5 Reasons to Attend the WCET 2026 Annual Conference

Practice

Published by: WCET | 8/13/2026

By Rachel Tasky One of the most persistent public perceptions surrounding online learning is that online courses are inherently less rigorous or lower quality than courses taught in person. The concern surfaces regularly in conversations among prospective students, families, employers, and even faculty who may still associate online learning with earlier generations of digital education […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 8/11/2026

By Megan Raymond and Susan Haught Key Takeaways As the deadline for new accessibility requirements approaches, many education leaders are asking the same question: Where do we even begin? The answer, according to institutions that have been working through the process together, is reassuring: You don’t have to start from scratch, and you don’t have […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 8/6/2026

By Van L. Davis, Ph.D. As America marks its semiquincentennial, it’s leading me to reflect on its 1976 bicentennial. One of my enduring childhood memories is of the Freedom Train that traveled around the United States, carrying various historical documents, including George Washington’s personal copy of the Constitution, a replica of the Liberty Bell, and […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 8/4/2026

By Betsy Piland When hackers took Canvas offline in May, institutions quickly learned that “too big to fail” was not a contingency plan. Cynthia Pascal, Northern Virginia Community College’s Associate Vice President of eLearning, detailed a scenario that will sound familiar to hundreds of institutions across higher ed: a ransomware attack that came at the […]

Policy

Published by: WCET | 7/16/2026

By Cheryl M. Dowd When the federal accountability regulations were released, many higher education professionals might have assumed that the changes primarily affected the financial aid office. However, the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) new Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS) and Earnings Accountability regulations require significant institutional collaboration not only from financial aid and […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 7/10/2026

By Dr. Tekoya Boykins There’s no doubt that artificial intelligence has already changed how people work, access information, and develop new skills, but it is essential for those of us working in higher education to understand that it is also changing learners’ expectations. Risepoint’s 2026 Voice of the Online Learner report suggests that AI is […]

Policy

Published by: WCET | 7/9/2026

By Cheryl M. Dowd The timing of federal financial aid regulations is unusually complex this year. Instead of the traditional July 1 implementation cycle, institutions are navigating a mix of regulations that have been delayed, accelerated, or temporarily blocked by court action. As a result, understanding not only what has changed, but also when those […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 7/2/2026

By Van L. Davis, Ph.D. Hi, I’m Van, and I’m an accidental technologist. (A what? I know. Just stick with me.)  The first time I encountered the internet, I was sitting at a terminal in Vanderbilt University’s computer science building, which still housed the mainframe. It was the early ’90s, and I used that terminal to log into the National Archives and pull up the text […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 6/29/2026

By Karly Dickinson, Psy.D. When we talk about supporting online learners, we’re quick to focus on course design, technology, and academic support services—and rightfully so! Those are all critical aspects of a successful digital learning experience. But those students are more than just learners logging into an LMS. They are employees, caregivers, military service members, […]