Posts published in July, 2012

A Vision Of College Technology Transformation for 2020

A majority of technology stakeholders polled in a Web-based survey anticipate that higher education in 2020 will be quite different from the way it is today. They said university-level education will adopt new methods of teaching and certification driven by opportunity, economic concerns and student and parent demands.In the Pew Internet/Elon University survey of 1,021 Internet experts, researchers, observers and users, 60% agreed with a statement that by 2020 “there will be mass adoption of teleconferencing and distance learning to leverage expert resources … a transition to ‘hybrid’ classes that combine online learning components with less-frequent on-campus, in-person class meetings.” Some 39% agreed with an opposing statement that said, “in 2020 higher education will not be much different from the way it is today.”Among the majority expecting much more dependence upon online components in higher education in the future, many bemoaned it. “They are worried over the adoption of technology-mediated approaches that they fear will lack the personal, face-to-face touch they feel is necessary for effective education,” said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet Project. “Most noted that economic forces will compel the changes. Yet, a share of this group was excited about the possibility for universities to leverage new online capabilities and peer-to-peer collaborations that they believe would enhance knowledge creation and sharing.”

About the Survey

The survey results are based on a non-random, opt-in, online sample of 1,021 Internet experts and other Internet users, recruited via email invitation, Twitter or Facebook from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and the Imagining the Internet Center at Elon University. Since the data are based on a non-random sample, a margin of error cannot be computed, and the results are not projectable to any population other than the experts in this sample.The Future of the Internet

This publication is part of a Pew Research Center series that captures people’s expectations for the future of the internet, in the process presenting a snapshot of current attitudes. Find out more at: http://pewinternet.org/topics/Future-of-the-internet.aspx and http://imaginingtheinternet.org.

 

 

US ED Dept College Cost Calculator Is Voluntary

New Financial Aid Shopping Sheet Standardizes Award Letters–But Will Anyone Use It?

Higher Ed Watch
The Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a tool they hope will help provide students with clear and comparable information about their financial aid. But will any schools use it?

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Should States Force College Mergers?

Campus Mergers Bring Big Changes but Questionable Savings
For years, states have merged public college campuses, nearly always for financial reasons. The logic seems unassailable: Maintaining fewer schools should cost less money. But consolidation doesn’t necessarily yield savings. And yet a few states, constrained by the lackluster economy and tight budgets, are reluctantly traveling down that road. (Stateline.org)Should States Force College Mergers?

College Too Easy For Some Students

Is college too easy?
“Over the past half-century, the amount of time college students actually study — read, write and otherwise prepare for class — has dwindled from 24 hours a week to about 15, survey data show. And that invites a question: Has college become too easy? Ashley Dixon, a sophomore at George Mason University, anticipated more work in college than in high school. Instead, she has less. In a typical week, Dixon spends 18 hours in classes and another 12 in study. All told, college course work occupies 30 hours of her week. Dixon is a full-time student, but college, for her, is a part-time job.”
washingtonpost.com

Advice For College Freshman

7 Things I wish I knew As a College Freshman: Guest Blogger Debra Johnson

Your college years are the best years of your life; it’s a time of change and being in control of your life; you meet new people and experience new things. Ask any post grad and there are a few things they wish they knew to make their college life a little simpler. You get the lectures from school counselors, freshman orientation and from your parents but there are 7 things that no one really tells you that you should be aware of when you start college, so take note:

  1. 1.      Get Active:There are plenty of organizations on campus that you may be interested that cover anything and everything from knitting to water polo or religion and pottery. There are also course major specific clubs like marketing and economics clubs, these will help you stay focused in school, introduce you to new people, network and build your resume.
  2. 2.      Cab it:Partying and drinking alcohol is ultimately your decision to make, so if you choose to attend a party, don’t be afraid to call for a DD or take a cab. Police officers in college areas literally go out looking for students that may be under the influence. Don’t risk hurting yourself or someone else and just call a cab. Some school organization offer free rides to students to prevent drunk driving. Call them!
  3. 3.      Watch for trickery:College freshmen are fresh meat for scams. Door to door salesmen as well as credit card companies tend to hang around college towns when school starts to target naïve college students. Call your parent before you sign a dotted line or hand over a credit card.
  4. 4.      Meet your professor:Your first day of class will be overwhelming but as soon as it ends, head to the front of the class and introduce yourself. You want to make sure that your professor knows your name, make an effort to stop by their office hours to discuss the class or questions you have. These conversations don’t have to be long, just get in there and make yourself known. Knowing your professor can come in handy later in the semester if you have difficulty or need extra help.
  5. 5.      Major change:The chances of you changing your major once, twice or even three times is normal! Don’t stress over your major your first year. Your first year is meant for you to explore and figure out what career path is best for you.
  6. 6.      Freshman 15: It’s true. The dreaded Freshman 15 is real and can get you when you least expect it. To keep from letting your health slip and gaining the extra pounds, limit your late night fast food runs and work out. Staying healthy will help you with school stress and give you the energy to do well.
  7. 7.      Money: Avoid student loans and credit cards. You WILL regret it after college when you are ready to start a new job and enjoy life. Learn how to budget by asking for help from your parents or seeking help on campus.

About the Author This guest post is contributed by Debra Johnson, blogger and editor of live in nanny. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: – jdebra84 @ gmail.com

Career And Technical Education For College Prep

Here is a useful new book on how to combine CTE with strong college prep

Title: College and Career Ready in the 21st Century: Making High School Matter
Author(s): James R. Stone III & Morgan V. Lewis
Publisher: Teachers College Press, New York
ISBN: 0807753238, Pages: 224, Year: 2012

 

Will Online Education By Elite Universities Provide College Credit?

.Higher Ed Watch
The New York Times reported yesterday that the University of Washington planned to offer college credit for some of their newly-announced Massively Open Online Courses. Sadly, it appears news of UW’s plans to award credits was a case of “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

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Better Approaches To Connecting Secondary School To Colleges

From PEN Newsblast

On the Degrees blog of the FHI 360 website, Rochelle Nichols-Solomon and Maud Abeel write that ensuring students finish college is widely agreed to be critical, yet fewer than half of all postsecondary students are on track to earn a credential, and others don’t start at all. The biggest stumbling block is academic preparation — a disconnect between what students learn in high school and what they’re expected to know for college. The disconnect can be disastrous for first-generation college-goers and low-income students, who often arrive at college with As and Bs from courses poorly aligned with college expectations. Even good high school students often lack study skills, self-directed work habits, critical thinking, analytical writing, ability to do rigorous research, or understanding of sophisticated mathematics. Students score poorly on college placement exams, end up in remedial or developmental courses, and eventually become too frustrated, discouraged, or broke to persevere to graduation. One effort to tighten connections between high school and college is the Citi Postsecondary Success Program (CPSP), a five-year initiative to increase college access and success for underrepresented students in Miami-Dade, San Francisco, and Philadelphia; FHI 360 and PEN serve as national intermediaries with technical support and lead funding from the Citi Foundation. Through asset analysis, high school and college staff look together at the knowledge and abilities that help a student transition successfully into college, informing instruction at both levels to help students succeed.
Read more (scroll down): http://degrees.fhi360.org/2012/06/prepared-to-succeed/

High School Students Working Harder To Prepare For College

High school students work harder and are more focused on school than they were a generation ago, suggests a special analysis in The Condition of Education 2012, and the economic downturn may highlight an opportunity to put more of them on the path to college

Completion Focus Can Cause Trade Offs For Community Colleges

Facing Facts
The college completion agenda has helped community colleges face facts about where they fall short. But if the focus on completion gets too singular, two-year colleges run the risk of neglecting student access and even the quality of learning on their campuses. That was the message of a panel of community college leaders who spoke at a  meeting