By Cheryl E. Ball. In a previous column,I wrote about finding your academic fit when you go on the job market by figuring out what kind of college or department with which your sensibilities and abilities might best align. That advice focused on being introspective -- asking yourself some philosophical questions -- and on seeking the advice of your adviser or mentor. You can also teach yourself about what institutions pride themselves from reading their job ads. Read more...
By Andrew Joseph Pegoda. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
Growing up we heard versions of this lie all the time. In reality, words are powerful. Words are full of emotions and connotations, and they should always be handled with care. Using words prudently is just as important when talking with students as in our scholarly writing. When communicating with students, whether in an e-mail, in the office, or in the classroom, using a combination of inclusive, positive, and welcoming language is best. Read more...
By Alan Reid and Denise Paster. The open badge movement has stemmed from the independent learning and massive open online course (MOOC) frameworks of empowering and motivating learners to complete noncredit academic work, either from a distance or at a self designated pace.
Learners experience instructional content, usually delivered in a module-based format, and are rewarded with a digital image of a “badge” upon completion. These digital badges then can be collected and shared on social media outlets serving as recognizers of certifiable skills. For instance, proficiency in a specific technological tool could be validated with a digital badge, and this badge could then be displayed on a LinkedIn profile, electronic portfolio, and listed on a resume. Read more...
By Anthony M. Cummings. The current state and future prospects of the humanities are occasioning considerable anxious comment. Many humanists are sadly resigned to a belief that the humanities have irrevocably ceded pride of place to the social sciences and sciences; and, indeed, the social sciences and sciences generate and command much intellectual energy in the 21st-century university, for understandable reasons. Read more...
The "Pay It Forward" concept -- in which students would not pay tuition to attend public colleges, but would pay a share of their salaries after graduation -- has attracted considerable attention in recent months. But a coalition of education groups issued a statement Friday opposing the idea. The group's analysis says that such plans would increase the cost of higher education, do nothing about the "state disinvestment" in higher education and create the wrong incentives for public colleges. For example, the groups say that public colleges would have an incentive to build up programs likely to attract students who will earn the most money after graduation, which may not be the most important programs for a state or its higher education system. Read more...
Massive open online course providers Coursera and edX will this fall launch new initiatives to expand their platforms abroad. Coursera on Tuesday announced it will partner with the Chinese Internet company NetEase to create Coursera Zone, a web portal that will make the MOOC provider’s content available to Chinese students. NetEase operates the website 163.com, which is the world’s 27th most visited site, according to Alexa.com’s Internet rankings. Read more...
The Consortium of China 9 Research Universities has joined with three other international associations in releasing a statement of 10 characteristics of research universities, including -- notably within a Chinese context -- a commitment to academic freedom. Specifically, one of the characteristics identified in the "Hefei Statement on the Ten Characteristics of Contemporary Research Universities" is "[t]he responsible exercise of academic freedom by faculty to produce and disseminate knowledge through research, teaching and service. Read more...
Desire2Learn on Tuesday announced an upgraded version of its learning management system has begun rolling out to the company’s roughly 750 clients. The newest version of the Learning Suite reflects the series of startups Desire2Learn has acquiredin recent months, including group collaboration software created by Wiggio. Read more...
Two days after massive open online course provider Coursera announced the creation of a Chinese-language web portal, edX on Thursday unveiled a new consortium of Chinese partner universities during an event in Beijing. Some of the universities that will join the initiative, called XuetangX, include Beijing Normal University, China Agricultural University, the Harbin Institute of Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, National Tsing Hua University, Tsinghua University, the University of Science and Technology of China, and Zhejiang University. The first online courses will launch on Oct. 17. Read more...
The French Ministry of Higher Education has announced the launch of France’s national massive open online course (MOOC) and blended learning portal, which will use edX’s open source learning platform. The portal will provide French-speaking students with edX’s cutting-edge online education technology, increasing their access to education and helping transform learning on campuses across France.
This online effort is part of a larger national educational initiative funded by the Ministry called France Université Numerique, which will be open to all French universities and will provide France with a state-of-the art site and technology platform.
Over 100 higher education institutions throughout France will participate in the new national MOOC portal. The first 20 courses will be launched at the end of October and will start in January 2014.
“This marks the first time a national education ministry has embraced online learning,” said edX President Anant Agarwal. “France’s adoption of the edX platform is a testament to the power of online education and the potential of edX’s open source platform.”
While powered by edX’s open source platform, France’s new MOOC portal will be independent, separate and distinct from edX.org.
About edX
EdX is a not-for-profit enterprise composed of 29 leading global institutions, the xConsortium. Founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, edX is focused on transforming online and on-campus learning through groundbreaking methodologies, game-like experiences and cutting-edge research on an open source platform. EdX provides inspirational and transformative knowledge to students of all ages, social status, and income who form worldwide communities of learners. EdX is focused on people, not profit, and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the USA.
October 3, 2013
Contact:
Dan O'Connelloconnell@edx.org
617-48-6585
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