Monday, October 11, 2010
Inside Higher Ed: Gates Foundation's New Program
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/press-releases/Pages/next-generation-learning-challenges-101011.aspx), which has become a major force in pushing for improvements in college completion rates, is now linking that goal to technological innovation.
The foundation today announced a new grant program that will disburse about $20 million over two years, says Josh Jarrett, its senior program officer for postsecondary success. It will focus on projects aiming to scale new technologies to many students — particularly low-income students who are at the highest risk of failing or dropping out.
“We come at this first and foremost around improving completion for low-income young adults,” Jarrett told Inside Higher Ed on Friday. “And so we’re looking for technology to surface and scale those solutions that are particularly focused on improving completion.”
The new grants will comprise the first wave of the Next Generation Learning Challenges (http://nextgenlearning.com/), a series of educational technology grant opportunities the foundation will be rolling out over the next few years in conjunction the the education-technology nonprofit Educause, among others.
It will not be the first time the Microsoft co-founder’s philanthropic organization has supported technology-related projects in higher ed; the foundation has helped fund multiple online learning projects, as well as conferences on how data from online learning might be used to improve retention and learning. Online learning expansions have been the target of many grants in recent years, and not just by Gates, says Jarrett.
This new grants will zero in on technologies that not only expose students to online courses, but make it more probable that they will complete them, better understand the material, and become better students in general, he says. Eligibility for the new grants will depend in part on how easily the technologies involved can be measured to show an impact on students' completion, persistence, learning outcomes, and meta-cognitive skills (communication, collaboration, etc.).
The Next Generation Learning Challenges program will particularly aim to “refine and scale” technology tools that have already been built and deployed on individual campuses and show early signs of promise, Jarrett says. “All too often there’s things that happen in one department or in one classroom, the faculty member next door or the department down the street doesn’t adopt those innovations because they weren’t invented there,” he says.
Jarrett cited the Signals program at Purdue University — which uses data from the learning-management system to identify, early on, students who are at risk of failure — as an example of the sort of technology these grants will be trying to boost. But scaling and improving data analytics is just one priority; doing the same for blended learning programs, novel forms of interactive learning (such as gaming), and promoting high-quality open courses online.
Gates will probably fund 25 to 30 projects initially, reserving funds to “double down” on the more successful ones. It will accept proposals under mid-November, then whittle the applicants down to a set of finalists over the over the following months before announcing the award recipients in March.
— Steve Kolowich
Diverse Issues in Higer Education: Obama Rallies Crowd at Bowie State University
October 8, 2010
BOWIE, Md. — In an effort to infuse a fresh burst of energy among youthful voters, President Barack Obama made his first return visit as Commander-in-Chief to Maryland’s oldest Historically Black University Thursday to rally support for Gov. Martin O’Malley and the state’s Democratic candidates.In a rousing and occasionally humorous speech in which he portrayed Republican contenders as friends of big business who don’t have middle-class interests in mind, Obama cast the Nov. 2 general election as a choice between tax cuts for the rich versus investments in education.
“That is the choice in this election,” Obama told an audience of hundreds of students, alumni, faculty and supporters in the courtyard at Bowie State University. “Instead of tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, we want to make permanent the tax breaks we gave to the middle class, because you deserve a break.”
Obama and a slew of Democratic elected officials seeking to retain office also touted reforms the Obama administration has made in the realm of higher education, such as taking big banks out of the student loan system as middle men and passing the savings on to students.
And they heaped praise upon O’Malley for making Maryland’s public school the top-ranked in the nation, freezing college tuition, driving down crime and overseeing the addition of 30,000 jobs at a time when unemployment rates continue to besiege the nation.
U.S. Rep John Sarbanes (D-Towson, Md.) reminded the audience that Democrats made Pell Grants larger and changed health-care policy so that young people can remain on their parent’s health insurance until age 26.
The rally’s focus on college affordability had an impact on the BSU student body, many of whom say they are feeling the effects of the economy as they struggle to pay for higher education.
“It’s essential that college is affordable,” said Joshua McNeil, 18, a business administration major at BSU. “They definitely got our vote on that one,” McNeil said of the Obama and O’Malley administrations’ efforts to keep college costs in check. McNeil said he was undecided before the speeches of Obama and his Democratic colleagues but now planned to vote for O’Malley.
“I think it definitely got me aware of what’s going on,” McNeil said. “It was confirmation that they were passionate about what they were saying.”
The event was packed with Democratic elected officials who reminded the audience that it was important to vote even though Obama wasn’t on the ballot, lest Republican and Tea Party contenders roll back the clock on Democratic reforms.
U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) stressed the importance of voting for Democrats as a means to securing strong investments in education and thus the nation’s future.
“What are you gonna do?” Cummings asked the crowd.
“Vote!” the crowd said.
“That ain’t enough,” Cummings said. “What if I add a piece onto that? Vote Democratic.”
Majority Leader of the U.S. House Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) invoked the legacy of the civil rights movement and told the audience they owed it to those who fought for the right to vote to go to the polls.
Recalling the dangers that Black voters faced in going to the polls in the past, Hoyer said: “The danger exists only if we don’t vote, only if we don’t affirm President Obama’s agenda to move the nation forward.”
Obama’s speech began at roughly 3:30 and lasted a little over a half hour. It was preceded by soulful gospel renditions of “God Bless America” and the National Anthem.
The BSU marching band played old school classics by the O’Jays and Earth, Wind and Fire. At least one person collapsed because of an apparent heat stroke before the speech and at least two others collapsed, also apparently because of the heat, during the speech.
Obama used the episodes to remind the crowd of the importance of drinking plenty of water and eating before a rally like Thursday’s, “especially when you got a lot of politicians talking.”
There was only one minor disturbance, when someone, apparently inspired by U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), shouted out “You’re a liar,” when Obama started talking about how Republicans had drove the economy into a ditch and Democrats were trying to get the economy back on the road.
The crowd jeered the heckler and he apparently left voluntarily without further incident.
Continuing with his analogy on how economy is a car that Republicans drove into a ditch, Obama said his administration has successfully got the economy out and back on the road.
“It’s got some dents and needs a tune up,” Obama said. “We want to start back on that road to prosperity. But we feel this tap on our shoulder and who is it? It’s the Republicans saying, ‘We want the keys back.’ We have to say, ‘You can’t have the keys back because you don’t know hot to drive’” Obama said, drawing laughter. “We’ll give you a ride if you want, but you got to sit in the back seat because you don’t know how to drive.”
BSU history and Spanish professor James Santiago Mauer said Obama’s speech at BSU will likely eat away at the indifference that has a grip on many young African-Americans and inspire them to become more engaged citizens.
BSU Student Government Association President Kirk Pressley Jr. said Obama’s visit increased hits to the school’s website by 200 percent. Pressley also said the president’s visit prompted several elected officials to plan campus visits to talk to students, which will in turn make the students more politically aware.
Faculty Focus: Online vs. Face-to-Face Throwdown: Good Teaching Transcends Course Format
In the 2009 report, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, the Department of Education reported that “on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”
While this was a welcome validation for proponents of online learning, the report cautioned “that interpretations of this result, however, should take into consideration the fact that online and face-to-face conditions generally differed on multiple dimensions, including the amount of time that learners spent on task.”
In some ways, because online learning often carries greater expectations and opportunities for interacting with course material and fellow students, an increase in time on task is a natural benefit.
“It’s a tough sell sometimes for teachers to convince students that they need to do more on their own, and I think one of the advantages of online education is that students feel that they have more of an investment [when learning] online and they don’t have you as that learning crutch,” says Ike Shibley PhD, associate professor of chemistry at Penn State Berks.
In the recent online video seminar, Teaching Online vs. F2F: 15 Differences That Affect Learning, Shibley talked about how the online classroom differs from the traditional face-to-face classroom, and suggested strategies for capitalizing on those differences to improve student learning.
Some of the 15 differences he discussed involve:
1.The nature of student collaboration
2.The use of writing
3.Student interaction with content
4.The value of structure
5.The need for immediate feedback
6.The dependence on other professionals
7.The ease of assessment
8.The necessity of learning objects
And yet, despite the differences between online teaching and face-to-face teaching, Shibley says the two have a lot more in common than originally believed because, in the end, effective teaching transcends course format. “Some of the differences are advantages. Some of the differences are disadvantages. But I think they’re differences in degree not in kind,” he says.
Permalink: http://www.facultyfocus.com?p=15710
Current News from the Office of Academic Affairs at Dillard University - October 2010
Last Week’s Convocation Speaker – Dr. Saundra McGuire
Dr. McGuire’s convocation presentation was well-received. Her powerful and practical strategies for improving student learning are useful for any student interesting in enhancing the chance of succeeding in college. We have attached it for your use.
Spring 2011 Advising and Registration Begins November 8th
Students interested in securing the ideal schedule should complete the advising and registration process as early as November 8th. Faculty advisors’ office hours should be posted, indicating the days and times they are available to assist you. Expect more details very soon, but feel free to contact me with any questions.
Class of 2013, Your NSSE and CLA Results Are In!
The Office of Assessment is working with Student Affairs to present data to 2009 freshmen as well as all of the classes. Visit NSSE (nsse.iub.edu) and CLA ( http://www.collegiatelearningassessment.org/ ) for more details.
The following assessments are also in the pipeline:
• Fall 2010
o Sophomore Survey - Week of October 25th
o Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) for Freshmen – Week of October 25th
o Faculty Advisor Survey – Week of November 8th
o Student Evaluation of Faculty – Week of November 15th
• Spring 2011
o Collegiate Learning Assessment for Seniors – February
o National Survey of Student Engagement (Freshmen and Seniors) – March
o Faculty Advisor Survey – Week of March 14th
o Student Evaluation of Faculty – Week of April 4th
Carla Morelon-Quainoo, PhD
Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment/Advising
National Director, Global Issues Honors Consortium
LOCATION: Dent Hall, Room 109
PHONE: 504-816-4788
cmorelon@dillard.edu
Upcoming Events from the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition - October 2010
Institute on Peer EducatorsHyatt Regency Indianapolis - Indianapolis, Indiana
0ctober 17 - 19, 2010
Registrations for The Institute on Peer Educators on October 17-19 in Indianapolis, Indiana are still being accepted. This Institute will provide participants with valuable information as well as effective strategies and concepts that positively impact peer leadership experiences and enhance program outcomes. Please visit http://www.sc.edu/fye/ipe for more information. The registration deadline is October 8, 2010, and capacity is limited to 120 participants. The deadline for hotel reservations at the conference rate is September 23.
30th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience
Marriott Atlanta Marquis - Atlanta, GA
February 4 - 8, 2011
As we celebrate our past and move into the future, please join The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition for the 30th anniversary of the Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience. This event has evolved into the premier conference held to share ideas, research, experience, and strategies aimed at improving the quality of education for first-year students. We invite you to be a part of productive collaborations, conversations, and relationships aimed at providing successful transitions in the first college year. Concurrent session, roundtable discussion, and poster session proposals are invited on topics addressing the myriad aspects of the first year of college. All proposals must be received by October 11, 2010. Please visit http://sc.edu/fye/annual/ for more information or to submit a proposal.
17th National Conference on Students in Transition
November 13 - 15, 2010 - Houston, Texas
Educators and students interested in the college student experience from the first year through graduation are invited to attend the 17th National Conference on Students in Transition. Attendees will have the opportunity to share with and learn from each other the latest trends, initiatives, best practices, ideas, research, and assessment strategies focused on supporting student success in these and other transitions. The early registration and hotel discount deadline for the conference is October 22, 2010. Please visit http://www.sc.edu/fye/SIT for more information.
We look forward to working with you at these upcoming professional development opportunities. Please pass this information on to others on your campus or in your networks that share your interest in the first-year experience, students in transition or peer leadership. We hope to see you in Indianapolis, Houston or Atlanta!
Nina L. Glisson
Assistant Director for Conferences and Continuing Education
National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition
http://www.sc.edu/fye/index.html
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