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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- Design Smarter, Teach Better: How Thoughtful Course Webpages Can Improve Online Learning - Kelly M. Babchishin, Emma J. Holmes, and Alexis G. Hinkson, Faculty FocusEven as in-person classes return post-pandemic, online courses haven’t gone away. In fact, many students still opt for online learning because of the flexibility it offers. But one thing is clear: not all online courses are created equal, and one of the biggest differences lies in something many instructors overlook: the course webpage. Whether you’re […]
- Key factors influencing intention to use ChatGPT: An empirical study of U.S. students - Long Pham, et al; Acta Psychologica via Science DirectChatGPT, a generative AI chatbot, has seen unprecedented adoption, yet the factors driving its acceptance among students remain underexplored. This study investigates key determinants of U.S. university students' intention to use ChatGPT in higher education. Drawing on the technology acceptance model, theory of reasoned action, and diffusion of innovation theory, survey data from 411 students […]
- Academics must be open to changing their minds on acceptable AI use - Ava Doherty, Times Higher EducationHonest and open-ended conversations over how AI can be productively used in the learning journey are needed, not ChatGPT bans, says Ava Doherty. Students today face a striking paradox: they are among the most technologically literate generations in history, yet they are deeply anxious about their career prospects in an artificial intelligence-driven future. Since the […]
- Navigating the AI Revolution in Higher Education - Alyse Jordan, Frontiers in EducationA systematic review conducted in the first nine months following ChatGPT's release provides valuable early insights into how AI has affected teaching, curriculum design, and assessment practices in higher education. The review identified both benefits and threats of AI integration, offering preliminary evidence to inform institutional policies and faculty practices (Liang et al., 2025). As […]
- Trump administration plans to limit how long foreign students can study in the U.S. - PoliticoThe Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday it intends to publish a proposed rule that would limit the length of time foreign students are allowed to stay in the United States. Since 1978, foreign students, or F visa holders, could stay in the U.S. for their “duration of status,” meaning as long as they were […]
- How to get non-traditional learners more career-focused - Alcindo Donadel, University BusinessNew guidance is available to colleges seeking to expand internships, apprenticeships and other career-related activities to non-traditional students. Adults, working students and online learners now account for at least a third of total college enrollment. Internships, apprenticeships and other career explorations have long been unavailable to these students. Meanwhile, only 16% of all undergraduate students […]
- On-screen and now IRL: FSU researchers find evidence of ChatGPT buzzwords turning up in everyday speech - McKenzie Harris, Florida State University NewsRecent large-scale upticks in the use of words like “delve” and “intricate” in certain fields, especially education and academic writing, are attributed to the widespread introduction of LLMs with a chat function, like ChatGPT, that overuses those buzzwords. “The changes we are seeing in spoken language are pretty remarkable, especially when compared to historical trends,” […]
- Insights on today’s labor market: Uncertainty, agentic AI, and more - McKinseyIt’s Labor Day in North America, a day to recognize and celebrate the contributions of workers across the continent—and also reflect on the continued uncertainty and rapid change in today’s labor market. In a recent episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Indeed’s chief economist Svenja Gudell joined McKinsey’s Brooke Weddle, Bryan Hancock, and Lucia Rahilly to […]
- Getting Ahead of EU AI Literacy Requirements – How Businesses Can Stay Compliant and Competitive - Jonathan Armstrong, European Business ReviewIn most companies, AI is being used in business functions from HR and marketing to customer service. Figures reveal 78% of global companies use AI, with 71% deploying GenAI in at least one function[i]. However, often employees don’t fully understand how these tools work, and this gap can no longer be ignored.The EU AI Act, […]
- Ep. 11 AGI and the Future of Higher Ed: Talking with Ray Schroeder - Unfixed: How AI is Reshaping Higher Education with Nick Janos and Zach Justus, PodcastIn this episode of Unfixed, we talk with Ray Schroeder—Senior Fellow at UPCEA and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois Springfield—about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and what it means for the future of higher education. While most of academia is still grappling with ChatGPT and basic AI tools, Schroeder is thinking ahead to AI […]
- Inside Higher Ed Survey Reveals Student Perspectives on Generative AI in Higher Education - SSB Crack NewsFactors driving academic dishonesty, particularly among peers, primarily included performance pressures (37 percent) and time constraints (27 percent). Interestingly, only 6 percent blamed unclear academic integrity policies for their peers’ actions concerning AI. This highlights a nuanced understanding of the challenges students face in a high-pressure environment where success is often linked to grades. Students […]
- Balancing AI And Human Intellect In Higher Education - Noreen Saher, The Friday TimesArtificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education, particularly for research students who stand at the intersection of technological innovation and scholarly inquiry. AI offers unprecedented intellectual opportunities, yet it simultaneously presents profound challenges to academic integrity. The central task is not to privilege Artificial Intelligence (AI) over Original Intelligence (OI), or vice versa, but […]
- The impact of artificial intelligence on students’ 4C skills: A meta-analysis - Qian Tian, Xudong Zheng, Educational Research ReviewThe widespread integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has highlighted its potential to enhance students’ higher-order competencies, particularly the 4C skills (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity). However, the effectiveness of AI in fostering these skills remains debated, primarily due to inconsistent findings across studies. To address this research gap, this study employs the […]
- Google's New Universal Translator AI is FREE & More AI Use Cases - The AI Advantage, YouTubeIn the first part of this podcast, the host discusses Google's new universal voice translator, a significant improvement in translation technology. This new feature, available as a free update to the Google Translate app, allows for real-time conversations between two people speaking different languages through a "conversation" feature. The translator is noted for its impressive […]
- San José Completes First City-Led AI Startup Grants - Scarlett Evans, AI BusinessThe city of San José California has announced the winners of its inaugural AI Incentive Program, the first city-run grant program of its kind in the U.S. Under the initiative, early-stage startups using AI to tackle everything from maternal health to food waste competed for public funding and professional services. From a pool of 170 […]
- How AI Is Changing—Not ‘Killing’—College - Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher EdKey findings from Inside Higher Ed’s student survey on generative AI show that using the evolving technology hasn’t diminished the value of college in their view, but it could affect their critical thinking skills. Some of the results are perhaps surprising: Relatively few students say that generative AI has diminished the value of college, in […]
- Are microcredentials the future of education? How short-term programs are changing higher ed - Juliet Schulman-Hall, Mass LiveMicrocredentialing programs enable people to complete industry-certified certificates and credentials to enter the workforce or gain additional skills for a promotion. They can be used later as credits for an associate’s degree and are often more affordable than obtaining a degree. “You can get up to speed without having to have that commitment to a […]
- Mass Intelligence: From GPT-5 to nano banana: everyone is getting access to powerful AI - Ethan Mollick, One Useful ThingThere have been two barriers to accessing powerful AI for most users. The first was confusion. Few people knew to select an AI model. Even fewer knew that picking o3 from a menu in ChatGPT would get them access to an excellent Reasoner AI model, while picking 4o (which seems like a higher number) would […]
- Online Learning's Moment: How Colleges Struggle To Meet Rising Demand - Alison Griffin, ForbesNearly nine in 10 colleges plan to expand online programs to meet surging demand—a complete reversal from just two decades ago when policymakers actively restricted digital education. At that time, the “50% rule” required colleges and universities to seek special approval if more than half of their courses or programs went digital, or if more […]
- Ask the experts: How research and development labs prepare OPWL students for the workforce - Boise State OnlineThis systematic review aims to explore blended learning in vocational education (VE), where the benefits, challenges, and influence on student engagement will provide information on some recommendations that can be adopted to better design and implement. The need for this review arises from the global emphasis on technology-driven and flexible vocational training, given the rapid […]
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Welcome to the February edition of Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. Major Update Trump Administration Releases FY 2021 Budget Proposal; Education Funds Request Reduced Earlier this month, the Trump Administration released its…
The next generation of adult learners, Generation Z (those currently between the ages of 13 and 23) and young Millennials (roughly 24 to 30), are very different from other generations. They research providers more, as well as being more likely to abandon shopping carts.[i] They…
UPCEA Releases Competency Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners
WASHINGTON, February 18, 2020 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce the release of the association’s Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners. The competency and attribute statements consist of the essential knowledge, skills, and…
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