Online education trends to watch in 2017
-
Upload
jaslynn-joan -
Category
Education
-
view
65 -
download
0
Transcript of Online education trends to watch in 2017
Online Education Trends toWatch in2017
In the past few years, more students enrolled in
online courses, more organizations offered
alternative credentials such as digital badges and
nanodegrees and more employers accepted online
degrees from job candidates.
Here are five trends experts say students might see
in online education in 2017.
1. Greater emphasis on nontraditional credentials:
Companies in recent years have started offering
credentials other than degrees to online learners,
ranging from digital badges to showcase
achievements, to various certificate programs that
highlight skills.
In 2017, many experts predict, colleges and
universities will become more involved in granting
what are often referred to as "microcredentials."
At universities, "I think there's going to be more
focus on how to best serve individuals, whether
they are new to education or whether they are
returning professionals seeking different
credentials or different learning experiences," says
Karen Pedersen, chief knowledge officer for the
Online Learning Consortium, a group that aims to
improve online higher education worldwide.
The massive open online course, or MOOC, provider
edX expects to launch more MicroMasters
programs in partnership with universities
worldwide, for example, a company spokeswoman
says. Students complete a portion of a graduate
degree through MOOCs and can then apply to
finish the full curriculum on campus at a lower total
cost.
The U.S. Department of Education is also in the
process of reviewing federal financial aid
opportunities for low-income students in some
non-degree programs such as coding boot camps,
through eight partnerships between universities
and organizations.
2. Increased use of big data to measure student
performance: Because online students complete
their coursework virtually, course providers and
universities are collecting data "in really kind of
remarkable quantities," says Richard DeMillo,
executive director of Georgia Institute of
Technology's Center for 21st Century Universities,
which tracks technology innovations in higher
education.
This year, faculty will increasingly analyze real-time
data to measure, improve and predict how their
students perform, says Jill Buban, OLC's senior
director of research and innovation. That will allow
them to tailor curriculums to meet online students'
needs and provide support.
"For faculty members to be able to see whether or
not a student has logged in, whether or not a
student has participated that week, can really help
them in assessing whether a student is on track,"
Buban says.
3. Greater incorporation of artificial intelligence into
classes: In an online course at Georgia Tech last year
in artificial intelligence, the professor used a virtual
teaching assistant – named "Jill Watson" – to
communicate with students. Many of the students,
DeMillo says, didn't even realize they were chatting
with a computer.
Some experts, including DeMillo, foresee artificial
intelligence becoming more widely used to provide
student assistance and improve support.
4. Growth of nonprofit online programs: Prospective
students will have more nonprofit online program
options this year as well-known universities offer
more and different kinds of programs, experts
predict. Enrollment in for-profit programs will
probably continue to fall.
Given that trend, more students will be able to get
an online degree from a well-respected nonprofit
institution, which many employers prefer over
for-profit degrees.
Robert Hansen, chief executive officer for the
University Professional and Continuing Education
Association, which serves more than 400
institutions, says nonprofit colleges and universities
are working to catch up and meet the demand for
online programs that was once satisfied primarily
by for-profit institutions.
5. Online degrees in surprising and specialized
disciplines: Fields such as business, nursing,
cybersecurity and data analytics, among others, will
probably remain among the more popular in online
education. But Chip Paucek, CEO of 2U, a company
that partners with universities to launch online
graduate degrees, says to expect more efforts
among schools in 2017 to launch degree programs
in disciplines that might not initially seem suited
for online learning.
Currently in the works for 2U: an occupational
therapy online doctoral program with New York
University, for instance.
In collaboration with the Syracuse University
College of Law, 2U is also planning a partially online
J.D. program pending American Bar Association
approval. If that process is successful, Syracuse
would be one of just a few blended options.
As online learning continues to attract career
changers, some experts say more degrees offered
online in 2017 will focus on specialized areas – such
as a bachelor's in real estate or marketing rather
than business administration.
"They have to establish why their degrees are better
and how they're better," says Ray Schroeder,
associate vice chancellor for online learning at the
University of Illinois—Springfield, who also directs
UPCEA's Center for Online Leadership. "A key way
to do that is to focus on a smaller slice of the field."