Online Learning Update

by Nancy Wozniak, University of Alaksa Anchorage

Culturally-responsive design strategies allow students to realize they are important as participants in the class community and respected as unique individuals. The University of Alaska Anchorage includes culturally-mediated design as a major development strategy for their Robust Online Learning Program (Title III Grant) focused on General Education Requirement (GER) online courses. The goal is to create online environments that nuture and support cultural exchange and community. One thing to remember, when designing culturally responsive activities, is that students learn best, collaboratively. They learn effectively by discussing their ideas with one another and by participating in peer-to-peer learning activities and reviews. Here are 5 digital tips for infusing cultural responsiveness in your course.

https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/academics/institutional-effectiveness/departments/academic-innovations-elearning/robust-online-learning/spotlights/digital-tips.cshtml

by News BTC

In an ideal scenario, the education sector works together with the industries to ensure a balance between the skilled workforce and job opportunities. But it is not always the case, especially when it comes to digital currency technology. The mismatch between job and education sector has led to many professionals and students registering for various online courses on Bitcoin and blockchain technology. At present, there are only a handful of universities offering professional courses on these topics. But thankfully, there are few online course platforms that allow people to learn the much-required skills so that they can benefit from the increasing requirement of blockchain professionals in banking, financial and IT institutions. A leading business magazine has recently reported on the surge in demand for cryptocurrency based courses.

http://www.newsbtc.com/2016/09/11/demand-blockchain-courses-wake-increased-job-opportunities/

by Shelby Evans, Arkansas Traveler

Incoming UA students will be required to participate in an online Title IX training course, a UA official said. The mandatory training is in response to many university Title IX issues, Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz said in an email to all new students. “Part of the reason that sexual misconduct on college campuses is a growing issue is that people don’t always understand what constitutes sexual misconduct, what they can do to prevent it, how to get help, how to report it or the connections between alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct,” Steinmetz said. The university is addressing this problem through education and awareness with Haven: Understanding Sexual Assault, a short informational course, Steinmetz said.

http://www.uatrav.com/news/article_518289e6-76a8-11e6-90d3-af29a2f4796e.html

by Elizabeth Redden, Inside HIgher Ed

A project led by the Open University is using data related to learning analytics — on student participation in online classes, for example, or on library log-ins. Bart Rienties, a reader in learning analytics at the Open University, a distance learning institution, said the project primarily relies on analysis of data already being collected by his university and the other two institutions in the project, Oxford Brookes University and the University of Surrey. “All three universities have data of what students are doing in terms of virtual learning environment engagement, so what we’re testing is can we indeed identify patterns of some students becoming more engaged in a virtual learning environment while others are moving in a different direction,” Rienties said. While the focus is on virtual learning, Rienties said the study is not looking only at online courses, but also at various online learning environments created to support traditional face-to-face classes.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/09/09/england-push-evaluate-teaching-quality-and-learning-gains

By Asian Correspondent

Online learning has changed the higher education landscape in recent years. Not only are more students using digital resources to research and choose study options, increasing numbers are turning to online learning to gain degrees from prestigious universities around the world. Most universities and colleges now offer a range of online and hybrid degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. According to the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, about 2 million undergraduate students and 600,000 postgraduate students were studying fully online in 2014 and this figure continues to grow. In fact, one third of students told one survey that they wouldn’t consider an equivalent on-campus program even if it were easily available.

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/09/5-reasons-getting-degree-online-makes-sense/

by GISELLE BYRNES, NBR

Adaptive online learning tools can, through the use of data analytics, help students when they hit a roadblock and give them just-in-time advice. Far from making the role of the teacher redundant, adaptive online learning also allows teachers to see exactly how and where their advice is needed. Universities are re-thinking their priorities around investing in traditional assets and looking to further develop digital learning spaces. They are also increasingly employing data analytics to help improve student engagement and learning outcomes. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of change, not just for university teachers and administrators, but also for the way in which these institutions are structured, the people they employ and how they will position themselves in the future.

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/dont-wait-future-learning-disruption-already-here-194020

by Leland Chow, Nebraskan

Online classes, compared with in-person classes, are generally more self-paced, meaning I can finish as many chapters as I want per week, as long as the instructor opens the chapters. This means some people, like me, would try to finish all the required reading and assignments as soon as possible so they can worry about other things, like in-person classes or other commitments. But some instructors might prevent students from doing more than 2 chapters a week to ensure students fully understand the materials before proceeding. Other people might drag out their learning period. The most obvious benefit of taking classes online, as opposed to in-person, is that students have freedom to choose when and where to study. Unlike in-person classes, in which class times and venues are fixed, I can study in my room at 8 p.m. or in the library at 2 p.m. between my classes. In fact, as long as I have access to a computer, the internet and my study materials, I can study anywhere and everywhere I want. Because of this freedom to choose when and where to study, instructors benefit too.

http://www.dailynebraskan.com/opinion/chow-online-classes-give-students-great-freedom-great-responsibility/article_319d9250-7631-11e6-ad3e-3b2101bf90a5.html

by Minerva

The Minerva Schools at KGI, which offer an innovative university program for the most talented and motivated students from around the world, today announced the appointment of 24 accomplished faculty. These faculty previously were at institutions including Harvard, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, and the Central European University of Budapest, among others. “As our student body expands significantly this fall, we are thrilled to welcome an incredibly talented group of scholars who will teach freshman and sophomore courses this year,” said Dr. Stephen M. Kosslyn, Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer. “Our teaching staff is now distributed across 20 cities and 4 countries, and we are delighted to welcome each of these gifted teachers to the Minerva team.”

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/minerva-schools-at-kgi-announce-24-additions-to-faculty-300321197.html

by Roxanne Shiels, University Business

How does an institution connect with students who’ve never been on campus? In 2013, the latest year for which data is available, 2.7 million students—more than 13 percent of all U.S. students—took all their classes online or through other distance education. Penn State World Campus, the online arm of Penn State University that started in 1998, now has 18,000 students and almost 12,000 alumni. When students enroll in our degree programs, they aren’t just paying for an education—they’re paying for the promise of becoming part of the Penn State family, one of a network of 645,000 living alumni. Creating emotional connections and lasting bonds with online students starts while they are still in school, just as it does with traditional students. These bonds don’t benefit just the alumni organization or the institution. Research shows adult students who are at risk of dropping out are more likely to stay in school when someone is encouraging them.

https://www.universitybusiness.com/article/colleges-experiment-engaging-alumni-online-programs

Kelsie Clifton, UTPB Mesa Journal

School alone can be overwhelming but as an online student it can be even more challenging because we do not always have the motivation that other students might have in a traditional classroom. However, one thing I love about UTPB is that our online classes are designed to feel like we are a part of an actual classroom. We have group discussions, live chat and even group assignments just like a traditional classroom would. I have also noticed that more of my teachers have begun to record themselves by video or voice-overs for the chapter lecture which is also a huge help. It may take more effort but we as online students can succeed in our classes just as much as we would if we were physically there.

http://mesajournalnews.com/2972/news/how-to-succeed-as-an-online-student/

by Doug Shapiro, Evolllution

In the wake of the Great Recession, a number of “truths” higher education leaders took to be self-evident are disappearing. Students no longer fit into the traditional 18- 22-year-old demographic. Students no longer see their postsecondary education as a one-time affair. This second trend is particularly transformative, as learners are actually establishing their own non-conventional pathways to credentials within the rigid frameworks higher education institutions have in place. In this interview Doug Shapiro shares his thoughts on why these frameworks need to be rethought and reflects on the value of stackable credentials for students and for the economy.

http://evolllution.com/attracting-students/accessibility/stackable-credentials-meet-the-needs-of-students-and-society/

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Economist Carlo Salerno writes in the Huffington Post that allowing the U.S. Department of Education to grant degrees based upon the number of courses completed, regardless of transfers or the number of institutions, is a way to generate more value and decrease costs for students. Since most schools do not accept transfer credits universally to create more profit in taking duplicate courses and more requirements, Salerno argues that the DOE has the capacity to set rules on how many courses and which types qualify students for a professional credential. Salerno says that schools would cut costs to keep pace with the government’s credentialing arm, which could operate in the same way that it qualifies students for federal loans, and higher education accreditors.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/economist-suggests-ed-dept-credentialing-as-college-cost-cure/425756/

By Nancy Collamer, NEXT AVENUE

Now that it’s September and back-to-school season, you might be thinking about going back to college in midlife yourself. Fortunately, the options for continuing education have never been better — or more affordable. Whether your goal is to pivot into a semi-retirement gig, pick-up new technical skills or earn a needed certification for a promotion, there’s a college class to fit your needs. And while you may need to invest in a degree in some cases, in many others, you can improve your marketability with just a few courses or a short-term certificate program. Which are the best non-degree options for budget-conscious adult learners? Here are four alternatives to consider, as well as a few cost-saving tips should you decide to pursue a more conventional degree program.

http://www.nextavenue.org/4-ways-back-to-college-cheap/

by Daniel Greenstein, Impatient Optimists

What are some of the most common misconceptions about today’s college students? Here are just a few: The typical college student is 18-24 years old and enrolls right out of high school. In fact, 40 percent of today’s college students are 25 or older. It is really important for colleges and universities to provide academic supports to help them brush up in areas where they might be weaker and technology-enabled advising that charts a steady and sure path to a credential. The typical college student is focusing full-time on their studies. The reality is that nearly two-thirds of all students are working while enrolled, a quarter of them full-time. Nearly 30 percent of students have children. The typical college student lives in a dorm on campus. Yes, 40 percent of today’s college students do live on campus, but that means 60 percent do not. Commuter students need access to programs and services before 9am and after 5pm, as well as online and blended courses that enable them to learn anytime, anywhere.

http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2016/09/Getting-Real-About-Todays-College-Students#.V86f9FsrLox

by Vanessa Miller, The Gazette

The University of Iowa has tightened enrollment checks and balances on international students after auditors found some were inappropriately waived through English-language requirements or taking too many online courses. The internal audit’s findings come amid reports of widespread cheating involving international students. Auditors also discovered that not all of the university’s international students here on F-1 visas are pursuing a required “full course of study” as defined by federal regulations. Undergraduate students are supposed to take at least 12 hours a semester; graduate students must take at least nine hours; and no more than one course or three credits can come via online or distance education, according to the federal guidelines.

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/higher-education/university-of-iowa-tightens-controls-amid-international-student-concerns-20160902

by Stuart Kennedy, Financial Review

Technology for higher education is big business, both globally and in Australia. Research organisation Gartner predicts that the worldwide higher education sector will spend more than $US38.2 billion ($50 billion) this year, while the Australian higher education institutions will spend $1.7 billion in 2016, up 4 per cent on last year. While tech spending might be on the increase in higher education, it is often the dramatic reduction in costs of digital gadgets and services that disrupts the status quo. Rapidly commoditising technology gives students and researchers access to once expensive tools they had previously only dreamed about employing.

http://www.afr.com/news/special-reports/smart-business/massive-open-online-courses-give-universities-global-reach-20160904-gr8d1c

By Michael Tanenbaum, Philly Voice

Ken Goldsmith, a distinguished poet and professor of English, will reprise his famed “Wasting Time on the Internet” course for the Fall 2016 Semester. The class, inspired by the radical legacy of the Situationist movement, debuted in 2014 after Goldsmith announced his experimental intentions in a piece for The New Yorker. For three hours a week, fifteen students met in a Wi-Fi connected room on condition that all of their communication take place online: chat rooms, bots, social media and listservs. Nothing is off limits: if it is on the Internet, it is fair play. Students watching three hours of porn can use it as the basis for compelling erotica; they can troll nefarious right-wing sites, scraping hate-filled language for spy thrillers; they can render celebrity Twitter feeds into epic Dadaist poetry; they can recast Facebook feeds as novellas; or they can simply hand in their browser history at the end of a session and present it as a memoir. You may be thinking, “Yeah, that’s kind of what I did in college, anyway,” but Goldsmith is pursuing a larger argument about the evolution of literature and the effects of its antecedents on digital mass culture.

http://www.phillyvoice.com/penn-prof-brings-back-controversial-wasting-time-internet-course/

by Business Wire

On Thursday, September 15, the online learning community and its supporters will celebrate the inaugural National Online Learning Day. The community of online learners is rapidly growing as student success expands beyond the bounds of traditional learning. National Online Learning Day celebrates the online learning community and showcases the accomplishments of its students and educators. Online learning is available to all learners—from preschool to high school to college and beyond—and provides students with the ultimate accessibility and personalization. By combining curriculum, technology and the Internet, students can study almost any subject—anywhere, anytime.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160902005675/en/National-Online-Learning-Day-Celebrated-September-15

By Therese Poletti, MarketWatch

One might think that Sebastian Thrun, known in Silicon Valley as the father of the self-driving car, would be questioning his move away from the technology as autonomous cars become more than a pie-in-the-sky dream. “‘You had the coolest job on the planet, why are you doing this?’” Thrun said he is often asked. Thrun, however, believes he now has a more noble mission: Making education democratic and available to all on the internet. The Silicon Valley legend is president and cofounder of Udacity Inc., based a few miles from the GooglePlex, where Thrun started up Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG, +0.35% GOOGL, +0.69% celebrated driverless-cars initiative and other “moonshot” projects. Udacity is a startup that takes advantage of its location, connections and expertise to offer free online courses on topics such as web development, programming, Android and iOS development and many other tech topics.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-the-father-of-the-self-driving-car-left-google-2016-09-02

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Arizona State University has launched an Action Lab, a research hub designed to assess and improve teaching models in order to develop better learning outcomes for students. The lab focuses on course design, teaching delivery, adaptive learning modules and personalized learning in order to create best practices and innovative approaches to education provision. Officials hope the lab offers scalable solutions for how different schools can integrate technology and instruction to better meet the needs of a student population increasing in its diversity.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/arizona-state-action-lab-promotes-real-time-adaptive-learning/425199/