Online Learning Update

November 23, 2017

AI Boosts Personalized Learning in Higher Education

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

by David Hutchins, EdTech

Personalized learning, which tailors educational content to the unique needs of individual students, has become a huge component of K–12 education. A growing number of college educators are embracing the trend, taking advantage of data analytics and artificial intelligence to deliver just-right, just-in-time learning to their students. Data-driven insights are becoming integral to business and financial decision-making by institutional leaders, and educators are quickly finding ways to leverage analytics to increase student retention. Applying data analytics to adaptive learning programs is proving to be another smart application. In adaptive learning, educators collect data on various aspects of student performance — from engagement with course content to exam performance — and tailor material to each student’s knowledge level and ideal learning style.

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2017/11/ai-boosts-personalized-learning-higher-education

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How Online Instructors Can Avoid ‘Burnout’

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By Tina Nazerian, EdSurge

There’s a correlation between burnout and health-care costs, Stout said. But burnout also leads to low employee morale, a reduced likelihood that an instructor will stick with an institution and a lesser likelihood that an instructor will be engaged. Disengaged instructors are less likely to care about their students. And what’s more, a burnout might result in an instructor objectifying students. “That person is no longer a person, it’s just a name on a screen,” Stout said. Stout told the audience about the Maslach Burnout Inventory test, which quantifies burnout into three subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and (reduced) personal achievement. It’s the most-commonly used instrument to measure burnout, she said, and there’s even one that’s tailored to measure burnout among educators.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-11-16-how-online-instructors-can-avoid-burnout

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14 Study Hacks for Online Courses

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

By Lorena Roberts, Uloop
Taking an online class isn’t rare anymore — more and more universities are moving to online models. If you’re taking an online class, you might be afraid of what you’re getting into. You may not know how to take an online class, or how to study.
Here are some hacks for tackling online courses if you’ve never done it before.

https://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/252324/14-Study-Hacks-for-Online-Courses

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November 22, 2017

5 reasons why analytics tech is a game-changer for universities

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:07 am

BY GEORGIA MARIANI, eCampus News

Nine years ago, like many university IR offices, Alabama’s was manually pulling information, printing it on pieces of paper, and transcribing that information into spreadsheets that were distributed as responses. It was a tedious and time-consuming process. Now, the OIRA team monitors things like the graduation rates of our students, and the fail and withdrawal rates associated with specific courses. They look at time-to-degree information, faculty teaching loads and salary analyses for Alabama compared to peer institutions. In addition, they receive 500 to 600 information requests annually, which they attempt to answer within 10 working days. Much of the time, they respond within 24 hours because many requests seek similar information.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/campus-administration/analytics-game-changer/

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Building a Three-Dimensional Record of Student Learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by David Raths, Campus Technology

According to Helen Chen, director of e-portfolio initiatives in Stanford’s Office of the University Registrar, that dissatisfaction with the limitations of the basic transcript has spurred the university to launch several projects to explore new representations of the student record that might do a better job of conveying a student’s learning as well as co-curricular activities. One prototype sought to organize the student record not chronologically, but according to learning outcomes. “Our general education courses define learning outcomes,” Chen said. “What if you could organize the student record according to those outcomes rather than an emphasis on courses and grades?” Another effort called “Edusalsa” wondered what would happen if students could color-code their transcripts based on interests, strengths and weaknesses, to facilitate internal advising conversations.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/11/15/building-a-three-dimensional-record-of-student-learning.aspx

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How Udacity Localizes to Meet the World’s Booming Demand for Technical Skills

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

 

by Eden Estopace, Slator

Leah Wiedenmann, Udacity’s Marketing and Communications Manager in Europe, told Slator that all courses are available in English but select courses are available in Brazilian Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, and Arabic. “Students across Europe and India take Udacity’s courses in English. In China and Brazil, nanodegree programs and courses are translated into Mandarin Chinese and Brazilian Portuguese, respectively,” she says. “Udacity also has widespread localized course offerings in Arabic, Bahasa, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. [More importantly,] beyond localization of content, we also localize our services.”

https://slator.com/features/udacity-localizes-meet-worlds-booming-demand-technical-skills/

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November 21, 2017

Campuses See Value of Digital Learning, but Lack a Plan

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

In a recent survey, most chief academic officers (CAOs) at 359 two- and four-year institutions (86 percent) agreed that digital content and learning can improve the student experience. Eighty-seven percent of CAOs said digital learning resources “make learning more efficient and effective for students”; and 74 percent agreed that digital content would provide a richer and more personalized learning experience over print resources. However, a big hold-up to going “all digital” is a lack of student access to devices.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/11/15/campuses-see-value-of-digital-learning-but-lack-a-plan.aspx

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Adam Brown’s MissionU uses a tech sector model to focus on skills for the workplace

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by Hannah Kuchler, Financial Times
This September, his start-up, MissionU, accepted its first intake of students — 30 would-be data analysts who are starting a one-year course with no upfront costs. Designed to prepare them for the workplace, MissionU works closely with businesses ranging from Lyft, the ride-hailing app, to digital music streaming service Spotify to teach both technical and soft skills. The deal is that students repay 15 per cent of their income to MissionU for the first three years after graduation in which they earn at least $50,000.

https://www.ft.com/content/e3f6f18e-a9c6-11e7-ab66-21cc87a2edde

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Faculty Members at One More University Push Back at Online Programs

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

By Beckie Supiano, Chronicle of Higher Ed

Faculty unions at Eastern Michigan U. distributed fliers objecting to the university’s deal with a provider of online courses. Professors at Eastern Michigan University are objecting to its partnership with a private company to market and support online programs, making it the latest institution to grapple with questions about the quality of online instruction. The unions representing Eastern Michigan’s faculty members and lecturers are asking campus leaders to stop marketing online programs with the company, Academic Partnerships, until they can review the arrangement. And they’re rolling out an advertising campaign in an effort to build public support for their position.

http://www.chronicle.com/article/faculty-members-at-one-more/241788

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November 20, 2017

3 ways forward-thinking colleges usher in a new generation of students

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

by Robert Hansen, Hechinger Report

During the days when nearly every college graduate could expect a good job at the end of their educational journey, colleges differentiated themselves through selectivity, prestige, and rankings. Yet, the same approach today offers diminishing returns; powerful demographic and cultural shifts may explain why. Colleges and universities are starting to retool their approach to today’s economic realities — just as their own students are doing through lifelong learning. Decades of established practice are catching up with the needs of today’s increasingly diverse and career-driven learners. Is your institution up for it? 

http://hechingerreport.org/opinion-3-ways-forward-thinking-colleges-usher-new-generation-students/

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The bubble is going to burst for colleges and universities, professor says

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:07 am

by JARRETT LYONS, Salon.com

Half of the colleges and universities in the United States are in danger of bankruptcy over the coming decades.
Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen said that the number — up to 2,000 schools could be affected over the next 10 to 15 years — is thanks to online education. In Christensen’s most recent book, “The Innovative University,” he and co-author Henry Eyring theorized that online education will dominate the marketplace for higher education and drive more traditional schools into bankruptcy. At the a recent Salceforce.org Higher Education Summit, he said “If you’re asking whether the providers get disrupted within a decade — I might bet that it takes nine years rather than 10,” according to CNBC.

https://www.salon.com/2017/11/15/the-bubble-is-going-to-burst-for-colleges-and-universities-professor-says/

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Gordon Gee: For higher ed to survive, we’ve got to ‘blow up the box’

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

by Autumn A. Arnett, Education dive

West Virginia University President Gordon Gee says when he “first started as a university president nearly 40 years ago, you’d send your kid off to school, maybe they’d join a fraternity or sorority, then they’d come back home and get a real job.” “Now, our universities and colleges and higher ed in general is the economic driver” of the country, he said, addressing a crowd gathered in Washington, D.C. Wednesday for the Committee on Economic Development’s policy conference. Gee said the purpose of higher ed shouldn’t be an either-or proposition; it should prepare students to get good jobs and it should provide an environment in which they can find themselves socially. Matthew Sigelman, CEO of Burning Glass Technologies, added that higher ed needs to “be able to map the language of academia to the language of the job market.”

https://www.educationdive.com/news/gordon-gee-for-higher-ed-to-survive-weve-got-to-blow-up-the-box/511068/

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November 19, 2017

Here’s what to consider before choosing an online degree

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

by Lawrence Wakefield, the Guardian

With no open days or face-to-face meetings, how do you pick a distance learning course? For most students, choosing a university is as simple as counting up Ucas points, checking a league table or two, and signing up to a few open days to whittle the list down. But things are more complicated for distance learners, for whom studying off-campus brings a whole new set of considerations.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/nov/13/heres-what-to-consider-before-choosing-an-online-degree

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Report: Most Colleges and Universities Have Changed Org Structure to Support Student Success

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:06 am

By Joshua Bolkan, Campus Technology
Nearly three-quarters, 73 percent, of higher education institutions have changed their organizational structure to support student success initiatives in the last two years, according to a new report from ed tech provider Unit4. The report is based on a survey of 150 IT decision makers in higher education, most of whom were CIOs, CTOs and VPs or directors of IT or technology, according to information released by the company. Retention initiatives were the most commonly cited student support measures that lead to organizational change, according to respondents, with course completion rates and time-to-graduation following, student experiences and services coming in next and job placement and employability coming in fourth.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/11/03/report-most-colleges-and-universities-have-changed-org-structure-to-support-student-success.aspx

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How your institution can stay relevant as automation disrupts the industry

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by Shalina Chatlani, Education Dive

When it comes to the future of work, the focus is no longer on humans, but rather nonhumans: automatic machinery, robots and artificial intelligence. Proponents argue these technologies can transform the world of industry, allowing companies to reduce inefficiencies and maximize their profits. But this reality has also come with its share of consequences, as automation has completely shifted the way other sectors, key to filling the workforce, must approach their business models.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/how-your-institution-can-stay-relevant-as-automation-disrupts-the-industry/510988/

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Streamlining Access to Complex Data

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

By David Raths, Campus Technology

George Washington University created a visual, interactive collection of high-level metrics designed for a group of pivotal campus decision-makers: university deans.   Business intelligence (BI) projects are only worthwhile if users derive tangible value from them. And campus decision-makers don’t have the time to wade through complex reports, no matter how relevant the data. With that in mind, the BI team at George Washington University (DC) tapped into data visualization tools to create a dashboard tailored to the needs of busy college deans. The Dean’s Dashboard is a collection of several high-level metrics from different business areas across the university. It is one result of a five-year process of creating an enterprise data warehouse and a culture of data stewardship across the university, as well as the deployment of an agile project management process that fosters incremental improvement.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/11/09/streamlining-access-to-complex-data.aspx

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November 18, 2017

Optimize your online course development process with these 5 tips

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

by Nikos Andriotis, Talent LMS

The job of an online course creator is not an easy one. It involves balancing learning concepts backed by decades of research with the latest technology. The job also comes with adhering to a rigid process of instructional design. No matter how stringent the course development process may be, there are still ways for course development process optimization – which can make life a tad easier for course creators.

https://www.talentlms.com/blog/tips-online-course-development-process-optimization/

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7 Things to Know About Online-Only Universities

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By Jordan Friedman, US News

To transition her career into business and human resources, Melanie Hoobler believed earning a master’s degree was important. The Colorado resident and current student turned to online education in part because she may relocate to another state. She chose a human resource management master’s degree program at Colorado State University—Global Campus, an online-only institution.  The 25-year-old, a director of operations for a local painting company, says that after working with many HR professionals, she realizes that online degrees don’t really raise concerns among employers anymore. There are many different types of online programs, and universities that are primarily or fully online – with little to no access to a campus – are one option. Here are seven things prospective students should know about these online-only institutions.

https://www.usnews.com/higher-education/online-education/articles/2017-11-09/7-things-to-know-about-online-only-universities

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What to Expect in an Online Degree Program Residency

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

By Bradley Fuster, US News

Some programs require students to visit campus for face-to-face networking opportunities, discussions and activities.  Many include an in-person requirement, or residency, where students meet either on the school’s main campus or at a regional satellite campus. Residencies are more common in online graduate degree programs, such as MBAs, as well as clinical fields, like counseling, nursing and dietetics, though they do exist in certain certificate and online undergraduate degree programs. Residency lengths vary among online programs, from none at all to one day a week, 10 days a year, two weekends a month or a longer immersion. Residencies aim to supplement reading- and writing-intensive coursework. Students considering an online degree program should determine whether an on-ground residency is right for them and their career goals and if the time, travel and financial demands of a residency are within reach. Here are four aspects to expect during an online program residency experience.

https://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2017-11-10/what-to-expect-in-an-online-degree-program-residency

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November 17, 2017

How Much Hollywood Glitz Should Colleges Use in Their Online Courses?

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:08 am

 

By Jeffrey R. Young, EdSurge

The move is part of a trend—led by for-profit providers but done by some traditional colleges as well—to glitz up course materials, in some cases bringing in celebrity guests. This new approach juxtaposes video models created by most professors today, adding a production crew, producers, lights and angles to video instruction.  Some nonprofit colleges that produce MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, have experimented with different production methods. Researchers at MIT, for instance, did an analysis of various online courses in 2013, and one finding suggested “videos that intersperse an instructor’s talking head with PowerPoint slides are more engaging than showing only slides.” In other words, it might help to show someone’s face during online videos, whether they’re a celebrity or not. Some of the most popular teaching videos online are the most low-fi. A few videos on Khan Academy, for instance, have attracted millions of views, even though they are essentially voiceovers of Sal Khan explaining concepts while he draws on a screen or annotates images.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-11-08-how-much-hollywood-glitz-should-colleges-use-in-their-online-courses

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Why edX Appointed a Former TripAdvisor Executive as President & COO

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:06 am

By Francesco Albanese, Boston Inno

The reasoning behind the appointment of Medros as President and COO came from the want of strengthening the company’s management team, according to Anant Agarwal, CEO and founder of edX. The company saw the opportunity to use Medros’ strengths in the digital transformation space as “TripAdvisor transformed the hospitality industry,” Agarwal said in an interview. “We believe he will be a fantastic addition to our team.” As for what Medros and Agarwal have in mind for the city of Boston, edX has been working with undisclosed companies around the Boston area that will be announcing new happenings with edX over the next couple of weeks, according to Agarwal. Many of these same companies are also utilizing edX’s learning platform for their employees and “many of these companies are also hiring these learners that come out of edX,” says Agarwal. “Education is arguably one of the top businesses in the Boston area,” Agarwal said, “and we are excited to be a leader in the space.”

https://www.americaninno.com/boston/50-on-fire/why-edx-appointed-a-former-tripadvisor-executive-as-president-coo/

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