Online Learning Update

by Zack Friedman, Forbes

Which states have the most student loan debt? Here’s what you need to know – and see whether your state has the most student loan debt.

According to personal finance website Make Lemonade, student loan debt is now the second highest consumer debt category – second only to mortgages and higher than credit card debt. According to Make Lemonade, there are more than 44 million borrowers who collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. The average student in the Class of 2016 has $37,172 in student loan debt. The average student in the Class of 2017 has almost $40,000 in student loan debt.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2018/08/29/student-loans-by-state/#7b64bec6d7d5

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

If there is one institution in America that is resistant to change, it just might be higher education.  It’s surely a challenge to reimagine and transform higher education, but there are several emerging trends in edtech that might positively impact what happens on America’s college campuses—and beyond. First, the maker movement is poised to impact higher education in a big way…. Second, with online classes increasing at a rapid rate, it’s time to rethink learning management systems…. Third, LMS (Learning Management Systems) aren’t the only issues with online classes that need to be addressed.

Reimagining and Transforming Educational Learning Environments in Higher Education

by Bill Bergman, eCampus News
For educators who find today’s classrooms eerily quiet with students hiding behind their laptops, I recommend taking a break next summer from international travel or the usual research activities. Consider teaching a course online and joining students in their digital world. There is no better way to understand how college students communicate and relate to one another than to spend a summer session with them online.

The best way to get close to students? Teach a course online

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News

An increased focus on measuring learning, along with putting more thought into redesigning learning spaces, are two trends with great significance for higher ed in the next one to two years, according to the just-released Horizon Report. The report measures the impact of innovative practices and technologies, along with unique challenges and developments, for higher-ed institutions across the globe. The research behind the report is a product of EDUCAUSE and the New Media Consortium, which EDUCAUSE acquired in early 2018.

The

6 trends shaping the near and far future of higher ed

by LaMont Jones, Diverse Education

Low-income undergraduates who work are less likely than their higher-income counterparts to obtain a bachelor’s degree, and they are disproportionately women, Latino, Black and first-generation college students. And while many students work out of necessity – about 70 percent of college students hold a job – the more hours students work while in college, the more likely their grades are to be lower. Those are some of the major findings in the research report “Balancing Work and Learning: Implications for Low-Income Students” based on a study by the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

http://diverseeducation.com/article/124413/

by Mark Lieberman, Inside Higher Ed
Faculty members often worry that making digital courses accessible to all students will be too time-consuming or expensive — but some of their colleagues want to convince them otherwise. Faculty champions can be inspired as much by individual experiences with students as by their engagement with the broad topic of inclusion. Dustin De Felice, assistant professor and director of the master’s program in foreign language teaching at Michigan State, felt wounded after a student complained late in the semester that she couldn’t take online quizzes because she suffered from extreme vertigo when staring at screens for more than a few minutes. The student ended up failing the class and struggling the next semester as well, De Felice said. Now De Felice encourages colleagues to invite him to discuss pathways to accessibility. He gets fewer takers than he’d like, but he always eagerly agrees when asked. He brings two different copies of the same syllabus — one that’s been run through an electronic disability checker, and another that hasn’t. He lets a screen reader interpret both to show attendees the difference.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/08/29/faculty-champions-accessibility-shed-doubts-about-investing-time

By Greg Toppo, Inside Higher Ed

The details are laid out in documents obtained via a records request to the U.S. Department of Education by the Century Foundation, which said the requirements make Purdue University Global “perhaps the first and only public institution to strip students of their legal rights.” The Century Foundation is well-known for challenging for-profit colleges’ policies. In a statement, Tim Doty, a Purdue spokesperson, said Purdue Global “does have an arbitration agreement that it inherited from Kaplan. Whether it continues to employ this policy is ultimately up to the Purdue Board of Trustees which has complete control over Purdue Global, and has the final say as to which policies it retains, and which it alters.

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/08/29/purdue-global-demands-students-waive-right-sue

by Nikos Andriotis, eLearning Learning
Interactive whiteboards were big news when they arrived on the training scene because they replaced the old chalk and duster as a key tool for teaching and learning. In the 21st century, the importance of online learning tools might just be making traditional classroom training a thing of the past. Today, the benefits of eLearning in the workplace are taking the world by storm. It’s no wonder, then, that this industry reached over $56 billion in 2015 and is expected to hit $200 billion by 2024. Keen to know more? Well, you’re in luck! Because we’ve put together an all-inclusive list of the benefits of online learning that apply to all organizations and their employees.

http://www.elearninglearning.com/edition/weekly-microlearning-developing-elearning-2018-08-18?open-article-id=8775738&article-title=the-obvious–and-not-so-obvious–benefits-of-online-employee-training-and-development

By Study International
Recently, US-based edtech company Cengage announced a new subscription service for college students to access more than 20,000 digital course materials. This includes eBooks, online homework and study guides, at just US$119.99 a semester or US$179.99 a year. Michael Hansen, CEO of Cengage, the US-based education and technology company providing the subscription, said: “For too long, our industry has contributed to the lack of affordable access to higher learning. Despite years of student and faculty complaints, the industry continued to push an outdated, traditional business model that didn’t put students first.” Hansen describes the college textbook business model as “outdated” and he’s not the only one.

It’s 2018. Why do we still have textbooks?

by National Association of College Stores and Student Monitor

Student Spending on Course Materials has Declined Significantly over Past 10 Years, from about $700 to $500 Annually.  Average Amount Spent on Each Course Material Unit Declines from $66 in 2016-2017 Academic Year to $64 in the 2017-2018 Academic Year.  According to two new studies, college students spent an average of $500 on textbooks and course materials during the 2017-2018 academic year. This new data, from the National Association of College Stores (NACS) and independent research firm Student Monitor®, found that student spending on materials declined for the third consecutive year. The average amount students spent on a course material unit was $64 – a 3% decline over the prior academic year according to Student Monitor.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180827005520/en/Student-Spending-College-Textbooks-Declines-Consecutive-Year

By Ashley A. Smith, Inside Higher Ed
Research has shown that the more college credits students take per term, the more likely they are to graduate — and on time. Many colleges and states have responded to those findings and implemented new programs, offered incentives and enacted policy that encourage students to pursue at least 12 college credits per semester to graduate on time within two or four years. But every student can’t attend college full-time. Officials at Boston’s Bunker Hill Community College are finding that part-time students are more likely to re-enroll in learning communities that offer mentors and additional advising.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/08/28/bunker-hill-sees-increase-part-time-retention-and-persistence

by Lindsay McKenzie, Inside Higher Ed

Though the university and publisher argue that the $999 price was just a “placeholder” that no one would actually pay, the incident has caused uncertainty and anger among students who are just trying to purchase the correct items at the best price. The textbook marketplace can already be incredibly confusing due to its plethora of vendors, subtly different textbook editions, disliked single-use access codes and disparate rental programs. While the online-only version of the textbook was priced at $999 in the Wiley marketplace, a bundled print and online textbook was available for $253.25 from the college bookstore. Both options include an access code for the WileyPlus online teaching and learning platform.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/08/28/universitys-999-online-textbook-creates-confusion-and-outrage

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Inside Higher Ed
Though public support for higher education seems to be waning, this skepticism doesn’t appear to extend to potential employers, who say they still have faith in colleges and universities, according to a new survey conducted on behalf of the Association of American Colleges & Universities. But while executives and hiring managers believe that institutions are teaching graduates the skills needed for entry-level jobs, they reported that students usually aren’t ready to be promoted.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/08/28/survey-business-leaders-believe-students-are-learning-skills-not-those-needed

By: Anirban Roy Choudhury, Financial Express
The online learning or edutech industry had humble beginnings in India, when technology happened to be too complex.
In today’s fast-paced world, there is little time to stand and stare longingly at a reputed B School campus; nor is there time for preparation for a dream course in an IIM. Today’s students looking to enter the workforce, or employees looking for promotions based on acquiring certain skillsets have options that don’t involve waiting for the next admission forms for courses to be available. From strategic media planning to software development to specialised courses in marketing and communication, online education platforms claim to have answers for every academic problem. The wide variety of specialised courses target working professionals, school goers as well as 20-somethings trying to crack an entrance examination or climb up the corporate ladder.

https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/technology/online-education-a-learning-curve/1293101/

by James Paterson, Education Dive
While more high school graduates from all segments of the population are going to college, one in five will drop out before their second year, and that rate is higher among students whose families traditionally have not attended college, a group higher education needs to attract and keep, according to a detailed account from The Hechinger Report. The U.S. Department of Education reports that 70% of high school graduates went directly to college in 2016 compared to 63% in 2000, however the number who return for a second year has risen very slightly at non-profit institutions. Meanwhile, about 44% of students at for-profit colleges quit before finishing. It means there are almost 3 million fewer college students than in 2011 when enrollment last peaked, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. Dropouts cost higher education about $16.5 billion a year in lost tuition, and even more considering the investment of public money and debt students often incur. With heightened competition for a slumping number of high school graduates in the future, retention is key to survival for colleges.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/addressing-the-gap-between-enrollment-and-graduation/527199/

By: Vikram Chaudhary, Financial Express
Raghav Gupta, director, India and APAC, says online education helps people from a career standpoint. But these shouldn’t be seen as a replacement to college life. First, a few statistics. Coursera, which partners with top universities and organisations to offer courses online, has 35 million registered learners globally, and adds half a million new learners every month. Globally, it runs more than 1,400 enterprise partnerships, 2,700 active courses, 250 specialisations and 11 degrees. With 7.7 million users, the US is its biggest market.

https://www.financialexpress.com/education-2/why-learners-are-coming-onto-coursera/1293077/

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News
Higher-ed leaders must prepare their campuses for augment reality, artificial intelIigence, and more…. Higher ed is in the middle of a critical–yet often invisible–technological transformation, according to a new report from the Center for Digital Education (CDE). Technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence are hyped daily for their future impact, but higher-ed leaders must first prepare their campuses for these `technological revolutions.  A CDE survey finds that college and university leaders are focusing on transforming academics, securing students and data, improving student services, and modernizing IT. These four core areas, they believe, will establish a solid foundation to support future innovation on campus.

These 4 areas are critical to higher ed’s technological transformation

by James Paterson, Education Dive
Experts have differing views about whether the number of adult learners is growing, but a group representing non-traditional students says that regardless of the trend, institutions should be doing more to target this group specifically, according to The Hechinger Report. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that the number of students over the age of 25 hit a high point of 8.9 million in 2010 and has since declined. But other data suggest that the number is rising, although the figure can be difficult to determine because adult learners may leave their institutions for periods of time and therefore not be counted even though they intend to return.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/why-its-difficult-to-track-how-many-adults-are-in-college/530944/

by MIT Open Learning

Chris Caplice, executive director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, received the award for his work on the MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management. MIT launched the MicroMasters credential in fall of 2015. Since then, more than than 25 universities have also launched MicroMasters programs through edX. The MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management includes five courses of 13 weeks each, plus a final comprehensive exam. Justin Reich, executive director of the MIT Teaching Systems Lab, was selected for his work on 11.154x (Launching Innovation in Schools), a six-week course targeted to school leaders including teachers, principals, superintendents, school board members, and others.

http://news.mit.edu/2018/mit-chris-caplice-justin-reich-win-mitx-prize-for-moocs-0824

By Ben Miller, NY Times
Consider the official statistics: Of borrowers who started repaying in 2012, just over 10 percent had defaulted three years later. That’s not too bad — but it’s not the whole story. Federal data never before released shows that the default rate continued climbing to 16 percent over the next two years, after official tracking ended, meaning more than 841,000 borrowers were in default. Nearly as many were severely delinquent or not repaying their loans (for reasons besides going back to school or being in the military). The share of students facing serious struggles rose to 30 percent over all.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/25/opinion/sunday/student-debt-loan-default-college.html