For generations, a college degree was widely seen as a reliable path to career opportunities and economic mobility. But a recent report from Cornell University shows that students are increasingly anxious about the rising costs of college as well as how ready they’ll be for a workplace that is rapidly changing due to evolving technology. At the same time, employers are expressing concerns about college graduates not being sufficiently prepared for the realities of the workplace. For colleges and universities offering online programs, addressing this challenge does not mean turning higher education into narrowly focused occupational training. Nor should it mean simply adding a few courses in professional development or teaching students how to use the latest workplace technologies. It will require approaching workplace readiness holistically and integrating it into the online educational experience with intentionality. Distance education leaders and designers can focus their thinking on three areas: curriculum, career services and engagement with employers.
Professional, Continuing, and Online Education Update by UPCEA
Daily updates of news, research and trends by UPCEA
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Monday, November 9, 2026
RA4KT: a causality-informed explainable reverse attribution framework for knowledge tracing - Lanlin Wang, Meihe Fu, Zhongheng Jian, Jianmei Tan & Xinyue Zhou, Nature
With the global digital transformation of education, Knowledge Tracing, the core cognitive modeling module in intelligent tutoring systems, has become a key research focus in educational data mining. However, existing deep learning-based KT models are inherently black-box: while achieving high-accuracy answer performance prediction, they fail to clarify internal decision logic or translate outputs into actionable teaching guidance for students and teachers. Existing KT interpretability methods cannot simultaneously satisfy the core requirements of causality, actionability, pedagogical adaptability, and non-professional accessibility, severely limiting KT’s industrial deployment and compliant application of educational AI systems. To address these research gaps, we systematically establish the conceptual definition, mathematical formalization, and five core attributes of reverse attribution for KT sequence learning scenarios, and propose RA4KT, a model-agnostic post-hoc explainable framework specifically tailored to the sequential characteristics and pedagogical prior constraints of educational scenarios.
How important are college degrees in the age of AI? - Matt Zalaznick, University Business
60% of employers remain confident in higher ed.
Just less than half say AI makes college degrees more valuable.
80% of employers said they prefer job candidates with a bachelor's or associate degree.
A majority of employers remain confident in higher ed, with just less than half saying college degrees will become more valuable as AI advances, according to a new survey.vEmployees who make hiring decisions at businesses of all sizes and industries were polled nationwide by the Lumina Foundation and Gallup for a second annual employer study. Industries such as information, financial activities, trade and utilities, and education and health services were most likely to view degrees as more important in the age of AI. Those sectors are also the most likely to require degrees, Gallup notes.
https://universitybusiness.com/how-important-are-college-degrees-in-the-age-of-ai/
Friday, November 6, 2026
Updated HELP Online Course on Data Protection and Privacy Rights is Now Available and Opened for Enrolment - Council of Europe Data Protection
The updated course guides learners through foundational legal concepts, key principles and applicable standards under the Council of Europe and European Union data protection acquis. The course explores the data subjects’ rights and their enforcement mechanisms, as well as applicable rules on transborder flow of personal data. It also examines challenges posed by new and emerging technologies, and the processing of specific categories of personal data in various sectors and domains, including, the healthcare, the workplace, the media and its intersection with the freedom of expression. The course further elaborates on data protection standards relating to cloud computing, video surveillance, the Internet of Things, blockchain, profiling and AI.
In the age of AI, learning still requires friction - Bruce Adams, University of Illinois
Grainger Engineering faculty are helping define the future of engineering education, setting new standards for AI fluency and responsibility through curricular innovation, human-centered teaching, and a commitment to ensuring AI strengthens learning without compromising rigor. As AI rapidly reshapes how students learn, the college is preparing students to do more than use the technology. They must also develop deep engineering fundamentals, technical mastery, and the judgment to question, verify and responsibly apply what AI produces. “When I think about the future of undergraduate education in engineering, my concern is that AI is very good at removing friction,” said Jonathan Makela, associate dean of Undergraduate Programs and Abel Bliss Professor of Engineering with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “You can place something in a chatbot, and it'll give you the answer right away. However, learning requires friction, and that underscores the reason our students come to Grainger Engineering. They chose an environment where they will be challenged.”
Understanding users’ intention to adopt AI avatars in online learning: an integrated model of TAM and DOI - Runqi Wang, Luying Yang, Mengge Dai & Jungho Jung, Nature
This research examines the key factors associated with users’ intentions to adopt AI avatars within online learning environments. By combining the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, a comprehensive model was proposed to assess the relationships between four primary design elements—perceived personalization, feedback quality, transparency, and interactivity—on five key constructs: observability, relative advantage, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and trust, as well as users’ attitudes and willingness to adopt. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire using convenience sampling, yielding 653 valid responses from participants experienced with AI-powered online education platforms. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was used to examine the proposed TAM–DOI framework and the relationships among the study variables. Notably, trust is closely associated with transparency and other design perceptions, as well as users’ attitudes and behavioral intentions. These findings offer practical guidance for the design of AI-powered educational tools, emphasizing transparent, personalized, and feedback-driven systems that support user trust in online learning.
Thursday, November 5, 2026
There is no 'average' young person: designing AI that works for different lives - Nessa Keddo and Zeqi Jia, AI Insights, Kings College
Generative AI is already part of daily life for many young people, shaping how they learn, create, communicate, solve practical problems and seek advice. In September 2026, King's College London and OpenAI, supported by the King's Institute for Artificial Intelligence, convened the closed workshop, 'Youth Well-Being and Development in the Age of Generative AI'. Researchers, educators, clinicians, policymakers, youth organisations and technology experts discussed its effects on young people's wellbeing and development, and the implications for responsible design and governance. ThinkYoung data indicated that 91% of UK teenagers use AI for learning, with many reporting positive experiences. But these figures cannot capture the different effects AI may have across young people’s lives. The discussion repeatedly returned to one point: there is no 'average' young person for whom AI can be designed.
AI and Keeping University Learning Human - Elaine Maimon, Philadelphia Citizen
On October 6, the Graduate School of Education (GSE) launched the Penn GSE Living Laboratory for Human Agency and AI (Living Lab). Planning for the lab goes back to 2024. Katharine Strunk, GSE dean since 2023, saw clearly that AI and the future of education were inseparable. An economist of education, Dean Strunk is not herself an expert on AI. As she said in an October 9 interview, “Technology breaks when it gets near me.” Nonetheless, she was committed to creating a research and teaching environment appropriate to the new AI world. So often, she says, vendors — those selling equipment — dictate the changes educators make. She is committed to “put education first.” To do that, she searched the nation for professors considered to be the top AI scholars in the country and hired them in tenure-track positions.
Leading Without a Playbook - Russell Reynolds
Organizations have long valued leaders who could draw on their experience to solve familiar problems. Increasingly, they need leaders who can make sense of problems no one has faced before. 57% of CEOs and CxOs believe their executive team has the capabilities needed to successfully lead their organization in 2025—down from 80% in 2021 - Source: RRA (2025) Global Leadership Monitor
For decades, experience was one of the clearest indicators of executive readiness. Organizations took confidence from leaders who had navigated similar situations, held comparable roles, and accumulated deep functional knowledge. These indicators served organizations well because they provided tangible, observable evidence. They could be measured, and importantly defended, because many of the challenges leaders were likely to face resembled those they had encountered before. But that assumption no longer holds true.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
AI + AU: How Alvernia is incorporating the technology - Alvernia University
Alvernia’s implementation of artificial intelligence aims to teach students to think critically about the technology while producing graduates prepared for the future of work. Pope Leo XIV commanded attention in May when he published his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, in which he laid out the importance of making artificial intelligence “human-friendly and restoring it to the plurality of human cultures and ways of life.” As a Franciscan university, Alvernia is heeding the advice. “Our goal is not AI adoption for every student, it’s AI literacy for every graduate,” said Chief Academic Officer and Provost Mary Ellen Wells, JD, LLM. “We want students to think critically about AI rather than simply consume it.” But just because the university is implementing it with care doesn’t mean it is taking it lightly. Just a few examples already in place:
AI is integrated into all Computer Science and Technology programs.
Over a dozen other courses have AI components, heavily involve AI or focus on AI as a concept when discussing the human mind and brain.
Ashlee, Alvernia’s AI recruiter, allows the university’s admissions teams to engage with a significantly larger pool of prospective students, providing 24/7 communication.
AI that serves society - Fan Yao, UNC
Assistant professor Fan Yao uses statistical learning to study how humans and artificial intelligence-driven applications interact. When Fan Yao was a Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia, he had the opportunity to intern with Meta. Yao’s thesis research revolved around the responsible design of online platforms, including recommendation algorithms like the ones that provide endless streams of social media content based on your scrolling habits. During his internship, Yao co-designed a mechanism that, in a long-term experiment on Instagram Reels, measurably improved user engagement and the diversity of content users consumed. Recommendation systems often prioritize short-term relevance and engagement, which can incentivize creators to produce content for users who are already well-served on the platform. The mechanism designed by Yao and his collaborators directed more attention toward underserved users, improving engagement while encouraging a more diverse content ecosystem. “I don’t see the advancement of technology as a purely technical issue,” Yao said. “The advancement of technology should always serve people and society.”
Canadian university funding shortages are a national emergency - Marc Spooner and R James McNinch, University World News
The federal government is set to deliver its fall budget with a promised focus on building a strong Canada while positioning the country for long-term prosperity. Among the major nation-building projects being championed are fighter jets and nuclear submarines, high-speed rail, ice-breakers, ports, mines, roads, pipelines and more. One critical sector is conspicuously under-represented: post-secondary education. Once regarded as deserving of federal funding and a key player in our national interest, support has slowly dwindled. However, Canada’s nation-building vision must include a focus on nurturing the current and next generation of thinkers, workers, innovators and dreamers.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
AI in Teaching: What the Science of Learning Already Tells Us - Beth Schwartz and Chris Hakala, Faculty Focus
Rather than asking whether AI is “good” or “bad” for learning, faculty and institutions would be better served by asking a different set of questions grounded in psychological science:
Does this use of AI increase or decrease students’ cognitive engagement with course material?
Does it support formative feedback and revision, or does it short-circuit those processes?
Does it promote metacognitive awareness, helping students understand what they know and do not know?
When AI is used to scaffold learning by prompting students to explain their reasoning, offering feedback on drafts that students must then revise, or modeling problem-solving strategies, it can align well with what we know about effective learning. When it is used to generate final answers, bypass practice or obscure students’ own thinking, it violates those same principles.
The Future of Online Education: How AI Tutoring Is Replacing Traditional Learning - Daniel Hall, BBNTimes
Something significant has shifted in how people learn. Not gradually, and not quietly. Over the past five years, the assumptions that held classroom-based education in place for over a century have been challenged at every level, from primary school homework help to postgraduate exam preparation. The demand for flexible, personalised, accessible learning is not a pandemic-era blip. It is a permanent change in expectations, and the education industry is scrambling to catch up with it. This article looks at what is actually driving that shift, where the technology is heading, and why online tutoring has moved from a niche supplement to a serious competitor to traditional classroom learning.
University of Michigan Outlines 6 Guidelines for Using AI - MLive Express Desk, GovTech
The University of Michigan has finalized six guiding principles for artificial intelligence use in education after a campus engagement process. The principles establish a shared foundation for considering AI use in teaching, learning, research and operations rather than creating new policy, according to an Oct. 21 University Record story. The principles outline values and considerations that should inform whether and how AI should be used across various disciplines. “A human-centered approach to AI means respecting people’s agency and providing access to information that supports thoughtful choices about AI in their work,” said Ravi Pendse, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “These principles help us support learning and discovery while keeping the needs and values of our community at the center.” The development process began with the AI in Education Working Group, which produced a report based on extensive research about AI use and pedagogy, peer benchmarking and a survey of faculty. Campus leaders used that report to draft initial principles, then invited faculty, staff and students to comment through a form published Sept. 3 in The University Record.
Monday, November 2, 2026
Small AI, Big Learning Possibilities - WorldBank
Small AI is helping teachers strengthen learning and students make more informed choices about education and work. The World Bank Group is working with countries to pilot small AI tools that support teachers, personalize learning, and guide students’ career choices. AI-Coach is an example of small AI: practical, affordable technology designed to address a specific local challenge where infrastructure and technical capacity may be limited. Using inputs such as classroom observations, teacher reflections, and teaching evaluations, it delivers coaching through a simple app on phones teachers already have and can accommodate intermittent internet connectivity Helping teachers strengthen classroom learning is one part of a larger challenge: preparing the 1.2 billion young people projected to enter the workforce in developing countries in the next decade.
Building the future of online graduate studies at the U of A - Tracy Raivio, Trish Manns and Jessica Butts Scott, University of Alberta
Today’s graduate students are balancing ambitious career goals with the pursuit of advanced education. Their learning extends beyond the traditional classroom, taking place in home offices, on morning commutes or in quiet corners of coffee shops, with coursework woven into busy workdays. Working professionals want an education that fits their lives and connects learning to practice, allowing them to explore new theories in the morning and apply fresh insights on the job by afternoon. To meet evolving learner needs, the University of Alberta is expanding its footprint to reach 13,000 total graduate students, including 3,000 additional course-based master’s (CBM) enrolments by 2033. “Academic excellence and professional flexibility are not mutually exclusive,” says Tracy Raivio, vice-provost and dean of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. “We are reimagining the graduate learning experience to ensure the U of A remains a lifelong partner in our students' intellectual and professional journeys.”
What is a forward-deployed engineer? - McKinsey
Interest in forward-deployed engineers, or FDEs, has surged in recent months as companies try to get real value from AI. The term may be a buzzword for a service that consulting firms and technology providers have offered for years: embedding engineers at a client’s company, inside its systems and data, to build software alongside the people who will use it. As the AI era gets underway, companies are finding that off-the-shelf AI tools often don’t fit their specific needs. Getting real value from them means adapting tools to a specific business problem and helping teams change how they work. An FDE does both, which is why this form of collaboration seems particularly well suited for business today. In this video Explainer, McKinsey’s Holger Hürtgen, Martin Harrysson, and Nick Robson set out what an FDE does and how AI has changed the job.
Friday, October 30, 2026
The power of feedback to build belonging in online learning - María de Lourdes Gómez Calvo & Estefannía Garza Tamez, Times Higher Education
As online educators, we have realised that developing belonging is not optional. If we want students to truly engage in the learning process, it is our duty to develop it. We need to communicate the following: “You matter here. I see you.” In online courses, feedback is one of the clearest ways to send this message. When thoughtfully designed, it becomes a bridge between participation and genuine connection. In this article, we share practical ways to cultivate belonging via feedback even in written form. Check your tone: in online environments, written words can easily be misinterpreted. Avoid shame-based language and instead let students know mistakes are a natural and necessary part of growth. This helps students see errors as opportunities rather than failures and feel safe to explore and learn. Shift from commands to questions.
CMU Introduces 4 New Online Graduate Certificates for Professionals - Alexander Johnson, Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is introducing four online graduate certificates designed to help working professionals build graduate-level expertise in artificial intelligence, robotics, software engineering and product management. Built to fit the busy schedules of working professionals, the certificates offer flexible online learning and opportunities to apply new knowledge and skills immediately in the workplace. The programs also help learners stay current as emerging technologies reshape their industries.
A New Home for Nontraditional Students - Joshua Bay, Inside Higher Ed
More than housing: Eaton is among more than 300 students who can live at 99 Claremont, designed specifically for undergraduates at Columbia’s School of General Studies whose paths to college have included military service, professional careers or time away from school. The facility represents the university’s latest effort to strengthen community among students whose needs may differ from those of traditional undergraduates. Curtis Rodgers, vice dean of the School of General Studies, said fostering a stronger sense of belonging among nontraditional students was central to the university’s investment in the residence. One misconception about these students, he said, is that because they tend to be older and often have responsibilities outside the classroom, they have little interest in participating in campus life.
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