Writing the Next Chapter: Distance Learning in the American Higher Ed Story

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, […]

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.