Breaking the Boundaries of Time and Space - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

An artifact of centuries of schooling history in agrarian cultures, our universities have been bound by semesters, quarters, terms and other rigid predefined calendar schedules. Likewise, we have been fenced in by regulations of states, campuses and other locational limitations. For good reason, it is time that these boundaries are broken! Learning should be defined by outcomes, not calendars and places. The policy relics of the past have become a minefield for so many learners and so many modes of learning models.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/breaking-boundaries-time-and-space

CUNY pumps $8M into 'in-house OPM' - Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive

The City University of New York system is spending $8 million in federal relief funds to develop CUNY Online, a new initiative meant to help its 25 campuses launch and grow online courses and programs. Online will be housed under the system's School of Professional Studies, or SPS, which runs more than three dozen online programs. It aims to grow the system's online offerings by helping campuses with content development, course design and student support services.  The initiative is currently vetting applications from institutions across the system for help with developing seven to 10 new online programs.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/cuny-pumps-8m-into-in-house-opm/620596/

Employers Are Changing How They View Training. Here are Education Trends They See Coming.- Jeffrey R. Young, EdSurge

“It's an employee market—employees are looking for something different from employers,” Catherine Ward, managing director of the nonprofit Jobs for the Future, told a panel this week at the SXSW EDU conference in Austin. “Half of U.S. workers right now—so that’s 100 million workers—believe that in the next five years they’re going to need some sort of new skill to advance in their career. And they’re looking for that learning to not just come from traditional education sources but also from their employer.” During the panel, representatives from Sam’s Club, JP Morgan Chase & Co., and the credentialing platform Degreed highlighted the trends they’re seeing in workplace learning.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-03-09-employers-are-changing-how-they-view-training-here-are-education-trends-they-see-coming

College students often don’t know when they’re learning - Jill Barshay, Hechinger Report

The research evidence is clear. Learning by trying something yourself is superior to passively listening to lectures, especially in science. It’s puzzling why more university professors don’t teach in this more hands-on, interactive way. Logan McCarty, director of science education at Harvard University, is a prime example. Ten years ago, he told me, he was aware of the anti-lecture studies dating back to the 1980s. But he continued to lecture. Indeed, his title at Harvard was and is “lecturer.” But he changed his classroom approach after 2014, when Canadian Louis Deslauriers joined the physics department. Deslauriers is a proselytizer for teaching by doing, what he calls “active learning,” and promised to show McCarty how to do it. McCarty was a convert. 

https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-college-students-often-dont-know-when-theyre-learning/

Public’s Impression of Higher Education Improves (Somewhat) - Doug Lederman, Inside Higher Ed

More Americans believe degrees have value and graduates are prepared for work than was true four years ago. But partisan divide is widening (and Independents are losing confidence).  Public confidence in higher education ebbed badly in the latter half of the last decade, to judge by the steady stream of opinion polls from 2017 through 2019 that showed Americans (especially Republicans) increasingly convinced that colleges and universities were heading in the wrong direction, failing to prepare graduates for work and favoring liberal views over conservative ones.)

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/03/14/public-opinion-higher-education-takes-turn-better

Seven Keys to University Flourishing in a New Environment - Gregory Crawford, Evolllution

To flourish in a fundamentally different environment, higher education leaders must identify new approaches to executing their missions rather than relying on a centuries-old playbook. Today, universities face a world far different from the past—a world of dynamic change only accelerated by the global pandemic, where complex bureaucracy and vast infrastructures can hinder progress. To thrive, or even survive, for the sake of their vital educational mission, universities must adapt to this accelerating, radically different environment.

https://evolllution.com/revenue-streams/market_opportunities/seven-keys-to-university-flourishing-in-a-new-environment/

The 10 most innovative education companies of 2022 - PAVITHRA MOHAN, Fast Company

Some of these companies, like Duolingo and Coursera, which pioneered online learning, are expanding their reach into new markets with a slate of offerings targeted at moving higher education online. Others are offering a new spin on more conventional modes of instruction, from music education app Trala, which teaches students to play the violin using algorithms that analyze pitch and tone, to Maven, an online course platform designed to allow creators to monetize their expertise.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90720370/most-innovative-companies-education-2022

Web developer or CTO, which tech jobs have the fastest growing salaries ? - Owen Hughes, ZDnet

The average tech salary broke six figures for the first time in 2021, according to a report by Dice, highlighting the "continued and sustained" demand for digital talent across all industries. The 2022 Tech Salary Report by jobs marketplace Dice found that the average salary for technologists rose by nearly 7% between 2020 and 2021, reaching $104,566. Dice said this marked the highest salary recorded in the 17 years it has been conducting the survey. IT chiefs took home the highest salaries in 2021, with an average $151,983 per year. This reflects a 6% change on 2020, according to Dice. Systems architects saw their pay increase by 5.1% to ($147,901). Dice said this reflected the increased demand for developers "capable of structuring, maintaining and scaling tech stacks in a variety of environments."

https://www.zdnet.com/article/developers-heres-how-much-your-programming-skills-are-worth-right-now/

Tech workers are fed up and want to quit. A few thoughtful changes could make them stay - Owen Hughes, ZDnet

As many as two-thirds of IT workers are open to or are already actively seeking new job opportunities, a global analysis of 18,000 employees indicates, putting CIOs in a precarious position as tech talent shortages bite. A workforce survey conducted by analyst Gartner in Q4 2021, which included 1,755 IT employees from 40 countries, found that just 29% of IT workers have a "high intent" to stay with their current employer. IT workers are more inclined to quit their jobs than employees in other functions, Gartner found, with a 10.2% lower intent to stay than non-IT employees – the lowest out of all corporate functions.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/tech-workers-are-fed-up-and-want-to-quit-a-few-thoughtful-changes-could-make-them-stay/

Colleges’ new solution to enrollment declines: Reducing the number of dropouts - Jon Marcus, Hechinger Report

A concerted campuswide campaign that includes interventions like the one that rescued Dickinson has since more than doubled that proportion, to nearly half in 2020, the last year for which the figure is available. The share of students who drop out between their first and second years has fallen from 25 percent to 18 percent. Efforts like this represent a change from a time when students were left to sink or swim.

https://hechingerreport.org/colleges-new-solution-to-enrollment-declines-reducing-the-number-of-dropouts/

Here comes the next programming revolution - Simon Bisson, ZDnet

It's not surprising, then, that low code tools have become popular. They build on familiar concepts to give end users a toolset that helps them build and share applications they need. The logical successors of Excel and Access, they're playgrounds that open up access to data and provide ways of linking applications and services, while building simple user experiences out of common building blocks. You can think of them as modern process automation tools, able to extract workflows from operations and turn those captured actions into code. 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/low-code-is-for-developers-too-here-comes-the-next-programming-revolution/

Leadership lessons from the world’s best CEOs - Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra, McKinsey

The authors of the new book CEO Excellence, who interviewed dozens of the top-performing chief executives, share their most memorable encounters and stories. In this episode of the Inside the Strategy Room podcast, the authors explain what sets the best leaders apart and how others can emulate their practices and mindsets. Carolyn Dewar and Scott Keller, who co-lead McKinsey’s global CEO Excellence practice, are joined by Vik Malhotra, former chair of McKinsey’s Americas region. This is an edited transcript of the discussion. 

https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/leadership-lessons-from-the-worlds-best-ceos

Top 10 companies that don’t require College Degree - SRESTHA ROY, Tech Story

 Many people don’t have the time or money to get a college degree as college tuition continues to rise around the globe. That does not, however, imply that your work prospects are bleak. Many companies are now offering well-paying jobs to people who have non-traditional schooling or college degree.  Not surprisingly, the list begins with Google, but you may be surprised at some of the others in the top ten.

https://techstory.in/top-10-companies-that-dont-require-college-degree/

Cybersecurity should be a concern on your campus–here’s why - Kurt Markley, eCampus News

In a recent survey, some two-thirds of respondents in the education sector revealed that staff don't think of themselves as targets for data theft exploits. Higher education institutions keep getting hacked, despite (or perhaps partly because of) the accumulated and ever-expanding wealth of knowledge and expertise within their walls. K-12 security breaches have multiplied – hitting new records over the past year. To successfully breach schools and institutions, hackers often take advantage of insiders, sometimes even targeting students directly on school issued computers. And this is not a new problem.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2022/03/04/cyber-resilience-should-be-a-concern-on-your-campus-heres-why/

New Report: There Are 6 Types of Workers. Understanding Them Can Help You Beat the Great Resignation - Jessica Stillman, Inc.

An extensive new report from Bain that digs into workers' changing expectations for their jobs suggests not. The authors spent a year surveying 20,000 workers in 10 countries (the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Nigeria) as well as conducting in-depth interviews with more than 100 employees. They concluded that there aren't three work orientations (Bain calls them worker "archetypes"); there are six, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. "These archetypes help us better understand what it takes for different individuals to find a sense of purpose at work," the report states. If you know who you're dealing with, you're better placed not only to hire the right person for the right role, but also to help your existing team stick around. 

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/hiring-employee-archetypes-bain-report.html

Is Graduate School Worth It? A Comprehensive Return on Investment Analysis - Preston Cooper, FreOpp

This report estimates return on investment (ROI) — the increase in lifetime earnings minus the costs of attending school — for nearly 14,000 graduate degrees. The median master’s degree has a net ROI of $83,000. But some master’s degrees are worth over $1 million, while 40 percent have no net financial value at all. Most master’s programs in computer science, engineering, and nursing boast ROI above $500,000. But the median degree in several other fields — including the MBA, America’s most popular graduate degree — has negative ROI.

https://freopp.org/is-graduate-school-worth-it-a-comprehensive-return-on-investment-analysis-a84644f29f9

The next evolution of blockchain in higher ed - Laura Ascione, eCampus News

A new report from the American Council on Education (ACE) outlines the outcomes and best practices that have emerged from the Education Blockchain Initiative, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Education and included the Blockchain Innovation Challenge. Blockchain is a technology best known as the underpinning of the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. It is a type of shared, distributed ledger technology that uses an agreed upon and encrypted process. The $900,000 competition sought bold ideas to reorient education and employment around learners and ultimately funded four projects that explored how blockchain technology can empower learners with more control over their educational records and create more equitable opportunities for economic advancement.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2022/02/22/the-next-evolution-of-blockchain-in-higher-ed/

Arizona State launches 5G Innovation Hub - Laura Ascione, eCampus News

Verizon and Arizona State University are exploring how 5G can enable immersive educational experiences and transform the future of learning. To do this, Verizon has launched a 5G Innovation Hub at the University’s Learning Futures Collaboratory, Studios and Emporium. Students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and corporate partners can now work together at the Hub to test and create 5G-powered educational experiences that are more inclusive, equitable and accessible.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2022/02/23/arizona-state-launches-5g-innovation-hub/

Online Education: Advantages, Problems, and Solution - RENEE JOHNSON, the Tech Report

Over the last decade, the online education community has achieved incredible progress. Online course enrollment is on the rise and flipped classrooms and hybrid programs are becoming increasingly popular. Learning is evolving, and educators and administrators must adapt. Increasingly, certain situations require some people to learn online. This includes college, K-12, and even certification programs. Although online education has drawbacks, these three advantages demonstrate why e-learning may be the greatest educational revolution of our time.

https://techreport.com/blog/3476115/online-education/

Questions to Help You Pick Your Next Leader - Michael Useem, Knowledge at Wharton

[Ray notes: it is easy to translate these questions from the business world to the academic world] You are about to interview three finalists for a senior position in your enterprise. The candidates have all worked for the company for years, and your search committee believes all are qualified. What questions should you ask in the final interview to help you decide who is best qualified to lead one of your premier divisions or functions? One of the key questions Useem lists is "How will you lead this enterprise when what counts ahead will be very different from what counted in the past?"

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/questions-help-pick-next-leader/

Online college classes can be better than in-person ones. The implications for higher ed are profound. - John Villasenor, Brookings Institution

 For many college courses, online instruction is proving to be far more effective than many people anticipated. Why? One key reason is that today’s communications networks and consumer devices enable much higher quality telepresence than was possible a decade ago. But another reason is that due to the pandemic, enormous numbers of students and instructors have gained proficiency with online learning software.  [Ray notes: it is great to see that others are recognizing what we have known for a long time!]

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2022/02/10/online-college-classes-can-be-better-than-in-person-ones-the-implications-for-higher-ed-are-profound/

Employees want the right tools for work — so let them choose - Jonny Evans, Computer World

These are just some of the findings of the latest TRUCE workplace survey, The Connected Workforce, which found some interesting (and somewhat disappointing) concerns among 1200 US workers:

30.2% of workers see the need to use outdated systems that are cumbersome or slow at work as a big concern when it comes to work-related technology.

Almost a quarter (23.9%) are concerned that they always need to be connected.

7% are concerned about needing to learn new systems or processes.

15.4% of workers say some employers continue to insist on holding too many video conferences. (Here’s how to make those meetings more effective.)

Surveillance in the remote workplace is also upsetting people.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3649202/employees-want-the-right-tools-for-work-so-let-them-choose.html

Cyber Refresher: Understanding Multifactor Authentication - Jule Pattison-Gordon, GovTech

Multifactor authentication is a key part of zero-trust security, and a method promoted by the likes of CISA. It aims to block out hackers who — in this age of data breaches — manage to steal users’ passwords.  Multifactor authentication (MFA) often features in experts’ lists of low-hanging fruit cybersecurity improvements that agencies could adopt to make themselves harder targets. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)’s recent 'Shields Up' notice urges organizations to use MFA for verifying remote access and high-level access requests, as part of better protecting the nation against potential Russian cyber attacks.

https://www.govtech.com/security/cyber-refresher-understanding-multifactor-authentication

The Case for Professors Emerit - Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed

Professor emeritus or emerita—the gender-dependent title some faculty members are awarded upon retirement—signals esteem, accomplishment and, often, continued involvement in campus life. But does it have to signal male or female? Professors at two Oregon institutions think that it doesn’t, and that it shouldn’t. So they’re asking their colleagues to consider adopting a gender-neutral alternative. One such idea is “professor emerit.” “Why should the title have anything to do with gender? It’s not a demographic category, it’s a professional title,” said Jennifer Freyd, who retired from the University of Oregon’s psychology department last year and uses the title professor emerit. [ed note: as one who is so designated, I do not object to a gender-neutral title such as emerit, after all, collectively we have gone by the gender-neutral title of professor for much of our careers.]

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/02/02/push-oregon-gender-neutral-retired-faculty-titles

Workers Keep Quitting. Here Are 3 Things That Will Get Them to Stay - MARCEL SCHWANTES, Inc.

As high rates of employee turnover continue to rise, business leaders have had to shift to adapt to what employees truly want in this worker-driven economy. Benefits and perks to attract and retain talent are certainly part of the equation, but they are not enough. Getting employees to stay and not resign requires people-centered leaders. This is easier said than done, because there aren't enough to go around. Good leadership is ultimately an inside job -- it's who you are at the core of your being, not what you "do." 

https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/workers-keep-quitting-here-are-3-things-that-will-get-them-to-stay.html

Who did I just hire!? - Steven Vaughn-Nichols, Computerworld

These days it’s not uncommon to interview someone over Zoom and never actually meet them in person. A friend recently told me they hired a great candidate for their Kubernetes senior engineer position. This was a big deal. Kubernetes-savvy people are rarer than hen’s teeth. The person they hired showed he had the technical chops they needed and made it through three rounds of interviews with flying colors. They offered him the position. He accepted, went through onboarding, showed up at his first real virtual meeting—and it wasn’t the same guy.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3650032/who-did-i-just-hire.html

8 Tips For Hiring Remote - Meghan M. Biro, Forbes

From the health issues to the requirements of lockdowns and social distancing, this period of time has changed everything. And it has enormous potential to change how we conduct the hiring process. While right now we’re in the throes of massive uncertainty – and some people are covering their ears at the mere mention of hiring new employees. But at some point, we’re going to resume business — if not as usual, then as new.  And, companies still need to hire. They may need mission-critical talent now, or need to hire now so the new recruits are trained, ready, and integrated into operations for when business resumes apace. They may be in an industry that’s actually hungry for more employees (lucky them). To stay in the horse race, we’re all going to need our workforces. But how do you hire when everyone’s at home, including your recruiters?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro/2020/04/26/8-tips-for-hiring-remote/

Trent Fowler explains how the blockchain works. - Trent Fowler, Futurati

Trent Fowler is a machine learning engineer, author, and co-host of the Futurati Podcast. As someone who's worked at several crypto startups, he has years of experience dealing with blockchain data and thinking about the blockchain’s mechanics. This episode is adapted from a talk he recently gave explaining at a high level how this remarkable technology works and what it might mean for the future.

https://futuratipodcast.com/ep-73-trent-fowler-explains-how-the-blockchain-works/

A whole new world: Education meets the metaverse - Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, et al; Broookings Institution

The metaverse is upon us. Soon it will be as omnipresent as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook (now Meta). As technology advances to bring us new immersive and imaginary worlds, how we educate children and prepare teachers must also advance to meet these new opportunities. Today, as the metaverse infrastructure is still under construction, researchers, educators, policymakers, and digital designers have a chance to lead the way rather than get caught in the undertow. To leverage the potential of the metaverse as a 3D, global, interconnected, immersive, and real-time online space, we need new ways to connect the physical world with augmented and virtual reality (VR) experiences.  

https://www.brookings.edu/research/a-whole-new-world-education-meets-the-metaverse/

Quality Digital Education in 2022: Intentional Design Matters - Deb Adair, Evolllution

Now it’s time to look more holistically at how quality factors need to be aligned, integrated, and customized across the institution — including but not limited to a course-level focus — to intentionally design the student learning experience to address current and emerging needs. Online education needs to be mission-aligned as well as integrated in quality assurance — not as a separate activity but across courses, programs and pathways, and institutional goals for student learning. 

https://evolllution.com/revenue-streams/distance_online_learning/quality-digital-education-in-2022-intentional-design-matters/