Online Learning Update

by Harriet Green, City AM

A specialist in AI, Koller is optimistic about the future of jobs in regard to the “AI revolution… the pessimists will say that this time it’s different but, as with the industrial revolution, I’m confident that other job categories will emerge. But either way, what’s clear is that the jobs being created will require everyone to be far more skilled. We’ll also need people to deal with ill-formed problems that computers, which are still linear thinkers, can’t deal with. We don’t teach those kinds of skills very well in schools.” Koller points out that there are currently 190,000 data science jobs in the US alone that can’t be filled. “We hope we can help close that skills gap. It’s not just something a bootcamp can teach; you need teachers. And there’s a reason teaching is a profession – it’s hard!”

http://www.cityam.com/244192/daphne-koller-coursera-refugee-camps-and-why-our-education

By: Georgina Torbet, Inomics

With the arrival of reliable, high-speed internet, distance learning for university students has become much more feasible. Students can now sign up for single classes or whole courses to be taught online, which may include streaming lectures, live Q&A chats with tutors, and submitting coursework electronically. But how does an online course compare with a traditional course at a brick and mortar university? Today we’re looking at both the pros and cons of learning online.

https://inomics.com/pros-cons-online-learning

by EAB Briefing

Online students need personalized learning too, a group of higher education leaders said at a recent panel. The New Media Consortium recently hosted an online panel with leaders from colleges and online education programs to discuss advancements in digital and personal learning. “There are so many different things involved when you start to talk about personalized learning and putting those tools together,” says Vanessa Kenon, a University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) lecturer in the college of Education & Human Development. At UTSA, staff work to personalize students’ plans from the moment they begin the academic process, Kenon says. That includes laying out their degree plans to determine how long it will take to graduate and how much it will cost if they change their academic paths.

https://www.eab.com/daily-briefing/2016/06/24/personalization-is-key-when-it-comes-to-online-learning-leaders-say

by Coursera

From everyone at Coursera – congratulations to the Class of 2016, and best of luck to all our learners in your upcoming adventures.

Top graduation season courses and Specializations:

Machine Learning, Stanford University

Graphic Design, California Institute of the Arts

Python for Everybody, University of Michigan

Responsive Web Development & Design, University of London

Java Programming, Duke University

Data Science, Johns Hopkins University

Business Foundations, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Big Data, University of California, San Diego

Agile Development, University of Virginia

Career Success, University of California, Irvine

http://coursera.tumblr.com/post/146415367147/graduation-season-wrap-up-10-most-popular-courses

By Autumn A. Arnett, Education Dive

As colleges and universities look to embrace online learning, the role of face-to-face interaction cannot be ignored. However, with the trend towards online learning, traditional brick-and-mortar instruction should do away with the 50-minute lecture, experts say, focusing class time instead on a more interactive, conversational and collaborative approach that highlights engagements that are difficult to achieve online in order to hold students’ attention. More than any other skill, writing still requires quality in-person instruction. With much of the content able to be taught online, writing instruction should get more attention in in-person settings.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/face-to-face-interaction-still-important-as-higher-ed-shifts-to-digital/421525/

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

The role and responsibilities of campus Chief Information Officer has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, with some saying the CIO position has shifted from a practical technician focus to cabinet-level oversight on budget and strategic planning. The growth of the education tech industry has pushed CIOs into new territory around contracts and service provision, and building relationships with tech vendors and campus constituents. Most CIOs quoted for Campus Technology’s report on the evolving role of the CIO said understanding the business of higher education is critical to staying power in the challenging role.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/could-cio-position-become-a-new-presidential-pipeline/421522/

By Rob Thubron, Tech Spot

If you’ve got an idea for a killer app that’s going to make millions but are held back by a total lack of coding knowledge, Google could have the answer. The search giant is teaming up with online learning platform Udacity to offer a course that teaches people with zero experience how to create Android apps. The Google Android Basics Nanodegree is aimed at that those who are new to programming looking to eventually become an Android developer. The course covers topics such as interactivity, layouts, object-oriented programming basics, data storage, and multi-screen apps.“We built this program with Google specifically to support aspiring Android Developers with no programming experience. Our goal is to ensure you get the real-world skills you need to actually start building Android apps,” Udacity says.

http://www.techspot.com/news/65318-google-online-nanodegree-course-teach-newcomers-how-write.html

By: Dan White and Sarah Crane, Moody’s Analytics

The report includes 10 papers and the final report focus on answering three primary questions related to reaching the 60 percent goal. First, how do we realign incentives and retarget existing public funding to make the entire system more efficient and to increase graduation rates for students generally and students of color and from low-income families in particular? Second, what are the new, innovative models to deliver postsecondary education that can both lower the cost and increase the productivity of the entire system? Third, what options do federal and state governments and the private sector have for increasing funding for higher education? It is important to stress here that the interest is in the “ value proposition “ that underlies these three primary questions. The” value proposition “ focuses on the national imperative of building a more highly skilled and educated work force not merely a more credentialed one.

http://web1.millercenter.org/commissions/higher-ed/CrowdedOut.pdf