Russia Is About to Disconnect From the Internet: What That Means - Adam Smith, PC Magazine

On Nov. 1, Russia is poised to disconnect from the internet—in theory. That is when a long-planned internet bill will go into effect and lay the foundation for a national network whereby internet service providers are controlled by Roskomnadzor, Russia's telecom agency. The goal is to give Russia the power to disconnect from the global internet in the event of a cyberwar and, in the interim, serve up a walled-off version of the web sanctioned by the Russians. It also gives President Vladimir Putin greater control over Russian citizens.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/371347/russia-is-about-to-disconnect-from-the-internet-what-that-m

How eLearning Providers Can Help Students Who Struggle Online - Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Research has shown that whereas online courses can improve access, they are also challenging, especially for the least well-prepared students. These students don’t do well in online courses; they still perform better in face-to-face classrooms. Research has found that while online learning could potentially, through artificial intelligence, provide the optimal course pacing and content to fit each student’s needs. In reality, the vast majority of online courses still mirrors face-to-face classrooms. eLearning has excellent potential, but eLearning providers will have to rethink course design and educational support so students can be more comfortable doing online courses. Let’s look at some ways that this can be achieved.
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/how-elearning-providers-can-help-students-who-struggle-online/

How does blockchain work in 7 steps — A clear and simple explanation. - Jimi S, Good Audience

And this technology, blockchain, still holds huge potential. Now could be the time for business developers, entrepreneurs and curious individuals to jump on the blockchain train and to be inspired. But such inspiration will require a better understanding of how the technology works first. Unfortunately, most of the current explanations out there are either covered in complex technical jargon or are way too shallow and lack in-depth details, neither of them which leads to a clear understanding. So where to start? Allow me to suggest you to start here. This ten minute read will explain what is considered so revolutionary about this technology. It will be well worth your time. Enjoy reading.
https://blog.goodaudience.com/blockchain-for-beginners-what-is-blockchain-519db8c6677a

60 Years of Higher Ed — Really? - Alina Tugend, NY Times

“The real driver of the 60-year curriculum is the job market and length of life,” said Huntington D. Lambert, the dean of the division of continuing education and university extension at Harvard University, who is a leader in the movement. Many continuing education programs already offer some of the elements. For example, the University of Washington Continuum College, which is the continuing education and professional development division of the University of Washington in Seattle, offers 99 certificate programs — most noncredit — as well as 111 graduate degree programs. An entire certificate course, which can take up to nine months part time to complete, runs between $3,600 and $4,500, said Rovy Branon, the college’s vice provost.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/education/learning/60-year-curriculum-higher-education.html

Udacity will offer 100,000 free programming classes as part of the ‘Pledge to America’s Workers’ - Jonathan Shieber, Tech Crunch

Under the leadership of newly minted chief executive Gabe Dalporto, Udacity is committing to giving away free introductory technology training classes to 20,000 applicants every year. The program is focused on teaching front-end web development, mobile app development and data analytics. There are no prerequisites for applicants, but the scholarships are reserved for low-income individuals looking to learn programming skills.
https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/10/udacity-will-offer-100000-free-programming-classes-as-part-of-the-pledge-to-americas-workers/

Some colleges seek radical solutions to survive - Jon Marcus, Hechinger Report

More than 400 colleges and universities still had seats available for freshmen and transfer students after the traditional May 1 deadline to enroll for this fall, the National Association for College Admission Counseling reports. More are likely to go under; Moody’s projects that the pace of college closings will soon reach 15 per year. Yet some campus leaders, asked what steps they’re taking to avoid this fate, responded like the president of one small private liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. His school, he said, would “continue to graduate students who will make a tangible and constructive difference in the world.”
https://hechingerreport.org/some-colleges-seek-radical-solutions-to-survive/

Fewer students, tepid state funding roil Michigan public universities - Ron French, Bridgemi

Michigan universities are facing what amounts to a perfect storm of economic, demographic and political factors. There are fewer Michigan high school graduates in part due to a declining birth rate, leaving colleges to fight over a smaller pool of potential in-state students. That pool is drained more because a vibrant economy is luring some high school grads to go straight into the job market rather than delay earning a paycheck through years of college. At the same time, there is growing public discontent with higher education,  based on rising costs, rising student debt and a belief among some that universities are liberal bastions hostile to conservative thought.
https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/fewer-students-tepid-state-funding-roil-michigan-public-universities

Case study: Why Kraft Heinz has history majors working in finance - Riia O'Donnell, Education Dive

"Meritocracy in the foundation of our culture," said Kornblut. "We're looking for students who want to make an impact from the beginning — be given real work that they're able to show off their abilities early on. We look for people who can come in and take on a lot of things." He added that "ownership mentality" goes a long way. The rotational aspect of the program allows students to get exposure to all parts of the business — and in the process, find something that may pique their interest. The company will recruit 40 trainees and 40 interns this year. Notably, the trainee program is not a probationary period. They're full-time workers from day one, Kornblut said, going first into a 10-month rotational program before entering into a final placement. Trainees and interns go through the same vetting process, Kornblut said, and the goal is for all of them to end up with a job offer.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/case-study-why-kraft-heinz-has-history-majors-working-in-finance/564515/

Women are slowly pursuing more high-paying degrees, but the pay gap remains, says new research - Abigail Hess, CNBC

Economists estimate that the gender pay gap — the gap between the median salaries of all working men and women in the U.S. — is about 80 cents earned by women for every dollar earned by a man. When CNBC Make It spoke with economists about the causes behind the pay gap, several pointed to education. Today, women outnumber men at all levels of education, but many pursue degrees in traditionally lower-paying fields. But according to new research from Carolyn Sloane, an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside, and Erik Hurst and Dan Black, professors at the University of Chicago, women are slowly shifting to higher-paying majors.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/04/women-are-pursuing-more-high-paying-degrees-but-the-pay-gap-remains.html

Colleges Need to Build Digital Quads to Support Social Learning for Online Students - Soulaymane Kachani and Sandesh Tuladhar, EdSurge

As this trend continues, universities risk losing the community of informal, social learning that they were designed to foster. And that would deprive their students of a fundamental and important mode of learning and growth. Rather than ignore this challenge, or chalk it up to the inevitability of the digital world, universities can and should create digital equivalents and environments to replicate—or even enhance—the authentic student interactions they are likely encounter on campuses. In the absence of such digital equivalents, students may find or create social spaces online anyway, with the potential to bring out poor behavior and becoming disconnected from the formal social constructs of academic life.
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-10-05-colleges-need-to-build-digital-quads-to-support-social-learning-for-online-students

Navigating the Credential Marketplace: A How-to Guide - Credential Engine

The number of both traditional and non-degree credentials is exploding, but as programs proliferate, it becomes more difficult to acquire information about the precise skills and abilities they develop, the pathways they support, and their impact on employment and earnings outcomes. At the same time, today’s economy is in constant flux, bringing changing demands for skills and credentials. To keep up with these changing landscapes, there emerges an obvious need for and value of a common credential description language and a Credential Registry that is updated in real time to ensure that everyone can make informed decisions about education and career pathways. Credential providers, policymakers, employers, and regulatory agencies all have an important role to play in making this a reality
https://credentialengine.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Counting-Credentials-How-To-Guide_190925.pdf

Where Online Learning Goes Next - Leah Belsky, Harvard Business Review

By harnessing emerging technologies, universities can reach beyond campus walls to empower diverse learners at global scale. It begins with embracing stackable, online learning, which provides flexibility and affordability that increases access to university curricula and allows students to engage in smaller chunks of learning before committing to larger degree programs. Technology-powered formats like mobile-friendly experiences meet the learner where they are, enabling more seamless transitions for those entering a new learning environment or picking up where they left off. At a more advanced level, embracing AI-powered adaptive learning will enable universities to personalize education for millions for more effective outcomes.
https://hbr.org/2019/10/where-online-learning-goes-next

Why Higher Education Will Change: Innovation in higher education is not an option. It is essential - Steve Mintz, Inside Higher Ed

Higher education needs to find more effective, efficient ways to educate students, without sacrificing rigor or the human interactions and feedback that lie at the heart of a quality education. And it needs to do this while somehow covering the escalating costs of financial aid, student services, technology, and compliance with government mandates. It is not enough to try to protect and preserve the status quo. Trends that are unsustainable inevitably come to an end. But that need not mean that brick-and-mortar institutions need to be replaced by universities in the cloud.  It means that these schools must adapt.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-gamma/why-higher-education-will-change?mc_cid=9cfca997f9&mc_eid=879d6835e3

Universities Should Be Preparing Students for the Gig Economy - Diane Mulcahy, Harvard Business Review

How well do universities prepare students to work independently in the Gig Economy? Today’s graduates are joining a workforce where the Gig Economy — including consultants, independent contractors, freelancers, side giggers, and on-demand workers — makes up an estimated 30-40% of the U.S. workforce. They’re also facing an economy in which alternative work arrangements are growing faster than traditional full-time jobs, and are only projected to keep growing. The recent news that the majority of Google’s workforce is made up of independent and temporary workers rather than full-time employees is just one example of the rapid transformation of the corporate workforce.
https://hbr.org/2019/10/universities-should-be-preparing-students-for-the-gig-economy

In the Dark on Digital Learning - Lilah Burke, Inside Higher Ed

The results of a new survey offer presidents, provosts and CFOs a wake-up call about how they’re perceived by their colleagues in IT and digital learning. The reviews are less than glowing, with only about 40 percent of IT officials reporting that college leaders are “well informed” about digital learning and digital transformation. Ray Schroeder, [UPCEA Senior Fellow, and] associate vice chancellor for online learning at University of Illinois at Springfield (and an Inside Higher Ed columnist), said that although administrators at his university have been very engaged, the results of the survey were not surprising. Schroeder also said more residential students are choosing to take online classes for the scheduling freedom they can provide. As the trend doesn’t seem to be abating any time soon, Schroeder said it’s important for administrators to give IT officials a seat at the table, specifically on the dean’s council or president's executive committee.
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/10/16/administrators-are-neither-engaged-nor-knowledgeable-about

70% of college students graduate with debt. How did we get here? - Samantha Fields, Marketplace

Today, roughly 70% of American students end up taking out loans to go to college. The average graduate leaves school with around $30,000 in debt and all told, some 45 million Americans owe $1.6 trillion in student loans — and counting. How did we get here? Slowly, over decades, according to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher and vice president of research at the website Saving for College. “You can compare it to cooking a lobster,” he said. “By the time you figure out that the water is boiling, you’re already cooked.”

https://www.marketplace.org/2019/09/30/70-of-college-students-graduate-with-debt-how-did-we-get-here/

The students disappearing fastest from American campuses? Middle-class ones - Jon Marcus, Hechinger Report

Middle-class high school students give a number of reasons for forgoing higher education, according to an analysis of federal data by the Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce: 4 percent cited family obligations, 6 percent planned to take a gap year before enrolling, 8 percent said they weren’t ready and 20 percent said they just didn’t want to go. Fully a quarter of middle-class high school students who don’t plan on college said it was because of the expense.
https://hechingerreport.org/the-students-disappearing-fastest-from-american-campuses-middle-class-ones/

A Roadmap to Student Success — and the Technology That Can Get You There - Eli Zimmerman, EdTech Magazine

Academic and university success are intertwined, and through communication, data analytics and personalized learning tools, institutions and students can win together. Innovations in artificial intelligence are helping to solve for this problem. For example, universities are beginning to experiment with Netflix-style academic video hubs to make it easier for students to personalize their learning to fit what they want to study. The applications are still relatively new, as AI as a curricular tool is still in its infancy. However, Schroeder maintains there are opportunities to use this technology to help students create a learning environment that works for them. By combining these three focus areas, universities can work with students to promote academic achievement on a personal level while maintaining financial success as institutions.
https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2019/10/roadmap-student-success-and-technology-can-get-you-there-perfcon

'This is the bust': Colleges tackle the challenge of regional consolidation - Liz Farmer, Education Dive

Regional colleges have long played the role of community economic engines. For many students, the educational experience they offer is more aligned with the needs and opportunities in the local workforce than is that of their state's flagship institution. But post-recession economic headwinds have worked against these smaller, less-resourced institutions. Many are facing financial pressures driven by declining budgets and changing demographics that are forcing a reorganization of higher education across the country. And although such moves can be controversial and take years to implement, experts say the trend is only expected to continue.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/this-is-the-bust-colleges-tackle-the-challenge-of-regional-consolidation/564182/

edX Announces Its Eleventh Degree: A Master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering - IBL News

edX announced on September 30 the launch of its eleventh MOOC-based degree, reaffirming its role as an OPM (Online Program Manager) company. The new degree is top-ranked, as the #5 online graduate engineering program according to U.S. News & World Report. The Master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University School of Electrical and Computer Engineering will cost $22,500, that is, 30 credits at $750 each. The current online master’s program in Purdue costs nearly $40,000. The lower price point was made possible in part due to the support from edX and the ability to offer courses at scale, according to Dimitrios Peroulis, school’s head. [ed note:how do these reduced-cost degrees from high-visibility / nationally-ranked universities impact enrollments at regional public universities?]
https://iblnews.org/edx-announces-its-eleventh-online-degree-a-masters-in-electrical-and-computer-engineering-from-purdue/

White House working group outlines future of universal transcripts - By Hallie Busta, Education Dive

In a new white paper, a workforce policy advisory board established by the Trump administration outlines the steps required to develop and successfully implement interoperable learning records (ILRs), which are compilations of peoples' traditional and hands-on learning experiences. ILRs are already being piloted as a way to readily and securely share such information with educational institutions and employers by using vendor-agnostic technology that doesn't require direct coordination or synchronization. The board sees broader potential for ILRs and suggests promoting that growth by creating a public list of pilot projects, developing a plan for implementing ILRs and bringing a basic ILR to market.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/white-house-working-group-outlines-future-of-universal-transcripts/563808/

4 edutech innovations that will redefine learning habits in 2019 - Nicholas Chew, e27

Technology is changing the way that we learn, information is also more abundant to the masses. Breakthroughs of new technology innovations such as A.I. and Blockchain are giving more opportunities for the Edutech sector to grow. Let’s dig deeper into how Edutech can boost learning in the digital world.
https://e27.co/4-edutech-innovations-that-will-redefine-learning-habits-in-2019-20190928/

Major challenges facing our young people, graduates and students today - Patrick Ow, Thrive Global

Just-in-time continuous learning through flexible short courses (online virtual learning and offline bricks and mortar), and continuous on-the-job learning and training will become a norm as new skills are constantly created to keep up with advances in technology, evolving business models, and organizational restructure. The role and relevance of colleges and universities in preparing our future generations for work and employment must be scrutinized and debated. They must respond to the ever-changing need of the demand side of the work equation because graduates are using less than half of what they have learned in universities at work. The half-life of knowledge is also decreasing.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/major-challenges-facing-our-young-people-graduates-and-students-today/

DYI Education Gaining Steam - Tamara Holmes, Yahoo

In fact, a new study suggests many people across the world are instead embracing a hodgepodge of do-it-yourself learning options.  To collect the data, Pearson conducted an online survey of 11,083 people between the ages of 16 to 70.  An overwhelming 81% of respondents said they believe learning will become more of a self-service affair as people get older. Among U.S. respondents, 87% said learning does not end after graduation. Education is also viewed as a way to pivot in one’s life, as 73% of U.S. respondents said they like to reinvent themselves by learning new skills, and 52% said they planned to pursue a second career, start a business or take classes after retirement.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/yourself-learning-gaining-stream-151554041.html
FULL GLOBAL LEARNER SURVEY REPORT: https://www.pearson.com/corporate/news/global-learner-survey.html

How Student Debt is Disrupting Life Chances and Widening the Racial Wealth Gap Institute on Assets and Social Policy - Brandeis University

The current higher education financing regime sediments and exacerbates inequality, and
student loans adversely affect the Black-White racial wealth gap.6 Black students—and students at for-profit universities, who are more likely to be students of color—often face the greatest challenges as they try to finance their degrees with student loans. They take on more loans, amass higher amounts of loans, and experience greater difficulty in paying off loans.7 Frequently without family financial wealth to support repayment and facing ongoing discrimination in the labor market,8 Black borrowers are much more likely to experience longterm financial insecurity due to student loans. Would anybody knowingly design a system where, two decades after starting college, many Black borrowers still are paying on virtually all of their student loans, while for the typical White borrower, a minimal debt burden remains?
https://heller.brandeis.edu/iasp/pdfs/stallingdreams-how-student-debt-is-disrupting-lifechances.pdf

Liberal arts degree? No degree at all? You are the perfect candidate for a tech job - Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC

For the past two years as many as 1 million tech jobs remain unfilled. Tech executives on the CNBC Technology Executive Council say it has become harder to fill tech positions, so candidates with liberal arts degrees, or no college degree, are now being hired. “Tech companies and enterprises who depend on digital technologies to drive their primary mission are in a virtual arms race to hire and retain tech-skilled workers,” one executive told CNBC.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/tech-jobs-now-a-fit-for-a-liberal-arts-degree-or-no-degree-at-all.html

The Essentials of Blended Learning - BY PATRICIA DE SARACHO, GovTech

The concept of blended learning has been around since the 1960s, but only recently has it taken off as a methodology, enabled by technology, for integrating traditional and virtual classrooms. At its most basic level, the term refers to the use of online learning methods and technologies to complement and enhance the traditional classroom experience. “Blended learning is one of the most powerful and influential innovations in education,” according to aeseducation.com, because it combines “the benefits of face-to-face education with the anywhere-anytime power of the Internet.”
https://www.govtech.com/education/The-Essentials-of-Blended-Learning-Contributed.html

The Importance Of Presence Offline And Online In Higher Education - Marvin Krislov, Forbes

Presence means, essentially, being there. It’s something that happens naturally in physical classrooms. But in online education, instructors have to work to create it. Poorly constructed online courses can feel cold and impersonal; online faculty can feel distant. But in a well-designed course, where faculty work to be present, students can thrive. Studies have shown that creating strong presence and engagement in an online class—mimicking that personal connection Gabelli and I so value—improves academic outcomes and student experience. So how can educators make sure they maintain presence as education moves online?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marvinkrislov/2019/09/25/the-importance-of-presence-offline-and-online-in-higher-education/#6765cd923295

Where Did All the Students Go? - Cristina Spanò, The Chronicle

We are facing a crisis in enrollment, but it’s not just an enrollment challenge. Instead, it requires the attention of every member of every university community coming together to think less about our own self-interest and more about the common good of our institutions and society. Big public universities and well-endowed private colleges with powerful brands are safe for the near future — or so it seemed until a few recent announcements that make even the most optimistic of us wonder. The big question: Can we begin to get back in shape, or will our collective complacency finally do us in?

https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/20191006-A-Crisis-in-Enrollment

The Impact of At-Scale and Mega-U Degrees - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

In the near term, it appears that at-scale programs will be launched in popular, broad degree areas; the same for most mega-universities. That leaves more highly specialized, emerging market, just-in-time degree and certificate programs that meet the needs for newly forged career paths. Such programs will find an audience that is not yet large enough for the bigger institutions to consider offering at scale. In order to take on these emerging online program areas, the small and medium-size institutions must be in close touch with business and industry. They must anticipate the emergence and growth in new fields. They must be nimble and decisive to move ahead with these new programs.
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/impact-scale-and-mega-u-degrees

Google’s quantum bet on the future of AI—and what it means for humanity - Katrina Brooker, Fast Company

Hartmut Neven, who leads Google’s quantum team, presented the lab’s advances during Google’s Quantum Spring Symposium in May, describing the increases in processing power as double exponential. Within computer science circles, this growth rate for quantum computing has been dubbed Neven’s law, a nod to Moore’s law, which posits that “classical” computing advances by doubling the number of transistors that can fit on a chip every 18 months. [ed note:  This changes everything we know - follow this field|
https://www.fastcompany.com/90396213/google-quantum-supremacy-future-ai-humanity

We all have a lot to learn from nontraditional learners - Mari Cini, Education Dive

About three in four undergraduate college students are what policy experts refer to as "nontraditional" learners. These are students who attend college later in life, go to school part-time, work full-time while enrolled or are raising children while earning a degree.  They can teach all of us about the importance, and the increasing necessity, of evolving our education-to-career pathways. Here are three things we can — and must — learn from so-called nontraditional students:
https://www.educationdive.com/news/we-all-have-a-lot-to-learn-from-nontraditional-learners/563063/