Online Learning Update

By Natalie Gagliordi – Between the Lines

According to a CrowdFlower survey, more than 90 percent of data scientists said they were happy doing their jobs, and nearly 50 percent said they were thrilled. According to the study, more than 90 percent of data scientists surveyed said they were happy doing their jobs, and nearly 50 percent said they were thrilled. Data scientists are effectively the human engine behind today’s most pivotal technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and algorithms and analytics. This report suggests most practicing data scientists are well aware of their importance and relish the job stability. Nearly 90 percent of data scientists are contacted at least once a month for new job opportunities, more than 50 percent are contacted on a weekly basis, and 30 percent are contacted several times a week, according to the study’s findings.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/data-scientists-really-love-their-jobs-survey-finds/

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

When the James B. Hunt Jr. Library at North Carolina State University opened in 2013, it seemed nary an innovation was left out. The 225,000‐square‐foot building includes multiple display walls running at a resolution six times better than high-def; a whacked out game lab; a wide visualization space; creativity studios; nearly a hundred group study rooms and learning spaces; glass walls and writable surfaces anywhere you might lay an erasable marker; bookBot, a robotic book storage center with capacity for 2 million volumes; reconfigurable seating and tables everywhere (including a reported 60 different types of designer furniture); plus high-performance computing (HPC) and high-speed storage. It took 98 pages for the university to describe the entirety of the wonders of the Hunt Library in its application for the 2014 Stanford Prize for Innovation in Research Libraries (which it handily won).

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/04/19/6-ways-to-feed-innovation-in-your-library.aspx

by C. Carney Strange and James H. Banning, Tomorrow’s Professor

The biggest impact on the world will be universal access to all human knowledge. The integration of mobile technology and learning in higher education has been one of the most exciting and transformational changes in how colleges and universities attend to their work of teaching, research, and service. The past ten years in particular have witnessed a revolution in how educators construct the processes of learning and how to engage students in them. Referring specifically to online learning, one observer described this as a paradigm shift that presents “an uncharted set of challenges for academic institutions, most of which are much more familiar with the traditional classroom setting” (Borden, 2011). This shift will reflect both how we fundamentally approach learning as well as the role of instructors.

https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1561

by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal

Harvard Business School will begin offering the first open-enrollment online course from the its state-of-the-art WGBH studio next month. The class, called Managing Your Career Development, will take place over seven sessions starting May 16. A different HBS faculty member will teach each session. The goal of the class is to help employees with 10 or fewer years of professional experience shift into managerial roles or otherwise advance their careers. The faculty members will teach from a studio located at WGBH’s Brighton headquarters, where they can see up to 60 students through individual screens spread across a wall.

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2017/04/18/harvard-s-newest-business-course-a-ted-talk-come.html

by WNAX

The number of students taking college courses online continues to rise. A report from the South Dakota Board of Regents shows over fourteen thousand students taking at least some of their classes on line last fall. Regents Vice President Kevin Schieffer of Sioux Falls says they see online education as an growing extension of the universities The six universities have seen an almost thirty three percent increase in online hours in the last five years.

http://wnax.com/news/180081-more-sd-students-taking-online-university-courses/

by Pat Donachie, Education Dive

Students’ interest in online academic programs increased in February, despite the continuation of a year-long downward trend for inquiries into academic programs as a whole, according to a recent report from Gray Associates, which reviews student and employer demand trends regarding higher education. The spike coincides with a desire on the part of students for education opportunities that can be accessed nontraditionally. ​The report attributed the drop in inquiries about higher ed to the fact that the country’s college-age population has not been increasing. Inquiries into higher education have fallen in each month since January 2016, but inquiries regarding online program saw increases last year as well, with four consecutive months of gains as of November.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/interest-in-online-learning-programs-rises-in-february/440660/

by Paul Fain and Rick Seltzer, Inside Higher Ed

Indiana institution acquires Kaplan University and its 32,000 students in an unprecedented move to enter online education as many large for-profits continue to slump. Purdue University’s acquisition of Kaplan University is an unexpected tectonic shift in American higher education, revealing both the changing roles of public universities and the dwindling fortunes of for-profit colleges. The deal announced Thursday has the Indiana-based public research university acquiring nearly all of the credential-issuing side of Kaplan’s higher education business — seven schools and colleges that make up Kaplan University, but not its School of Professional and Continuing Education.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/04/28/purdue-acquires-kaplan-university-create-new-public-online-university-under-purdue

By John LaMar, US News

Massive open online courses allow prospective students to gauge their interest in different majors at no cost. Having now also completed an online bachelor’s program at Oregon State University Ecampus, I feel it might be helpful for other prospective students to understand the benefits and challenges of a MOOC, and when it might make more sense to enroll in a more structured online degree program.

https://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2017-04-17/3-reasons-to-consider-moocs-over-an-online-degree

By Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

Should every institution develop some capacity for online learning? What about small residential colleges, places that differentiate around an in-person residential learning experience? I’ve argued that small-scale online and low-residency programs are a way to build on institutional strengths, grow the knowledge and skills of our educators, and reach new groups of students. Online learning can also be a catalyst for organizational change, as the impact of traditional and open online learning programs on improving residential teaching and learning has been consistently under-appreciated. Need another reason to invest in online learning? How about institutional resilience. Will your institution be able to keep going if a black swan lands on your campus?

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/online-learning-and-institutional-resilience

By Daniel Moore, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

During the ARM Institute’s first membership recruitment meeting, members hammered out agreements with corporations and development agencies alike to gain private funding and strengthen the manufacturing workforce. At the National Robotics Engineering Center in Lawrenceville, two decades of robotics research is on display in the 28 gleaming plaques on the wall: inscribed patents for pieces of technology invented at Carnegie Mellon University. Now, flush with government money and commitments from private industry, a nonprofit founded at the school is embarking on a new mission: selling the value of robotics and automation to American manufacturing. The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute, called the ARM Institute, hosted more than 200 people from across the country on Wednesday at the cavernous research center for the ambitious undertaking’s first membership recruitment meeting.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/higher-ed/Carnegie-Mellon-University-Nonprofit-Pitches-Robotics-to-Business-Leaders.html

by the Chronicle of Higher Ed

Purdue University’s Board of Trustees is expected to buy the for-profit Kaplan University, which is a division of Graham Holdings Company. The surprise announcement was made in a corporate filing by the company on Thursday morning. According to the filing, Kaplan will become a new “nonprofit, public-benefit corporation” called “New University.” It continues: “New University will operate as a new Indiana public university, as authorized by the Indiana legislature, affiliated with Purdue University and focused on expanding access to education for non-traditional adult learners.”

http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/purdue-u-is-expected-to-buy-mega-for-profit-kaplan-u-turn-it-into-a-public-university/

BY TANYA ROSCORLA, Converge

The Rhode Island innovation leader hopes to use his new position to tackle tech challenges related to digital equity, next-generation assessments and transitions between high school and college. After 18 months as Rhode Island’s first chief innovation officer, Richard Culatta will become the new CEO of the nonprofit International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) on May 1. The ISTE Board of Directors* had been looking for a new CEO since Brian Lewis’ employment ended last September. Out of a 42-person interview pool, Culatta earned that spot because of his proven innovation record at the U.S. Education Department and the state of Rhode Island, along with a good grasp of the needs of ISTE’s members, who hail from more than 92 countries and number upward of 17,000.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/higher-ed/Why-Richard-Culatta-Will-Be-the-New-ISTE-CEO.html

by Autumn A. Arnett, Education Dive

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed 100% of higher education funding for next fiscal year, The Washington Post reports, and the legislature won’t be able to overturn her veto. Public colleges and universities in the state have seen a 32% drop in funding since the recession. Increases to the state’s public school system were also a part of the veto package, continuing a downward trend that has amounted to a 14% cut in public school funding since the recession. Martinez expressed frustration over the state Senate’s failure to schedule confirmation hearings for her Board of Regents nominees. New Mexico State University President Garrey Carruthers decried the idea that the state’s public universities are getting “caught up in political strategy,” and Democratic leaders in the legislature are planning to sue the governor over the veto.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/will-higher-ed-funding-hit-0-in-new-mexico-in-2018/440659/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

How is digital technology changing education? An easier question to answer perhaps is: How is digital technology not changing education. Availability of Online Classes and Programs: One of the first easy observations regarding digital technology and education is that online schools and classes are becoming widely available. Even free online classes called “MOOC’s” otherwise known as Massive Open Online Courses are becoming widely popular. Online courses and full online programs are making it possible for learners young and old to unite from all over the world at any given moment, and to have easy access to a course or program from home.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/7-ways-digital-technology-changing-face-education/

by Milenko Martinovich, Phys.org

While online education has opened access to learners worldwide, new Stanford research suggests that a single approach to teaching everyone in an online class may not yield the best outcome, especially when it comes to course completion. The key, the Stanford researchers say, is to recognize cultural differences among class participants, especially the difference between cultures that celebrate the power of the individual versus those where the good of the group comes first. Instructors can then tailor teaching strategies to best meet the learners’ needs. In a new study published last week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, results support the need for tailored strategies – based on cultural backgrounds – that can be scaled and help millions of learners worldwide.

https://phys.org/news/2017-04-effectiveness-psychological-strategy-online-learners.html

By Liz Konneker, GW Hatchet

The College of Professional Studies is earning more than half of its revenue from online courses – making the college a leader in online learning at GW.Fifty-four percent of the college’s revenue comes from students enrolled in online programs or courses and 60 percent of its students took at least one online course this academic year, Ali Eskandarian, the dean of the college, said at the April Faculty Senate meeting. Faculty said the school has embraced online learning because many of their students are non-traditional, meaning they already have professional jobs or families that take up a significant amount of time. The school began offering online courses a decade ago, and since then online learning has become a dominant part of the school’s mission, Eskandarian said in an email.

https://www.gwhatchet.com/2017/04/17/online-courses-make-up-more-than-half-of-cpss-revenue/

by News Channel 13

“We are providing to the learner the ability to affordably, flexibly and in a personalized way get the education that they want,” explained Nurit Sonnenschein, the Center for Educational Measurement general manager at Excelsior College, It’s called a CourXam. Excelsior College teamed up with Cengage Learning to create college credit worthy exams that offer more flexibility than standard online courses. “We have these pacing guides right in the welcome section of every product that says, ‘Do you have six weeks to do this do you want to do this in 12 weeks,'” noted Sonnenschein. Split up into modules, complete with readings, activities and quizzes, the CourXam also breaks down how much time each lesson will take to complete, allowing you to choose what you learn and when you learn it.

http://wnyt.com/stem/excelsior-college-online-learning-courxam-program/4455050/

By Robert Klimper, Coyote Chronicle

Online courses sometimes are exactly what a busy college student needs, allowing for a more flexible schedule. Though online courses offer a more flexible schedule, it is not unheard of for students to feel a somewhat of a disconnect to the instructor of the courses as they can just be a wall of text with no face to face interaction. “If it is done well, an online course can connect you in very interesting ways to you students,” said Dr. Mihaela Popescu, communication professor and faculty associate with Academic Technologies & Innovation (ATI). Dr. Popescu sees a purpose in online courses and tries to work around the issue of the disconnect that can come from online only courses. She tries to achieve this through allowing the students themselves to introduce each other through outlets like video or audio so that other students feel a sense of connection.

http://coyotechronicle.net/simulated-classroom-learning/

by eMarketer Daily

App time will make up nearly 20% of total media time this year. Americans are spending more time within mobile apps and less time within mobile browsers. However, the number of apps being used regularly is dropping, as users concentrate their activities in core apps. In 2017, the average US adult will spend 2 hours, 25 minutes per day using mobile apps, a jump of 10.3% over last year, and slightly higher than previously forecast. That means time spent with mobile apps will reach 19.9% of average daily total media time this year.

https://www.emarketer.com/Article/eMarketer-Unveils-New-Estimates-Mobile-App-Usage/1015611

by Nataley Jarvey, Hollywood Reporter

A hundred grand is entry-level pay for masters including Shonda Rhimes, Aaron Sorkin, Steve Martin and Kevin Spacey dabbling as online instructors: “I would love a class from Elon Musk,” says MasterClass CEO David Rogier. When San Francisco-based MasterClass got underway in 2014, it had a hard time finding big names to teach its $90 online education courses. But the days of co-founder/CEO David Rogier cold-calling author James Patterson to convince him to sign on as an instructor are over. A-listers such as Hans Zimmer, Aaron Sorkin and now Shonda Rhimes are signing lucrative deals to teach, as MasterClass plans to expand into new subjects. MasterClass aims to bring the quality of Netflix to the $100 billion e-learning industry.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/what-masterclass-online-courses-pay-lure-hollywood-stars-as-teachers-993159

by Kartik Hosanagar and Apoorv Saxena, Wharton

Now we are on the cusp of a new grand leap thanks to the democratization of machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence that enables computers to learn without being explicitly programmed. As recently as 2015, only large companies like Google, Amazon and Apple had access to the massive data and computing resources needed to train and launch sophisticated AI algorithms. Small startups and individuals simply didn’t have access and were effectively blocked out of the market. That changes now. The democratization of ML gives individuals and startups a chance to get their ideas off the ground and prove their concepts before raising the funds needed to scale. There is an effort underway to standardize and improve access across all layers of the machine learning stack.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/democratization-ai-means-tech-innovation/