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→

Learning and the internet are two things that seem to be made for each other. More and more people are using the internet to learn and teach. These days you can learn to cook online, learn to sew, learn to tie a tie, and you can even get a college degree. With all these exciting […] … learn more→

The word “open” has grown educational wings over the past decade. From the British Open University, which enrolled its first students in 1971, the concept has expanded to mean various ways of relaxing the traditional barriers to entry, study and success in higher education. So what does it mean to be open? There are four […] … learn more→

The world of online learning has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade. In fact, some students are able to complete entire degree programs online, opening up more choices of schools for many. A lot of focus is put on how students can succeed in online classes, but how do instructors ensure that […] … learn more→