If you are an instructor and you are faced with moving your course online due to COVID-19, you are not alone. Given the rapid shift we are experiencing, many may…
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An Updated Map to Help Us Navigate the Learn-And-Work Highway
Holly Zanville | Research Professor and Co-Director of Program on Skills, Credentials and Workforce Policy in the Institute of Public Policy, George Washington UniversityThe learn-and-work marketplace is growing more complex and chaotic. If it were a highway, weâd describe it like this: there is a lot of traffic, innovation cars are moving at…
It is no secret that the workplace is changing. The shelf life of new technical skills is estimated to be three years (Auger, 2019), with core digital skills changing even…
Our Shared Responsibility in Expanding Competency-Based Programming
Kelle Parsons | Senior Researcher, American Institutes for Research Jessica MasonCompetency-based education (CBE) programming is becoming increasingly necessary in higher education. But creating and expanding CBE programs can be challenging, with barriers that go beyond the administrative level. Institutions are…
The existing literature showcases a vast amount of research on quality in online learning. Studies abound, diving deep into specific elements of design and delivery and their impact on various…
Robots Are Coming, But Hybrid Skills Will Keep Humans in Control
Rob Kadel | Senior Research Fellow, Strada Education NetworkThere was a mock commercial on Saturday Night Live a few years ago, featuring actor Sam Waterston selling insurance in case of robot attacks. âRobots are everywhere,â he warned, âand…
Professional skills are becoming outdated faster than ever before and traditional education canât keep up. So, what role must colleges and universities play in helping individuals keep up with the…
Mature Workers in a Global Economy: The Importance of Community Colleges
Phyllis Cummins | Senior Research Scholar in the Scripps Gerontology, Miami UniversityAdults ages 40 and above represent over half of the labor force in the U.S. and that proportion is projected to remain constant through 2028. At the same time, the…
Latinos make up an ever-growing share of the U.S. populationâand the workforce. As we look to a future in which jobs will require higher levels of skills and postsecondary learning,…
Competency-Based Education: A Model For Keeping Up in Canada
Jackie Pichette | Director of Policy, Research & Partnerships, Higher Education Quality Council of OntarioMost students enrolled in Canadian colleges and universities today should expect to return to school down the roadâprobably several times, hopefully for shorter, more flexible and affordable programs. Thatâs because,…
By 2025, 60% of funding for public colleges and universities in Ontario will be based on performance. Like the United States, Ontarioâs postsecondary funding was historically based on enrollment, but…
The âIâ vs. “Weâ Balance: Highlighting Your Collaborative Prowess When Interviewing
Jen Meyers Pickard | Executive Search Consultant in the Education Practice, WittKiefferCollaboration. Collaborate. Collaborative. Collaboratively. Whether used as a noun, verb, adjective or adverb, the masterful use of collaboration as a leadership tool is undoubtedly at the top of every search…
There are two intriguing flight paths Iâve been watchingâboth stemming from grants Lumina Foundation awarded to edX, the nonprofit online education platform founded by Harvard and MIT: Build 30 competency-based,…
The Third Wave: Overcoming Elitist College Rankings
Paul Glastris | Editor in Chief, Washington MonthlyThe American higher education system was designed around creating economic mobility and access for individuals of limited means, underpinned by the notion that the more educated a society was, the…
Colleges and universities today operate in a complex, ever-changing environment, and chief among those changes is the role, place and behavior of learners. Todayâs student doesnât fit a homogenous moldâthey…
Education Consumers Are Speaking; Policymakers, Educators, Employers Must Listen
Carol D'Amico | Executive Vice President, Strada Education NetworkTo understand how American consumers value anythingâfrom the gadgets they purchase to their Uber rides or restaurant experiencesâwe simply ask them. So why not ask the consumers of education how…
Artificial Intelligence (AI)âin one context or anotherâseems to be in everyoneâs thoughts and on everyoneâs lips. To some, AIâs a threat to their jobs and way of life. To others,…
Stop Thinking of College as âAn Investmentâ
Ross O'Hara | Director of Behavioral Science and Education, Persistence PlusThe language we use to describe the world shapes our very understanding of it. As detailed by Dr. Lera Boroditsky at UC San Diego, the affordances or limitations of our…
Colleges and universities both play an essential role in their communities. They provide access to critical programming that help individuals reach their personal goals, whatever they may be. Higher education…
Inside the Big Confusing Credentialing Tent: A New Mission to Understand Non-Degree Credentials
Holly Zanville | Research Professor and Co-Director of Program on Skills, Credentials and Workforce Policy in the Institute of Public Policy, George Washington University Frank Swanzy Essien Jr.The number of credentials used to document education and training has grownâbut so has the confusion about what they mean. Researchers use terms such as non-degree credentials, alternative credentials and…
Disruption has been a pervasive theme in higher education in the last decade. First came the expansion of for-profit institutions, bringing rapid growth and an influx of new providers to…
Underfunded Independence: How State Aid Programs Are Failing Americaâs Largest Student Population
Sarah Pingel | Senior Policy Analyst, Education Commmission of the StatesAs the price of postsecondary education continues to rise, institutional, state and federal policy leaders are searching for solutions to ensure people can access the education they need to be…
Every spring graduation season rolls around again. Students across the country celebrate the end of their journey to a bachelorâs degree. Family and friends gather to hear their loved oneâs…
Rosetta Stone for Credentials: Why We Need Credential Transparency (and How to Get It)
Scott Cheney | Executive Director, Credential EngineDegrees are no longer the sole credential of value. With other offerings on the marketâfrom professional certifications to badges and microcredentialsâindividuals are leveraging a wide array of alternative credentials to…
If students donât feel connected to the college they attend, they are far less likely to return next term, regardless of the academic interventions and support services the college has…
Assessing the State of Online Learning: Diving into the CHLOE Surveys
Ron Legon | Executive Director Emeritus, Quality Matters and Co-Director, CHLOEIntroduction: Background and Scope of CHLOE In 2016, Quality Matters, the leading quality assurance organization for online learning, agreed to join forces with Eduventures Research, a leading higher education research…
Wayne Gretzkyâarguably ice hockeyâs GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)âlikes to say that his success as a hockey player didnât come from skating to the puck, but to where the puck…
Got You Covered: How States Can Support The Costs Of Apprentice Instruction
Michael Prebil | Program Associate with the Center on Education and Skills, New AmericaIn some places, for some people, college is tuition-free. Statewide college promise programs have gotten off the ground in 16 states. In nine states, high school students can pursue college…
The United States is rapidly reaching the point at which the relatively low levels of education attainment among its adult population will create both social and economic crises. As a…
How to Leverage Fresh Starts to Support Enrollment and Persistence Growth
Ross O'Hara | Director of Behavioral Science and Education, Persistence PlusMany students withdraw when they find themselves facing insurmountable debts, both financial and academic. Offering a fresh start could motivate them to finish their degree. Every spring, I feel extra…