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DIY U: The Future Of Learning [Kamenetz]; DSC’s reflections re: the bubble in higher education

On 06/15/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, budgets, business side of he, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, learning, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, open courseware and systems, reinvent, society, staying relevant, United States, by Daniel Christian

DIY U: The Future Of Learning [Video] — from FastCompany.com by Anya Kamenetz
From Khan Academy and TED Talks to instructional YouTube videos, the future of learning is open and free.


DYI: The future of learning

 

A related comment from DSC:

I have it that higher ed is a bubble and if an increasingly larger group of people can’t afford it — yet still want it — then, in my book, that’s a major problem.

I’ll use myself as an example. My wife and I could not begin to afford to send our kids to many of the colleges and universities out there right now — today, in 2011! (Let alone in 2017+ when our kids start hitting the college scene.)  I should note that our kids are doing well in school and are very talented, hard workers.  I should also point out that my wife and I place a very high value on being educated and we are both trying to pass that value along to the next generation.

But if you tell me that higher ed is not a bubble, the first question I will ask you (besides what planet are you living on) is what’s the gross income for your household? If you are making close to 6 figures, I highly doubt that your perspective will be the same as that of folks from households who are making $20,000-$50,000 a year. In fact, my hunch is that those who say higher ed is not a bubble are:

  • Upper middle class to upper class (i.e. wealthy in the eyes of many in the world today)
  • Folks who don’t have to worry about where their next paycheck is coming from (nor have they had to live like that in years!); that is, they are doing quite well these days…living quite comfortably
  • College educated (nothing wrong with that!)
  • Potentially involved with higher ed — or at least want to maintain the status quo
  • Folks who do not have children

My take on this is that all of us in higher education need to figure out how we can greatly reduce the price of higher education. It shouldn’t be how well you understand the system or how many hours of work you have done to figure out the grants, loans, etc. that exist out there.

NEVER again should we be pleased with ANY sort of increase in tuition. Never again should we say, “Well, our tuition only went up by ___% which is the smallest increase in our history (or the smallest increase relative to our competition…or the smallest in our state/country/nation).”

Such a situation is causing a backlash against the current higher education environment/setup.
As such, we need to constantly be looking to reinvent ourselves — and to staying relevant.

 

Addendum on 6/17/11:

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Surging college costs price out middle class [Censky]

On 06/13/2011, in budgets, business side of he, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, society, student-related, surviving, trends, United States, by Daniel Christian

Surging college costs price out middle class -- from CNNMoney.com on June 13, 2011

 

Excerpt:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — What do you get when college costs skyrocket but incomes barely budge? Yet another blow to the middle class.

“As the out-of-pocket costs of a college education go up faster than incomes, it’s pricing low and medium income families out of a college education,” said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of financial aid sites FinAid.org and FastWeb.com.

The numbers confirm what most middle class families already know — college is becoming so expensive, it’s starting to hold them back.

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$3 billion slated for Michigan start-ups through Pure Michigan Business Connect

On 06/12/2011, in budgets, business, career development, entrepreneurship, innovation, Michigan, workplace, by Daniel Christian

$3 billion slated for Michigan start-ups through Pure Michigan Business Connect — from metromodemedia.com

Excerpt:

The recently announced Pure Michigan Business Connect initiative promises to leverage about $3 billion in seed capital and new revenue streams for Michigan-based start-ups, thanks to some local heavy hitters stepping up to the plate.

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College choice & prudent consumers (infographic)

On 06/08/2011, in budgets, business side of he, colleges, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, higher education, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, society, student-related, universities, by Daniel Christian

College choice & prudent consumers (infographic) — from the Higher Education Management Group by Keith Hampson

 

 

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From ‘gainful employment’ to lower college costs [Miller]

On 06/07/2011, in budgets, business side of he, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, leadership, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, strategy, student-related, trends, by Daniel Christian

From ‘gainful employment’ to lower college costs — from The WashingtonPost.com by Matt Miller

Excerpt (extra emphasis by DSC):

But whatever happens as these new rules are implemented in next few years, for-profit colleges will never get out from under a cloud, nor make good on their potential social contribution, until they pass on to students the benefit of the lower educational cost structures they are creating. To date, they’ve been reluctant to do so, because, for public companies especially, it seems tantamount to ignoring the shareholder interest in maximizing profits.

But this is shortsighted. For one thing, it ensures a perennial political backlash, which can’t serve shareholders over time. And beyond this, as a business matter, it means there’s a huge opening for any number of “Wal-Marts of higher ed” to win a vast market of underserved or overindebted young Americans (or mid-career workers who seek training) who desperately need affordable, high-quality educational services. The strategy should be to lower costs, lower prices and “make it up on the volume.” The firms that do this and earn a reputation for quality will force the traditional college world to reexamine its own inefficient practices, to the lasting benefit of students and the governments that fund them.

 

From DSC:
Also see:

 

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Launching the FY2011 Investing in Innovation (i3) Competition [Ed.gov/Brenchley]

On 06/03/2011, in budgets, innovation, K-12 related, United States, by Daniel Christian

Launching the FY2011 Investing in Innovation (i3) Competition — from Ed.gov by Cameron Brenchley

Excerpt:

Today, the U.S. Department of Education launched the 2011 Investing in Innovation (i3) competition.  This second round of i3 makes $150 million available to school districts and non-profit organizations to continue support of innovative approaches that significantly improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement, engagement and attainment.

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Is Higher Education Ready for “The Education Bubble”? [Batson]

On 06/01/2011, in accreditation, budgets, business side of he, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, education technology, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, instructional design, leadership, learning theories, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, online learning, open courseware and systems, pedagogy, reinvent, staying relevant, teaching & learning, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Is Higher Education Ready for “The Education Bubble”? — from CampusTechnology.com by Trent Batson

Excerpts:

American higher education–the jewel in the global crown of universal education, with nearly a quarter of the total number of higher education institutions in the world, and including graduate programs that are the envy of the world–is facing the prospect of being the next bubble to burst. Technology is both a culprit and a promising ally.

The spread of information technology, and its infusion into our culture, has opened the world to learning opportunities–raising expectations for college graduates and changing the terms of success.

Is American higher education ready to either prevent the bubble from bursting or to weather the storm when it does burst? And what is the bubble?

…

The bubble, as we can see by all the dimensions just described, is, in fact, a potential “perfect storm.”

…

But this effort must also result from a presidential-level decree: “The learning theory that fit so well in our culture and with the dominant technology pre-1995 (print-based and paper-based technologies), now is not working very well for any of us, so we have to change. Each of you on campus has sincerely and devotedly committed yourselves fully to learning, but now we know that our learning epistemology is less and less appropriate. This is not your fault; it is simply a time of incredible human growth; it is a time of rapid evolution in our culture; a time of re-shaping our economy. We must transform or become irrelevant.”

 

From DSC:
Good to see I have some company in these perspectives; thanks for the article Trent. Also see:

  • The Forthcoming Walmart of Education
  • The below graphics that I created a while back reflecting on whether there was a bubble building within higher ed (2/16/09) as well some of the elements of “The Perfect Storm in Higher Education” (9/10/10).
  • The point is we need a response to these trends — we don’t want to be broadsided.

 

The perfect storm in higher ed -- by Daniel S. Christian

Is higher ed the next bubble?

 

Daniel S. Christian: My concerns with just maintaining the status quo (from 2009).

From 5/21/09

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Update on “Perspectives on the elephant of college pricing” [Armstrong]

On 05/31/2011, in budgets, business side of he, changing business models, cost of getting a degree, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, new business models, student-related, by Daniel Christian

Update on “Perspectives on the elephant of college pricing” — by Lloyd Armstrong, University Professor and Provost Emeritus at the University of Southern California

Excerpt/conclusion:

The situation from all perspectives is obviously greatly exacerbated by the current unusually bad economic times. Pressures to increase discounting have been enormous for many institutions, especially those whose selectivity is lower. Economic times eventually will get better, of course, but NACUBO warns that it may be some time before institutions see the year-to- year gains in net tuition revenue they experienced before the beginning of the economic downturn. In fact, there are increasing indications that there may not ever be a return to such gains for many institutions.  There are serious questions being raised by the general public regarding whether higher education produces a value equal to its cost. This issue will hit those institutions that are “non-elite” most strongly, and make it increasingly difficult for them to raise tuition at the historic rate.   It also may well be the case that the American public will be more cautious in taking on loans in the future, and thus will look much more carefully at the concept that a loan is really decreasing the net cost of education (as the current terminology implies). Should this happen, it could significantly raise pressure to raise grant aid, leading to higher discount rates.

All in all, the data clearly indicate that the current cost/price model of higher education is working less well with each passing year from each of the three perspectives. Is it time to start thinking of sustainable alternatives?

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K-12 budgets begin shift toward cloud [Nagel]

On 05/26/2011, in budgets, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, K-12 related, tools, trends, vendors, videoconferencing, by Daniel Christian

K-12 budgets begin shift toward cloud — from The Journal by David Nagel

Excerpt:

K-12 schools in the United States are beginning to shift their IT budgets toward cloud technologies. According to new research released today, institutions will spend more than a quarter of their IT resources on the cloud within five years.

K-12 Cloud Adoption Trends
The research, “CDW-G 2011 Cloud Computing Tracking Poll,” conducted by O’Keeffe & Co. on behalf of CDW-G, found that the vast majority of K-12 institutions are using some form of cloud technology, though most don’t seem to know it. In fact, only 27 percent of respondents to the survey conducted for the report identified their institutions as cloud adopters. But a full 87 percent reported that their institutions use one or more technologies that are based in the cloud, including:

  • Google Docs: 57 percent;
  • Gmail: 39 percent; and
  • Microsoft Office Live Meeting: 9 percent.

…

According to the research, the most popular categories for cloud applications among adopters include:

  • E-mail: 50 percent;
  • File storage: 39 percent;
  • Web conferencing: 36 percent;
  • Online learning: 34 percent; and
  • Videoconferencing: 32 percent.
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Heh! Is anyone listening in Washington, D.C.!? Will you please re-allocate the funding for a few F-35s towards online learning content development?

On 05/20/2011, in budgets, content development, aggregation, repositories, cost of getting a degree, leadership, online learning, using teams, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Cost of buying and operating 2443 F35s is estimated to be $1.3 trillion — from Next Big Future

 

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (Stealth multirole fighter) program is now projected to cost $1.3 trillion dollars to operate and maintain over its 30-year lifetime

Ashton Carter, under-secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, said that the new $133 million price per aircraft was not affordable.

Lawmakers Want Backup Plan After Carter Calls JSF Costs ‘Unaffordable’

The Pentagon’s top arms buyer this week called current cost projections for the Joint Strike Fighter “unaffordable,” triggering a bipartisan group of senators to demand a Defense Department contingency plan for how tactical air forces would be modernized should the F-35 program collapse under the weight of its forecasted $1.3 trillion price tag.

From DSC:
Can you image what several teams worth of specialists could do with $1.3 trillion dollars!? Man, you could meet President Obama’s higher-ed related goals in a heartbeat!

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The New 3 E’s of Education: Enabled; Empowered; Engaged

On 05/13/2011, in 21st century, budgets, digital learning, education, education reform, education technology, engagement / engaging students, game-changing environment, hybrid learning, ideas, K-12 related, leadership, library / librarians, mobile learning, online learning, student teaching/teacher education, teachers, by Daniel Christian

The New 3 E's of Education: Enabled; Empowered; Engaged -- May 2011 from Project Tomorrow

 

Excerpt from introduction (emphasis DSC):

Three factors are driving this new interest and enthusiasm for digital learning by educators. First, teachers and administrators are increasingly become technology-enabled themselves, using emerging technologies such as mobile devices, online classes and digital content to improve their own productivity. This development of a personal value proposition with the technology is propelling educators to think creatively about how to leverage these same tools in the classroom. Second, students and increasingly parents are demanding a different kind of learning experience and that is forcing even the most reluctant teachers and administrators to re-evaluate their perspectives about the value of technology within learning. As noted in prior Speak Up national reports, students have a very clear vision for 21st century learning. Their preference is for learning environments that are socially-based, un-tethered and digitally rich. Parents are also supportive of this new learning paradigm and as we noted in our first Speak Up 2010 report (released in April 2011) the emergence of a new trend of parental digital choice is an indication of this unprecedented support level. And schools and districts are waking up to this new trend. Concerns about parents’ capability to, for example, enroll their children in non-district provided online classes are compelling many districts to start virtual schools themselves. The third factor, the economy, and its resulting financial pressures on school and district budgets, has created a sense of urgency to more fully investigate how technologies can help educators meet their instructional goals with less expense.

All three factors converging at the same time has opened up a new window of possibilities for achieving the promise of technology to transform education. Evidence of this shift in perspective and vision by educators is noted in some comparative Speak Up findings over the past few years.

…

This report is the second in a two-part series to document the key national findings from Speak Up 2010.
…
In this companion report, “The New 3E’s of Education: Enabled, Engaged, Empowered – How Today’s Educators are Advancing a New Vision for Teaching and Learning,” we explore how teachers, principals, district administrators, librarians and technology coordinators are addressing the student vision for learning around three key trends. These trends have generated significant interest in the past year at conferences, in policy discussions and within our schools and districts: mobile learning, online and blended learning and digital content.

While each of these trends includes the essential components of the student vision of socially-based, un-tethered and digitally-rich learning, they also provide a unique backdrop for investigating the role of educators to engage, enable and empower students through the use of these emerging technologies.
• Role of Librarians and Technology Coordinators: To enable student use of the emerging technologies through their planning, support and recommendation responsibilities.
• Role of Classroom Teachers: To engage students in rich, compelling learning experiences through the effective use of these technologies in the classroom.
• Role of School and District Administrators: To empower both teachers and students to creatively envision the future of digital learning, and to provide opportunities for exploring the elements of a new shared vision for learning.

 

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One of the storm fronts of higher education’s perfect storm

On 05/12/2011, in budgets, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, future of higher education, game-changing environment, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Is there any doubt anymore that we are in a game-changing environment? This is but one of the storm fronts creating the perfect storm within higher education. The graphic I created below lays out some of the other storm fronts (and I’m sure I missed some of the other pieces, but these are some of the key drivers of change).

NOTE:
I don’t mean to be a chicken little here or a doomsdayer — rather what I’ve been saying is not speculation. It is reality. Those who choose not to deal with things as they really are — and will be — will be the ones most likely to be broadsided in the months/years to come.


 

Universities slash budgets nationwide — from ABC News by Teresa Lostroh

Colleges across the country are facing layoffs, program cuts, tuition hikes and possible campus closings as they brace for major reductions in state funding — again.

The leaders of Penn State University are wondering if they’ll have to close some of their branch campuses next year, and more than 400 faculty positions may be on the chopping block.

In California, class sizes are swelling while class offerings are shrinking. One community college district in San Diego has cut 90 percent of its summer courses. And in Washington, universities are increasing the enrollment of out-of-state students, who pay about three times as much as in-state students, while considering trimming resident enrollment.

Colleges and universities, which can levy revenue through tuition hikes, are a primary target for cuts when states are in a budget bind.

“This year is going to be the hardest year on record,” said Dan Hurley, director of state relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, which has 420 member institutions. “Any new revenue at the state level is being gobbled up by Medicaid and K-12 education,” he said, and much of the federal stimulus money expires this year, setting up the perfect storm for higher education.

 

(9/10/10) Graphic from DSC:

Also see:

 

 

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(From DSC: This is not right) K12Online and South Carolina Virtual Charter School leave children with special needs behind [Herrera]

On 05/11/2011, in assessment, budgets, change, education reform, K-12 related, online learning, virtual K-12 schools, by Daniel Christian

K12Online and South Carolina Virtual Charter School leave children with special needs behind — by Gretchen Herrera, parent of a child being left behind

…as accessed via The Innovative Educator blog

Excerpt:

I have been working for years to advocate for the needs of my son. Recently when I requested to opt-out of our state’s standardized test, I was met with not only resistance, but threats. Threats that my son would be removed from South Carolina Virtual Charter school powered by K12 Online and returned to the hostile environment he escaped from should we not comply.

…

Deeply concerned about my son’s well-being, I reached out in writing twice to the director of South Carolina Virtual Charter school who ignored my outreach.  I also called and spoke with  the counsel for the South Carolina Department of Education and was told, begrudgingly, there isn’t a state law that says my son has to test. However, I received threats from the Department.  She said if I didn’t produce my son on the day of testing and he didn’t participate, he would suffer consequences. His absences could trigger truancy through my “unlawful actions”…even though there was no law against me following his doctors orders and my instinct about what was best for my child. She explained I could NOT “opt-out” for pieces of a child’s education and how every district can instill their own penalties. Of course, I was not opting out of the education.  I was opting out of the assessments which my son, my doctors, and my instincts tell me are wrong for my child.  I was told the penalty for my doing what was best for my child was that I would no longer be allowed to have my child attend the only school he was ever safe in. She also informed me that if I didn’t make my child available for their testing, there would be a compulsory attendance issue and that I could then be held liable and may face charges…even though I assured them he would be engaging in real learning activities in alignment with his passions, talents, and interests.

Why must I be forced to do what my doctors, my son, and I know will harm him? I want my son to have access to the joyful, useful, relevant, real, and interesting learning experience that our tax dollars pay for?  I’d happily take my tax dollars elsewhere, but unfortunately, our compulsory system of compliance doesn’t afford parents such options. I am forced to subject my son to that which will make him physically and emotionally ill if he is to get the education he he deserves. The system has failed and my child is being left behind.

 

From DSC:
In hopes of building pressure for change here — I re-post this here at the Learning Ecosystems blog; sounds like the system needs additional methods of assessment.

 

 

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Number of the week: Class of 2011, most indebted ever [M. Whitehouse]

On 05/09/2011, in budgets, business side of he, cost of getting a degree, disruption, future of higher education, game-changing environment, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, student-related, by Daniel Christian

Number of the week: Class of 2011, most indebted ever — from The Wall Street Journal by Mark Whitehouse

Excerpt:

$22,900: Average student debt of newly minted college graduates

The Class of 2011 will graduate this spring from America’s colleges and universities with a dubious distinction: the most indebted ever.

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Boosting productivity in US higher education [Cota, Jayaram, Laboissière]

On 04/29/2011, in budgets, business side of he, education technology, higher education, United States, by Daniel Christian

Boosting productivity in US higher education — from McKinsey Quarterly by Cota, Jayaram, Laboissière

Excerpt:

The United States needs more college graduates. Opinions vary on exactly how many, but McKinsey estimates that the nation will need an additional one million each year by 2020 to sustain its economic health. That would mean increasing today’s annual total—2.5 million—by 40 percent.

To meet this goal, universities and colleges would have to increase their output of graduates by 3.5 percent a year over the next decade. That’s a daunting task for two reasons. First, it would cost an additional $52 billion a year, based on 2008 costs to produce a graduate. Yet many states, plagued by fiscal woes, have recently lowered spending on higher education, a trend that’s unlikely to be reversed. Second, to achieve this increase, colleges would need to enroll many more than 3.5 percent more freshmen each year, because today, on average, only 40 percent of students who enroll go on to graduate.

 

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