higher education

Impatient for workers, businesses help students take college shortcuts — from hechingerreport.org by Lilah Burke
Employers and states are adding faster-paced skills training for people who want to forgo college

Excerpt:

It’s part of an accelerating movement of noncredit, short-term training programs, not just in technology, but in many fields for which students are impatient for jobs and employers for workers who want to leapfrog their way to careers — and do it without necessarily spending the years and money it takes to earn a university degree.

These are among the ways “employers are creating the solutions they need in order to deal with their talent demands,” said Bridgette Gray, chief customer officer at Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit that encourages employers to hire more people without degrees.

Now some companies, motivated by a mix of corporate social responsibility and the need for talent, are edging toward a new model in which they create their own, or hire from other, training programs.

2U announces layoffs and new approach to tuition-share agreements [Schwartz]

On 07/30/2022, in business side of he, change, changing business models, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, higher education, learning ecosystem, new business models, online learning, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

2U announces layoffs and new approach to tuition-share agreements — from highereddive.com by Natalie Schwartz
The online program manager expects the restructuring will lead to about $70 million in annual cost savings.

Excerpt:

2U announced across-the-board layoffs and changes to its business strategy on Thursday, as it reorients the company around edX, a prominent MOOC platform it acquired last year.
…
2U officials announced the company is updating this part of the business model, saying it will offer tuition-share agreements starting at 35% of a program’s revenue — with higher rates available to colleges that want more services.

The workforce is changing. Can community colleges change with it? [Burke]

On 07/30/2022, in 21st century, adult learning, career development, communities of practice, community colleges, funding / grants, higher education, reinvent, research, skills, society, staying relevant, surviving, United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The workforce is changing. Can community colleges change with it? — from workshift.opencampusmedia.org by Bylilah Burke; with thanks to Dr. Paul Czarapata for this resource
Advocates and researchers in education are asking if two-year institutions might transform to reach a fuller potential—serving as community hubs for social and economic mobility.

Excerpt:

Increasingly, they’re also the place students like Plunkett turn to when they find themselves at a dead end in their career and need to retool. And advocates and researchers in education are asking if these institutions might transform to reach a fuller potential—serving as community hubs for social and economic mobility.

That’s certainly the future envisioned by groups like Achieving the Dream, a leader in the student success movement. Karen Stout, president and CEO of the organization, has said that means colleges must take a more active role in bringing career-aligned education and reskilling opportunities—whether their own programs or those developed by industry—to the community.

“In the past, community colleges were lifelong-learning institutions,” Stout told Work Shift earlier this year. “Now we must become lifelong career-matching institutions—a source of upskilling, a rational pathway to career development that weaves together opportunities for students to move in and out of work and school that is designed to progressively lead to a career in a particular field.”

It’s a tall order, as the American workforce from Alabama to Wyoming is set to change drastically over the next few decades. Can community colleges rise to the occasion? Some already are.

Also from workshift.opencampusmedia.org, see:

A series of high-profile researchers and commentators this past week put the U.S. financial aid system under the microscope—looking at whether it reduces or perpetuates inequality. @kevincarey1, @dynarski, @linzcpage, @jscottclayton, Art Hauptmanhttps://t.co/YBhzEC3p3D

— workshiftnews (@workshiftnews) July 28, 2022

4 Institutional Effectiveness Indicators to Watch [Neill]

On 07/29/2022, in business side of he, colleges, community colleges, funding / grants, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, organizational change, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

4 Institutional Effectiveness Indicators to Watch — from campustechnology.com by Jack Neill
Is your college or university on track to achieve its strategic goals? Taking the pulse of these four areas can identify problems that need attention or successes moving the institution forward.

Future-proofing higher ed means knowing what’s coming and not waiting to enact a plan. In terms of what’s coming, we know advancements in technology, changing accreditation requirements, student demand, and employer-led education and job training (to name a few examples) are quickly changing the nature of how we learn and how we work. When it comes to future planning, embracing the new era of Institutional Effectiveness is the way forward.

Excerpt:

Like many things in life, Institutional Effectiveness is easier to define than it is to implement. But now we can’t deny the urgency for institutions to get these next steps right when it comes to executing their short-term and long-term strategic plans. Institutional change can take a long time, and while a holistic approach is encouraged, it’s usually not feasible (or recommended) to try to tackle everything all at once. Therefore, it’s important to recognize which areas require immediate attention in order to successfully steer the college or university in the right direction.

Here are four key indicators to watch, and how to determine if your institution is on the right track:

Online education’s reputation jumps, survey says [Seltzer]

On 07/29/2022, in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, education technology, faculty/staff, higher education, online learning, teaching & learning, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

Online education’s reputation jumps, survey says — from highereddive.com by Rick Seltzer

Excerpt from “Dive Brief:”

Almost half of adults in the U.S., 47%, think online education is of roughly the same quality as in-person instruction, increasing sharply from about a third who said the same last year, according to survey data released Tuesday by left-leaning think tank New America.
But four out of five respondents said online education should cost less than in-person instruction, the survey found. More generally, people are almost evenly divided over whether students can get affordable, high-quality education after high school.

10 cybersecurity best practices for your business [bdo.com]

On 07/27/2022, in business, corporate / business world, higher education, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, platforms, privacy, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, trends, United States, universities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

10 cybersecurity best practices for your business — from bdo.com; with thanks to Mr. Michael Haan for this resource out on LinkedIn

Excerpt:

According to a study by N-able, managed service providers (MSPs) report that 82% of their customers have seen an increase in attempted cyberattacks since the pandemic. Even MSPs themselves are a target for cybercriminals, which can have wide-reaching impacts on their customers and network of resources if breached. As threats become more prevalent it’s imperative that organizations not only implement cybersecurity best practices, but that they work with strategic advisors who value the same practices.

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency released a report detailing how managed service providers and their customers should be protecting against cyber threats. Below you will find a summary of the report as well as BDO Digital’s recommendations for keeping your company safeguarded against threats.
Here are ten cybersecurity best practices that should be top of mind for your organization.

Americans’ Confidence in Higher Ed Drops Sharply [Fischer]

On 07/27/2022, in career development, change, colleges, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, leadership, learning ecosystem, trends, United States, universities, user experience (UX), by Daniel Christian

Americans’ Confidence in Higher Ed Drops Sharply — from chronicle.com by Karin Fischer

Excerpt:

Public confidence in higher education’s ability to lead America in a positive direction has sunk steeply in recent years, falling 14 percentage points just since 2020.

Two years ago, more than two-thirds of Americans said colleges were having a positive effect on the country, according to a survey conducted by New America. In the most recent version of the survey, released Tuesday, barely half agreed.

.

Another resource from Goldie Blumenstyk from The Chronicle (emphasis DSC):

I’m Goldie Blumenstyk, a senior writer at The Chronicle covering innovation in and around higher ed. This week I report some early details on how a new $800-million nonprofit is shaping its strategy to improve online learning. I also share some thoughts on how colleges should treat climate change and some hopeful signs in recent public-opinion polling on higher ed.
.
Hey, can you do me a favor? If you know others who might also enjoy The Edge, please share this sign-up link with them so they can get it free in their inbox every week, too.

10 Arguments for Inciting Learning — from insidehighered.com by Cathy N. Davidson and Christina Katopodis
Active learning has been clearly shown to be more effective than traditional modes, write Cathy N. Davidson and Christina Katopodis, who outline its many merits to those who continue to resist it.

Excerpts:

So what can we do to convince more instructors to actually support and use active learning? Over the past several years, we’ve been researching and interviewing faculty members around the world for our upcoming book on teaching and learning, The New College Classroom. And a number of those faculty have asked us how they can best explain the merits of active learning to colleagues and administrators—and even to students and their parents— who continue to be resistant to it. Here are 10 principles, or convincing arguments, that we’ve shared with them.

“Nothing will change until faculty incentives do.
Until we change our academic reward structures for hiring and promotion, faculty members have no reason to take valuable time out from writing monographs or refereed papers to rethink their role in the classroom. We cannot incite students to learn without inciting—and incentivizing—their instructors first so they will invest in understanding and applying active learning. We’ve already made the case for why such an educational approach is vitally important, so we now say simply to top administrators: let’s do it!

Audre Lorde

I think we’ve run out of time to effectively practice law in the United States of America [Christian]

On 07/25/2022, in 21st century, accreditation, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Augmented Reality (AR), Blockchain, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, communities of practice, copyright/ownership/NFTs, corporate / business world, Cost of legal services - including access, credentialing, cryptocurrencies, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, distance education, emerging technologies, engineering, entrepreneurship, experimentation, face-to-face, future, higher education, Holographic comms, human-computer interaction (HCI), hybrid learning, Hyflex learning, ideas, innovation, instructional design, law schools, leadership, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, learning spaces, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, Metaverse, Michigan, Mixed Reality (MR), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Near Field Communication (NFC), online learning, organizational change, pace of change, platforms, policy, productivity / tips and tricks, reinvent, robotics, skills, society, staying relevant, strategy, surviving, technology (general), telelegal, trends, Uncategorized, United States, universities, using teams, vendors, Virtual courts and law firms, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, Web3, workplace, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Given:

the accelerating pace of change that’s been occurring over the last decade or more
the current setup of the legal field within the U.S. — and who can practice law
the number of emerging technologies now on the landscapes out there

…I think we’ve run out of time to effectively practice law in the U.S. — at least in terms of dealing with emerging technologies. Consider the following items/reflections.

Inside one of the nation’s few hybrid J.D. programs — from highereddive.com by Natalie Schwartz
Shannon Gardner, Syracuse law school’s associate dean for online education, talks about the program’s inaugural graduates and how it has evolved.

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

In May, Syracuse University’s law school graduated its first class of students earning a Juris Doctor degree through a hybrid program, called JDinteractive, or JDi. The 45 class members were part of almost 200 Syracuse students who received a J.D. this year, according to a university announcement.

The private nonprofit, located in upstate New York, won approval from the American Bar Association in 2018 to offer the three-year hybrid program.

The ABA strictly limits distance education, requiring a waiver for colleges that wish to offer more than one-third of their credits online. To date, the ABA has only approved distance education J.D. programs at about a dozen schools, including Syracuse.

Many folks realize this is the future of legal education — not that it will replace traditional programs. It is one route to pursue a legal education that is here to stay. I did not see it as pressure, and I think, by all accounts, we have definitely proven that it is and can be a success.

Shannon Gardner, associate dean for online education

From DSC:
It was March 2018. I just started working as a Director of Instructional Services at a law school. I had been involved with online-based learning since 2001.

I was absolutely shocked at how far behind law schools were in terms of offering 100% online-based programs. I was dismayed to find out that 20+ years after such undergraduate programs were made available — and whose effectiveness had been proven time and again — that there were no 100%-online based Juris Doctor (JD) programs in the U.S. (The JD degree is what you have to have to practice law in the U.S. Some folks go on to take further courses after obtaining that degree — that’s when Masters of Law programs like LLM programs kick in.)

Why was this I asked? Much of the answer lies with the extremely tight control that is exercised by the American Bar Association (ABA). They essentially lay down the rules for how much of a law student’s training can be online (normally not more than a third of one’s credit hours, by the way).

Did I say it’s 2022? And let me say the name of that organization again — the American Bar Association (ABA).

Graphic by Daniel S. Christian

Not to scare you (too much), but this is the organization that is supposed to be in charge of developing lawyers who are already having to deal with issues and legal concerns arising from the following technologies:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) — Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP), algorithms, bots, and the like
The Internet of Things (IoT) and/or the Internet of Everything (IoE)
Extended Reality (XR) — Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), Virtual Reality (VR)
Holographic communications
Big data
High-end robotics
The Metaverse
Cryptocurrencies
NFTs
Web3
Blockchain
…and the like

I don’t think there’s enough time for the ABA — and then law schools — to reinvent themselves. We no longer have that luxury. (And most existing/practicing lawyers don’t have the time to get up the steep learning curves involved here — in addition to their current responsibilities.)

The other option is to use teams of specialists, That’s our best hope. If the use of what’s called nonlawyers* doesn’t increase greatly, the U.S. has little hope of dealing with legal matters that are already arising from such emerging technologies.

So let’s hope the legal field catches up with the pace of change that’s been accelerating for years now. If not, we’re in trouble.

* Nonlawyers — not a very complimentary term…
I hope they come up with something else.
Some use the term Paralegals.
I’m sure there are other terms as well.

From DSC:
There is hope though. As Gabe Teninbaum just posted the resource below (out on Twitter). I just think the lack of responsiveness from the ABA has caught up with us. We’ve run out of time for doing “business as usual.”

Law students want more distance education classes, according to ABA findings — from abajournal.com by Stephanie Francis Ward

Excerpt:

A recent survey of 1,394 students in their third year of law school found that 68.65% wanted the ability to earn more distance education credits than what their schools offered.

Aurora Institute: Create Learning Ecosystems & Competency-Based Pathways Aligned Across K-12, Higher Education, Career & Technical Education, & the Workforce

On 07/25/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, active learning, adult learning, Alternatives, assessment, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), budgets, career development, change, changing business models, collaboration, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, competency-based learning/education, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Design Thinking, education, education reform, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, ideas, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, legislatures / government / legal, lifelong learning, love of learning, more voice more choice more control, motivation, participation, passions, personalized/customized learning, policy, real-world assignments, reinvent, skills, society, staying relevant, strategy, student-related, surviving, teachers, teaching & learning, training / L&D, United States, user experience (UX), vision/possibilities, vocational / trades, workplace, youth, by Daniel Christian

“We must invest in building the new policies, practices, and infrastructure that drive transformational
change toward aligned, lifelong learning ecosystems w/personalized + #CBE pathways. In learning ecosystems, learning is organized around individuals…” https://t.co/xWCIngcEV5

— Emily Liebtag, Ed.D. (@EmilyLiebtag) July 21, 2022

Aurora Institute: Federal Policy Priorities and Recommendations 2022 — from aurora-institute.org

Introduction:

It is critically important for our country to reimagine education and focus on investing in our future, not our past. The current K-12 education system has not produced equitable outcomes for all students. We must change policies and invest in innovation to transform our education systems. Student-centered policies are needed for true systems change and innovations for equity. We must challenge frames and investments that perpetuate tinkering with the existing system, rather than reimagining it. The time is ripe to redesign education to align with future needs and purposes to achieve human flourishing.

To ensure all learners are prepared for life’s uncertainties, as well as a more knowledge-driven workforce and economy, we must restructure the education system to universally recognize anytime, anywhere learning. Many states and districts have taken steps to move in new and improved directions, but more work must be done to meet students where they are and accelerate them to successful futures and prosperity. We must question the fundamental purposes of our education system, align our goals to that purpose, and expand learning to anytime and anyplace, with greater opportunities for next generation learning.

Aurora Institute’s latest Federal Policy Priorities represent an equity-oriented and future-focused set of recommendations designed to ensure that the nation’s education system moves from its current state to a system capable of preparing all learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve lifelong success.

From DSC:
I post this because I like the design thinking exhibited herein. I love the idea of greater collaboration between K-12, higher education, vocational training, and the workforce/workplace. We should consider eliminating — or at least building much better bridges between the — existing silos. These silos seem to be easier to put up than they are to take down.

An interesting question: “What happens to a college’s online programs if the company operating them changes hands?” [Swaak]

On 07/25/2022, in change, colleges, community colleges, education technology, future of higher education, higher education, ideas, India, instructional design, leadership, learning ecosystem, online learning, online media, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

An Overseas Ed-Tech Firm Wants to Buy 2U. What Could That Mean for Colleges? — from chronicle.com by Taylor Swaak

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

What happens to a college’s online programs if the company operating them changes hands? It’s a question on the minds of higher-ed leaders as an overseas ed-tech company attempts to buy 2U.

Byju’s, an ed-tech behemoth based in India, has put more than $1 billion on the table to acquire the online program manager, Bloomberg first reported late last month. 2U is one of the largest online-program managers, or OPMs, in the United States, known for scaling up online-degree programs and teaming up with more than 130 American colleges, including large institutions such as Arizona State, New York, and Syracuse Universities. It’s also the parent company of the online-course provider edX.

These Professors Were Thinking About Quitting. So They Turned to Social Media. [Myskow]

On 07/24/2022, in business side of he, career development, change, colleges, community colleges, higher education, social media, United States, universities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

These Professors Were Thinking About Quitting. So They Turned to Social Media. — from chronicle.com by Wyatt Myskow

Excerpts:

One pointed him to a Facebook group, “The Professor Is Out,” dedicated to academics who are quitting. It helped him realize that “it’s not impossible for me to shift out of this thing.”

“The Professor Is Out” allows people to post anonymously, an important feature for academics who are still on the fence about quitting. When Kelsky created the group, she expected around 1,000 people to join. Now it has more than 24,000 members.
…
Another popular forum for maybe-quitters is the subreddit r/Professors, which has more than 100,000 members — dubbed “Guardians of Academe.”

Related postings:

Over half of higher ed employees likely to seek another job, survey finds — from highereddive.com by Jeremy Bauer-Wolf

Dive Brief:

More than half of college employees reported they are likely to leave their jobs in the next year in a new survey from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, CUPA-HR.
The most common reason workers gave for seeking new employment was the prospect of higher pay, followed by an opportunity to work remotely, and more flexible work hours.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents reported they’re working mostly or completely on campus, but almost 70% wanted to work remotely at least part time.

More Than Half of Campus Staff Members Are Thinking About Quitting, Survey Finds — from chronicle.com by Megan Zahneis

Excerpt:

Results of a new survey paint a grim picture for higher ed’s hopes of retaining staff members: More than half of them are considering leaving their job in the next year.

That’s according to staff members polled in May by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources; initial results of the survey were released this month.

Survey: More Than Half of Higher Ed Workers Plan to Leave — from insidehighered.com by Josh Moody

Excerpt:

Many higher education employees are headed for the exits, according to a new survey from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, which found that more than half of respondents said they were likely to look for other employment within the next 12 months.

7 Amazing Ways Technology Is Changing Higher Education for the Better [Newton]

On 07/21/2022, in assessment, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, creativity, engagement / engaging students, higher education, innovation, learning ecosystem, personalized/customized learning, technology (general), tools, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

7 Amazing Ways Technology Is Changing Higher Education for the Better — from innotechtoday.com by Emily Newton

Excerpt:

As society has stepped decidedly into the digital age, there’s been a lot of debate about how technology is changing higher education. Some people believe there are benefits of technology in education, while others are concerned about tech’s impact on learning and motivation. Technology in higher education can be a major distraction or an incredibly helpful resource.

Technology is only as good or as bad as what you do with it. In education, AI, coding, and media creation are tools that teachers can use to motivate their students and help them grasp new ideas. Keeping pace with everyday tech is important for modern students. Here are seven amazing ways technology is changing higher education for the better.

Forget long screen recordings. These tools automate your company’s how-tos. — from protocol.com by Lizzy Lawrence
Scribe and Tango take screen recordings and automatically turn them into step-by-step lists.

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

If only there were a better way of transferring this knowledge, Smith thought at the time. Later, she worked in venture capital and kept hearing the same thing: How do we efficiently spread the company wisdom that’s trapped inside people’s heads? Without the thick binder or the 45-minute screen recording? Thus began Scribe.

To use Scribe, you record your screen as you go through a standard workplace process. When you finish recording, Scribe automatically generates a step-by-step written guide with screenshots that you can edit and share with whomever you want. It’s a browser extension and a desktop app, meant to be as easy as possible for both the sender and recipient of information.

Learning Ecosystems

Impatient for workers, businesses help students take college shortcuts [Burke]

2U announces layoffs and new approach to tuition-share agreements [Schwartz]

The workforce is changing. Can community colleges change with it? [Burke]

4 Institutional Effectiveness Indicators to Watch [Neill]

Online education’s reputation jumps, survey says [Seltzer]

Americans’ Confidence in Higher Ed Drops Sharply [Fischer]

An interesting question: “What happens to a college’s online programs if the company operating them changes hands?” [Swaak]

7 Amazing Ways Technology Is Changing Higher Education for the Better [Newton]

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