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. 

RSS Sign up for daily updates

  • AI Boom Drives Surge in Demand for Tech Skills in 2025 - Victor Dey, GovTech
    Artificial intelligence is doing more than just automating workflows in 2025: It’s dismantling the very idea of education. Once seen as one-time achievements, a bachelor’s degree, a professional certificate, or an annual corporate training session, are no longer guarantees of relevance in a world where knowledge ages almost as quickly as technology itself. Nearly half […]
  • New data show no AI jobs apocalypse—for now - Molly Kinder, et al; Brookings
    Every day brings new breakthroughs in artificial intelligence—and new fears about the technology’s potential to trigger mass unemployment. CEOs predict white collar “bloodbaths.” Headlines warn of widespread job losses. With public anxiety growing, it can feel like the economy is already hemorrhaging jobs to AI. But what if, at least for now, the data are […]
  • Carolina researchers share AI work, predictions - Josh McCormack, UNC
    Artificial Intelligence is shaping the future in higher education and beyond. Carolina is committed to using the evolving technology in responsible ways for students, faculty and staff. From health care to machine learning, four Carolina experts broke down how they think AI will change their respective fields over the next decade.https://www.unc.edu/posts/2025/10/02/carolina-researchers-share-ai-work-predictions/
  • Four Ways To Improve The Selection Of Leaders -Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes
     Few decisions have greater consequences for an organization than the appointment of its leaders. The right leaders can elevate culture, accelerate innovation, and deliver sustainable results. The wrong ones destroy value, diminish trust, and push talented employees out the door. If you’ve ever worked under an incompetent boss, you don’t need the data to tell […]
  • From Detection to Development: How Universities Are Ethically Embedding AI for Learning - Isabelle Bambury, Higher Education Policy Institute
    The Universities UK Annual Conference always serves as a vital barometer for the higher education sector, and this year, few topics were as prominent as the role of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). A packed session, Ethical AI in Higher Education for improving learning outcomes: A policy and leadership discussion, provided a refreshing and pragmatic perspective, […]
  • Online learning empowers career outcomes, as 1 in 2 UK workers secure a salary increase from skills development - Stuart Gentle, OnRec
    This ongoing workforce evolution is driving a new era of learning for learners worldwide, and shifting their priorities.87% of UK learners achieved a positive career outcome from online learning, with one in five (21%) reporting a higher job levelAlmost half (49%) of UK learners experienced a salary increase as an outcome after taking an online […]
  • Professors adapt to AI in the classroom - Sam Lueke and Rachelle Talbert, Middlebury Campus
    Across departments, Middlebury professors are grappling with the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education. Many professors, including Professor of English Megan Mayhew-Bergman and Lecturer in Chinese Mairead Harris, have modified syllabi to permit AI in specific contexts. “I want to make sure we're operating in reality, giving students what they need in this […]
  • Research, curriculum and grading: new data sheds light on how professors are using AI - Lee V. Gaines, NPR
    New research from Anthropic — the company behind the AI chatbot Claude — suggests professors around the world are using AI for curriculum development, designing lessons, conducting research, writing grant proposals, managing budgets, grading student work and designing their own interactive learning tools, among other uses. "When we looked into the data late last year, […]
  • William & Mary launches ChatGPT Edu pilot - Laren Weber, William and Mary
    The initiative is a collaboration between the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics (CDSP), Information Technology, W&M Libraries and the Mason School of Business and is part of a broader push to embed advanced AI into everyday academic life.  The pilot will explore how AI can enhance teaching, research and university operations, while also […]
  • Future proof your career: Human-centered majors in the AI era - Andy Vaughn, eCampus News
    What unites nursing, occupational therapy, counseling, clinical psychology, teaching, and social work? Four traits that protect them from automation:Emotional intelligence: Empathy, trust, and compassion cannot be programmed.Adaptability: Human interactions do not follow predictable patterns.Ethical judgment: Decisions in healthcare, education, and counseling often involve moral nuance.Meaningful relationships: Success is measured in connection, not efficiency.For students considering […]
  • AI career mentors: Why students trust algorithms more than teachers - Dmitry Zaytsev, eCampus News
    AI is not replacing us as mentors. It is showing us where students feel unserved. KU researchers publish guidelines to help responsibly implement AI in education. Students are anxious about the future with AI–their parents are, too. Surveys confirm this shift. In a recent study, 87 percent of students said they already use AI for […]
  • UMass Students Showcase AI Tools Built for State Agencies - Government Technology
    Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey invited University of Massachusetts, Amherst students to create AI tools to assist public agencies. The students traveled to Boston last week to share their work.  Government leaders in Massachusetts are looking to university students as partners in delivering AI services to their constituents, and a recent showcase highlighted how these collaborations […]
  • AI Grading: Revolutionizing Feedback in Higher Education - Bioengineer
    In the era of educational innovation, artificial intelligence has emerged as a transformative force, redefining the dynamics of assessment in universities. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not merely a tool used for automating tasks, but an advanced system that can analyze vast amounts of data, predict outcomes, and personalize experiences. The application of AI in grading […]
  • AI Isn't a Curse. It's a Gift for College Learning. - Samuel J. Abrams, Real Clear Education
    The Chronicle of Higher Education recently ran a piece that offers a beautiful and evocative snapshot of intellectual life at its best. Its authors, Khafiz Kerimov and Nicholas Bellinson of St. John’s College, describe students gathered around a blackboard in a campus coffee shop, each wielding a different color of chalk as they work through […]
  • Is Artificial Intelligence Reshaping Higher Education? - Amy Dittmar, et al; Baker Institute
    What does the acceleration of artificial intelligence mean for higher education, from the admissions process to students’ academic and intellectual development? How can students learn to engage responsibly with AI, and what does it mean for the early graduate labor market? Baker Institute fellow and guest host Michael O. Emerson sat down with Rice University […]
  • The agentic organization: Contours of the next paradigm for the AI era - Alexander Sukharevsky, et al; McKinsey
    AI is bringing the largest organizational paradigm shift since the industrial and digital revolutions (see sidebar, “The evolution of operating models”). This new paradigm unites humans and AI agents—both virtual and physical—to work side by side at scale at near-zero marginal cost. We call it the agentic organization. McKinsey’s experience working with early adopters indicates […]
  • ChatGPT Study Mode - Explained By A Learning Coach - Justin Sung, YouTube
    The main issue is that the interaction remains very user-led, as Study Mode struggles to dynamically adjust its teaching to a beginner's exact level or pinpoint the root cause of confusion without specific, targeted input from the student [10:10]. The coach found that a passive learner could be stuck in confusion for 30 minutes, whereas […]
  • IDEAS EdTech Digest Special Edition Spotlights Online Learning Best Practices - UMass Amherst
    The UMass Amherst Instructional Design, Engagement, and Support (IDEAS) Group has released a Fall 2025 special edition of its publication, EdTech IDEAS Digest, focusing on online learning best practices for faculty, instructional designers and higher education leaders. The special edition covers a range of topics, including student preferences for classroom technology, using AI to develop […]
  • AI magnifies your teams strengths - and weaknesses, Google report finds - David Gewirtz, ZDnet
    According to survey respondents, somewhere between 90 and 95% rely on software development for work. The report mentions 95% in the intro and 90% later in a detail section, but regardless of which number you choose, nearly all coders are now using AI. According to the report, this is a 14% jump from last year. Nearly […]
  • The future of work is agentic - McKinsey
    Think about your org chart. Now imagine it features both your current colleagues—humans, if you’re like most of us—and AI agents. That’s not science fiction; it’s happening—and it’s happening relatively quickly, according to McKinsey Senior Partner Jorge Amar. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Jorge joins McKinsey talent leaders Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock […]

Other Curated News: 

News from UPCEA: 

New Distance Education Regulations Proposed by ED Includes Required Attendance-Taking, Additional Reporting – Public Comment Open Until August 23 | Policy Matters (July 2024)

Major Updates New Distance Education Regulations Proposed by ED Includes Required Attendance-Taking, Additional Reporting – Public Comment Open Until August 23 UPCEA Members Take Note, and Make a Comment! The US Department of Education recently released the proposed regulations for Distance Education, Return to Title…

Read More...

How the Education Department Wants to Police Online Education (Inside Higher Ed)

The Education Department wants to collect much more information about distance education courses and the students enrolled in them as part of a broader effort to increase oversight of online programs. The department’s proposal would require colleges and universities to take attendance in distance education…

Read More...
Higher Ed Marketing Metrics Research Study: What Gets Measured Gets Managed report cover

Major Gaps in Tracking of Higher Ed Marketing Metrics: New Report

Search Influence and UPCEA Establish Higher Ed Marketing Cost Benchmarks in Joint Industry Report NEW ORLEANS, LA., July 30, 2024 — Search Influence, a leading higher education digital marketing agency, and UPCEA, the online and professional education association, announced their co-authored Higher Ed Marketing Metrics…

Read More...

The Nation's Top Universities Choose UPCEA Consulting

Informed decisions. Ideas that work. The data you need. Trusted by the top universities in the nation.