“eLearning has a problem, and it’s not AI.” — from linkedin.com by Dr. Heidi Kirby
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On 03/12/2025,
in accessibility / UDL, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, design, elearning, engagement / engaging students, instructional design, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, quality, training / L&D, United States, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
On 01/21/2025,
in adult learning, Alternatives, career development, corporate / business world, credentialing, higher education, marketplaces, new business models, quality,
by Daniel Christian
The Real Deal — from workshift.org
A series exploring what we know about the quality of nondegree credentials.
The above link/page includes the posting:
Understanding Influencers in the World of Nondegree Credentials — by Michelle Van Noy and Tom Hilliard
There’s no single arbiter of nondegree quality, but rather a host of “quality influencers” who seek to shape the market.
They respond to needs that the degree-credit system has not efficiently met: quick start-up, shorter sequences, relationships with third-party credential issuers, real-time employer engagement, and so on. The complexity of the needs of the market and of learners has led to a proliferation of diverse credentials, and a landscape that continues to evolve in surprising directions.
Amid this complexity, there’s no one single arbiter of quality but rather a host of “quality influencers” who seek to shape the market in different ways. Exploring who those influencers are, how they approach their work, and what they seek to accomplish is essential to understanding what quality means for noncredit credentials—and what could happen in years to come.
On 11/07/2024,
in assessment, education, education technology, Emotion, instructional design, K-12 related, languages and translation, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, mathematics, pedagogy, productivity / tips and tricks, quality, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, tools, United States,
by Daniel Christian
Below are several items from edutopia.org:
Doing the Best You Can With the Time You Have — by Jay Schauer
These strategies can help overwhelmed teachers prioritize tasks and find a balance between perfectionism and efficiency.
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How to Support Teachers’ Emotional Health — by Hedreich Nichols
Emotional well-being plays a major role in teachers’ job satisfaction, and it’s essential that they have effective resources for support.
Teachers cannot be expected to teach SEL effectively without first being intentional about their own emotional health. If we want educators to guide students through emotional regulation, they must have the time, space, and support to do that work themselves. This goes beyond surface-level wellness initiatives—teachers need opportunities to reflect on their emotional triggers, manage their own stresses, and receive genuine support from their schools. Only when teachers are empowered to process their own emotional challenges can they truly foster a healthy social and emotional environment for their students.
In Praise of the Humble Document Camera — by Emily Rankin
Revisiting a simple edtech tool can help you introduce rigor and engage students more deeply in their lessons.
4 Ways to Use a Document Camera in Your Classroom— by Emily Rankin
If a document camera is gathering dust in a classroom, its lack of impact is probably linked to the user, not what the gadget is capable of. Case in point, I wasn’t using mine regularly because I didn’t know the value it could add to my teaching and learning. Here are some of the practices I now know are possible:
- Guided practice. …
- Assessment for learning. …
- Sharing materials. …
- Expanding teaching and learning possibilities.
Weighing Inquiry-Based Learning and Direct Instruction in Elementary Math — by Vivian Quan
Teachers can ask themselves three key questions in order to choose the most effective instructional approach to a topic.
One factor to consider is the subject. In math, students need opportunities to work on rich tasks and solve problems in ways that make sense to them. However, that doesn’t mean direct instruction is totally absent from math time. The questions below can guide you in deciding whether to use direct instruction, when it would be appropriate, and who else in the classroom you might involve.
Increasing Talk Time in World Language Classes — by Kate Good
Teachers can experiment with a variety of strategies to build and assess students’ ability to converse in the target language.
To capitalize on my students’ (seemingly inexhaustible) desire to chat, I work to increase student talk time in our Spanish immersion classes. I use several strategies to build and assess students’ oral language.
On 03/16/2024,
in analytics, assessment, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, digital learning, instructional design, Learning Experience Design, online learning, pedagogy, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, quality, tools, training / L&D, UK, United States, user experience (UX), Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning,
by Daniel Christian
12 Books for Instructional Designers to Read This Year — from theelearningcoach.com by Connie Malamed
Over the past year, many excellent and resourceful books have crossed my desk or Kindle. I’m rounding them up here so you can find a few to expand your horizons. The list below is in alphabetical order by title.
Each book is unique, yet as a collection, they reflect some common themes and trends in Learning and Development: a focus on empathy and emotion, adopting best practices from other fields, using data for greater impact, aligning projects with organizational goals, and developing consultative skills. The authors listed here are optimistic and forward-thinking—they believe change is possible. I hope you enjoy the books.
On 01/01/2024,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, colleges, communications, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, education, education technology, emerging technologies, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, IT in HE, more voice more choice more control, productivity / tips and tricks, quality, tools, trends, Uncategorized, United States, universities, writing,
by Daniel Christian
Generative AI Is Set to Shake Up Education — from morganstanley.com
While educators debate the risks and opportunities of generative AI as a learning tool, some education technology companies are using it to increase revenue and lower costs.
Key Takeaways
- Contrary to the view that generative AI is undermining education, it could ultimately improve access and quality.
- Education technology companies have opportunities from generative AI that markets may be missing.
- Generative AI could bring $200 billion in value to the global education sector by 2025.
- Reskilling and retraining alone could require $6 billion in investments by 2025, with edtech companies poised to fill that need.
Outgoing SNHU president: AI means universities must change ‘dramatically’ — from msn.com by Steven Porter
In his next chapter, LeBlanc will work with a team of researchers to study emerging AI trends, impacts on education, and opportunities to innovate. (The initiative harkens back to his early scholarship. During grad school decades ago, LeBlanc studied the ways computers could impact how societies think.)
LeBlanc said the AI-induced changes on the horizon will require educational institutions to reimagine how they assess student learning and grapple with implications for privacy and data security. There are also bigger questions about what jobs will go away and what jobs will be created, which influences the fields of study schools will offer, he said.
AI & Education: A Year in Review — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman
The top five use cases & most popular tools among educators at the end of 2023 – the year than Gen AI shook-up education
Use Case #1: Content Creation
Use Case #2: Brainstorming & Ideation
Use Case #3: Research & Analysis
Use Case #4: Writing & Communicating
Use Case #5: Task Automation
I Used ChatGPT for 12 Months. Here Are Some Hidden Gems That Will Change Your Life — from theaigirl.substack.com by Diana Dovgopol
Transform your life with these ChatGPT’s hidden gems.
1. Summarize videos, articles, papers and posts
Here’s how it works (note that you need to enable browsing or plugins for this)
- Find the video/article/paper/post.
- Copy the link.
- Ask ChatGPT to summarize it for you.
AI ADVISORY BOARDS: Giving Students and Teachers a Voice — from aiadvisoryboards.wordpress.com
My mission is to spread awareness about the incredible potential of AI and AI advisory boards in education. Through my website, aiadvisoryboards.wordpress.com, I aim to inspire educators, administrators, and students to embrace AI and create innovative learning environments.
Report Update: Human and Computer Deep Learning and the Future of Humanity — from by Stefan Bauschard
New Chapter on School Guidance; updates on technology, the labor markets, and deep learning
On 09/13/2023,
in business side of he, career development, colleges, community colleges, faculty/staff, higher education, leadership, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, quality, skills, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
Ask the Chair: Are Great Chairs Born or Made? — from chronicle.com by Kevin Dettmar (behind a paywall)
Higher education is finally getting serious about training new department heads.
Great chairs aren’t born, but made; “trial and error” isn’t actually a professional-development strategy. The provost and deans should recognize that a confident and competent chair makes their job easier, creates a well-functioning department, and buoys faculty, student, and staff morale.
As someone vitally engaged with the chair’s role, I do think we are experiencing a sea-change when it comes to how institutions are preparing chairs. For too long, colleges have treated the position as simply a minor cog in the chain of command. But more and more institutions are now investing in their chairs.
On 08/30/2023,
in Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), communications, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, ethics, ideas, internet, liberal arts, library / librarians, media/film, Michigan, multimedia, online media, parents/guardians, platforms, play, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, psychology, publishing, quality, research, social media, society, sociology, storytelling, strategy, technologies for your home, television, United States, universities, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
Don’t Be Fooled: How You Can Master Media Literacy in the Digital Age — from youtube.com by Professor Sue Ellen Christian
During this special keynote presentation, Western Michigan University (WMU) professor Sue Ellen Christian speaks about the importance of media literacy for all ages and how we can help educate our friends and families about media literacy principles. Hosted by the Grand Rapids Public Library and GRTV, a program of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center. Special thanks to the Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation for their support of this program.
Excerpts:
Also relevant/see:
Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s newest exhibit teaches community about media literacy — from mlive.com by Gabi Broekema
On 08/18/2023,
in adjunct faculty, business side of he, career development, colleges, community colleges, faculty/staff, higher education, online learning, quality, teaching & learning, United States, universities, vocational / trades,
by Daniel Christian
Teaching: What’s the right measure of good teaching? — from chronicle.com by Beth McMurtrie
There are several elements to this challenge. The first is that many campuses depend largely, if not exclusively, on student course evaluations when it comes to measuring instructional quality. And often those evaluations are not particularly well designed or substantive.
…
But even when course evaluations are better designed, I’m not sure any teaching experts would argue that they should be the exclusive measure of whether a faculty member is an effective teacher. That brings us to the second element of the challenge: What else can a college do?
Several readers offered suggestions, such as to include classroom observations, peer evaluation, and teaching portfolios — in which, say, an instructor describes their teaching philosophy and classroom practices, along with evidence that they are working to strengthen their teaching.
Why Labor Shortages on Campus-Building Staffs Are Reaching ‘Crisis Situations’ — from an email newsletter from The Chronicle of Higher Education which eventually links to this article
Who will keep the buildings open?
It’s no secret colleges have struggled to fill staff positions like administrative assistants, information-technology specialists, and admissions officers in today’s tight labor market. But many institutions are grasping for ways to fill key facilities positions that literally keep the doors open, such as custodians, electricians, carpenters, and maintenance workers, our Scott Carlson writes.
Staffing shortages strain the employees and contractors already on the payroll. Facilities-staff members are aging and often juggling project backlogs.
Remember: Building services were the third-most-difficult area to hire in, according to a Chronicle survey conducted earlier this year, behind information technology and dining services. Six in 10 respondents said hiring building-services staff was a serious or moderate problem.
Higher ed may be a victim of its own success. The country has emphasized college after high school over the last four decades, while trades have struggled to attract workers.
An eye-opening stat: Even with a recently renewed emphasis on the trades, the U.S. has only about 600,000 people in apprenticeships, far below the 17 million students enrolled in college.
Which Colleges Pay Off for Low-Income Students? — from edsurge.com by Nadia Tamez-Robledo
Colleges and universities that specialize in health and technology proved to serve low-income students who end up with the highest starting salaries six years after they enrolled. For this earnings data, College Scorecard does not take into account whether students graduated or not.
Hover your cursor over each bar to read details about each institution.
Brave New Classrooms — from Dr. Philippa Hardman
Why 2023-2024 will be remembered as the academic year that education embraced AI
After a rocky start, more and more evidence suggests that the academic year 2023-2024 will likely prove to be a defining year for higher education: the year higher education embraced AI.
Over the course of the next academic year, we will likely see three main changes in the world of education:
- More education institutions will embrace AI & develop policies & guidance on its appropriate use at the institution, department & classroom level.
- We will see a wave of assessment reform, with a new focus on the assessment of learners’ process and skills, including the effective use of AI.
- To enable this chance, we will see a rapid increase in the provision of AI training for leaders, educators and administrators.
While risks and barriers to entry remain real, supported by well-rounded strategic frameworks, the education system has the potential to leverage AI reinvent itself and improve its ability to deliver on the promise to deliver real-world-relevant education.
Two-thirds of colleges are adding online programs, survey finds — from highereddive.com by Natalie Schwartz
The annual CHLOE report tracks changing student demand for virtual education and how institutions are adapting their offerings in response.
On 08/17/2023,
in 24x7x365 access, adult learning, business side of he, changing business models, colleges, community colleges, face-to-face, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, instructional design, law schools, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning spaces, online learning, quality, student-related, teaching & learning, trends, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE), 2023
Student Demand Moves Higher Ed Toward a Multi-Modal Future
The majority of survey participants report increased student demand for online and hybrid learning juxtaposed with decreased demand for face-to-face courses and programs. Most participants also say that their institutions are aligning or working to align their strategic priorities to meet this demand. Notable findings from the 50+-page report include:
- Face-to-Face enrollment is stagnant or declining.
- Online and hybrid enrollment is growing.
- Institutions are quickly aligning their strategic priorities to meet online/hybrid student demand.
- “Quiet” quality assurance.
On 08/13/2022,
in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, face-to-face, faculty/staff, higher education, instructional design, IT in HE, law schools, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, learning spaces, online learning, online media, quality, strategy, student-related, teaching & learning, teaching online, tools, trends, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
2022 CHLOE 7 Report (Changing Landscape of Online Education) — from qualitymatters.org
The seventh installment of the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) report, produced by Quality MattersTM and Eduventures®, offers an overview of the current state of online learning in higher education as well as insights into its future development. The report was compiled by surveying chief online officers (COOs) at two- and four-year colleges and universities — the professionals best situated to assess the current state of this ever-developing field.
Also relevant/see:
Online Education Is Booming, but Colleges Risk Lapses in Quality, Report Says — from chronicle.com by Taylor Swaak
Excerpt:
A survey of more than 300 officials at American colleges shows many are planning for long-term growth in online education, but few are consistently evaluating the quality of their mushrooming course lists.
According to a newly released report on the survey’s findings — by the nonprofit group Quality Matters and Encoura’s Eduventures, a higher-education-market research firm — more than 90 percent of the “chief online officers” surveyed said they expect the typical traditional-age undergraduates on their campus would be taking courses in some kind of hybrid format by 2025. That’s a stark departure from just three years ago, before the pandemic, when 20 percent of such undergrads took hybrid courses.
Is Higher Ed Really Ready to Embrace Hybrid Learning? — from edsurge.com by Rebecca Koenig
New study shows colleges may need to hire more digital experts and better prepare students to learn online.
Excerpt:
The future of higher education will bring more hybrid learning models—but colleges may not yet have the staff and systems they need to scale up high-quality programs that blend in-person and online experiences.
So believe chief online officers at U.S. colleges, according to a new survey of more than 300 such leaders published today by Quality Matters and Encoura Eduventures Research. It’s the seventh edition of the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) report.
On 12/17/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, assessment, higher education, instructional design, interaction design, interactivity, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, multimedia, online learning, quality, United States, universities, usability, user experience (UX), vendors,
by Daniel Christian
Quality Matters > Higher Education News > December 2021
Throughout the year, we — along with members of our amazing community — share resources to help all of us deliver on our online promise. Here are some of the most popular items from 2021 for you to use and share:
- QM Bridge to Quality Course Design Guide — printable PDF version
- Accessibility and Usability Resource Site
- QM Self-Review Tool
- Video: Redesigning Assessments for Interaction & Engagement
- QM-Hosted Research Webinar Recordings
- QM Success Stories (members only), including “Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes: The True Impact of Digital Accessibility“
- Dr. Steven Crawford’s series on multimedia use in online learning — start with “Designing Multimedia Presentations for Your Course”
On 10/26/2021,
in 24x7x365 access, Canada, face-to-face, ideas, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning preferences, online learning, quality, student-related, teaching & learning, United States, youth,
by Daniel Christian
Why we need some humility about online learning – and about face-to-face teaching — from tonybates.ca by Tony Bates
Excerpt:
Those of us who have been fighting to get online learning accepted over the last 20-25 years have argued strongly the merits of online learning. We have argued that not only can it increase access, especially for older, working and lifelong learners, but it can also teach as well, and under certain circumstances, even better than face-to-face teaching. Covid-19 in particular showed the value of online learning, allowing students to continue their learning, even during a pandemic.
The limits of online learning
However, Covid-19 also taught us that online learning has its limits. When there was no access to face-to-face learning, we found that online learning was not able to help certain students. We also found that there are important aspects of face-to-face or campus based learning that cannot easily be replaced by online learning. Let’s look at some of these limitations.
We need to not only accept that both online learning and face-to-face teaching have equal value, but also to strive to understand what each does best. This will vary by subject matter, by types of students, and by instructors’ training and experience. We all have a lot to learn.
Also from Tony, see:
On 06/22/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, active learning, blended learning, Canvas - and other Instructure-related items, CMS/LMS, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, curriculum, digital learning, digital video, faculty/staff, higher education, instructional design, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, online learning, online media, pedagogy, productivity / tips and tricks, quality, teaching & learning, tools, universities, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
Optimizing High-Quality Digital Learning Experiences A Playbook for Faculty — from onlinelearningconsortium.org
Excerpts:
This playbook is a collaboration between the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and the Every Learner Everywhere Digital Learning Network. This playbook is designed to serve as a concise guide to address faculty needs for online course design, teaching, and continuous improvement.
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One strategy that can enhance teaching presence in an online course is to provide audio and video content that can be developed with relative ease using multimedia applications. Creating micro-lectures along with other multimedia is a great option for designing online course content.
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Creating your own closed-caption video content, along with video transcripts, is a practical option for communicating course concepts to students. You might also consider providing supplementary written materials or curating content from other sources to help students master course concepts.
On 06/08/2021,
in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, digital learning, education technology, faculty/staff, future of higher education, higher education, IT in HE, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning spaces, online learning, quality, teaching & learning, teaching online, trends, United States, universities, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
2021 CHLOE 6 Report
CHLOE 6: Online Learning Leaders Adapt for a Post-Pandemic World — from qualitymatters.org
Excerpt:
The 2021 report, authored by Quality Matters and Eduventures® Research, tracks how institutions are reassessing their priorities related to online learning and shifting focus to ed tech enhancements, faculty professional development and online quality. The report was compiled from responses from 422 chief online officers (COO) representing 2- and 4-year colleges and universities.
More than half of the survey respondents (57%) across all sectors of higher education, including predominantly in-person institutions, indicated that, going forward, the pandemic experience is leading to a positive reassessment of institutional priorities related to online learning. Key survey findings from the 69-page report include:
- An elevated commitment to online learning quality assurance goals, including having courses meet quality standards, supported by a commitment to faculty professional development.
- An average 10-15% increase across institutions in online professional development and student orientation to online study to serve formerly in-person faculty and students.
- The largest yearly increases ever in ed tech investment in 2020 and 2021 across all sectors of higher ed.