Online Learning Update

Science Daily

The study, conducted by researchers from Purdue University, Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the first to analyze the water and land footprints associated with internet infrastructure in addition to carbon footprints. Just one hour of videoconferencing or streaming, for example, emits 150-1,000 grams of carbon dioxide (a gallon of gasoline burned from a car emits about 8,887 grams), requires 2-12 liters of water and demands a land area adding up to about the size of an iPad Mini. But leaving your camera off during a web call can reduce these footprints by 96%.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134033.htm

Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology
National University in California has partnered with GreenLight Credentials to create blockchain-secured digital student transcripts that can be shared with other educational institutions or prospective employers. The pilot program will provide 300 students with free access to a digital locker for their academic records, that can be accessed at any time and on any device.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/01/11/national-university-blockchain-initiative-pilots-digital-transcripts.aspx

Kristen E. Broady, et al; Brookings Institution

Online learning can offer flexibility and accessibility, but it also can present challenges to learning outcomes. In particular, there are some groups of students for whom online education works poorly. Anticipating these challenges and more, 55 percent of students not returning for fall 2020 cited changes in class format. In a case study, The Public Policy Institute of California found that students of color and nontraditional students are more likely to have challenges that put them at risk of lowered performance in an online setting, widening existing achievement gaps. Some challenges they are more likely to face include trying to study in a stressful home environment or an inability to access reliable internet.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2021/01/11/1342345/

JOHN SCOTT, eCampus News

Last spring, you made a heroic effort to rapidly transition your course to online delivery in response to a campus closure. It’s important now to take a moment to consider how your students adapted then and this fall, and how you can design inclusive learning approaches after considering the equity and access issues resulting from this change in delivery. For students learning remotely at home, these challenges may include limited access to computers, high-speed internet, campus support services, and a lack of social connection with peers and instructors.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/01/12/3-ways-to-stay-connected-when-going-remote-copy/

Lauren Tucker, Faculty Focus

UDL focuses on proactively embedding multiple opportunities for students to learn material, engage with the course, and express their learning (CAST 2020). Keeping UDL at the forefront of my course design during the pandemic has provided much needed stability and consistency within my courses. I keep the following three guidelines in my course planning, and I have seen significant benefits within my courses.

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-course-design-and-preparation/universally-designing-in-universal-chaos/

South Florida Caribbean News

If you plan on studying online, there are lots of benefits to look forward to. Even though it seems like an intimidating idea, it works for millions of students all over the world. Here are a few benefits of online learning.  Whether you are trying to earn a degree or simply improve your skills, there are plenty of options for you. Some of the benefits you can enjoy include flexibility, an opportunity for career advancement, convenience, and lower overall costs. There are plenty of programs to suit different needs. You can always find an appropriate option.

https://sflcn.com/understanding-the-benefits-of-online-learning/

NICOLE YEATMAN, Big Think
For centuries, universities have advanced humanity toward truth. Professor Jonathan Haidt speaks to why college campuses are suddenly heading in the opposite direction. In a lecture at UCCS, NYU professor Jonathan Haidt considers the ‘telos’ or purpose of universities: To discover truth.  Universities that prioritize the emotional comfort of students over the pursuit of truth fail to deliver on that purpose, at a great societal cost. To make that point, Haidt quotes CNN contributor Van Jones: “I don’t want you to be safe ideologically. I don’t want you to be safe emotionally. I want you to be strong—that’s different.”

https://bigthink.com/institute-for-humane-studies/jonathan-haidt-campus

Natalie Schwartz, HigherEd Dive

A new small study suggests reopening college campuses led to local coronavirus outbreaks, which schools were largely able to manage while their home counties were less successful. The researchers, which examined 30 universities, found cases spiked in the first two weeks of classes at 14 campuses. More than half of the colleges studied saw new cases peak between mid-August and mid-October, when new infections in the U.S. were subsiding, suggesting campus reopenings drove the spread.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/another-study-links-college-campus-reopenings-and-local-coronavirus-outbrea/593251/

William H. Frey,  Brookings Institution

Recently released Census Bureau population estimates show that from July 1, 2019 to July 1, 2020, the nation grew by just 0.35%. This is the lowest annual growth rate since at least 1900. National population growth began to dip after 2000, especially after the Great Recession and, in recent years, due to new immigration restrictions. Yet the 2019-to-2020 rate is well below most growth rates over the past 102 years, and less than half the level observed as recently as 2000. Part of this sharp decline can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought more deaths and further immigration restrictions. Still, the entire 2010s decade was one of fewer births, more deaths, and uneven immigration.

https://www.brookings.edu/research/what-the-2020-census-will-reveal-about-america-stagnating-growth-an-aging-population-and-youthful-diversity/

Joel Schipper, WDRB

“The distance education fee is not a new fee, but one that has long existed for any asynchronous online course. A student taking any synchronous online course—with class sessions meeting live in online sessions—are not charged the fee. During this time of the pandemic, our costs for online instruction include paying for increased training and equipment while we continue to pay for the faculty and staff to deliver services both on and off campus. Nevertheless, if a student has signed up for an in-person course that has moved online due to the pandemic, they are not charged a distance education fee. We urge students with financial hardships to contact the financial aid office through Student Central to explore additional options that may be available.”

https://www.wdrb.com/news/some-iu-students-upset-over-distance-education-fees-during-pandemic/article_dddaaf70-546d-11eb-b7c3-5fe9e216b5aa.html

NBC

Based on Yakima County’s current COVID data, Yakima Valley College has made the decision to continue to offer classes virtually through the 2021 spring and summer quarters. Current exceptions for some in-person labs related to specific workforce programs will continue. “Our main priority continues to be promoting the health and safety of our employees and students, as well as their families,” stated YVC President Linda Kaminski.

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/yvc-extends-online-learning-through-summer-quarter-2021/article_2dc95142-5466-11eb-af25-335245b26b53.html

Alan R. Roper, EDUCAUSE Review

Although students can easily locate an online course or degree program that’s both convenient and accessible, they may face significant challenges in developing a new set of skills for this type of instruction. Educators have speculated on the development of student skills necessary to succeed in online learning, but relatively few publications cover the topic from the perspective of successful online students. I developed the study summarized here to provide this perspective and to identify useful strategies that instructors can promote in their online courses.

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2007/1/how-students-develop-online-learning-skills

Laura Oleniacz, NC State

A study of students at seven public universities across the United States has identified risk factors that may place students at higher risk for negative psychological impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors associated with greater risk of negative impacts include the amount of time students spend on screens each day, their gender, age and other characteristics.  Research has shown many college students faced significant mental health challenges going into the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts say the pandemic has added new stressors. The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, could help experts tailor services to better support students.

https://news.ncsu.edu/2021/01/study-finds-risk-factors-linked-to-covid-19-mental-health-impacts-for-college-students/

Marguerite J Dennis, University World News

My predictions for higher education worldwide in 2021 and beyond are:

• Students, faculty and staff will travel with Digital Health passports, verifying their COVID-19 test results.

• Students will enrol in colleges and universities with well-established health protocols.

• Students will attend school year-round in some combination of online and in person instruction.

• Credit-bearing, gap year programmes will increase worldwide.

• Students will be admitted year-round and will be notified of admission decisions as soon as their applications are complete.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210107134029744

Josh Kim, Inside Higher Ed

Josh Kim:  Dr. Vickie Cook is among the most well-known and respected leaders and scholars in the world of higher education and online learning. I’m honored that Vickie agreed to answer some of my questions about her alternative-academic career….Vickie Cook: I have been very focused on encouraging staff and colleagues to seek out their degree options, to work with organizations outside the university and build networks within the professional community.  I also have been very active in a variety of professional organizations such as UPCEA, OLC, and others to assist with the professional development of those who are entering an alternative academic career pathway for the first time. At the end of the day, universities must meet the needs of their students by providing strong teaching, strong research opportunities, and the ability to demonstrate a positive effect on our world.  No small task.  But, the good news is, we have good people across the country that will help move higher ed forward.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/learning-innovation/3-questions-alt-ac-vickie-cook

India Today

It can expedite the development of new and more innovative forms of online education and can adapt and adjust to the individual learning requirements of every student. The algorithms help to analyse the capacity of the students and modify teaching approaches for boosting the teaching and learning experience in a globalised classroom by enabling the instructors to cultivate best academic practices. All in all, the inculcation of ML into your teaching platforms can only result in positive impact when used by your customers when done right. This is the best time in the industry to gravitate towards algorithms because it reduces clerical work and makes the user experience much better.

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/how-machine-learning-is-contributing-to-the-evolution-of-online-education-space-1757443-2021-01-09

Martin Slagter, MLive

Jackson College is helping ease the financial burden for students this winter by providing scholarship to cover online class fees. The college, which continues to primarily offer online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, has awarded students emergency scholarships in 2020 and will continue, since online learning comes at a higher cost. Students registered for winter and spring semesters will have an automatic online learning scholarship applied directly to their accounts, college officials said. Online course fees range between $60 for one credit and $149 for a four-credit course.

https://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/2021/01/jackson-college-waives-online-learning-fees-for-students.html

Lily Hay Newman, Wired

In the aftermath of destructive riots that trashed the United States Capitol on Wednesday, the nation is grappling with questions about the stability and trajectory of US democracy. But inside the Capitol building itself, the congressional support staff is dealing with more immediate logistics, like cleanup and repairs. A crucial part of that: the process of securing the offices and digital systems after hundreds of people had unprecedented access to them. Wednesday’s insurrection could have exposed congressional data and devices in ways that have yet to be appreciated.

https://www.wired.com/story/capitol-riot-security-congress-trump-mob-clean-up/

DAVID WISEMAN, eCampus News

Regardless of the emergency scenario, crisis management and the ability to quickly disseminate relevant information is essential. A college campus is an exciting place filled with hundreds, thousands—or even tens of thousands—of students seeking to better themselves through education, as well as faculty and campus employees. Aside from providing the facilities, faculty, and resources necessary for a high-quality education, the school also has a solemn obligation to ensure the safety of everyone on campus as well. It is essential to have tools and processes in place to effectively respond to incidents, communicate and collaborate efficiently, and account for all individuals throughout an event. It is a matter of when, not if, a crisis event will occur.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/01/08/4-priorities-for-crisis-management-and-communications/

Hallie Busta, Higher Ed Dive

We’re all hoping some degree of pre-pandemic life will return in 2021. But for higher education, many of the trends that dominated storylines in 2020 will continue into this year.   Enrollment changes, a return to campus, the future of admissions testing and more stories we’ll be following this year.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/5-higher-education-trends-to-watch-in-2021/592691/

Jon Marcus, Washington Post

Colleges and universities have long outsourced such things as bookstores and dining and custodial services. Now they’re paying billions of dollars a year to for-profit corporations to create and administer online courses; recruit and enroll students; advise and tutor those students once they start school; oversee research; manage information technology and utilities; and build or manage dorms, classrooms, labs, parking and student unions. Some of these functions are outside the institutions’ educational missions, advocates of such partnerships point out, though what’s new is that “more and more are cutting closer to the academic core,” said Dennis Gephardt, vice president and senior credit officer on the higher education and not-for-profit team at the Moody’s bond-rating agency.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/colleges-outsourcing-services/2021/01/07/c3f2ac6a-5135-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html