AI is Reshaping Digital Learner Behaviors and Expectations

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, […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 6/18/2026

By Ashleigh Golden, PsyD, MSCP, Chief Clinical Officer, Wayhaven; Adjunct Clinical Faculty, Stanford Medicine Tens of millions of people across the U.S. and Canada are turning to general-purpose AI for help with anxiety, decisions, loneliness, grief, and the general overwhelm of being human. A meaningful share of those people are college and university students, many […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 6/11/2026

By Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, PhD, and Naomi Aguiar, PhD You’ve likely heard that students and faculty are on opposing sides in their perceptions of how generative AI (GenAI) tools are used in higher education. These narratives are based on assumptions and stem from personal stories or any number of recently published opinion pieces. To […]

Policy

Published by: WCET | 6/10/2026

Accreditation is not typically front-page news in digital learning circles, but the latest federal rulemaking effort could reshape how our community operates for years to come.

Practice

Published by: WCET | 6/4/2026

It is not lost on me that the very thing that we often contingency plan around is now in need of its own contingency planning. Online learning, with the LMS at the center of it, is what we turn to in times of extreme disruption, whether that be a global pandemic, a wildfire, or an extreme weather event like a hurricane. What do we do when the LMS fails?

Policy

Published by: WCET | 5/29/2026

Final regulations implementing changes to Pell Grants and establishing Workforce Pell Grants will take effect July 20, 2026, with an option for early implementation on July 1, 2026. These regulations, Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell: Pell Grant Exclusion Relating to Other Grant Aid; and Workforce Pell Grants, implement provisions of […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 5/14/2026

Authored by Rae Mancilla, EdD, Executive Director of University Digital Education; Natalie Baney, MBA, Executive Director of Digital Enrollment; Anthony Delitto, PhD, Associate Provost of Digital Education; and University of Pittsburgh Center for Excellence in Digital Education (Pitt EDGE). Institutional Tradeoffs of Outsourcing the Online Enterprise Institutions of higher education have faced mounting fiscal pressures […]