By Ellen Wexler, Wired Campus When students enroll in MOOCs, they almost always watch a series of video lectures. But just watching videos — without also engaging interactively — is an ineffective way to learn, according to a study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University. The study looked at a generally available course, offered through the Georgia Institute of Technology, called "Introduction to Psychology as a Science." Some students chose to take it as a traditional MOOC, spending most of their time watching video lectures. Others opted for a version that combined the MOOC and interactive materials produced by Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative. All of the students were assigned 11 weekly quizzes and a final examination. Those in the MOOC-only course scored an average of 57 percent on the final. Those in the combined course scored an average of 66 percent. And when students in the combined course completed an interactive activity, they learned six times as much as those who only read the material or watched a video. http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/in-online-courses-students-learn-more-by-doing-than-by-watching/57365 Share on Facebook

by the Hindu Open education resources and massive open online courses (MOOC) are the future of higher education and help reach out to a large number of learners. This was one of the key aspects discussed at the millennium lecture hosted by M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation here on Wednesday. Tracing the role of information and communication technology in helping the rural poor and MSSRF’s contribution, V. Balaji, director, Technology and Knowledge Management, Commonwealth of Learning, Canada, said online open education resources are reusable. More MOOC courses are being developed on mobile platforms as well to meet the requirements of agricultural education. However, scalability is proving to be a challenge. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/open-resources-online-courses-hold-key-to-future-of-education/article7660922.ece Share on Facebook

by Jessica Oranika, Alestle Live Online enrollment is steadily increasing at SIUE. Students are leaning more toward online classes than ever before. According to the Dean of the School of Business John Navin, the growth has to do with the fact that SIUE offers more online classes than ever before and how convenient they are for students who have busier schedules. "[Online class enrollment] is clearly growing and it’s not just in the business world — it’s growing everywhere on campus," Navin said. "I think there are a number of reasons. I think it offers more alternatives. There’s a convenience factor for students. They have the ability to do work at their own pace. It works well for students who are trying to schedule around jobs or athletics." http://www.alestlelive.com/news/article_97a83ac6-5cdf-11e5-9e99-ff8e8379886b.html Share on Facebook

by Emma Williams, Arkansas State Herald For many students at Arkansas State and across the country, online learning has significantly impacted their success in earning a college degree. Arkansas State recently added four online Bachelor of Arts degree programs, one of which happens to be my major. Now, students at A-State have access to online political science, criminology, sociology and communication studies degree programs. Those enrolled in online classes have access to school at the press of a button from almost any location. Many students do not live in the area or cannot afford to live on campus for the entirety of their college career. Online classes eliminate the need to physically be at Arkansas State, making it much easier to provide an education to students who aren’t on campus. http://www.astateherald.com/opinion/benefits-outweigh-downsides-in-case-for-online-learning/article_10014f30-5cb3-11e5-8f1d-9bd232288f66.html Share on Facebook

By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive No longer trying to tempt traditional students from higher education, Udacity’s new model focuses on adults who have skills, but want to add new ones through intensive courses supported by the industry. The New York Times reports Udacity wants to teach millions of adults tech skills quickly, providing at least minimally recognized nanodegrees in five months, on average. The courses cost $200 per month for as long as students take to finish them and upon completion, Udacity reimburses half of the tuition cost. http://www.educationdive.com/news/udacitys-new-business-model-markets-nanodegrees-for-in-demand-skills/405832/ Share on Facebook

By Michael Patrick Rutter, Harvard Gazette Peter Bol, Harvard’s vice provost for advances in learning (VPAL), announced Thursday the formation of the VPAL Research Group. The organization will integrate HarvardX and the research fellows’ programs from the Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching (HILT), and adds new leadership and positions. "This fusion to support our growing work in the learning sciences is absolutely additive," said Bol, Charles H. Carswell Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, who has served in the vice provost role for two years. "Moreover, research is following our faculty, as what is happening online and in the classroom is increasingly blurred, and researchers have already been skating across both realms. In that sense, it’s a reflection of a reality that has already existed over the past few years." http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/09/learning-about-learning-creating-a-connection/ Share on Facebook

by Aaron Kim, Business to Community The not-so-secret sauce to make the most of the new learning opportunities brought by the digital transformation movement is to combine the best of the consumer Internet with the peculiarities of the corporate environment, enabling new models of learning, such as peer-to-peer, just-in-time and non-structured approaches that are often overlooked when our eyes are obfuscated by the intense brightness of the big stars of the consumer learning space. http://www.business2community.com/human-resources/digital-learning-beyond-the-copycat-model-01328279 Share on Facebook

By Ralph K.M. Haurwitz - American-Statesman Veronica Vargas Stidvent became chancellor of the Texas arm of Western Governors University in June 2014. WGU occupies an unusual niche: It’s private, nonprofit and mostly online, with a curriculum that lets students advance at their own pace. Established in 1997 by 19 Western governors, including George W. Bush of Texas, it offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, health professions, education and information technology. As the chief executive of WGU Texas, Stidvent, 41, is enjoying annual enrollment growth of 30 percent in the Lone Star State. There are challenges as well. She wants to recruit more students in rural areas, and four-year graduation rates are mixed: 27 percent for undergraduates, 63 percent for graduate students. http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/wgu-texas-chancellor-explains-online-competency-ba/nngPx/ Share on Facebook

by Seb Murray, Business Because Business schools and their partners in the nascent edtech sector are exploring digital analytics to improve students’ academic performance. Elite universities have been adapting technology used to predict a student’s final grade to improve their overall results. Edx, the edtech venture of top US universities MIT and Harvard, is conducting research into how big data can help answer key online learning questions, such as the best ways to teach complex ideas, and which parts of a course are best taught in person instead of online. By assessing course data — from mouse clicks and time spent on tasks to evaluating how students respond to assessments — the company hopes to shed light on how learners access information and master material. http://www.businessbecause.com/news/connected-classroom/3466/connected-classroom-edtech-harnesses-big-data Share on Facebook

by Candace Thille, John Mitchell and Mitchell Stevens, Inside Higher Ed What no technology can solve is a failing business model for U.S. higher education. Citizens benefit most from education early in their lives when they are least able to pay for it themselves. Yet students and their families are now being asked to pay ever-larger proportions of the cost of higher education as government support for college has increasingly taken the form of subsidized loans. Students, parents, entrepreneurs and politicians alike are eagerly seeking alternative forms of higher education, and for a brief moment back in 2012 many wanted to believe that the simple Internet technologies embodied in MOOCs would be the next big thing. It’s not that simple. MOOCs have not fixed higher education, but they are poignant reminders of the urgent problems of college cost and access, potential forerunners of truly effective educational technology, and valuable tools for advancing the science of learning. That’s progress. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2015/09/22/moocs-are-no-panacea-they-can-help-improve-learning-essay Share on Facebook