Online Learning Update

by Jonathan Moules, Financial Times

Last year there was a small but significant increase in the take-up of programmes covered by the annual Financial Times Online MBA Ranking. Enrolment numbers on these course rose on average 7 per cent for the 15 schools in the 2016 ranking. Five more schools were added to this year’s ranking, reflecting an increase in online offerings from notable institutions. Several factors have come together to drive this shift. They include the tightening of visa conditions in the UK and elsewhere, schools attempting to reach overseas markets, advances in teaching technology and the growing credibility of online

https://www.ft.com/content/4e1934a8-f47a-11e6-95ee-f14e55513608

BY MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

Now consider classroom technology and how it is also evolving rapidly. Implementation of technology in the classroom goes beyond Google searches and reading apps. It stretches into every area of learning, including the sciences. Virtual laboratories are popping up in school districts and online learning curriculum across the country and making it easier and less expensive for students to do experiments remotely. Here are some of the benefits of virtual labs.

http://www.theedadvocate.org/4-benefits-of-virtual-labs/

by: Hannah Kuchler, Financial Times

“What online technology does for business schools is very substantially expand their market to people who don’t take time out from their career to come back to business school,” Mr Levin says. Coursera was originally designed to provide the infrastructure for universities to put any course online. However, it was quickly adopted by people looking for practical business courses to improve their performance at work. “I think the breakthrough occurred when Wharton took the plunge and put a mini-version of its first-year core curriculum online,” he says. “It was extremely successful and that got people more interested. It saw the potential branding and visibility to a large global audience — our 24m learners on the platform.”

https://www.ft.com/content/554ddb6e-f47c-11e6-95ee-f14e55513608

By Ruth Reynard, Campus Technology

What are the latest technologies to impact the evolution of online learning? According to eLearningIndustry.com, there were “5 Amazing eLearning Trends in 2016”: Mobile Learning; Gamification; Video-Based Training; Competency-Based Learning; and Big Data. I would suggest that these were not trends specific to 2016, as they were emerging through the years along with the technology changes and developments I’ve briefly outlined. What has taken place more recently, however, is a clearer impact on learning and specifically the delivery, organization, presentation and engagement/interaction involved in the learning process. I would agree, though, that gamification and big data have emerged more strongly as critical aspects of full engagement with and application of learning — they are the product of new knowledge and information scope.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/03/01/technology-and-the-future-of-online-learning.aspx

By Jordan Friedman, US News

Among the greatest benefits of online learning for working adults, many students say, is the ability to pursue a new career or advance a current one as they work full time, and to apply what they learn in class to their job, and vice versa. That’s the case whether they’re returning to school to earn an online bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree. Here are stories from six past and current online students about how online education enabled them to change careers, and the advice they offer prospective students aiming to follow a similar route.

https://www.usnews.com/higher-education/online-education/articles/2017-03-02/infographic-6-career-change-stories-from-online-students

By Sri Ravipati, Campus Technology

The ed tech market is restless. With vendors constantly acquiring and merging with other companies and startups popping up every other month, it can be difficult to keep track. Courseware, learning analytics platforms and constituent relationship management (CRM) platforms are the fussiest, with these market segments seeing the most consolidations. Cloud-based student information systems (SISs) are slowly being adopted, while adaptive learning and online program managers (OPMs) seeing the most growth at disproportionate levels.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/03/03/report-courseware-learning-analytics-see-most-acquisitions-in-ed-tech-market.aspx

By Joe Chapman, US News

Prospective online students should ensure that video lectures can we viewed on all their devices. The ways that people today access information have become increasingly mobile. With that, universities are providing opportunities for students to learn on the go. Reports indicate that internet usage on smartphones in the U.S. will soon surpass desktop computers. Since many online students juggle time-consuming obligations at work and home while also working toward a college degree, having the option to learn through mobile devices like smartphones and tablets is important. When choosing an online degree program, make sure the technologies available for learning fit in with your daily life and will benefit, not hinder, your education experience.

https://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2017-03-03/embrace-mobile-technologies-as-an-online-student

BY MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

Implementation of technology in the classroom goes beyond Google searches and reading apps. It stretches into every area of learning, including the sciences. Virtual laboratories are popping up in school districts and online learning curriculum across the country and making it easier and less expensive for students to do experiments remotely. Perhaps the most often cited benefit of any online learning is that it can be done at the student’s convenience and when he or she learns best. The same is true of virtual laboratories if the experiments are on the student’s own time. In some cases, a virtual lab may be used during regular class time which narrows this benefit but still allows flexibility for the teacher who is not limited by using resources within a strict timeframe.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/virtual-laboratories-all-good/

by CIOL

Marking its first ever acquisition, online education platform Udacity has acquired CloudLabs, a small five-person firm building interactive coding environments that let groups collaboratively code from within their browsers. Interestingly, Cloud Labs also creates platforms where others can come up with interactive computer programming courses. For instance, Terminal.com that enabled the custom creation of computer programming courses built around an interactive, container-based, command-line interface. Meanwhile, Udacity hopes to implement the company’s live developer environments in some of its courses. With this new tech, instructors will be able to inspect the code, draw attention to specific issues and screen share with students.

http://www.ciol.com/udacity-acquires-cloudlabs-to-enable-collaborative-programming-for-students/

by eCampus News

edX—the online education platform from Harvard and MIT —announced the launch of 16 new MicroMasters programs from top universities across the globe. EdX created MicroMasters programs to bridge the knowledge gap between higher education and the workplace. Through 12 prestigious university partners, edX is expanding these programs across in-demand fields like:

Business analytics

Digital product management

Cybersecurity

Data science

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/micromasters-edx-careers/

By A.J. O’Connell, Campus Technology

Fear and anxiety can keep many educators from embracing open educational resources and open pedagogy. Here, “open” proponents explain common concerns. Open educational resources (OER) and open pedagogy are gaining traction in higher ed, and for good reason — open education expands access to courses, saves students money and invites peer review. But for some students, faculty and administrators, fears about “open” are real, and in some cases, justified. Faculty used to teaching behind closed doors — who are often subject-matter experts without any instructional training — may be worried about opening up their research or pedagogy for the world to see. And students — some of whom may be marginalized and already find themselves targeted by trolls online — may be concerned about completing assignments in the open.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/02/01/top-fears-shutting-the-door-on-open-education.aspx

by Todd Spangler, MSN

Comedy legend Steve Martin will offer tips, tricks and insights from his 50-year showbiz career in his first-ever online class, set to launch this spring. The class, which will cost $90, will be available through internet-education startup MasterClass. Enrollees will have access to more than 25 video lessons led by Martin, covering topics like finding your comedic voice and nailing an act. The course also includes a downloadable workbook with lesson recaps and supplemental materials, and students will be able to submit videos to the class — some of which Martin will critique.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/steve-martin-to-teach-online-comedy-course/ar-AAnIZW6

BY DAVE KNOCHE, eCampus News

The 4-year college experience isn’t for every student—and maybe PPEC’s zero student debt, blended pathway can help. Most students complete their high school courses and electives online so students only physically attend school three days a week. Days in school consist of teachers leading project-based learning to complement what students are learning online, as well as helping students master the concepts they are learning in the online courses. Students spend the other two days of the week completing online courses at home, participating in internships or shadowing opportunities, or attending classes on community college campuses.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/alternative-pathways/ppec-high-school-college/

by Ashley Sutherland, State Press

According to a Columbia University study, students do not choose to take online courses for “a superior learning experience” and instead most students take what they consider “easy” online classes. “There is actually a lot more that goes into designing, structuring and making everything very clear and laid out in the online class compared to the face-to-face class. You can have more flexibility in the face-to face classroom to modify things on the fly and adapt to your students’ immediate responses as you’re lecturing or as you’re presenting materials,” said Molly Ott, assistant professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and coordinator of the Higher and Postsecondary Education program.

http://www.statepress.com/article/2017/03/spopinion-teachers-will-always-be-important-online-classes

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News

The report notes that the number of non-traditional students is projected to increase more than twice as fast as traditional students from 2012 to 2022, according to the CLASP Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success. And because non-traditional students are among the fastest-growing student groups, this means schools face retention challenges. Only 37 percent of at-risk students said they feel confident they will accomplish their educational goals, and 33 percent of those at risk participate in extra-curricular activities, compared to 62 percent of non-traditional students who are not at risk of not graduating. The at-risk group spends less time on campus–10 hours per week compared to the 16 hours per week that non-traditional on-track students spend on campus.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/campus-administration/support-non-traditional-students/

by Robyn Scott, WQED

Online learning is extremely convenient. It allows me and my students to work from home in pretty much any location in the country; it gives students the opportunity to work with educators who live in other areas and allows adult students to maintain full-time employment while studying. However, many students are feeling the social isolation that comes with this type of learning environment. There are several ways to combat loneliness and still be part of an online academic community.

https://ww2.kqed.org/learning/2017/02/28/5-ways-to-combat-loneliness-and-isolation-in-online-learning/

by John Fritz and John Whitmer, EDUCAUSE Review

Findings from two research studies at scale reveal the implications of learning analytics research for designing courses in learning management systems. Data-driven interventions shine light on our institutional conceptions of learning, who our students are, and our responsibility — or perhaps our willingness — to support students. By focusing the lens of analytics on course design, we may be able to define success in a way that is more intuitive and compelling to faculty and thus facilitates a more scalable approach toward course redesign for improved student success.

http://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/2/learning-analytics-research-for-lms-course-design-two-studies

by eMarketer Daily

Their digital usage, along with their TV viewing, makes them eminently reachable. An estimated 91.3% of Gen Xers—individuals born between 1965 and 1980—used the internet regularly in 2016, with that figure expected to change only negligibly over the rest of the decade, according to eMarketer’s latest report, “Where US Gen X Stands: A Hard-Luck Cohort that Is Too Important to Neglect.” (The full report is available only to eMarketer PRO subscribers). Whatever their method for accessing the internet, many Xers spend lots of time doing so. In September 2016 polling by Limelight Networks, four in 10 internet users ages 34 to 50 said they spend at least 11 hours per week online outside of work.

https://www.emarketer.com/Article/eMarketers-New-Report-Reassures-Marketers-Gen-Xers-Highly-Digital/1015342?ecid=NL1001

by Online Course Report

MOOCs – or Massive Open Online Courses – are picking up momentum in popularity – at least in terms of initial enrollment. There are now thousands of MOOCs available worldwide from several hundred colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of 50 of the most popular MOOCs, based on enrollment figures for all sessions of a course. The ranking is based on filtering enrollment data for 185 free MOOCs on various elearning platforms.

https://www.onlinecoursereport.com/the-50-most-popular-moocs-of-all-time/

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News

The number of institutions offering no online or hybrid courses or programs is declining. The report predicts soon will be in the single digits as a proportion of all institutions. More institutions now offer online programs, and the number of programs offered also is increasing. Comparing data from the 2013 and 2016 surveys, the proportion of institutions that offered five or more fully online programs increased from 15 percent to 25 percent. “No matter the modality, students are starting to expect flexibility to not just be an option but the norm in their educational experience,” according to the report. “Online or on ground, technology is pervading the classroom.” The report offers a number of recommendations to help CIC member institutions develop and deliver online programs. The recommendations are not one-size-fits-all, but are intended to act as guideposts to build a more robust online presence.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/online-learning/flourishing-online-program/

By Sri Ravipati, Campus Technology

Trolls are commonplace online, with close to a third of American internet users witnessing harassment online and nearly half personally experiencing it. To help combat internet trolls, Google’s technology incubator Jigsaw and Counter Abuse Technology Team last Friday launched Perspective, “an early-stage technology that uses machine learning to help identify toxic comments,” according to the blog post announcement. Perspective works by reviewing comments and scoring them based on how similar they are to comments that are typically considered negative or “toxic,” the blog post explained. “To learn how to spot potentially toxic language, Perspective examined hundreds of thousands of comments that had been labeled by human reviewers. Each time Perspective finds new examples of potentially toxic comments, or is provided with corrections from users, it can get better at scoring future comments.”

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/02/27/google-debuts-troll-fighting-ai-tool-to-moderate-online-comments.aspx