Formation Continue du Supérieur

By Mark Guzdial. NYTimes just had a nice article about the Georgia Tech online Masters degree program based in MOOCs.  I’m glad that the OMS (Online MS) group is getting that kind of attention. For my research interests, I’m more excited about the alternative to MOOCs described below.  I am not well-versed in feminist perspectives, but I appreciate the values that are informing Anne Balsamo’s design and do see that this approach has a greater chance of drawing in women (based on research like Joanne Cohoon’s) than traditional MOOCs. More...

By Audrey Watters. For the fourth year in a row, I’ve asked educators to tell me which technology they’re most eager to bring with them into their classrooms this fall. Hardware or software. A new technology, or just something that’s new to their classroom. And here are the results:
2013’s Top 3 Tools
1. iPad
2. Google Apps for Education
3. Smartphones. More...

By Jane Perlez and Helen Gao. At the University of Chicago this summer, Yan Jielin, 17, pored over documents from the American Revolution and mastered themes in the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Her final paper discussed an obscure petition from the House of Lords to the king of England in June 1776.
At the University of Chicago this summer, Yan Jielin, 17, pored over documents from the American Revolution and mastered themes in the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Her final paper discussed an obscure petition from the House of Lords to the king of England in June 1776. More...

The University Teachers’ Association told Mizzima on August 28 that they will conduct a Higher Education policy survey with an aim to improve the standard of higher education in Myanmar.
The survey will begin in the last week of August and continue till September. The respondents of the survey will be teachers and students from 54 universities in Myanmar under the Department of Higher Education.
The questions in the survey will be based on implementation of development initiatives in the education system and the findings will support the National Education Policy significantly. More...

By Melody Chiang. In a highly publicized forum bringing together regional leaders from Latin America, the group gathered to discuss issues on youth to commemorate World Youth Day. At this event, the Deputy Minister of Planning of Ecuador, Ana Maria Larrea, noted that “about 200 million people, one-third of Latin America’s population are young” and urged governments to ‘capitalize’ the current ‘demographic’ in the region with ‘specific policies targeting youth.’
With the demand for higher education opportunities, the cost of tuition remains an issue for many young people in Latin American.  As students are seeking affordable opportunities to pursue higher education, a proliferation of options has appeared on the scene.  In a publication titled, “Latin America’s New Knowledge Economy: Higher Education, Government, and International Collaboration” released early this year, leading scholars from Latin America explore education’s role “in advanced workforce development, trends in academic mobility and outcomes for brain circulation, and investment in the region by U.S. universities and corporations.” More...

By David D. Burstein. With all the big ideas in higher education from MOOCs to disruptive models, one place you might not expect to find new ideas is Santiago, Chile, but that's exactly where one new venture has taken flight. Exosphere, which officially opens on September 23, is one part university, one part boot camp, and one part incubator, and two parts experiment. The institution is designed to create a unique experience for each student, who is an entrepreneur-in-training, by giving them skills based knowledge, resources, mentorship, training, and a strong community. More...

By Wei Gu. Li Shan's oldest son was the perfect candidate to join the throngs of Chinese students studying abroad. But he chose Tsinghua University in Beijing.
That is an unusual choice for a graduate of the elite Hong Kong International School, whose students mostly go to colleges in the U.S. The culture shock involved goes beyond squat toilets and communal showers. But while many Chinese students returning from overseas are having a tough time finding jobs at home, Mr. Li's son has secured a position at a global bank in Beijing since graduatlng this summer. More...

By Jackie Sayegh. There are those who have wondered about the intelligence of the young people taking the exam. But today's young Liberians are just as bright as any of us who attended schools in Liberia before the war. That has not changed. Many of us have been able to succeed in high education because of a solid foundation from Liberian schools. I always maintain that I may have a higher degree from abroad but I was educated in Liberia. Articles and people touting our president as a Harvard graduate do a disservice to the Liberian school system. True, Madame President earned a Harvard degree, but her achievements were made possible because of the strong educational foundation she received in the elementary and high schools of Liberia. What has changed since then are the conditions among which these young people learn. Growing up we had books, electricity, and most of the time, went to school well fed. These days just getting to class in Liberia is an exercise in endurance and patience. More...

By Zahra Baitie. When a student from Ghana arrived in Beijing, she hoped to serve as a cultural ambassador -- but instead became an unwitting spectacle. As a young girl, I dreamed of becoming the first female Secretary-General of the United Nations and following in the footsteps of my countryman Kofi Annan. However, I never envisioned being given the role of Ambassador during my college years. But my year abroad in China gave me exactly that -- a practical examination into the world of diplomacy. During my study abroad in China I found myself playing the role of an informal but full-time Ambassador.
Walter Bagehot, a prolific writer and journalist, once opined that “an ambassador is not simply an agent; he is also a spectacle.” That word “spectacle” probably best encapsulates my experience as a black female living and studying in China. With my dark skin and my long braids, I stood out in most of the places I went, and realized during my time in China what it meant to be an “alien.” On a personal level, my year in China forced me to engage in a complex and intimate dance with the concept of identity; on a more global level, my experiences afforded me valuable perspectives on Sino-Africa relations. More...

Selon l'Insee, en 2011, parmi les femmes âgées de 20 à 64 ans ayant achevé leur formation initiale, 67 % ont un emploi : c’est 9 points de moins que les hommes. En équivalent temps plein (ETP), le taux d’emploi des femmes n’est plus que de 59 % et l’écart atteint 15 points par rapport aux hommes.
Les taux d’emploi augmentent fortement chez les personnes de 55 à 64 ans, hommes comme femmes, malgré une nette montée du temps partiel chez les 60-64 ans.
Entre 2003 et 2011, c’est pour les 20-29 ans que la situation se dégrade le plus : le chômage et le temps partiel augmentent fortement après 2008.
En 2011, le taux d’emploi en ETP des jeunes femmes sans diplôme n’atteint pas 30 % contre près de 80 % pour les jeunes femmes diplômées du supérieur. Les femmes peu diplômées, qu’elles aient ou non des enfants, peinent davantage que leurs homologues masculins à trouver un emploi et à l’exercer à temps plein.
Lire Insee Première d'août 2013 (4 p., pdf)