Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eCampus News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

This specialty is becoming a must for higher education

Yet another college debuts an entrepreneur specialty, furthers national trend

business-entrepreneur-collegeA new program at Western Technical College will teach aspiring business owners how to plan for, nurture and manage a start-up–a trend that’s taking colleges across the U.S. by storm.

Western officials announced plans this month for a two-course Entrepreneurship Certificate, and the first class is scheduled to begin fall semester. Classes are open to students of all disciplines who are interested in attaining the know-how and entrepreneurial mindset they might need to succeed in the risky world of small business ownership, said Josh Gamer, associate dean of Western’s business division.

“You can succeed if you put the effort forth and plan accordingly,” Gamer said.…Read More

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There’s a Big Data skills gap in higher education

Higher education is overflowing with data points to be parsed, analyzed, and evaluated, but a data-related skills gap could stand in the way of analytics’ potential.

big-data-skillsData experts have for years said college students should become adept at analyzing what’s known as Big Data as jobs in the data field explode in some parts of the economy. A human element is necessary, these experts say, no matter how much data in available.

SAS on March 24 unveiled an online program known as SAS Analytics U — an initiative meant to better train students on the ins and outs of data analytics skills while providing an online platform where they can discuss data-centric topics amongst each other and with experts.

Six ways Big Data is changing higher education…Read More

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9 reasons why badges are better than degrees

Digital badge proponents say traditional degrees are too flawed for the 21st Century

digital-badge-degreeThere’s nothing quite hotter at the moment on the higher-ed front than alternative credentialing, and proponents, who once said that digital badges are great ‘supplements’ to a traditional degree, are quickly changing their opinions—arguing that digital badges are a better alternative.

(Read: “Going beyond a degree with digital badges, social media.”)

“Many degrees are only loosely linked to employability after graduation,” explains a new report by Pearson, “Open Badges for Higher Education.” Increasingly, the degree itself is not as critical as the skill set behind it.…Read More

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19 leaders emerge in new degree programs

Colleges and universities come together to discuss the future of competency-based degree programs and business models

degree-competency-collegesThe Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) has selected 19 colleges and universities to address shared challenges to designing and developing competency-based degree programs and related business models.

This initial cohort of institutions either offer degree programs with well-defined learning outcomes and rigorous assessment, or are on their way to creating them. The network was established to support institutions that have an interest in accelerating progress on their models and contributing lessons to the field through structured collaboration involving rapid-cycle testing of practices, processes, and concepts.

The movement toward competency-based academic delivery comes as the U.S., to meet social and economic demands for more college graduates, must provide more education options for more students.…Read More

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These online degrees are on the rise

At your next visit to the doctor, your care provider will likely  have earned his or her advanced degree online.

onlinedegreeAs demand for health services booms, odds are increasing that your next visit to the doctor will mean meeting a specialized nurse—one who may have earned his or her advanced degree online through courses similar to more offerings at local colleges.

“With the Affordable Care Act there could be an additional 32 million to 38 million covered with health insurance,” Misericordia University professor and director of graduate nursing Brenda Hage said. “We need to have more advanced practice nurses to care for those people.”

When most people talk of nurses they are thinking of a registered nurse, usually a status obtained with an associates or, increasingly, a bachelor’s degree.…Read More

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College-educated workers are taking jobs that don’t require degrees

In a packed pub in midtown Manhattan, Ryan Flagherty is surrounded on three sides by people clamoring for his attention, the Los Angeles Times reports. He spins one way and pours a shot of vodka into a glass, then turns around and wedges a lime into a bottle of Corona, pushing it across the counter. Ignoring the annoyed gaze of a bulky man on his right, he turns again to a touch-screen register to ring up the sales. It’s just a minute out of the grueling, physically demanding eight-hour shift that will last long into the night. But Flagherty, 28, isn’t complaining. With the generous tips of New Yorkers and his pick of shifts, he pulls in around $80,000 a year as a bartender. It’s more than he was offered for various office jobs he considered when he arrived in the city, even though he’s highly educated. “I have a master’s in economics and I’m bartending in New York,” he said with a shrug. “It’s a good way to make money.”

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