EDUCAUSE to lead Next Gen Learning Challenges
A philanthropic initiative to improve college readiness and completion
EDUCAUSE will lead a new effort funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation called the Next Gen Learning Challenges, an effort to identify and scale technology-enabled approaches that dramatically improve college readiness and completion, particularly for low-income young adults. The program will provide grants, build evidence, and develop an active community committed to addressing these persistent educational challenges. In preparation for the formal grant program we ask you to share your knowledge and to comment on key questions before the program is finalized. EDUCAUSE members are experienced in leveraging all facets of IT to help students achieve the academic success that is crucial to their future. We hope you will share your expertise and perspectives.
The first four challenges NGLC will solicit grant proposals for are:
- Deploying open core courseware
- Deepening learner engagement through interactive, online technologies
- Scaling blended learning
- Mobilizing learning analytics
Get Engaged
Over the next several weeks, we hope you will join the conversation on these challenges. We invite you to:
- Visit the Next Gen Learning Challenges website to learn about college readiness and completion in the United States
- Contribute research, resources, and perspectives on the four challenges
- Engage in discussion forums targeting key questions
The Challenge
Only half of high school graduates leave school prepared to succeed in college. For those who do enroll in postsecondary education, a little over half of them will actually earn a degree. Positions requiring postsecondary education or training will make up 64 percent of all job openings by 2018. Today it is virtually impossible to reach the middle class, and stay there, with only a high school diploma. By age 30, fewer than half of all Americans have earned a college degree. America must improve college readiness and completion—our society and our economy depend on it. Technology can be a key tool for making learning more flexible, engaging, and affordable— important elements in helping today’s high school and college students achieve academic success.
The Community’s Role
EDUCAUSE is well-suited to lead this challenge due to our community’s unique role in, and the association’s long-standing commitment to, advancing higher education through the application of information technology. Because the program encompasses high school as well as two-year and four-year institutions, EDUCAUSE will partner with the League for Innovation in the Community College, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, and the Council of Chief State School Officers; these organizations will provide specific outreach to the institutions they serve. We are pleased to add this important initiative to the existing EDUCAUSE portfolio. The innovations, evidence, and community created by this venture will enrich current member programs and services. The Next Gen Learning Challenges are another opportunity for EDUCAUSE to exemplify uncommon thinking for the common good.
For more information, visit the EDUCAUSE website at http://www.educause.edu/nglc or the Next Gen Learning Challenges website at www.nextgenlearning.com.