How to liberate higher education

U.S.-based institutions must meet the increasing demand as online coursework continues to proliferate, and more international students seek a university education

digital-coursework

Declining enrollments. Increasing competition for students. Sunsetting education models. The doom-and-gloom headlines on higher education pervade mainstream media.

However, an undercurrent of optimism exists as many institutions of higher education evolve to meet these 21st century challenges. As advisors in the space, we’re quite optimistic, as we see university presidents, provosts and trustees employing bold strategies to ensure the viability (and success) of their institutions.…Read More

INFOGRAPHIC: Why digital education?

New infographic details the business and benefits of providing digital tools and online classes

digital-education-infographicAs trends like using multimedia resources for courses and incorporating blended learning classes on campus become ubiquitous, what are the motivating factors behind these trends…and do businesses profit off of them? What are some of the advances in tech spurring digital education’s growth?

According to a new infographic by Knewton, and based off of recent data from the Sloan Consortium, the New Media Consortium, the Gates Foundation, and many other sources (including multiple universities), the rise of digital education is the cause of multiple factors; the main one being the booming business of education.

From understanding why these trends are taking off in colleges and universities to a breakdown of digital education providers by type of institution, and from digital education’s potential for lowering dropout rates to making learning more affordable, this infographic provides a detailed snapshot of the digital education landscape.…Read More

6 facts on online vs. offline learning

New infographic reveals interesting comparisons between traditional and online learning

online-learning-infographicWhen talking about higher education, it’s hard not to run into a discussion on what’s really better for student learning: online learning or offline learning? Of course, the key is to offer both, and potentially emphasize blended learning as the less polarizing option, but if we were to look at bare bones facts about the two modes of learning, how are they the same? Different?

According to a new infographic provided by Get a Real Degree, a website dedicated to helping potential students find an online degree from a “real” school, there are more similarities between offline and online learning than you may think.

“Some argue that traditional learning is better because is the only way to maintain a fluid and solid learning process,” said the website. “However, students seem to prefer the online learning model and in most cases obtain better results (when comparing the same courses online vs. offline models). The cost is another important factor. Online degrees can be up to 80 times less expensive than traditional degrees. This is a universal rule, but this can be a decisive point for the student’s choice.”…Read More

What will change everything for higher education is nothing new

Online, AI technologies will wipe out old models of higher-ed…but it’s happened before

socrates-education-technologyWith the expansion of online technologies, like MOOCs, data aggregation, and computing powers capable of adaptive processes, higher education is changing. But to what extent, and is it here to stay? And…is it anything new?

Those were some of the main questions discussed during the Future Tense—a partnership of Slate, the New America Foundation, and Arizona State University to discuss emerging technologies, policy and society—discussion hosted in Washington D.C., “Hacking the University: Will Tech Fix Higher Education?

“If 2012 was the year of the MOOC, according to the New York Times, 2013 was something of a reality check,” said the partnership. “MOOCs were meant to give people all over the U.S. (and the world) access to the best lecturers and classes from some of America’s top universities. But their first iterations have been beset with problems—lack of student engagement, high dropout rates—leading critics to question their long-term value.”…Read More

A keen-sighted CIO’s inter-view on Glass

Open-eyed and thoughtful views on Glass’ realistic usability in higher education

google-glass-interview“OK Glass,” take a picture. It’s most likely the first thing a Google Glass Explorer will try, as I did.

Now, entering my third month, in the beta Google Glass Explorer program, I saw a need to refocus my exploring, no pun intended, on requesting an open and frank “Glass” interview with the CIO-Chief Information Officer, Paige Francis, at Fairfield University.

By accepting the invitation, Paige has already broken through many proverbial “glass ceilings,” as the first woman, Jesuit University CIO, Google Glass interviewee, represented in a Google Plus Glass community. Paige is now visible on the Google Plus Community, actively engaging in technology dialogue, via Google Glass.…Read More

Groundbreaking: We can predict cognitive styles, and here’s how

New framework re-envisions cognitive styles based on revolutionary science; has huge impact for education

cognitive-style-educationWhile the education field’s acceptance of learning styles is helping students receive more options for learning, students are often lumped into one category without any explanation of why they prefer to learn a certain way. However, a new cognitive matrix is about to change education’s perspective once again.

According to a work-in-progress cognitive matrix developed by noted psychologists and neuroscientists, a student’s learning style occurs for a reason—and can be predicted for the future.

Using a wide range of available evidence on cognitive styles, researchers were able to synthesize cognitive styles as proposed by different theories in one comprehensive and accessible framework.…Read More

10 higher education blogs worth following

These education technology-focused blogs are worth a few minutes of read time

blog-technology-educationBetween MOOCs, online learning and mobile technology, higher education is a booming topic across the country, with the internet often its most prolific forum.

Educators and other ed-tech aficionados hold large discussions about all things campus-related, whether it’s via Twitter or on personal blogs. And though these blogs often contain the most up-to-the-minute news on topics most valuable to faculty and administrators, much is left unseen due to time restrictions and limited searches.

To better help you and your campus keep connected to what’s happening in higher education ed-tech now, eCampus News presents 10 higher-ed blogs that have paved the way into transcending education news and trends.…Read More

5 technology trends poised to rock higher education

From the hottest tech degree to a tool for everyone, these trends are changing higher-ed in 2014-15

trends-higher-educationTrends like “devices,” “MOOCs,” and “Twitter,” are making the rounds in higher education, but what do these trends means for admin and students, and how are they affecting classroom practice and IT capabilities?

In this 2014 higher education trends report, we’ve talked with some of the country’s most tech-savvy professors to discuss the finer points of these broad issues.

For example, if devices are popular among students, which ones are most popular, and why does this matter? And if MOOCs were all the rage in 2013, what’s the new non-traditional mode of learning this year, and is it different?…Read More

8 surprising facts about undergrads and ed-tech

For undergrads, the printer still ranks as one of the most important pieces of technology

undergrads-education-technologyIt’s not every day, after scouring headlines from dozens of news sources, that news—especially education technology news—can surprise a seasoned education writer; but in recent research provided by EDUCAUSE, as well as a spiffy new infographic, many details on how undergraduate students are using ed-tech are fascinating…in that they’re not always as ‘cutting-edge’ as some may think.

The data used to create this composite comes from the EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research annual report of undergrad students and technology. Over 195 institutions and over 100,000 students participated in the survey in 2012. The findings are based on a “stratified random sample” of 10,000 undergrads from that population selected to match the most recent IPEDS profile of U.S. undergrads.

The data, and subsequent infographic, are meant to answer critical questions.…Read More

INFOGRAPHIC: Distance education by the numbers

New facts discovered about distance education reveals that our perception may be exaggerated

ditance-learning-onlineAccording to a new analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the current national conception that distance education is “booming,” is an exaggeration, since only a low percentage of postsecondary students are enrolled in a distance education course.

The analysis, conducted by the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET), which brings higher-ed stakeholders and institutions to “improve the quality and reach” of eLearning programs, and based on the same methodology of Phil Hill of the e-Literate blog, is based off of IPEDS’ first time inclusion of data on students taking distance education courses in Fall 2012.

“With this data, we can finally get a comprehensive, objective look at the current state of distance education adoption nationally,” said Terri Straut of Ascension Consulting, who provided the analysis for WCET.…Read More

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