Online Learning Update

May 17, 2013

MOOCs Stir Up Controversy

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

By DEVON HAYNIE, US News

It’s been less than three years since MOOCs entered the public discourse, but the online classes are already causing quite a stir in the higher education universe as elite universities such as Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor embrace the courses. “This movement has raised more awareness and enthusiasm for higher learning than I recall in recent history in this country,” says Ray Schroeder, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of Illinois—Springfield. “It has allowed people to quickly and easily access learning in fields that otherwise they would have never pursued.”

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2013/05/14/explore-the-mooc-controversy

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Georgia Tech, Udacity Shock Higher Ed With $7,000 Degree

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by Troy Onink, Forbes

Georgia Institute of Technology has announced a partnership with Udacity to offer an online Masters Degree in Computer Science for $7,000, down 80% from the existing cost of $40,000 for the on-campus, instructor led program. Suddenly, masters programs around the country will have to compete with Georgia Tech‘s $7,000 program, and that won’t be easy or fast in coming. The traditionally taught graduate degree in computer science at Georgia Tech is a very well regarded program that is in high demand and has very positive outcomes in terms of jobs and earnings. Georgia Tech graduates tend to do very well in earnings upon graduation, especially in computer science. Now students from around the world will be able to obtain the same degree online at an 80% discount – which is, no doubt, a sonic boom rattling the windows in the offices of college administrators across the country.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2013/05/15/georgia-tech-udacity-shock-higher-ed-with-7000-degree/

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MOOCs and Community Colleges

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

By J. Noah Brown, Inside Higher Ed

At this point, we have more questions than answers, including those related to the very nature of MOOCs. What exactly are they? It is difficult to quantify the seemingly eclectic collection of courses into a program of study, assess their relationship to quality, and most important, their impact on student learning. More vexing perhaps, what is the relationship between MOOCs and student success and completion? Already, significant numbers of students who sign up for MOOCs fail to complete them. The latter question is of particular concern to community colleges, but also to higher education in general because of the new imperative to increase educational attainment rates in America. While MOOCs have garnered considerable attention in the media and within higher education, it is premature to draw any conclusions about their eventual landing place in the community college ecosystem. But thanks to the extraordinary work of the Liberal Learning & America’s Promise initiative by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, we would do well to refresh our memory banks about the hallmark practices that result in student success and achievement.

http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/05/13/essay-community-colleges-and-moocs

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May 16, 2013

The ‘Dos and Don’ts’ of Synchronous Online Learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:09 am

By Bridget McCrea, Campus Technology

Creating videos, presentations, and lessons that college students access and interact with on their own time and terms is one thing, but developing learning content that requires both students and instructor to be online at the same time presents a whole different set of challenges for college professors and instructional technologists. Formally referred to as synchronous online learning (versus asynchronous learning, which is accessed and utilized at any time), the “live” learning environment happens in real-time on the Web and encourages interaction, commenting, Q&As, and other types of instant feedback.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/05/08/the-dos-and-donts-of-synchronous-online-learning.aspx

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Universities debate credit for free online learning courses

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By KEVIN ABOUREZK, Lincoln Journal Star

As educators across the country work to reduce class sizes, some at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have been thinking about creating courses that could draw thousands. The trend toward massive open online courses — known as MOOCs — is a quandary for universities nationwide. On the one hand, it makes education freely accessible to everyone. On the other, it’s a threat to anyone who makes a living from education. At UNL, the issue is far from decided. In September, Chancellor Harvey Perlman charged a nine-member faculty committee with considering the question. “The responses range across the spectrum, as is often the case when technology has the potential to change the way we do things,” said Steve Goddard, task force chairman and head of the UNL Department of Computer Science and Engineering. “There’s excitement. There’s fear. It’s the unknown.”

http://journalstar.com/news/local/education/universities-debate-credit-for-free-online-courses/article_cc7035e4-eb08-54fd-96ec-c8d3096e3145.html

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Coursera at Penn surpasses one million enrollees in massive open online learning classes

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

By Julie McWilliams, Penn News

Penn recently surpassed one million enrollments in Coursera, less than a year after the University first offered classes with the online learning platform. One million and counting. That’s the number of open online learning course enrollments Penn reached this month, less than a year after the University offered the first classes with the online learning platform Coursera. Penn is one of the founding partners and board members of Coursera, which offers free, open-access, non-credit classes to anyone with a computer. To date, 15 Penn professors from the schools of Medicine, Arts & Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science, and Wharton have shared their knowledge with students from 162 countries around the world. Additional courses will open this summer and fall, including classes from the schools of Design, Law, and Nursing, with 23 faculty members participating.

http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/2013-05-09/latest-news/coursera-penn-surpasses-one-million-enrollees

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May 15, 2013

Future Of Free, Open Online College Classes Uncertain

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

By GILLIAN RICH, Investor’s Business Daily

A high school student in Nebraska can take a game theory course at Stanford University. A college student in China can take a Introduction to Psychology class from MIT. Both can do so without setting foot in a classroom in Palo Alto, Calif., or Cambridge, Mass. The two colleges are among those that offer massive open online courses, or MOOCs. Anyone, anywhere can enroll in such courses. In almost all cases they will not, for now, get college credit without a fee, but anyone can take the courses (sans college credit) for free. Observers see MOOCs as a solution as the cost of college education soars beyond the reach of many, but as access to computers and the Internet rises.

http://news.investors.com/technology/051013-655667-moocs-on-rise-but-few-grant-college-credits.htm

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Massive open online courses creating a ‘true democratization of education’

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by Steve Young, Argus Leader

The 10,000 to 100,000 worldwide participants who are signing up for each course are putting the “massive” into MOOCs, and driving South Dakota officials to brainstorm about their own possibilities. But the other significant discussion resulting from all this, both at the state level and across the country, is whether MOOCs should lead to college credit, and under what circumstances universities in South Dakota will grant credit for free courses taken elsewhere. “I don’t think we have given credit for any MOOCs yet,” said Sam Gingerich, chief academic officer for the state Board of Regents. “But I think it’s just a matter of time.”

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20130510/UPDATES/130510024/Massive-open-online-courses-creating-true-democratization-education-?nclick_check=1

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Free Online Learning is Changing Education Forever

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

By Chip Rogers, Georgia Works

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are changing college education forever. The world’s most prestigious colleges and universities are now offering free online courses. Coursera.org and EdX.org feature more than 70 participating schools between them including Harvard, University of Michigan, MIT, and Georgia Tech. While most do not offer credits, students may take exams associated with the course subject matter to earn credit. Education-portal.com provides a comprehensive list of schools offering free online courses and offers links to the College Board’s College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) which allows students to test out of general education requirements at 2/3 of colleges and universities in the U.S.

http://www.gpb.org/blogs/georgia-works/2013/05/10/college-education-is-becoming-free-online

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May 14, 2013

U California classes easing into online learning world

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:08 am

By Karen Kucher, UT San Diego

UC campuses are being encouraged to develop digital versions of high-demand courses for undergraduates. University of California President Mark Yudof asked professors to submit proposals by the end of March, and 120 submitted ideas. With Gov. Jerry Brown allocating millions of dollars in his proposed budget for the state’s public colleges and universities to offer more courses online, every sector is looking to boost their inventory. State officials have noted that UC is lagging when it comes to online education. At an event touting the expansion of a partnership between online-provider edX and San Jose State University, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the UC system “frankly is a little behind the CSU system and we’ve got to fix that.” “I serve on both boards and we are trying to make a case,” Newsom added.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/07/uc-classes-easing-into-online-world/

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TechCrunch Unveils Online Learning Destination CrunchU in Partnership with Udemy

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by PYMNTS

TechCrunch, the leading media property devoted to startups and tech, today expands into the online education space with the debut of CrunchU, developed in partnership with online learning marketplace Udemy. Inspired by the rise of self-directed, lifelong learning, CrunchU aims to help TechCrunch readers power up their skill-sets via renowned instructors through 30 TechCrunch-curated courses, including offerings from Eric Ries, Dave McClure, Jack Welch, and others. Course topics range from “Creating Responsive Web Design” and “Sales and Persuasion Skills for Startups” to “Android Apps in 1 Hour: No Coding Required” and “Raising Money for Startups.”

http://www.pymnts.com/news/businesswire-feed/2013/may/08/techcrunch-unveils-online-learning-destination-crunchu-in-partnership-with-udemy-20130508006271

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UChicago to experiment with online courses

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

by Harini Jaganathan, Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago plans to begin experimenting with online learning materials and massive open online courses (MOOCs) in the near future, according to a faculty committee report presented before the Council of the University Senate on Wednesday. Last September, Provost Thomas Rosenbaum appointed two committees to look into online education, both for-credit and not-for-credit. In addition to looking into how online technologies can supplement existing classes on campus, the committees also examined MOOCs in light of the growing popularity of online platforms like edX and Coursera, which currently host over 370 free courses. Deputy Provost for Research Roy Weiss, who served on both committees and chaired the committee looking into not-for-credit offerings, said that many faculty are currently interested in making MOOCs and that the University is in discussion with edX and Coursera, two existing free online course sites.

http://chicagomaroon.com/2013/05/07/uchicago-to-experiment-with-online-courses/

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May 13, 2013

The Pulse: Teaching Lab Courses via Online Learning (podcast)

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:08 am

By Doug Lederman, Inside Higher Ed

This month’s edition of the Pulse podcast features an interview with Jim Brown of Ocean County College, discussing tools that can help faculty members teach lab courses in online settings. Brown, associate professor of science at Ocean County, in New Jersey, and Rodney B. Murray, the host of the Pulse podcast, examine services such as Labpaq by Hands-On Labs and SoftChalk. Brown also shares some of his favorite resources for teaching the sciences in digital settings. The Pulse is Inside Higher Ed’s monthly technology podcast, produced and hosted by Murray, executive director of the office of academic technology at University of the Sciences.

http://www.insidehighered.com/audio/2013/05/07/teaching-lab-courses-online

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SUNY developing universal online learning class system

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By Nick Reynolds, the Stylus

A new online cross-registration system will allow students to have transferable credits between participating SUNY schools. Credits would be taken at any school, but would ultimately count toward your degree at your home school. The SUNY Board of Trustees approved a new online cross-registration system that will allow a seamless exchange of online classes across all 64 of SUNY’s campuses. “It’s about seamless transferability for students, it’s for a student in a community college or four-year [institution] moving from one SUNY to another,” said Peter Dowe, registrar for the College at Brockport. “The [SUNY] chancellor would like to see seamless transferability between all SUNY units. In the case for Brockport, a student would be able to take a class at [SUNY] Albany or Stony Brook [University] and have it apply to a Brockport degree.” The new system, while not yet in effect, is expected to be implemented in time for the fall 2013 semester

http://www.thestylus.net/suny-developing-universal-online-class-system-1.3041721#.UYlix7WG32s

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Embrace of massive online courses rising

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

by Ben Wolfgang, Washington Times

Massive open online courses are sweeping the globe, but some higher education leaders argue that the classes, better known as MOOCs, need to be embraced cautiously.“I don’t hate them at all, but I do see the limitations of them,” said John Ebersole, president of Excelsior College, a nonprofit, 37,000-student institution headquartered in an Albany, N.Y., business park. Mr. Ebersole talked about the need for less federal regulation over his sector and about the changing face of the American college student. Excelsior’s average student, for example, is 39 years old. As higher education continues to evolve and online studies become more popular, MOOCs increasingly are held up as a revolutionary step forward. The concept is simple: a highly qualified professor offers an online “class,” for free, to anyone willing to listen. The system allows students from around the globe to learn from renowned academics, who in turn are able to reach many more people than could fit inside a traditional classroom.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/6/embrace-of-massive-online-courses-rising/

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May 12, 2013

Considering the Generational Divide in Online Learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

by Mandy Zatynski, the Quick and the Ed

A paper released recently by the Community College Research Center reminds the champions of MOOCs and other online initiatives of one very important detail: Not all students prefer an online education; many higher education students still want in-person discussions and on-the-spot feedback.

But that’s not to say it will stay that way.

http://www.quickanded.com/2013/05/considering-the-generational-divide-in-online-learning.html

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In-person teaching and online learning help students, please teachers in K/12

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by Laura Vanderkam, USA Today

This “blended learning” model — combining in-person teaching and online learning — is being tried in a growing number of innovative schools nationwide, such as those in the Mooresville School District in North Carolina, Carpe Diem charter schools in Arizona and Indianapolis, and several district schools in Oakland. Says Chaves: “We’re having an impact we couldn’t have in a traditional model school.”

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/05/05/blended-learning-win-win-situation-column/2137303/

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Education numbers: 890,000

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

by the Washington Post

Unique users who are taking courses through edX, a massive open online course venture that MIT and Harvard started a year ago. There are 26 massive open online courses (MOOCs) from MIT, Harvard, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Texas at Austin. Georgetown University is about to join the effort.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/education-numbers/2013/05/05/bf43688e-b27e-11e2-bbf2-a6f9e9d79e19_story.html

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May 11, 2013

Duke retreats from for-credit online courses

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

BY JANE STANCILL, Durham News

Duke University has backed out of a deal to offer for-credit courses through an online consortium, after faculty rejected the venture. In an abrupt reversal, Duke abandoned an agreement with the for-profit company 2U for its Semester Online program, in which a handful of universities provide online courses for credit to undergraduates at those schools. Duke officials had signed a preliminary deal with the company last year, as did UNC Chapel Hill.

http://www.thedurhamnews.com/2013/05/01/215427/duke-retreats-from-for-credit.html

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Online learning options abound for college credits

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By JON MARCUS, The Hechinger Report

Danine Adams has taken a few courses at a four-year university, some at a community college and still more online while working all over the country as an investigator for the Federal Bureau of Prisons — career experience that she’s also been able to transform into academic credit. A little from here. A little from there. And now Adams, 42, is just a few credits shy of earning a bachelor’s degree. “I’m the whole ball of wax,” she said cheerfully. “On-campus education, community college, online classes, life experience.” She’s also a forerunner of a new type of college student, one who doesn’t start and finish at a single brick-and-mortar campus, but picks and chooses credits toward a degree or job from a veritable buffet of education options. These include dual-enrollment courses — college-level courses offered to students while they’re still in high school — advanced-placement programs, military or corporate training, career and life experience, and classes taught online.

http://www.thestate.com/2013/05/04/2756552/online-options-abound-for-college.html

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Unexpected Support for MOOCs

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

By George Leef, National Review

The Wall Street Journal ran an article by Michael S. Roth entitled “My Global Philosophy Course.” Roth is the president of Wesleyan University and found that while many students who signed up for his course (on Coursera) dropped before the end (only 4,000 of 30,000 stuck it out), there was remarkable intellectual energy among those who persisted. He writes, “I am sure that many of those enrolled in the online version have also discovered texts and people that are having profound effects on their lives.” I was struck by the remarkable diversity of the students who wanted to learn philosophy with Roth. “Study groups in Bulgaria and India, in Russia and Boston made me giddy at the reach of this kind of class.”

http://www.nationalreview.com/phi-beta-cons/347233/unexpected-support-moocs

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