This map shows the states with the widest salary gaps - Allana Akhtar, SFgate

College is more expensive than ever, leading many business leaders and experts to offer ways to get good jobs without needing a degree.   Yet college graduates still earn more than non-college graduates in every state in the US, according to data from the 2017 American Consumer Survey. Here's how much more college graduates make in every state.
https://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/College-grads-still-earn-more-than-workers-with-13844245.php

4 Steps to Stop the Spread of Disinformation Online - Lisa Kaplan, Brookings

Since the discovery of social media manipulation by nefarious actors in the 2016 campaign, governments and social media platforms have made few public attempts to disrupt the systems that enable the spread of disinformation. While preserving democratic and economic institutions in the digital era will require more action from governments and platforms, if we, the public, can acknowledge ourselves at the targets, we can make ourselves less susceptible. Here are four simple ways to do your part in fighting back:
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2019/07/23/four-steps-to-stop-the-spread-of-disinformation-online/

So Your Company Has a Vision: Why Can’t Everyone See It? - Knowledge@Wharton

The blurry vision bias is the tendency for most people — including leaders — to think abstractly rather than concretely about the distant future. Leaders might invoke vagaries such as “we aim to impact the world” rather than vivid images like “bring smiles to customers’ faces.” Therefore, most visions are, ironically, not very visionary.

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/company-vision-cant-everyone-see/

California finds solution to save distance learners’ financial aid - Ashley A. Smith, EdSurge

Tens of thousands of online California students are no longer at risk of losing federal financial aid after the state moved quickly to create a new system for addressing complaints from students against out-of-state colleges and universities. The California Department of Consumer Affairs responded by creating a complaint system for those students. The department already has a process for receiving complaints from students enrolled in for-profit colleges and universities. The new set-up satisfies federal requirements, said Russ Heimerich, deputy secretary of communications for the state Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, which oversees the consumer affairs department, in an email. “This will be our permanent solution.”

https://edsource.org/2019/california-finds-solution-to-save-distance-learners-financial-aid/615662

What will the advent of quantum computing mean for higher ed - Ryan Drawdy and Ray Schroeder, Helix Education Blog

Quantum courses have been around for a while, but today, the theories are becoming reality. The idea has already bubbled up in technical areas such as computer science, management of information systems, physics, and computer engineering. But there are also futuristic curricula that need to take into account the advantages of quantum computing. “The computers do exist,” Ray said. “Probably in the near term, they’ll be in the cloud, and we will pay for a millisecond or a second or five seconds of use of the computer at most, so it probably won’t be sitting on your desk.”  (ed note: check out the two minute animation of the basics of quantum computing)
https://www.helixeducation.com/resources/uncategorized/quantum-computing-university-illinois-springfield/

2019’s Most & Least Educated Cities in America - Adam McCann, Wallet Hub

To determine where the most educated Americans are putting their degrees to work, WalletHub compared the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 11 key metrics. Our data set ranges from share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to quality of the public school system to gender education gap. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-and-least-educated-cities/6656/

California’s online community college plans to open in fall to limited group - Nanette Asimov, San Francisco Chronicle

Opening day for California’s first online community college is 10 weeks away, but that doesn’t mean the public will be able to enroll — at least not this year. College officials had announced that fall registration would begin this summer for the state’s 115th community college, the first fully online public school in the state. But instead of letting all California residents enroll as planned, officials say the first class will be hand-picked with help from the Service Employees International Union labor group, most likely from its own ranks.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/California-s-online-community-college-plans-to-14109597.php

AI passes theory of mind test by imagining itself in another's shoes - Donna Lu, New Scientist

Artificial intelligence has passed a classic theory of mind test used with chimpanzees. The test probes the ability to perceive the world from the view of another individual and so AIs with this skill could be better at cooperating and communicating with humans and each other. AIs with theory of mind are key to building machines that can understand the world around them. In recent years, the skill has emerged in a robot whose memories are modelled on human brains and in DeepMind’s ToM-net, which understands that others can have false beliefs.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2210508-ai-passes-theory-of-mind-test-by-imagining-itself-in-anothers-shoes/

Governments take first, tentative steps at regulating AI - By James McCusker, Herald Net

State legislatures in New York and New Jersey have proposed legislation that represents the first, tentative steps at regulation. While the two proposed laws are different, they both have elements of information gathering about the risks to such things as privacy, security and economic fairness.  Both states owe a debt to the New York City’s efforts to understand what AI is, exactly, so it could be defined in law. The initial group established by the City Council could not agree on a definition, which may explain why some of the proposed laws aim at algorithm-based decisions rather than the broader concept of AI. This may be a good start to regulating the use of algorithms in the stock market – the city’s primary interest — but clearly leaves a lot undone.
https://www.heraldnet.com/business/governments-take-first-tentative-steps-at-regulating-ai/

How do distance learners connect? - Jessica Hallman, Penn State

In a recent study, a team of researchers from Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology found that creating computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments could help students identify common characteristics and life experiences they share with peers, which can build community and increase the likelihood that students remain in the program. “The online world is missing social opportunities,” said Na Sun, doctoral student in the College of IST and lead researcher on the project. “Unlike face-to-face contact, it’s hard to reach out to others when you can’t see them. That kind of presence and sense of community is very important.”
https://news.psu.edu/story/581285/2019/07/19/research/how-do-distance-learners-connect

Colleges expand esports programs to keep pace with growing industry - Julie Wootton-Greener, Education Dive

Esports are live video game competitions, held either online or in venues with an audience where the competition is also broadcast to online channels. Popular titles include League of Legends and Fortnite, and the games are played by amateurs and professionals alike. It's a growing industry, in which money is made from activities such as streaming, franchising and sponsorships. Global esports revenues are expected to hit $1.1 billion this year, up 27% from last year, according to market research firm Newzoo, which provides gaming and esports analytics. North America is its largest market, accounting for more than a third of all revenue.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/colleges-expand-esports-programs-to-keep-pace-with-growing-industry/558925/

Lack of Broadband Puts Tribal, Rural Areas in Jeopardy - EA Courier

The Havasupai tribe is falling behind in education, health and emergency needs because, like many rural communities, it lacks affordable, reliable and high-speed broadband, a tribal councilwoman told a House committee Thursday. Ophelia Watahomigie-Corliss was one of several witnesses who said rural areas are “in jeopardy” of being left behind without the high-speed internet access of broadband, which is used for everything from telemedicine to distance learning to up-to-the-minute market reports for farmers. “Community members can better their lives and their education through future broadband expansion,” Watahomigie-Corliss said in testimony prepared for a House Agriculture subcommittee.
https://www.eacourier.com/free-access/lack-of-broadband-puts-tribal-rural-areas-in-jeopardy/article_dd74d508-aa44-11e9-94a7-f37b39843d58.html

Continuous Learning the Key to IT Skills Gap - Alex Adamopoulos, Information Week

CIOs and IT leaders struggle to fill IT positions with staff who hold the right skills. But the answer is right under their noses: Educate existing teams.  This problem was crystallized by a recent study, which surveyed 100 chief information officers across the UK and found that large majorities of them are already feeling the pinch of a skills gap in IT:
78% are concerned about whether their IT talent will require upskilling;
76% are worried about recruiting the IT staff they need to remain competitive;
69% point to upskilling as something critically or highly important to their IT teams;
https://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/team-building-and-staffing/continuous-learning-the-key-to-it-skills-gap/a/d-id/1335070?

Why Affective Computing Systems Need Synthetic Emotion - Lisa Morgan, Information Week

Affective computing systems, including care robots and virtual assistants, can facilitate more intimate human-machine relationships. Already, systems have been designed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and dementia. Meanwhile, individuals are being nudged in ways that impact their consumption and political choices, whether they realize it or not. Recognizing emotion and responding appropriately to it are more difficult problems, let alone creating AI systems that actually experience emotion. Nevertheless, humans want AI to at least sense emotion now because they're tired of screaming at interactive voice recognition (IVR) systems, chatbots and virtual assistants out of frustration.
https://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/why-affective-computing-systems-need-synthetic-emotion/a/d-id/1335257?

How women created some of the world's biggest education tech companies - by Natalie Nezhati, the Guardian

Leading the way for female edtech representation globally is Daphne Koller, a Stanford University professor and creator of online learning platform, Coursera. She founded Coursera in 2012 with friend and fellow educator, Andrew Ng, after delivering one of her classes online through video.“The traditional education system needs to move on,” says Melody Lang, who launched her own purpose-driven investment company in January 2019. An experienced educational researcher and adaptive learning developer, Lang is “driven by making things better”. Mental health, wellness, soft skills and lifelong learning are at the top of her agenda.
https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2019/jul/18/how-women-created-some-of-the-worlds-biggest-education-tech-companies

OPINION: Ending the stigma for college students with learning disabilities - LINDSAY JONES and TED MITCHELL, Hechinger Report

Students with disabilities, and especially those with invisible disabilities that affect how they learn, often struggle because of public misperceptions and stigmas.  While nearly one in five college students has some type of disability, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the median percentage across all institutions of undergraduate students formally registered as having a disability was only 6 percent in 2017. This is a serious concern, and one that colleges and universities must address head-on.  Earlier this year, our organizations, along with the American Association of University Administrators, partnered to release new resources focused on actions that college leaders and faculty can take to empower students with disabilities.
https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-higher-ed-and-learning-disabilities/

In shifting for-profit college market, borrowers are taking on more debt - Natalie Schwartz, Education Dive

The for-profit college sector isn't what it once was. In the past decade, hundreds of for-profits have shuttered, pressured by targeted regulations, steep enrollment declines and accusations that the sector's worst-performing schools leave students with crushing debt they can't repay.  Those claims aren't unfounded. This week brought fresh evidence to back some of those charges. A new study released by the U.S. Department of Education found that students who completed their bachelor's degrees at for-profit schools in the 2015-16 academic year took on more debt on average than other students.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/student-debt-grows-in-shifting-for-profit-college-market/558683/

4 ways business schools are changing to buck declining application trends - James Paterson, Education Dive

More business schools are offering programs in specialties that can help a candidate stand out in the job market.  While applications to business master's degrees decreased slightly from 2017 to 2018, those for more focused programs in management, finance and data analytics increased, although they are far fewer in number than general programs, according to an annual survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).

https://www.educationdive.com/news/4-ways-business-schools-are-changing-to-buck-declining-application-trends/558487/

California Students Caught in the Middle - Doug Lederman, Inside Higher Ed

Education Department officials announced Monday that Californians who are enrolled in online programs at public or private nonprofit colleges and universities in other states will be ineligible for federal financial aid under the 2016 state authorization rules that took effect in May because of a judge's ruling.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/07/24/dispute-over-federal-rules-state-authorization-imperils

Leading Faculty Support in Online Learning - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

Ray Schroeder discusses the unusual mix of qualities that prepare people to succeed in the realm of faculty support. Effective leadership is a mix of knowledge, skill, inspiration, a passion of purpose and an essence of care and joy. These might seem to be a rare combination of qualities, but I have seen them come together time and again in the successful leaders and their operations at colleges and universities across the country. I write often about the changing technologies and trends, but today I want to address the special qualities of successful leadership in this field that make this field special.
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/leading-faculty-support-online-learning

3 Ways to Prepare for a Future Ready Library Now - Matthew Lynch. Tech Edvocate

Libraries have always been the instructional heartbeat of the campus. Once surrounded with rows of bookcases, racks of glossy magazines, and hushing librarians, libraries look quite different today.  The modern library houses some of the latest technology on campus, with teachers and students able to check an array of devices. Digital tablets, 3D printers, and even drones make up some of the devices available for classroom use. The library is a usable space where students and teachers collaborate on learning projects. Today’s librarians encourage this collaboration and lead instructional conversations as students work together in teams to solve problems.
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/3-ways-to-prepare-for-a-future-ready-library-now/

2019’s States with the Most and Least Student Debt - Adam McCann, Wallet Hub

Not all states are equal when it comes to the burden of student loans. With student-loan debtors in mind, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 12 key measures of indebtedness and earning opportunities. Our data set ranges from average student debt to unemployment rate among the population aged 25 to 34 to share of students with past-due loan balances. Read on for our findings, insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-student-debt/7520/

Deep Cuts in Puerto Rico - Elizabeth Redden, Inside Higher Ed

Alaska isn't the only place facing deep cuts to public funding. The University of Puerto Rico's annual appropriation has fallen by $333 million over three years. The appropriation for the University of Puerto Rico's operating expenses was slashed by $86 million this year, to about $501 million, following on a $44 million cut the year before that and a $203 million cut the year before that. A fiscal plan for the university certified by the island’s Financial Oversight and Management Board in June calls for the appropriation to continue to fall over the next several years, so that by fiscal year 2022 it will be under $400 million, 56 percent lower than the $879 million baseline figure at which the Puerto Rican government historically funded the university's operations.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/07/11/university-puerto-rico-faces-deep-cuts-appropriations

7 Technologies You Need to Know for Artificial Intelligence - essica Davis, Information Week

Artificial intelligence is actually a term that encompasses a host of technology and tools. Here's a closer look at some of the more important ones. If you aren't hands on with the projects yourself, you may have heard a lot of different terminology. You may be wondering what it all means. Is AI the same as machine learning? Is machine learning the same as deep learning? Do you need them all? Sometimes the first steps of understanding whether a technology is a fit for your organization's challenges and problems is understanding the basic terminology behind that technology.
https://www.informationweek.com/big-data/ai-machine-learning/7-technologies-you-need-to-know-for-artificial-intelligence/d/d-id/1335032

Study: Racial diversity continues to lag among college faculty - Natalie Schwartz, Education Dive

Black and Hispanic faculty members are underrepresented at bachelor's-, master's- and doctorate-level institutions, according to a new study published in the Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy. At bachelor's institutions, 5.2% of tenured faculty members are black and 6.6% are Hispanic or Latino. At the doctoral level, those shares shrink to 4% and 4.6%, respectively.  White faculty members make up 78.9% of those with tenure at bachelor's institutions and 74.2% at doctoral institutions. However, the report notes, an overall decrease in the share of white faculty members hasn't been "accounted for by increases in other races and ethnicities."
https://www.educationdive.com/news/racial-diversity-continues-to-lag-among-college-faculty-study-finds/558394/

7 Warning Signs an Online Degree is a Scam - Devon Haynie, Josh Moody; U.S.News & World Report

For prospective online students, searching for a degree program can sometimes feel like being lost in the wilderness.   The ubiquity of online education programs comes with promises of quick, effortless degrees that seem too good to be true. Sometimes that's exactly the case, and students who are duped by the schemes are left with a sizable hole in their wallet and no legitimate credential. The growth of online education in recent years has led to more opportunities for legitimacy and transparency, says Judith Eaton, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, which works to provide quality assurance in higher education. Despite the growth of online education, scams and diploma mills still persist on the web. Linked below are seven signs that an online program may not be legitimate:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/7-warning-signs-online-degree-143816338.html

Alibaba has claimed a new record in AI language understanding -MIT Technology Review

An AI program developed by Alibaba has notched up a record-high score on a reading comprehension test. The result shows how machines are steadily improving at handling text and speech. The new record was set using the Microsoft Machine Reading Comprehension (MS MARCO) data set, which uses real questions that Bing users have asked in the past. The AI program had to read many web pages of information to be able to answer questions such as “What is a corporation?
https://www.technologyreview.com/f/613931/alibaba-has-claimed-a-new-record-in-ai-language-understanding/

21 Low-Cost Online Master's Degrees from Coursera and edX - Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

We may be on the cusp of a postsecondary revolution in master's level credentialing for professional programs. It is a revolution, however, that few seem to be taking note. Both edX and Coursera are partnering with top institutions to offer high-quality/low-cost graduate programs. These online programs, as they evolve in quality and reach and employer acceptance, have the potential to shift the marketplace for master's degrees. To get a handle on the development of low-cost online master's degrees, I spent some time on the edX and Coursera websites.
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/21-low-cost-online-masters-degrees-coursera-and-edx

Boosting Degree Completion With Blockchain - Lindsay McKenzie, Inside Higher Ed

Arizona State is rethinking how this student data might be exchanged. In partnership with Salesforce, the university’s central enterprise unit, EdPlus, is creating a student data network that will enable participating institutions to share and verify students’ academic records using a distributed ledger technology such as blockchain. Donna Kidwell, chief technology officer at EdPlus, said that reverse transfer is just one area where the institution hopes to make its network of verifiable and secure credentials useful. The technology could, for example, be used to help global institutions and employers verify the academic qualifications of refugees.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/07/09/arizona-state-tackling-college-completion-blockchain

Criticism Over IT Outsourcing Decision - Lindsay McKenzie, Inside Higher Ed

For three days in June 2017, Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Mich., experienced a complete network shutdown. Wishing to prevent any future outages, Rose B. Bellanca, Washtenaw's president, commissioned a comprehensive review of the college's entire IT infrastructure and staffing.  The college's proposal, presented to the Board of Trustees on May 21, is to contract with higher education software and IT service provider Ellucian to provide technology management services, including on-site support staff at the college. Under the proposal, which was passed in a 5-to-2 vote by the board June 25, Ellucian will be responsible for all current and future technology needs of the college. ​
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/07/08/washtenaw-community-college-outsources-its-it-staff

Cuts in state funding to public colleges may be to blame for a decline in bachelor’s degrees - Jillian Berman, Market Watch

“Money matters,” said Sarah Turner, an economics and education professor at the University of Virginia and one of the authors of the paper. “The declines in state appropriations have had real effects in terms of degree output, enrollment and there’s at least suggestive evidence that there’s some impact on research outputs.” A decline in state funding to public colleges is also associated with a drop in the number of people earning the types of credentials at public research universities necessary for the types of scientific innovation that boosts the economy, the research found. A 10% drop in state funding is correlated with a 5% drop in master’s degrees in science, engineering, technology and math (or STEM) and a 10.2% drop in Ph.Ds in those fields.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/cuts-in-state-funding-to-public-colleges-may-be-to-blame-for-a-decline-in-bachelors-degrees-2019-06-18

AI can simulate quantum systems without massive computing power - Jon Fingas, Engadget

It's difficult to simulate quantum physics, as the computing demand grows exponentially the more complex the quantum system gets -- even a supercomputer might not be enough. AI might come to the rescue, though. Researchers have developed a computational method that uses neural networks to simulate quantum systems of "considerable" size, no matter what the geometry. To put it relatively simply, the team combines familiar methods of studying quantum systems (such as Monte Carlo random sampling) with a neural network that can simultaneously represent many quantum states.
https://www.engadget.com/2019/07/05/ai-simulates-quantum-systems/

At 63, Bill Gates says he now asks himself these 3 questions that he wouldn’t have in his 20s - Marcel Schwantes, CNBC

Gates also noted how different his assessment looks today, at age 63, than it did in his 20s. “Back then, an end-of-year assessment would amount to just one question: Is Microsoft software making the personal-computing dream come true?” he wrote. Of course, Gates still assesses the quality of his work, but he also asks himself a whole set of other questions about his life. “These would have been laughable to me when I was 25, but as I get older, they are much more meaningful.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/06/bill-gates-measures-his-quality-of-life-by-asking-himself-3-questions.html

Udacity’s AI generates lecture videos from audio narration - KYLE WIGGERS, Venture Beat

Professional-level lecture clips require not only a veritable studio’s worth of equipment, but significant resources to transfer, edit, and upload footage of each lesson. That’s why research scientists at Udacity, an online learning platform with over 100,000 courses, are investigating a machine learning framework that automatically generates lecture videos from audio narration alone. They claim in a preprint paper (“LumièreNet: Lecture Video Synthesis from Audio“) on Arxiv.org that their AI system — LumièreNet — can synthesize footage of any length by directly mapping between audio and corresponding visuals.
https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/05/udacitys-ai-generates-lecture-videos-from-audio-narrations/

MITx Prepares 30 New MOOCs and Builds with Other Universities a Blockchain System for Credentials - IBL News

MITx has become, along with Harvard University and Microsoft, the most prolific course creator on edX.org, with 111 MOOCs shared in the past year, and 26 of them being run for the first time. “We have about 30 more in the pipeline.  Another remarkable initiative where MIT collaborates with eight other top research universities is related to the design of a digital, distributed infrastructure for issuing, storing and displaying verifiable credentials and certificates of academic achievement.
https://iblnews.org/mitx-prepares-30-new-moocs-and-build-with-other-universities-a-blockchain-system-for-credentials/

What is personalized learning and why is it so controversial? 5 questions answered - Penny Bishop, the Conversation

The term “personalized learning” is becoming more common. Indeed, 39 states mention personalized learning in their school improvement plans, as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act. Not only are states legislating personalized learning, but philanthropists are funding it and, in some cases, families are pushing back against it. Penny Bishop, a researcher who focuses on learning environments, answers five questions about personalized learning.
https://theconversation.com/what-is-personalized-learning-and-why-is-it-so-controversial-5-questions-answered-118030

The push for explainable AI - BY DEREK B. JOHNSONJUL, GNC

While organizations are ultimately legally responsible for the ways their products, including algorithms, behave, many encounter what is known as the "black box" problem: situations where the decisions made by a machine learning algorithm become more opaque to human managers over time as it takes in more data and makes increasingly complex inferences. The challenge has led experts to champion "explainability" as a key factor for regulators to assess the ethical and legal use of algorithms, essentially being able to demonstrate that an organization has insight into what information its algorithm is using to arrive at the conclusions it spits out. The Algorithmic Accountability Act would give the Federal Trade Commission two years to develop regulations requiring large companies to conduct automated decision system impact assessments of their algorithms and treat discrimination resulting from those decisions as "unfair or deceptive acts and practices," opening those firms up to civil lawsuits.
https://gcn.com/articles/2019/07/03/explainable-ai.aspx

U.S., U.K. and Canadian residents call for a unified skills strategy for the AI age - Northeastern University and Gallup

We asked 10,000 people in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada what they thought about the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs. We wanted to know what they believe it takes to be prepared, what type of education is needed, who should provide it and who should pay for it. And do they believe higher education, business and government are up to the task to solve the skills crisis?
https://www.northeastern.edu/gallup/

The Next Evolutionary Step in MOOCs Will Be ‘Blockstore’, Says Robert Lue, from Harvard - Henry Kronk, IBLNews

Professor Robert Lue, the Richard L. Menschel Faculty Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University, was involved in the creation of edX. He now believes that, for the full potential of MOOCs and open educational resources (OER) to be realized, the reign of the ‘course’ in open education needs to come to an end. The next step, he believes, will be the Blockstore.

https://iblnews.org/it-takes-a-network-to-teach-a-learner-robert-lue-believes-blockstore-will-bring-about-the-next-step-for-open-edx/

Employers as Educators - Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed

Amazon moves deeper into offering postsecondary credentials, following Google and other big employers, but largely bypasses traditional colleges with the expanded training options.  Resistance by many colleges to adapt to the economy and evolving education and training needs may be a reason why Amazon is building its own credential infrastructure, said Jim Fong, chief research officer for the University Professional and Continuing Education Association.  "The message is really more about core competencies and who can do it better, cheaper and faster and whether colleges and universities can do that anymore," he said via email. But Fong added that the Amazon news "might be the shot in the arm that higher education may need to accelerate what may be a slow and bureaucratic process regarding content and credentials needed in the marketplace." 
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/07/17/amazon-google-and-other-tech-companies-expand-their

13 Signs of High Emotional Intelligence: Are these forgotten when we consider needed workforce skills? - Justin Bariso, Inc

In 1995, psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman published a book introducing most of the world to the nascent concept of emotional intelligence. The idea--that an ability to understand and manage emotions greatly increases our chances of success--quickly took off, and it went on to greatly influence the way people think about emotions and human behavior.
https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/13-things-emotionally-intelligent-people-do.html

4 Models To Reinvent Higher Education for the 21st Century - Eli Zimmerman, EdTech

To appeal to Gen Z students and employers, universities will adopt new ways to deliver academic materials, focusing on customizable courses and experiences outside of the classroom. A recent report from Education Design Lab outlines four models for universities and colleges to stay relevant in an education world that continues to move online. Five years in the making, the report details each of the models of innovation: the platform facilitator, experiential curator, learning certifier and workforce. University officials can take a quiz to see which model best fits their campuses to create an innovative culture that fits the changing demands of higher education.
https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2019/07/4-models-reinvent-higher-education-21st-century

The first online class I taught included both a homeless student and an Olympic athlete

by SHERI MCKEEVER, Hechinger Report
In my first class, I had a homeless student from St. Paul and another who was training for the Olympics in the Duluth area. Both were concerned about their education and wanted to succeed. They had unique circumstances, yet they shared many common challenges — internet access, enough time to complete assignments, anxiety about failure. The entire class shared their stories, and their worries, with one another and reinforced each student’s strengths and perseverance. We worked hard as a class to find common ground and cultivate our strengths. Technology has enabled me to connect with my students in ways I never had when I taught in a traditional classroom.
https://hechingerreport.org/teacher-voice-diversity-and-online-learning/

Supplementing Continuing Education Courses With Insightful Conversations - By Liz Dominguez, RIS Media

Neubauer says the podcast is also a great accessory to online courses, which are typically missing the interaction and the anecdotes of the concrete classroom. “Having an hour conversation allows us to go into detail and offer great tools that agents can apply immediately,” says Neubauer. “And with the conversational style with different guests, it makes it entertaining as well as informative.”
https://rismedia.com/2019/07/02/continuing-education-courses/

Delivering education through text messages: a more effective way to teach - MICHAEL IOFFE, Newsweek

As a teaching medium, I came across studies from Stanford and Penn State that showed texts are amongst the most effective ways to learn and retain information. If you're wondering why, it's because texts meet users where they're at (on their phones) and break down concepts into bite-size chunks. To test the idea, I worked with a few friends and professors at Babson to develop the first text message course, which focused on entrepreneurship, and then ran a study with over two hundred students. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with the vast majority of students liking text message learning more than any other form of digital learning. You might be wondering how a "text message course" actually works. Every morning, students were texted about two screen-lengths worth of content (around 1,000 characters) explaining a certain concept or case study in depth, typically ending with an assessment. (You can try out a course here: lrn.st/trial).
https://www.newsweek.com/delivering-education-through-text-messages-more-effective-way-teach-opinion-1447227

Workers want L&D-focused work, but employers aren't delivering, survey says - Riia O'Donnell & Katie Clarey; HR Dive

U.S. workers hunger for learning opportunities because employers aren't providing enough of them, according to a report by City & Guilds Group. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they want a bigger focus on L&D in their workplaces. Only 46% said their employers have provided on-the-job training in the past year, and only 52% said it's easy to access L&D at their jobs. The majority of employees (82%) said they feel "fairly well equipped" to do their current jobs, but 63% want a heavier focus on training. Many American workers aren't waiting on their employers to upskill them. A majority of workers, 62%, have invested personal time in training during the past year, with 30% paying for training out of pocket.
https://www.hrdive.com/news/workers-want-ld-focused-work-but-employers-arent-delivering-survey-says/557926/

Can elearning help to reduce workplace burnout? - By Sherman Morrison, eLearning Inside

You arrive to your workplace for another day on the job, but things aren’t right. You feel exhausted even though you slept reasonably well. You’ve got lots of work to plow through but you lack motivation. The mere thought of work makes you feel frustrated. You try to get into your work but you feel like you just can’t focus properly. And you’ve been feeling this way for weeks. You could be suffering from workplace burnout. It’s not just in your head, either. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently brought new attention to this problem. Is there a role for eLearning to play in addressing workplace burnout?
https://news.elearninginside.com/can-elearning-help-reduce-workplace-burnout/

10 BENEFITS OF ONLINE LEARNING - Charlie Bloom, Stylenest

If you’re looking to enter back into education, but are struggling to juggle a work, family, and social life, online learning may be the right option for you. Not only can you gain reputable qualifications, studying online can give you the flexibility you need to slot in your learning around your busy day to day life. Here are 10 benefits of online learning.
https://www.stylenest.co.uk/lifestyle/health-and-fitness/10-benefits-of-online-learning/

The Future of Work in America - McKinsey Global Institute

Automation technologies promise to deliver major productivity benefits that are too substantial to ignore. They are also beginning to reshape the American workplace, and this evolution will become more pronounced in the next decade. Some occupations will shrink, others will grow, and the tasks and time allocation associated with every job will be subject to change. The challenge will be equipping people with the skills that will serve them well, helping them move into new roles, and addressing local mismatches. This report represents the next stage in our ongoing body of research into the capabilities, potential, and economic impact of these technologies.   (ed note:  This fact-filled and data visualization enriched report makes for an important resource going forward -ray)
https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/Future%20of%20Organizations/The%20future%20of%20work%20in%20America%20People%20and%20places%20today%20and%20tomorrow/MGI-The-Future-of-Work-in-America-Report-July-2019.ashx

Who is first (and last) in the race to build a workforce fit for the future? - Emily Glassberg Sands & Vinod Bakthavachalam, European Sting

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is transforming the world of work. Technology is advancing faster than humans, disrupting both jobs and the skills needed to compete. Research by McKinsey suggests that globally about half of the jobs performed by humans today will be disrupted by automation, and a survey of business leaders by the World Economic Forum suggests that 42% of the core job skills required today are set to change substantially by 2022. Drawing on a rich database of over 40 million learners, the Coursera Global Skills Index benchmarked 60 countries and 10 major industries across the essential skills of business, technology and data science.
https://europeansting.com/2019/07/03/who-is-first-and-last-in-the-race-to-build-a-workforce-fit-for-the-future/

Colleges Should Build Online Programs, Not New Gyms and Climbing Walls - Robert Ubell, EdSurge

As college leaders scroll through their perilous spreadsheets this summer, anxiously looking for the most productive way to spend their meager resources, this may be the time for them to rethink their usual approach—and aggressively invest in online education. After all, with national on-campus enrollments faltering, online numbers continue to speed forward.
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-07-10-colleges-should-build-online-programs-not-new-gyms-and-climbing-walls

AI could study your brain to help teachers improve their courses - John Fingas, Engadget

Teachers don't always know how well their methods work. They can ask questions and hand out tests, of course, but it's not always clear who's at fault if the message doesn't get through. AI might do the trick before long, though. Dartmouth College researchers have produced a machine learning algorithm that measures activity across your brain to determine how well you understand a given concept. The team started out by having rookie and intermediate engineering students both take standard tests as well as answer questions about pictures while sitting in an fMRI scanner. From there, they had the algorithm generate "neural scores" that could predict a student's performance. The more certain parts of the brain lit up, the easier it was to tell whether or not a student grasped the concepts at play.
https://www.engadget.com/2019/06/23/ai-studies-brain-activity-to-show-understanding/

Moody's: College revenue growth lagged in 2018 - Shailaja Neelakantan, Education Dive

Decreases or low growth in tuition revenue was a key cause of declining revenue overall at public and private colleges in 2018, Moody's Investors Service said in a pair of reports on higher ed finances. At public institutions the situation was compounded by lagging state support, while private colleges struggled to curtail expenses. Revenue growth was below 3% at more than half of public colleges, with the median value falling to 2.4% from 2.9% a year ago. Private colleges' median revenue growth held steady at 2.4% year-over-year, though it trailed a median 2.9% increase in expenses for the third-straight year. Larger institutions outperformed their peers in both sectors as the combination of declining enrollment, slow recovery of public funding and rising tuition stressed revenue.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/moodys-colleges-revenue-growth-lagged-in-2018/558169/

Teaching Through a Hurricane - Ryan Bitzegaio, EDUCAUSE Review

With campus temporarily shuttered, many students didn't have access to the technology and resources they needed to complete coursework. So, while faculty were encouraged to maintain communication with their students, a moratorium was placed on due dates and other required coursework while the institution was closed. Once everyone returned to campus, we were then left with the challenge of cramming three weeks of lost time into the fairly rigid confines of what was left of the semester. The university was able to creatively carve out a few make-up days from holidays and weekends, but this alternate schedule didn't necessarily jibe with the already-disrupted lives of faculty and students. As a result, many faculty—including myself—opted for moving contingent instruction online.
https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2019/6/teaching-through-a-hurricane#_zsX02Le1_zlbniw5

Want a Job in the Future? Be a Student for Life - Knowledge at Wharton

New digital technologies are expected to take away many jobs. They will also create several new ones. However, to grasp these new opportunities, everyone must continuously learn new skills. “We will now have to move to a continuum of lifelong learning, which essentially means we have to be lifelong learners,” says Ravi Kumar, president at Infosys, the digital services firm.
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/lifelong-learning-future-of-work/

America’s desire to reskill is making online education cheaper - Ramona Schindelheim, Working Nation

“[Higher] education costs are rising in the U.S., as is student debt,” says American venture capitalist Mary Meeker. The average annual cost of a private four-year college (tuition and on-campus housing) is more than $50,000 and a public college averages just over $24,000 a year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. More than two-thirds of the class of 2018 borrowed money to go to college, according to Student Loan Hero. 2018 graduates owe an average of $29,800 and 14 percent of their parents owe an average of $35,600 in loans taken out through the federal government. Education costs chartBecause continuing your education after graduating from high school is getting more and more expensive, Meeker says “post-secondary education enrollment is slowing, and online education learning institutions are expanding their reach.” That reach is expanding as the skills needed to get a good, relevant job continues to change.
https://workingnation.com/mary-meeker-internet-trends-online-education-workforce-trends/

Overcoming Accessible Online Learning Challenges - Nicole Flynn, cielo24

Without proper support from colleges and universities, faculty and staff are unable to provide accessible content as required by law. And this lack of support and education can have significant consequences for universities. Multiple universities have faced lawsuits and high-cost resolution agreements due to the inaccessibility of their websites, course materials, videos, learning management systems, etc. These institutions include Penn State, University of Montana, Louisiana Tech University, University of Cincinnati, Youngstown State University, Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley.
https://cielo24.com/2019/06/overcoming-accessible-online-learning-challenges/

Baccalaureate and Beyond: A First Look at the Employment and Educational Experiences of College Graduates, 1 Year Later - National Center Educational Statistics

Selected Results:  Among 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients, 12 months after graduating, 67 percent were employed only, 12 percent were both employed and enrolled in additional education, 9 percent were out of the labor force, 6 percent were enrolled only,  and 6 percent were unemployed. Postbaccalaureate income and benefits (table 6)
• Twelve months after they graduated, male 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree
recipients employed full time had a median annual income of $41,600. For females, the
median annual income was $37,400.
• Of all 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients employed full time 12 months after
graduating, 47 percent had a salaried job and 75 percent had a job that offered benefits.
https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019241.pdf

Why Bitcoiners Are Turning to Unschooling for Decentralized Education - Graham Smith, Bitcoin.com

Why Bitcoiners Are Turning to Unschooling for Decentralized Education
Unschooling is an alternative education movement quickly gaining popularity and currency worldwide. Like Bitcoin, it is an individualist approach to an area of human action long thought to be established beyond question―education. Both cryptoeconomics and unschooling seek to provide autonomy to individuals, providing a return to logical, natural systems that value human life.
https://news.bitcoin.com/why-bitcoiners-are-turning-to-unschooling-for-decentralized-education/

Data Science Salary Survey Reveals Market Shift - Jessica Davis, Information Week

Entry-level (level 1) predictive analytics professionals with a four-year degree can expect an entry-level base salary that averages $78,615 (with a median of $80,000). A master's degree won't make that much of a difference to salary at level 1 for predictive analytics pros who earn a base level salary that averages $80,737 (with a median of $80,000). At the entry level, predictive analytics pros saw a salary increase of 4% year over year, Ferguson said. Level 2 and level 3 individual contributors each saw a 2% increase year over year. Level 3 predictive analytics pros with a PhD earn an average base salary of $159,956 (with a median of $140,000).
https://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/team-building-and-staffing/data-science-salary-survey-reveals-market-shift/d/d-id/1335077

What Matters More: Skills or Degrees? - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

So, what we hear from industry is that they want workers with the soft skills that do not go out of date, as well as a basic understanding of the current hard facts and skills that will be useful for just a few years before they must be upskilled for a new generation of technology. This combination of knowledge and skills may not require a degree.  While this shift in employment requisites develops, we are now in the eighth straight year of declines in college enrollment. Hundreds of colleges have closed their doors in the past few years, and hundreds more are teetering on the brink.
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/what-matters-more-skills-or-degrees

Higher-ed tech adoption is surprisingly stressful for faculty - LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News

A new survey shows that most professors say higher-ed tech adoption is a major pressure point, resulting in anxiety and loss of sleep.  A survey of university professors reveals higher-ed tech adoption is one of their biggest sources of stress–a majority say they’ve experienced anxiety and both personal and professional tension. The survey points to the alarming notion that college and university faculty aren’t ready for technologically savvy students who have never known a world without the internet or smartphones.
https://www.ecampusnews.com/2019/06/27/higher-ed-tech-adoption-is-surprisingly-stressful-for-faculty/

Top 10 AI Jobs, Salaries and Cities - Blog Indeed

With AI becoming more deeply integrated into our professional and personal lives, the Indeed analytics team crunched platform data to learn more about AI jobs in 2019. What are the top positions? Which offer the highest salaries? Where are the best opportunities? Some of our findings may surprise you.
http://blog.indeed.com/2019/06/28/top-10-ai-jobs-salaries-cities/

What To Expect From Generation AI? - Federico Guerrini, Forbes

Artificial Intelligence is going to transform the world, changing a lot of things for all categories of people in the process; children will be among the most affected. You and I live in an age where we're starting to be impacted, but we've spent a lot of our lives not really having interacted with AI. We're also adults that have some volition and agency. For children, it's different," Erica Kochi, co-founder of UNICEF Innovation Unit, tells me. Whether it's the learning algorithms powering You Tube Kids' content, the smart toys which listen and keep track of every interaction of their little consumers, or the educational robots that could soon replace teachers in the classroom, there are already multiple instances of children being surrounded by AI-enabled products that provide guidance, suggestions, company and fun.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2019/06/28/what-to-expect-from-generation-ai/

The future of education; building a culture of learning - Associations Now

The President and CEO of Community Brands, JP Guilbault suggests that big change can bring big rewards if we begin rethinking the way we educate ourselves. “There needs to be a big shift away from the classroom,” says Guilbault. “Yes, there are trade skills you can pick up from a class or online course, but the real learning comes through the doing of it in the workplace. Organizations need to embrace a ‘culture of trying’ because that’s where learning accelerates.” Throughout this piece, Guilbault breaks down the ways in which organizations can create a culture of learning in the workplace and receive the multitude of benefits which will naturally follow.
https://associationsnow.com/2019/06/future-education-building-culture-learning/

Few colleges deploying edtech products consult scientific study, but other factors may be more important - Henry Kronk, eLearning Inside

One of the central issues pertaining to technology and education today is that few—if any—know whether a new edtech product or service will improve learning outcomes. It might also have unintended consequences. While many researchers have investigated the decision-making process behind edtech implementation at the K-12 level, few have done so in higher ed. Assistant Director and Senior Researcher Fiona Hollands and Research Assistant Maya Escueta, both of the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education (CBCSE) at Columbia University have a new article on the subject.
https://news.elearninginside.com/few-colleges-deploying-edtech-products-consult-scientific-study-finds-but-other-factors-might-be-more-important/

Full-Time from Afar - Rodger Bates, Bryan LaBrecque; OJDLA

With the dramatic increase in the demand for distance learning opportunities in higher education, staffing demands have created a new opportunity for faculty members to teach full-time from remote locations. Previously, a significant portion of online instruction was taught by full-time faculty as part of their regular teaching load or as an economic opportunity for teaching “overload” courses. In addition, online classes are frequently being taught by adjunct, or part-time, faculty members. Increasingly, however, institutions are now found hiring full-time faculty members with the express intent of assigning them to teach fully online. Given the nature of asynchronous delivery, some institutions have begun allowing these faculty members to teach from afar. These non-residential full-time faculty members create a number of issues that affect students, faculty life, and distance learning administrators which must be addressed. Some ready-made solutions for these issues already exist, but other concerns still require attention.
https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer222/bates_labrecque222.html

Online University Fights To Stay Alive In Budget Process - By KAREN KASLER, WVXU

An online university that started offering classes in Ohio a year ago is now a point of difference in the budget process – with the House stripping recognition for Western Governors University and the Senate bringing it back. Former Gov. John Kasich personally championed bringing Western Governors University to Ohio in his last year in office, telling Ohioans in press conferences and ads that it was a higher education path for adult learners with busy lives.

https://www.wvxu.org/post/online-university-fights-stay-alive-budget-process#stream/0

MIT’s new interactive machine learning prediction tool could give everyone AI superpowers - Darrell Etherington, Tech Crunch

Soon, you might not need anything more specialized than a readily accessible touchscreen device and any existing data sets you have access to in order to build powerful prediction tools. A new experiment from MIT and Brown University researchers have added a capability to their ‘Northstar’ interactive data system that can “instantly generate machine-learning models” to use with their exiting data sets in order to generate useful predictions.
https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/27/mits-new-interactive-machine-learning-prediction-tool-could-give-everyone-ai-superpowers/

What Teachers Must Know About the Neuroscience of Edtech Learning - Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Neuroscience is changing the pedagogy of education, and it’s about time. Schools have long been ready to embrace scientific theory and research. Everything educators incorporate in their instruction today must first consider whether it aligns with the neuroscience of learning. What we bring into the classroom must be research-based, relevant and ready to support teachers.
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-teachers-must-know-about-the-neuroscience-of-edtech-learning/

Is AI killing jobs? Actually, it added 3x more than it replaced in 2018 - BY LYDIA DISHMAN, Fast Company

ZipRecruiter’s data scientists analyzed over 50 million job postings, surveyed hundreds of employers, and thousands of job seekers, and examined specific use cases in five transitioning industries. They found that AI created about three times as many jobs as it took away in 2018. What’s more, while employers are already using AI tools, 81% of those surveyed said they preferred to hire a human over putting in a completely autonomous system.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90369739/is-ai-killing-jobs-actually-it-added-3x-more-in-2018

Creating a next generation learning ecosystem in the workplace - Marisa DelBuono, Training Journal

Learning is a crucial component to every workplace. Be it initial onboarding and employee training, compliance, or continuous professional development, companies are increasingly looking for better ways to develop the skills and expertise of their workforce. In fact, 81% of executives say talent development is a top priority for their business. By investing in a customisable and streamlined learning program that meets the specific needs of your learners, you’re able to significantly increase employee retention and create a well-equipped, competent, and confident team that can drive business results.
https://www.trainingjournal.com/articles/features/creating-next-generation-learning-ecosystem-workplace

Higher Ed Has Become ‘An Entrepreneurial and Philanthropic Wild West’ - Jeffrey R. Young, EdSurge

Plenty of groups these days are trying to reinvent college, and that’s not surprising at a time when higher ed is under fire for ever-rising costs, ballooning student debt and even questions about the value of a degree. On one hand, entrepreneurs and foundations are rushing to offer higher education via new models and price points. Meanwhile, college researchers and innovators are diving into learning science and experimenting with new teaching methods. But those groups don’t always talk to each other, or even know what the others are working on.
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-06-25-higher-ed-has-become-an-entrepreneurial-and-philanthropic-wild-west

University of North Texas expands access to online learning - Star Leader

The University of North Texas soon will offer non-credit, online courses in a variety of subjects through Coursera, giving more learners access to world-class educational content created and taught by UNT faculty.  “We plan to launch three to five MOOCs within the next year,” said Adam Fein, UNT vice president of digital strategy and innovation. “In support of our mission to provide access to education, our plan is to continue to explore options to give North Texas students and learners from around the globe flexible learning options and more ways to help them reach academic and career goals.”
https://starlocalmedia.com/theleader/news/university-of-north-texas-expands-access-to-online-learning/article_3d32f192-96a3-11e9-880c-5be64d7e8a71.html

Virtual Classroom Management Can Maximize Learning - Lillian C., VC Daily

The “virtual” part of the virtual classroom might be described as being shorthand for “virtually anything.” The power of digital communication, with its cloud computing, webcams, digital whiteboards, and multimedia streaming means that online learning spaces can take on whatever shape is best for the teachers and students in them. The challenge in virtual classroom management is to design the flow of information within that space to maximize learning. Communicating online is fundamentally different from what occurs within a shared real-world environment. While video conferencing can link anyone in the world with internet, the way we see and the way we speak online are contained within digital windows.
https://www.videoconferencingdaily.com/education/virtual-classroom-management-can-maximize-learning/

With skills mapping, colleges create a 'universal language' to explain value - Wayne D'Orio, Education Dive

Traditional colleges looking to fortify the liberal arts are adopting a practice from workforce-oriented institutions that aligns curriculum and job requirements. "We're at another turning point," said Andrea Backman, chief employability officer at Strategic Education. "Education is turning on its head to be skills based." The Virginia-based educational services company serves adult learners through a handful of education programs, including Strayer University, a for-profit online college. Several trends are combining to push the skill-based movement at traditional schools, experts said. Employers are less inclined to train workers because recent graduates are seen as more likely to change jobs. And with U.S. student debt sitting at $1.6 trillion, students and their families are pushing colleges to give them something more than a degree in an often-broad major to prove their job qualifications. Schools, meanwhile, see this as a way to distinguish themselves from competitors and attract more students.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/with-skills-mapping-colleges-create-a-universal-language-to-explain-valu/557422/

Community College Online and Out of State - Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed

Ohio's Eastern Gateway Community College draws scrutiny from lawmakers for working with an OPM to rapidly grow online enrollment of out-of-state students. Ohio's Eastern Gateway Community College has grown its online programs rapidly in the last few years, with most of its roughly 20,000 students now enrolling online, and from out of the state of Ohio. The bulk of its enrollment growth -- more than quadrupling in the three years before the spring of 2018 -- has been driven by an online "free college" program Eastern Gateway created for members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a large trade union of public employees.
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/06/26/ohio-community-college-raises-questions-enrolling-large-numbers

Two-thirds of American employees regret their college degrees - SARAH MIN, Money Watch

Two-thirds of employees report regrets about their degrees, as Americans question the high cost of higher education. Student loan debt has ballooned to nearly $1.6 trillion nationwide in 2019, topping the list of regrets for employees.  Science, technology, engineering or math majors, who are more likely to enjoy higher salaries, were least likely to report regrets, while those in the humanities were most likely.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-thirds-of-american-employees-regret-their-college-degrees/

Talent Analytics, Skills-Based Hiring and the Potential Disruption of the Degree - Sean Gallagher, EdSurge

In this competitive talent landscape—and aided by new technology tools—something different is indeed happening. Employers are beginning to get much more strategic, analytical and nuanced about how they hire and how they set job qualifications and assess skills and abilities. Although it is still early in this movement, the trend bears particular monitoring by college leaders and policymakers. And it also presents new opportunities for edtech firms, alternative-education providers and employers themselves.
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-06-24-talent-analytics-skills-based-hiring-and-the-potential-disruption-of-the-degree

Misinformation is everywhere. These scientists can teach you to fight BS. - By Ben Guarino, Washington Post

The world, according to University of Washington professors Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West, is awash in BS. So begins their popular course, “Calling Bullshit,” which trains college students to identify and call out misinformation. BS warps voter choices. It can damage businesses. BS oozed from a crudely edited video that falsely suggested House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was inebriated at a public event. Foreign propaganda machines spread BS through social and news media during the 2016 presidential campaign and beyond. And BS, when it clouds the science of vaccine safety and climate change, even threatens our health. Many people believe the BS they encounter and transmit it further — and that’s what this class aims to stop.  They are developing an open online course, and they have shared their lessons in public events to reach an audience beyond the typical college-age student.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/06/24/misinformation-is-everywhere-these-scientists-can-teach-you-fight-bs/

5 ways augmented reality apps are changing the game - LAURA ASCIONE, eSchool News

Here's how education is using augmented reality apps to take academics and engagement to the next level. Augmented reality has been one of higher ed’s big buzzwords for a number of years, but it’s not until just fairly recently that institutions have used the technology in practical ways. Now, higher-ed augmented reality apps are having a moment that extends past the novelty of Pokemon Go–and K-12 could take some of those lessons into its own classrooms. Most augmented reality apps address a variety of things, such as bringing science concepts to life, improving student retention, and offering campus tours or glimpses of historical moments on campus.
https://www.eschoolnews.com/2019/06/24/5-ways-augmented-reality-apps/

Today Marks the Beginning of a New Era in Career and Technical Education - US Department of Ed

July 1, marks the beginning of a new era in career and technical education as states begin to implement the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). The administration championed the passage of this new law which is designed to improve career and technical education (CTE) and help students gain the skills they need to compete for in-demand, high-wage jobs in their communities. As of today, the Department has received, reviewed, and approved every state’s Perkins V one-year transition plan. Perkins V will provide nearly $1.3 billion to states, school districts, and community colleges this year alone for career and technical education initiatives. The new law gives local leaders greater freedom and flexibility than ever before to decide how best to use the federal investment in CTE to prepare young people and adults for careers.
https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/today-marks-beginning-new-era-career-and-technical-education

Non-Degree Certificates Buy High Value - VOA

A new report from the Strada Education Network, Lumina Foundation and Gallup says that American adults who hold certificates and certifications, but no college degree, report better employment and lives than those without certificates. Lumina says that five percent of individuals without a college degree have a certificate. The report is based on the Strada-Gallup Education Consumer Survey of U.S. adults. The survey looked at Americans’ educational experiences and attitudes. It involved almost 64,000 participants, ages 25 to 64. No one in the group had a college degree nor were any in college. All were working.  It found that adults without a college degree, who have a certificate or certification, have higher full-time employment rates than others with no credentials. The report says they have higher yearly wages. It also says they believe their education path was valuable, and would advise others to follow.
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/non-degree-certificates-buy-high-value/4963956.html

How to balance transparency and security in cybersecurity education - BY KEN UNDERHILL, eCampus News

In cybersecurity education, the line between teacher’s pet and tomorrow’s threat is far more nuanced--even invisible. Every field of study has its challenges, and cybersecurity education faces a big one: how can educators can share detailed curricula around things like malware and cyberattacks without serving up a potential recipe book for those with ill intent? Sensitive information shared with the wrong people in the classroom (physical or online) can fuel a malicious actor’s own educational learning curve. That’s obviously something to be avoided, but cybersecurity educators and their students still need to find a way to study concepts and use cases at the level of granularity sufficient for the real-world jobs they’re training for.
https://www.ecampusnews.com/2019/06/21/transparency-cybersecurity-education/

Online Learning and the Future of Education with Ray Schroeder - #LeadingLearning

In this episode of Leading Learning, Celisa talks with Ray about the evolving role of learning businesses, continuing education, and online learning— particularly when it comes to workforce development issues and the skills gap. They also discuss how advances related to artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, badges, blockchain and more are impacting the future of learning. To tune in, just click below.
https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode-193-ray-schroeder/

Coursera’s Monetization Journey: From 0 to $100+ Million in Revenue - Dhawal Shah, Class Central

According to Forbes, Coursera’s 2018 estimated revenue is around $140 million. (In our analysis of Coursera in 2017, Class Central estimated Coursera’s 2017 revenue in the range of $100 million.) By the end of 2018, Coursera had an active catalog of 3100 courses and 310 Specializations, 12 master’s degrees announced, and over 1,500 enterprise customers (including over 60 Fortune 500 companies), up from 500 at the end of 2016.
https://www.classcentral.com/report/coursera-monetization-revenues/

Survey: Majority of Faculty Acknowledge that Textbook Affordability Is an Issue on Their Campus - Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

In a recent survey, 90 percent of faculty reported that textbook affordability is a concern for their institution. Yet just 40 percent said their school has a program focused on reducing textbook costs. That's according to the second annual FlatWorld Textbook Affordability Study, in which the learning materials publisher polled 786 faculty members at two- and four-year institutions across the country about their attitudes toward textbook costs.
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2019/06/20/survey-majority-of-faculty-acknowledge-that-textbook-affordability-is-an-issue-on-their-campus.aspx

Penn State World Campus Taps Google Cloud to Build Virtual Advising Assistant - Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

At the start of the spring 2020 semester this January, Penn State World Campus will have a new artificial intelligence tool for answering the most common requests from its undergraduate students. A virtual assistant will help academic advisers at the online institution screen student e-mails for certain keywords and phrases, and then automatically pull relevant information for the advisers to send to students. For instance, the AI will be trained to assist advisers when students inquire how to change their major, change their Penn State campus, re-enroll in the university or defer their semester enrollment date, according to a news announcement.
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2019/06/20/penn-state-world-campus-taps-google-cloud-to-build-virtual-advising-assistant.aspx

What are the three pillars of a future-focused university? - John Fischetti, the Conversation

But there is a bright future ahead if universities redefine themselves beyond the rhetoric of value propositions and marketing schtick, and fully embrace the below three key pillars:
1. Promote engagement and impact
2. Enhance humanity
3. Expand student access
https://theconversation.com/the-three-things-universities-must-do-to-survive-disruption-117970

Transforming the Transcript - Amber Garrison Duncan, Today's Students

Hiring is Changing. This issue has become more and more common as students are attempting to gain good jobs, but lack a way to effectively communicate what they know and can do. This is due to the fact that employers are engaging in skills-based hiring and using new technology find candidates in a digital world. Today’s technology is helping hundreds of education and training providers to capture all learning. Colleges and universities are creating Comprehensive Learner Records to meet the changing nature of learning and hiring.
https://higherlearningadvocates.org/2019/06/19/transforming-the-transcript/

Digital Learning Leaders and the Demographic Reckoning - Edward J. Maloney and Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

Whatever the path forward, campus digital learning leaders should be key partners in thinking of ways that undergraduate education can be reimagined. The coming demographic reckoning will force schools to rethink how they design and run all of their educational programs, including existing residential undergraduate degrees. Digital learning experts should be at the table in exploring all options for maintaining institutional mission alliance with economic resiliency in the age of scarcity.
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/technology-and-learning/digital-learning-leaders-and-demographic-reckoning

ASU, edX and MIT announce innovative stackable online Master of Science in Supply Chain Management - Arizona State University

Collaboration creates world’s first stacked master’s degree on edX.org from two top-ranked universities in the field. Arizona State University, edX and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced the launch of an online master’s degree program in supply chain management. This unique credit pathway between MIT and ASU takes a MicroMasters program from one university, MIT, and stacks it up to a full master’s degree on edX from ASU. This new master’s degree is the latest program to launch following edX’s October 2018 announcement of 10 disruptively priced and top-ranked online master’s degree programs available on edX.org.
https://asunow.asu.edu/20190619-asu-edx-and-mit-announce-innovative-stackable-online-master-science-supply-chain-management

University of Alaska president: Dunleavy veto is unprecedented and ‘devastating’ - Tegan Hanlon, Ancorage Daily News

Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Friday slashed $130 million in state support for the University of Alaska, a cut the UA president said could result in the elimination of academic programs, massive layoffs and tuition increases. Johnsen didn’t offer specifics on Friday about what would be cut to reduce UA’s budget by $135 million. He said “everything is on the table." The size of veto equates to the elimination of roughly 1,300 full-time faculty and staff jobs, he said. Immediately, Johnsen said, UA will freeze any travel and hiring. Also, all staff will receive furlough notices, he said.

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/education/2019/06/28/dunleavy-veto-is-devastating-says-university-of-alaska-president/