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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  • Keep in Mind That AI Is Multimodal Now - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed
    Many of us are using AI only as a replacement for Google Search. In order to more fully utilize the remarkable range of capabilities of AI today, we need to become comfortable with the many input and output modes that are available. From audio, voice, image and stunning video to massive formally formatted documents, spreadsheets, […]
  • The US Department of Education is far behind on producing key statistics - Dominique J. Baker, Brookings
    The Department of Education missed its June 1 deadline to release the full Condition of Education report, instead publishing a limited version following public attention. The 2024 Digest of Education Statistics includes just 27 tables by the deadline—far fewer than the nearly 270, on average, published in prior years. Cuts to staff and canceled contracts […]
  • The AI Backlash Keeps Growing Stronger - Reece Rogers, Wired
    The negative response online is indicative of a larger trend: Right now, though a growing number of Americans use ChatGPT, many people are sick of AI’s encroachment into their lives and are ready to fight back. The impacts of generative AI on the workforce are another core issue that critics are organizing around. “Workers are […]
  • No One Is in Charge at the US Copyright Office - Kate Knibbs, Wired
    It’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 Ed
    Artificial 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 Coalition
    An 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 News
    The 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? - McKinsey
    Multimodal 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 Science
    Scientists 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, YouTube
    This 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, WBUR
    The 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, Newsweek
    There 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 - Anthropic
    Affective 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 - McKinsey
    When 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 Ed
    The 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 Business
    Given 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 Morris
    As 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 Hub
     Caitlin 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 […]

Other Curated News: 

News from UPCEA: 

UPCEA and TMMData Partner to Bring Data Analytics and Reporting Best Practices to the Forefront of Higher Education

Media Contact:  Kim Francois 410-581-5928 [email protected] Leading data management software company joins UPCEA in a Gold Level Industry Partnership to guide its members’ emerging data analysis and reporting efforts  STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (May 16, 2016) — TMMData, a top provider of flexible data management software,…

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No One Rule Fits All (InsideHigherEd)

The Online Learning Consortium, the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) — three organizations that deal primarily with online education — previously commented to say the proposed rules focused too strongly on face-to-face programs. The department,…

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UCLA’s Dean Of Continuing Education And Extension Smutz To Serve As UPCEA President-Elect

SAN DIEGO, CA – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Wayne Smutz as the association’s 2016-17 President-Elect during the 101st UPCEA Annual Conference. Smutz is Dean of Continuing Education and Extension at the University of California, Los…

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