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Technology and the broken higher education cost model: Insights from the Delta Cost Project [Kirshstein & Wellman]

On 09/11/2012, in budgets, business side of he, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, new business models, reinvent, by Daniel Christian

Technology and the broken higher education cost model: Insights from the Delta Cost Project — from Educause by Rita Kirshstein and Jane Wellman

Excerpt:

Although U.S. higher education has faced numerous crises and dilemmas in its history, the situation in which colleges and universities find themselves at the moment is indeed different. Shrinking public subsidies coupled with historic rises in tuitions come at the same time that colleges and universities have been tasked to dramatically increase the number of individuals with postsecondary degrees. Additionally, many of these students need financial aid, putting further strains on the higher education system. The stratification between rich and poor institutions in their access to resources is also growing. These conditions make the current “cost model” under which higher education has typically operated no longer sustainable and have led to college and university leaders examining alternative ways to deliver both high-quality and affordable higher education. These alternatives incorporate technology and include access to distance-delivered education and services, a focus on learners’ outcomes rather than inputs, and technologically sophisticated buildings and classrooms.

The changes are welcome and largely overdue in much of higher education, but unless the use of technology, whether in instruction or in the operation of the institution, is guided by an understanding of higher education costs and cost structures, its use will not fix the problem of a broken higher education cost model. This problem is not confined to the way that instruction is funded and delivered; rather, it is much broader, including the costs of academic and administrative overhead and the largely unexamined “fixed costs” that drive so much of institutional spending. To implement technological innovations that can improve both efficiency and effectiveness, leaders must be guided in their efforts by a strong understanding of the impact of the innovations on both costs and revenues, as well as on learning outcomes. Without this understanding, leaders are likely to follow the usual model of innovation in higher education: implementing program add-ons, which are sometimes successful and sometimes not but which inevitably increase costs rather than replacing or reducing them and ultimately fail to take hold in ways that will leverage systemic improvements.

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Debt collectors cashing in on student loans [Martin]

On 09/10/2012, in budgets, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, reinvent, society, staying relevant, student-related, United States, by Daniel Christian

Debt collectors cashing in on student loans — from the New York Times by Andrew Martin

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

…many borrowers are struggling to pay off their student loans, and the debt collection industry is cashing in.

As the number of people taking out government-backed student loans has exploded, so has the number who have fallen at least 12 months behind in making payments — about 5.9 million people nationwide, up about a third in the last five years.

In all, nearly one in every six borrowers with a loan balance is in default. The amount of defaulted loans — $76 billion — is greater than the yearly tuition bill for all students at public two- and four-year colleges and universities, according to a survey of state education officials.

In an attempt to recover money on the defaulted loans, the Education Department paid more than $1.4 billion last fiscal year to collection agencies and other groups to hunt down defaulters.

 

From DSC:
Administrators throughout the country need to ask, how can we cut the price of our degrees by 50% or more?  No kidding!  I realize that sounds crazy, but if we don’t do this, cheaper — and increasingly attractive/convenient — alternatives will continue to develop. The conversation is not moving in a positive direction folks.  There is a limit to people’s incomes and patience here.

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The end of TV as we know it & the birth of transmedia [Scott & Doherty]

On 09/04/2012, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, Daniel S. Christian, digital storytelling, educational games / serious games, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, mirroring and/or multiple devices, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, more voice more choice more control, multimedia, online learning, participation, personalized/customized learning, second screen apps, social learning / networks, story, storytelling, tablets, technologies for your home, television, transmedia, trends, TVs, user experience (UX), by Daniel Christian

The end of TV as we know it.

 

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From DSC:
My interest in this? All of this ultimately relates to:

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The Living [Class] Room -- by Daniel Christian -- July 2012 -- a second device used in conjunction with a Smart/Connected TV

 

 

 

Addendum on 9/12/12:

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The Siege of Academe [Carey]

On 08/30/2012, in corporate / business world, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, education technology, entrepreneurship, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, reinvent, staying relevant, student-related, vendors, by Daniel Christian

The Washington Monthly - The Magazine - The Siege of Academe [Kevin Carey]

Excerpt:

The ongoing carnage in the newspaper industry provides an object lesson of what can happen when a long-established, information-focused industry’s business model is challenged by low-price competitors online. The disruptive power of information technology may be our best hope for curing the chronic college cost disease that is driving a growing number of students into ruinous debt or out of higher education altogether. It may also be an existential threat to institutions that have long played a crucial role in American life.

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From DSC:
If higher ed doesn’t respond more forcefully/significantly to the perfect storm it finds itself in, people will find other ways of getting employed and staying employed. The conversation continues to move away from institutions of traditional higher education (here’s but one example). Control is an illusion.

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Reflections on David Warlick’s solid posting, “I never needed to know that.”

On 08/30/2012, in career development, Daniel S. Christian, engagement / engaging students, lifelong learning, love of learning, passions, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Some reflections on on David Warlick’s solid posting, I never needed to know that. First, some excerpts (emphasis DSC):

But the fact is that one reason we, as educators, do not readily recognize this compelling truth and try to make sense of its profound implications is that we can not predict what our children will need to know and not need to know.  It would be nothing more than speculation.

So again, “What do our children need to be learning today?”

Several ideas spring to my mind as I try to unfold this.

  1. Our children need to learn something.
  2. What they need to learn is no longer as important as it use to be.
  3. Increasing the stakes on what they learn does little more than punish our children for our own arrogance.
  4. If what they learn today may not be useful to them tomorrow, then how will they continue to learn what is?
  5. How they learn has become much more important.
  6. Perhaps the most important thing we can help our children learn, is how to teach themselves.

I think David’s comments are right on. How students learn — and I would add enjoying learning — are very important. If I don’t like to learn, or if school is a painful experience, I will be at a huge disadvantage in life these days. Lifelong learning is now a requirement for most of us, if we want to stay marketable/employed. But if I don’t like to learn, this is going to be an uphill battle for me.

So when I approach the Common Core, or standardized tests, or questions concerning curriculum, etc….I am looking through the lenses that constantly ask the questions:

  • Will this help develop a passion for learning?
  • Does this allow students to pursue their passions?

 

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Come again? Do you still assert that higher ed isn’t a business?

On 08/28/2012, in business side of he, cost of getting a degree, Daniel S. Christian, higher education, student-related, by Daniel Christian

Universities report $1.4-billion in earnings on inventions in 2011 — from The Chronicle by Goldie Blumenstyk

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Universities and their inventors earned more than $1.4-billion from commercializing their academic research in the 2011 fiscal year, collecting royalties from new breeds of wheat, from a new drug for the treatment of HIV, and from longstanding arrangements over enduring products like Gatorade.

Northwestern University earned the most of any institution reporting, with more than $191-million in licensing income.

From DSC:
That sounds about right…my alma mater (NU) going for the cash — rewarding research(ers), while not putting enough resources and consideration towards whether these researchers can actually teach.  I wonder how much these researchers are being paid per year…?  Probably some serious paychecks are involved here.  How do those high salaries impact the cost of tuition?  BTW, NU  currently charges ~$65,000 a year.  Are students’ interests really being served here?  But who really cares, right?  As long as the NU brand buys them access to high-paying careers…

 

 

 

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Psalm 116:1-2 & Psalm 94:18-19 (NIV)

On 08/24/2012, in Daniel S. Christian, faith, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, by Daniel Christian

Psalm 116:1-2 (NIV)

1 I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

18 When I said, “My foot is slipping, ”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.

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50 interesting ways to use Skype in your classroom [Dunn]

On 08/24/2012, in Daniel S. Christian, digital video, Microsoft, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

50 interesting ways to use Skype in your classroom — from edudemic.com by Jeff Dunn

Excerpt:

I’m a so-so fan of Skype. I’ve used it on an infrequent basis and have had more than a few dropped calls. Audio and video alike. However, it’s a cheap way to make long distance calls and seems to work better over wi-fi and the video quality is improving on a regular basis. So therefore it’s probably a great tool for the classroom. But how can you use Skype to do more than just make calls? Well, there’s a pantload of interesting ways! Check out these fun ideas:

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From DSC:
And for “Skype on steroids”, consider using Blackboard Collaborate:

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Blackboard Collaborate - Skype on Steroids

 

 

From DSC:
I created this graphic, so I ask for
mercy from you lawyers  at
Microsoft and/or at Blackboard! 🙂

 

 

Also see:

 

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iTunes U Course Manager hands on [Jenner]

On 08/24/2012, in Apple, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, digital textbooks, education technology, global / globalization, internet, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, mirroring and/or multiple devices, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new media literacies, online learning, UK, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

iTunes U Course Manager hands on — from UCL – London’s Global University  by Matt Jenner

Excerpt:

iTunes U is known as a wonderful platform for finding recorded lectures and podcasts from academics and institutions across the world. But recently it’s also become a location for entire courses, with students, multiple resources and some interaction all happening on devices such as the iPad. It’s all very Apple-based, which means anyone without this hardware can’t access it and thus it remains a little elitist. BUT there’s still some good reasons to look into it – and I hope this begins to explain why.

From DSC:
Thanks Matt for the helpful screenshots and overview of what iTunes U is offering these days!

If Apple were to devote more resources to create a fully-stocked CMS/LMS, they could add a significant piece to the overall ecosystem they continue to build.  But this time, it would have significant benefits to those who want to learn and to reinvent themselves over time.

For example, what if:

  • Faculty members worked with students to create the textbooks using iBooks Author?
  • And the textbooks were free?
  • iPads were used in BYOD type of settings and audio/video/text/graphics-based files could be “beamed” up to a larger presentation display? (Or all of the materials that they would need are already on the iPad from their orientation day and onward — and would constantly be updated throughout their collegiate days?  In fact, a supplemental charge could provide the ability for alumni to subscribe to constantly updated streams of content as well.)
  • CMS/LMS functions like discussion boards, wikis, blogs, podcasts, videoconferencing and more could be built into iTunes U?

Could be a potent learning setup as such cloud-based materials are available to everyone throughout the globe — at very attractive prices.

 

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Further signs of convergence

On 08/23/2012, in A/V -- audio/visual, convergence, Daniel S. Christian, emerging technologies, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, transmedia, trends, by Daniel Christian

NBC News app coming to Xbox 360 games console — from worldtvpc.com

Excerpt:

NBC News is coming to your Xbox 360, and in the process could be showing us a glimpse of television for the Xbox in the future. Comcast and Microsoft are strengthening their partnership to bring an NBC News App to the perennial gaming console. More than 26 million people are using Xbox 360s with an Xbox Live Gold Account, a majority of which are not playing video games, but rather using the device to stream content.

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Survey paints positive outlook for connected TV platforms — from blog.brightcove.com

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 New iOS app Renewed provides personal television guide and more — from World Internet TV on PC by skyler

Excerpt:

A new app has arrived for iOS devices called Renewed, and anyone who is seeking a personalized television guide and find out if their favorite shows are going to be renewed, will want to download this free app immediately. The app, which notifies you of upcoming shows will also provide viewers with up to date information on renewals and cancellations–even pre-emption!

 

What’s on TV? Online videos of course! — from gigamom by Om Malik

 

Consumers increasingly viewing online content on TVs — from pcmag.com by Stephanie Mlot

 

Sony files patent to make TV ads into video games — from fastcodesign.com

 

Your friends are your next TV Guide — from fastcompany.com

 

Adobe Systems set to enhance “Everywhere TV” platforms — from worldtvpc.com

 

From DSC:
The above types of items lay the foundation for:

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The Living [Class] Room -- by Daniel Christian -- July 2012 -- a second device used in conjunction with a Smart/Connected TV

 

 

 

 

 

Addendum:

 

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Part of the perfect storm for higher ed in the US — “The middle class falls further behind” [Smith]

On 08/23/2012, in career development, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, economics, future of higher education, game-changing environment, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, online learning, reinvent, robotics, staying relevant, trends, United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The middle class falls further behind -- part of the perfect storm for higher ed in the US

 

From DSC:
Along with a host of other trends, this is a piece of the perfect storm in higher ed. People will find a way to make a living — whether this involves “traditional” higher education or not. From a career development side of things, robotics may make these graphics even more pronounced as jobs move from being done by humans to jobs being done by robots.

Also see:

 

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Addendums:

 

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Your future TV is not about Tele-Vision [Eaton]

On 08/17/2012, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, active learning, adult learning, analytics, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Bring your own device (BYOD), convergence, corporate universities / corporate training, cost of getting a degree, Daniel S. Christian, data related items, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, education technology, educational games / serious games, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, flipping -- inverted learning, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, homeschooling/homeschoolers, innovation, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interactivity, internet, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning spaces, lifelong learning, machine-to-machine communications, mirroring and/or multiple devices, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, multimedia, Near Field Communication (NFC), New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, online learning, online media, online tutoring, participation, passions, podcasting, reading, reinvent, second screen apps, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, strategy, streams of content, technologies for your home, telepresence, television, transmedia, trends, TVs, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Your future TV is not about Tele-Vision — from FastCompany.com by Kit Eaton

Excerpt (emphasis below from DSC; also see the above categories to see how I see this as a highly-relevant component to our future learning ecosystems):

Then imagine what a hybrid of Apple’s tech and efforts like GetGlue, Shazam, and other interactive systems will be like when they’re more integrated into your 2017 smart TV. The big screen in your living room won’t be a one-way window into another world you can’t touch anymore. It’ll be a discovery engine, a way to learn facts, interact with the world, talk to people, find new and surprising content to absorb. Advertisers will love it, and companies like Nielsen–which largely has to guess all those stats about who watches which show at primetime nowadays–will be able to get accurate data…which may mean more appealing shows.

 

 

The Living [Class] Room -- by Daniel Christian -- July 2012 -- a second device used in conjunction with a Smart/Connected TV

 

 

Also see:

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Key quotes/lessons from “How Barnes & Noble destroyed itself” [Maxfield]

On 08/16/2012, in 21st century, business side of he, change, changing business models, corporate / business world, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, hearts -- matters of the heart, publishing, technology (general), by Daniel Christian

Key quote/lesson from “How Barnes & Noble destroyed itself” — from fool.com by John Maxfield

An unnecessary tragedy
What makes B&N’s story tragic from a shareholder’s and book-lover’s perspective is that it wasn’t inevitable. The company would be in an entirely different position if its leadership hadn’t pooh-poohed online retail in the late 1990s, when the now-dominant Amazon was in its infancy. Consider this from its 1998 annual report: “Although it is clear the World Wide Web, with its profound possibilities, will become a major component of the future of bookselling and publishing, we believe retail bookstores will remain the foundation of our industry . . . shopping and browsing in a bookstore is an irreplaceable experience, and it is woven securely into the fabric of our American culture [emphasis added].”

From DSC:
I love going to B&N; sipping some coffee and reading a book. So don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the physical experience of going to a bookstore. But the lesson for higher ed — as well as for the corporate world — is that technology cannot be pooh-poohed and shoved aside.  Those who do so will be very sorry that they chose that route. There can be danger in pursuing the status quo.

How about your organization…is there solid representation of technology on your board/executive suite/leadership team?

My last thought here relates to my posting  What happens in our hearts has very practical, relevant implications in our daily lives

In 2009, the company paid its chairman of the board, Len Riggio, nearly $600 million for B&N College, an amalgamation of campus-based bookstores that controlled the rights to the parent company’s trade name and was then owned by Riggio and his wife.

At the time, it looked like a classic covetous overreach by an executive to extract capital without selling shares. When all that’s left of B&N is a Harvard case study, however, my guess is that this blatant display of avarice and disregard for minority shareholders will be characterized more ominously as the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

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Also relevant here:

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Keeping your toes in the streams of content that are constantly flowing by us [Christian]

On 08/13/2012, in Daniel S. Christian, RSS, streams of content, by Daniel Christian

Keeping your toes in the streams of current that are constantly flowing by us [Christian]

 

There are numerous ways to keep current within your discipline, but  I want to highlight just two highly-effective, relevant ones here (no matter what your discipline or interest is).

 

1) Google Alerts

 

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2)  Subscribing to RSS feeds

 

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Reflections on “‘Clicks’ could be future of higher education” [Landphair]

On 08/13/2012, in Daniel S. Christian, face-to-face, online learning, universities, by Daniel Christian

‘Clicks’ could be future of higher education — from Voice of America by Ted Landphair

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

But a new survey of more than 1,000 Internet experts, researchers and observers of American education found that higher education may soon be more about “clicks” than “bricks.”

The survey was conducted by Elon University in North Carolina and the Pew Internet & American Life Project.  Sixty percent of its respondents agreed with the statement that, by 2020, “there will be a mass adoption of teleconferencing and distance learning” in order to give students greater access to real-world experts.

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But not all the experts who were polled are thrilled with this vision.  According Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet Project, they worry that long-distance learning “lacks the personal, face-to-face touch they feel is necessary for effective education.”

Colleges are realizing that traditional classroom instruction “is becoming decreasingly viable financially,” says Rebecca Bernstein of the State University of New York at Buffalo.  “The change driver will not be demand or technology.  It will be economics and the diminishing pool of students who can afford to live and study on campus. “

From DSC:
For those faculty members and institutions offering the majority of their courses with small classroom sizes of 10-20 students, I can appreciate such worries (though I would still say that there’s no where to hide in an online class of 15-20 students either). 

But for those faculty and institutions who are holding to this viewpoint — and who are offering intro courses to 100-300 students at a time — I have the following questions concerning this so called “personal, face-to-face touch” being alluded to:

  • If I were your student in your  Intro to Pysch or your Organic Chemistry class on your campus, and I had 150 other students taking such classes with me, would you even know my name if I met you walking down the street?
  • Would you know my major? My passions? My interests?
  • Would you know what I’m trying to accomplish or where I’m trying to get to?
  • Would you even care to know these things or would you be grudgingly teaching courses, while anxiously awaiting your return to your research lab?  (Not that research is bad at all…it’s just that few people can both teach well and research well at the same time — teaching is as much an art as it is a science and it takes a ton of work to do well…learning is messy.)

So this “personal, face-to-face touch” that’s often alluded to in order to achieve effective education simply doesn’t hold water for a great majority of the courses being offered throughout higher education today.  I’d loved to be proven wrong here —  and I hope that things have changed since my Big 10 educational experience.

 

 

 

 

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