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The year ahead in IT, 2013 [Gonick]

On 01/11/2013, in business side of he, experimentation, future of higher education, game-changing environment, IT in HE, leadership, using teams, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian
The year ahead in IT, 2013 — from InsideHigherEd.com by Lev Gonick

Excerpt (emphasis by DSC):

The functional organization model makes it increasingly more difficult for IT on campus to be a meaningful partner and contributor to the strategic future of the University if and as it gets painted into the corner of being an expensive infrastructure cost center.

The alternative models to the functionally organized IT organization are many. The challenge for IT leaders is to cede a modicum of control and embrace the need to experiment in new, more porous, organizational models that facilitate and support the co-production of innovative solutions that meet the needs of higher education moving forward. Becoming a solutions-focused and internal consulting organization is at the core of what I take to be the opportunity for IT in higher education.

From DSC:

If other staff, faculty, students, and members of administration see everyone from the IT Department — and the IT Department as a whole — as only the folks who “install Microsoft Word and keep my PC running” — then we are in for some real trouble ahead. 

Endeavors originating out of — or significantly enabled by the IT department — have the potential to create massive new revenue streams. For example, this can be seen in  the growth of online learning these last few years and will most likely be true (at least in a significant part) for what MOOCs morph into.

Taking a cue from other industries that have gone to bat against the Internet, if you were the person in charge of picking members of the team that’s responsible for the future vision and strategies of your organization, who would you pick to be on your team?

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Just ahead: The robotics revolution [Pine]

On 01/09/2013, in 21st century, career development, economics, future, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, reinvent, robotics, society, staying relevant, strategy, vision/possibilities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Just ahead: The robotics revolution — from kiplinger.com by Art Pine; with thanks going out to Erik Brynjolfsson (@erikbryn) for his posting on Twitter re: this
The U.S. is on the cusp of an explosion in robotics that will have a significant impact on business and the economy over the next decade. Here’s how it will affect you.

Excerpt:

The use of robotics in manufacturing and service industries is expected to mushroom over the next 10 to 15 years, forcing significant changes in the way many companies do business, and posing opportunities — and problems — for workers.

 

From DSC:
I don’t mean to be negative here…but…are we leaving a large swath of people behind?  If many people don’t like learning — as evidenced by the dropout rates across the United States — the mountains will be much harder to climb in terms of helping people reinvent themselves as these events/trends take place.  The ramifications are immense and affect all of us!

What SHOULD these things mean for K-12? Higher education? The corporate training departments?

 

 

 

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Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States [Babson Survey Research Group and the College Board]

On 01/09/2013, in colleges, community colleges, higher education, online learning, trends, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States [Babson Survey Research Group and the College Board]

 

I. Elaine Allen, PhD | Jeff Seaman, PhD
Co-Directors, The Babson Survey Research Group
Babson College
Babson Park, MA 02457-9985

January 2013

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Experiment: Innovate with Apple’s continually-developing ecosystem [Christian]

On 01/07/2013, in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, Apple, Bring your own device (BYOD), Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital textbooks, digital video, e-books, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), e-readers, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, experimentation, future of higher education, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, internet, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning spaces, machine-to-machine communications, mirroring and/or multiple devices, mobile learning, multi-touch, multimedia, online learning, platforms, publishing, smart classrooms, smart/connected TV, social learning / networks, strategy, tablets, television, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
The other day, I mentioned how important it will be for institutions of higher education to increase the priority of experimentation. Clicking on the graphic below will give you an example of the kind of vision/experiment that I’m talking about.

(Though, more practically speaking, to operationalize this type of vision would actually require a series of much smaller experiments; I just wanted to present the overall vision of how these pieces might fit together).

 

DanielChristian--Jan2013-Experiment-with-Apples-Ecosystem

NOTE:
This 11″x17″ image is a 10MB PDF file, so it may take some time to appear.
Feel free to right-click on the graphic in order to download/save/print the file as well.

 

Also relevant is this upcoming event from educause:

 

1/8/13 addendum resulting from a Tweet from a great colleague, Mr. Travis LaFleur (@travislafleur), UX Designer at BiggsGilmore

 

 

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Federal report highlights the economic case for higher education [educause.edu]

On 01/04/2013, in corporate / business world, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, economics, higher education, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, society, by Daniel Christian

Federal report highlights the economic case for higher education — from educause.edu by Jaret Cummings

Excerpt:

The U.S. Departments of The Treasury and Education recently announced the release of a joint report highlighting the economic value of higher education achievement for individuals and the country as a whole. Entitled The Economics of Higher Education, the report confirms the continuing importance of postsecondary success to economic progress, including key findings such as the following…

From DSC:
Much of this is great — no doubt about it!  Now, the question is, how do we make higher education more accessible/affordable yet still maintain the quality? Along these lines, see:

After housing and the stock market, is higher education the next bubble to burst? — from forbes.com by Avi Dan

Excerpt:

Few industries today have a worse business model than higher learning institutions.

Simply put, colleges are slowly pricing themselves out of existence. Tuition has consistently increased faster than inflation and household income, to the point that it is now four times more expensive to attend college than it was a generation ago. The result is that the average college senior carries $25,000 in student loans at graduations. The debt can follow students around for years, sometimes to the end of time, literally: $36 billion in loan debt is held by people over 60-years old!

 

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NMC Horizon Report — Preview of the 2013 Higher Education Edition

On 12/27/2012, in education technology, emerging technologies, future of higher education, higher education, by Daniel Christian

NMC2013Preview

 

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Accreditation actions increased during financial downturn [Kelderman]

On 12/19/2012, in accreditation, change, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, by Daniel Christian

Accreditation actions increased during financial downturn — from The Chronicle by Eric Kelderman

Excerpt:

“Not long ago, accreditation sanctions were rare. Now, in response to growing government criticism of poor disclosure about quality, pricing, and outcomes, as well as inefficient cost management, accreditors are taking more aggressive and quicker actions to bolster their role in demonstrating quality and performance standards in U.S. higher education,” the report says.

The main reasons for the actions are, not surprisingly, financial troubles for colleges struggling with endowment losses, cuts in state appropriations, and the growing institutional costs of student financial aid. But accreditors are also focusing more attention on outcomes, including assessing student learning and graduation rates, the report says.

From DSC:
If the public wants change in higher ed, I might suggest starting with changing who is on the accreditation teams.  Historically speaking, things don’t seem to have changed that much with all insiders on these teams. 

(I wondered when these agencies were going to start sensing some heat in their kitchens.  If I could make at least one prediction for 2013, it’s that the temperatures in those kitchens are going to go up in 2013. I’ll probably make more predictions, but I think that one is low-hanging fruit!)

 

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Reflections on “If you build it, debt will come.”

On 12/17/2012, in budgets, business side of he, Daniel S. Christian, faith, future of higher education, hearts -- matters of the heart, higher education, United States, by Daniel Christian

If you build it, debt will come — a solid article from quickanded.com by Jeff Selingo

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

When we read or hear stories in the news media these days about debt in higher education, we typically assume they are about the trillion dollars in student loans held by college graduates and their families.

But last week The New York Times put the spotlight on an often ignored angle to questions of debt in higher education: the amount of money owed by colleges and universities themselves.

“The pile of debt — $205 billion outstanding in 2011 at the colleges rated by Moody’s — comes at a time of increasing uncertainty in academia,” Andrew Martin of The Times wrote in a front-page story.

…

Yet judging from the college officials quoted in The Times story, it seems they still don’t get that the financial model in higher education is forever changing. They still seem to believe that the model that has carried them for decades will continue.

The history of the United States is littered with industries that had similar hubris in the years or decade before they underwent massive change. Higher education is following that well-worn path.

 

Also see:

 

From DSC:
I must confess that I really appreciate the new or significantly enhanced buildings on our campus (which was done via a successful campaign).  However, I created the graphic below to encourage our  development group and other such departments across the country — as well as the donors of those institutions — to also:

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Daniel S. Christian - Think Virtual -- April 2012

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When I created that graphic, I had the words of Steve Jobs in mind.  Jobs specifically wanted Apple’s campaign from years ago to say, “Think different” (not think differently…as that changes the meaning, he asserted); along those lines, I’m suggesting, “Think virtual.”

An additional note for folks who are interested in the Bible:

  •  After reading John 4 (the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well), I could just hear the LORD saying…hmmm…nope…ultimately, you need to think spiritual.

 

 

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The Perfect Storm in Higher Ed has been amassed; change is in the air. [Christian]

On 12/17/2012, in budgets, business side of he, changing business models, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, economics, education reform, experimentation, future of higher education, game-changing environment, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, new business models, staying relevant, strategy, student-related, surviving, United States, by Daniel Christian

Combine the trends listed in this graphic:

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Trends-ReportFromDeptOfEdu-2012

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

 

…with the next several graphics…

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

 

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The middle class falls further behind

 

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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.

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***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 21st 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.

 

Strategyzer-BusModelInnovation-2012

 

Also see:

strategyzer.com

TheBusinessModelCanvas-2012

 

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Are we moving more towards a world where professors represent their own brands…?

On 12/13/2012, in adjunct faculty, change, colleges, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, disruption, elearning, experimentation, faculty, future of higher education, game-changing environment, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, lifelong learning, marketing/social marketing, marketplaces, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, online learning, by Daniel Christian

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.
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StraighterLine-ProfsDirectlyToStudents-12-12-12

 

 

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.

The Power of Online Exchanges

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DanielChristian-The-unbundling-of-higher-education

 

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

 

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My notes on yesterday’s Kaltura Education Video Summit [Christian]

On 12/07/2012, in Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, digital video, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, new business models, professional development, tools, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

 

Excerpts from John Katzman’s Keynote:
Higher ed is made up of a series of smaller markets — niches [From DSC: What’s your niche?]

  • Elite level
  • Mid level
  • Entry level

Might have 2-3 high quality programs; and many smaller programs with lower production levels.

Fewer players of larger size

Consolidation is going to occur w/in higher ed. Besides consolidation, there will be collaboration/pooling of resources, and/or the hollowing out within higher ed.

 

From DSC:
Not that this is new…but looking at the above image, I wonder if more 100% online-based courses and schools will adopt this sort of “space”/interface as a sort of entryway into their institution’s materials.

 

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Example of pooling resources and using tech to cut costs — “From Boardroom to Classroom” [Tilsley]

On 12/07/2012, in budgets, consortiums, education technology, higher education, innovation, strategy, student-related, videoconferencing, by Daniel Christian

From Boardroom to Classroom — from insidehighered.com by Alexandra Tilsley

Excerpt:

By joining forces, the three universities hope to leverage the languages they don’t all have, affording students more options, and to deepen existing programs by, for example, facilitating collaboration between instructors of the same language at different institutions.

 

 

From DSC:
Higher-level courses at smaller colleges might want to look at this as well.  If an economically-feasible minimum threshold can’t be reached on one campus, open it up to a consortium of institutions (similar to Semester Online).

 

 

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Review and discovery sites for MOOCs [edSurge]

On 12/06/2012, in disruption, higher education, innovation, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Excerpt from edSurge’s 12-4-12 newsletter:

SO HOW WAS THAT MOOC FOR YA? First come the MOOCs, then come the reviews. First out of the box: Founded just six months ago, Knollop is a Yelp-like review and discovery site for MOOCs. It boasts courses from nine MOOCs: including Khan Academy, MIT, and Harvard, as well as favorites like edX, Udacity, and Coursera.

But Knollop has competition. A mere seven weeks ago, serial entrepreneur Jesse Spaulding (LunchTree, FourTonight) launched a rival site called CourseTalk. While CourseTalk features many of the same features as Knollop, it lists just 276 courses to Knollop’s 2,835.

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Recordings/presentations from COHERE 2012 [Canada’ s Collaboration for Online Higher Education & Research]

On 12/06/2012, in blended learning, Canada, higher education, hybrid learning, online learning, professional development, by Daniel Christian

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