Online Learning Update

by Women’s Agenda

So, say for example I’m a 45-year-old woman considering a new career and want to develop my skills through online learning. What advice would you give me or what questions should I ask myself before starting? Start with believing in yourself. Ask yourself, what do I really want? Focus on the area of study that you are interested in. If you’re afraid, embrace it and break the fear. Go with it anyway. Online education does scare some people because of the technology – it certainly did for me. But it’s not that hard. It’s so user-friendly and is not something to be afraid of. All the support systems at CSU are there to help you. Even with the time difference, I have a live librarian and professors I can ask questions. You need to also ask yourself whether you can you block off some time from your family, your friends and your work for yourself to benefit your career. Don’t dwell on the long-term. The time is going to pass regardless.

http://www.womensagenda.com.au/partner-content/item/6929-learning-online-you-re-not-alone-returning-to-university-and-switching-career-at-48

by Carl Straumsheim, Inside Higher Ed

Improving economy leads to lower enrollments at community colleges, report shows. Can online programs help stanch the flow? Online courses have for years driven enrollment growth at community colleges, but as more students take their chances in the job market, institutions face new challenges to retain them, a new study found. During the height of the recent recession, community colleges saw double-digit percentage growth in their online courses, according to the Instructional Technology Council, which is affiliated with the American Association of Community Colleges. But the ITC’s most recent survey of trends in online education at two-year colleges shows growth last academic year sat at 4.7 percent — the lowest in about a decade.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/13/study-explores-online-learning-trends-community-colleges

by Megan Geuss, Ars Technica

NCAA’s report said that “after the enforcement staff confronted [the graduate assistant] with computer metadata, he admitted doing ‘some assignments’ and knowing that his actions constituted NCAA rules violations. An IP address “associated with graduate assistant B’s Pennsylvania hometown” was found to have submitted online coursework for a student in the town where one student-athlete was living, during a period in which graduate assistant B was traveling to that town. The metadata also apparently showed that graduate assistant B’s mother had completed some of the online math coursework, and then graduate assistant B modified it. And his mom wasn’t the only person in on the gig—the metadata for the online coursework also showed that a friend of the two graduate assistants had been completing and modifying psychology and English coursework as well.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/04/online-courses-metadata-helps-ncaa-catch-cheating-coaches-red-handed/

by Stephen Corrigan, Connacht Tribune

ALISON began ten years ago when Mike Feerick spotted the opportunity of providing free education in the form of a sustainable, for-profit social enterprise, made easier with the decline in broadband and server costs and the growth of online advertising. “I guess that said two things to me; firstly, what an interesting financial business, but also what an exceptional social impact you could have by making education free,” he said. ALISON diplomas and certificates are not accredited in the traditional sense, but that is something that Mike sees as a positive. “We want to get away from traditional accrediting because it is too expensive. We want learning to be free and if we were to be traditionally accredited, we would have to be paying some other organisation, whether it’s Harvard, Cambridge or NUI, to use their brand – but we don’t need their brand, we are smart people and we stand by the quality of our courses,” said Mike.

http://connachttribune.ie/philanthropists-global-vision-for-free-degrees-via-the-internet-201/

By Carl Straumsheim, Inside Higher Ed

At hybrid learning conference sponsored by the Teagle Foundation, participants discuss how to get students who signed up for a traditional liberal arts experience excited about online education. Rui Cao, instructor of Chinese at Schreiner University, was one of several participants who said faculty members need to be aware that blended learning may clash with student expectations. Instead of in a hierarchical model where faculty members lecture and students listen, the blended learning model challenges students to assume a more active role, she said, adding that there should be ample training opportunities both for faculty members and students. “The reason that we see sometimes resistance both from our students and from faculty to this kind of learning is neither of us are fully prepared for this new era,” Cao said. “If both students and teachers are realizing this changing dynamic in our classrooms, that’s going to prepare us better.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/11/teagle-foundation-grant-recipients-discuss-how-get-liberal-arts-students-excited

by Stanford

Staying ahead in the cyber security game is critical to defending against new threats. To protect against cybercrime, corporations, business and government must continuously update their security measures and keep employees properly trained. Since 2005, Stanford has provided professionals around the world with the opportunity to learn the latest real-world applications of computer security through the Stanford Advanced Computer Security Certificate Program. The six-course online program provides participants with the advanced skills needed to learn how to protect networks, secure electronic assets, prevent attacks, and build secure infrastructures.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stanford-launches-new-online-courses-in-computer-security-300248957.html

By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

The Institute for Advanced Computer Studies at the University of Maryland College Park is at the forefront of visual communication and learning, and virtual reality is expected to become an important element for students and faculty.EdTech reports the latest generation of virtual reality technology, including the recently released Oculus Rift headset, could achieve mainstream adoption in five to 10 years, giving students a way to experience their lessons firsthand, without leaving the classroom. The University of Maryland is launching a major in immersive multimedia design, training the students who will go on to create virtual reality content to meet the demand in the classrooms of the future.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/is-virtual-reality-poised-to-transform-higher-ed/416741/

by Jordan Friedman, US News

Given that MOOCs can be expensive to produce, it makes sense that providers would find ways to make a profit, says Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor for online learning at the University of Illinois—Springfield. Even when charging a fee, MOOCs are and will continue to be less expensive than paying for credit-bearing courses offered. “In the beginning, the return to universities came in generally marketing and publicity and giving examples of quality lectures, and showcasing certain faculty members who work for certain departments to prospective students,” Schroeder says. “And yet still, that was a rather high price to pay for just that kind of indirect benefit.” Nanodegrees enable students to earn a credential as they develop job-specific skills through project-based learning, and those who pay get additional benefits on top of the nanodegree, including access to live coaches. Meanwhile, students who enroll in edX and Coursera MOOCs might now gain access to the following features, the availability of which vary depending on the class and discipline.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2016-04-08/4-features-you-can-now-get-by-paying-for-moocs

by Business World

Anant Agarwal, chief executive officer of edX, an online learning venture of Harvard and MIT, has tied up with Indian educational institutions. During his visit, Anant also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who according to him wanted to take a course himself on urban planning and design. He talked to BW Businessworld about his work. We have a mobile app that is growing rapidly, India is the largest smartphone market. However, having said there are many courses that need a larger screen space. But nevertheless, the opportunity for online learning in India is huge. The government has set a clear direction with Digital India.

http://businessworld.in/article/-Huge-Opportunity-For-Online-Learning-In-India-/08-04-2016-95516/

By Autumn A. Arnett, Education Dive

95% of American CEOs believe their companies suffer from a skills shortage. If there is to be significant progress made in closing the nation’s skills and innovation gap, input from all sectors involved — industry as well as schools at both the K-12 and postsecondary level, including traditional baccalaureate institutions, community colleges and technical and vocational schools — will need to collaborate to arm future workers with the skills they need to be successful.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/career-and-technical-education-a-key-part-of-revitalized-ed-outlook/417048

by Beckie Smith, PIE News

Rick Levin was the longest-serving president of Yale University, before moving into the edtech space in 2014 to become CEO of online learning giant Coursera. The PIE: Why did you choose to move to Coursera? Principally because the mission truly appealed to me and it resonated with what I had tried to do in my time at Yale, which was to open up the university’s teaching resources to the wider world. Coursera’s mission is to reach anyone anywhere to enable them to transform their lives by access to the world’s best learning experience. I think that’s what we’re providing: great universal access for people who’re stuck mid-career, who see a course as an opportunity for real change, or a person who’s never had an opportunity to go to a top university who builds self confidence simply by learning they can master courses offered by these universities. I found it very inspirational.

http://thepienews.com/pie-chat/rick-levin-coursera-ceo-usa/

by Udemy

Udemy has announced that they have released a new course that encourages people to make money teaching through online universities as distance learning adjunct instructors. The course is suitable for graduate degree holders and helps them generate a lucrative household income. The course can be accessed through https://www.udemy.com/making-money-teaching-online-get-your-first-academic-job/ Daniel Hall, J.D. from Udemy says: “We’re very happy to see that the Udemy course that we are promoting is proving to be very popular, and that it is helping people find work. Perhaps most important to us, however, is the fact that those who are finding work thanks to our course are providing an invaluable service to others, which is teaching the next generation of academics.”

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2894157

by the Setonian

For students with busy schedules and internships, online classes offered at Seton Hall for the fall 2016 semester are a convenient option. More than 700 undergraduate students are enrolled in online classes this semester, according to Mary Ellen Farrell from the University Registrar. The wide range of online classes that Seton Hall offers are an “advantage for self-motivating students,” according to Monica Rice, a professor in the department of catholic studies. Rice said that online classes are a, “good setting” for “mature and motivated students.”

http://www.thesetonian.com/2016/04/06/discipline-makes-the-difference-in-online-class-preference/

BY WILLIAM FENTON, PC Magazine

While I will focus my attention on the report’s four main recommendations, I recommend the background section to those interested in educational theory and the state of online education. The authors provide some of the sharpest synopses I have encountered, anchoring buzzwords such as “flipped classrooms,” “active learning,” and “student-centric education” to educational history and theory. Those interested in that research would do well to peruse the notes, which includes direct links to scholarship.

http://www.pcmag.com/commentary/343501/mit-just-released-an-online-learning-report-worth-reading

by Trefis Team, Forbes

LinkedIn now appears to be working on several initiatives to accelerate the revenue generation from this platform. The company recently announced that Linda.com is introducing ‘Learning Paths’ for its subscribers to help them stay ahead in their current jobs or acquire the necessary knowledge and skills if they are looking to make a career pivot. The step by step structured courses in ‘Learning Paths’ include several skills such as Web Development, Digital Marketing and 50 other such programs. We believe this initiative, which is currently targeted towards individual professionals, can also be expanded at an enterprise level, thus boosting LinkedIn’s revenues from this segment.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2016/04/05/can-learning-paths-boost-linkedins-education-revenues/#409dd97173cd

by AACSB

This is a vision for a future where business schools are drivers of change. Where business schools change the narrative about the role of business education, and of business, in society. Where business schools respond to the world’s demands to be more inventive. More daring. More connected. More agile. And even more impactful. This is a vision that challenges business schools to examine their relationship to society, to the business community, and to the higher education landscape. It will mean thinking, organizing, and acting in ways that have thus far been unusual or underdeveloped. It will mean incorporating new models and strategies and devoting renewed attention to economic, environmental, and personal well-being for all populations around the world.

http://www.aacsb.edu/~/media/ManagementEducation/docs/collective-vision-for-business-education.ashx

by Marguerite Ward, CNBC

If you ever wanted an Ivy League education on your resume without the Ivy League sticker price, there are a few ways to do it. But are these classes really worth the effort? The answer is yes … with some caveats. In recent years, free and open online classes from colleges like Harvard and Yale have taken off as Ivy League schools seek to make some of their courses more accessible. Experts say these courses are starting to gain traction in the job market. Completing a massive open online course (MOOC) or certificate shows an employer that a job candidate is motivated and curious — and that could potentially set them apart from other applicants, career experts said. But it won’t necessarily land you a new job.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/05/how-to-get-a-free-ivy-educationand-boost-your-career.html

by Wake Tech Community College

Wake Tech students, faculty, and staff now have a new way to communicate – in fact, they have more than 220 new ways! The college, in collaboration with its Campus Police department and English as a Second Language (ESL) program, has launched a language translation phone line to serve all those for whom English is not a native language. The phone line, dubbed “Translating to Success,” will provide rapid access to interpreters in more than 220 languages, to help communicate official business to the college community. Wake Tech is the only community college or university in North Carolina to have the translation phone line system. [is there potential for this to be done online?]

http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/wake-tech-launches-language-translation-phone-line

by SHANNON WILLIAMS, IT Brief

ALISON founder Mike Feerick says global inequality and the skills gap is one of the biggest challenges facing governments, and free online education is one of the most powerful modern tools available to address it. However, he says governments and advisors are looking in the wrong places for answers, and asking the wrong people for solutions. “We have been stopping people from educating themselves, and stopping those who can teach from having a wider impact,” Feerick explains. Speaking at SXSW in Texas, Feerick says there are three policies that governments could implement to radically propel online learning for all societies. “Firstly, governments could mandate that free online informal learning becomes an integral part of any hiring decisions across public and semi-state recruitment,” he says. “It would comprehensively deliver the message that free online lifelong learning is important, relevant and valued.”

https://itbrief.co.nz/story/govt-needs-look-online-learning-skills-shortage-says-expert/

By Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

Online Education: A Catalyst for Higher Education Reforms The Final Report from MIT’s Open Education Policy Initiative. “…learning-science-based online education (including the blended model) is disrupting the existing higher education teaching paradigm.” Recommendation 4: Foster Institutional and Organizational Change in Higher Education to Implement These Reforms What do you make of this recommendation? The MIT report argues that like other legacy sectors, higher education is due for disruption. This higher ed disruption will come from a combination of learning science, new (scalable) online learning technologies, and an altered set of economic and political arrangements (such as competency based learning and government / employer supported alternative credentialing). Disrupting the power / position of legacy higher education institutions, according to the MIT report, will not be easy.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/online-education-catalyst-organizational-change

BY TANYA ROSCORLA, Center for Digital Education

Higher education leaders are pondering how to make bite-sized, low-cost learning opportunities available to students in different ways. Working adults who change jobs and careers frequently often don’t need to go through an entire degree program to learn different skills. However, they do need a flexible way to earn credentials that are recognized by employers and that demonstrate their ability to apply the skills they learn, said David Schejbal, dean of continuing education, outreach and e-learning at University of Wisconsin-Extension. University micro-credentials can help fill that role. Six universities have been working with employers to find out what skills they need their employees to have, including the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California Davis Extension, University of California Irvine Extension, University of Wisconsin-Extension, University of Washington and University of California, Los Angeles.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/higher-ed/Micro-Credentials-Offer-Universities-an-Opportunity-to-Bridge-Skill-Gaps.html