New survey commissioned by StraighterLine and UPCEA delves into barriers to re-enrollment; opportunities for institutions seeking to re-engage adults with some college, but no degree 

WASHINGTON, (OCTOBER 31, 2023)  — UPCEA , the online and professional education association, and StraighterLine today released the findings of a new survey focusing on the complex barriers and opportunities to re-engage learners with some college, but no degree. The study, entitled “Disengaged Learners & Return Paths to Higher Education,” delves into the motivations, obstacles, and preferences of working adults looking to return to higher education.

“The survey sheds light on the complex—and often multi-faceted—reasons why individuals discontinue their education in the first place and what institutions can do to help these learners chart a course back to higher education and long-term pathways to upward mobility,” said Dr. Amy Smith, chief learning officer at StraighterLine. “With today’s tight labor market and fast-changing demands of employers, returning students are more cost-conscious and ROI-focused than ever. Not surprisingly, they expect institutions to find ways to offer credit and credentials for their academic, work, and lived experiences, and we owe them no less.”

As universities and colleges struggle with declining enrollment and rapidly shifting student demographics, many institutions are looking for new ways to reach the nearly 40 million Americans with some college credit but no degree. The study also comes at a time when the share of first-time, full-time learners entering college directly from high school continues to decline. 

One of the most significant findings of the study is that 57% of respondents had completed half or more of their degree program before they stopped out, indicating a strong desire to finish what they started. Additional findings from the survey include: 

  • A majority want to finish — and many are close. A majority of respondents expressed a strong desire to complete their education: 29% indicated they are extremely or very likely to return to higher education, with another 32% somewhat likely to earn a degree. Interest in degree completion was particularly high among those who felt their careers had plateaued.
  • Cost and speed drive re-enrollment decisions. More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents prioritize cost when comparing programs to help them complete their degrees, and 56% considered the speed at which they could finish their degree as a crucial factor. Another third of former students cited the transferability of previously earned credits as a priority.
  • Money, and career, aren’t everything. Nearly half (48%) of respondents expressed a desire to pursue a degree to increase their salary, while almost one-third (32%) saw it as an opportunity for career advancement or change. A significant percentage (44%) identified fulfilling a personal goal as their primary motivation, while 27% said they were driven by their love for learning.
  • Mid-career professionals see value in micro-credentials. More than three-quarters said receiving credit for prior learning (78%) or being able to earn alternative or micro-credentials that could stack toward a degree (76%) would increase or greatly increase their interest in completing their degree. Among respondents, mid-career individuals between the ages of 35 and 45 expressed the most interest in earning stackable micro-credentials.  
  • Learners value credit and credentials for past experiences. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents said they would be extremely or very interested in re-engaging with college if institutions provided credit for their life or work experiences. 
  • Returning students trust institutions over intermediaries. Nearly three-quarters (74%) overwhelmingly listed an institution’s website as their most trusted source in researching programs. They were far less likely to trust word of mouth (34%), college ranking sites (28%), email (18%) and social media (18%) for information on degree programs.

“This study offers invaluable insights into the mindsets and motivations of individuals who wish to return to higher education—which is critical at a time when institutions are looking to serve a generation of students that is more diverse in age, income, and professional status than any in history,” said Jim Fong, chief research officer at UPCEA. “Ultimately, successfully re-engaging returning students requires us to empathize and understand their needs. Rather than asking them to adapt to higher education, we need to retool archaic systems in ways that work for them.”

The survey is the latest in a series of research collaborations between StraighterLine and UPCEA designed to better understand the diverse needs and complex lived experiences of adult learners, including those who have disengaged from higher education. In 2022, the organizations partnered together to release a groundbreaking new survey examining students’ lived experiences and perceptions around transferring college credits.

Conducted between June and July 2023, the survey by UPCEA and StraighterLine used an electronic questionnaire targeting learners 18-64 years of age who have some college experience but no degree.  View here the complete study and findings.

###

 

About StraighterLine: StraighterLine is the leading provider of high-quality, affordable, online courses that help learners earn college credit and meet their professional goals. In 2022, StraighterLine acquired ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), one of the largest online training providers for early childhood education professionals. Each year, a combined 150,000 learners from StraighterLine and CCEI take one of 250+ online courses or certification programs to upskill into new careers or earn credit from over 3,000 colleges and universities worldwide. StraighterLine works with institutions and corporate partners to provide their students and employees with flexible education options that allow them to work and learn at their own pace. For more information on StraighterLine, visit https://www.straighterline.com. To learn more about CCEI, visit www.cceionline.com. 

About UPCEA: UPCEA is the online and professional education association. Our members continuously reinvent higher education, positively impacting millions of lives. We proudly lead and support them through cutting edge research, professional development, networking and mentorship, conferences and seminars, and stakeholder advocacy. Our collaborative, entrepreneurial community brings together decision makers and influencers in education, industry, research, and policy interested in improving educational access and outcomes.. Visit upcea.edu.

Major Updates

The Department of Education (ED) has released final rules on Ability to Benefit, Administrative Capability, Certification Procedures, and Financial Responsibility. These rules, part of negotiated rulemaking in early 2022, provide new requirements for programmatic accreditation, state licensure, and conforming with state laws when dealing with closure in the context of distance education. The Administration has stated these regulations were developed to protect taxpayers from the negative effects of sudden college closures and students from practices which would make their education less valuable. These rules will become effective on July 1, 2024.

A few of the final regulations that the UPCEA community should review and must comply with:

  • The former requirement on distance education programs was to identify for student disclosures those states where the program “meets”, “does not meet”, or “has not been determined” to meet that state’s licensure requirements. In the new rule, if a program is leading to licensure or certification the institution must provide lists indicating which states a program does and does not meet educational requirements for specific professional licenses or certifications. The new rule also eliminates the possibility to indicate that they have not determined this for certain states. Institutions can offer programs to students in states where the program does not meet requirements for licensure or certification if they provide an attestation from the student about their specific intended state of employment.
    • Institutions must notify students if the program’s curriculum does not meet state educational requirements for licensure or certification in the state where the student is located.
    • If an institution can’t determine whether or not their program meets the state requirements for licensure or certification, they cannot offer that program to students within that state.
    • The rule applies to new program entrants on or after the effective date of July 1, 2024, rather than being applied retroactively to students who are already enrolled in these programs.
  • One of the ever-in-flux rules for the online education community is determinations of student location for the purposes of distance education eligibility. The term “at the time of initial enrollment” was a point of concern and led to requests for clarification for the purposes of licensure and notifications. The Department clarified and pointed to State Authorization language for institutions , specifically the provision in § 600.9(c)(2)(iii) to determine the location for initial enrollment, and states “an institution must make a determination regarding the State in which a student is located at the time of the student’s initial enrollment in an educational program and, if applicable, upon formal receipt of information from the student, in accordance with the institution’s procedures, that the student’s location has changed to another State” and went on to say they are allowing institutional flexibility to determine how to structure a policy based on determining these changes.
  • The regulations require institutions to comply with state laws for any legal requirements related to school closures. The definition of “closure” includes requirements related to record retention policies, teach-out plans and/or agreements, as well as tuition recovery funds and/or surety bonds. The Department believes that this concrete and limited list removes ambiguity and aligns with policies and tools used by states to address closures.
    • There is still some confusion whether these new regulations may apply to schools participating in SARA. All schools may need to comply with each state’s laws in these matters. 

The regulations also have other significant new changes institutions may wish to review, such as restricting colleges’ ability to withhold transcripts for course credits paid with Federal money; and providing clear communications to students about how much financial aid they will receive. Also a new requirement states that within 45 days of the student finishing coursework, the institution must provide geographically accessible clinical or externship options that are required prior to the completion of a program (this does not apply to clinical experiences that occur after graduation, such as medical residencies).

View a full copy of the draft final regulations. The Department also put together their own fact sheet on the regulations, found here.

The Department of Education has stated it will “consider broader issues related to distance education and State authorization in future rulemaking efforts”. So, stay tuned for more proposals and regulations down the road!

 

Other News

Curricula are reassessed as rarely as every five years. AI demands we do a deep review right now and repeat it often!

Is your curriculum relevant today?  Will it still be relevant at the end of the decade when many of today’s entering students complete that curriculum?  A degree takes an average of five to six years to complete.  Mariah Stewart, writing in Insight into Diversity writes “Additional data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC) shows that 60 percent of students who initially enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in 2012 had yet to graduate by 2018. And while the statistics may vary by source and year, a vast body of research finds that most of America’s undergraduates can expect to spend a minimum of five academic years in school.” Are students coming into your programs with curricula that will almost certainly be outdated by the time they leave?

The new workforce environment is rapidly changing and increasingly impacted by generative AI. New skills are needed. Those with old skills are asked to upskill or leave. The impact is disproportionately spread across white collar jobs held by college graduates. Many working professionals across all industries are reevaluating the future of their career. Those considering leaving to explore the job market, are, in many instances asking “Should I Quit Or Upskill?” According to a Pew Research study, 63% of employees who quit their jobs reported that the main factor that influenced their decision was the inability to grow professionally at their company.  

Claire Cain Miller and Courtney Cox report in the New York Times: “The American workers who have had their careers upended by automation in recent decades have largely been less educated, especially men working in manufacturing. But the new kind of automation — artificial intelligence systems called large language models, like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard — is changing that. These tools can rapidly process and synthesize information and generate new content. The jobs most exposed to automation now are office jobs, those that require more cognitive skills, creativity and high levels of education. The workers affected are likelier to be highly paid, and slightly likelier to be women, a variety of research has found.” In fact, Miller and Cox found that OpenAI, the founder of Chat-GPT, estimates that fully 75% of jobs held by baccalaureate degree holders are most exposed to AI, while fewer than 20% of high school diploma holders are expected to be impacted.  In a Chronicle of Higher Education and University Innovation Alliance Webinar the disconnect is posed: “Of first-year college students, 85% say their main priority upon graduation is to get a good job, yet 72% of recent college grads are struggling to find entry-level work.”   Workforce management software firm Celayix reports that “The majority of all turnover– 52%, occurs in the first year of employment. In fact, it actually peaks right at the 12-month mark at 27%.”  

Certainly, a college education is far more than job training.  Yet, undeniably, career preparation is one of the important expectations of college students.  Clearly, we are falling far short of meeting those expectations with nearly three-quarters of graduates feeling ill-prepared to launch their careers and more than half of employees depart in the first year. So, we need to perform a reality check on our curriculum. We need to take the pulse of the industries for which we are preparing our students. Our goal must be to discover what knowledge and skills are needed today and what skills and knowledge are most likely to be required over time. The first step would seem to be to touch base with the HR departments of employers in our field. Professional associations may also be a good source of current hiring priorities and trends in relevant fields. We need to know employers’ current needs and expectations for incoming employees. As best it can be articulated in this rapidly-changing environment, we need their vision of trends for the coming few years. 

These need to be compiled and cross-checked by departments and colleges within the university. They must be validated and timestamped to ensure that we revisit them within a year because technology is changing the workplace so rapidly. We then must begin re-configuring our learning outcomes across our courses and curriculum to meet the corporate, agency, and business needs in our society so that our students will quality for employment. Course by course and program by program, we need to ensure that our outcomes are timely and reflect the growing role of generative AI in the workplace as well as the changing employment patterns for those entering and advancing in the field.

Regional accreditation of institutions, of course, is a critical consideration as we consider significant changes in curriculum. Notifications and consultations may be necessary to assure that institutional accreditation is not affected by such changes. In some departmental and college cases, “specialized ” or “programmatic ” accreditation is relevant. Some national associations set learning outcomes recommendations as well. It is important that we press all levels of accrediting bodies to be flexible to support the employment expectations and the emerging trends in workforce credentials. These are of the highest priority for our students. 

In many cases, it is the professional and continuing education department that may be able to provide a solution to the disconnect between student expectations for meaningful employment and the reality of incomplete preparation for the workplace, resulting in lower placement rates and greater first and second year departures from jobs. Professional development certificate programs can be created to be taken by current students who can avail themselves of the kind of supplementary learning that is specific to the workforce employment success. Such programs may include realistic expectation development, e-portfolio documentation of generative AI skills such as prompt engineering, and related topics.  

In whatever way the institution addresses this disconnect, whether it be through in-house certificates, capstone courses, an array of modules embedded in classes across the curriculum to meet the identified learning outcomes, or a combination of these and other strategies, it is important that we better prepare our students for the rapidly-evolving workplace skills and expectations.  

 

This article was originally published in Inside Higher Ed’s Transforming Teaching and Learning blog. 

21 Recipients Chosen For Three Award Categories

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 20, 2023 — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced the recipients of the 2023 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, the Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award, and the Excellence in Marketing Award. 

All three awards are sponsored by UPCEA’s Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Network. Recipients will be honored at the 2023 UPCEA MEMS: Marketing, Enrollment Management, Student Success conference, November 29-December 1 in Portland, Oregon.

“These remarkable individuals and organizations inspire us with their exceptional work in higher education marketing, enrollment, and diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Kayleigh Erickson, Student Enrolment Manager, University of Cambridge-ICE and 2023 MEMS Awards Subcommittee Chair. “We celebrate your outstanding contributions to our field!” 

The UPCEA Excellence in Enrollment Management Award recognizes an outstanding professional, continuing, and/or online organization (unit or individual) that models best practices and combines process excellence with superior results in enrollment management. 

The 2023 recipient is: 

  • IU Online Enrollment Management & Student Services
    Indiana University

The UPCEA Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award recognizes institutions or departments that have dedicated their time and efforts to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout their marketing, recruitment, communication, programming, student success/services and/or enrollment efforts. This award focuses on a commitment to equity, representation and inclusion in a school’s marketing, enrollment and/or student success/services. Award recipients will have shown increased and sustained success in recruiting and retaining underrepresented populations based on their marketing and/or student success/services.

The 2023 recipient is: 

  • Excellence in DEI Recruiting
    Brandy Chamberlain
    University of Louisville, Online Learning

The UPCEA Excellence in Marketing Award recognizes marketing campaigns that excel in creativity, execution, and impact. Regardless of institution size or budget, the award focuses on outstanding and effective marketing in the higher ed industry based upon overall creativity, messaging, results achieved by the campaign, and level of design.

The 2023 recipients are: 

GOLD

  • ‘Take Note’ Digital Magazine
    Greg Faucher, Pat Healy, Talia Smith-Muller, Mike DeBenedictis, Brooke Larson
    Berklee Online

SILVER

  • Razorbug Diploma Tour
    Marketing and Communications Team, Global Campus
    University of Arkansas
  • Vanderbilt School of Engineering Online Program Launch
    Jessica Beckmann
    Vanderbilt University
  • SJSU Online Brand Campaign
    Brian Cheung Dooley, Kristin Ede, Marc Montenegro, Tiffany Thaoxaochay
    San José State University
  • MSAI Launch Announcement – Earned Media Campaign
    Christine Sinatra, Lisa Lawrence, Bailey Dermanci, Sunshine Barber, Computer and Data Science Online Team 
    The University of Texas at Austin
  • Summer Session Campaign
    Enrollment and Marketing Team
    Sacramento State University College of Continuing Education
  • Education That Works With You
    Washington State University Everett
  • Comprehensive Prospective Student Email Marketing Campaign
    Purdue University Online
  • Unrivaled in Alabama
    The UA Online Marketing Team
    The University of Alabama Online
  • Oregon State University Ecampus Student and Alumni Identities Campaign
    Oregon State University Ecampus
  • Becoming a Culture Change Agent: Harnessing the Power of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Suffolk University
    Suffolk University CCPE and Archer Education

BRONZE

  • Alumni Spotlight: Kim Hawk, The Lineage Project
    University of Washington Continuum College
  • Pursue the Next You 2.0
    Villanova University College of Professional Studies
  • #SuccessStoriesUTA
    Hiba Mohamed Elhassan Hashim
    The University of Texas at Arlington
  • Destined for Brilliance
    University of Cincinnati Online and Oodle
  • Online Livestream Video Series
    Brian Cheung Dooley
    San José State University Online
  • Dare. Dream. Do.
    UC San Diego Extended Studies
  • Winter Session 2023
    Stanislaus State Continuing and Professional Education
  • Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration Online Launch Campaign
    Therese Grohman, Karla Del Angel, Brad Farrar, Jean Kim, Liz Ostermann, Polymyth Productions
    Northwestern University School of Professional Studies

Congratulations to all of the 2023 Award recipients!

# # #

About UPCEA

UPCEA is the online and professional education association. Our members continuously reinvent higher education, positively impacting millions of lives. We proudly lead and support them through cutting edge research, professional development, networking and mentorship, conferences and seminars, and stakeholder advocacy. Our collaborative, entrepreneurial community brings together decision makers and influencers in education, industry, research, and policy interested in improving educational access and outcomes. Learn more at upcea.edu.

 

CONTACT:

Molly Nelson, UPCEA Vice President of Communications

[email protected]

A man (Bruce Etter) is dressed in a blue suit smiling for a headshot.

By Bruce Etter

My wife and I were lucky enough to recently welcome our first child into the world. In the months and days leading up to his birth, we regularly discussed potential names for our new family addition. We kept a shared list of ideas that we frequently revisited. A name would be added based on family significance or history, or removed because it was too popular or too obscure. We wanted a name that was able to capture the lineage of our child but also embraced the hope and promise of the ideals we want him to embody. Frequently, I found myself asking, what’s in a name?

When someone encounters a name, regardless of the medium, that name creates an automatic judgmental response in that person’s mind. Bestowing a name on something gives it importance by associating it with a particular emotional response, and labeling a concept determines how it is perceived by the individual.[1] Psychologically, naming enhances a sense of control and ownership, which bonds us to the designated label. [2]

Confusion and frustration can emerge when an object has many different names. For example, when recently shopping for new night tables, I discovered that stores had their own term for the same item. Some referred to the object as a nightstand, while others called it a night table, bedside table, or end table, among other variations. Although I knew what I wanted, I spent more than an hour researching the same item under numerous names, which left me frustrated and I eventually abandoned the idea of making a purchase altogether. When there is a lack of nomenclature consensus, it can lead to consumers feeling confused and reluctant to make a purchase. Higher education finds itself at a nomenclature crossroads when naming emerging credentials.

In August 2022, UPCEA conducted a snap poll that revealed a prevailing uncertainty surrounding the appropriate terminology for non-degree credentials. While microcredential was the most preferred term, it accounted for only 31% of the sample. In August 2023, we repeated the snap poll to see if any change had occurred over the last year. Once again, micro-credential was the most preferred term, but only slightly more, accounting for 36% of the sample. 

Opinion of Best Nomenclature/Umbrella Term for Programs Outside of the Scope of Degrees and Credit-Bearing Certificates

These differences in program nomenclature also play out at the institutional level. Findings from the 2022 and 2023 snap polls indicated that almost half of these institutions do not use the name microcredential, the preferred term identified by respondents, when referring to programs other than degrees and credit-bearing certificates.

Institutions Use of Preferred Credential Name chart

These data points highlight disparity within the realm of higher education when classifying non-degree programming. If consensus eludes even those within the industry, it raises a compelling question: How can we reasonably anticipate students and employers to possess a clear understanding of these credentials and their associated value?

A 2023 study by UPCEA and Collegis Education titled The Effect of Employer Understanding and Engagement on Non-Degree Credentials found that just over two-thirds of employers (69%) were extremely (33%) or very familiar (36%) with non-degree or alternative credentials offered by institutions of higher education. One of the most important takeaways from that research was that awareness is a key driver of adoption. As awareness of non-degree or alternative credentials increased, so too did the likelihood that their organization would use them to benefit their workforce. Among employers who were extremely familiar with these credentials, 82% said their organization would be extremely or very likely to use them compared to 26% of employers who were not very or not at all familiar with them.[3]

Employers may have reservations about the credibility of alternative credentials. About two-thirds (65%) desire proof of program effectiveness, possibly due to discrepancies in how these credentials are delivered, assessed, and accredited. To address this concern, one approach is to engage employers in the development of the credentials. Surprisingly, fewer than half of the survey participants (44%) have ever been approached by institutions to contribute to the creation of alternative programming, even though more than two-thirds of employers (68%) indicated a high level of interest in such cooperation. Clearly, they are keen on harnessing the potential of microcredentials but currently face limited opportunities for collaboration with higher education institutions.[4]

One of the objectives of postsecondary education is to empower individuals to enhance their intellectual growth, enabling them to effectively address the evolving demands of a continuously shifting environment. When obstacles such as monetary restrictions, limited access, and time constraints hinder participation in academic and professional endeavors, many students are left with untapped potential for academic and intellectual progress. Non-degree credentials, such as bootcamps, certificates, and microcredentials, help to serve more learners by addressing some of the long-standing limitations of traditional higher education such as accessibility and personalization of courses. They also offer institutions the advantage of diversifying revenue streams and establishing new on-ramp pathways for existing programs. What once emerged as a means to fill a gap between degree programming and skills employers seek, alternative credentials have become the focus among new learners who turned to non-degree programming to avoid the shortcomings of traditional degree offerings and meet workforce needs for a fraction of the cost.

However, establishing a chain of trust in the credential-issuing process will be a key driver in this shift towards non-degree programming. Some HR professionals are still wary of the rigor and comprehensiveness alternative credentials provide towards a particular skillset. But going forward, the way an employee is screened will need to determine whether non-degree training is adequate preparation for a position versus a traditional college education.[5]

While higher education has the necessary vocabulary, it is time for us to find consensus. The clarity and consistency of terminology not only enhances communication and understanding of these credentials to students and employers, but also plays a pivotal role in the shaping of institutional policies, educational offerings, and the overall learning experience. These credentials should foster productive collaborations among institutions, students, employers, and other key stakeholders, thereby cultivating a more cohesive and purpose-driven educational environment. Standardizing and solidifying nomenclature is not merely a matter of semantics; it is a fundamental step towards the progress of higher education.

 

Bruce Etter, Senior Director of Research & Consulting, is responsible for developing and managing research initiatives for UPCEA Research and Consulting and its clients. He graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology and a minor in Sustainability Leadership.

 

[1] https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-power-of-names

[2] Stoner, Jennifer & Loken, Barbara & Stadler Blank, Ashley. (2018). The Name Game: How Naming Products Increases Psychological Ownership and Subsequent Consumer Evaluations. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 28. 130-137. 10.1002/jcpy.1005.

[3] https://core.upcea.edu/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=8e59f127-8e1a-7eba-93c8-62b895b30fe7&forceDialog=0

[4] Ibid

[5] https://www.usatoday.com/story/special/contributor-content/2023/08/30/alternative-and-micro-credentials-are-the-future-of-workforce-education-says-expert-hrcp/70721235007/

 

The acceleration of digital innovation continues in multiple formats. Astoundingly so!

I must admit that I have been closely following the developments in Generative Artificial Intelligence. So much has developed on a daily basis that is changing the way in which we teach, research, study, and work, that I think many of us find it hard to keep fully up to date. While watching and considering the implications of GenAI, other technologies have progressed.

The advent of digital cloning has advanced and the Metaverse has taken enormous leaps forward. I was most impressed with a couple of adventuresome reporters who developed videos to give us a vision of where we are with these technologies.

First, on the topic of digital cloning. We are now in the era of deep fakes. As Ian Sample describes them in the Guardian, “The 21st century’s answer to Photoshopping, deepfakes use a form of artificial intelligence called deep learning to make images of fake events, hence the name deepfake.” They are amazingly realistic and, of course, include audio with the video component.

I was particularly taken by the video produced by Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal who tested digital cloning of herself. The result was a short, but revealing YouTube video of how she accomplished the process and tested the clone in real life applications. Titled “I Challenged My AI Clone to Replace Me for 24 Hours,” she tested the clone in an online interview with an industry leader and a phone conversation with her sister. The digital clone audio passed in both of those cases; the industry leader and her sister could not immediately determine it was not the “real” Joanna, but rather a digitized version. A phone call to her bank about her account was not challenged by the voice recognition software there. It passed the initial security audio scan. However, a Google Meet gathering with friends and an attempted TikTok video both met with immediate skepticism. I encourage you to learn more about the process at the reporter’s short YouTube video “I Challenged My AI Clone to Replace Me for 24 Hours | WSJ”.

Now, things have gone much further than mere digital clones. It was just one year ago that Mark Zuckerberg announced and demoed a version of the Metaverse. It was met with less than flattering reviews. Maggie Harrison wrote under the headline in the Byte in August 2022, “WAVE OF CRITICISM HITS ZUCKERBERG’S METAVERSE FOR LOOKING LIKE CRAP ‘BILLIONS AND BILLIONS POURED INTO IT AND THIS IS THE RESULT’”:

There’s no way to sugarcoat it, even if we wanted to. Facebook-turned-Meta’s Metaverse — into which Meta has been pouring billions of dollars — looks bad. Unfathomably bad. Yesterday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Facebook to post what apparently was meant to be a celebratory screenshot of Meta’s Horizon Worlds, a VR game where the digital selves of folks worldwide can gather. The game was just released in France and Spain, and the ruler of all metamates wanted to share the good news. As waves of critics pointed out, the design of this “immersive” world is astoundingly underwhelming. In the cursed screenshot, Zuck’s pasty, robotic avatar — the design of which is perhaps a half step above a Wii Mii — is pictured in front of a sparse, sad landscape upon which arbitrarily sized replicas of France’s Eiffel Tower and Spain’s Tibidabo Cathedral are uncomfortably plopped.

That was just one year ago. However, just two weeks ago, another rather skeptical journalist at the Byte, Lex Fridman, arranged with Mark Zuckerberg to demonstrate the latest in Meta technology for its developing Metaverse. The results are truly stunning. View the interview here: Mark Zuckerberg: First Interview in the Metaverse | Lex Fridman Podcast #398

Writing in the Byte, Frank Landymore describes the hour-long interview session that was held in the Meta Metaverse:

On Thursday, podcaster Lex Fridman released what he calls the “first interview in the Metaverse,” where he and the Meta CEO have a conversation in VR, using their astoundingly lifelike avatars. Gone are the legless, dumb-looking Mii ripoffs. Here, while Fridman and Zuckerbeg sit in different rooms in different parts of the country wearing Quest Pro headsets, their in-Metaverse avatars, each a 3D portrait from the shoulders and up set against a black background, seamlessly chat back and forth while looking alarmingly like their real-life counterparts. “It just feels like we’re in the same room,” Fridman said in the podcast, his avatar faithfully expressing a near deadpan. “This is really the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.” These photorealistic clones, known as Codec Avatars, have been a years-long endeavor of Zuckerberg’s.

To get the full effect of this ultra-realistic Metaverse, check out the hour-long interview at YouTube. Journalist Lex Fridman calls it “incredible” and suggests that it’s the future of how we will communicate on the internet. He opens the podcast saying:

Mark and I are hundreds of miles apart from each other in physical space, but it feels like we’re in the same room because we appear to each other as photorealistic Codec Avatars in 3D with spatial audio. This technology is incredible and I think it’s the future of how human beings connect to each other in a deeply meaningful way on the internet. These avatars can capture many of the nuances of facial expressions that we humans use to communicate and motion to each other. Now, I just need to work on upgrading my emotion expressing capabilities of the underlying human.

As GenAI continues to advance at the same time as this Metaverse, Zuckerberg says in the interview that human-like avatars can embody AI assistants for example to join in the virtual environment. “And also, by the way, another thing that I think is going to be fascinating about being able to blend together the digital and physical worlds in this way, is we’re also going to be able to embody AIs as well. So, I think you’ll also have meetings in the future where you’re basically, maybe you’re sitting there physically and then you have a couple of other people who are there as holograms, and then you have Bob, the AI, who’s an engineer on your team who’s helping with things, and he can now be embodied as a realistic avatar as well, and just join the meeting in that way. So, I think that that’s going to be pretty compelling as well.”

In higher education, the Metaverse has the potential to become the preferred platform for distance learning. It will carry far more realistic interpersonal engagements than we have had before. AI agents can be seen in realistic human bodies. It will carry the more subtle aspects of non-verbal communication as learners engage with one another and their instructor. Those kinds of interactions can be more robust than ever before. Is this the beginning of the full merging of the digital and the physical in our lives? Are you and your colleagues prepared to address the questions and opportunities that are raised by this emerging platform?

 

This article was originally published in Inside Higher Ed’s Transforming Teaching & Learning blog. 

10 institutions selected for grant-funded pilot consortium

WASHINGTON (October 11, 2023) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is thrilled to announce the selection of ten institutions to be part of a small pilot consortium fueled by UPCEA’s “Building Capacity, Expanding Pathways: Accelerating the Growth of Credential Innovation in Higher Education” project. The project aims to facilitate and expedite the adoption of scalable business and program models by colleges and universities, supporting the development and delivery of noncredit, short-term credentials to local, regional, or statewide businesses.

The selected consortium members are:

  • Kansas State University
  • National University
  • North Carolina A&T State University
  • Schoolcraft College
  • University of California, Davis
  • University of Maine System
  • University of North Texas
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Villanova University
  • Virginia Commonwealth University

These institutions have been chosen based on their strong commitment to expanding credential innovation. They will work collaboratively as a community of practice within the pilot consortium, sharing data, experiences, and ultimately disseminating results broadly across the UPCEA membership. This collaboration aims to identify viable and scalable business and program models for offering workforce-relevant credentials.

“We were truly inspired by the overwhelming interest and the remarkable work being done by UPCEA members in the realm of credential innovation. The caliber of applications we received was outstanding, showcasing a rich tapestry of initiatives from various institutions,” said the Co-Principal Investigators for the grant, Amy Heitzman, UPCEA Deputy CEO and Chief Learning Officer, and Aaron Brower, Special Advisor to UPCEA. “The selection of these ten consortium members represents a group of trailblazers in the field, committed to shaping the future of education by redefining how we deliver short-term, workforce-relevant credentials. Their dedication and enthusiasm for this project will undoubtedly drive impactful and scalable outcomes, setting a precedent for the broader education landscape.” 

The selected institutions will receive comprehensive support throughout the project, which concludes on June 30, 2024. The support includes guidance through an institutional assessment based on UPCEA’s Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation, results from national benchmarking of effective business models producing direct-to-business microcredentials, and customized research to identify market opportunities for noncredit workforce training.

Additionally, the consortium members will establish productive engagements with local, regional, or statewide businesses/organizations to generate microcredential outlines or syllabi. Consortium members will be present at key UPCEA events, such as the 2023 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education (November 1-3, 2023, Washington, DC) and the UPCEA 2024 Annual Conference (March 26-28, 2024, Boston, MA), to disseminate their results and lessons learned. Each institution is also receiving a $10,000 honorarium for their dedicated participation.

 

# # #

About UPCEA

UPCEA is the online and professional education association. Our members positively impact millions of lives by continuously reinventing higher education. We advance the professional field through cutting edge research, professional development, networking and mentorship, conferences and seminars, and stakeholder advocacy. Our collaborative, entrepreneurial community brings together decision makers and influencers in education, industry, research, and policy interested in improving educational access and outcomes. Learn more about us at UPCEA.edu and follow us on social media @UPCEA.

 

CONTACT:

Molly Nelson, UPCEA Vice President of Communications, [email protected] 

Do I need to earn a certification?

Professionals in IT, cybersecurity, privacy, risk, audit and related digital trust fields have wrestled with this question for years. Do certifications actually help with competitive job applications, increasing earning potential, and staying up to date with the latest IT trends? Or are they just acronyms on a resume that employers skip over?

Whether it’s for a job you are pursuing, taking the next step in your career, transitioning to a new industry, or brushing up on the latest trends and best practices, earning an IT certification can be a springboard to success. The latest technology innovation is always lurking around the corner, ready to transform the digital landscape in the blink of an eye. IT professionals not only need to quickly adapt to these abrupt developments, but must also educate themselves and validate their knowledge to provide employers with the most up-to-date skills and best practices. And, according to industry data, many industry credentials are accompanied by a compensation boost.

Will IT certifications increase your opportunities for employment?

Certifications don’t just build and refine professionals’ essential knowledge for careers in IT, cybersecurity, privacy, risk, audit, governance and related fields with the latest information available; they also signal this expertise to employers. In many cases, IT certifications will differentiate you from other applicants vying for the same role by acting as an external metric of quality that hiring leaders value. Some employers even require certifications as a qualification for certain roles because of the credibility and validation of expertise, skills and knowledge they demonstrate. This increase in marketability produces a competitive edge over your peers and emphasizes your commitment to your professional development and continued education.

According to a recent report from Lightcast, an independent authority in labor market analytics and insights, certification-related skills are in high demand in the job market. For skills related to ISACA’s stackable Information Technology Certified Associate (ITCA) credential, such as data ethics and DevSecOps, job demand is expected to increase by 100%-250% over the next five years, and 12 million ITCA-skill-related jobs were posted in 2022 alone. For roles that require Certified in Emerging Technology (CET)-related skills—including 15% of the total US labor job market demand and 67% of cybersecurity engineer job postings—demand is expected to increase 450% for AI skills, 230% for cryptocurrency skills and 90% for cloud computing security skills over the next five years.

ISACA’s annual State of Cybersecurity 2023 survey report found that 87% of professionals view credential-holders as the most qualified for open positions, and that 74% are more likely to hire a candidate with a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification over a non-certified candidate.

Do IT certifications increase your earning potential?

Certifications can boost your total compensation in several ways, including via bonuses, higher salaries and enabling your qualification for higher-paying job roles. By providing the fundamental skills that so many IT-related jobs require, earning certifications expands job opportunities and professional possibilities for upward mobility. Companies are often willing to offer pay premiums when they feel the credential you hold is beneficial to the overall organization.

According to expert David Foote, chief analyst and co-founder of Foote Partners, LLC, pay for certification-holders is on the rise. “New highly validated data from 4,200 employers in our long-running IT Skills and Certifications Pay IndexTM (ITSCPI) reveals that the average cash pay premium for 606 IT certifications has risen in three of the last four calendar quarters, currently earning certificates the equivalent of 6.6 percent of base salary. Even better, for the 137 IT security certifications reported, it is a whopping 8.3 percent for those lucky enough to work for an employer willing to pay you a premium for your certification.”

Lightcast’s data found salary premiums for CET-related and ITCA-related skills reaching as much as US $15,000 and US $30,000, respectively. Skillsoft’s IT Skills and Salary survey, which thousands of IT professionals participate in annually, illustrates just how lucrative earning certifications can be for an IT-related career. According to the 2022 survey results, the top three highest-paying certifications were: 1) AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional at US $168,000; 2) Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) at US $162,000; and 3) Google Cloud – Professional Cloud Architect at US $161,000.

Where do you start earning the best certification for your career?

Depending on your specialization, job experience and prior knowledge, you can determine which certifications you qualify for. Different training resources, educational courses and exam preparations exist for every industry-recognized credential, and there are certifications available for professionals at every point in their career, including for recent graduates, mid-career professionals looking to move up the executive ladder and those who are braving the transition to a new career field. Lightcast found that CET and ITCA certifications aid in career agility and advancement.

Even academic programs are beginning to include certifications in their curricula, offering their learners the chance to kickstart their careers early. Academic Partners through ISACA provide students with job-aligned training and leverage access to a global network of IT professionals and mentors. Institutions are increasingly seeking certification-enhanced curricula as a method to elevate their prestige, stand out in a saturated industry and impart students with unique and influential opportunities and skills to begin their professional lives.

So, should you earn an IT certification? The employment opportunities, pay premiums and up-to-date, specialized education point to yes. Whether you are just beginning your IT journey, seeking to polish your existing skills or looking to expand your professional horizons, certifications can pave the way to the next step on your career path.

 

ISACA is a global community advancing individuals and organizations in their pursuit of digital trust. For over 50 years, ISACA has equipped individuals and enterprises with the knowledge, credentials, education, training and community to progress their careers, transform their organizations, and build a more trusted and ethical digital world.

This global professional association and learning organization leverages the expertise of its more than 170,000 members who work in digital trust fields. It has a presence in 188 countries, including 225 chapters worldwide. Through its foundation One In Tech, ISACA supports IT education and career pathways for under-resourced and underrepresented populations.