Online and Professional Continuing Education News
See below for a listing of curated news articles of the day brought to you by Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow at UPCEA.
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- No One Is in Charge at the US Copyright Office - Kate Knibbs, WiredIt’s a tumultuous time for copyright in the United States, with dozens of potentially economy-shaking AI copyright lawsuits winding through the courts. Described as “sleepy” in the past, the Copyright Office has taken on new prominence during the AI boom, issuing key rulings about AI and copyright. It also hasn’t had a leader in more […]
- Universities need to ‘redefine cheating’ in age of AI - Times Higher EdArtificial intelligence has “blurred the line” between what constitutes academic support and what should be seen as misconduct, necessitating a rethink on what is considered cheating, according to a new study. A fifth (22 per cent) of students surveyed for the paper, “How vulnerable are UK universities to cheating with new GenAI tools?”, admitted using […]
- Supporting continuity of learning in Ukraine - UNESCO Global Education CoalitionAn initiative of UNESCO's Global Education CoalitionUNESCO’s Digital teacher training course, with funding from Google.org, supports teachers in Ukraine in developing digital skills and using digital tools to deliver quality distance and hybrid education. To date, nearly 77,400 teachers have enrolled in the course, representing over 1 in 4 teachers in Ukraine, with a certification […]
- Navigating the Digital Landscape: How Online Learning is Changing the Way We Build Skills - BNO NewsThe way we learn new skills has changed dramatically in recent years. Thanks to online learning platforms, gaining new qualifications has never been more convenient. Whether you’re looking to boost your career or pick up a personal interest, there’s now a course for almost anything—without ever stepping into a traditional classroom. From technical certifications to […]
- What is multimodal AI? - McKinseyMultimodal AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can understand and process different types of information, such as text, images, audio, and video, all at the same time. Multimodal gen AI models produce outputs based on these various inputs. Multimodal models mirror the brain’s ability to combine sensory inputs for a nuanced, holistic understanding […]
- Scientists forge path to the first million-qubit processor for quantum computers after 'decade in the making' breakthrough - Owen Hughes, Live ScienceScientists have developed a new type of computer chip that removes a major obstacle to practical quantum computers, making it possible for the first time to place millions of qubits and their control systems on the same device.The new control chip operates at cryogenic temperatures close to absolute zero (about minus 459.67 degrees Fahrenheit, or […]
- GPT-5: The AI That Will End The World As We Know It - Julia McCoy, YouTubeThis podcast episode delves into the much-anticipated release of OpenAI's GPT-5, heralding it as a groundbreaking advancement in artificial intelligence that will reshape our world. The episode outlines a potential release by the summer of 2025, with some speculating a later release in December. The discussion highlights the expected capabilities of GPT-5, which are predicted […]
- Harvard Kennedy School offers international students backup online and distance learning options - Emily Piper-Vallillo, WBURThe Harvard Kennedy School this week announced backup plans for its international students in case the federal government prevents them from returning to Harvard or entering the U.S. All international students can complete coursework online while returning students also have the option to finish their studies at University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs […]
- Higher Ed's AI Panic Is Missing the Point | Opinion - Annie K. Lamar, NewsweekThere are already cracks in the AI-detection fantasy. Tools like GPTZero and Turnitin's AI checker routinely wrongly accuse multilingual students, disabled students, and those who write in non-standard dialects. In these systems, the less a student "sounds like a college student," the more likely they are to be accused of cheating. Meanwhile, many students, especially […]
- How People Use Claude for Support, Advice, and Companionship - AnthropicAffective conversations are relatively rare, and AI-human companionship is rarer still. Only 2.9% of Claude.ai interactions are affective conversations (which aligns with findings from previous research by OpenAI). Companionship and roleplay combined comprise less than 0.5% of conversations. People seek Claude's help for practical, emotional, and existential concerns. Topics and concerns discussed with Claude range […]
- The Year of Quantum: From concept to reality in 2025 - McKinseyWhen it comes to quantum technology (QT), investment is surging and breakthroughs are multiplying. The United Nations has designated 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, celebrating 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics. Our research confirms that QT is gaining widespread traction worldwide. McKinsey’s fourth annual Quantum Technology Monitor covers […]
- AI Could Actually Boost Your Workers’ Mental Health. Here’s How - Kit Eaton, Inc.New research into AI’s impact on workers’ wellbeing offers a startling conclusion that refutes critics of the AI’s impact on the workplace, and counters recent reports suggesting the new technology is bad for people’s critical thinking abilities. Data from a large study suggest that though AI is relatively new, and the evidence is quite early, […]
- ‘The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook’: Three questions for Jocelyn Widmer and Thomas Cavanagh - Joshua Kim, Inside Higher EdThe Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook is now available for order. As one of the (many) contributors that Jocelyn Widmer and Thomas Cavanagh brought together to participate in the book, I was especially excited to receive my copy in the mail. Reading through the book, I’ve found it fast-paced, informative and sometimes provocative. To help […]
- How to Reduce Burnout Among Your Millennial Workers - Kit Eaton, Inc.This means that even if your workplace is supportive of employee mental health, with great health insurance coverage and openness about issues like stress, you may not be able to address all the factors that contribute to burnout. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, though. Gen-Z may be leading a good example, Buck explained to […]
- One Provost’s Approach to Building an AI College - University of South Florida, University BusinessGiven latitude by Mohapatra to find the best model for the new college, the task force began work last spring and ultimately recommended a hub-and-spoke academic structure. The belief was this would eliminate silos and underscore the interdisciplinary nature of AI and cybersecurity, resulting in university-wide collaboration. It would also allow most of the 200-plus […]
- Using AI tutor in philosophy class leads to deeply human conversation - Lisa Walker, U Minnesota MorrisAs part of his 2024-25 University of Minnesota Emerging Technologies Faculty Fellowship, Collier developed an AI tutor. Collier used the custom GPT technology that OpenAI had recently introduced. The tutor is trained on readings from his Ethics and AI course and given particular instructions about how to interact with students in a conversation. The goal […]
- MIT researcher explores human-AI interaction to improve online learning environments - Emma Thompson, Ed Tech Innovation HubCaitlin Morris, a MAD Fellow and doctoral student at MIT Media Lab, is creating prototype platforms that connect physical behavior with learners’ reflections. These tools are designed to assess how interaction style—whether with humans or AI—affects engagement and sense of agency. “I’m creating tools that can simultaneously track observable behaviors — like physical actions, language […]
- Supporting Students and Faculty in the Online Classroom: Slow Down and Simplify at the End - Jennifer P. Gray & Lisa McNeal, Faculty FocusStudents may feel lonely, and faculty can feel overwhelmed even in well-designed online classes; however, a focus on engagement and well-being educators can support faculty and students via simple, low-tech, and personalized strategies in conjunction with the learning platform. This article will share practical tips to help faculty support their wellbeing and improve student engagement […]
- The next innovation revolution—powered by AI - McKinseyInnovation has been the driver of the extraordinary progress from which humankind has benefited for a couple of centuries, but it faces a largely hidden threat: Innovation is becoming harder and more expensive. It’s instructive here to take the long view. For most of recorded human history, improvements in human welfare from generation to generation […]
- Your Employees Hate These Tasks at Work. They Say AI Can Help - Kit Eaton, Inc.New research commissioned by AI writing tool Grammarly and conducted by Talker Research found nearly half of the workers who responded hate the repetitive office tasks that make up the daily grind. The 44 percent total is no surprise, and you’ve probably had similar thoughts when you have to fill in a travel budget request […]
Other Curated News:
News from UPCEA:
Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos resigned, stating that she believed Donald Trump’s rhetoric led to the violence of that day. Weeks later, thousands of troops are still quartering in the Capitol complex for the…
Zoom Fatigue: What We Have Learned
Zoom (and other videoconferencing) fatigue was recognized early in the remote learning efforts of 2020. It is real. We have learned much about the cause and some about how to avoid the symptoms that impair communication and learning. Early in the remote learning efforts of…
Online Learning to the Rescue: Again
During the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Asia in late 2002 and 2003 and the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005, online learning came to the rescue of scores of colleges and universities and tens of thousands of students. SARS was a serious cousin…
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