Online Learning Update

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
Students like courses that use open education resources over their typical classes. In a recent research project, most (61 percent) reported that they experienced a boost in their learning experience; 59 percent said the quality of the instructional materials was better; 57 percent considered the caliber of teaching higher; and 54 percent claimed a stronger level of engagement. OER also made classes more affordable. Those results come from a study examining the implementation of OER in colleges. The work was commissioned by Achieving the Dream, a national nonprofit that works with a network of community colleges to help students succeed.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/10/12/report-students-prefer-courses-that-use-open-educational-resources.aspx

Why Edupreneurship May Be Perfect for You

by James Paterson, Education Dive
With enrollments declining and technology advancing, colleges are breaking ground on spaces that give students and faculty new ways to engage. Facing headwinds that are muddling their missions and their budgets and luring away prospective students, college and university officials are adapting their campuses in big and small ways that they hope will help them navigate it all. From soaring, high-tech innovation labs that attract new students, to small-scale huddle spaces and digital campsites that foster the soft skills bosses increasingly want, colleges are building anew or repurposing existing infrastructure to meet the learning needs of today’s college students. And flexibility is key.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/whats-the-blueprint-for-a-21st-century-college-campus/539281/

By Macy Bayern, Tech Republic

EdX.org, founded by Harvard and MIT, has launched a series of new online Master’s degree programs in desirable fields like analytics, computer science, and cybersecurity, according to a Thursday press release. The programs are offered by top-ranked, high quality universities often at a low cost, added the release. The online Master’s program from EdX was launched after a successful run of the initial pilot program, said the release. Partnering with Georgia Institute of Technology in Analytics, the pilot program had 250 students in Fall 2018, growing to more than 1,200 students in Fall 2018. Georgia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Analytics (OMS Analytics) degree is offered for less than $10,000, according to the release.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/edx-addresses-tech-skills-gap-with-online-masters-degrees-under-10k/

Business Insider

The Association for Continuing Higher Education (ACHE) and Learning House released the findings of the Online Learning in Continuing Higher Education report.

Key findings include:

Disconnect between institutions offering online computer science and high student demand for these programs
Continuing Education (CE) units still play a significant role in online learning on their respective campuses
Fifty seven percent of ACHE members reported either maintaining or increasing revenue from online programs in 2017-2018
Institutions with five or more online programs are much more likely to report overcoming barriers such as the cost of developing and delivering online courses and the time and buy-in required of faculty

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/survey-of-college-leaders-affirms-previous-reports-uncovers-mismatches-in-some-online-programs-student-services-1027597436

Mackenzie Peterson, Stoutonia

Online classes are something that is offered at many schools. They are convenient and flexible with busy schedules, there is zero commute, and it can help improve student’s self discipline. Yet, many students tend to not utilize this option and stick with traditional classes. There are many different reasons why students may not incorporate online classes into their schedule. One reason many students agreed upon was that they aren’t as interactive as they would like them to be.  Some professors gave their views as well. Professor of communication and emerging media Mitchell Ogden has taught many online classes in the past. He said, “I think online learning can really foster the discipline and habit of independent learning and exploration that can sometimes be harder to promote in a face-to-face classroom.”

http://stoutonia.com/online-classes-interactive-or-inactive/

BY TAYLOR NEWMAN, Daily Texan
We’ve all heard that online classes don’t work — you’re probably going to forget to watch them, zone out from your bed and won’t get direct student-professor engagement. But the reality is, the majority of online classes at UT are designed with this in mind and prove to be more beneficial than disappointing. Online classes yield a result heavily reliant on what students put into them. In remotely taught classes, students are less likely to reach out to their professors as they would in a physical classroom. Students may also be hesitant to respond in a class chat with hundreds of students watching. But students who do choose to engage in online classes and dedicate the necessary time to succeed in any class are just as, if not more, successful. Overwhelmingly, students responded that both of these courses were beneficial. In Government 312L, 84.4 percent of students said they “agreed or strongly agreed” with the statement that they “learned a great deal in the course” and for Psychology 301 it was 83.5 percent.

http://dailytexanonline.com/2018/10/08/online-classes-are-as-good-as-in-person-classes

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

First, the key characteristic of the future ready university administrator is that he or she is always improving their practice by incorporating the latest edtech and other tools to maximize student engagement and learning. An easy way to do this is to follow the official future ready account on Twitter. But regardless of the method chosen, a tech-focused administrator will need to keep current and be aware of the latest in edtech. Second, a future ready administrator can model collaborative learning and increase their knowledge of the future ready movement by attending one of the free regional events sponsored by the future ready movement. Third, they model best practices through their use of digital tools. They carefully ensure that their digital footprint and social media presence are in line with their institution’s values and norms.

What Does a Future Ready University Administrator Look Like?

James Paterson, Education Dive
Adjusted for inflation, state funding for higher education has fallen by more than $7 billion since 2008, before the Great Recession caused deep cuts in spending on public two- and four-year colleges, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).  While state revenues have largely returned to pre-recession levels, higher education funding has been slow to increase. Funding was largely flat from the 2017-18 to 2018-19 academic years, with an average 3.4% increase per student in 18 states and an average 2.6% decline in 31 states.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/nearly-all-states-slashed-college-funding-over-last-decade/538941/

BY LAURA ASCIONE, e Campus News
Higher-ed leaders have to change the lens through which they view students if they hope to create learner-centered universities–and part of that change starts with segmentation. Student segmentation involves using survey results and data to “segment” students in order to build new academic offerings and personalize campus services. This is where leaders can begin the process to better align a higher-ed institution with learn, according to The Future of Learners, just released by Pearson and higher education expert Jeff Selingo. Students coming to campus in the 2020s will be more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before, and these Gen Z students will have different expectations for campus services, instruction, and technology. Because these students are more vocal about what they want and expect, institution leaders can leverage the data from digital survey tools to start tailoring educational experiences to students’ preferences.

Here’s how to build a student-centered university

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana recently announced it will use BioBeyond as the standard course for all of its online introductory biology courses. The college, which has more than 40 campus locations serving nearly 71,000 students, piloted the digital biology course over the summer, and now plans to use it in 37 online sections. BioBeyond “takes students on a journey to learn how life works,” according to a company statement. Designed to replace traditional textbooks, the course offers 56 adaptive lessons, using virtual field trips, interactive simulations and other inquiry-based materials to teach students to make observations, test hypotheses and engage with science. “This new course is a game changer, both in how students engage with and understand the course material, and the insights instructors gain on students’ grasp of concepts throughout the semester,” said Reid Morehouse, assistant professor of life and physical sciences at Ivy Tech, in a statement.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/10/09/ivy-tech-cc-rolls-out-interactive-adaptive-digital-biology-course.aspx

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

The mission of the future ready movement is to increase digital learning opportunities for all students. Obviously, a task this large will require effort from more than one stakeholder. This is why collaborative leadership teams are uniquely well-positioned in order to help improve student outcomes by becoming future ready themselves. One easy way to do this is to institute and encourage the use of micro-credentials by the collaborative leadership team. This is a powerful way to ensure that all team members are focused on developing their edtech skills in an organized approach. It also permits specialization by the team so that resources can be maximized. Another way to create a future ready leadership team is to stay abreast of the latest developments in the future ready movement.

How to Create a Future Ready Collaborative Leadership Team

By Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed
Just under half (48 percent) of American adults have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education, according to an analysis released by Gallup. That figure is down from 57 percent in 2015 and represents a larger than typical decline in confidence in an American institution in a relatively short time period, according to Gallup. The largest confidence drops were found among Republicans. And based on this year’s responses, higher education enjoys more confidence than do many other institutions (including the presidency, Congress, newspapers and public schools). Only the military, small business and police enjoy more confidence than does higher education.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/10/09/gallup-survey-finds-falling-confidence-higher-education

by Sebastian Thrun, Live Mint

For me, AI is perhaps the biggest revolution of the modern age. The fundamental innovation is that in the past, the computer would blindly follow rules. But with the use of AI, and Machine Learning in particular, the computer can now get examples and find its own moves. It takes years of training to become a good doctor or a lawyer but with AI, we could turn people into instant experts on day one. For example, we trained an AI system to recognise skin cancer–it became as good as a certified doctor who has spent years and years in training.

https://www.livemint.com/Technology/ANftFSfsFkfZm1GcehZ0IO/AI-is-perhaps-the-biggest-revolution-of-the-modern-age-Seba.html

by Yoram Neumann, Diverse Learning

The question remains whether or not online education can play a significant role in leveling the playing field and eventually reducing income inequality. According to the U.S. Department of Education and the Center of Education at Georgetown University, about a third of undergraduate students in U.S. universities and colleges are first-generation learners whose bachelor degree graduation rates within six years from starting their studies are only 25 percent. About 54 percent of these first-generation students are adult learners (ages older than 24). 4.5 million undergraduate students are both first-generation and low-income and their bachelor degree completion rate is only 11 percent.

First-Generation University Adult Learners and the Choice of an Online Learning Model

Ian Roark, Evolllution

Our industry often subscribes to the notion that community college enrollment is inversely tied to the business cycles of the American economy: We tend to cling to this notion as if it must continue to be this way; as if it’s immutable. While the business cycle is one factor among many in our enrollment patterns, it may be counterproductive for community college leadership to say that a bad economy is good for community college enrollment—and conversely, to blame low enrollments on a booming economy.  A second trend that we need to keep in mind is the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT) and automation. That is, we need to address the notion that, “The robots are coming!” A recent study from the McKinsey Global Institute stated that 30 percent of all Americans could be displaced by advanced technologies by 2030.

The Evolving World of Community Colleges: Market Position, Competition and the Future

Darrell M. West. Brookings

Today, AI generally is thought to refer to “machines that respond to stimulation consistent with traditional responses from humans, given the human capacity for contemplation, judgment, and intention.” According to researchers Shubhendu and Vijay, these software systems “make decisions which normally require [a] human level of expertise” and help people anticipate problems or deal with issues as they come up. As argued by John Allen and myself in an April 2018 paper, such systems have three qualities that constitute the essence of artificial intelligence: intentionality, intelligence, and adaptability.

What is artificial intelligence?

Christopher Pappas, Business2Community

Customers are busier than ever — in fact, more than 60 percent of people work at least 40 hours a week on top of countless hours of housework. Even with this full plate, they still must make well-informed buying decisions and find ways to familiarize themselves with brands. As a result, your organization should provide personalized customer online training resources that audiences can peruse at their own pace. With eLearning course development, you can tailor your brand to tech-savvy customers instead of relying on traditional strategies that feel more intrusive. Developing effective online learning courses isn’t easy — especially when you’re just starting out. It’s important to consider a few circumstances before implementing an online training course.

https://www.business2community.com/strategy/the-5-keys-for-developing-effective-online-learning-courses-02127651

by Patrick Atack
FutureLearn, the online learning platform attached to the British Open University, has launched its first undergraduate full degree program, in partnership with the University of Newcastle, Australia. The degree will be available across four subject areas of: Film, Media and Cultural Studies; English and Writing; History; and Sociology and Anthropology. Students will choose major and a minor subjects, picking individual courses accordingly. “It’s an important expansion of the university’s long history of flexible delivery” Each of the programs will consist of 12 weeks of teaching, broken down into four, three-week courses.

FutureLearn launches fully online BA

Future of Jobs Survey 2018, World Economic Forum

Will we humans lose more jobs than we gain when machines take over the world of work, or will it be just the opposite? The experts are still trying to figure that out. In December 2017, a report from management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, “Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained: Workforce Transitions in a Time of Automation,” predicted that between “almost zero” and a third of work activities could be displaced by 2030, with wide variation among countries. (The more advanced the economy, the more likely the impact of automation.) While workforce transitions could hit between 75 million and 375 million people, overall, McKinsey found, more occupations will change than will be lost in a machine-driven world.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/10/03/the-future-of-work-when-machines-take-it-over.aspx

by  Wachira Kigotho, University World News

“Free MOOCs are also being used to accelerate youth employment in Africa,” she told University World News. The MOOCs are also being targeted at graduate and postgraduate teachers, head teachers, teacher educators and education officers, in order to improve teaching skills and the curriculum, said Olivier Biard, senior project manager at Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) – a consortium coordinated by the Open University in the UK, offering open online courses to teachers in developing countries. “Our main objectives are disrupting traditional teaching practices through e-learning and introducing new pedagogies relevant in the 21st century,” Biard told University World News.

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20181003160049490