Online Learning and the Future of Residential Colleges

Transcription

1 Online Learning and the Future of Residential Colleges Context Diana G. Oblinger, Ph.D. President and CEO, EDUCAUSE A few facts 98% of students own a digital device; 38% cannot go more than 10 minutes without using one The compound annual growth rate for students taking at least one online course is 18.3% In 1990 less than 1% of all students attended for-profit colleges; today 31% do Over 50 non-profit universities partner with for-profit providers ( e.g., Bisk, ecollege/pearson, 2U, Altius) to deliver accredited online education From it is projected the US will produce 29.8 million graduates; China will produce 83.0M and India 54.1M Educational imperative Intellectual and human capital paramount Worldwide demand for well-educated workers Benefits health, civic engagement, society Post-secondary education is the new baseline GSV Advisors, 2012 Post-traditional learners Combine work and learning or move between them frequently Are needed wage earners for themselves and their families Often need developmental education Focus on credentials employers will recognize and compensate; half of students are enrolled in sub-baccalaureate credential programs 80% of students enrolled in online programs are 25 or older 28% of enrolled students are over 25; their numbers will increase another 23% by 2019 Two-thirds of students who earn a baccalaureate will have attended 2 or more colleges/universities Soares, 2012 Unsettled environment Challenging economic environment Threat of regulation Cap on tuition Performance-based funding Program elimination External forces Governors launching charter universities Philanthropists supporting new institutions For-profit institutions or nontraditional certifications Consumer information 1

2 IT as A delivery channel An experience An enabler of new models The connected age Individuals are empowered with information Everything (and everyone) is interconnected Everyone can participate It is easy for people to find each other image courtesy of Rhoten Do-it-yourself learning Do-It-Yourself Digitized and indexed books (28 million volumes) Data, archives, media Content, exercises Peer-to-peer support Communities Self-directed learning Learn almost anything for free Khan Academy 5 million unique users (in March 2012) 3,000 videos 150 million lessons delivered online 400 million exercises completed Analytics engine Translating into 12 languages 2

3 Adaptive Knewton Math Readiness Allows students to go at own pace Personalized Short videos; explanations Test skills Points and badges encourage completion Faculty access to class or individual student trends MOOCs Massive scale Self-organized study and discussion groups Emerging revenue models What is a MOOC? Course? Experimentation platform? Brand extension? Publishing model? Global university? What is the role of DIY learning in lifelong learning? What do our students need to know to be effective and discerning as DIY learners? What is my institution s place in the DIY universe? How can residential institutions leverage DIY to advantage? Deeper Learning Connected learning Education and exploration Course and informal learning Physical and virtual Global community Internet provides platform for learning Learn to do what you do SimSchool Classroom management techniques Analyze student data Understand diverse learning styles John Seely Brown,

4 Virtual client simulation Online students engage with artificial intelligence interactive agents Opportunity to practice interviewing skills Virtual clients speak, express body language, show emotion and offer immediate feedback The power of the game Deliver content Trigger discussion Learn about technology Students take on different identities or points of view Critique the ideas behind the game Do research to design games Metros & Getman, 2012 Klopfer, et al, 2012 Visualization Complex analysis Big data Analysis; modeling Visualization Decisionmaking Undergraduate research An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline A high-impact practice Within their research discipline, students demonstrate improved: Oral and written communication skills Creativity, problem-solving and troubleshooting Understanding of how knowledge is generated and validated Is the problem technology, per se, or that we are using so little of its capabilities? How can we use technology for generative scholarship? Can we create a new definition of connected learning? 4

5 Students know where they stand Student Empowerment Peer comparisons Check-My-Activity; How am I doing? Students compare their online course activity with peers who received Higher grade Same grade Lower grade Allows student to link behaviors with performance Prediction and intervention Identify struggling students Alert student to problems Direct to resources Improves success by up to 28% Better informed choices Personal recommendations tailored to Program of study Abilities Keyed to degree program and course sequencing, not liking Deans use to target course availability Faculty use to target interventions Degree Compass Denley, 2012 Educational pathways Cross-institutional online advising/degree attainment support system (10 campuses of University of Hawaii) Real-time academic journey system Course choices and effect of choices on degree program Courses from other campuses that meet degree requirements Lets advisors know which students are off-track Increases transfers from community colleges to 4-year programs Automatically transfers credits from 4-year institution back to community college Decreased time to graduation and increased graduation rate reducing cost to student, state and support programs 5

6 Nudges Weight-watchers of college completion Behavior interventions, nudges Study skills How to deal with academic setbacks Organize time and responsibilities Positive peer academic pressure Data identifies students who need active outreach Are we leveraging technology to empower students, advisors, and faculty? If we don t provide empowerment tools, will students get the information elsewhere? What else could we do if we leveraged empowerment tools? Value chain to value web New Value Chains Course providers $99/month (+ $39/course) or $999/year for 10 courses Required college courses Start any time; no required meeting times Individualized, on-demand support (online) Transfer credits to partner college(s) Study support Tutoring and mentoring Available on demand, 24x7 Matches mentors and mentees; flexible scheduling Shared live experiences; whiteboarding 6

7 Joint ventures Increasing number of public-private joint ventures Augment existing skills, resources 2U: online platform to expand graduate programs Technology and infrastructure Fieldwork sites Creates instructional material with faculty Capital investment Shares tuition revenue School-as-a-service Specialized services Designed for veterans Veteran unemployment 20% Veteran under-employment 50% 75% of veterans who begin college don t graduate Online coaching platform Partner with universities, veterans organizations, corporations Hybrid and F2F experience Transition coaching Mentoring Gamification; badges Badges: Credit decoupled from courses Learning happens everywhere, not just classroom Recognition for skills and achievements Earn and display badges on the web Skills and experience can come from Online courses Peer learning Volunteering After-school work Credentialing MOOCs Pearson provides edx learners the option of taking a final exam at a test center; provides certification to edx classes Udacity credits will be accepted by CSU; proctored exams offered by Pearson ACE to work with Coursera on providing credit Antioch University offers college credit for Coursera courses Can we enhance the value of our education by rethinking the value chain? As educational processes are being decoupled and reassembled, what must we do? What might others do better or more effectively? Is our greatest value in providing the service or ensuring a coherent, educational experience? New Institutional Models 7

8 Recently established brands Redefined roles Western Governors University Credit for prior learning; competencies developed with industry experts Performance-based assessment of competencies WGU faculty identify best existing courses; acquire rights to use them Faculty serve as mentors, also peer mentoring Accelerated degree options 30% growth rate Assembling credits Charter Oak State College Aggregator: Bring up to 120 credits to assemble a degree Validates learning from multiple sources Model: Disaggregates instruction and assessment Accepts a variety of learning sources Translates prior learning assessments into credits Competency-based and individualized College for America, Southern New Hampshire University Self-paced, online associate s degree program Approximately $2,500 per year Competency-based Individual mastery plan Mentors from workplace or community Free, open and peer-led University of the People Tuition-free online university For students with financial, geographic, societal constraints Open educational resources Volunteers Peer learning Text-based Students in 126 countries What can we learn from new institutions? Can new institutional models serve a segment of higher education better than more traditional forms? Is diversity of institutional models good for higher education? 8

9 Closing Thoughts Change is a choice. The best choice is an informed choice. The greatest challenge may be our assumptions about teaching, learning, and education. IT is a game changer. doblinger@educause.edu 2013 All rights reserved 9