Category: Informal learning

February 10, 2023

While it was already relatively common practice before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote proctoring has become even more popular at institutions across the nation, leading to concerns and the need for important considerations as these systems are designed. In response to […]

February 6, 2023

There were 1.3 million fewer students enrolled in U.S. public schools in fall 2021 than there were before the pandemic began–a drop of nearly 3 percent. Given that educational funding is tied to enrollment, this development has serious implications for […]

February 2, 2023

When COVID-19 forced college courses online, Stuart Middleton, a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland in Australia, was having trouble connecting with his remote students. So he decided to try to meet them where he heard they were happy […]

January 24, 2023

During the first week of the new year, parts of Minnesota were deluged by a winter storm, blanketing the Twin Cities and surrounding areas with almost a foot-and-a-half of snow. Those conditions were enough to prompt school closures, and on […]

January 24, 2023

Students need a variety of information about digital courses, including required devices and how instructors structure their virtual courses and expectations, before they enroll–but much of this information is not available prior to registration, according to results from a student […]

January 12, 2023

Here are five steps we took to ensure the best possible results with our virtual learning platform: 1. Use it to provide individualized instruction. It’s great to be able to offer students individualized learning opportunities that are tailored to the […]

January 3, 2023

It took a global pandemic to push more people in accepting that online learning is a mainstay in today’s higher education landscape. In addition to convenience, it expands learning opportunities to students whose schedules do not align with traditional in-person […]

December 28, 2022

It seems digital transformation is among the top priorities on any higher-ed leader’s list–particularly as students and faculty voice more preference for online learning options after COVID. Many institutions realized that as they offer more degree programs and classes online, […]

December 27, 2022

If you are a school or district leader looking to build an online elementary program, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are five steps that helped our teams successfully build and maintain […]

December 27, 2022

You may have read that Georgetown University is launching an online part-time bachelor’s degree completion program in liberal studies in partnership with Coursera. Georgetown already offers an on-campus version of this program through its School of Continuing Education to a […]

December 23, 2022

More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that higher education institutions are recognizing and adapting to the lasting impacts that the transition to online learning has had on both learners and faculty alike. While some students are […]

December 20, 2022

If you go back to the first days of the COVID crisis, when campuses across the country were shutting down, college students weren’t very happy with emergency online learning. Surveys conducted then showed deep dissatisfaction, with as many as 70 […]

December 20, 2022

Many college students have access to a traditional learning environment, which often includes attending class in lecture halls, collaborating with peers and professors in person or taking exams at a scheduled time in the classroom. Although this approach works for […]

December 19, 2022

Over the past year and a half, “hybrid learning” has become quite the buzzword when it comes to education. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting learners across the world, we’ve witnessed the growing need for hybrid learning, an education option that […]

December 2, 2022

While there has been significant progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, accessibility is often glaringly absent from the discussion. This is particularly true in higher education, where barriers to access intersect and are often compounded when dealing with […]

November 30, 2022

Students who attend online school today range from homeschoolers, to those seeking an alternative to in-person public schools, to learners who want to mix virtual schooling with in-person learning. Also, some districts have decided to keep an online option open […]

November 28, 2022

A recent National Student Clearinghouse Research Center report reveals that post-secondary enrollment continues to decline. Undergraduate enrollment alone saw a 9.4 percent drop from Spring 2020, resulting in nearly 1.4 million fewer undergrads than before the pandemic. Although the COVID-19 […]

November 11, 2022

This letter is the latest in a series of guidance to state and local school systems from the federal special education office emphasizing that hardships such as the COVID-19 pandemic and frequent student transfers are unacceptable excuses for not meeting […]

November 11, 2022

Our school has been using online learning since the mid-1990s when we became one of the first to sign up for VHS Learning. Since then, we’ve expanded our use of the program and involved more students. Here are four tips […]

October 27, 2022

Law school students are increasingly both satisfied and comfortable with online learning, according to the 2022 Law School Survey of Student Engagement. The results are a potential sign that the pandemic’s normalization of online classes is bolstering a growing acceptance […]