A paper released recently by the Community College Research Center reminds the champions of MOOCs and other online initiatives of one very important detail: Not all students prefer an online education; many higher education students still want in-person discussions and on-the-spot feedback.

But that’s not to say it will stay that way.

The CCRC paper is based on a small survey of cContinue Reading »

An online degree from a state school. The University of Florida plans to launch a series of bachelor degree programs that will be available completely virtual. Florida will be the first state to approve an online-only public research university with a full-time, online option. Read more on why public institutions are well-positioned for building high quality, affordable online higher education Continue Reading »

Online learning has become a permanent fixture of our system of higher education. Yet, public colleges and universities, which educate the vast majority of college students, have been visibly slow to embrace it.  Many of these institutions were founded with a mission to serve their citizens, including those unable to attend in residence. Yet even as the technological means to achieve this goal Continue Reading »

Before you roll your eyes at another MOOC story, consider this: An Ohio community college has developed a math MOOC not for its students, but for its local high school students. Why? To get more students math-ready before they come to campus.

It’s an interesting take on the Massive Open Online Course, which — for all its fanfare — still hasn’t seemed to have developed a scalable, sustainContinue Reading »

While many still question the benefits of online learning, there is one fact that is undeniable:  online learning increases access which expands educational opportunity.  By accommodating more students, offering greater scheduling flexibility for non-traditional students, and reducing many overhead costs associated with traditional college courses, online learning in higher educatiContinue Reading »

The value of online learning. Half of college presidents say online courses are as valuable as their face-to-face counterparts, but less than one-third of Americans agree. (Pew Research Center)

Changing the entryway to teaching. Twenty-five state education chiefs get behind a new report, calling for more accountability and rigor in teacher preparation programs. (Council of Chief State SContinue Reading »

Will this time be different? The potential of MOOCs to deliver a college education to anyone—anywhere—sounds very similar to what was said about correspondence courses in the 1920s. (NPR)

“(College) credit is currently not as it should be; it’s almost a game.” A college graduate explains how he got an associate’s degree without ever stepping foot on campus. (Say Something/The Chronicle oContinue Reading »

The past four years have been busy ones for the Department of Education as it’s broadened its reach into higher education. But with all that activity, what have we learned, where are the gaps, and what should the administration’s agenda be for its second term?  No doubt, the administration has and will receive many suggestions (most uninvited), so I will keep it simple and focus on three areas—Continue Reading »

Credit for MOOCs? The American Council on Education will review up to 10 MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, and recommend whether they should be eligible for college credit. (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

A 71-year-old dentist with more than $500,000 in debt. The king of all outliers in the ongoing saga of student loan debt woes. (Los Angeles Times)

Keeping the best. D.C.Continue Reading »

Building esteem for online learning. This new report calls for better and stronger accountability for online schools and courses by collecting data on student achievement, retention rates, and course quality. (h/t Hechinger Report) (International Association for K-12 Online Learning)

Who believes in U.S. education? Americans without a high school diploma are more likely to have confidencContinue Reading »