Remember feeling nervous before starting your first day on the job? You may have experienced butterflies in your stomach, had questions about expectations, or concerns about learning the rules and finding information. Students feel the same way with a new professor, regardless if the class is face-to-face or online. With technology, you can reduce new-class […] … learn more→

Proponents of online learning often use train metaphors to describe its growing impact on the educational landscape. Those of us who teach at two-year colleges, especially, are constantly encouraged, prodded, hectored, cajoled—and sometimes even ordered—to get on board. Otherwise, we\’re told, we\’re likely to be run over. As one who is skeptical regarding the long-term […] … learn more→

Conventional wisdom states that the future of higher education lies online. However, few studies tell us whether this is necessarily a good thing. Indeed, both the detractors and supporters of online education tend to rely on anecdotes rather than data. So a recent report by William Bowen, Matthew Chingos, Kelly Lack, and Thomas Nygren of […] … learn more→

Besides a brief window just after high school graduation, many adults never have the opportunity to pursue higher education. The responsibilities of life take over soon afterward, and bills, jobs and families leave little time for homework. The advent of online education, however, has provided willing students of all ages with another option. Armed with […] … learn more→

Inside Higher Education recently published a survey about faculty views on online education. I was curious about its findings. My interest surged after reading the related article by Steve Kolowich — who noted that for professors “the rise of online education excites them more than it frightens them.” According to the survey’s composite data, I […] … learn more→