Online Learning Update

July 10, 2021

AI Is Starting To Understand Us, But How Well Do We Understand AI?

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

Thomas Dhollander, Forbes

Governments are still primarily thinking in small increments and struggle to fit in new disruptive economical models. Perhaps it is time we become more proactive in stimulating new job types and in thinking about their social implications, instead of holding on to current recipes. Bold thought experiments are needed here. For instance: What would the labor market look like if we remove the difference between self-employment and payroll status altogether, so everyone can more flexibly compile their own job package? And if we do so, how could we guarantee that our social system does not collapse and everyone remains sufficiently protected?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/06/30/ai-is-starting-to-understand-us-but-how-well-do-we-understand-ai/

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July 9, 2021

Georgia Tech’s Online MS In Computer Science Continues To Thrive. Why That’s Important For The Future of MOOCs

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes

What may be the most successful graduate degree program in the United States – the Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) – has begun its eighth year of operation. The program started in January 2014 with an inaugural class of 380 students and five courses. It’s enjoyed steady growth every year since, and now has more than 11,000 students enrolled in more than 50 courses. making it the largest computing master’s program in the nation – and probably the world. Its total number of graduates now tops 5,000.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2021/07/01/georgia-techs-online-ms-in-computer-science-continues-to-thrive-what-that-could-mean-for-the-future-of-moocs/

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Improved Student Engagement in Higher Education’s Next Normal

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

Ed Glantz, Chris Gamrat, et al; EDUCAUSE Review

Five pandemic-introduced innovative teaching adaptations can improve student engagement in the next normal for higher education. The question now is, should any of these innovations and adaptations be retained to form the “next normal” in higher education? We know that disruption historically informs innovation. For an example from the pandemic, a US insurance agency has observed that employees can effectively work remotely and now plans to close six offices: 32 percent of employees (four times more than previously) will work from home.Footnote1 Educators should similarly look beyond the recent negative experiences to identify and cultivate worthy improvements. Here we suggest five teaching enhancements as possible candidates for continued acceptance.

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/3/improved-student-engagement-in-higher-educations-next-normal

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Rebuilding after ransomware: Heartland Community College invests $1 million

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

Emily Bamforth, EdScoop

Following a ransomware attack last October that disrupted the operations of Illinois’ Heartland Community College, leaders approved a budget this month designed to rebuild defenses, but also to position systems to quickly adjust to future threats. “We were looking at our back-end data management,” said Steve Fast, public information director of the central Illinois college. “When we had to take everything down and revert to backups, the thought was, do you want to put it back the way it was before or do you want to accelerate some of these projects?”

https://edscoop.com/rebuilding-after-ransomware-heartland-community-college-1-million/

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July 8, 2021

Tailoring virtual learning to student need

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

Technology Decisions AU

Students who either have special needs, are geographically remote or have other factors limiting their ability to attend face-to-face schooling will benefit from a new virtual online learning program developed by Monash University.“Without the option of online teaching and learning as a component of our educational system, some students in Victoria would simply miss out. As a comprehensive education system, we are driven to ensure that online teaching and learning is equitable and provides all students with opportunities to succeed,” said Associate Professor Phillips.

https://www.technologydecisions.com.au/content/futureed/article/tailoring-virtual-learning-to-student-need-1480365351

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The Definition of Mobile Learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Mobile learning is defined as a way to facilitate education by using devices like tablets and smartphones, and more than that. According to the Pew Research Center’s recent study, almost 77% of Americans own some kind of smartphone, which is a 35% increase since 2011. What’s more, 2.1 billion smartphones were being used worldwide in 2016. Could you imagine if all of those devices could be used as powerful educational tools, delivering personalized learning experiences right at your fingertips? The most important thing here is that geography is no longer an issue for students. If someone needs to learn, then they can, no questions asked. Whether they have a computer around, or where they live, becomes irrelevant. They are walking around with a supercomputer in their pockets daily that is more than powerful enough for educational purposes.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/the-definition-of-mobile-learning/

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Farewell Print Textbook Reserves: A COVID-19 Change to Embrace

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

Steven Bell, EDUCAUSE Review

The current turn of events points to the future demise of print textbook reserves. It should spur librarians and their faculty colleagues to imagine higher education with fully digital e-reserves and a commitment to born-digital, zero- or low-cost learning materials that all students can equitably afford to access. We should adopt Open Educational Resources (OER) to the fullest extent possible. Together, let us learn from this COVID-19 experience and move forward by eliminating our fragile dependence on course content that commercial publishers refuse to make available to libraries in digital format. Any sustainable future for affordable and accessible digital learning materials must come from within the academy.

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/1/farewell-print-textbook-reserves-a-covid-19-change-to-embrace

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July 7, 2021

Bridging the Digital Gap Through Technology Innovation

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

Mordecai I. Brownlee, Lou Pugliese, Greg Smith and Mohammad Haque; Campus Technology

Investors poured a record-breaking $2.2 billion in U.S. ed tech in 2020, appropriately coined the most disruptive year for the education industry. While there has been an uptick in investments, as well as the number of education technology tools available to serve learners and instructors, we’re witnessing unsettling declines in college enrollment and persistence for underserved populations. An imbalance in access to technology — often dubbed the “digital equity gap” — has been a key contributor to poor student outcomes. This imbalance is often invisible to well-intentioned instructors who perceive their course environments in different ways than students. Institutions of higher education must pivot to meet new learners where they are, while addressing the very real divide that exists (and yes, this requires steps beyond extending WiFi to the university parking lot).

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/06/10/bridging-the-digital-gap-through-technology-innovation.aspx

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3 reasons college students need leadership training

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

eCampus News

Students often hear professors quote Shakespeare: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Well, no offense to the bard, but it’s hard to argue that some are born great when so few people seem to be able to naturally lead. The consensus is that leaders are made, not born. So what does that mean for college students? No matter where they are in their academic careers, they can orient their lives toward success by developing the traits every leader needs to make a difference.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/06/29/3-reasons-college-students-need-leadership-training/

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Student Voices: The future is hybrid in higher education

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

Lovina Andersen, Seattle Times

To understand what works and what doesn’t with hybrid education, I surveyed 41 college peers last November on whether they preferred online, in-person, or hybrid classes. For the 38 people who preferred in-person or hybrid, 79% cited social interaction as their primary reason. I couldn’t agree more. During those last months of my senior year, I felt the loss of a social atmosphere keenly. As a college freshman in Provo, Utah, a thousand miles from home and surrounded by 33,000 strangers, I felt it even more. Even in my few in-person classes, mandatory social distancing and masks made it hard to connect with peers. Bonding opportunities like group projects, close seating and classroom discussions were restricted or abandoned for fear of contamination.

https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/student-voices-the-future-is-hybrid-in-higher-education/

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July 6, 2021

4 BENEFITS OF GAMIFICATION IN THE ONLINE CLASSROOM

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

eLearning Inside

According to the 2019 Evolution of Entertainment study, 73 percent of Americans aged two or older play video games every day.  As a result, teachers can capitalize on the same drive and passion for performing without losing any academic integrity in the virtual classroom. Gamifying the learning experience is a significant trend, not least because young people are often more inclined to play games than devote time to their education. Crucially, gamification need not be complex.  Anyone considering the possibility of adding gamification to their online learning routine should be encouraged to do so, and we present four great reasons to do just that.

https://news.elearninginside.com/4-benefits-of-gamification-in-the-online-classroom/

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Online education: preparing the workforce of the future

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:04 am

REBECCA L. WATTS,  Baltimore Sun

Local industries, ranging from health care to information technology, all require a qualified and skilled workforce to maintain and continuously modernize their service and product offerings. Without a top-notch talent pool prepared with relevant 21st century skills, businesses face the possibility of failing to remain competitive. Reversing that trend will require expansive, collaborative efforts aimed at job training and workforce development. Innovative approaches to college education provide a key long-term strategy for workforce investment and labor market recovery. These approaches must focus on skill-based mastery, at an affordable cost, with a flexible schedule that allows learners to stay employed while earning a degree.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0628-online-learning-20210628-qzkomt36avdl3ly2c4rnkj5toi-story.html

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When you can’t get to college, bring college to you

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

Tonya Drake – The Herald

 

A recent study from Strada, Center for Education Consumer Insights, indicates those who experienced a work change during the pandemic are more than three times more likely to intend on enrolling in education. And what’s more, these individuals are seeking diverse learning options during the economic recovery.Further, among disrupted learners who said they planned to enroll in an education or training program in the next six months, 25 percent said they would pursue an online non-college learning option. Likewise, the same share said they would pursue an employer-based learning option. The data indicates a shift in our approach to education. Workers and learners alike are seeking flexible, alternative learning options to meet their needs. Online higher education is well positioned to meet our changing needs and help disrupted workers get back on track as society re-opens.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-when-you-cant-get-to-college-bring-college-to-you/

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July 5, 2021

HE institutional autonomy is under siege across the world

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

Judith Eaton and Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic, University World News

We came together because, in our view, we are witnessing a disturbing strengthening of the forces that constrain that autonomy in various countries. And, also in our view, this situation calls for an emphatic response from those of us in the higher education community. Around the world, nationally, regionally and internationally, institutional autonomy is under siege and is an increasingly pressing issue. It was a sobering conversation. Examining both the questions and the constraints, we asked: Where do we go from here? What is a 21st century view of institutional autonomy? And we came up with three action steps for consideration.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210622133956498

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Online learning should change the way that exams work

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

Linda Rowan and Fiona Murray, University World News

Recent reports of University of Auckland students allegedly cheating in online exams highlighted the potential for dishonesty in a trust-based system. But the problem also highlights a tension between cultures: the increasingly online world of higher education, and the everyday world of students. This has made ‘cheating’ in exams a more complex and evolving question than it once was. It is evident that the tertiary environment is evolving and students have demonstrated their creativity in banding together to solve problems in a modern way. Now is the time for examiners and exams to get smarter, too. Traditional ways of operating are behind us. We need to keep moving forward – away from the comfortable and into the confusing jungle of synthesised, regenerated and expanding knowledge.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210623135318737

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3 ways to boost applications and enrollment

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

Lauren Goldenberg, eCampus News

It’s no secret: 2020 was a tough year on application and enrollment for schools, academies, colleges, and universities. The pandemic changed how and when students start school. Many waited to start new education programs and deferred as remote learning became the norm, and the entire system faced an upheaval. Declines in enrollment have added to mounting pressures to ramp up interest. And the best way for higher education marketers to reach students is, of course, where they already live: their mobile phones. Incoming candidates often ignore traditional ad campaigns like print catalogues and brochures — while favoring text message marketing, social media, and other digital strategies.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/06/24/3-ways-to-boost-applications-and-enrollment/

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July 4, 2021

How to create a new campus-wide data strategy

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

Ryan Schnabel, eCampus News

Campuses are now connecting the dots in new ways, enabling them to focus on a wider variety of data sources and metrics to help convey the real value they provide. This can be challenging when balancing financial and academic priorities, but new insights and transparency can help foster collaborative and actionable outcomes.  One new data-driven trend is that institutions are using more institutional data for program reviews or accreditation. While it is common to use various academic metrics like learning outcomes, number of enrollments in each program broken down by various demographic data, retention or persistence measurements, and graduation rates, institutions should also be including financial data and looking at revenue and expenses by program.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/06/25/how-to-create-a-new-campus-wide-data-strategy/

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Social Media Now Has a Past — Can We Learn from Our Mistakes?

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

Mary Grush, Campus Technology

Gardner Campbell, an associate professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University and a first-generation social media researcher asks, “Where did the choices get made, especially those that we didn’t know we were making at the time?” Campbell says if we can understand that, then maybe we can make better choices moving forward. Campbell wants to give the prospect of making better choices a chance in the realm of social media. In fact, he’s challenging his students in a brand-new course this coming fall to examine what they don’t yet know about social media and suggest new strategies to help us all make better decisions in the future.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/06/14/social-media-now-has-a-past-can-we-learn-from-our-mistakes.aspx

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UK students want tuition fees refunded as they face third year online

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

Rachel Hall, the Guardian

Students are facing a third successive year of online learning, after an Observer analysis suggested that most universities are planning to offer a mix of in-person seminars and online lectures when term begins again this autumn. It prompted fresh calls for students to be refunded at least part of the fees they are charged each year if they are mostly taught online. The exact blend of teaching will depend on social distancing rules and whether young people are double-vaccinated in time. “It’s just not fair to charge £9,250 a year for YouTube tutorials,” said Rhian Shillabeer, a second-year politics student who wrote an open letter to her university, Kent, signed by hundreds of students. Shillabeer, who was angered that all three years of her degree would be disrupted by the pandemic, called for universities to prioritise in-person learning.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jun/26/uk-students-want-tuition-fees-refunded-as-they-face-third-year-online

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July 3, 2021

11 Takeaways From the 2021 CHLOE Report

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

If you are worried that your deans, VPs, directors and various provost-type people may not have time to absorb all the data and analysis of CHLOE 6 fully, here are 11 big takeaways. (Note: the 69-page report does include an excellent two-page executive summary.) Takeaway No. 1: Higher education is more agile than most anyone had previously believed. The fact that more than 4,000 postsecondary institutions in the U.S. were able to nearly instantly pivot from residential to online instruction for roughly 20 million learners is truly astounding. Higher ed’s response to COVID has forever destroyed the popular idea that colleges and universities are incapable of agility and speed. Takeaway No. 2: The pandemic will accelerate online learning growth. Eighty percent of chief online officers anticipate that their schools will grow online enrollment over the next three to five years.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/learning-innovation/11-takeaways-2021-chloe-report

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Online learning has changed the way students work — we need to change definitions of ‘cheating’ too.

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

 

Deccan Herald

Recent reports of University of Auckland students allegedly cheating in online exams highlighted the potential for dishonesty in a trust-based system.  But the problem also highlights a tension between cultures: the increasingly online world of higher education, and the everyday world of students. This has made “cheating” in exams a more complex and evolving question than it once was.

https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/online-learning-has-changed-the-way-students-work-we-need-to-change-definitions-of-cheating-too-1000559.html

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