With Covid-19 vaccines on the horizon and lockdowns and more preventive measures emerging, the world has hope despite a rising number of cases in the U.S. and in other countries. What is clear is that global economies will never be the same. Until the pandemic and the virus are controlled, economies are not likely to recover. When they do, many industries will grow from where they were before the pandemic (automation, robotics, logistics, data sciences, renewable energy) and many will contract (retail, fine dining, travel, tourism), while others will transform (food, agriculture, manufacturing, banking/finance, sports/entertainment, healthcare). As a result, higher education will have to follow suit and adapt teaching and learning, educational delivery, and credentials to align with the changing marketplace.
Further complicating the post-pandemic economy will be the new employee in the new work environment. The pandemic showed the world an alternative economy where many individuals work remotely with diverse co-workers via video. Many who lost employment will be forever scarred and will look for ways to keep this from happening in the future. As a result, values have changed, especially with the new workers … Generation Z.
Like their Lego™ toys, Generation Z in the U.S. grew up in a stackable, modular K-12 education. Associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees will not go away, especially in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, a new economy may warrant higher education institutions to rapidly implement alternative credentials, such as badges, certificates, and micro-credentials. For Generation Z (those 18 to 24 years of age) and young Millennials (25 to 29 year-olds) entering the workforce, a modular and stackable form of education that is delivered in both a convenient (online when appropriate) and preferred manner (classroom when possible) that increases the likelihood of employment will be the educational model and pathway for many. Institutions of higher education may not be able to revise their existing degrees or develop new degrees at a pace required of the new economy.
The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) has the experience and leadership to help colleges and universities move faster to this new educational model with quality offerings. UPCEA leaders were pioneers in the race to online (Sandeen 2013).[i] They were also foundational to community-based education, as well as professional noncredit education with many issuing continuing education units (CEUs) and certificates.[ii]
There are signs that alternative credentials have staying power. Strada Education shows growth and preference for skills-based and nondegree credentials.[iii] A part of the optimal education model includes noncredit to credit pathways where learning, regardless of its being credit or noncredit, should count toward a degree. A recent UPCEA membership survey shows that many institutions (43%) are moving in this direction. Of these, approximately three-quarters are in the exploration or pilot stage of building out processes for noncredit-to-credit transfer.[iv] With noncredit-to-credit in the works and badging and alternative credentials gaining momentum, plugging them in or fitting the pieces together to a larger credential such as a degree seems inevitable, especially given the anticipated speed toward a post-pandemic recovery. Like Legos™, stackable credentials, whether they are purposefully designed noncredit badges fitting into a certificate which in turn fits into an associate’s degree which fits into a bachelor’s degree, or graduate certificates fitting into a master’s degree, will be the best educational model for the new, more nimble pandemic-sensitive economy. The results of UPCEA research and a possible model for alternative credentials can be found at here.
Lego™ was not always a stackable “brick”; it was a toy company first and had to evolve over time. It evolved from a limited variety of colored bricks to a more complicated, but consumer-focused experience with the franchise having small toy sets fitting into a larger thematic toy experience designed around a child’s imagination. Colleges and universities need to continue to evolve and innovate, creating an educational experience that is stackable, adaptable and relevant to the larger landscape … our economy and society.
[i] Sandeen, C., The Emerging World of Alternative Credentials, Higher Education Today, October 1, 2013.
[ii] Fong, J., Janzow, P. and Peck, K., Demographic Shifts in Educational Demand and the Rise of Alternative Credentials, UPCEA Publication, June 2016.
[iii] Fain, P., Alternative Credentials on the Rise, InsideHigherEd, August 27, 2020.
[iv] Ruhland, G., Wilson, L., von Doetinchem, S., and Fong, J., Non-Credit-to-Credit Pathway Activities, 2020 UPCEA West Presentation, October 13, 2020.
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As we continue to advance online services to distant students, bandwidth becomes ever more important. Virtual laboratories are beginning to take advantage of virtual reality, augmented reality and an assortment of associated technologies that rely on highly sophisticated networking.
This past spring semester marked a massive response to the coronavirus that prompted a change in the mode of delivery of higher education that will continue to influence the way learning is accessed from this point forward. Online learning has moved from the periphery to the core of the delivery of the curriculum. It is not going away — there will be no all-encompassing return to campus. For sure, the campus will endure, but in a reduced and altered form. The affordances and resilience of online delivery in this pandemic have permanently embedded online distance education as the advancing partner in the mode of delivery of learning.
As Judith Altschuler Cahn, director of the Department of Online Education and Support at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice CUNY, writes, student-centeredness is an essential value of the online approach. “The online modality can present in different formats, synchronous and asynchronous, as well as a combination of the two. As instructors make the transition to online, it is an opportunity for them to reassess their syllabi and teaching plans to better meet student needs, and emphasize a more student-centered approach.”
The pedagogies, reach and benefits of online learning are many. The potential to reach students around the world is enormous. Yet, access to affordable and robust broadband has previously limited the expansion of online learning. Now, the Starlink satellite service has begun to reach rural residents in otherwise underserved areas of Montana and Idaho with truly high-speed broadband. While access to robust broadband services in this country continues to expand rapidly, much remains to be done around the world. The Association of Commonwealth Universities is calling upon the United Nations to make digital education a “sustainable goal.” In their recent international survey, the ACU reported “that 83% of respondents from high-income countries had access to broadband, while 63% of those from upper middle-income countries, and 38% drawn from lower middle-income countries could access the same. It got worse in low-income countries, many from Africa, where only 19% of the interviewees said they had access to broadband.” The divide split along Northern and Southern Hemisphere lines.
In the United States, advancement has been driven by fierce competition, not only among wireless providers, but also the large interests in cable and satellite-delivery systems. This competition has served to keep access costs down while promoting innovation. Yet, to date, inherent technical limitations — notably latency (the delay in data transfer) — have limited features that are available on the hard-wired campus. This, too, is about to change.
We are poised at the beginning of an exciting new era in low-latency, high-bandwidth networking that will enable awesome interactions, 3-D displays and incredibly rich data collection. We have seen it in the advertising. Some of us are experiencing it, given the right wireless provider, smartphones and proximity to transmission point — 5G is spreading rapidly across the country and in other countries. South Korea, China and the United States are the countries in the lead in deploying 5G, with the U.K. and Australia among others that are close behind. Five G has the potential to replace Wi-Fi in many applications, perhaps even on campuses. A 10-gigabits-per-second potential and a latency down to one or two milliseconds sounds great. Thales provides a good graphic site that makes the comparison of 5G to 4G to give you a good indication of the difference of change in generations from that which most mobile phones use to connect (4G) versus the innovative new generation (5G). However, field experiences of 5G have, on average, resulted in somewhat lesser performance, as seen in this Tech Radar update.
But, as some of you may be asking, what about 10G? This is the source of some confusion worldwide. The name itself seems to imply that it is twice as good as 5G. But 10G is not a wireless technology at all; it is the term that cable providers promise for 10 gigabits per second of data connection.
The 10G also promises one- or two-millisecond latency. That is a big deal in both 5G and 10G because very low latency, or delay in data responses, enables the delivery and control of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and a host of Internet of Things (IoT) applications. When the bandwidth is available with negligible latency, applications will become readily available to change our work practices and life at home. Most notably, this will enable interactive 3-D simulations, including science labs and other instruction that had been considered only possible in person and hands-on.
How are you preparing to integrate these new potentials into the delivery of your curriculum? Is your institution equipped to incorporate the high-bandwidth, low-latency technology into the delivery of simulations and laboratories at a distance? Will you roll these out in the spring or fall term of 2021? Others will.
This article was originally published in Inside Higher Ed’s Transforming Teaching & Learning.
Many colleges are closing their campuses after Thanksgiving and moving online. Spring terms will be delayed, break canceled, and online strategies remain at the forefront of delivery modes for the rest of 2021. What lies ahead?
The delivery of higher education abruptly changed with spring break 2020. After a rushed move to remote learning, classes are settling into more nuanced distance learning modes worldwide as we come to the close of the shortened fall semester at many universities.
Meanwhile the COVID-19 pandemic has moved into a new, even higher, wave of infections. State budgets for education have dropped in many locations at the same time that enrollment revenues have fallen. More departments are closing; faculty and staff are furloughed; and institutional solvency fiscal numbers have headed south.
When will we return to normal — or to near normal — or to something else entirely? The foremost expert in infectious diseases, NAIAD director Dr. Anthony Fauci, told the Journal of the American Medical Association that it may be the end of 2022 before we are able to return to near normal.
Universities are pondering when and whether the comfortable and close proximity of students, staff and faculty will safely return. How long will members of the community fear closeness because of this virus, evolving mutations of the current strains, or some other virus or pathogen? Philippa Hardman in University World News describes the dilemma well:
In many ways, universities stand at a fork in the road. On one hand, they can begin, as the pandemic fades, to return to “normal” — delivering the traditional learning and community experiences to the groups they have long served. On the other, the opportunity in the alternative route is a deliberate fusion of physical and digital learning with purposefully chosen education technologies designed to enhance the quality of learning (not just to store documents). This requires both careful technology choices and a proactive approach to learning design.
As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), it is clear that business and industry have moved to more deeply integrate virtual and remote work into their operations. One dramatic example is Facebook’s purchase of REI’s brand-new, never-used corporate headquarters building in Bellevue, Wash., for $368 million. REI had determined that for reasons of corporate efficiency and employee preference, they didn’t need the physical headquarters. They have revised their entire mode of operation.
Educause has addressed this area through their list of top 10 IT issues, technologies and trends 2021. They suggest the choices are among three scenarios: to restore the pre-COVID standing and operations; to evolve with what has been learned through the pandemic; or to transform the institution by applying new knowledge and 4IR solutions:
The Educause Top IT Issues list has been refactored for 2021 to help higher education shape the role technology will play in the recovery from the pandemic. What different directions might institutional leaders take in their recovery strategy? How can technology help our ecosystem emerge stronger and fitter for the future? The 2021 Educause IT Issues project explores these questions using a very different approach from previous years. Anticipating potential ways institutions might emerge from the pandemic, this year we offer three Top IT Issues lists and examine the top 5 issues within three scenarios that may guide institutional leaders’ use of technology: restore, evolve, and transform.
David Ramadan, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, strikes a strong position on this in his article “Stop spending on bricks-and-mortar and start investing in online education”:
Today I am advocating for investment in virtual learning. And to that, I tell my former colleagues in the Virginia General Assembly: It is time to stop spending on bricks-and-mortar and start investing in online education. Faced with billions of dollars in bonded indebtedness for higher education, Gov. Ralph Northam’s plan to restructure debt can save as much as $300 million and offer significant relief for schools facing fixed costs, declining enrollments and lower revenues … In truth, we are living in uncharted educational territory. But when it comes to Virginia setting the right course, the way ahead is clear.
What is the right path for your institution? Is it possible to return to the pre-pandemic normal? Will that approach sustain you through 4IR? Can you somehow maintain a balance of the “old” normal with the “new” normal? Or is the best path for your institution to embrace the future and advance astride business and industry as they move into 4IR?
This article was originally published in Inside Higher Ed’s Transforming Teaching & Learning.
“What we see coming out of the pandemic is that the world is entering an environment for business and industry called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is a digitizing work. What that opens up for is that our delivery of documentation will change and will be delivered on the blockchain.”
– Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, Professor Emeritus and Associate Vice Chancellor at the University of Illinois Springfield
COVID has accelerated the evolution and adoption of a lot of new technologies across higher ed. What has the pandemic done to the blockchain movement specifically?
Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor of online learning at University of Illinois Springfield, and senior fellow at UPCEA, returns to the Enrollment Growth University show to remark on the acceleration of the blockchain movement during COVID-19 and how the blockchain can assist in new university collaborations.