How higher ed can start 2021 off right - Casey Welch, eCampus News

Higher education leaders would do well to take COVID-induced changes into consideration when identifying new ways to meet students' needs.  For example, career preparation has always been top of mind for college-bound teens. But more students now than ever before are beginning to realize the need to plan ahead. A recent survey found that 99 percent of Gen Z recognizes the value of making connections with employers, even when they don’t have jobs currently available.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/02/09/how-higher-ed-can-start-2021-off-right/

First it was Agile software development, now Agile management is remaking the workplace - Mark Samuels, ZDNet

Mark Evans, managing director of marketing and digital at insurer Direct Line, says the key to effective Agile management is what's known as servant leadership, a leadership philosophy in which the main goal of the leader is to serve. Rather than commanding and controlling, leaders need to give other people the power to make decisions. Evans says this shift in behaviours and mindsets is probably the most challenging part of a switch to Agile for business leaders. "I went through a change curve, where I could get the idea that I'm not really in control of anything and I'm just sort of facilitating and helping to prioritise and maybe set the overall vision and mission. But, truthfully, it's a really big deal to jump to that and feel like your self-worth is still there," he says.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/first-it-was-agile-software-development-now-agile-management-is-remaking-the-workplace/

Vaccinate Against Cheating With Authentic Assessment - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

While the students who turn to cheating would seem to be too lazy, busy or unable to learn the assigned material, one can often also say that faculty members may be too lazy, busy or unable to design custom assessments that are relevant, unique and promote creative/critical thinking. The “objective” test is founded in the realities of life prior to the 21st century. Well-formed assessments should be the pinnacle of the course. There is no shortcut to demonstrating that you can apply what you have learned to a unique, newly shared situation. It is authentic. It is only fair to the students to give them this opportunity before they leave the class and attempt to apply their skills and knowledge in society.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/vaccinate-against-cheating-authentic-assessment

8 Higher Education IT Trends to Watch in 2021 - Adam Stone, EdTech

“With the pandemic, technology came in through the front door. We all recognized that technology was critically important to keeping teaching, learning, research and administration going,” says Susan Grajek, vice president for partnerships, communities and research at EDUCAUSE. “That has brought technology up into leadership-level conversations.” So, where are those conversations heading? To better prepare for the post-pandemic future of higher education, here are eight trends that leaders and IT teams are watching this year.

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2021/02/8-higher-education-it-trends-watch-2021

The Promise of Dual-Mission Colleges - Jamie Merisotis and Carrie Besnette Hauser, Inside Higher Ed

In recent years a group of colleges started offering a mix of programs challenging the notion that college credentials must come in neat two-year or four-year packages. From our respective perches, we believe that these “dual-mission” institutions offer another way forward for higher education in the post-pandemic period. We got here in part because a group of higher ed leaders, led by former University of California president Clark Kerr, worked to create some order out of a rapidly growing and changing system. The Carnegie classification system was designed in the early 1970s, a time when higher education was booming following the passage of the Civil Rights Act, rapid expansion of community colleges and the adoption of the Higher Education Act, which launched many of the federal financial aid programs that still benefit millions of college students today.

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/02/04/dual-mission-colleges-offer-novel-and-needed-approach-higher-education-opinion

The critical role of workforce training in the labor market recovery - Wendy Edelberg and Paige Shevlin, Brookings Institution

In this analysis, we examine the impacts of the pandemic recession across different dimensions, including employment, labor force participation, and the need to switch industries. This analysis provides texture and evidence to the emerging understanding that women and people of color, working in the service industry, have been the most negatively affected. The challenge of long-term unemployment for some workers, coupled with the high likelihood that some industries will see weaker labor demand for some time, requires a workforce development strategy that supports workers who will need to switch industries and occupations. 

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2021/02/04/the-critical-role-of-workforce-training-in-the-labor-market-recovery/

Transitioning to the World of Online Learning: Preparing Higher Education Instructors and Students for Success - Linda Dale Bloomberg, TC Press

While it is acknowledged that face-to-face teaching competencies such as knowledge of curricula and pedagogy do transfer to online contexts, it is also important to recognize some of the unique competencies required for online teaching success. Online learning systems employ a variety of online tools and software, which place new and often unfamiliar demands on the technical competence of teachers. Modes of communication differ, with a greater reliance on asynchronous communication methods which do not occur in “real time”. The ability to effectively communicate, manage technology, deliver and assess content, monitor student progress, and follow-up on issues or barriers encountered by students are critical to minimize the likelihood of student disengagement or withdrawal.

https://www.tcpress.com/blog/transitioning-world-online-learning-preparing-higher-education-instructors-students-success/

A look at trends in college consolidation since 2016 - Education Dive

The last few years have been tumultuous for many U.S. colleges. Pressure to lower tuition, stagnating state funding and a shrinking pool of high school graduates has strained many institutions’ bottom lines and questioned their long-term viability. Those pressures have caused some to close. For many still in operation, the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact is adding a host of uncertainties to already tight operations. We’ve been tracking consolidation across higher education since the fall of 2018, looking back as far as 2016.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/how-many-colleges-and-universities-have-closed-since-2016/539379/

Why online Higher Ed should be about learning, not teaching - David Baume, University World News

What is that one fundamental question? I suggest: “What are we putting online?” This may not be the question you were expecting. This is not a technical question, about resources and learning activities. It is a much more profound than that. The longer version of the question is: “What are we putting online? Teaching? Or learning?” Why do I say “or”? Surely they are the same thing, or at any rate two sides of the same coin or banknote? Teaching leads to learning. What’s the problem? Why “or”? A few reasons. Which together drive us towards the question. And together suggest an answer.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210126142422302

What is the role of universities in global upskilling? - Jan Petter Myklebust and Hanne Smidt, University World News

Wide-scale investment in upskilling has the potential to boost global gross domestic product (GDP) by US$6.5 trillion by 2030 and lead to the creation of 5.3 million net new jobs globally by 2030, according to a new report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on 21 January. The report predicts that upskilling and reskilling could propel the transition to an economy where human labour is increasingly complemented and augmented – rather than replaced – by new technology, thus improving the overall quality of jobs. The number of jobs that require creativity, innovation and empathy is expected to rise with an increased need for information technology skills. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report from 2020 shows that in the majority of business sectors, companies state that skills gaps are the prime reason there are barriers to adopting new technologies that would increase productivity.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210129110449887

Time for Reinvention, Not Just Replication or Revision - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

 With enrollments falling, college budgets under strain and employers dissatisfied with the relevance of graduates' learning, now is a time for more than replication or revision -- it is time for reinvention. We are at the confluence of massive economic, technologic and social changes that demand higher education do more than small fixes. We will not thrive if we merely tweak the system to replicate practices of the lecture hall in an online delivery system. The shakeout of academic jobs, programs and even entire institutions is accelerating. We must recognize the forces at play and respond. The changes require more than merely adjusting our programs and approaches. They demand a completely new examination of the changing student needs, marketplace demand and revenue-generation models. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/online-trending-now/time-reinvention-not-just-replication-or-revision

This $12 Billion Company Is Getting Rich Off Students Cheating Their Way Through Covid - Susan Adams, Forbes

Meet Chegg, which has become the most valuable edtech company in America by connecting college students to test answers on demand.It’s called “chegging.” College students everywhere know what it means. “If I run out of time or I’m having problems on homework or an online quiz,” says Matt, a 19-year-old sophomore at Arizona State, “I can chegg it.”He means he can use Chegg Study, the $14.95-a-month service he buys from Chegg, a tech company whose stock price has more than tripled. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2021/01/28/this-12-billion-company-is-getting-rich-off-students-cheating-their-way-through-covid/

Inclusive Approaches to Support Student Assignments During Times of Disruption - Brown University Harriet W. Sheridan Center

Fortunately, for much of the time, Brown instructors and students are able to teach and learn as planned in the syllabus. However, whether due to weather, travel, or illnesses like COVID-19, there are times when these plans need to be adjusted. This resource offers approaches to making these adjustments, through both lower and higher-tech means. Recommendations from Brown's Office of Student and Employee Accessibility Services (SEAS) are also offered to address accessibility.

https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1843

Report: It's Time for 4-Year Schools to Welcome Adult Learners - Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

The public mission of four-year colleges and universities needs to adapt to encompass adult learners, according to a new report. That's the population that may be most affected by the changes in education introduced during the pandemic — more so even than K-12 and college students, the report suggested. Not only did the pandemic expedite the "already rising need for adult educational programming," the report stated, but it "also opened the eyes of many adults to the opportunities afforded by digital learning platforms."  New Horizons: American Universities and the Case for Lifelong Learning was produced by the Longevity Project, whose lead content collaborator is the Stanford Center on Longevity, among other nonprofits, think tanks and media organizations.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/01/25/report-its-time-for-4-year-schools-to-welcome-adult-learners.aspx

Apprenticeships are an overlooked solution for creating more access to quality jobs - Annelies Goger and Chenoah Sinclair, Brookings Institution

One of these holistic solutions is to adapt apprenticeship for today’s economy and make it a more integral part of our education and training ecosystem in order to increase access to quality jobs, especially for young people—a group that has suffered the greatest job losses in the current recession. Apprenticeships, which combine on-the-job and classroom training over several years, can help people get a foot in the door to the labor market while also increasing access to higher education. They also help meet employers’ needs for a workforce with applied, technical, and problem-solving skills. Many peer countries are farther along in pursuing such education reform that promotes ongoing learning for a fast-paced 21st century economy.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2021/01/27/apprenticeships-are-an-overlooked-solution-for-creating-more-access-to-quality-jobs/

Collaborative Medical Education: Students as Partners during Technology-Enhanced Course Redesign - David Green, et al: Edcuase Review

Including students in course redesign pays dividends to the institution, the faculty involved, and the students themselves. A central component of the faculty support team was the medical education student fellow, who served as a liaison between course coordinators and the educational technology team. Fellows were recruited annually via a national search and had already completed at least the first two years of medical school. Each fellow served for one full calendar year and received a stipend with travel funding. During their year at UMMSM, fellows became trusted members of the internal medical education community and regularly interacted with the academic deans. 

https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2021/1/collaborative-medical-education-students-as-partners-during-technology-enhanced-course-redesign

Our Online Learners Need More Empathy and Less Criticism - Antone M. Goyak, Faculty Focus

I love teaching online. I love the challenge of moving a student from, “I am really nervous about this class!” to “Thank you for your support this semester–I made it!” I love thinking of novel ways to connect with my virtual learners and make them feel cared for and part of a community, even though we will most likely never meet face-to-face. I love being active in removing their roadblocks to achievement. I also love helping a struggling student make it successfully to the end of a term, like someone coming alongside a marathoner, putting their arm around them, and helping them cross the finish line in a moment of exhaustion or despair.

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-assessment-grading-and-feedback/our-online-learners-need-more-empathy-and-less-criticism/

Discover 14 Current Online Learning Trends - Jordan Friedman, Josh Moody, US News

In a world shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, online education shined bright in 2020. As campuses closed, colleges shifted their courses to remote delivery and finished out the semester online. Shifting programs online allows colleges to cast a broader net and not rely on local or regional students to boost their headcount, says Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor for online learning at the University of Illinois--Springfield. Phil Regier, university dean for educational initiatives and CEO of EdPlus at Arizona State University, adds: "Students should expect to see more STEM offerings in physical sciences and data science, focus areas in social justice, and study areas that focus on the ethics and rules surrounding media and data consumption."

https://news.yahoo.com/discover-14-current-online-learning-130000087.html

Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty (Review) - Graduate Connections Newsletter, Tomorrow's Professor

James Lang, Associate Professor of English at Assumption College in Massachusetts, offers practical advice to fellow faculty members about how to prevent cheating by focusing on learning in Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty (Harvard University Press 2013). First, Lang offers a theory of cheating (Part I: Building a Theory of Cheating); next he clarifies the motivations for cheating and how to take on cheating indirectly by focusing on learning (Part Two: The (Nearly) Cheating-free Classroom); and finally, he briefly offers advice on how to address cheating once it occurs in the classroom (Part Three: Speaking about Cheating).

https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1842

Faculty stress is soaring as COVID drags on - LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend the college experience for students and educators, more than half of faculty are experiencing dramatically more stress and symptoms of workplace burnout, according to new research. The Course Hero study of more than 570 full- and part-time faculty at two- and four-year colleges and universities examined how the pandemic has affected faculty views toward the academic work environment and job satisfaction. “The pandemic has had far-reaching implications on the day-to-day work of faculty, as well as on their long-term career trajectories, professional aspirations, and views on the future of higher education,” said Tara Graham, Vice President of Educator Community and Partnerships at Course Hero. “Student success is tightly linked to the mental and emotional health and professional success of instructors. This research signals an urgency to expand the types of support offered to both students and faculty during this extraordinary time in education.”

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/01/20/faculty-stress-is-soaring-as-covid-drags-on/

5 ways to be an innovative online instructor - KATHARINE BENTHAM, eCampus News

In a landscape where online instruction has become more commonplace due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some faculty face challenges associated with operating in an online environment. Even to those remote instruction veterans, there is certainly an element of frustration that can exist when it comes to finding unique ways to engage students as an online instructor. The following 5 tips can help you to be an innovative online instructor who engages students:

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/01/21/5-ways-to-be-an-innovative-online-instructor/

The missing metrics: Emerging practices for measuring students’ relationships and networks - Christensen Institute

Most schools and programs wholeheartedly agree that relationships matter. But far fewer actually measure students’ social capital. Oftentimes, relationships, valuable as they may be, are treated as inputs to learning and development rather than outcomes in their own right. In turn, schools routinely leave students’ access to relationships and networks to chance. To address this gap, a host of early innovators across K–12, postsecondary, and workforce development are making important strides toward purposefully building and measuring students’ social capital in an effort to expand access to opportunity. Drawing on those emerging practices, this paper offers a framework for measuring social capital grounded in both research and practice.

https://whoyouknow.org/measurement-report/

Creating Rich Transcripts for Career Activation - Fred Cutler, Inside Higher Ed

Institutions should be embarrassed by the standard transcripts they have been issuing, unchanged for a century, and students should demand better, argues Fred Cutler. The University of British Columbia has worked to develop for its graduates a supplementary “rich transcript” that includes:

The student’s courses’ full titles; A word cloud built from the instructors’ detailed course descriptions for their courses (not the generic calendar descriptions); Aggregated statistics for each student on the number of writing assignments, pages written, peer reviews, oral presentations, hours of group work, research designs, primary research, internships and service learning; and A list of 23 skills showing in how many of the student’s courses each skill was a key learning outcome.

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/01/20/students-should-demand-better-college-transcripts-opinion

The forgotten mental health crisis: pressures on staff - Basia Spalek, University World News

The mental well-being of students has become a key priority within university settings. Student counselling and well-being services have expanded across many universities in the United Kingdom and internationally, and there is now much greater awareness of the mental well-being needs of students across university institutions. The psychological well-being of university staff, in contrast, has traditionally been a marginalised issue.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210111140929866 

COVID-19 fuelling education's tech disruption, deepening digital divide - Reuters

During the pandemic, online learning company Udacity saw demand for its virtual courses surge, Udacity Executive Chairman Sebastian Thrun said. Its enrollment more than doubled. Its engagement with companies “massively” increased. “Is online going to replace universities? It’s never going to happen,” he said.  “Can we reach people that are currently not being reached? And there, the answer is a resounding yes.” Both Thrun and Richardson said the divide between those who have digital connectivity and those who lack it continues to make education a mark of privilege even amid efforts to level the playing field.

https://www.reuters.com/article/education-future/reuters-next-covid-19-fuelling-educations-tech-disruption-deepening-digital-divide-idUSL1N2JP36Y

Turn off that camera during virtual meetings, environmental study says - Science Daily

The study, conducted by researchers from Purdue University, Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the first to analyze the water and land footprints associated with internet infrastructure in addition to carbon footprints. Just one hour of videoconferencing or streaming, for example, emits 150-1,000 grams of carbon dioxide (a gallon of gasoline burned from a car emits about 8,887 grams), requires 2-12 liters of water and demands a land area adding up to about the size of an iPad Mini. But leaving your camera off during a web call can reduce these footprints by 96%.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134033.htm

3 ways to design inclusive learning classes online - JOHN SCOTT, eCampus News

Last spring, you made a heroic effort to rapidly transition your course to online delivery in response to a campus closure. It’s important now to take a moment to consider how your students adapted then and this fall, and how you can design inclusive learning approaches after considering the equity and access issues resulting from this change in delivery. For students learning remotely at home, these challenges may include limited access to computers, high-speed internet, campus support services, and a lack of social connection with peers and instructors.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/01/12/3-ways-to-stay-connected-when-going-remote-copy/

Universally Designing in Universal Chaos - Lauren Tucker, Faculty Focus

UDL focuses on proactively embedding multiple opportunities for students to learn material, engage with the course, and express their learning (CAST 2020). Keeping UDL at the forefront of my course design during the pandemic has provided much needed stability and consistency within my courses. I keep the following three guidelines in my course planning, and I have seen significant benefits within my courses.

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-course-design-and-preparation/universally-designing-in-universal-chaos/

What is the purpose of universities? - NICOLE YEATMAN, Big Think

For centuries, universities have advanced humanity toward truth. Professor Jonathan Haidt speaks to why college campuses are suddenly heading in the opposite direction. In a lecture at UCCS, NYU professor Jonathan Haidt considers the 'telos' or purpose of universities: To discover truth.  Universities that prioritize the emotional comfort of students over the pursuit of truth fail to deliver on that purpose, at a great societal cost. To make that point, Haidt quotes CNN contributor Van Jones: "I don't want you to be safe ideologically. I don't want you to be safe emotionally. I want you to be strong—that's different."

https://bigthink.com/institute-for-humane-studies/jonathan-haidt-campus