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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- Cal State to Fund 63 Faculty Projects in AI Instructional Design - Government TechnologyThanks to a systemwide challenge, California State University (CSU) campuses will see artificial intelligence implemented in instruction and professional development across disciplines. From chatbots supporting student teachers to digital twins in electromagnetic plant imaging, dozens of AI-driven projects will be backed by funding from the Chancellor’s Office through 2026, according to a news release today. […]
- OpenAI’s Education Head Says Real Learning Takes Struggle—Not Just ChatGPT Help - Rachel Curry, ObserverStudents must struggle to learn, and offloading to ChatGPT risks weakening critical thinking skills, OpenAI's head of education warns. With ChatGPT now widely available to students around the globe, concerns about cheating and the erosion of critical thinking skills are growing. OpenAI is well aware of these issues and is working to address them. Speaking […]
- Microsoft Pledges $4B for AI Education, Teacher Training - Alex Halverson, The Seattle TimesMicrosoft Elevate, which the company describes as a successor and expansion of the longtime Microsoft Philanthropies team, will devote resources to helping more than 20 million people earn AI credentials. The generative AI boom transitioned into agentic AI, artificial “agents” running through rote work and making decisions across the digital landscape on behalf of the […]
- Anthropic announces Claude for Education - EdScoopAnthropic, the generative artificial intelligence company behind Claude, on Wednesday announced a new product tailored for education. According to a post on the company’s website, Claude for Education is designed to be a more powerful study companion, and includes integration with the publisher Wiley and the AI video tools firm Panopto. Anthropic says these integrations […]
- AI aiding cheating in higher education - Wycliffe Osabwa, People DailyThe role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education is the subject of ongoing debate—particularly regarding how students use it to complete assignments. While AI offers immense opportunities for enhancing learning, concerns arise when students use tools like ChatGPT to generate term papers or assessments, then claim ownership. As an instructor, I have encountered cases […]
- More college students now learn entirely online than completely in-person - Elissa Nadworny, NPRThis year is the first time that more U.S. college students will learn entirely online compared to being fully in-person. And research shows most online programs cost as much or more than in-person. Eighty-three percent of online college programs cost students at least as much as the in-person versions. That's according to a paper released […]
- Teaching and Learning Critical and Creative Thinking (with AI) - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher EdOf course, the need for these skills is based on the continuing rapid development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) across all fields of employment worldwide. In their annual survey of fastest-growing skills employers are seeking, LinkedIn found “strategic thinking” and “innovative thinking” are near the top of the list around the world. AI has […]
- Mind Blowing Grok-4 Just Dropped (FINALLY!) - There's An AI For ThatThis podcast discusses the launch of Elon Musk's new AI chatbot, Grok-4, which he claims is smarter than a PhD in every academic field. Grok-4 is multimodal, capable of understanding images, screenshots, and memes, and can also fix code. It's trained to hallucinate less by using real-time data from X (formerly Twitter) and can provide […]
- AWS and Anthropic Team Up to Launch an AI Agent Marketplace: A Game-Changer for Businesses - MediumIn a move that’s set to shake up the world of artificial intelligence, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is launching an AI agent marketplace, with Anthropic, a leading AI startup, as a key partner. This development, unveiled at the AWS Summit in New York City, promises to make AI more accessible and practical for businesses of […]
- Who is most at risk if international enrollment falls? - Alcino Donadel, University BusinessColleges and universities with a higher dependency on international enrollment could take a sizable financial hit as global interest in U.S. higher education shifts under the Trump administration, according to a new report from Moody’s Ratings. The global risk assessment firm reviewed its rated institutions and found that a 15% reduction in international enrollment could […]
- AI Is Conducting Video Job Interviews Now - Joe Procopio, Inc.The hiring company itself was a mid-sized tech outfit, and some quick research didn’t raise any red flags. It was the email response Ellen received that raised all kinds of red flags. The hiring company was thankful, interested, even excited to learn more about Ellen. But before they moved forward, they needed Ellen to answer […]
- GPT-5: The New Era is Here - Serban Sita, There's an App for ThatThis podcast discusses the anticipated release of GPT-5, predicted for mid-2025 (specifically July 2025). This update is expected to be revolutionary, bringing significant advancements over GPT-4. Key improvements include enhanced step-by-step reasoning, exceptional coding proficiency, and a substantial reduction in hallucinations (from 30% to under 15%). GPT-5 is also expected to feature "True Omni AI" […]
- OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome - Kenrick Cai, Krystal Hu and Anna Tong, ReutersOpenAI is close to releasing an AI-powered web browser that will challenge Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab market-dominating Google Chrome, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Web browser will include chat interface, enable AI agent integrations. The launch intensifies OpenAI's competition with Google in AI race. The new product is part of […]
- To Avoid Program Closures, PASSHE Explores Course Sharing - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher EdFor many colleges, financial woes often result in layoffs and academic program cuts, especially for those with low enrollments. But Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, which has faced years of declining enrollment, announced a plan Monday aimed at avoiding those hardships: PASSHE is pursuing a course-sharing initiative designed to expand students’ access to specialized […]
- How one big step for American well-being lies in small credentials - Alcino Donadel, University BusinessThe U.S. higher education system could substantially increase the quality of life of the average American worker over the next decade by rewarding more credentials that align with middle-skills occupations, according to new research from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. The economic research and policy institute analyzed 107 occupations offering at […]
- OpenAI joins the American Federation of Teachers to launch the National Academy for AI Instruction. - OpenAIFor educators, AI can be a powerful ally, helping free up more time for the truly human work of teaching. Recent Gallup study(opens in a new window) showed that 6 in 10 educators are already using an AI tool and report saving an average of six hours per week. But it also raises new challenges: […]
- How ChatGPT actually works (and why it's been so game-changing) - David Gerwirtz, ZD NetChatGPT's power (and that of almost any other AI chatbot, like Claude, Copilot, Perplexity, and Google Gemini) is the ability to parse queries and produce fully fleshed-out answers and results based on most of the world's digitally accessible text-based information. Some chatbots have restrictions based on when they stopped scanning information, but most can now […]
- ChatGPT is testing a mysterious new feature called ‘study together’ - Julie Bort, Tech CrunchSome ChatGPT subscribers are reporting a new feature appearing in their drop-down list of available tools called “Study Together.” The mode is apparently the chatbot’s way of becoming a better educational tool. Rather than providing answers to prompts, some say it asks more questions and requires the human to answer, like OpenAI’s answer to Google’s […]
- Half of Managers Use AI To Determine Who Gets Promoted and Fired - Resume BuilderAccording to a new Resume Builder survey of 1,342 U.S. managers with direct reports, a majority of those using AI at work are relying on it to make high-stakes personnel decisions, including who gets promoted, who gets a raise, and who gets fired.Key findings include:6 in 10 managers rely on AI to make decisions about […]
- AI and human evolution: Yuval Noah Harari - Wall Street Journal CEO CouncilThis video features Yuval Noah Harari, a military historian, who discusses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential impact on human evolution. Harari views AI as an "alien intelligence" and a new species that could potentially replace Homo sapiens, emphasizing that it's not just a tool but an agent capable of independent decision-making and creation. He […]
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Four Organizations Partner on Public Policy for Adult Learners at June Summit
The organizations will be focusing on workforce policy, online education, and many other topics related to state and federal policy and higher education. WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 24 — Four higher education organizations are joining together to host a June event focused on state and federal…
Letter to the Department of Homeland Security on DACA Processing
UPCEA, along with ACE and 35 other organizations signed onto a letter to Secretary Nielsen of the Department of Homeland Security regarding the renewal process for current Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) registrants. We urged the Department to process all renewal applications in a…
AHEAD and UPCEA Partner to Support Online Enterprise Accessibility
Partnership will focus on aspects of accessibility including faculty support, student support, and cultivating institutional advocates WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 4, 2018) – AHEAD, the organization of professionals committed to full participation in higher education for persons with disabilities, has partnered with UPCEA, the leading association…
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