OLC Accelerate – Online Learning Consortium – October 3-5 (online), October 24-27 (Washington, D.C.) The Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate 2023 conference emphasizes the most innovative and impactful research and effective practices in the field of online, blended, and digital learning. Supporting administrators, designers, and educators alike, this conference offers attendees a comprehensive list of sessions and activities tailored to addressing the challenges and goals of our entire community.
QM Connect Conference – Quality Matters – November 5-8 (Bloomington, MN) As an educator, your bold ideas lead the charge in improving experiences and outcomes for learners. From forward-thinking processes to your biggest moon-shot concepts, your expertise can advance QA practices for the entire QM community. You’re invited to take the stage this November to share how you achieve milestones, build momentum and innovate to uplift your colleagues and advance learner success. This is your opportunity to make your voice heard within the QM community!
These Were Higher Ed’s Biggest Financial Losses From the Pandemic – The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle analyzed the nearly $13-billion decline in colleges’ revenues in 2021.
7 Questions on Engaging Faculty in Digital Accessibility – CampusTechnology
We asked the Technical College System of Georgia’s accessibility champions how they help instructors create a more inclusive learning experience for all students.
These 5 charts break down spring enrollment trends – Higher Ed Dive
Although the newest figures suggest enrollment losses are stabilizing, a deeper look reveals a more complicated picture.
Current Trends in Microcredential Design and Delivery – Educause & WCET
Microcredentialing programs remain nascent at many institutions, but interest continues to grow. As the demand for flexible learning experiences increases, stakeholders might find renewed interest in and uses for microcredentials.
Canvas Global Newsletter – Instructure
In this quarter’s global newsletter we share exciting info on Admin Analytics and the Rich Content Editor which will soon be re-enabled in New Quizzes. In addition, we also share info on Studio updates and 6 key instructional design principles to aid in designing effective learning experiences.
More Students Want Virtual-Learning Options. Here’s Where the Debate Stands. – The Chronicle of Higher Education
While some residential colleges have held firm on returning to fully in-person learning, others are embracing a flexible future.
Student and Faculty Perspectives on Digital Learning Differ – Inside Higher Ed
A new report shows misalignments in institutional and student views on preferences for virtual instruction and experience with generative AI.
The Dark Side of ChatGPT: 6 Generative AI Risks to Watch – Campus Technology
Gartner has identified six critical areas where the use of large language models such as ChatGPT can present legal or compliance risks that enterprise organizations must be aware of — or face potentially dire consequences. Organizations should consider what guardrails to put in place in order to ensure responsible use of these tools, the research firm advised.
Student loan payments set to resume end of August – Whiteboard Advisors
The pandemic-era repayment freeze will end 60 days after the end of June, which is Aug. 29. This date was included in the legislative deal raising the U.S. debt ceiling.
More Borrowers at Risk of Defaulting – Inside Higher Ed
With student loan payments set to resume, a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report shows more borrowers are struggling. “The situation is worse than we could have imagined,” one advocate said.
DeSantis Challenges Constitutionality of Accreditation – Inside Higher Ed
Higher education lawyers and advocates say the lawsuit is more about politics than a serious legal challenge—though others say it makes a compelling case.
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Race-Conscious Admissions Nationwide – The Chronicle of Higher Education
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down colleges’ use of race-conscious admissions nationwide, ruling in a pair of closely watched cases that the practice is racially discriminatory.
Biden Proposes New Debt-Relief Plan After Supreme Court Rejects Initial Proposal – Inside Higher Ed
The 6-to-3 decision stops the Biden administration from moving forward with plans to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans for eligible Americans, but the administration announced new steps to aid borrowers.
Americans’ Confidence in Higher Education Down Sharply – Gallup
Americans’ confidence in higher education has fallen to 36%, sharply lower than in two prior readings in 2015 (57%) and 2018 (48%). In addition to the 17% of U.S. adults who have “a great deal” and 19% “quite a lot” of confidence, 40% have “some” and 22% “very little” confidence.
2023 Educause Horizon Report: The Future of Teaching and Learning – Educause
Artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm, with new AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT opening up new opportunities in higher education for content creation, communication, and learning, while also raising new concerns about the misuses and overreach of technology. Our shared humanity has also become a key focal point within higher education, as faculty and leaders continue to wrestle with understanding and meeting the diverse needs of students and to find ways of cultivating institutional communities that support student well-being and belonging.
For this year’s teaching and learning Horizon Report, then, our panelists’ discussions oscillated between these seemingly polar ideas: the supplanting of human activity with powerful new technological capabilities, and the need for more humanity at the center of everything we do. This report summarizes the results of those discussions and serves as one vantage point on where our future may be headed.
Voice of the Online Learner 2023: Responding to students’ evolving preferences and concerns -Wiley
How are online learners’ views, behaviors, and experiences changing in response to developments in higher ed? Discover actionable insights and recommendations from our latest survey of online students, exploring:
- The return of former non-completers finishing their degrees
- The appeal of occasional high-impact synchronous sessions
- Gen Z’s online learning preferences
- Interest in degree alternatives, even without financial aid
The Higher EdTech Podcast focuses on helping college and university professors better understand how to use technology to improve their teaching and classroom engagment.
The Teaching Online Podcast (TOPCAST) – University of Central Florida
The Teaching Online Podcast (TOPcast), hosted by Dr. Thomas Cavanagh and Dr. Kelvin Thompson, is a monthly podcast for online and blended learning professionals conducted over a shared cup of coffee.
Artificial Intelligence: Preparing Institutions for Literacy and Leadership – Educause
OpenAI released ChatGPT, a chat interface for its large language model that users can use to make a seemingly endless array of queries that often result in stunning responses. The relative ease in getting the program to create everything from poems to short answers to complete essays has led many faculty and administrators to consider opportunities for effective human-AI teaming in various areas we’ll explore in this webinar.
When: Thursday, September 07 | 12:00PM–1:00PM ET | Online
Presenters: George Siemens and Karen Watte
Connected Classrooms: Empowering Online Learning Communities – Digital Learning Collaborative
Get ready for the new school year by joining us for the Digital Learning Collaborative’s timely and informative monthly webinar on building community in online courses. Discover how to leverage technology and foster supportive online communities to enhance your students’ learning experience. From award-winning advisory programs to student-led discussions and engaging classroom ideas, our expert presenters will equip you with practical tools to create vibrant and connected virtual classrooms. Explore strategies for promoting social-emotional learning, school spirit, and peer-to-peer interactions in the online setting. Don’t miss this opportunity to start the school year strong and empower your students through a sense of community. Register now and be prepared to transform your online learning environment!
When: September 14, 2023 3:00-4:00pm Eastern Time
Moderators: Chris Rapp and Allison Powell, Digital Learning Collaborative
Panelists: Lisa Boucher – Mountain Heights Academy, Mary Hizon-Barry – Sage Oak Charter Schools, Debbie McWhirt – Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy, Jessica Potts – Davidson Academy
