For higher education broadly, it’s been great to see the growth in diversity. For us, we’re a federally designated Minority- (MSI) and Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). We are now the third-largest university in Texas, and 41% of our students are first-generation. It says a lot about our nation’s changing demographics and being prepared, not only to serve diversity in that way but to also be really good at it. More specifically, within our division at UNT, 67% of students are taking at least one online course. It’s our job to ensure they have flexibility in the new hybrid landscape. Those courses need to be world class and as good or better than their in-person counterparts. Higher education is really making strides in better understanding what it needs to do to evolve out of a degree-or-nothing industry. While degrees remain powerful for social mobility, not everyone wants or needs an entire degree at all times. We need to unbundle the degree, especially for adult learners.
Professional, Continuing, and Online Education Update by UPCEA
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Monday, July 20, 2026
Making Learning Stick - Jason Lodge; Philipp Lorenz-Spreen; American Scientist
A significant bottleneck is our ability to only pay attention to a certain number of things at a time. Decades of research have told us that things we selectively pay attention to are much more likely to be processed, because they enter into consciousness and memory. These things then impact us in a persistent way. For various reasons, the way that technology has evolved—including built-in advertising—has been about trying to capture that selective attention. Philipp Lorenz-Spreen [PLS]: We prefer novelty and surprise. Our attention guides us to that because it’s important to know new things. But there are other factors as well, especially if you think about the competition between sources of information. Also, negativity and other emotions such as outrage often guide our attention. There’s negativity bias; negative headlines are more successful. There’s another factor, in-group and out-group feelings, that humans are quite susceptible to. Whenever content talks about “us versus them,” it tends to succeed more than other content.
One New Thing: Giving Students Individualized Work and Feedback, Even in Large Classes - Melissa Morriss-Olson, US News
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed PrairieLearn, an online assessment platform designed to provide students with immediate feedback and opportunities to practice course concepts. Originally created to support high-enrollment engineering and computer science courses, the system generates unique versions of problems for each student and instantly evaluates their responses. This allows students to work through multiple variations of a concept, learn from mistakes and refine their understanding as they progress. PrairieLearn shifts assessment from a one-time measurement of learning to an ongoing process of practice and improvement. By automating routine grading and providing immediate feedback, the platform frees instructors and teaching assistants to spend more time supporting student learning. Rather than waiting days or weeks to see if they understand a concept, students receive guidance in real time, helping them move more efficiently toward mastery.
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Trump administration caps student visa stays at 4 years under final rule - Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive
The Trump administration will cap international students’ stay in the U.S. at four years, regardless of the length of their academic program, under a rule finalized Thursday. Two types of visas popular among foreign students and academics — F and J visas — will require holders to apply to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for an extension if they need more time to complete their studies. The change is set to take effect mid-September. Under the rule, eligible international students already studying in the U.S. can stay for the remainder of their program or for up to four more years. However, they could lose that option if they leave the U.S. during that period.
Friday, July 17, 2026
Top Companies Driving Innovation in AI-Powered Education: Carnegie Learning and More - Globe NewsWire
The artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching market is witnessing substantial growth, with projections indicating an increase from $1.71 billion in 2025 to $2.16 billion in 2026, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.8%. By 2030, the market size is expected to reach $5.55 billion, influenced by factors such as AI integration in classrooms, the demand for skill-based learning, and emerging hybrid education models. Key trends driving this growth include personalized adaptive learning, AI-powered intelligent tutoring, and predictive learning analytics. Personalized learning is at the forefront of AI-driven education, prompting significant transformations in the market. Leveraging technology to cater to individual student needs, personalized learning enhances engagement and outcomes by adapting educational experiences. Notably, in January 2024, a U.S. Department of Education report revealed a rise in the use of generative AI among primary and secondary educators, jumping to 42% in November 2023 from 17% in April the same year. This trend underscores AI's role in shaping modern education.
I start my lectures by introducing my teaching assistant: GenAI - Dan Sarofian-Butin, Times Higher Education
Eighty students stare out at me on the first day of the semester, waiting for me to begin lecturing so they can disappear into their own thoughts, their laptops, their surreptitious texting with friends. It is the perfect embodiment of how large classes have fuelled the depersonalisation of higher education. That’s exactly why I, in the first 10 minutes of the class, introduce them to their “teaching assistant” by telling them to log into a frontier AI model such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. I share with them a prompt to cut and paste into the AI – “I don’t really understand why I am taking this general education course. My professor says it has something to do with learning how to be a critical thinker. What does that even mean?” – and tell them to have a quick “conversation” of at least five back-and-forth responses.
UC Berkeley shows no signs of AI grade inflation as professors adapt - Amanda McLeod, Daily Californian
A study released by UC Berkeley’s Center for Studies in Higher Education found a correlation between the release of ChatGPT in 2022 and an increased share of A grades for classes with take-home assignments at a selective public university in Texas. However, Berkeleytime data collected by The Daily Californian found no equivalent trends at UC Berkeley. Between 2019 and spring 2026, A’s at UC Berkeley consistently stayed between 30% and 35%, with a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic likely due to increased pass/no pass courses. The study, authored by Igor Chirikov, a senior researcher and director of the Student Experience in the Research University Consortium at the Center for Studies in Higher Education, analyzed 500,000 grades from 2018-25 and found that the share of A grades increased by 13 percentage points at the Texas university.
Thursday, July 16, 2026
What if the U.S. Government Owned Stock in AI Companies? - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed
Who is responsible for compensating Americans for jobs lost to AI? OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has floated the idea that the United States government should become a stockholder in artificial intelligence companies. Yes, actually own shares of the thriving major AI companies! Altman’s concept is that companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta and other leaders in the field would share 5 percent of their valuation with the American public through the U.S. government. The background on this move is key to understanding how the federal government might be able to respond to the widely predicted AI-induced job shakeout expected to come in the next five years. The concern is growing as we approach 2030 that tens of millions of Americans will be impacted by job losses or pay reductions due to businesses employing AI for efficiency reasons to replace human workers. The question is, how can one find a way to extract funds from those who stand to make billions of dollars in providing AI substitutions for the workers who stand to lose their jobs?
Why embedding lifelong learning in university is needed - Lyndsey El Amoud, University World News
The European Union has positioned lifelong learning at the heart of its competitiveness agenda, while universities are routinely identified as key actors in supporting citizens to learn throughout their lives. At first glance, higher education appears to be responding. Microcredentials are expanding rapidly. Professional and executive education continues to grow. Digital delivery has accelerated. Lifelong learning now features prominently in institutional strategies and national policy frameworks across much of Europe. Yet beneath this visible growth lies a more uncomfortable reality. European universities have become remarkably good at delivering lifelong learning. What they have not yet done, in most cases, is redesign themselves around it.
Distance learning has never mattered more – but you wouldn’t know it - Carmen Miles, Wonkhe
Most universities now have some form of distance learning postgraduate offer. Many entered the market opportunistically, during a period when demand was rising and the infrastructure requirements seemed manageable. What the HESA data increasingly shows is that the field is beginning to divide. Institutions with sustained strategic commitment to distance learning are growing. Those that entered without adequate operational infrastructure, marketing capability, or genuine curriculum differentiation are not.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
‘Professional degree’ list is expanded. But education still didn’t make the cut. - Anna Merod, Higher Ed Dive
The designation comes with an increased federal student loan cap of $200,000 for graduate programs. Education graduate degree programs remain excluded from the U.S. Department of Education’s “professional” designation, despite the agency recently adding to the fields considered as such. That expansion came in response to a recent court order that temporarily blocked new regulations on the “professional” definition, which impacts federal student loan caps. The Education Department’s regulations determine which graduate degree programs are considered “professional” that receive up to $200,000 in federal student loans under limits created by Congress last year. However, other programs that don’t fall under that definition - including education - are capped at $100,000 in federal student loans.
Some of the graduate programs added to the department’s list of “professional” degrees, as of June 29, include nursing, physical therapy, athletic training and occupational therapy.
6 HBCUs Launch Course-Sharing Partnership - Joshua Bay, Inside Higher Ed
The new initiative lets students take classes across institutions without transferring or losing progress toward a degree. In response, eHBCU, a group of six historically Black colleges and universities launched last year, announced a new course-sharing partnership last week that allows students to remain enrolled at their home institution while accessing courses offered at other participating HBCUs.Participating institutions include Delaware State University, Southern University and A&M College, Southern University at Shreveport, Southern University at New Orleans, Alabama State University, and Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design. Terry Jeffries, executive director of eHBCU, said the initiative was designed to address how course availability can affect graduation timelines and student retention, particularly for adult and nontraditional learners balancing work, family or geographic constraints.
College-educated job seekers are facing the music: A degree isn’t always enough - Sasha-Ann Simons, WBEZ
College used to be a reliable path to a professional career. Now, facing an increase in layoffs and a difficult job market, some workers say it’s not enough. In The Loop learns more about why this is happening and what it means for both workers and the economy. GUESTS: Noam Scheiber, New York Times reporter and Sarah Rand, strategic communications consultant
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Digital Technology Learning Among Older Adults: Exploring the effectiveness of Peer-to-Peer and Other Learning Approaches - Curtain University
As digital technologies, from smartphone to digital home assistants, increasingly become embedded in everyday life, older adults are expected to engage with online services, mobile applications, communication platforms, healthcare and support system, and digital government services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults demonstrated increased engagement in online activities, particularly for communication and entertainment purposes. Despite recognising the benefits of internet use, 80% of elderly Australians find it challenging to keep pace with rapid technological change (Australian Communications and Media Authority, 2021). Many ageing individuals continue to experience challenges in adapting to rapidly changing technologies due to various factors such as low digital confidence, technology anxiety, accessibility limitations, trust concerns, and limited access to appropriate learning support. Age-related changes across a variety of domains, including cognitive, emotional, physical, and social functioning, can influence their quality of life and ability to age in their preferred environment (Harris et al, 2022).
The effect of brief mindfulness practice on online training effectiveness: the chain mediating role of attention and motivation to learn - Fengli Mu, et al; Nature
The integration of mindfulness practice within online training programs has gained traction due to its potential to enhance learning effectiveness. This study investigates the impact of a 9-min online mindfulness exercise on mitigating distractions during online learning and their influence on training effectiveness. Two empirical studies (n study 1 = 93, n study 2 = 116) were conducted within the context of a large real estate company’s online training program. Two experiments randomly assigned employees to one of the two conditions: experimental condition (9-min mindfulness intervention) or active control condition (mindfulness explanation). Study 1 suggested that participants engaging in a mindfulness intervention achieved higher training effectiveness (measured by a 10-item quiz) compared to a control group. Building on these results, Study 2 explored the mediating roles of attention (tested by the Attention Network Test) and motivation to learn (assessed by a standardized scale).
Students who value AI ethics may regulate their learning more effectively - Emma Thompson, Ed Tech Innovatioin Hub
University students who view artificial intelligence through the lens of ethics and social good may be more effective at planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning with the technology, according to new research. The study found that students’ perceived autonomy and critical thinking directly predicted self-regulated learning with AI. Their beliefs about responsible AI use and its potential social benefits also helped explain those relationships. A generally positive attitude toward AI did not significantly predict self-regulated learning in the researchers’ statistical model. The finding suggests that enthusiasm for AI tools is not, by itself, enough to help students use them effectively for learning. Published in TechTrends, the study involved 333 art and design students who completed a one-week ChatGPT workshop before answering questions about autonomy, critical thinking, AI ethics, social good, attitudes toward AI, and their learning behaviors.
Monday, July 13, 2026
The seven operating truths of AI-native companies - McKinsey
These are not isolated experiments. Over the past several months, we have met with the tech and business leaders at 15 AI-centric companies—spanning continents, industries, and stages of development, from four-person start-ups to established global platforms—to learn what it takes to make AI capabilities truly deliver. We expected to hear 15 different stories. Instead, this diverse group of businesses, independent of one another, seemed to converge on the same fundamental insights about what it takes to successfully place AI at the center of the organization. That convergence is the story.
The twilight of the chatbots - One Useful Thing, Ethan Mollick
he evidence points to accelerating capability gains as well (though the frontier stays jagged, and AIs remain weak in many places). This is especially obvious when we look at the ability of AIs to do real work. There are a few good assessments that try to measure how much human work AIs can do. Two of the most famous, from METR and the UK’s official government AI Security Institute, estimate the amount of human programmer hours’ worth of effort the AI can do with a single prompt. GDPval compares human experts in many fields to AI performance using professional judges. They are all increasing at a better than exponential rate. Another organization doing similar experiments, Epoch, recently found Opus 4.7, working on its own for 14 hours, was able to build a software package that would take 2-17 weeks of human engineering work (it cost $251 in tokens). Again, AI systems cannot pass every test, nor are they always cheap to run, but they are definitely improving at a very rapid rate. In my own experiments, I found Fable was able to work autonomously for 9 hours to execute on very complex software projects that would have taken a team well over a week to do.
Why these three-year degree pilots are sparking strong pushback - Alcino Donadel, University Business
Two leading educators associations are speaking out against the growing wave of three-year bachelor’s degrees as two pilots gain approval in Massachusetts. On Sunday, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) lambasted accelerated programs for prioritizing speed over academic integrity. “A bachelor’s degree should both prepare students for the workforce and provide them with deep learning, broad intellectual development, and sustained engagement with faculty and peers—not simply the fastest possible route to the labor market,” AAUP President Todd Wolfson and AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a joint statement.
Sunday, July 12, 2026
Online, Professional and Continuing Education Blog by UPCEA listed among the Best 80 Higher Education Blogs!
Thanks to FeedSpot.com for once again listing this blog among the very best blogs on higher education. It is an honor to receive this recognition. We appreciate the affirmation and support.
Thank you Feedspot!
Friday, July 10, 2026
Trump administration expands list of graduate degrees subject to higher borrowing limits - Annie Nova, CNBC
Many graduate students will be subject to higher federal student loan caps than previously expected, after a court ruling last week. On Monday, the Education Department published the updated and longer list of over 20 professional degrees that will qualify enrolled students to borrow up to $50,000 a year instead of $20,500. Those eligible degrees include registered nursing, physician associates and speech-language pathologists.
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