Online Learning Update

Fox 35 Orlando

Students at the University of Central Florida will begin the fall semester with faculty and staff acontinuing to train on the new virtual formats. Even though there will be fewer desks in the classrooms, there will be more eyes on the lecture from home. A total of 350 classrooms are being outfitted with cameras and microphones to broadcast over the internet. “We have several hundred classes that we expect will be using that technology,” said Tom Cavanagh, UCF Vice Provost for digital learning. “It allows us to comply with these reduced capacities in the classroom where we can only have say a third of students who we would typically have in that class at any given time.”

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/ucf-adding-cameras-and-training-for-online-learning

Kathleen J.Sullivan, Stanford
The website Stanford Teaching Commons provides curated guides on designing online classes; articles on such topics as accessibility, asynchronous activity, and inclusion and equity; and links to resources and services that support online education across campus.

https://news.stanford.edu/2020/08/21/stanford-teaching-commons-offers-new-resources-online-learning/

Ryerson University
Fears that online-only education will keep away adult learners this fall can be put to rest. Ryerson University’s Chang School of Continuing Education – Canada’s largest – saw enrolment grow by 51% for Fall 2020 despite all of its courses being delivered online for the first time in the school’s 20-year history of virtual teaching. Gary Hepburn, dean of The Chang School, explains why adult learners are looking to upskill en masse:”While the economy is starting to show signs of recovery, we still have no idea what the long-term impact of the pandemic will be to the job market. Many industries are going to be disrupted. People feel anxious. Now is the best possible time to be looking at continuous learning opportunities,” he says.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/fall-enrolment-surges-51-for-adult-learners-at-toronto-s-chang-school-of-continuing-education-818623886.html

Natalie Schwartz, Education Dive

A coalition of advocacy groups and think tanks is pushing a series of consumer protections aiming to help students understand the price of college and get what they paid for. The Tuition Payer Bill of Rights makes six demands, including that colleges refund students for services they don’t receive and allow them to opt out of paying for “non-essential services.” The demands come as students across the nation sue colleges for tuition refunds, arguing that the remote education they’ve received isn’t worth the price.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/tuition-payers-bill-of-rights-proposes-6-protections/583659/

Mike Anderson, KSL

Universities across Utah announced they are reducing student fees for the upcoming semester, saving the average student around $150. However, officials with Utah State University said they will have to pass costs for recent investments in online learning improvements to their students this fall. Computer technology is making it possible for classrooms to be online and in-person at the same time, something that some students hoped could make the school safer from the coronavirus.   “For me, it doesn’t matter one way or another, but I was trying to be thoughtful and considerate of others,” said student Jaren Carlson. He said he decided to stay home early to do his part in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Now, he found out it’s going to cost him up to $180 more than it would to attend class in-person.

https://ksltv.com/443672/online-learning-for-usu-students-may-cost-more/

Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

In a recent survey of learners of all ages around the globe, 79 percent of respondents agreed that colleges and universities will fundamentally change because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And 88 percent said that online learning will be part of the higher education experience moving forward. The survey, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Pearson, polled 7,038 people aged between 16-70 years old in seven countries about key trends in education and work.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2020/08/13/survey-majority-of-learners-believe-the-pandemic-will-fundamentally-change-higher-education.aspx