experimentation

From DSC:
Whereas:

The Walmart of Education continues and higher ed finds itself in a game-changing environment
The pace of change continues to accelerate
Disruptive innovations continue to poke at the higher education bubble
There is danger in the status quo
We all need to constantly reinvent ourselves and our organizations in order to remain relevant…

…institutions of higher education would be wise to significantly increase the priority of experimentation on their campuses during 2013. This might take the form of creating smaller, more nimble organizations within their overall universities or colleges, or it might be experimenting with new business models, or it might be identifying/experimenting with promising educational technologies or new pedagogies, etc. I will have several blog postings re: experimentation — and potential things to try out — during 2013; so stay tuned.

Whether we are staff, faculty, or administration, change is coming our way in 2013. So starting today, get involved with further innovations and experiments on your campus — don’t be a roadblock or you will likely find your institution eventually becoming irrelevant. As Steve Jobs did/believed, cannibalize your own organization before someone else does.

The pace has changed significantly and quickly

Tagged with: 21st century • business side of he • change • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • disruption • educational technology • experimentation • game-changing environment • innovation • leadership • new business models in he • organizational change • reinvent • staying relevant • strategy • Walmart of Education

LearnLaunch.org — expanding the education innovation ecosystem in New England

On 12/17/2012, in 21st century, education reform, education technology, emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, experimentation, innovation, learning ecosystem, United States, by Daniel Christian

Also see:

Tagged with: 21st century • education reform • educational technology • emerging technologies • entrepreneurship • experimentation • innovation • United States

Combine the trends listed in this graphic:

— from The Economics of Higher Education, Dec 2012 (pg 2)

…with the next several graphics…

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

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

From 5/21/09

…and you can see that the Perfect Storm in Higher Ed has been amassed. Massive change is in the air. People will find a way to achieve their goals/objectives — one way or another. College is still a good call — but what “college” and “university life” will look like in 5 years will likely be very different from what they look like today.

There is no returning to the “good ol’ days” — things are not going back to the way they were 5-10 years ago. It’s time for massive — but controlled/intentional — experimentation within higher ed, to find out how best to use the Internet in order to promote learning (and, hopefully, to still make a living!).

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Some examples that illustrate that change is in the air…and that the conversation continues to move outside traditional institutions of higher education (I mention these not to dog higher ed, but to get us to innovate, to reinvent ourselves, and to stay relevant!)

Big idea 2013: College becomes optional — from LinkedIn.com by Ben Smith

Jailbreaking the degree: The end of the 4 year diploma — from onlineuniversities.com by Justin Marquis

Excerpt:

What’s wrong with getting a college degree? According to the grassroots movement, “Jailbreaking the Degree,” being pushed by radical education startup Degreed.com, quite a bit. The organization has identified several fundamental flaws with the long standing college degree process. It aims to overcome them and dramatically change the nature of learning and credentialing in the process. In order to justify their initiative they present some dramatic numbers on their website…

Degreed wants to jailbreak the college degree — from techcrunch.com by Rip Empson

Saying no to college — NYT.com by Alex Williams

Do a Google search on uncollege.org and see what you get

The rise of college alternatives— from huffingtonpost.com by Dan Schawbel

educreations.com: Teach what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Tagged with: budgetary • business side of he • change • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • disruption • economics/business • experimentation • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • leadership • legislation • new business models in he • perfect storm • reinvent • staying relevant • strategy • surviving • United States

Inventing new business models; the importance of experimentation

On 12/14/2012, in corporate / business world, experimentation, higher education, innovation, new business models, by Daniel Christian

The future of corporate innovation and entrepreneurship — from SteveBlank.com

Excerpt:

A New Strategy for Entrepreneurship in the 21^st Corporation
Yet, simply focusing on improving existing business models is not enough anymore. To assure their survival and produce satisfying growth, corporations need to invent new business models. This challenge requires entirely new organizational structures and skills.

Also see:

strategyzer.com

Tagged with: corporate / business world • experimentation • higher education • innovation • new business models • new business models in he

Higher education’s perfect storm — viewed from other angles

On 12/13/2012, in budgets, business side of he, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, experimentation, game-changing environment, legislatures / government / legal, new business models, reinvent, staying relevant, surviving, by Daniel Christian

Addendum on 12/14/12:

Big construction costs, MOOC disruption mean ominous cocktail for higher ed — from educationdive.com by Davide Savenije
Dive Summary:
- After years of aggressive expansion efforts, higher education is facing the consequences — according to Moody’s, overall debt levels for rated institutions more than doubled from 2000 to 2011 while donations and investments shrank by more than 40% relative to the debt.
- While debt has swiftly reached a tipping point for universities, they are not alone — the total amount of student debt currently exceeds $1 trillion and nearly one in every six borrowers’ student loan balance is in default.
- Experts and school officials are predicting an imminent reshaping of the field of higher education — Harvard’s annual fiscal report claims “the need for change is clear” as institutions face a decreased “ability to generate […] new resources”.
- As prospective students become aware of the decreasing value of the higher ed degree, the sudden emergence of MOOCs are becoming an increasingly viable and economically-friendly alternative.

From DSC:
We had better step up the pace of innovating/experimenting – and move to do so quickly. But the problem is, moving quickly is not in the cultures of most of the more traditional institutions of higher education.

Also relevant:

As debt rises and job prospects dim, some say it’s time to put a warning label on graduate school — from The Chronicle by Stacey Patton
This isn’t just the year of the massive open online course; it’s also the year of two other hot topics in higher education—student debt and a barren job market for graduating students.

Tagged with: budgetary • business side of he • cost of getting an education • culture • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • disruption • experimentation • new business models in he • perfect storm • reinvent • staying relevant • strategy

Dual transformation — a strategy for those of us working within higher ed to consider

On 12/13/2012, in business side of he, changing business models, dangers of the status quo, disruption, experimentation, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, leadership, reinvent, staying relevant, strategy, surviving, by Daniel Christian

Tagged with: business side of he • change • dangers of the status quo • disruption • experimentation • game-changing environment • innovation • leadership • new business models in he • staying relevant • strategy

From DSC:
Some reflections on New platform lets professors set prices for their online courses — from InsideHigherEd.com by Jeffrey R. Young

Excerpt:

Professors typically don’t worry about what price point a course will sell at, or what amenities might attract a student to pick one course over another. But a new online platform, Professor Direct, lets instructors determine not only how much to charge for such courses, but also how much time they want to devote to services like office hours, online tutorials, and responding to students’ e-mails.

The new service is run by StraighterLine, a company that offers online, self-paced introductory courses. Unlike massive open online courses, or MOOC’s, StraighterLine’s courses aren’t free. But tuition is lower than what traditional colleges typically charge—the company calls its pricing “ultra-affordable.” A handful of colleges accept StraighterLine courses for transfer credit.
.

From DSC:
The power of online-based marketplaces. We’ve seen it in other industries. Are we now going to see more of this within higher education as the unbundling of higher education seems to be a possibility? Will there be an increased importance of professors’ individual brands? Could be.

From DSC:
Congrats Burck & Co. on your continued innovative thinking and business models! Way to help keep a college education accessible to many!

Tagged with: adjunct faculty • change • cost of getting an education • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • digital learning • experimentation • faculty • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • new business models in he • online learning • Walmart of Education

Also see the following items from Genius:

The New Consumer Agenda:
From authentic collaboration to small indulgences … what consumers want in 2013 and beyond, and how brands are responding.

Marketing Trends 2013+:
From black marketing to crowd creatives, brand gaming to urban formats, solomo and diffusion … what will be big in marketing in 2013

Additional notes from DSC:

With thanks going out to Mr. Jim Woods (@hyperinnovation) on twitter for this resource
The wave-related graphics above are very appropriate for our times — and I’d rather be surfing the waves then being crushed by them!

Tagged with: 21st century • business • career development • Connectivism • corporate / business world • creativity • economics/business • experimentation • game-changing environment • generational differences • global • innovation • leadership • marketing/social marketing • new business models • participation • passions • personal learning networks (PLNs) • social learning • social media • web-based collaboration • workplace

All traditional and non-traditional institutions of education should have this type of program (and more) [Christian]

On 12/07/2012, in curriculum, Daniel S. Christian, emerging technologies, experimentation, future, innovation, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Starting immediately, all traditional and non-traditional institutions of education should develop this type of program — and more — and integrate such programs into their offerings/curriculum. The targets are simply moving too fast. As such, students need to know how to constantly pulse check a variety of landscapes, develop scenarios/strategies, and then execute on those strategies. Given the pace of change, don’t expect to bat a thousand.

Reminds me of this graphic I created back in 2009:

To further support this perspective, check out the #1 item from Educause’s Learning Initiative (ELI) below:

Tagged with: curriculum • Daniel S. Christian • entrepreneurship • experimentation • future • innovation • strategy

Excerpt:

With the public’s continued focus on value and affordability, higher education finds itself at a critical juncture. Cost pressures and increased global demand for access have given rise to innovations that have unleashed new delivery models into the education marketplace. Such innovation is required if universities are to thrive, compete, and bring new relevance and meaning to the value of college in the 21st century.

Also see:

Americans believe higher education must innovate — from Northeastern News
President: Witt must adapt to survive — from springfieldnewssun.com by Tom Stafford
Excerpt:
Liberal arts colleges that ignore market realities “absolutely won’t exist in the next decade,” Wittenberg University President Laurie M. Joyner told Springfield Rotarians on Monday. But the practical or applied liberal arts education that she predicts can sustain Wittenberg will encourage deeper connections with Springfield, she said while speaking at the Hollenbeck-Bayley Conference Center, because “our students learn better when dealing with real-world problems.” A shrinking pool of price-sensitive high school graduates has combined with a bad economy to produce “the equivalent of a perfect storm for some of us,” said Joyner, who succeeded Mark Erickson on July 1.
Surviving disruption — from hbr.og by Maxwell Wessel and Clayton M. Christensen
Excerpt:
…to meet disrupters with disruption of their own, but also to guide their legacy businesses toward as healthy a future as possible.
Sanjay Sarma appointed as MIT’s first director of digital learning — from MIT by Steve Bradt
Mechanical engineering professor will shepherd efforts to integrate elements of online education into traditional MIT courses.

From DSC:
Experimentation. Innovation. Experimentation. Innovation. Fail. Fail. Succeed. Fail. Succeed. Fail.

Tagged with: 21st century • change • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • disruption • economics/business • experimentation • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • innovation • leadership • new business models in he • perfect storm • reinvent • staying relevant • strategy • surviving

Virtual U. — College of future could be come one, come all [Lewin]

On 11/21/2012, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, digital learning, experimentation, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, internet, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, online learning, trends, using teams, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
I don’t think that what we know today as “MOOCs” are anywhere’s nearly fully-baked and ready for prime time. They will be refined, altered , and new systems/software will be further developed for them. But the idea of reducing costs, increasing access, and experimenting sounds good to me! As illustrated above, the idea of “Rock Star Professor” or “Super Professor” is gaining traction. Also, note the team-based approach here.

Tagged with: 21st century • 24x7x365 • cost of getting an education • experimentation • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • innovation • internet • MOOCs • online learning • trends • Using teams • Walmart of Education • web-based collaboration

A showcase of breakthrough models in higher education [Educause]

On 11/20/2012, in changing business models, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, new business models, workplace, by Daniel Christian

A showcase of breakthrough models in higher education — from the Educause 2012 Annual Conference

Example slides:

From DSC:
Again, this topic/presentation from Educause supports the idea of developing Centers of Innovation to have a smaller, more nimble group experiment with a variety of models, methods, pedagogies, etc.

Tagged with: CFHE12 • experimentation • innovation • new business models in he • online learning • workplace

Current/Future State of Higher Education — from Educause Live by George Siemens, Andy Caulkins, Malcolm Brown

Change drivers

Globalization
Commercial/entrepreneurial activity
Funding cuts
Online learning
Unbundling of education systems
Technology advancement (mobiles)
Employment-oriented education
Big data and analytics

Net Pedagogies: New Models for Teaching & Learning

New pedagogies emerging from:
- Concerns about how well institutions are meeting their mission, on behalf of students they serve
- Pressures resulting from feeling constrained within the “Iron Triangle” of costs, access, and quality
- New technologies
How to balance personalization with competency-based pathways
How to build community among students who are geographically distant and proceeding at different rates (a different cohort dynamic taking place here)
Personalized learning divisions/groups
Innovation labs <– From DSC: This lines up nicely with my posting here

Entrepreneurship

Deborah Quazzo, GSV Advisors
Velocity of change
e-books up
200K education apps
98% of students own some sort of device
Coursera — 33 partners, 1.7 million students
13% of students now at for-profits
The Bear Story
- Readiness — freshmen often needing remediation
- Completion rates
- Cost
- Career
Venture capital and startups increasing
What’s driving investment
- Funding issues
- Accountability
- Technology
- Consumer choice
Waves of HE innovation
“Traditional institutions are not standing still”
Higher ed arms race — online program delivery (tuition-based) / MOOC (free)
Growth in MOOC students — .51 in Fall 2011, 2.79 in Fall 2012; 447% growth rate
Need to increase learning outcomes, access, capacity, and decrease costs

Big Data & Analytics

Erik Duval, Simon Buckingham Shum, Caroline Haythornthwaite
State of learning analytics
- Open analytics
- Standards
- Methods and metrics
- Impact on learner success
- Early risk detection
- Common language
- Institutional use of analytics
- Planning and deployment of LA
- Move from concept to application
Participation wall seems to be occurring 30-40% of the time into the course
762 tweets, 305 links, 172 RTs, 244 Unique Twitter accounts

Leadership in Education

James Hilton
- Characterizing change
- Not a linear system often times; instead, an emergent change; not always orderly and linear
- Unknown end point
- Adjust as you go
- Adjust fundamental conditions
  - 2 fundamental forces in HE
  - Commoditization
  - Unbundling
- “Find your North Star”
George Mehaffy
- Challenge and change article
- Massive change and great uncertainty
- Technology changes everything
- Traditional institutions loss of control
- Students abilities to interact and learn without mediating
- “Outsiders” becoming players
- Venture capital
- Models of college changing
- Course models
- Data analytics
- Cost discrepancies
- Measuring success
- Loss of credentialing monopoly
- Leadership vacuum
- Change is rapid, profound, emergent
- We need to rethink HE leadership model
- We need to rethink HE in many fundamental dimensions
- Now is the time for bold, imaginative, entrepreneurial leadership

Distributed Research

Traditional methods of sharing research, established centuries ago
Need to re-imagine those methods and generate higher, faster, better outcomes from research
Challenges: pace, dissemination, incentive to collaborate
Opportunities: immediacy, openness, new/richer tools and indicators, unprecedented progress

Still some challenges in offering a MOOC-based course:

Skillset development
Getting participants orientated to the course
Technological glitches

Other resources/links:

How to Succeed in a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) — from learningsolutionsmag.com by Apostolos Koutropoulos & Rebecca J. Hogue
Mindmap of course — from Claudia Scholz
NextGenLearning.org
Mark Hahnel — figshare.org — research
altmetrics.org/manifesto

Tagged with: business side of he • change • colleges • community college • experimentation • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • innovation • internet • learning ecosystem • MOOCs • new business models in he • online learning • pace of change • social learning • twitter • universities • Walmart of Education • web-based collaboration

The need for “Centers of Innovation” within each institution of higher education [Christian]

On 11/19/2012, in change, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, experimentation, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, organizational change, reinvent, social learning / networks, staying relevant, strategy, surviving, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Mr. Rob Bobeldyk and I were brainstorming last week about the need to create A Center for Innovation — a smaller organization within our overall organization — that can be far more nimble and responsive. Such a Center could be:

Constantly pulse-checking the relevant landscapes (technological, pedagogical, business models, other)
Researching potential approaches
Experimenting
Innovating
Failing
Succeeding some of the time — and handing off/transitioning the projects that gain traction to others in the larger organization (which may require building some new groups and/or departments at that point)

As I discovered HBR’s interview with John Kotter today, I felt our idea/direction/brainstorming is heading in the right direction!

That is, we are trying to keep the plane in flight while making some significant changes. Put another way, we are trying to keep the bread and butter in tact while experimenting with new business models and/or new products and services.

Kotter’s “Dual Operating System” affirms that a new/smaller/more nimble organization is appropriate. Here are some graphics of Kotter’s “dual operating system”:

The work of Christensen, Horn, and Johnson is highly-relevant here as well:

Disrupting Class
Disrupting College
The Innovator’s Dilemna

Addendums on 11/20/12:

TEDx Mid Atlantic

Tagged with: CFHE12 • change • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • experimentation • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • organizational change • reinvent • social networking • staying relevant • strategy

Reflections on “Spanish MOOC”

On 11/16/2012, in dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, elearning, experimentation, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, ideas, innovation, languages and translation, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, real-world assignments, reinvent, staying relevant, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
I wonder how MOOCs focused on language will go…? It could be great to practice a language from folks all around the world — or will it be chaotic? Different accents. Real-world speaking and listening. Real world conflict, perhaps, as well. But it seems like there could be some effective learning going on — at least “on paper”. I wonder, too, if 1/2 of the time folks could speak one language — and would be the students during that part of the class — while the other 1/2 of the time they speak another language — and would be the “teachers.”

And for yet another item on innovation within higher ed! Whew!

Excelsior College and three California Community Colleges offer credit for professor-less MOOC — from online colleges.com by Alex Wukman
Excerpt:
Excelsior College has partnered with San Diego City College, San Diego Miramar College, and Santa Rosa Junior College to offer credit for a professor-less, or mechanical, massive open online course (MOOC). The course, an introduction to statistics class, is being developed by the 20 Million Minds Foundation and the online learning community OpenStudy.

Tagged with: dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • e-learning • experimentation • future of higher education • game-changing environment • Global learning • ideas • innovation • languages • MOOCs • new business models in he • real-world assignments • reinvent • staying relevant • translation • Walmart of Education • web-based collaboration

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