See what higher-ed professionals are saying on Twitter about some of the most pressing ed-tech issues
How will colleges and universities find a more sustainable business model in higher ed?
Whether discussing the latest trends in online learning, cybersecurity, or tuition costs, there are plenty of ed-tech conversations to follow on Twitter.
So once you have followed @eCampusNews, check out some of these essential ed-tech influencers to stay up-to-date with the latest ed-tech news:
1. New university business models
In the September/October issue of the American Interest, Stuart Butler, Ph.D., a public policy expert who directs the Center for Policy Innovation at the conservative Heritage Foundation, offers a bleak outlook for the future of the traditional four-year university experience.
Butler argues that attempting to scale back costs by firing university employees will not sustain the long-term higher-ed business model.
According to Butler, universities must adjust their business model just as online media have adapted to the stark decline in newspaper ad revenues over the last decade. Remaining relevant in this increasingly changing landscape might result in a greater emphasis in online and distance learning and a de-emphasis in an “on-campus” university experience.
Taking to Twitter, Michelle Weise, senior research fellow in Higher Education at the Clayton Christensen Institute, comments that minor higher-ed revisions ultimately will result in failure.
Note to #HigherEd institutions from @stuartmbutler: A few tweaks here and there, and you will fail. http://t.co/h9GtwHgvJN
— Michelle R. Weise (@rwmichelle) August 18, 2014
See what other higher ed educators and leaders have to say about this on Twitter here.
(Next page: More conversations to follow on Twitter)
2. The future of universities
What if there were no more university sporting events, dormitories, and libraries? What if class lectures and tenure were no longer relevant? Ben Nelson, the CEO of a new for-profit accredited university called Minerva, explains in The Atlantic that these practices should be eliminated or significantly modified to reform higher ed.
The academic vision is entirely lean and streamlined. “Minerva will maintain almost no facilities other than the dorm itself—no library, no dining hall, no gym—and students will use city parks and recreation centers, as well as other local cultural resources, for their extracurricular activities.”
Harvard professor Laura Nasrallah shared this response:
If this was the education of the future, it seemed vaguely fascistic. Good, but fascistic. The Future of College? http://t.co/suUsVsKIrK
— Laura Nasrallah (@lnasrallah) August 15, 2014
Do you think such an initiative has long-term viability? See what people are saying on Twitter here.
3. Coding schools
HTML/CSS. Javascript. Ruby Path. iOS Path. Have I lost you yet? Coding and computer science are incredibly valuable skills to know and remain competitive in the 21st century. However, coding schools struggle to retain prospective students because financial institutions do not offer loans to unaccredited coding schools.
Alice Truong, Fast Company’s West Coast correspondent, has more on how one startup is working to offer peer-to-peer loans specifically for coding school students.
One business leader praised the initiative:
Great initiative by Ron Suber and team!
"The startup has partnered with peer-to-peer lending group Prosper and wi…http://t.co/xovdkeAOEN
— Yvan De Munck (@yvandemunck) August 19, 2014
Follow this timely discussion on Twitter here.
(Next page: Two more timely Twitter conversations about higher ed)
4. Cybersecurity
Educators and administrators strive to keep students safe, and one of the biggest challenges in the 21st century is protecting personal information from cyberattacks and data breaches. There have been over 500 security breaches in colleges and universities in the past 10 years, and without an aggressive, proactive campaign to protect student data, these figures can be expected to rise.
In an article for Ellucian, Ryan Lufkin, an IT specialist, provides an important infographic to help schools prevent data breaches. But what, exactly, are educators saying about these serious challenges?
Data breaches can also involve students who applied but never enrolled. #highered http://t.co/iKsNQaqfd6
— Larry Ladd (@LarryLadd1) July 25, 2014
Follow the conversation on Twitter here.
5. Technology’s role in higher ed
Has technology and innovation in education actually improved the way we learn? While many experts cite data in support of this view, others are less convinced. Paul Franz, a researcher at Stanford University, took to Twitter to express a very critical account of technology’s impact in higher ed.
Seriously. MOOC hype, for example, was a classic case of techies and entrepreneurs not even remotely understanding how learning works.
— Paul Franz (@Paul_Franz) August 11, 2014
Read Franz’s full posts in The Atlantic.
Michael Sharnoff is Associate Online Editor at eCampus News. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_eSM.
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