Online Learning Update

July 31, 2018

To expand pool of skilled workers, North Carolina to help students finish college

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

by Riia O’Donnell and Jean Dimeo, Education Dive
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has announced a program that will provide $7 million in federal funds to help community college students in the state who face unforeseen financial emergencies, according to a statement. The Finish Line Grants program can assist with course materials, medical or dependent care needs, housing, or other financial issues. “We must maintain a strong workforce to continue attracting companies and helping business thrive in North Carolina,” said N.C. Secretary of Commerce Anthony M. Copeland in a statement. “The Finish Line Grants program will further expand our pool of skilled workers by eliminating barriers that prevent talented students from completing their training and getting rewarding jobs that support them and their families.” Funding for the program will be made available via the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Beginning in school year 2018-2019, students will have access to up to $1,000 per semester and will be able to apply either through their school’s financial aid office or through the NCWorks Career Center. The governor’s office directed participating local colleges and workforce development boards to establish a joint review process for funding requests made by students who have completed 75% of their degree or credential.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/to-expand-pool-of-skilled-workers-north-carolina-to-help-students-finish-c/527977/

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Ivy League Degree for the Nontraditional Student

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

By Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed
Coursera expands its online degree push for working adults, this time going Ivy League, with a new master’s in computer and information technology from the University of Pennsylvania.  The new master’s degree in computer and information technology from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science will be the engineering school’s first fully online degree. The program is aimed at working adults who are unable or unwilling to enroll in Penn’s established, on-campus version of the master’s, and who want to work in software development or high-demand fields like bioinformatics, medicine, finance and telecommunications. “This is a meaningful expansion of what we can do,” said Wendell Pritchett, the university’s provost. He said the new online degree is designed to appeal to nontraditional students “who are talented but can’t get to us on campus.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/07/25/penn-announces-online-masters-degree-coursera-platform

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Enterprise Analytics: A Driver of Student-First Culture

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

by James Willey, Educause
When institutions begin to look at their data as an institutional asset, not departmental property, they unlock the true potential of advanced analytics systems. Even more important, they elevate students over siloes and begin to change a culture that made sense in an analog world but now stands in the way of digital transformation. In an April 2018 Ellucian survey of higher education leaders’ attitudes and actions regarding advanced analytics, we see more and more recognition of the value they bring to institutional governance. Of respondents, 61 percent reported that they have implemented an analytics program at their institution to date. Only 1 percent reported that they do not have and are not considering an analytics program. Given the recent push for more data-informed decision-making on campus, it’s no surprise that higher education analytics continue to gain traction. What is surprising is the type of analytics solution that some institutions are choosing to implement. According to the survey, just under half of the institutions actively engaged in an analytics program opted for departmental systems that are walled off from one another, rather than enterprise systems that leverage data from across the campus.

https://er.educause.edu/blogs/sponsored/2018/7/enterprise-analytics-a-driver-of-student-first-culture

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July 30, 2018

Future-Proof Your Career?

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

By Henry Kronk, eLearning Inside

As Claire Cain Miller of the New York Times writes, “We don’t know how quickly machines will displace people’s jobs, or how many they’ll take, but we know it’s happening.” And happening it is. A 2017 study by a team of economists found that, “one more robot per thousand workers reduces the employment to population ratio by about 0.18-0.34 percentage points and wages by 0.25-0.5 percent.” But in the expertise of accomplished tech workers, it might not be that simple. A 2017 Pew poll, in partnership with Elon University, surveyed tech workers to see if automation and the fourth industrial revolution would cut or create jobs, the opinions were almost evenly split. “48% of the respondents envisioned a future where more jobs are lost than created, while 52% said more jobs would be created than lost.”

Future-Proof Your Career?

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Antioch U trims traditional courses, adds ‘massive online division’

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

by James Paterson, Education Dive
Antioch University will significantly trim face-to-face classes at its Midwest campus in Yellow Springs, Ohio, while building its online program and adding blended classes that offer a combination of traditional instruction and online course work, a local newspaper in the western Ohio region reported. A college official said Antioch plans a “massive online division” at the Midwest location. Two programs at the campus, a degree completion program – innovative and much-discussed when it was introduced 30 years ago – and a place-based master’s program, will be phased out because of falling enrollment at the campus, now at about 120 from a high of 700 about 10 years ago, according to the Yellow Springs News. Antioch University, with five campuses in four states, reported that while its total enrollment of 4,000 was strong, the system is facing a $1 million deficit this year.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/antioch-u-trims-traditional-courses-adds-massive-online-division/528326/

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Working adults need more higher-education options

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

by Rebecca L. Watts, Columbus Dispatch

While Ohio’s widely respected colleges and universities are meeting the higher-education needs of millions of Ohioans, this goal cannot be reached by focusing on traditional-age high-school graduates alone. We must expand our thinking to view education as a continuum over time, which requires a broad array of opportunities for a diverse citizenry with diverse educational needs. Both our current and future needs point to the importance of higher education that can prepare Ohioans for entry into the workforce as well as continued advancement in their careers.  Yet, for many adults who may have some college or an associate’s degree, completing a bachelor’s or master’s is nearly impossible. These individuals often hold one or more jobs and are raising families. They have passed traditional college age and, while they may have started careers, they can’t advance or make a change without more education.

http://www.dispatch.com/opinion/20180709/rebecca-l-watts-working-adults-need-more-higher-education-options

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July 29, 2018

Here’s what makes students 200 percent more likely to pass

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

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News
Digital learning resources could prove invaluable when it comes to course achievement.  A new study indicates that students who engage with digital learning tools are dramatically more likely to pass their courses. The research comes from Blackboard, VitalSource, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and is based on UMBC student engagement data across a diverse range of courses, including a variety of course subjects and class sizes. It assessed students’ use of Blackboard Learn and Bookshelf by VitalSource.

Here’s what makes students 200 percent more likely to pass

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9 things your online learning program should know about students

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:04 am

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News
Online students say tuition and fees are among their top three deciding factors when it comes to choosing an institution, according to a Learning House survey of 1,500 students who are considering, enrolled in, or have graduated from an online learning program. The report reveals a number of key trends as online learning evolves and becomes widely-used for career outcomes. Seventy-four percent of surveyed students enrolled in their online learning program due to career reasons.

9 things your online learning program should know about students

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8 Common Misconceptions About Serious Games In eLearning

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

by Christopher Pappas, Growth Engineering

Serious games are one of the latest trends in eLearning. Especially in the corporate sector, organizations are using them to motivate distracted and stressed staff members. However, there are still some who steer clear of gameplay, due to the myths that have surfaced in recent years. It’s time to set the record straight. Here are 8 common misconceptions that surround serious games in eLearning and the truth behind them. Serious games are one of the latest trends in eLearning. Especially in the corporate sector, organizations are using them to motivate distracted and stressed staff members. However, there are still some who steer clear of gameplay, due to the myths that have surfaced in recent years. It’s time to set the record straight. Here are 8 common misconceptions that surround serious games in eLearning and the truth behind them.

8 Common Misconceptions About Serious Games In eLearning

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July 28, 2018

Blockchain in higher ed moving from idea to reality

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:09 am

by Shalina Chatlani, Education Dive
Greater numbers of institutions are investing in research programs on blockchain, the infrastructure needed to manage cryptocurrency, including MIT, Stanford and University College London, among others, reports Bitcoin Magazine. Columbia University is the latest to hop on the trend, announcing yesterday in a press release a joint development with technology company IBM a research center to cultivate “scientific breakthroughs” in data transparency, blockchain and technology capabilities that apply blockchain in new ways. Central New Mexico Community College has already used blockchain infrastructure to issue around 300 digital bitcoin diplomas. in place,” said Chief Technology Officer Halverson, who noted the college is also working on a simple transcript. Like Columbia, CNM is also implementing blockchain research programs in an effort to sustainably build out and manage its infrastructure and so that students can help evolve the technology’s development, said Halverson.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/blockchain-in-higher-ed-moving-from-idea-to-reality/527879/

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E-Learning Research Report 2017 Analysis of the main topics in research indexed articles

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

by  Núria Molas-Castells & Marc Fuertes-Alpiste, eLearn Center Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

What do the articles on e-learning published in academic journals during 2017 talk about? To answer this question we analysed all the impact publications made during this period, with the aim of drawing a map that is useful for seeing where research efforts have been focused in recent years and what topics feature in indexed scientific publications. The report has analyzed 855 articles obtained from the two main databases for scientific articles, Scopus and Web of Science.

http://openaccess.uoc.edu/webapps/o2/bitstream/10609/75705/6/ELR_Report_2017.pdf

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Schools and Colleges Try Virtual Reality Science Labs. But Can VR Replace a Cadaver?

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

By Tina Nazerian, EdSurge

Case Western Reserve University plans to replace the usual anatomy labs with a new series of hands-on experiences, including a virtual-reality simulation. The reason, says Mark Griswold, a professor at the medical school, is that running a cadaver lab is costly and difficult. “What everybody pretty quickly realized was that digital technology combined with medical imaging and our ability to make 3D models as biomedical illustrators, those three factors all combine to really make it possible to teach anatomy in this way,” Griswold says. “That was not possible 10 years ago.” The school is just one of many experimenting with replacing traditional laboratory classes with VR labs. And a range of companies have recently started offering products to outfit such digital alternatives.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-07-19-schools-and-colleges-try-virtual-reality-science-labs-but-can-vr-replace-a-cadaver

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July 27, 2018

Understanding Student Engagement in Large-Scale Open Online Courses: A Machine Learning Facilitated Analysis of Student’s Reflections in 18 Highly Rated MOOCs

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

 

by Khe Foon Hew, Chen Qiao, Ying Tang, IRRODL

Although massive open online courses (MOOCs) have attracted much worldwide attention, scholars still understand little about the specific elements that students find engaging in these large open courses. This study offers a new original contribution by using a machine learning classifier to analyze 24,612 reflective sentences posted by 5,884 students, who participated in one or more of 18 highly rated MOOCs. Highly rated MOOCs were sampled because they exemplify good practices or teaching strategies. We selected highly rated MOOCs from Coursetalk, an open user-driven aggregator and discovery website that allows students to search and review various MOOCs. We defined a highly rated MOOC as a free online course that received an overall five-star course quality rating, and received at least 50 reviews from different learners within a specific subject area. We described six specific themes found across the entire data corpus: (a) structure and pace, (b) video, (c) instructor, (d) content and resources, (e) interaction and support, and (f) assignment and assessment. The findings of this study provide valuable insight into factors that students find engaging in large-scale open online courses.

http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/3596/4656

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NEGOTIATED RULEMAKING ON ACCREDITATION FORTHCOMING

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

by CHEA

In June, 2018, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced it is proposing to “amend, through negotiated rulemaking, the regulations related to the Secretary’s recognition of accrediting agencies and accreditation procedures as a component of institutional eligibility for participation on Federal student financial aid under title IV of the Higher Education Act.” As part of that process, USDE will announce a schedule for public hearings in the Federal Register later this summer. In a June Roundtable with Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) members and recognized accrediting organizations, Diane Auer Jones, USDE Senior Adviser to the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education (see item below), said that USDE is studying accreditation and USDE regulations concerning recognizing accreditors. The public hearings will explore the accreditation-federal government relationship and how this might change.

https://www.chea.org/negotiated-rulemaking-accreditation-forthcoming

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Why The Online MBA Matters, According To Business Schools

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

by Craig O’Callaghan, Business Because

The QS Distance Online MBA Rankings 2018 is the largest global ranking of online MBA programs, with 50 business schools featured this year. IE Business School tops the list this time, while Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business ranks highest in the US, and Imperial College Business School ranks best in the UK. Should you consider an online MBA? Here are some key things we learned from this year’s results:

https://www.businessbecause.com/news/mba-distance-learning/5358/why-online-mba-matters-according-to-business-schools

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July 26, 2018

My online course quality rubric has a first name. It’s O-S-C-Q-R!

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

by Alexandra Pickett, WCET Frontiers

Today on WCET Frontiers, we welcome Alexandra Pickett, the Director of Open SUNY Online Teaching, to talk with us about the development of the online course design rubric OSCQR. This rubric was developed to help faculty improve the quality and accessibility of their online courses. She also reviews the components of the rubric and the process and gives an update on how the rubric is being used (and includes some tools to help you use it as well!).

My online course quality rubric has a first name. It’s O-S-C-Q-R!

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Evaluation of online learning effectiveness growing in importance

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

By James Paterson, Education Dive
Colleges providing online learning are finding the courses must be updated to keep material and techniques up-to-date, and that process sometimes is more complex and expensive than many assume, according to Inside Higher Education. The report describes how some institutions are trying to develop formulas for the return on investment for the courses as they begin to recognize the courses are not necessarily self-sustaining and need to be upgraded periodically. One official said that only a handful of colleges do quality assurance and continuous improvement well, though it is increasingly on the minds of college officials.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/evaluation-of-online-learning-effectiveness-growing-in-importance/528108/

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Ontario librarian creates online guide for teachers to find available Indigenous course content

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

by Rhiannon Johnson · CBC News

A librarian at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto has compiled a list of Indigenous education content available. Desmond Wong, a librarian at the OISE library, compiled a list of 50 Indigenous education resources that are accessible for teachers in Ontario to continue integrating Indigenous content into the curriculum.   The resource compilation is a response to the recent cancellation of Truth and Reconciliation curriculum writing sessions that were to build upon Ontario’s curriculum by infusing Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy across all subjects and grades.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/oise-teachers-resource-indigenous-course-content-1.4752220

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July 25, 2018

California making headway on plans for first fully online community college

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

by Ryan Duffy, EdScoop
Gov. Jerry Brown, delivering remarks to the California Community Colleges Board of Governor in Sacramento on Monday, continued to push his plan to deliver a new type of online community college for California’s working adults. Brown, a Democrat, also shared details of the advances the state has made toward designing the college, which aims to be infinitely scalable. The office of California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley in previous months has convened “Future of Work” meet-ups to determine how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and new trends, such as the rise of the gig economy, are affecting the current workforce and shaping future opportunities. Using the feedback generated from these meetings, the chancellor’s office is working to determine education and training needs of potential adult learners across California.

https://edscoop.com/gov-brown-lays-out-progress-towards-statewide-online-community-college

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3 Ways to Instill Lifelong Learning Skills in Students

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

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate

Millennials value tech training and development from their employer, above all else, because they know that it will help them compete in a global economy. Interestingly, appropriate tech training and professional development equates to higher job satisfaction. Additionally, improving your tech skills will not only ensure you are a more productive employee, but also a more fulfilled individual overall.Yet the U.S. tends to put a time stamp on learning and it is often assumed that individuals learning and education halts at age 18 or 22, when they enter the workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average by age 40 a person has held 10 different jobs. That means those job-specific tech skills learned in college classrooms, while still valuable, aren’t as relevant when the next job or career comes along. With technology changing job fields so drastically, it is now more even more imperative to continue learning new tech skills, in order to be the most well rounded, productive worker possible. So what are some ways that the education and edtech community can foster this spirit of continued digital learning while children are still in classrooms?

3 Ways to Instill Lifelong Digital Learning Skills in Students

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Can Anything Stop Cyber Attacks?

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

by Knowledge@Wharton

The recent indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers by the Justice Department for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election underscores the severity and immense reach of cyber attacks, like no other in history. To influence the election’s outcome, authorities said these agents hacked into the computer networks of the Democratic Party to get information, and strategically released it on the internet. In the private sector, companies have to step up their game against cyber attacks that are becoming all too common. Against that backdrop, fighting cyber threats has never been more important. It is the “greatest terror on the economy, bar none,” but policy makers’ response to it has been moving at a snail’s pace, according to high-ranking cyber-security and risk management experts who spoke at a panel discussion on cyber risks at the Penn Wharton Budget Model’s first Spring Policy Forum, which was held last month in Washington. Experts called for greater awareness of cyber threats at all levels, an inclusive approach to protect all parties affected, and steps to “harden our defenses to make the cost too high for the payoff to carry out these cyber attacks.”

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/creating-tougher-defenses-cyber-attacks/

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