Online Learning Update

Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology
In our 2018 Teaching with Technology Survey, faculty members told us about their most-wanted hardware and software, feelings on tech’s value for learning, technologies they’re using in class and more. In a recent survey of faculty members at colleges and universities across the country, the No. 1 tech respondents said they wished for was virtual reality gear. Interactive, large-screen displays came in second, followed by detachable tablets, 3D scanners and interactive projectors. These findings come out of Campus Technology’s third annual Teaching with Technology Survey, which asked higher education faculty for their perspective on technology in the classroom, its impact on students and its potential in the future.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/12/05/vr-tops-faculty-wish-list-for-the-classroom.aspx

Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
When the National Academies issued its first expanded “How People Learn” report, the contents struck a nerve, providing a readable explanation of the various research findings on the science of learning along with guidance on how to turn those insights into instructional practice in the classroom. A new version of that report offers an updated view on the topic and pushes beyond K-12.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/12/12/new-insights-into-how-people-learn.aspx

Prateek Singh, Entrepreneur
Online education also has the benefit of delivering high-quality lectures by the brightest minds of our world, imagine being able to learn from the best educators, online from the comfort of your home or workplace.  Two things will shape upskilling in the 21st century.

1. Millennials taking over the workplace.
2. Faster adoption of new technology.

A young population and faster adoption of new technology mean employees need to upskill quickly. Jobs which are the highest paying today didn’t even exist 7-10 years ago. The speed at which industry is changing means employees who do not upskill quickly will see stagnation in their careers. This is the biggest threat to the new generation.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/325465

By Ashleigh Webber, Personnel Today

According to e-learning provider GoodHabitz’s 2018 Learning & Development Trend Report, workers not only want opportunities for ongoing development, but they also want their employer to pay for their learning and give them time off during working hours to complete training. A survey of 826 people who work or are available for work found 81% think it is important or very important for their employer to invest in their development. This increases to 86% among workers who have a degree. IT training is the most desired learning opportunity, with 27% indicating that they need to develop in this area the most. This is followed by management skills (24%), positive psychology skills such as mindfulness (16%), personal effectiveness (11%) and communication skills (10%).

https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/employees-rate-learning-and-development-over-salary/

Anant Agarwal, Forbes

In 2018 we discussed the increasing value of soft skills; how the skills transformation is affecting the way we work; and the rise of the non-linear career path. These topics merely scratched the surface of the changes we’re seeing in education and in the workplace, which we’ll continue to debate in 2019. These are some key trends to keep an eye on this year:

1. Education emphasizing hybrid skills. 
2. Education goes omnichannel.
3. Education underscoring soft skills remains critical. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anantagarwal/2019/01/02/three-education-trends-that-will-revolutionize-the-workplace-in-2019/

Information Age
In this piece, Nigel Smith of The Open University-owned FutureLearn, reflects on the digital transformation in education over the past six years since MOOCs (massive open online courses) first burst onto the scene Digital transformation in education: The FutureLearn view image. There is no choice but to innovate in scaling the supply of education. Otherwise, people desperate to learn are excluded. Digital transformation has had a huge impact on the education sector. Six years ago ‘MOOCs’ (Massive Open Online Courses) became a buzzword with the New York Times going so far as to say 2012 was “the year of the MOOC.” Since then others have asked if this early enthusiasm was justified. Has there been a sense of unfulfilled promise? In some ways it’s unsurprising. The claims were overhyped; MOOCs were just one manifestation of digital impact on education. However, the number of Universities using MOOCs has continued to grow — as has the number of people taking them. More significantly still is the evolution of how universities are using MOOCs: in student recruitment, blended learning, research, targeting professionals, and humanitarian causes.

https://www.information-age.com/digital-transformation-in-education-123477810/

Kirill Bigai, Forbes

In the 21st century, learning and even formal education are no longer just for kids and college-age students. As Hunt Lambert, Dean of Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education, observes, learning may be something we begin to pursue in earnest during our teen years, but it is increasingly something we continue throughout our working years and even into retirement. Lambert describes this cycle as the 60-year curriculum , but whatever you call it, one thing is clear: Lifelong learning is becoming the norm. Thirty years ago, most CEOs likely wouldn’t be boasting about their ongoing program of continuing education, but we live in a new world — one where the demand and ability to keep learning throughout one’s career is something we all need to embrace.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2019/01/02/how-online-learning-platforms-can-support-lifelong-learners-and-drive-business/

Inside Big Data

A recent report from IBM states that there will be over 300,000 new job openings for data driven professionals by 2020. As it stands now, there is a shortage of the necessary technical skills for these roles. Specifically, professionals should focus on how to turn data into decisions. We’ve learned to build the infrastructure that can store and process massive amounts of data, but we still lack the critical ability to convert that data into meaningful information.  Some universities are adapting to this data revolution by providing more on-campus data science courses, however, these are relatively new offerings that were not available to most while they were in school. Many professionals need rigorous training in these skills now, and want them without having to leave their day job. They need the practicality and flexibility that online learning provides, so the operative question becomes: can MOOCS deliver these skills without compromising quality?

https://insidebigdata.com/2019/01/02/online-education-paving-smoother-path-earning-data-science-skills/

by Dhawal Shah, Class-Central

Now in its seventh year, the modern MOOC movement crossed 100 million learners to a total of 101 million. At the same time,  we are seeing a decrease in the number of new learners signing up. In 2018, 20 million new learners signed up for at least one MOOC, down from 23 million the year before. Despite the slowdown, the number of paying users may have increased. MOOC providers’ constant tweaking of the model seems to be paying off, as providers such as  Coursera are hitting record revenues ($140 million in 2018 for Coursera).

Here is a list of top five MOOC providers by registered users:

1. Coursera – 37 million
2. edX – 18 million
3. XuetangX – 14 million
4. Udacity – 10 million
5. FutureLearn – 8.7 million

https://www.class-central.com/report/mooc-stats-2018/

By Ann Claire Carnahan, US News

The job market has fundamentally shifted in the United States and it is changing how and why Americans work. Through the rise of technology and globalization, competition among workers has become fiercer. Education requirements for employees have risen even though jobs are steadily becoming deskilled. And the mounting anxiety over jobs in an increasingly fluid job market has political, social and personal consequences, according to Ellen Ruppel Shell, author of “The Job: Work and its Future in a Time of Radical Change.” In an effort to keep up, Americans are seeking additional education and are learning new skills. “But it will not inoculate them against the changes that are already occurring or that are coming,” Shell says. For example, the vast majority of future jobs will not require a college education. Already, roughly one in three college graduates are underemployed.

https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2018-12-28/the-eroding-middle-work-in-the-us-heading-toward-high-and-low-skill

By IBL News

Anant Agarwal, CEO at edX, decided to channel the funding received with Yidan Prize of $1.8 million to “reimagine undergraduate online education” and foster stackable credentials in this area. That amount corresponds to 50% of the prize, which was granted at an award ceremony in Hong Kong, last December 10. Half of the $3.9M was in the form of a cash prize to the laureate (Mr. Agarwal), while the other was a project fund.

https://iblnews.org/2018/12/31/edx-will-invest-another-1-8m-in-fostering-digital-bachelors-degrees/

by Vikas Singh, Financial Express

India holds an advantageous position on the global map. Not only does it enjoy a favourable demographic dividend with the largest population in the age group of 15-24 years, but it was also ranked 27th out of 80 countries on the global English Proficiency Index 2017.  This implies that 2019 will witness an accelerated shift towards blended concept-based learning—moving away from the traditional rote learning. More emphasis would be on the application of knowledge and the development of core skills, to prepare students for eventually joining the workforce. This goes beyond textbooks and involves group discussions, problem-solving and research-based assignments. Without exhaustive libraries in all schools, online learning tools and resources will be the need of the hour. Some proponents contest that given the future favouring the tech-savvy, schoolchildren should be introduced to digital media at an early age.

https://www.financialexpress.com/education-2/education-in-2019-digital-delivery-will-take-centre-stage/1429136/

Clint Boulton, CIO

Now that your enterprise has experimented in AI it’s time to consider how to expand the efforts. Here’s how, according AI visionary Andrew Ng, as well as experts from PwC and Deloitte. Pilot projects of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies proliferated in 2018, as many enterprises tested machine learning (ML) algorithms and an array of automation tools to cement relationships with customers, improve network operations or augment their cybersecurity postures.

https://www.cio.com/article/3329920/artificial-intelligence/7-tips-for-scaling-your-ai-strategy.html

Bernard Marr, Forbes

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the hot topic of the moment in technology, and the driving force behind most of the big technological breakthroughs of recent years. In fact, with all of the breathless hype we hear about it today, it’s easy to forget that AI isn’t anything all that new. Throughout the last century, it has moved out of the domain of science fiction and into the real world. The theory and the fundamental computer science which makes it possible has been around for decades.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/12/31/the-most-amazing-artificial-intelligence-milestones-so-far/#eef91b27753e

BY ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL

As of Oct. 1, there were 740 empty teacher slots in the state, according to New Mexico State University. That’s why an online program fast-tracking teacher licensure for those with bachelor’s degrees or higher is long overdue. While some state lawmakers have tried for years to address the need for qualified teachers, especially those in STEM fields, by mining the many professionals in our communities, the state Legislature has been unable or unwilling to codify alternative licensure in statute.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1263344/fasttrack-teacher-program-belongs-at-front-of-the-class.html

By David Jones, Market Business News

Researchers from the University of Leuven and the Higher School of Economics improved a model that assesses academic achievements. The National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) is in Moscow, Russia, and the University of Leuven is in Flanders, Belgium. In this study, the researchers managed to solve these problems. They expanded the classic Rasch model by adding parameters.

https://marketbusinessnews.com/assessing-academic-achievements/192793/

by BRIDGET BURNS and PETER J. TAYLOR, Hechinger Report

Up to 40 percent of students at four-year institutions do not complete their degrees in six years. That’s why the University Innovation Alliance, a group of 11 public research universities serving 400,000 undergraduate students, decided to collaborate instead of compete with one another. Related: Some colleges extend scholarships and other help to rural high school grads. It’s a concept with potential for higher education, but it may require a shift among leaders conditioned toward competition. Institutions may share a common mission, but they often toil in isolation.

https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-these-big-universities-put-rivalries-aside-to-raise-graduation-rates-for-low-income-students/

T E Narasimhan & Gireesh Babu, Business Standard

Online education companies are seeing an increasing interest from recruiters for placements at their job fairs and boot camps, especially in the digital, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning sectors. Some of the online service providers state that there is more growth in terms of both salary levels and students getting recruited. With the placement season going on, engineering students who are adept in digital skills such as AI, data analytics and machine learning are receiving better salaries than those who are only equipped with traditional skills, says Great Learning, an online learning company.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/jobs/online-education-firms-see-higher-pay-more-jobs-in-ai-machine-learning-118122600448_1.html

By Merve A. Kızrak, Interesting Engineering

Imagine that a ‘human lawyer’ can handle all the cases in the world after AI’s preliminary research. For a human lawyer, it takes weeks to do research, but AI can do it in just a few seconds. Moreover, AI does not get tired, sleep, eat or drink coffee. In fact, the AI can produce more successful results than an average experienced lawyer. In 2017, in an experiment involving more than 100 lawyers in London, hundreds of actual applications to the Finance Ombudsman for a specific credit card irregularity were examined. While the accuracy of human prediction was 66.3%, an AI program trained to predict whether or not to accept files achieved 86.6% accuracy.

https://interestingengineering.com/ai-vs-lawyers-the-future-of-artificial-intelligence-and-law

Andrew Tarantola, Engadget

Computer scientists have spent more than two decades teaching, training and developing machines to see the world around them. Only recently have the artificial eyes begun to match (and occasionally exceed) their biological predecessors. 2018 has seen marked improvement in two areas of AI image processing: facial-recognition technology in both commerce and security, and image generation in — of all fields — art.

https://www.engadget.com/2018/12/29/2018-is-the-year-ai-got-its-eyes/

the Daily Mail

Education in America will need to adapt to prepare students for the next generation of jobs – including ‘data trash engineer’ and ‘head of machine personality design.’ Careers that used to safely dodge the high-tech bullet will soon require at least a basic grasp of things like web design, computer programming and robotics – presenting a new challenge for colleges and universities.  A projected 85 percent of the jobs that today’s college students will have in 2030 haven’t been invented yet.  The coming high-tech changes are expected to touch a wider variety of career paths than ever before. Many experts say American universities aren’t ready for the change because the high-tech skills most workers will need are currently focused just on people specializing in science, technology, engineering and math

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6512721/Training-workforce-future-Education-America-need-adapt-prepare-students-generation-jobs.html