Online Learning Update

By Don Block, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Thousands of people are on waiting lists in Pennsylvania alone to get the training they need to make a decent living. Donald Trump was elected president with the votes of millions of disenfranchised and unemployed workers who feel that they are not sharing in the country’s economic prosperity. One method of bringing this group back into the mainstream of working America is as old as the American dream itself, and that is education. While the value of higher education is widely understood, our nation has overlooked another part of the educational pipeline for far too long. I’m referring to adult basic education. Higher education is out of reach for the 12 percent of adult Americans who do not have a high school diploma.

http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2017/01/15/Trump-should-make-adult-education-a-priority/stories/201701150009

by Inside Higher Ed

Anita Casavantes Bradford, Laura E. Enriquez and Susan Bibler Coutin offer advice to faculty members and administrators. While most university faculty, staff and administrators may not be in a position to directly influence federal immigration law or enforcement priorities, we do have the ability — indeed, we would argue, the responsibility — to mediate the impact of immigration policies on undocumented students. As immigration scholars and engaged teachers who work closely with undocumented students, we offer the following suggestions for faculty and administrators to consider.

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2017/01/31/how-faculty-members-and-administrators-can-help-immigrant-students-essay

By Ian Acosta, ULoop

So, you are stepping outside the usual bounds of the classroom and enrolling in an online class. For those who have taken an online class before, you most likely know how the style of studying, exam taking, and overall learning will be different. For those of you who haven’t, it can be somewhat of a “learn as you go” type process just to understand the format of the course, much less focusing on the actual course itself. Going off of that point, just to be able to take the course, certain technological requirements must be fulfilled or else the course will not go smoothly for you. Here are five common requirements I have either personally had in the past or have heard of before for taking online courses.

http://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/224285/5-Common-Technical-Requirements-for-Online-Courses

by Udi Tirosh, DIYPhotography

Four months ago, it was Stanford who made their photography course for free, and now comes Harvard’s turns. Harvard has an online learning platform – Alison – and their photography course has been uploaded in whole and accessible worldwide. There are 12 modules with an extra module as a bonus, so you can follow on your own pace. the course is estimated to take 10-15 hours for the average student. If you were wondering, here is the course description: Digital photography technology is continually changing, however, the principles behind good photography don’t. The online photo course gives you the opportunity to gain extensive knowledge and understanding of digital photography including topics such as exposure settings, how to read and use the histogram, how light affects a photograph, how the camera sensor and lenses work, and how to process a photograph using computer software.

http://www.diyphotography.net/harvard-putting-13-module-photography-course-online-free/

By Jillian Corder, KPLC

After tuition, student fees, and housing cost, a trip to the bookstore can be overwhelming for college students. Books can easily cost upwards of $500 a semester, but LOUIS -The Louisiana Library Network – is hoping to cut that cost for students. The team is currently working on a plan that would allow students to use online books at the library instead of the traditional hardback textbooks. At Textbook Rentals on Common Street in Lake Charles, KPLC gathered books required for 15 credits hours at McNeese State University. The five freshmen level courses totaled $594.18 in books.

http://www.kplctv.com/story/34259323/college-textbook-alternatives-being-considered-to-reduce-student-spending