future of higher education

Ebyline launches online content marketplace

On 09/13/2010, in business, future of higher education, internet, journalism, publishing, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Again we see the power of the Internet to set up exchanges and to innovate around/personalize methods of providing information. I post this because:

1) I’m interested in journalism;
2) I’m interested in new business models and how the Internet impacts business models;
3) The same type of dynamic/thing may occur w/in higher education. So this is something we should be taking pulse checks on in the future.

Also see:

Ebyline launches online content marketplace
Ebyline Launches News Content Marketplace Exclusive to Publishers and Professional Journalists; Economic Model Rewards High-Quality Reporting, Reduces Operational Costs

Tagged with: business • exchanges • future of higher education • internet • journalism • new publishing models

Tagged with: 1:1 • 24x7x365 • budgetary • cost of getting an education • course redesign • curriculum • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • disruption • education reform • educational technology • engaging students • future of higher education • game-changing environment • Global learning • higher education • information overload • Keeping students engaged • leadership • learning ecosystem • Mobile learning • multimedia • new business models in he • ocw • online learning • open • Open Learning Network (OLN) • perfect storm • strategy • student expectations • student-related • surviving • traditional • ubiquitous learning • United States • willingness

Tagged with: Apple • blended learning • convergence • digital learning • digital textbooks • disruption • educational gaming • educational technology • exchanges • future of higher education • game-changing environment • interactivity • learning ecosystem • learning objects • multimedia • new publishing models • online learning • online media • podcasting • vodcasting

New Business Models for Higher Education

On 08/27/2010, in business side of he, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, new business models, traditional / tradition, by Daniel Christian

New Business Models for Higher Education — from David Collis, Yale University [via Educause]

Collis assesses the new higher education marketplace, replete with distance learning courses offered online. He reviews the business models of dozens of for-profit Internet based firms entering the higher education market, compares their strategies with those of traditional colleges and universities, and projects the effects of the new entrants on established institutions. Collis concludes that the new firms will move more quickly along a technology-enabled learning trajectory, which in the end will put them at a distinct advantage when they move from their most common point of entry — the corporate market — into the traditional higher education realm.

Tagged with: educational technology • for-profits • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • innovation • new business models in he • traditional

The Chronicle’s Almanac of Higher Education 2010

On 08/25/2010, in future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, by Daniel Christian

Tagged with: future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education

Academic Bankruptcy

On 08/24/2010, in business side of he, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, future of higher education, game-changing environment, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, by Daniel Christian

Academic Bankruptcy – NY Times Opinion — by Mark Taylor, Chairman of the religion department at Columbia University and the author of the forthcoming “Crisis on Campus: A Bold Plan for Reforming Our Colleges and Universities.”

With the academic year about to begin, colleges and universities, as well as students and their parents, are facing an unprecedented financial crisis. What we’ve seen with California’s distinguished state university system — huge cutbacks in spending and a 32 percent rise in tuition — is likely to become the norm at public and private colleges. Government support is being slashed, endowments and charitable giving are down, debts are piling up, expenses are rising and some schools are selling their product for two-thirds of what it costs to produce it. You don’t need an M.B.A. to know this situation is unsustainable.

With unemployment soaring, higher education has never been more important to society or more widely desired. But the collapse of our public education system and the skyrocketing cost of private education threaten to make college unaffordable for millions of young people. If recent trends continue, four years at a top-tier school will cost $330,000 in 2020, $525,000 in 2028 and $785,000 in 2035.

Tagged with: budgetary • business side of he • cost of getting an education • future of higher education • game-changing environment • perfect storm • Walmart of Education

A quote re: a piece of the perfect storm in higher ed…

On 08/24/2010, in budgets, business side of he, dangers of the status quo, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, new business models, by Daniel Christian

“While I still haven’t given up on state government’s role in supporting public higher education,” [Boise State University President Bob Kustra] said, “with each passing year I see more clearly that the funding of higher education as we experienced it in the past will not be replicated in future years.” Boise State needs to re-examine the business model universities use and construct a new one, according to Kustra.

— from What’s next for Boise State?: Kustra asks for a new business model at State of the University Address

Tagged with: budgetary • business side of he • dangers of the status quo • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • new business models in he • perfect storm

Are there lessons here for institutions of higher ed?

On 08/23/2010, in budgets, business side of he, change, changing business models, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, future of higher education, game-changing environment, innovation, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, by Daniel Christian

BlackBerry crumble: Why RIM is in trouble — from cnn.com

chart_ws_stock_researchinmotionltd.top.png

BlackBerry’s biggest problem: The app gap (From DSC: RIM didn’t build the infrastructure / ecosystem necessary to compete)
With that in mind, some worry that there are eerie similarities between Research in Motion and Palm, the once-hot smartphone maker that failed to keep up with Apple, Research in Motion and others.

After Palm’s Pre phone flopped, the company’s stock took a nasty dive and some feared that it may not have enough cash to make it for the long-term. Hewlett-Packard finally stepped in and agreed to buy the company earlier this year, however.

Chris Bulkey, an analyst with Technology Research Group in Narberth, Pa., said Research in Motion could suffer the same fate. For now, the company’s sales and profits are still growing, but the pace is slowing.

And without a hot product on the horizon, Bulkey, who has a “sell” rating on the stock, said it’s hard to envision a bright future for Research in Motion.

“Research in Motion sells a commoditized product. There is margin pressure and the revenue growth is weak,” Bulkey said. “Over the long-term, they may need someone to bail them out like HP did with Palm if they see value in the technology.”

From DSC:
Along these lines…I recently received a call from a colleague who mentioned that Novell has recently been pushing their new videoconferencing product…hmmm…WAAAAAYYY too late to the game in my opinion. Here is a company who could have dominated the web-based videoconferencing and collaboration space — had they been able to innovate better and to think just a tad outside their normal LAN box.

If what we are offering in higher ed is a commodity…we had better look out! Times ahead will be very rough indeed. That’s why I have been preaching innovation, change, the dangers of the status quo, planning for the “Forthcoming Walmart of Education” and trying to create a strategy whereby we are not a commodity — as we all must bring something unique and compelling to the table.

Tagged with: adding value/not a commodity • budgetary • business side of he • change • cost of getting an education • dangers of the status quo • future of higher education • game-changing environment • innovation • new business models in he • perfect storm • Walmart of Education

innovations.helixhighered.com

On 08/23/2010, in change, changing business models, disruption, future of higher education, higher education, leadership, strategy, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

HELIX Innovations Collection Press Release

A NEW, CROWDSOURCED RESOURCE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION PRACTITIONERS, RESEARCHERS, AND POLICY MAKERS HIGHLIGHTS POSTSECONDARY INNOVATION
The Higher Education Leadership and Innovation eXchange Launches the HELIX Innovations Collection

Boston, Massachusetts – August 19, 2010 – The Higher Education Leadership and Innovation eXchange announces the launch of their online, crowdsourced resource HELIX Innovations Collection at http://innovations.helixhighered.com. The Innovations Collection is intended to spark conversation about new ideas and promising practices for the next generation of higher education.

“The Collection invites higher education practitioners, researchers, and policy makers to make their voices heard and speak out about potential solutions to the challenges faced by the education field today,” said Jim Woodell, HELIX co-founder. “True innovation is open. We created the HELIX Innovations Collection to allow everyone concerned with improving higher education to share and comment on innovative solutions.”

Applying the interactive potential of Web 2.0 technologies to problems in higher education provides the opportunity to share innovations quickly, identify their potential, and refine them with the help of peers worldwide. Visitors to the Collection can suggest innovative solutions, comment on suggested ideas, and rate an idea’s potential to influence the field along several ‘innovation dimensions’.

“It is our hope that the innovations which receive broad support and fine-tuning by the ‘crowd’ will be picked up by practitioners in the field and discussed, piloted, and perhaps even implemented by their home institutions. We hope that true linkages between and among research, policy, and practice will be forged from such collaborative efforts,” said HELIX co-founder Greg Lamontagne.

About the Higher Education Leadership & Innovation eXchange (HELIX)
HELIX is a networking and information sharing resource for Higher Education research, policy, and practice. Founded in 2010 by Jim Woodell and Greg Lamontagne, HELIX is located in Boston Massachusetts. More information is available at http://www.helixhighered.com.

Tagged with: change • disruption • future of higher education • higher education • leadership • new business models in he • strategy • web-based collaboration

A discussion re: higher education on this morning’s Diane Rhem show

On 08/17/2010, in adjunct faculty, business side of he, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, education reform, faculty, higher education, leadership, liberal arts, by Daniel Christian

Two professors examine the American higher education system and explain how students and parents can get the most for their money.

Andrew Hacker
Professor of Political Science at Queens College, New York, and co-author of “Higher Education? How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids – And What We Can Do About It”

Mark Taylor
Chair of the Department of Religion at Columbia University, professor of philosophy of religion at Union Theological Seminary, and professor emeritus of humanities at Williams College. His latest book is titled, “Crisis on Campus: A Bold Plan for Reforming our Colleges and Universities.”

Related Items

Crisis on Campus: A Bold Plan for Reforming Our Colleges and Universities

Higher Education?: How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids—and What We Can Do About It

Tagged with: adjunct faculty • business side of he • cost of getting an education • dangers of the status quo • education reform • faculty • future of higher education • leadership • liberal arts

Buffett, Gates persuade 40 billionaires to donate half of wealth — from OregonLive.com

SEATTLE — Forty wealthy families and individuals have joined Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffett in a pledge to give at least half their wealth to charity.

Those who have joined the Giving Pledge, as listed on its website, are: Paul G. Allen, Laura and John Arnold, Michael R. Bloomberg, Eli and Edythe Broad, Warren Buffett, Michele Chan and Patrick Soon-Shiong, Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg, Ann and John Doerr, Larry Ellison, Bill and Melinda Gates, Barron Hilton, Jon and Karen Huntsman, Joan and Irwin Jacobs, George B. Kaiser, Elaine and Ken Langone, Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest, Lorry I. Lokey, George Lucas, Alfred E. Mann, Bernie and Billi Marcus, Thomas S. Monaghan, Tashia and John Morgridge, Pierre and Pam Omidyar, Bernard and Barbro Osher, Ronald O. Perelman, Peter G. Peterson, T. Boone Pickens, Julian H. Robertson Jr., David Rockefeller, David M. Rubenstein, Herb and Marion Sandler, Vicki and Roger Sant, Walter Scott Jr., Jim and Marilyn Simons, Jeff Skoll, Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor, Jim and Virginia Stowers, Ted Turner, Sanford and Joan Weill and Shelby White.

From DSC:
This is fantastic news! Excellent. I’m a big supporter of various charities myself — albeit with far fewer O’s ($$) behind the amounts of my checks than what these folks are able to provide! 🙂 But it got me to thinking…

If the United States government — or the government from another interested nation — could even get 1-2 billion of this enormous accumulation of wealth, think what could be done to create interactive, multimedia-based, engaging, customized/personalized, online learning-based materials that could be offered FREE of charge to various age groups/cognitive levels. Creative simulations and animations could be built and offered — free of charge — to students throughout the world. The materials would be available on a variety of devices for maximum flexibility (laptops, notebooks, iPads, iPhones, tablet PCs, workstations, etc.)

An amazing amount of digital scaffolding could be provided on a variety of disciplines. THIS could represent the Walmart of Education that I’ve been talking about…wow!

Tagged with: budgetary • business side of he • cost of getting an education • costs • disruption • educational technology • engagement • engaging students • future of higher education • game-changing environment • Global learning • internet • Keeping students engaged • leadership • learning objects • multimedia • new business models in he • ocw • online learning • strategy • student-related • Walmart of Education

Ready or not, here they come.

On 08/12/2010, in 21st century, change, dangers of the status quo, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, by Daniel Christian

— above quotes from Creating effective digital learning environments for higher education (HP and CampusTechnology.com)

Tagged with: 21st century • change • dangers of the status quo • engagement • engaging students • future of higher education • game-changing environment • generational differences • Keeping students engaged

Gates’s millions: Can big bucks turn students into graduates?

On 08/10/2010, in budgets, colleges, community colleges, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, student-related, universities, by Daniel Christian

Gates’s millions: Can big bucks turn students into graduates? — from The Chronicle by Elyse Ashburn

Tagged with: budgetary • colleges • community college • future of higher education • game-changing environment • student-related • universities

The broken accreditation system

On 08/09/2010, in accreditation, Canada, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, by Daniel Christian

The Broken Accreditation System — Quote below from Stephen Downes
Links to an article by Ben Miller at The Quick and the Ed — dated August 6, 2010

Per Downes:
I have long said the accreditation monopoly will be ended, and though this looks like an attack on the for-profits, it is actually the first brick through the window of the accreditation system. Not that the for-profits are blameless – far from it. They have gamed the system mightily. “The first two hours of the hearing were devoted to damning undercover video of admissions counselors encouraging prospective students to lie on aid applications; inflating career earnings potential; and admitting they weren’t going to repay $85,000 of their own loan debt.” But as nothing will change the nature of the private sector, the only locus of reform will have to be the accreditation system itself. Thus we read, “there are some fundamental problems about accrediting agencies and the accrediting system that hurt its ability to provide the oversight and accountability functions we desire.” This will end only with the end of legislated accreditation, and though the government money may be harder to obtain (as, inevitably, it will be) the floodgates will be opened. It can end no other way.

From DSC:
This is yet another part of the “perfect storm” that’s brewing in higher education.

Also see:
http://www.quickanded.com/2010/08/the-broken-accreditation-system.html

Tagged with: accreditation • Canada • future of higher education • game-changing environment

Bill Gates: In five years the best education will come from the web

On 08/09/2010, in disruption, future of higher education, game-changing environment, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, by Daniel Christian

Bill Gates: In five years the best education will come from the web — from TechCrunch.com by MG Siegler

Bill Gates thinks something is going to die too.

No, it’s not physical books like Nicholas Negroponte — instead, Gates thinks the idea of young adults having to go to universities in order to get an education is going to go away relatively soon. Well, provided they’re self-motivated learners.

“Five years from now on the web for free you’ll be able to find the best lectures in the world,” Gates said at the Techonomy conference in Lake Tahoe, CA today. “It will be better than any single university,” he continued.

He believes that no matter how you came about your knowledge, you should get credit for it. Whether it’s an MIT degree or if you got everything you know from lectures on the web, there needs to be a way to highlight that.

He made sure to say that educational institutions are still vital for children, K-12. He spoke glowingly about charter schools, where kids can spend up to 80% of their time deeply engaged with learning.

But college needs to be less “place-based,” according to Gates. Well, except for the parties, he joked.

But his overall point is that it’s just too expensive and too hard to get these upper-level educations. And soon place-based college educations will be five times less important than they are today.

From DSC:
One could argue that Bill’s background is very different than most people…and that would be true. One could also argue that such a view is an exaggeration of what may actually occur — and you’d probably be right again.

However, such arguments miss the point. We are in a game-changing environment and planning now for the major disruptions already underway is a wise move. There is a perfect storm that has been forming — with trends/pressures from the worlds of technology, economics/business, education, demography, sociology, and more — that won’t be disappearing any time soon.

Glenn Harlan Reynolds’ article from yesterday is worth checking out for some practical advice here.

Tagged with: future of higher education • game-changing environment • Walmart of Education

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