard of hearing community have had varied experiences throughout the pandemic — some have enjoyed increased flexibility, while others have found new restraints with online learning. Kara Jackman, archivist and preservation librarian at the School of Theology library, said the pandemic has had a variety of positive effects for her.

https://dailyfreepress.com/2021/03/22/online-learning-poses-new-challenges-advantages-for-faculty-with-disabilities-those-in-the-deaf-community/

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Students from UO, OSU go to court seeking refunds for online learning

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:29 am

Jeff Manning | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Three students have filed class-action lawsuits against Oregon’s two largest colleges claiming they were charged full-price for online classes of poorer quality than traditional in-person classes. When the University of Oregon and Oregon State University shut down their campuses due to the pandemic, they did not offer to refund any or all of students’ tuition bills. “In order to provide quality education now and in the future, we cannot discount tuition,” the University of Oregon states on its website.

https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2021/03/students-from-uo-osu-go-to-court-seeking-refunds-for-online-learning.html

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April 5, 2021

Why Teams Are the Key to Beating Burnout

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

Knowledge at Wharton

In Beating Burnout at Work: Why Teams Hold the Secret to Well-Being and Resilience, Paula Davis, founder of the Stress & Resilience Institute, explores a new solution to the burnout problem at work: a comprehensive approach focused on building the resilience of teams of all sizes. Davis argues that teams, and their leaders, are uniquely positioned to create the type of cultures that are needed to prevent burnout.

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/why-teams-are-the-key-to-beating-burnout/

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Over 27,000 students share how colleges and universities could improve digital learning

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:34 am

Jisc

A Jisc survey of 27,069 higher and further education students reveals that most are pleased with their digital learning, but areas such as wellbeing, mental health and staff digital skills need more attention. Between October and December 2020, 21,697 higher education (HE) students and 5,372 in further education (FE) took part in Jisc’s digital experience insights student survey. The surveys seek to support the sector in adapting and responding to the changing situation as a result of COVID–19 policies.

https://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/over-27000-students-share-how-colleges-and-universities-could-improve-digital-learning-08-mar-2021

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Improved Student Engagement in Higher Education’s Next Normal

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

Ed Glantz, et al; EDUCAUSE Review

For higher education amid the COVID-19 pandemic, spring break 2020 heralded a sharp increase in the scope and pace of change, including social distancing and other controls to limit the spread of the coronavirus. In the span of a mere few days, faculty—in an unprecedented manner—supplanted traditional face-to- face instruction with remote synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning experiences. Out of necessity, teaching practices rapidly embraced technology-based prototypical teaching methods. Faculty and students actively began the largest-ever nontraditional teaching experiment. The question now is, should any of these innovations and adaptations be retained to form the “next normal” in higher education?  Five pandemic-introduced innovative teaching adaptations can improve student engagement in the next normal for higher education.

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/3/improved-student-engagement-in-higher-educations-next-normal

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April 4, 2021

Ed Dept gives colleges more flexibility to use federal relief funds

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Higher Ed Dive

The U.S. Department of Education is giving colleges more flexibility to use federal relief money provided under the second major coronavirus rescue package, which Congress passed in December. The Trump administration dictated that institutions could only use their portion of that funding on expenses incurred on or after Dec. 27, the date the legislation was signed. New agency guidance removes that restriction. Institutions are waiting for the Ed Department to release the third wave of direct aid from the latest coronavirus spending bill, which amounts to about $40 billion.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/ed-dept-gives-colleges-more-flexibility-to-use-federal-relief-funds/597041/

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How Students Believe Online Learning Could be Improved

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

Thea Gribilas, the Eye Opener

As the winter term comes to a close, students are grappling with the possibility of yet another semester of online learning. Some students are asking for changes and better support after a year of exclusively studying online. On Thursday, Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi said in a statement the university will announce plans for the fall 2021 semester by June 9. He said although there might be limited in-person activities, the majority of classes will still be facilitated online. Umar Iqbal, a second-year business student, said he noticed his professors have become less available to students and are being less accommodating with deadlines.

https://theeyeopener.com/2021/03/how-students-believe-online-learning-could-be-improved/

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3 ways the pandemic is changing colleges’ mandate right now

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

Natalie Schwartz, HigherEdDive

The ideas making the rounds at the virtual SXSW EDU conference — usually hosted in Austin, Texas — weren’t anything new. Higher education experts and college officials spoke of the need for digital equity, unbundled degrees and better alignment between credentials and the skills employers are seeking. A year into the coronavirus pandemic, however, these ideas have taken on more urgency. Without accessible and flexible credentials, experts suggested, the country will struggle to meet workforce needs during the economic recovery and well into the future.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/3-ways-the-pandemic-is-changing-colleges-mandate-right-now/596752/

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