Online Learning Update

BY JULIA FREELAND FISHER, eCampus News

Clay Christensen’s newest book, Competing Against Luck, chronicle the coming of age of another theory that may prove just as, if not more, powerful than disruptive innovation: the theory of jobs to be done. Jobs to be done hinges on the fact that consumers “hire” products and services to do a specific job in their lives, and that they are motivated to do so by particular circumstances. For example, in an early study of how to boost milkshake sales, a consulting team found that a fast food chain sold a disproportionate number of milkshakes first thing in the morning to busy commuters. These customers “hired” milkshakes to occupy them while in traffic and to keep their stomachs satisfied until lunch. To get these jobs done, realistically the commuters could have hired all sorts of products: bananas, bagels, or even the radio. To outcompete not only other fast food chains’ milkshakes, but also all of the other foods and experiences that might fulfill commuters’ jobs, the fast food chain needed to design milkshakes that nailed this particular circumstance and job experienced by the commuter.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/disruptions-and-innovations/education-innovation-theory/

By Leila Meyer, Campus Technology

An increasing number of millennials are considering careers in cyber security, primarily because of increased awareness of cyber security issues, according to a new report from Raytheon and the National Cyber Security Alliance. But even this increased level of interest is not enough to close the cyber security gap, and the industry must make a sustained effort to attract new talent, especially women, who are underrepresented in the field. The report, “Securing Our Future: Closing the Cybersecurity Talent Gap,” surveyed 3,779 adults aged 18 to 26, from 12 countries around the world, including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/10/12/survey-growing-interest-in-cyber-security-careers-among-millennials.aspx

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Spurred by the success of an earlier anatomy class offered as a massive open online course (MOOC), the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine is expanding its course offerings through its own institutional website and enhancing the course content with the help of a textbook publisher and 3D simulation company. The university’s anatomy faculty has been developing the materials for a series of courses using Elsevier texts, Netter Atlas of Human Anatomy, Gray’s Anatomy for Students and Larson’s Human Embryology. The content creators have also worked with Sharecare Reality Lab to add digital, 3D, anatomic simulations that use virtual reality to enable students to explore the human body.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/10/13/u-pennsylvanias-low-cost-online-anatomy-courses-use-vr.aspx

by Chris Brandt, University Herald

John Katzman, founder of the Princeton Review, has raised $4 million through his new education venture, Noodle Partners Inc. The said money will be used to help colleges bring high-quality degree programs online. Katzman believes that online education can have the same quality as those that are taught in traditional classrooms. He also said that it has changed dramatically over the years, especially with the rise of new technology. The problem, however, he added is not about the medium but about the availability of high quality degrees at a lower cost. He also believe that online degree programs can reverse the trend of low enrollment due to the rising cost of college. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, education enrollment has been experiencing a sharp decline for the last five years because colleges and universities, both in the private and public sectors, are getting more and more expensive.

http://www.universityherald.com/articles/44348/20161015/online-education.htm

By Sri Ravipati, Campus Technology

In an effort to take the next step in teaching, learning and research, the University of Michigan (U-M) today launched an initiative to encourage faculty and staff to embrace digital technology in the classroom. The Academic Innovation Initiative will be led by the Office of Academic Innovation (formerly the Office of Digital Education and Innovation), along with a steering committee, over the next year to “identify investments and solutions that will enhance excellence and impact at the university, and shape the future of education,” according to a statement from U-M. Provost Martha Pollack said the vision for the initiative is to increase opportunities for younger people to get a feel for what higher education is like and become college-ready.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/10/13/um-to-plan-digital-strategy-for-future-innovation.aspx

by Uma Kannan, Deccan Herald

Coursera, a California-headquartered education platform, has been adding about 60,000 members every month with 1.7 million learners already on board in India. Coursera Chief Business Officer Nikhil Sinha, who was in the city recently, told DH that a quarter of its Indian learners are interested in technology skills (Computer Science courses). “Technology and Data Science are the top two areas that are in demand in India, and they are followed by business. India is a very prominent learner market for us because of the combination of a young population with significant aspirations, and where education is the most important mechanism for social mobility, and where there is a large English-speaking workforce, and where people are willing to invest in education,” he said, adding that 20% of Coursera’s users learn only on mobile.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/576035/online-learning-coursera-adds-60k.html

by IU Kokomo

How do you take an online class on a field trip? Stanley, visiting lecturer in health care management, creates and teaches online classes for one of Indiana University Kokomo’s newest programs, the Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.). Though her classes don’t meet on campus, she wants her students to connect with her and with one another, and to experience the high-quality instruction expected from an IU degree. “When we’re connected, and have trust, they’re willing to take more chances,” she said. “Their papers are richer, and their responses are richer. Some people have the idea that an online class is like a correspondence course. It’s not just power points, a webpage, and a textbook. My online classes are interactive. I want students to feel comfortable reaching out and asking questions. If they’re intimidated or unsure of me, they will avoid making contact. Part of that effort includes virtual field trips.

http://newsroom.iuk.edu/articles/2016/10-oct/online-instructor-creates-rich-learning-environment.php

by Ryan Craig, Forbes

In 2014 the California Community College system created the Online Education Initiative (OEI), managed by Foothill-DeAnza Community College District and Butte-Glenn Community College District with $77M in new state funding over five years. The goal was straightforward: create an online “Course Exchange” by pooling resources across colleges, providing students greater access to the courses they need. While we’re still in the early innings, OEI stands in stark contrast to the failed initiatives of California’s online past, and could provide a roadmap to system-wide initiatives of the future.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryancraig/2016/10/14/californias-new-playbook-for-online-education/#56bfb41c1884

By Jordan Friedman, US News

Prospective online students should inquire about how groups communicate and time commitment for activities, experts say. SNHU isn’t the only online program offering student organizations outside of class. Experts say extracurriculars allow online students to a do what they would be able to on campus: build a sense of community, pursue interests and build leadership skills. “Their first thought may not be, ‘How can I get engaged with my peers?’ But I definitely encourage students to take the time to think about that. A strong collegiate experience should be full of something more than just your relationship with your professor and what you’re learning in class,” says Ashley Adams, director of student affairs at Pennsylvania State University—World Campus. The university’s online arm has student groups ranging from honor societies to ones connected to certain majors, such as the economics club.Prospective online students considering joining extracurricular activities should answer the following five questions when researching programs.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2016-10-13/ask-5-questions-about-extracurricular-activities-in-online-degree-programs

by Lauren Delorenzo, Daily News

Online classes have become increasingly popular at Ball State mainly because of their convenience. With many of Ball State’s courses offered both in the traditional classroom setting and online, around 38.9 percent of students chose to participate in online learning last year. The traditional classroom setting isn’t for everyone so some students have turned to the option of taking classes online. Online classes at Ball State have become increasingly popular, with around 38.9 percent of students participating in some form of distance or online learning last year, according to collegefactual.com. Over 3,000 students took classes exclusively online. Many of the classes available at Ball State are offered both online and in the traditional classroom setting. Students say one advantage of online classes is the convenience.

http://www.ballstatedaily.com/article/2016/10/news-online-classes

y Ashley A. Smith, Inside Higher Ed

California community colleges unveil online program that allows students to take courses across multiple campuses, a project that replaced a failed attempt to tap for-profit online course providers to meet student demand. The California Community Colleges Online Education Initiative will debut this fall. Unlike typical online class systems, the OEI is a collaborative program that allows students to register and participate in online courses across multiple colleges. The program also provides online counseling to students. “Community college systems have actually done a lot with online courses, but it’s always been in silos and each campus having their own program,” said Phil Hill, an education technology consultant and co-publisher of the “e-Literate” blog. “But this is a coordinated systemwide approach where they’re all working together for the first time.” Not only is this the first time the community colleges have teamed up for something like this, but they also created the online exchange.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/10/13/californias-online-education-initiative-connects-community-college-classes-across

by NAVADHA PANDEY, Hindu Business Line

Online education platform Coursera, which offers massive open online courses, specialised courses and online degrees, is looking at the corporate learning and development market to boost revenue. “We will soon announce a tie-up with a top Indian IT company… to reskill their existing software engineers in data science,” Nikhil Sinha, Chief Business Officer, Coursera, told BusinessLine. The company has also launched its enterprise platform — Coursera for Business. On why Coursera is foraying into the corporate learning space, Sinha said the platform already has many individual learners who work at some of the largest companies in the world.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/coursera-eyes-corporates-deals-to-boost-revenues/article9208383.ece

BY HAZLINA AZIZ, New Straits Times

Isaac Asimov, in the same interview pointed out on the flawed industrial model of education 28 years ago. He said: “Today, what people call learning is forced on you. Everyone is forced to learn the same thing on the same day at the same speed in class. But, everyone is different. For some, class goes too fast, for some too slow, for some in the wrong direction. But, give everyone a chance, in addition to school, to follow up their own bent from the start, to find out about whatever they’re interested in by looking it up in their own homes, at their own speed, in their own time, and everyone will enjoy learning.” There is no end to learning but there are many beginnings, they say. And, it looks like Asimov’s prediction of the future is finally here.

http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/10/179719/debunking-myth-online-learning-impersonal

by FIONA MACDONALD, Science Alert

Learning to program according to the most popular languages at the moment is great, but being able to program with the coding languages of the future is even better. We’ve partnered with StackCommerce to find not just one, but nine of the top-rated online programming modules, which you can study from the comfort of you own couch right now at ScienceAlert Academy. The “Programming into the Future” bundle contains more than 30 hours of lectures that will put you ahead of the curve when it comes to programming, and will teach you a range of different new and emerging languages. The modules include the Angular 2 Crash Course and Python Web Programming.

http://www.sciencealert.com/this-online-programming-course-lets-you-pay-what-you-think-it-s-worth

By Leila Meyer, Campus Technology

A professor at Texas A&M University is developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology for creating adaptive online courses. Noboru Matsuda, an associate professor of cyber STEM education in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture at Texas A&M is currently the principal investigator on three related research projects funded by National Science Foundation grants. In September 2016, Matsuda received his latest grant for a project that aims to develop a browser-based development environment to let teachers author their own adaptive online courses without specialized training. The technology will also enable researchers to gather data about how students learn from adaptive online courses.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/10/11/texas-am-prof-develops-ai-for-adaptive-online-learning.aspx

by JARED NEWMAN, Fast Company

Tucked inside one of Coursera’s 1,500 online classes, there’s a multiple choice quiz that’s not like the others. Instead of just asking questions and expecting answers, each challenge includes a text box with a “Run” button next to it. Here, you’re expected to enter the appropriate code in the SQL programming language, so you can grab the database information you need to make the correct choice. Essentially, Coursera has condensed an entire coding environment into a series of boxes on a web page. The hope is that computer science and data science classes will become much more interactive, with the ability to play with your own code in the middle of a reading assignment, video lecture, or quiz. “We want to help learners learn by doing,” says Tom Willerer, Coursera’s chief product officer. “We want people to apply and practice what they’re learning in the readings and the lectures, not just sit passively.”

https://www.fastcompany.com/3064213/coursera-brings-everything-you-need-to-code-into-its-virtual-classrooms

by Pradeep, MS Power UserX

Microsoft offers more than 35 online courses, both Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and professional education courses, on edX.org. Microsoft today announced that registration is open for five new Microsoft-sponsored courses developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan and The University of Queensland, offered in partnership with edX, the nonprofit online learning destination founded by Harvard and MIT. These courses are designed to help guide K-12 school teachers and staff.

https://mspoweruser.com/microsoft-sponsored-new-courses-top-universities-launching-edx/

BY LAURIE CARBO-PORTER AND DORCEY L. APPLYRS, eCampus News

Experts from Excelsior College discuss the endless opportunities for faculty and students to come together to address global issues thanks to distance learning. Leadership at institutions of higher education have historically embraced some level of commitment to the well-being of the communities where they are physically situated. This commitment is typically reflected in the institution’s mission and culture. Having campus-based programs naturally lends itself to this type of stewardship because students, faculty, and administrators live and work together in a relatively defined geographic area. For distance institutions of higher education that embrace community stewardship as part of their mission, the commitment is experienced differently, but with no less vigor.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/online-learning/global-community-distance/

BY MERIS STANSBURY, eCampus News

Today’s student opinions reveal what they really think about online learning, digital resources and much more. As colleges and universities become increasingly focused on student services in order to attract and retain students, it’s never been more important to gauge how students feel about some of the larger, innovative—and often tech-based—initiatives leadership spends copious amounts of time and money supporting on campus. Recent large-scale studies in 2016 have yielded surprising findings on how students feel about a number of trendy higher education projects and implementations, ranging from how they feel about the many components of online learning to the technology offered on campus overall. By informally examining a handful of recent eCampus News stories on these reports, there are five student opinions on growing higher education initiatives that seem especially noteworthy due to the studies’ representative size of students surveyed, as well as their topic focus:

http://www.ecampusnews.com/campus-administration/student-opinions-education/

By CHASEN SHAO, the Pennsylvanian

Last week, Penn hosted the Third Annual Learning with MOOCs Conference, bringing together leaders in the mass learning system. MOOCs — Massive Online Open Courses — were created in 2008, and since then, various universities have started offering free courses. Through a grant from the United States Department of State, Penn has also begun offering MOOCs. Provost Vincent Price and CEO of edX, Anant Agarwal, were among the panelists who discussed the development of the MOOCs and their visions for the future at the conference on Oct. 6 and 7. Agarwal described MOOCs as a response to what he believes is a broken current educational system. He calls his solution the “unbundling” of the four-year educational system provided by universities and colleges.

http://www.thedp.com/article/2016/10/moocs-conference-online-learning

By Christina Lane, Longview News-Journal

Daniel Horn and Justin Bechard are juniors at LeTourneau University this year, but both transferred from Kilgore College. They each attended the community college, in part, because they said it was an opportunity to save money while also taking classes that are applicable to their eventual bachelor’s or master’s degrees. Horn and Bechard represent a growing trend in college enrollment. More and more students are starting their endeavors in higher education at community colleges then transferring to four-year universities. Along with that, both community colleges and four-year universities are seeing an increase in the number of students taking online classes.

https://www.news-journal.com/news/2016/oct/08/et-education-face-of-college-students-changes/