Online Learning Update

by Keith Holland, Cloud Tweaks

Online education has grown from “that one nerdy kid who is trying to pick up extra credit before college” to a massive and international industry that has opened up the borders of learning to anyone with an internet connection. But how did online education take off? Where did it begin? It all goes back to long before the age of wires. The online learning industry was expected to be worth $107 billion at the conclusion of 2015, with five year compound annual growth rate of 9.2%. This grew revenues from $32.1 billion in 2010, to $49.9 billion in 2015.

http://cloudtweaks.com/2016/03/edutech-online-education-industry/

By Robert Mendenhall, Huffington Post

If you’re an adult who has been working a few years and maybe even completed some college, you could be looking for way to earn your degree. Most universities, as well as the laws and regulations governing U.S. higher education, are still focused on traditional, full-time students—recent high school graduates who study and live on a campus, don’t work full time, and don’t have families. But today, traditional students are in the minority. The typical college student of the 21st century is older and self-supporting and must balance work, family and school. If you’re planning to become part of this nontraditional student majority, going to college online can be a great option for you. There are many choices and providers, but they are not all the same. Here are some things to know before you choose a school.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gendiy/earning-a-degree-online-w_b_9478536.html

by Liesha Petrovich, Huffington Post

There is nothing I value more in the professional world than education. As both a business owner and business instructor, I understand how important the right education is in the success of any business. That’s why it’s so troubling that the vast majority of business education centers around teaching students how to be an employee when 30% of the U.S. workforce is self-employed. Some of these business owners are job creators, and others are micro businesses (with less than five employees). Universities want to create well-rounded students and try to prepare them for their future jobs. But if 30% of the workforce is self-employed, why doesn’t a MBA program teach students the basics of starting a business?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/liesha-petrovich/qa-with-business-educatio_b_9498388.html

by Steven W. Schmidt, Christina M. Tschida, Elizabeth M. Hodge; OJDLA

Research shows most teachers teach as they were taught. However, distance educators lack a model or benchmark for online teaching because many of them have not taken online courses as students. Indeed, many studies on teaching online point to the importance of training for online instructors. Few studies go into specifics about exactly what that training should look like. The purpose of this study is to examine best practices in professional development for instructors learning to teach online.

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring191/schmidt_tschida_hodge191.html

by Keith Starcher and B. Jean Mandernach, OJDLA

Institutions must understand the unique characteristics and motivations of adjunct faculty teaching online to more effectively support a diverse faculty population. The current study examines faculty characteristics and motivations to explore differences in the types of adjunct faculty teaching at non-profit or for-profit institutions. A survey of 859 part-time, online instructors found no statistically significant differences for gender, level of education, faculty typology (e.g., hope to obtain full time in higher education), or satisfaction; small differences were found in relation to ethnicity, academic experience, level of instruction (undergraduate or graduate), class size, and willingness to recommend online adjunct teaching to others. The results suggest that online adjunct faculty at for-profit and non-profit institutions are remarkably similar with regards to personal and academic characterstics as well as their motivation for and satisfaction with teaching online in an adjunct capacity.

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring191/starcher_mandernach191.html

by Phu Vu, Scott Fredrickson, Richard Meyer; OJDLA

With a dearth of research on human-robot interaction in education and relatively high non-completion rates of online students, this study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using a virtual assistant (VA) to respond to questions and concerns of students and provide 24/7 online course content support. During a 16 week-long academic semester, four hundred and seventy five interactions between the virtual assistant and learners in two online course sections were generated. On the average, the virtual assistant had 4.2 interactions with the students each day. Three hundred and twenty one interactions out of 475 (67.6%) were made during weekend hours, and 422 interactions (88.8%) were conducted between 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM – time the human instructor usually was unavailable, thereby providing better and more efficient access for the students.

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring191/vu_fredrickson_meyer191.html

by Christopher Tozzi, The VAR Guy

The Linux Foundation and edX are offering free training for open source cloud and container technology, such as OpenStack, Docker and Kubernetes. The Linux Foundation and edX are bringing another free training course to the open source community. This one focuses on open source cloud computing and is designed to grow expertise in open source cloud technology and containers, the Linux Foundation says. The course, titled “Introduction to Cloud Infrastructure Technologies,” is a MOOC class delivered through the Internet via the edX platform. It starts in June, but registration (which is free, although certified completion of the course costs $99) opened this week.

http://thevarguy.com/open-source-application-software-companies/openstack-docker-kubernetes-feature-free-online-training-

by Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

Colorado State University-Global Campus launched a new program this month for aspiring computer scientists that falls somewhere between non-accredited coding bootcamps and traditional programs. Campus Technology reports the online program is made up of five eight-week courses on programming, data structures and algorithms, and platform-based development that prepares students for web and mobile application design and software development. The course sequence can be taken on its own for a certificate of completion or embedded within CSU-Global’s bachelor’s degree in information technology as a specialization.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/colorado-state-offers-computer-science-bootcamp-in-online-program/415830/

By: Cassie Lipp, University of Cincinnati

By offering free online courses that prospective students can use toward their degrees, the UC College of Allied Health Sciences uses eLearning as a recruitment tool. While many practicing professionals may be weary of continuing their education in the online format, Associate Professor of Respiratory Therapy Shane Keene decided to introduce them to eLearning before they even enroll in a degree program. Keene developed a Targeted Open Online Course (TOOC) called “Shared Air: A Collective Look at the Future of Respiratory Therapy.” The TOOC is a modification of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), a self-paced, free online course open to anyone to wants to learn more about the subject. The TOOC is modified to target only those who are interested in continuing their education in the field of their course, such as working respiratory therapists and those enrolled in associate-level degree programs in respiratory therapy. The TOOC can then be counted toward a degree if students decide to enroll in Allied Health’s Online Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy program.

http://www.uc.edu/profiles/profile.asp?id=23048

by Bradley Fuster, US News

As an online professor, I recently had the pleasure of catching up with a student for coffee. He is a busy young professional, pursuing his master’s degree online in music education at SUNY Buffalo State, while teaching full time and coaching sports after school. As he is ​a techno-forward student who is always on the go, I picked his brain for the most useful and innovative gadgets on the market to assist online learners. As online education becomes more mobile-centric, students can leverage these technologies ​to work smarter. While no gadget will ever substitute for industriousness, here is a list of eight accessories that can make online learning just a bit easier and increase a student’s productivity.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2016-03-14/8-tools-to-increase-productivity-for-online-students

by eSchool News

The University of Washington’s Information School‘s 2015-16 undergraduate cohort in informatics is not only the school’s largest yet with 210 students, it also includes more women students than ever before — about 40 percent. Students in informatics learn to design information systems, user interfaces, mobile technologies and social media. The curriculum draws upon the computer and information sciences, sociology, psychology and information management. Increasing participation of women in informatics has been an iSchool goal for several years, “and many have worked hard to help us get there,” said Scott Barker, UW lecturer and program chair, by hiring female faculty and actively recruiting women applicants.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/stem/uw-gender-gap-366/

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

In order to close the growing achievement gap, higher education institutions need to focus on innovation, scale and diffusion, according to Bridget Burns, executive director for the University Innovation Alliance, a coalition of 11 public research universities committed to improving graduation rates and sharing best practices. And most important, institutions need to communicate about what works and what doesn’t. “Otherwise we are sentencing other universities to repeat our mistakes and our failures — and students deserve better,” she exhorted.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/03/14/7-things-higher-education-innovators-want-you-to-know.aspx

by Matthew Rascoff and Eric Johnson, Evolllution

Within the University of North Carolina system, where 47 percent of our students took at least one online course last year, we’re starting to think more carefully about how to keep high-quality online coursework within reach of working adults. That means being creative and thoughtful in shaping the student experience. Consider library services. It’s easy to assume that all of our students can easily access digital textbooks, especially for online courses. But adult learners may live in a house with a shared computer, or in a rural area where internet access is spotty, or work a job where they can’t carry around a laptop

http://evolllution.com/attracting-students/retention/rethinking-student-services-to-support-adult-learners/

By: Paula M. Bigatel, Faculty Focus

During the past year and a half, our faculty development unit has been gathering data from students about how engaged they felt in their online courses. We wanted to use this data to develop a variety of strategies for faculty to use to better engage their students. Research provides evidence for the connection between higher student engagement and persistence and retention in online programs (Boston, et al., 2010; Wyatt, 2011). Encouraging student engagement is especially important in the online environment where attrition rates are higher than in the face-to-face setting (Allen & Seaman, 2015; Boston & Ice, 2011). We gained valuable insights from students when we asked: “Define what it means to you to be engaged in a course.” Below are student quotes for each theme that emerged and some strategies for encouraging engagement.

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/student-engagement-how-to-help-students-succeed-in-the-online-environment/

by Adam Gordon, Forbes

The executive education sections of MIT Sloan, Tuck Dartmouth, and Columbia Business School have become “founding” academic institutions in partnership with a closely held Singapore startup company, creating a new structure to take their leadership development short-courses online. Many business schools and universities worldwide are experimenting with models that allow them to expand market scope, and this is not the first online foray for any of the particular institutions, but there is a coordinated brand-first global intent here that suggests this initiative may change the future terrain of leadership learning, particularly for multinational corporations.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamgordon/2016/03/08/exec-ed-online-educator/#44061e504bd6

by Northwestern State University

“While our campuses in Natchitoches, Shreveport, Leesville, and Alexandria are ready to resume operations, we realize that many of our faculty and students are still dealing with the effects of this historic flood,” said NSU President Dr. Jim Henderson. “Students who are unable to travel to campus or access their online course materials should contact their academic dean to discuss their situation and what accommodations can be made. We are committed to our students’ success in the face of this unprecedented event.” In addition to extensions for assignments and examinations, accommodations for students may include excused absences for face to face and/or online classes for students unable to attend class due to issues caused by flooding. Students should contact their dean or faculty advisor to discuss lost textbooks or other course materials and the possibility of moving from face to face to online courses if they have transportation issues due to flooded cars, etc. Students with campus employment will be allowed flexibility to make up missed time.

http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/news/local-news/nsu-will-accommodate-students-affected-by-flooding

By The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board

The announcement that the University of Southern California will charge a staggering $51,442 for tuition in 2016-17 — bringing it to a rough tie with Vassar as America’s most expensive university — was presented by USC administrators as the inevitable result of their ambitious push to make USC the West Coast equivalent of an Ivy League school. As college costs — and student loan debt — keep ballooning, we wonder if Quick and other tuition-hiking university leaders realize that they are making it more likely that higher education faces the same sort of technology-driven cataclysm that destroyed travel agencies, hollowed out newspapers and buffeted so many industries. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) — free or inexpensive classes that use YouTube lectures, podcasts, interactive learning and many other tools of the Internet age — are increasingly refined, accessible and attractive.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/mar/12/soaring-college-tuition-mooc/

by India Education Diary

edX’s new introductory Chinese language course will emphasize basic language skills for everyday life in Mandarin speaking countries. Taught by TsinghuaX, the course utilizes pinyin, the standard system of Romanized spelling for transliterating Chinese, so learners will find it easy to understand and study the language. Requiring an effort of 4 hours per week, it is a six-week course and is composed of several part

http://indiaeducationdiary.in/Shownews.asp?newsid=38093

BY ROBERT LAING, Business Day Live

Ever since Coursera and Udacity were spawned by Stanford and edX by Harvard, giving university education away freely via the internet has attracted a fair amount of hostility from less elite tertiary institutions. Looking at how giving news away via the web has decimated newspapers, I sympathise with university lecturers worrying about their jobs. The distrust of moocs seems to have lessened because universities have shown themselves smarter than press barons at monetising the web. As the mooc critic linked to above article pointed out, it’s just a new form of distance education — something the University of SA (Unisa) has been doing since 1946.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2016/03/10/moocs-contain-cutting-edge-theories-not-dusty-old-ideas

By Leila Meyer, Campus Technology

Cornell University has created Cornell Online, a new Web portal that brings together the university’s various online course offerings. The university has been offering online learning for 15 years through its eCornell service, which offers certificates of completion in business, healthcare and other fields. Several years ago, the university’s School of Continuing Education and Summer Session began offering online for-credit courses. And Cornell recently launched several free MOOCs (massive open online courses) through edX and other platforms. Now students can browse, search and access all of these diverse course offerings through a single site.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/03/10/cornell-expands-online-learning-through-new-portal.aspx