Women Now Lead Men in College Attainment - Inside Higher Ed

For the first time in the 75 years that the U.S. Census Bureau has tracked college attainment, women are more likely than men to have a bachelor's degree. The shift has been going on for years, but women took the lead in 2014. In that year, 30.2 percent of women aged 25 and older had a bachelor's degree, compared to 29.9 percent of men. When the Census Bureau started collecting this information in 1940, 5.5 percent of men and 3.8 percent of women had bachelor's degrees, which the bureau notes seems like a small gap, but which would have required a 45 percent increase in women's college attainment to achieve equity. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/10/14/women-now-lead-men-college-attainment

The Learning Paradigm in Online Courses - Rob Kelly, Faculty Focus

In their 1995 Change magazine article, “From Teaching to Learning—a New Paradigm for Undergraduate Education,” Robert B. Barr and John Tagg described the Learning Paradigm, which emphasizes learning over teaching and student discovery and construction of knowledge over transfer of knowledge from instructor to student. They wrote: “A paradigm shift is taking hold in American higher education. In its briefest form, the paradigm that has governed our colleges is this: A college is an institution that exists to provide instruction. Subtly but profoundly we are shifting to a new paradigm: A college is an institution that exists to produce learning. This shift changes everything. It is both needed and wanted.” The Learning Paradigm (as opposed to the Instruction Paradigm), emphasizes the students’ active role in learning and the purpose of that learning, which can be strong motivators for students. The challenge for instructors is to cede some control of learning to the students. http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/the-learning-paradigm-in-online-courses/

U Michigan Scales Up MOOC Mission - Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

The University of Michigan is expanding its MOOC presence. The institution, which was a founding partner in Coursera, will now be offering its massive, open, online courses on edX too, the first to begin in April 2016. The university also has ties to a third MOOC platform, NovoEd, which runs both educator and corporate operations. Under the edX agreement, U Michigan will launch "MichiganX," and promises to deliver "at least" 20 courses on the platform over the next two years. Three of the early ones will cover finance, learning analytics and data science ethics. The institution is also anteing up on Coursera at the same time, asserting that it will grow from 20 MOOCs on that platform to "more than 50" by December. http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/10/07/u-michigan-scales-up-mooc-missions.aspx

Online college: is it for you? - Seth Stutman, Mass Appeal

Why are college students taking courses online? What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages? College planning expert, Paul Hemphill told us more. "Taking courses online means taking a college course by sitting in front of your computer instead of sitting in a classroom. And the advantages of going online are… First, it’s convenient – you’re at home, you can role out of bed, get your cup of joe, and walk over to your computer. Second, you don’t have to take notes – hit the REPLAY button on your screen and you get what you need. Thirdly, you can pick and choose what course you want when you want to view it – very convenient, and lastly, you save time on travel and save money on gas and auto expenses. Just so you know, about a third of college students are taking online classes." http://wwlp.com/2015/10/06/online-college-is-it-for-you/

Can Online Education Help Refugees Earn Degrees? - Ellen Wexler, Chronicle of Higher Ed

When refugees want to enter higher education, they often lack the paperwork. But in the past few months, some online universities have been reaching out to those students, telling refugees that they don’t have to provide comprehensive records to enroll and offering free tuition. The University of the People, an online degree program based in the United States, is one of those institutions. Founded in 2009, the university charges students a $100 examination fee for each course as well as a one-time application fee. Last month the university announced that it would admit 500 Syrian refugees, including those without official transcripts and documentation. The refugees will be able to study either business administration or computer science, and those who cannot afford the examination and application fees may apply for scholarships. http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/can-online-education-help-refugees-earn-degrees/57456

Number of new college grads declines - Stefanie Botelho, University Business

In 2013-14, as a percentage of all undergraduate degree recipients, new college graduates fell from 75 percent in 2010-11 to 71 percent in 2013-14. The percentage of degree recipients who were stacking credentials, or earning additional undergraduate degrees on top of prior degrees or certificates, grew from 25 percent to 29 percent over this period. Cumulatively, U.S. institutions added over eight million new graduates to the stock of adults with an associate or bachelor’s degree during the four-year period covered in the report. The remaining three million degrees awarded all went to students earning a second or third college credential. Decline was concentrated among women. Over the four-year period, the count of new college graduates minted each year (associate and bachelor’s degrees combined) increased 2.2 percent for men, but decreased 0.4 percent for women. http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/number-new-college-grads-declines

'Revolution in Higher Education' - Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed

Richard DeMillo is Charlotte B. and Roger C. Warren Chair of Computing and director of the Center for 21st Century Universities at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He's authored a new book from MIT, Revolution in Higher Education: How a Small Band of Innovators Will Make College Accessible and Affordable. Middle-tier, public universities and small private colleges that subsist primarily on tuition are in deep, deep trouble. You can see this in declining applications and declining enrollments. Students, when given a choice, will choose what they think is quality. Price is a factor but is not really the critical factor. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/10/07/author-discusses-his-new-book-revolution-higher-education

Cheaper and Smarter: Blowing Up College With Nanodegrees - KEVIN MANEY, Newsweek

A company called Udacity, partnering with Google, shows us that we’ve been focused on the wrong disruption. The big change won’t be the digitization of college—it will be the unbundling of the college degree into discrete, focused chunks, which Udacity calls nanodegrees. In other words, technology will assault the college degree, not the experience of college, and that will make all the difference. Technology tends to unbundle stuff. Look how it’s unbundling television, or how it unbundled the music album. The college degree is a bundle that doesn’t work for everybody and creates unnatural market conditions, which is why college costs consistently rise faster than inflation. The next generation will be able to pull apart the college bundle the way people today are pulling the plug on cable. http://www.newsweek.com/college-nanodegrees-379542

Getting an education at bargain basement price? Two colleges say yes - Trent Gillies, CNBC

Bucking the trend of annual tuition increases, two small private liberal arts colleges are actually cutting tuition next year — by more than 40 percent. Utica College in New York and Rosemont College in Pennsylvania are calling it a "tuition reset," and attempting to show that good education and affordability aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Starting next fall, Utica is cutting tuition from about $34,000 this year, to just under $20,000. Meanwhile, Rosemont is dropping its tuition from the current $33,000 to $18,500 next year. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/09/getting-an-education-at-bargain-basement-price-two-colleges-say-yes.html

Humanities Majors' Salaries - Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences -- an advocate for the humanities and general education -- is releasing a series of studies on the employability and earnings of those who majored in the humanities. The studies don’t contest that those who earn bachelor’s degrees earn less, on average, than those who major in other fields.Among the key findings: In 2013, the median annual salary for humanities majors in the workforce was about $50,000 for those who held only a bachelor’s degree, and $71,000 for those who went on to earn an advanced degree in any field. The median salary levels for humanities majors (with and without graduate degrees) was about $7,000 lower than those with similar degree attainment, but well above the $42,000 average for all American workers. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/10/05/new-data-what-humanities-majors-earn

Farewell to America’s Small Colleges - Alia Wong, the Atlantic

Unfortunately, Sweet Briar’s future—along with that of similar higher-education institutions across the country—doesn’t look too sweet. According to a recent report by Moody’s Investor Service, the United States could see as many as 15 colleges shuttered annually by 2017 (while many less-unlucky colleges are expected to merge.) That’s triple the closure rate typical over the last decade, which saw an average of five colleges close annually. “Sweet Briar probably will not be the last to flirt with closure,” reported Fortune magazine last month, noting that Moody’s had ranked three dozen colleges’ bonds as either junk, on the cusp of junk status, or “low investment grade.” Overall, these trends help illustrate how U.S. higher education is evolving. They’re also a testament to young Americans’ ever-changing postsecondary preferences and priorities. http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/demise-of-small-private-colleges/408592/

Online university offers refugees chance to study for free - ASTRID ZWEYNERT, Reuters

Kiron University, named after the centaur Chiron, known in Greek mythology for nurturing others in times of need, was founded last year by a group of students in Berlin. "A lack of resources, legal documents and language skills all combine to make it very hard for refugees to get back into education," said Kiron co-founder Odai Al Hashmi, a Syrian who fled to Germany via Turkey in 2013. To join Kiron University, applicants have to present only a document confirming their refugee status or a certificate stating that they have started applying for it. Kiron has designed a three-year program and partnered with top universities such as Harvard, Stanford and Yale in the United States, which already offer accredited online degree courses. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/01/us-germany-refugees-university-idUSKCN0RV4E320151001

5 Tips for Handling Grading in Large Online Classes - Anastasia Salter, Chronicle of Higher Ed

I’ve been chronicling my experiences this semester adapting my approach to teaching from my previous experience with small courses to a new challenge of large-scale classes, and particularly to the needs of a large online course. The most overwhelming aspect for me so far has been the challenge of grading and providing meaningful feedback. This is unsurprising, given grading has been one of our most debated subjects here at ProfHacker. Taking grading to new scales has definitely required me to rethink my teaching and methods. http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/5-tips-for-handling-grading-in-large-online-classes/61131

Discover the Weekly Number of Hours Online Students Study - Joe Chapman, US News

Year after year, one of the most common pieces of feedback I receive from students who are new to our online degree program is that they are surprised by the amount of time it takes to succeed in their online courses. Common misconceptions of online degree programs are that they are easy to complete or take less time than traditional college classes. However, I'm here to tell you that is not the case. Though Arizona State University's online programs, called ASU Online, our undergrad and graduate courses are structured in seven and a half week sessions rather than 14-week semesters. For one session, a student should expect to spend six hours a week on course work for every course credit. http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/2015/10/02/discover-the-weekly-number-of-hours-online-students-study

EdX Overtakes Coursera in Number of Ivy League Partners - C. RAMSEY FAHS, Harvard Crimson

With the addition of Princeton to its list of partners, edX, the non-profit MOOC provider that Harvard and MIT founded in 2012, now has more Ivy League partners than its largest for-profit competitor, Coursera. Princeton’s decision, announced on Sept. 24, comes just three months after the University of Pennsylvania joined edX with the intention of publishing three courses on the virtual education platform. Both schools were among Coursera’s first four partner universities and will continue to publish courses on Coursera’s platform as well. With the creation of PrincetonX and PennX, edX now has six Ivy League partner’s to Coursera’s five. Princeton, Penn, and Columbia publish courses to both platforms. Today, Coursera lists over 133 total partner organizations on its website, while edX lists 82. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2015/10/2/edx-ivy-league-coursera/

Statistics grads still on the rise, but not quickly enough - Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows explosive growth in the number of statistics grads since the 1990s, but experts still don’t think the increase will meet the demand in the economy in coming years. Colleges and universities are launching new programs and expanding statistics offerings, including Brigham Young University, as well as the Universities of Michigan and California-Irvine, both of which have new data science degree programs. According to eCampus News, statisticians don’t always get along with those in other fields who work on big data, and few even agree on what data science encompasses, but the ASA has called for collaboration to meet the national demand. http://www.educationdive.com/news/statistics-grads-still-on-the-rise-but-not-quickly-enough/406665/

Perkins Loan Program dies as Alexander blocks funding bill - Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

The Federal Perkins Loan Program died Wednesday when Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) prevented a one-year extension bill from making it out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports the program was the federal government’s oldest student loan program, providing $36 billion in aid to 30 million low-income students since its creation in 1958. The House of Representatives approved a one-year extension for the program on Monday as an attempt to keep the program going until Congress can reauthorize the Higher Education Act, but the Senate could not achieve the same. http://www.educationdive.com/news/perkins-loan-program-dies-as-alexander-blocks-funding-bill/406660/

College Credit for a Boot Camp - Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed

Students at Lynn University soon will be able to earn 15 credits by completing a 16-week academic program in technology design at a distant campus of General Assembly, the largest of the coding boot camps. The partnership between the private university, in Boca Raton, Fla., and the upstart, nonaccredited General Assembly will offer Lynn's students an immersive form of study abroad, university officials said. “The curriculum is designed for university students to supplement the education they receive in school with industry-specific skills,” the university said in a written statement. “The new arrangement with Lynn allows students to pair a strong liberal arts foundation with just-in-time job skills.” https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/10/09/lynn-university-and-general-assembly-team-credit-bearing-study-abroad

ASU, Coursera to offer online courses for Latin American, US Hispanic students - Arizona State University

Arizona State University and Coursera announced Tuesday that they will offer open online professional-development courses targeted towards Hispanic audiences in Latin America and the U.S. that will help students succeed in the global economy. Through this partnership with Coursera, ASU becomes the first university in the United States to offer online courses tailored to the needs of Latin America and the Hispanic community. The announcement underscores why U.S News and World Report named ASU the most innovative school in the nation. “ASU continues to develop new ways to provide students a path to learning that fits their life balance,” said Mark Searle, interim provost at ASU. “Yesterday’s announcement also reflects our efforts to prepare students for an increasingly interconnected global economy.” https://asunews.asu.edu/20150930-asu-coursera-spanish-courses

Point-Counterpoint: Online classes are perfect for independent students - Kelly Wynne, College of DuPage Courier

Online learning allows me to take my education into my own hands. I know that if I don’t understand the material I cannot blame it on a teacher. I have to blame it on my own lack of attention and lack of care. Because of this, I have been nothing but successful in an online classroom. I don’t think there is an accurate way to measure the effectiveness of an online class, simply because every person learns differently. For someone like me who pays more attention when I am in control, these classes give me a true sense of freedom and responsibility. Someone who learns better in a classroom setting may find himself or herself failing to stay on top of assignments without constant reminders and a physical representation of a teacher who can answer questions on the spot. The only way to accurately measure your ability to flourish in an online learning environment is to try it for yourself. http://codcourier.org/3012/opinion/point-counterpoint-online-classes-are-perfect-for-independent-students/

Digital Learning Fosters Gen-Y Of Rural India - Aakash Chaudrhy, Business World

The introduction of digital education in rural India came with its own set of infrastructural issues. The erratic electricity supply and lack of access to educational facilities made the penetration of technology-based education tough. The incursion of cable television eventually changed the prevalent indolent way of thinking. The rural population is now welcoming the idea of using mobile devices and is equally comfortable in handling technology devices. Online learning or Live Virtual Classrooms (LVC) has paved the way for modern education in rural India. Moreover, the integration of technologies such as Cloud, Data Centers & Virtualization into the education industry is making information available to the students from far-flung areas in just one click. http://www.businessworld.in/education-institutions/digital-learning-fosters-gen-y-rural-india

Micro-Master's Degree: MIT's New Model - Carl Straumsheim, Inside Higher Ed

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology will next year launch the first of what could be several pilots to determine if pieces of what it has provided face-to-face can be delivered through massive open online courses. The institute on Wednesday announced an alternative path for students to enroll in its supply chain management program and earn a master’s of engineering in logistics degree. Instead of students being required to move to Cambridge, Mass., for the duration of the 10-month program, MIT will offer half of the program through MOOCs, saving students tens of thousands of dollars in tuition. Learners who complete the MOOCs but can’t afford or simply aren’t interested in finishing the degree won’t walk away empty-handed. MIT will offer those learners a new microcredential, called a MicroMaster’s, and is working with other organizations that offer supply chain management programs to ensure they will accept the credential toward degree completion. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/10/08/massachusetts-institute-technology-launch-half-mooc-half-person-masters-degree

Coursera, Udacity And The Future of Credentials - Ryan Craig, Forbes

Two high-profile companies are pursuing a badge-based future: Coursera and Udacity. Both began their lives as providers of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). While some figured out quickly that there was no business model to support credential-less online learning, it took the companies a bit longer. Udacity pivoted first in 2013, announcing “Nanodegrees” developed in partnership with leading technology companies (“built by industry”). The thinking being that Google’s involvement in the Android Developer Nanodegree improves the curriculum; the Google brand doesn’t hurt either. Udacity has done the same with iOS (Apple), Tech Entrepreneur (Google) and its other programs (by a committee of leading technology lights). For its part, Coursera is betting on content and brands from top universities. Coursera launched its “Specializations” in 2014 and now offers 75 different programs, the vast majority from a single university. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryancraig/2015/09/30/coursera-udacity-and-the-future-of-credentials/

Worldwide Demand for English Education: Can online learning rise to the challenge? - Charles McIntyre, EdTech

Two billion students will be learning English over the next decade, 80% of global companies say English is needed to succeed in their business and 55% of all websites are written in English. The English language is pervasive and the teaching of English is big business. Expenditure on English language learning is growing at twice the rate of spend on education more generally and by 2018 we expect global expenditure on English language learning to exceed $80bn, almost 4x more than the total spend on all the other languages put together. The challenge is how to deliver English language learning in an effective way. Language learning is a sophisticated skill that requires high levels of engagement and ideally a fully immersive experience. For example, it is not easy to replicate the outside world of multiple accents, different speeds of delivery and a wide range of vocabulary in a classroom. http://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/can-online-learning-rise-to-the-challenge

4 ways MOOCs are changing professional development - Sharon Florentine, CIO

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer an incredible value for enterprises looking to increase skills and knowledge within their workforce. What began in the realm of academia has evolved into a powerful platform for enterprise training, continuing education and professional development. The IT industry evolves at a break-neck pace, and organizations that aren't committed to ongoing learning and education are at a distinct competitive disadvantage. But spending thousands -- even millions - to send IT workers to lengthy training classes or even back to college for additional degrees just isn't cost-effective or practical. "MOOCs and online learning are addressing three of the biggest obstacles to learning in the enterprise: the cost, inevitable technology obsolescence and accessibility," says Ryan Corey, co-founder of online enterprise learning platform Cybrary. http://www.cio.com/article/2986306/it-skills-training/4-ways-moocs-are-changing-professional-development.html

How to Kick Off Blended Learning (Hint: It’s Not Just About Tech) - Elena Sanina Freddy Esparza, Mark Montero, EdSurge

“Quantity of devices and well-developed adaptive software is the key to a successful blended learning implementation,” said no one ever! What is key? Teacher appetite and readiness to rethink what is possible. Over the last four years, Aspire Public Schools has rolled out blended learning classrooms in 23 of its 38 schools in California and Tennessee. Along the way, we've learned some hard lessons about converting whole schools to station rotation blended learning models in short periods of time. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-09-28-how-to-kick-off-blended-learning-hint-it-s-not-just-about-tech

New Orleans universities gradually embrace online courses - Jed Lipinski, The Times-Picayune

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, most colleges in New Orleans provided few if any online courses. But the widespread displacement that followed the storm forced many local schools to find ways of allowing students to continue their education remotely. In the 10 years since the storm, online learning in higher education has gone from a fringe concept to one many New Orleans colleges and universities see as an integral part of their institution's future. http://www.nola.com/futureofneworleans/2015/09/new_orleans_universities_gradu.html

Coursera Expands To Latin America In Big Ways - Brian Rashid, Forbes

Fifteen million people have made a choice. They chose to learn and grow and expand and advance. They sat in their apartments in New York City or their flats in London or their huts in Colombia. They came to learn from the four corners of the world. They opened their computer screens or turned on their mobile devices. These 15 million people had two things in common. They used Coursera. Their lives improved. As of today, Coursera launched more than 100 new courses in Spanish from the some of the best Universities across Latin America. That is 10 times the amount of courses previously on the platform. They also have 60 courses that have been subtitled or fully translated in Spanish. A majority of these offerings are career-focused courses like business english, IOS development, data analytics, green marketing, and entrepreneurship. Oh, and the mobile app is now also available in Spanish, making it easier for its users to navigate. http://www.forbes.com/sites/brianrashid/2015/09/29/coursera-expands-to-latin-america-in-big-ways/

Digital badges hit the big time in higher ed - Matt ZalaznickUniversity Business

More institutions now offer digital badges as a form of micro-credential or “subdegree” to students who pass individual courses or certifications, and want to show potential employers what they’ve learned. Badges, which can be posted to LinkedIn profiles and in digital portfolios, link to detailed information about the course taken, skills taught and assessments passed. Today’s professionals are more likely than were previous generations to return to higher education—perhaps more than once, says David Schejbal, dean of continuing education at University of Wisconsin-Extension. “The vision is to create a structure of alternative credentials that students could acquire relatively quickly and inexpensively that will also be immediately useful from an employment perspective.” http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/digital-badges-hit-big-time-higher-ed

Virtual student unions provide communities for online learners - Kurt Eisele-Dyrli, University Business

Fulfilling a connection need: Troy University’s Trojan Cafe (left) has had more than 19,000 users in the past year, and Northern Virginia Community College’s virtual student union (right), still in expansion mode, has had about 500 users so far. For all the advantages of online learning—flexibility, personalization and affordability among them—there can be downsides for some students. Traditional, on-campus students can take advantage of a wide variety of social and extracurricular opportunities, but online students may feel isolated and disconnected from their peers and from their college or university—and risk losing the engagement so crucial to student success. Linked below are reports from three higher ed institutions in various stages of addressing these issues via a virtual student union. http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/keeping-remote-college-students-connected

NCES data: Most college students are 'nontraditional' - Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics shows the vast majority of undergraduates are now classified as nontraditional, whether because they have dependents, are a single caregiver, delayed postsecondary enrollment, do not have a traditional high school diploma, are employed full-time, attend school part-time, or are independent of their parents for financial aid reasons. According to eCampus News, 74% of all undergrads in 2011-12 had at least one nontraditional characteristic and about one-third had two or three. The more such characteristics a student possesses, the more likely they are to take fully-online programs, with 12.4% of students with four or more characteristics were enrolled in online programs. http://www.educationdive.com/news/nces-data-most-college-students-are-nontraditional/406422/

US Dept of Ed Inspector General Issues Critical Audit on CBE Review Process - Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General has issued a critical audit on the review process that the Higher Learning Commission, the largest regional accreditor, undertook while considering colleges’ proposals for new competency-based credentials. The audit builds on similar concerns the inspector general raised last year. “We recommend that the assistant secretary require the Higher Learning Commission to reevaluate competency-based education programs previously proposed by schools to determine whether interaction between faculty and students will be regular and substantive,” the report said, “and, if not, determine whether the programs should have been classified as correspondence programs.” It could have a chilling effect on competency-based education's growth, said experts and advocates for such programs. A spokesman for the Higher Learning Commission said the accreditor respects the work of the inspector general, and is working to respond to the audit. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/10/05/us-inspector-general-criticizes-accreditor-over-competency-based-education

'A Cat is Not a Dog' and Other Advice for Blended Learning Teachers - Audrey Mullen, EdSurge

We asked San Jose high school sophomore Audrey Mullen to share how she and her peers actually use various edtech tools and how they really feel about their teachers’ blended learning approaches. The result is a straight-from-the-source playbook that no blend ed teacher--or entrepreneur--will want to skip. And don’t miss Audrey’s list of four "tools that save my life," below. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-09-25-a-cat-is-not-a-dog-and-other-advice-for-blended-learning-teachers

Is Your Learning Introvert-Friendly? Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, CIO

Make sure development suits introverted employees — they have more influence than their quiet dispositions might suggest. Imagine this scenario: For the fifth time that morning, the management training facilitator asked if there were any questions. The roomful of mostly introverted engineers fell silent. Rather than engage people in small groups or ask them to write down their ideas, she continued to run her class the way she had always done — geared toward extroverts. The result? The quieter folks in the room weren’t heard, nor were they engaged with the material. The extroverts who might have benefited with their questions and contributions also lost out. Learning methods are often not created with introverts in mind, but they should be. http://www.clomedia.com/articles/6498-is-your-learning-introvert-friendly

Innovative humanities MOOC, “Visualizing Japan,” nominated for the Japan Prize - MIT

Shigeru Miyagawa, professor of linguistics and the Kochi-Manjiro Professor of Japanese Language and Culture at MIT, has earned a reputation as a leading voice for the use of technology and digital innovation in education. Since the earliest days of the Web, he has worked to realize its potential as a tool for teaching and learning, and he was a member of the faculty committee that recommended the creation of MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) in 2001. He has continued to advocate for the open sharing of educational materials, for which he was honored with the 2012 President's Award for OpenCourseWare Excellence. Most recently, “Visualizing Japan” — a massive open online course (MOOC) inspired by “Visualizing Cultures,” co-taught by Miyagawa, Dower, Harvard University historian Andrew Gordon, and Duke University art historian Gennifer Weisenfeld — has been nominated for the Japan Prize in Education Media. This is a prestigious international prize awarded to educational broadcast and digital media programs selected from around the world. http://news.mit.edu/2015/visualizing-japan-mooc-nominated-for-japan-prize-0925

U of Toronto courses adopt the inverted classroom - Joshua Grondin, THE VARSITY

In an age of technology and readily available information, course instructors are experimenting with the inverted classroom teaching format. Gaining popularity among academic institutions around the world, the inverted classroom model requires students to cover lecture material at home through online lecture videos, learning modules, and supplementary readings. During scheduled class hours, students then have the opportunity to actively engage with their professor to gain further understanding of the material. The purpose of this alternative approach is to give students the opportunity to improve their skills in a more interactive environment. http://thevarsity.ca/2015/09/21/u-of-t-courses-adopt-the-inverted-classroom/

Princeton faculty to begin offering courses on edX online platform - Michael Hotchkiss, Princeton University

Princeton University continues to broaden its online teaching and learning efforts and has become a charter member of the edX Consortium. As a result, millions of learners will have the opportunity to take free classes offered by Princeton faculty on the edX online platform. The first course taught by a Princeton faculty member on edX is scheduled to begin in October. Jennifer Widner, a professor of politics and international affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, will lead the course "Making Government Work in Hard Places." http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S44/30/40Q82/index.xml

Why My Kids Finished Their MOOC—When Most Adults Don’t - Alex Hernandez, EdSurge

My 9-year-old twins recently completed a five-week MOOC (massive open online course). I thought I’d be a proud, high-fiving dad, but MOOC completion rates hover around 6%, so when they completed the MOOC, I was mostly puzzled. Something went terribly… right. Brain Chase is an online learning experience geared for 2nd to 8th graders designed to cure summer learning loss and provide afterschool enrichment. Each week, children work on a variety of online programs such as Khan Academy, myOn and Rosetta Stone, submit a piece of writing and read--a substantial investment of 5 hours a week during the summer. Brain Chase takes a standard set of online learning programs like Khan Academy and Rosetta Stone and layers a Hollywood-like treasure hunt--reminiscent of the National Treasure or Indiana Jones movies--over the top. Once kids meet their weekly goals, a video is unlocked which reveals clues to find a buried treasure. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-09-21-why-my-kids-finished-their-mooc-when-most-adults-don-t

Scenario-Based Learning in the Online Classroom - Rob Kelly, Faculty Focus

Scenario-based learning can be an effective way for students to apply what they have learned to realistic situations. There are many different ways to design scenarios for online delivery, from text-based case studies to interactive, immersive simulations. Regardless of the resources that you have available, there are effective ways to put students in scenarios that contribute to their learning. In an interview with Online Classroom, Claudia Howery, elearning instructional coordinator at Delta College, explained the basic principles of scenario-based learning and offered advice on how to implement it an online course. http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/scenario-based-learning-in-the-online-classroom/

3 Things the Military Community Should Know About Online Learning - Darwin Green, US News

With online learning, military students don't have to worry about whether moving will interfere with their studies. It was the winter of 2012, and my wife and I were waiting to hear the location of her next military post. I wanted to enroll in college because I needed to start a career I could use wherever we ended up. We got the orders for Nebraska one month prior to moving. Several weeks after we arrived, I started taking online classes at Pennsylvania State University—World Campus, where I'm now in my last semester of earning an online degree in psychology. Based on my experience, here are three things people from the military community should know about online learning. http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/2015/09/25/3-things-the-military-community-should-know-about-online-learning

Brits using online learning to boost career prospects - B Daily

Jobs today are changing faster than ever - too fast for the traditional education system to keep up and adequately train the next workforce. The majority of Udemy courses taken (75%) are work related as people look to move their careers forward, either in traditional workplaces or by building their own businesses. The report identifies the changing face of learning. Twelve of the top 20 most popular courses would not have been heard of a decade ago. As technology moves at such a fast pace, skills such as web and app development are now paramount to British businesses, but not universally taught in traditional education. People need to keep their skills up to date and in order to stay relevant, they have to keep learning long after they leave school. https://bdaily.co.uk/entrepreneurship/25-09-2015/brits-using-online-learning-to-boost-career-prospects/

Cornell partners with Fortune for online business education program - Claire Zillman, Fortune

Together, the Ivy League’s online learning group and the magazine are offering courses in business strategy. The online education market got another player on Wednesday when Cornell University’s online learning group, eCornell, and Fortune announced the launch of an online business education program. The program titled “Mastering 21st Century Business Strategy” consists of six courses, each of which takes five to seven hours to complete. Participants who complete all six classes, which will cover topics like strategic positioning in markets and mergers and acquisitions strategy, will receive a certificate in business strategy from Cornell. Professor Justin Johnson of Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management designed the program, which will feature videos from several Fortune journalists. http://fortune.com/2015/09/23/cornell-fortune-education-program/

Online course brings legendary Professor George Mosse to a new audience - the University of Wisconsin

George Mosse was one of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's iconic professors: a pioneering historian with a gift for connecting the past to the present. Mosse was an authority on Nazism who himself fled the Nazi regime, writing influential works on fascism like "The Crisis of German Ideology" and "The Nationalization of the Masses." Students flocked to his UW classes from 1955 until his retirement in 1987, drawn by his charismatic style and his insights into European cultural history. Mosse died in 1999, but a unique online course from UW-Madison's Division of Continuing Studies is bringing his lectures to a new audience. From Oct. 5-31, What History Tells plans to recreate the exhilarating experience of sitting in Mosse's classroom. http://news.wisc.edu/24034

Hootsuite Launches Online Learning Portal for Classes on Social Media - Erika Morphy, CMS Wire

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Hootsuite debuted an online learning portal called Podium this week that’s devoted to classes on (what else?) social media. There’s no charge for the classes and a quick preview suggests they are worth the time invested in watching them — especially since they are free, outside of a $200 fee for people who want to be certified. http://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/hootsuite-gets-stickier-with-free-online-classes/

Bipartisan Bill Creates Pilot Program for Alternative Accreditation Process - Senator Michael Bennet

U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today introduced a bill to create a voluntary, alternative system of accreditation for American colleges and universities as well as other providers of higher education. The Higher Education Innovation Act creates a new authorization pathway for accessing federal financial aid, such as Pell grants. Innovative schools that offer a high-quality education and have a proven track record of successfully helping students graduate, obtain jobs, and pay back their student loans could participate in this metrics-based authorization process in place of the burdensome input-focused accreditation process. The bill would also allow higher education providers that currently are ineligible to receive federal student aid to access federal financial aid if they demonstrate high student outcomes, including student learning, completion, and return on investment. http://www.bennet.senate.gov/?p=release&id=3468

Congress Lets Perkins Loan Program Lapse - Inside Higher Ed

The U.S. Senate failed to take action on a last-ditch effort to renew the federal Perkins Loan Program, letting the program lapse. Both houses of Congress needed to pass legislation renewing the program by Sept. 30, the last day of the 2015 fiscal year, and the House of Representatives did so on Tuesday. But at the urging of Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Senate Republican argued for the program's elimination. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/10/01/congress-lets-perkins-loan-program-lapse

Higher ed data security an ongoing process, not a problem to be solved - Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

Higher education institutions won’t ever get to a point where they can stop worrying about protecting data, so the best strategy is to prepare for continual training and review. Campus Technology reports that there are clear behaviors to stay away from, including treating security as an IT problem exclusively and using the same training for everyone across the institution. Michigan Tech follows the TARR system — training, auditing, reviewing, and remediating based on a mandatory survey for every staff member at the university dealing with any kind of personal information. http://www.educationdive.com/news/higher-ed-data-security-an-ongoing-process-not-a-problem-to-be-solved/406231/

Data Security in Higher Ed: A Moving Target - Michael Hart, Campus Technology

How do you make sure everybody with access to information on your campus knows what they have and how to keep it secure — in an ever-changing landscape of behaviors and risks? So, are you worried about the teaching assistant in the basement of the chemistry building selling beakers to students to use in their labs? How about the system the popular pizza place across the street from campus is using to process credit card transactions? Probably not — but you should be. It's likely those activities, and more just like them, would fly way below the radar at most institutions of higher education. However, they can make your school just as vulnerable as any information gap you might find in the admissions office. http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/09/24/data-security-in-higher-ed-a-moving-target.aspx

Academic Social Network Hopes to Change the Culture of Peer Review - Jeffrey R. Young, Chronicle of Higher Ed

An academic social network has added a tool it hopes will shake up the system of peer review. The network is called Academia.edu, and it has grown to more than 25 million registered participants, who use it mainly to post their published papers in order to help others find them (and, it’s hoped, cite them). The site’s new tool, called Sessions, lets researchers post papers that are still in progress, and invite colleagues to comment on them so the papers can be improved before being submitted to peer-reviewed journals. Richard Price, chief executive of Academia.edu, says the intention is to recreate online what happens at academic conferences, where scholars present new research and face questions and critiques from peers in the field. http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/academic-social-network-hopes-to-change-the-culture-of-peer-review/57419