On 05/21/2013,
in Asia, dangers of the status quo, experimentation, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, innovation, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, new business models,
by Daniel Christian
EdX Expands xConsortium to Asia and doubles in size with addition of 15 new global institutions — from prnewswire.com
From MOOC platform edX announces 15 new university partners (from educationdive.com)
These are the new partner institutions:
- The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (HKUx)
- Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong (HKUSTx)
- Kyoto University, Japan (KyotoUx)
- Peking University, Beijing, China (PekingX)
- Seoul National University, South Korea (SNUx)
- Tsinghua University, Beijing, China (TsinghuaX)
- The University of Queensland in Australia (UQx)
- Karolinska Institutet, Sweden (KIx)
- Universite catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (LouvainX)
- Technische Universitat Munchen, Germany (TUMx)
- Berklee College of Music, Boston, Mass. (BerkleeX)
- Boston University, Boston, Mass. (BUx)
- Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. (CornellX)
- Davidson College, Davidson, N.C. (DavidsonX)
- University of Washington, Seattle (UWashingtonX)
On 05/21/2013,
in colleges, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, leadership, reinvent, staying relevant, strategy, surviving, universities, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
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Excerpt:
As the nation struggles to find new ways to increase college access and completion rates while lowering costs, a handful of “Next Generation Universities” are embracing key strategies that make them models for national reform. The report The Next Generation University comes at a time when too many public universities are failing to respond to the nation’s higher education crisis. Rather than expanding enrollment and focusing limited dollars on the neediest of students, many institutions are instead restricting enrollments and encouraging the use of student-aid dollars on merit awards. But, according to the report, some schools are breaking the mold by boldly restructuring operating costs and creating clear, accelerated pathways for students.
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Download the full report here.
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In addition to the report, see:
- Technology and the Next Generation University, New America’s Rachel Fishman explores the barriers to technology-enhanced education and presents promising practices Next Generation Universities employ to overcome them.
. - In Formation of the Next Generation University: Role of State and System Policy, HCM Strategists’ Iris Palmer, Kristin Conklin, and Nate Johnson explore how transfer policy, financial aid, net price, performance funding and the K-12 pipeline affect Next Generation Universities within their state context. It makes recommendations for state and higher-education system policymakers on how to ensure public institutions are meeting the needs of the state.
. - HCM Strategists, in conjunction with the release of The Next Generation University developed a new interactive tool: Next Generation Universities: Select Dimensions of Research University Output, Productivity and Efficiency 2006-2011
Also see:
- What happens when 2 colleges become one — from chronicle.com by Ricardo Azziz
Excerpt:
Earlier this year, Moody’s Investors Service released its annual assessment of higher education in the United States, a report that viewed the sector’s short-term outlook as largely negative amid growing economic pressures. The analysts, however, applauded the efforts of a few states that were trying to merge or consolidate campuses because such efforts “foster operating efficiencies and reduce costs amid declining state support.”
On 05/08/2013,
in adjunct faculty, change, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, education reform, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, hearts -- matters of the heart, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, more voice more choice more control, motivation, pace of change, passions, personalized/customized learning, real-world assignments, reinvent, staying relevant, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning,
by Daniel Christian
Also, from Steve Wheeler’s Are you a meerkat or an ostrich?
Etienne Wenger recently declared: ‘If any institutions are going to help learners with the real challenges they face…(they) will have to shift their focus from imparting curriculum to supporting the negotiation of productive identities through landscapes of practice’ (Wenger, 2010).
We live in uncertain times, where we cannot be sure how the economy is going to perform today, let alone predict what kind of jobs there will be for students when they graduate in a few years time. How can we prepare students for a world of work that doesn’t yet exist? How can we help learners to ready themselves for employment that is shifting like the sand, and where many of the jobs they will be applying for when they leave university probably don’t exist yet? It’s a conundrum many faculty and lecturers are wrestling with, and one which many others are ignoring in the hope that the problem will simply go away. Whether we are meerkats, looking out and anticipating the challenges, or ostriches burying our heads in the sand, the challenge remains, and it is growing stronger.
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Also see:
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Also see:
- The Nature of the Future: The Socialstructed World — from nextberlin.eu by Marina Gorbis, Institute for the Future
Marina Gorbis, Executive Director of the Institute for the Future (iftf.org) discussed the evolution of communication and its consequences at NEXT13. She analyzed the perks and challenges of the new relationship-driven or “socialstructed” economy, stating that “humans and technology will team up”. Her new book ‘The Nature of the Future: Dispatches from the Socialstructed World’ was published in early 2013. Watch her inspiring talk on April 23, 2013 at NEXT13.
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From DSC:
My best take on this at this point:
- Give students more choice, more control of their learning
- Help them discover their gifts, abilities, talents, passions
- Help them develop their gifts, abilities, talents, passions
- Provide content in as many ways as possible — and let the students work with what they prefer to work with
- Implement story, emotion, creativity, and play as much as possible (providing plenty of chances for them to create what they want to create)
- Utilize cross-disciplinary assignments and teams
- Integrate real-world assignments/projects into the mix
- Help them develop their own businesses while they are still in school — coach them along, provide mentors, relevant blogs/websites, etc.
- Guide them as they create/develop their own “textbooks” and/or streams of content
On 04/27/2013,
in dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, IT in HE,
by Daniel Christian
The graphic below is from:
How strong is the business/IT relationship in your industry? — from Gartner.com by Mark P. McDonald; with thanks to Mr. Stephen Landry for putting this resource out on LinkedIn.
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On 04/25/2013,
in corporate / business world, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, innovation, IT in HE, leadership, organizational change, pace of change, strategy, technology (general), workplace,
by Daniel Christian
The IT conversation we should be having — from HBR.org by Jim Stikeleather
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
It is a conversation about the increasing importance of information technology and the role it must assume in every enterprise, regardless of size, industry or geography.
…
Our observations:
- CEOs are demanding more visible value from their CIOs, in terms of generating revenue, gaining new customers, and increasing customer satisfaction.
- Increasingly, the CIO and IT must be seen less as developing and deploying technology, and more as a source of innovation and transformation that delivers business value, leveraging technology instead of directly delivering it.
- The CIO must be responsible and accountable if technology enables, facilitates or accelerates competition that the C-suite didn’t see coming, or allows the enterprise to miss opportunities because the C-suite did not understand the possibilities technology offered.
- CIOs today must adapt or risk being marginalized.
From DSC:
This is critical in the higher ed space as well!
The majority of the higher education industry still isn’t getting it — we are operating in a brand new ball game where technology must be used strategically. It’s not just about building and maintaining the infrastructure/plumbing anymore (though that is extremely important as well). It’s about the strategic, innovative use of IT that counts from here on out.
On 04/24/2013,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, changing business models, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, higher education, innovation, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, lifelong learning, love of learning, more voice more choice more control, new business models, online learning, passions,
by Daniel Christian
Innovation U — from Southern New Hampshire University by Michelle E. Dunn, Editor
Excerpt:
Blowing Up the Business Model
SNHU has a history of innovation that includes establishing satellite campuses and launching a groundbreaking three-year Honors Program in Business. But more recent initiatives have placed SNHU at the forefront of a movement to fundamentally change American higher education and earned it acclaim from the noted business magazine Fast Company, which placed SNHU 12th on its recent World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies list. Ranked alongside business giants such as Apple, Google, Facebook and Starbucks, SNHU was the only university on the list.
In the Fast Company article highlighting SNHU’s forward thinking, President Paul LeBlanc acknowledged that innovation is imperative to survival in a rapidly changing higher education landscape.
“We want to create the business model that blows up our current business model,” he told the magazine, “because if we don’t, someone else will.”
…
The Innovation Lab
Imagine a new education model that would enable students to earn an SNHU associate degree for less than $3,000 per year.
Making that model a reality is the goal of the SNHU Innovation Lab, an educational incubator that is working to reduce costs, increase access and provide transformational experiences for students who have been marginalized by traditional higher education.
Established last November and staffed by four SNHU academic and technology experts, the Innovation Lab is spearheading the Pathways Project, an initiative that will seek to educate 5,000 disadvantaged students in the next five years. Slated to launch this fall, the project’s pilot degree program will apply a competency-based approach that leverages technology, community support, social networking and strong assessment.
Also see:
- Competency-based education advances with U.S. approval of program — from thechronicle.com by Marc Parry
On 04/19/2013,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, analytics, animation, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Bring your own device (BYOD), cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, convergence, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, data related items, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, e-books, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), e-readers, education, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, entrepreneurship, experimentation, flipping -- inverted learning, game-changing environment, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interactivity, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, lifelong learning, machine-to-machine communications, mirroring and/or multiple devices, mobile learning, mobile technologies, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, more voice more choice more control, multi-touch, multimedia, Near Field Communication (NFC), new business models, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, second screen apps, social learning / networks, social media, storytelling, streams of content, student-related, technologies for your home, television, transmedia, trends, TVs, ubiquitous learning, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, webinars,
by Daniel Christian
BII REPORT: Here’s why the “second screen” industry is set to explode — BusinessInsider.com
Excerpt:
Here’s why the second screen industry will ultimately succeed:
- Usage is growing rapidly
- And mass acceptance isn’t even necessary
- Second screen isn’t really a new activity
- Second screen apps and sites are bridges
From DSC:
As this article alludes to, I wouldn’t rule the living room out in terms of where interactive, multimedia-based, educationally-related, second screen-based applications will turn up (apps backed up by data mining, AI, and opportunities for social learning). This area is poised for some serious growth.
![The Living [Class] Room -- by Daniel Christian -- July 2012 -- a second device used in conjunction with a Smart/Connected TV](http://danielschristian.com/learning-ecosystems/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/The-Living-Class-Room-Daniel-S-Christian-July-2012.jpg)
On 04/19/2013,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, business, business side of he, change, changing business models, dangers of the status quo, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, innovation, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, personalized/customized learning,
by Daniel Christian
40 years coming, the revolution is here — from gettingsmart.com by Tom Vander Ark
Excerpt:
Moe sees learners creating a “personalized knowledge portfolio,” an unbundled sequence of learning experiences from multiple providers.
Moe sees an innovation ecosystem emerging, and calls it KaizenEDU. In this emerging ecosystem, it’s the “return on education” that matters. Moe argues the entrepreneurs that help create great learning gains are the ones that will create great shareholder value.
Healthcare gives us a picture of what that could mean for edtech. In 1970 there were 3 companies worth more than $1 billion. Last year, health care made up 13% of U.S. GDP and there were 398 companies with a market cap of more than $1 billion. Education is about 9% of GDP but there are only 5 public companies worth more than $1 billion. The difference is a result of dramatic under investment in R&D, but that’s changing!
…
The three emerging areas requiring more attention, according to Shelton, are early learning tools and resources, summer and out of school learning, and course redesign in higher education.
On 04/18/2013,
in change, changing business models, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, dangers of the status quo, emerging technologies, experimentation, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, learning ecosystem, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses,
by Daniel Christian
Online education for the pros: Udemy launches corporate training tools — from venturebeat.com by Christina Farr
Excerpt:
Online course providers typically target students, but Udemy is going after an underserved group: professionals.
Also, from Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie – April 18, 2013
#768 – Updates on Learning, Business & Technology
55,949 Readers – www.masie.com – twitter: emasie – The MASIE Center.
Host: TeleWork 2013 – A National Forum – www.telework2013.com
1. MOOC’s & Corporate Learning?
There is a great media interest in MOOC’s – the innovations for Massive Open Online Courses – where one instructor runs a course for thousands or tens of thousands of learners. I have been a student in three MOOC’s and a teacher/facilitator in three. Now, we are hearing from many learning colleagues about the applicability of the MOOC to workplace learning.I would urge TRENDS readers to approach MOOC’s as important beta/lab experiments – where important and cool innovations are emerging in the construction, delivery and economics of educational “packages”. My experience as a MOOC learner has been exciting and mixed. While there were over 70,000 learners in one program – very few made it to the end of the program – and fewer were fully successful from a competency point of view. It was exciting to see how learners could be co-designers of the program and many resources were developed and disseminated from the learners. Finally, there were mixed models of how well the social/collaborative side of the MOOC’s worked.
As a teacher – I struggled with the format shifts reflected by MOOC’s. Were the assignments suggestions or could I predict a level of engagement of the learners. Was the content that was posted by learners legal – some added video that wasn’t within their IP ownership. And, the issue of fees were also interesting. A free MOOC will get high starts but perhaps high drop offs. When fees were added, did that take away the “open” label. It is also interesting to see colleges and universities that have never made a profit on classroom offerings think they will generate good margins by adding MOOC’s to their offerings.
It is early and really too early to predict how MOOC’s might evolve within the corporate world. I have been advocating that we take each of the letters as distinct areas for innovation:
– M: Massive dissemination of content
– O: Open content and content reuse along with curation by learners.
– O: Online resources added to both 1 mode and mixed/blended mode delivery.
– C: Course? Perhaps the MOOC might become a MOOP (Program) or MOOA (Assets)And, is there a Competency check assumed in a MOOC – as well as certification or even college credit?
MOOC’s are important innovations. Now, we need to label them as Lab or Beta tests – and gather evidence as we experiment with the use of all or some of MOOC’s elements in corporate settings. We will be experimenting with the MOOC as a corporate model in an upcoming Learning LAB of our Learning CONSORTIUM. Interested in hearing from TRENDS readers exploring MOOC’s in our world.
The College of 2020
If #HigherEd stays way it is, w/ 19th century style lectures, w/in 10 years Google U. and Walt Disney U. to take it over – Wim Westera
Addendum on 4/19/13:
Bridging the Skills Gap — from trainingmag.com by Lorri Freifeld
Employers want certain skills. Employees don’t have them. Why? And what can organizations and Training, employees, and the educational system do to eliminate the disconnect?
Excerpt:
With the U.S. unemployment rate hovering around 8 percent and millions of people desperately looking for jobs, why are many employers claiming they can’t fill their vacant positions?
The answer: A skills gap that threatens the sustainability of businesses around the world. And while a big part of the skills gap is a shortage of people skilled in the STEM (science, technology, education, and math) industries, there also is a gap in soft skills such as communication and advanced leadership skills.
…
What is causing these skills gaps? What can—and should—employers and their Training departments, employees, and the education system be doing differently? This first article in a five-part series will address these questions. Subsequent articles will explore how corporate partnerships with colleges and universities can help bridge the divide (May/June), how to motivate employees to take advantage of skills gap training and eliminate any sense of promotion entitlement (July/August), how technology can help (September/October), and additional potential solutions and strategies for success (November/December).
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From DSC:
We had better start talking STEAM not STEM from here on out (i.e. add the ARTS!). You can’t get creative thinkers without fostering some creativity.
On 04/15/2013,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, education technology, elearning, experimentation, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, innovation, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, new business models, online learning, platforms, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
About
NovoEd is the only online learning platform that provides a connected, effective and engaging learning environment for students using a combination of techniques in crowd sourcing, design and analysis of reputation systems, and algorithm design.
NovoEd’s philosophy is to advance the online learning experience by making online courses more experiential, interactive, and collaborative. On our platform, students not only have access to lectures by thought leaders and professors from top universities, but they are also able to form teams with people around the world and work on class projects.
NovoEd uses online learning to deliver learning opportunities at massive scale. We offer courses and programs by thought leaders in a wide range of fields and in partnership with universities. By fostering online collaboration, team work and project-based learning, we nurture problem solving, collaboration, and leadership while addressing specific topics and business opportunities.
On 04/08/2013,
in 21st century, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, career development, computer science, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, dangers of the status quo, future, professional development, robotics, technologies for your home, the downsides of how people use tech, United States, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Technology is eating your job (part 2) — For those who need more convincing — by Michelle Martin
Excerpts:
The reason I’m harping on technology so much is because for most of us, I believe this is a ticking time bomb we are trying to ignore. Most of us want to keep our heads down and just keep working, hoping that we aren’t going to be the ones displaced by a piece of software or some other form of automation.
This will be a mistake. And it will blow up in your face. You need to start thinking now about how to future-proof yourself as much as possible so that you’re more prepared for this breaking wave of technology.
From DSC:
This is truly a troubling subject. I often ask myself the following questions:
- Is an entire swath of people being left behind?
- Am I in that swath?
(It sure feels like it at times; it feels like the tidal waves of change are washing over us and we’re all starting to flail about. Perhaps it’s too early to tell, but I think we’ll all feel this soon.) - What do we do about this developing situation? What does it mean for K-12? Higher ed? The corporate world?
Thanks Michelle for the important posting/heads-up!
For some solutions/thoughts here, see Michelle’s posting:
On 04/04/2013,
in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, disruption, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, reinvent, staying relevant,
by Daniel Christian
New test for computers: Grading essays at college level — from nytimes.com by John Markoff
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Gretchen Ertl for The New York Times
EdX, a nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
will release automated software that uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers.
EdX, a nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
will release automated software that uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers.
Excerpt:
EdX, the nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to offer courses on the Internet, has just introduced such a system and will make its automated software available free on the Web to any institution that wants to use it. The software uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers, freeing professors for other tasks.