Coursera should be subject of Mooc, says professor - CHRIS PARR, London Times Higher Ed

A US academic has proposed creating a massive open online course on Coursera that explores the effect of the company’s business model on global higher education. Bob Meister, professor of social sciences and political thought at the University of California Santa Cruz, puts forward the idea in an open letter to Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller that criticises the Mooc platform. “I would like to propose a new online course for you to make freely available through the Coursera platform. Its title is: ‘The Implications of Coursera’s For-Profit Business Model for Global Public Education,’” he says. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/coursera-should-be-subject-of-mooc-says-professor/2003920.article

Low-residency programs blend online learning, campus classes - Joan Axelrod-Contrada, Boston Globe

Called “hybrid,” “blended,” or “low-residency,” these programs aim to offer the best of both worlds: the flexibility of Internet learning with the face-to-face interaction of the college campus. Adults come together from near and far for networking and intensive learning during short-term residencies that range from one weekend a month to twice-a-year visits of two weeks. Students sometimes stay in college dorms, sometimes in hotels. Many universities in New England and across the country offer such programs, providing working adults with more flexibility than night school and more social interaction than online learning. The approach has its own challenges, often requiring students to leave work and families for a week or more, master the technology of online learning, and carve out time for schoolwork from busy lives. http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/05/18/hybrid-degree-programs-can-provide-best-both-worlds/C4HzPctO25DshB2BIQUqyK/story.html

Schools use free online courses to engage alumni - Kara Hackett, Fox News Channel

You’ve heard free online courses might reduce the rising cost of college. But what if they could extend education beyond graduation so when students invest in a school they’re not just paying for four years, they’re purchasing a lifetime of learning? That’s what Doug Fisher wants to hear in conversations about massive open online courses, or MOOCs. As an associate professor of computer science and engineering at Vanderbilt University, he’s heard educators talk about using MOOCs to make college cheaper. But until schools slash prices, he thinks they should harness online learning to add value to the traditional four-year model. His solution: providing free online courses for alumni to stay current in their fields and even asking alumni to help teach online courses. http://www.foxnews.com/fncu/current-interns/blog/2013/05/17/schools-use-free-online-courses-engage-alumni

Higher Ed in 2018 - Jeb Bush and Randy Best, Inside Higher Ed

Rising tuition, declining government subsidies, stagnant endowments, and increased competition are challenging higher education like never before. College and university leaders are struggling to understand where these changes will lead and how they can make higher education more affordable, more accessible, and of greater quality for an increasingly diverse and aspiring student. Based on our interaction with university leaders and policy makers, we believe that the timeline for transformational change has shortened to five years. During this time, higher education will have moved from a provider-driven model to a consumer-driven one and, in so doing, upend a system that had endured for centuries. We believe that public universities that have moved with urgency to embrace this new reality will thrive. And so, too, will the students they serve. By 2018, higher education will be truly globalized and we will see greatly expanded access, reduced costs, more virtual campuses, and, most important of all, the increased competitiveness of our universities and our students. That’s a future we should all embrace. http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/05/23/essay-predicting-radical-change-higher-education-over-next-five-years

Navy pilot earns degree in combat zone - the Associated Press

The Navy lieutenant needed armed guards and an armored car to get to an exam site, in Kabul, Afghanistan. A deadly bomb attack also caused him to his miss classes _ transmitted live via the Internet _ but he persevered and earned a master's degree in engineering from the University of Southern California while commanding a top security team. His class graduated on Friday, as he joins a growing number of service members earning college degrees while deployed in a war zone. "Not only was he out there living on the edge, but he had to get his homework done," USC professor Frank Alvidrez said. http://dailyjournalonline.com/news/national/navy-pilot-earns-degree-in-combat-zone/article_193f5b28-1723-576d-9e80-7dc7fd4f1486.html

A Florida first: UF offering cheaper online degrees - Robert Nolin, Karen Yi and Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel

If you're a student, established professional or business owner, an initiative recently approved by the Florida Legislature may change how you pursue a college degree, advance your career or locate your company. All you need is a computer, time and the desire to learn. The University of Florida, the state's top-ranked public college, soon will offer 20-25 bachelor's degree programs fully online, at a cost cheaper than on-campus classes. It's the first such program offered by a Florida public university and if successful could expand to others. As of the spring term, which starts in January, it means you need never set foot in Gainesville to earn a coveted UF diploma. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-florida-online-education-20130519,0,7345928.story

You Can Get A Computer Science Degree From A Top School For $7,000 - Megan Rose Dickey, Business Insider

The Georgia Institute of Technology will soon offer an online, three-year masters degree in computer science for less than $7,000. That's about one-sixth of the cost of its traditional program, but officials maintain that the two degrees will be comparable, The Wall Street Journal reports. The program, which is offered in collaboration with education startup Udacity and AT&T, aims to open enrollment for fall 2014. As part of the deal, Udacity will get 40% of the revenue and Georgia Tech will take the rest. AT&T is subsiding the program to ensure it breaks even in its first year. Initially, enrollment will be limited to just a few hundred students. But Georgia Tech plans to gradually expand its student population over the next three years. http://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-techs-7000-masters-degree-2013-5

edX adds Berklee, Boston University and a dozen more to online class initiative - Katherine Landergan, Boston.com

One year after Harvard University and MIT launched edX, a $60 million initiative in which colleges offer online classes at no charge, the not-for-profit company announced today that it is doubling the number of participating universities, including the Berklee College of Music and Boston University. EdX said in a statement that 15 higher education institutions are joining the initiative, bringing the total number of schools to 27. Based in Cambridge, edX has more than 900,000 people using its platform. http://www.boston.com/yourcampus/news/boston_university/2013/05/edx_adds_berklee_boston_university_and_a_dozen_more_to_online_class_initiative.html

Three Out of 2U - Ry Rivard, Iside Higher Ed

Three top-tier universities have backed away from a partnership with their peers and the company 2U to create a pool of for-credit online courses. Despite a year of considerable hype as leading colleges and universities created online partnerships to try to redefine higher education, a recent spate of strong faculty reactions make clear that tradition will not change easily or silently, especially at institutions with a strong history of faculty influence. Citing a variety of reasons, the three universities’ decisions offer a spectrum of reactions to a new wave of online learning and the companies, in this case 2U, that are trying to drive that change. Inside Higher Ed a group of 10 top-tier universities that said last November they planned to offer courses through 2U for a project, billed as "one of a kind," known as Semester Online. But as this fall’s launch date approached, these institutions backed away. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/05/17/three-universities-back-away-plan-pool-courses-online

The life of an online professor - Aarti Shahani, Marketplace

Some of the nation's most elite professors are taking up a new teaching fad: Massively Open Online Courses. MOOCs rhymes with nukes, and the reach is about the same. These classes streamed on the Internet have millions of students around the world enrolling. They're free of charge. But when you add up all the work it takes on and off camera to make a MOOC, the cost to professors is pretty high. As Prof. Kevin Werbach can attest, the life of a MOOCs rockstar is not pure glitz. http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/education/life-online-professor

5 Tips: Learn more effectively in class with Mastery Learning - Coursera

Want to learn a few tips on how to learn the material in your classes more effectively? Read below to learn about the principles behind Mastery Learning, written by our Course Operations MOOC Pedagogy Specialist, Relly Brandman. What is Mastery Learning? “The instruction is the same as in the conventional class (usually with the same teacher)…The average student under mastery learning was about one standard deviation above the average of the control class (the average mastery learning student was above 84% of the students in the control class).1” http://blog.coursera.org/post/50352075945/5-tips-learn-more-effectively-in-class-with-mastery

More on Georgia Tech, Udacity To Offer Master's Degree - Edsurge

Udacity's Sebastian Thrun wrote on his blog that this kind of program is just why he started Udacity: "I grew up in Germany, a country that offers excellent education. Yet when I started my Master's degree in computer science, I found myself among 1,200 other Master's students with just five professors. Needless to say, I ended up mostly educating myself through books that were available at a nearby research institute. Today is my opportunity to give back." Anyone will be able to take the Udacity courses for free but only those enrolled through Georgia Tech will earn credits toward its Masters' degree. A pilot program will begin "in the next academic year" with a few hundred students recruited from AT&T and Georgia Tech corporate affiliates. https://www.edsurge.com/n/2013-05-14-georgia-tech-udacity-to-offer-master-s-degree

Harvard-for-Free Meets Resistance as U.S. Professors See Threat - John Hechinger and Michael McDonald, Bloomberg News

Professors across the U.S. are criticizing a rush to offer free online college courses, challenging a movement designed to spread knowledge and reduce higher-education costs. Amherst College faculty voted last month against joining an initiative led by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The provost at American University issued a moratorium this month on such massive open online courses, or MOOCs. At San Jose State University, the philosophy department refused to use a free Web course from a Harvard professor. As college costs soar, professors are concerned that MOOCs may primarily become a way for universities to reduce expenses. Even at Harvard, some faculty members said at a meeting last week that the movement could damage higher education by leading institutions to cut face-to-face instruction. http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/Harvard-for-Free-Meets-Resistance-as-U-S-4517796.php

Continuing Confusion on State Authorization - Libby A. Nelson, Inside Higher Ed

The Education Department announced Friday that it would push back by a year the deadline for complying with a rule requiring states to authorize colleges within their borders, but did little to clarify a regulation that colleges and their representatives say is confusing and difficult to navigate. The new deadline is July 1, 2014. The department’s state authorization rule, first released in 2010 as part of the package of "program integrity" regulations, is best-known for a provision that would have required distance education programs to get permission to operate from every state in which they enroll students. That provision was overturned in court and is not being enforced. But the rule also had two other sections, which detail the processes each state must follow to authorize its colleges to operate. “We are pleased that the Education Department has delayed the regulation,” Terry Hartle, senior vice president for government and public affairs at the American Council on Education, wrote in an e-mail to Inside Higher Ed on Friday. “We understand their desire to have states play a more meaningful role but the reality is that not all states are anxious to do that.” http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/05/20/education-department-will-delay-enforcing-part-state-authorization-rule

Has the future of college moved online? - Nathan Heller, the New Yorker

Many people think that moocs are the future of higher education in America. In the past two years, Harvard, M.I.T., Caltech, and the University of Texas have together pledged tens of millions of dollars to mooc development. Many other élite schools, from U.C. Berkeley to Princeton, have similarly climbed aboard. Their stated goal is democratic reach. “I expect that there will be lots of free, or nearly free, offerings available,” John L. Hennessy, the president of Stanford, explained in a recent editorial. “While the gold standard of small in-person classes led by great instructors will remain, online courses will be shown to be an effective learning environment, especially in comparison with large lecture-style courses.” http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/05/20/130520fa_fact_heller?currentPage=all

SUNY developing universal online class system - Nick Reynolds, the Stylus

A new online cross-registration system will allow students to have transferable credits between participating SUNY schools. Credits would be taken at any school, but would ultimately count toward your degree at your home school. The SUNY Board of Trustees approved a new online cross-registration system that will allow a seamless exchange of online classes across all 64 of SUNY’s campuses. “It’s about seamless transferability for students, it’s for a student in a community college or four-year [institution] moving from one SUNY to another,” said Peter Dowe, registrar for the College at Brockport. “The [SUNY] chancellor would like to see seamless transferability between all SUNY units. In the case for Brockport, a student would be able to take a class at [SUNY] Albany or Stony Brook [University] and have it apply to a Brockport degree.” The new system, while not yet in effect, is expected to be implemented in time for the fall 2013 semester http://www.thestylus.net/suny-developing-universal-online-class-system-1.3041721#.UYlix7WG32s

Revolution in learning - the News Herald

Perhaps overlooked in the frantic activity at the end of the 2013 legislative session was the bold progress Florida made regarding distance learning. Distance learning, or online education, is an evolving trend nationwide. And Florida accelerated that trend when Gov. Rick Scott signed an education bill in April that would expand online education at the state’s public colleges and universities. This is a big step forward. The new law affirms education doesn’t have to be tied to a campus or brick-and-mortar classrooms. The law also stresses employers’ needs. Online education will help employers train their employees. http://www.newsherald.com/opinions/editorials/revolution-in-learning-1.141343

The 'Dos and Don'ts' of Synchronous Online Learning - Bridget McCrea, Campus Technology

Creating videos, presentations, and lessons that college students access and interact with on their own time and terms is one thing, but developing learning content that requires both students and instructor to be online at the same time presents a whole different set of challenges for college professors and instructional technologists. Formally referred to as synchronous online learning (versus asynchronous learning, which is accessed and utilized at any time), the "live" learning environment happens in real-time on the Web and encourages interaction, commenting, Q&As, and other types of instant feedback. http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/05/08/the-dos-and-donts-of-synchronous-online-learning.aspx

Universities debate credit for free online learning courses - KEVIN ABOUREZK, Lincoln Journal Star

As educators across the country work to reduce class sizes, some at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have been thinking about creating courses that could draw thousands. The trend toward massive open online courses -- known as MOOCs -- is a quandary for universities nationwide. On the one hand, it makes education freely accessible to everyone. On the other, it’s a threat to anyone who makes a living from education. At UNL, the issue is far from decided. In September, Chancellor Harvey Perlman charged a nine-member faculty committee with considering the question. “The responses range across the spectrum, as is often the case when technology has the potential to change the way we do things,” said Steve Goddard, task force chairman and head of the UNL Department of Computer Science and Engineering. “There’s excitement. There’s fear. It’s the unknown.” http://journalstar.com/news/local/education/universities-debate-credit-for-free-online-courses/article_cc7035e4-eb08-54fd-96ec-c8d3096e3145.html

Coursera at Penn surpasses one million enrollees in massive open online learning classes - Julie McWilliams, Penn News

Penn recently surpassed one million enrollments in Coursera, less than a year after the University first offered classes with the online learning platform. One million and counting. That’s the number of open online learning course enrollments Penn reached this month, less than a year after the University offered the first classes with the online learning platform Coursera. Penn is one of the founding partners and board members of Coursera, which offers free, open-access, non-credit classes to anyone with a computer. To date, 15 Penn professors from the schools of Medicine, Arts & Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science, and Wharton have shared their knowledge with students from 162 countries around the world. Additional courses will open this summer and fall, including classes from the schools of Design, Law, and Nursing, with 23 faculty members participating. http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/2013-05-09/latest-news/coursera-penn-surpasses-one-million-enrollees

Advancing the Science and Art of Teaching - Harvard Magazine

The 2013 Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching (HILT) conference, which nearly filled the largest Science Center lecture hall on May 8, demonstrated wide interest across the University in improving pedagogy. Ever since HILT was launched in the fall of 2011, during Harvard’s 375th-anniversary celebration, it has catalyzed campus conversation on cognition and learning, course and curriculum design, classroom spaces, educational technology, assessment, and more, through an annual symposium and a series of innovation grants to faculty members. This second symposium—addressed by both the president and the provost, and attended by several deans among the audience of hundreds—suggested the variety and reach of educational experiments under way involving professors in every Harvard school, and their hundreds or thousands of students. http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/05/harvard-learning-and-teaching-innovations