Hello and welcome to the second part of our series showcasing this year’s WOW Award winners! Last week, we featured the incredible work of the SUNY COIL+OSCQR Standards team. Today, we’re excited to spotlight the Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC) and hear from Christa Wilhite and Krista LeBrun from the Mississippi Community College Board. MSVCC’s […]
Each year, the WCET Awards Program highlights innovative practices in higher education digital learning, honoring individuals and teams that have dedicated their time and effort to advancing our field. Coordinating this program is one of the highlights of my role, especially because it allows me to work with the WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award recipients. […]
This weekend marks the official end of summer and the beginning of fall. Pumpkin spice is back (everywhere), hopefully everyone is settling into the new semester well, my fantasy football team is already doing poorly, and it’s time for one of my favorite traditions—a back-to-school post on Frontiers! As we roll into the fall semester […]
Distance Education or State Authorization Compliance refers to the set of rules, regulations, and standards that educational institutions must follow when offering remote (often online) learning opportunities to students. Ensuring institutional compliance is an arduous task, as rules, standards, and legal requirements are ever- evolving and can vary depending on the state or territory. Recently, […]
There is one last chance for you to participate in the rulemaking process for the recently released distance education-related regulations to inform the U.S. Department of Education (Department) of any concerns prior to the Department issuing the final regulations. We maintain, as discussed in our July WCET Frontiers Post and our public comment, that the […]
On August 2, WCET published our post, Accessibility in the Spotlight: Department of Justice Regulations, on the Department of Justice (DOJ) final rule revising the regulation implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The new regulation establishes requirements for making accessible the services, programs, and activities offered by state and local government […]
This month, WCET is placing a spotlight on digital accessibility, with a particular focus on the newly updated requirements for public entities, including higher education institutions. We kicked off the month with an overview of the recent ADA updates, and today, we are thrilled to continue along this theme. A warm welcome and heartfelt thanks […]
WCET and SAN submitted an extensive public comment on the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed distance education regulations. We invite you to join us in commenting. On July 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) released the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and proposed regulations related to the most recent negotiated rulemaking. The regulatory […]
For today’s post we are happy to welcome members of the WCET Steering Committee to discuss the efforts of the Digital Learning Economics working group. The Steering Committee forms working groups each year to address critical issues in digital learning. In 2024, the focus is on helping digital learning leaders engage effectively in budget and […]
On June 24, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued its final rule revising the regulation implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The new regulation establishes specific requirements, including the adoption of specific technical standards, for making the services, programs, and activities offered by state and local government entities to the […]
Recently WCET had the opportunity to work with a coalition of organizations including the Online Learning Consortium, Complete College America, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education to examine the role that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can play in shaping artificial intelligence. The resulting report, […]
We’ve been waiting with bated breath to see if the U.S. Department of Education would surprise us when they released the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and proposed regulations related to the most recent negotiated rulemaking. Spoiler alert, they have now released the NPRM with proposed rules on distance education. We know that there are […]
A few months ago, we were thrilled to welcome Barry Briggs, one of our interns at WCET and Every Learner Everywhere, as a guest author for a great post about Minority Serving Institutions. Today, we are excited to have Barry back on Frontiers to share his research on the impacts of quality digital learning. This […]
In the last month, you may have seen a flurry of articles indicating the demise of the Federal regulatory landscape as we know it. This is due to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Loper Bright Enterprises vs. Raimondo and Relentless Inc. v. Department of Commerce. Many articles argue that the sky is falling […]
Welcome to WCET Frontiers!Today, we are delighted to feature a guest post by an esteemed author who has been at the forefront of tracking online, hybrid, and technology-supported learning trends in Canada. Since 2019, Nicole Johnson, Executive Director of the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association, has worked to provide valuable insights into the evolving landscape […]
Essential Requirements and Critical Roles In today’s ever-evolving landscape of higher education, Distance Education/State Authorization Compliance[1] plays a crucial role in ensuring institutions follow laws, regulations, and guidelines. This process: Distance Education/State Authorization compliance can be a complex and time-consuming process, as each state has its own set of regulations and requirements for out-of-state institutions. […]
Higher education has an important role to play when it comes to providing information to students searching for educational programs that leads to a license or certification. In that light, what information should be provided by the institution to formerly incarcerated students who are looking for professional or licensure programs? While some states do have […]
I have tremendous respect for the innovative technologies and dedicated educators who tirelessly work to help their students achieve their educational goals. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Julie Delich, who will share her insights on supporting virtual students. Julie will discuss practical steps that instructors and staff can implement, and she’ll also highlight important considerations […]
Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19th, marks a pivotal moment in American history—the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom, years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. This day symbolizes the end of slavery in the United States and is a profound reminder of the resilience and […]
Here at WCET, we are thrilled when we have an opportunity delve deeper into the real-world impact of AI on higher education. To that end, we welcome Meg Barnes from the University of Mississippi’s School of Business, who joins as today to discuss the various ways (including with the help of AI) that their students […]
On June 4, several leading higher education organizations jointly submitted a letter to the Department of Education outlining concerns and support for recent regulatory proposals. The letter focuses on proposals discussed during the Department’s Program Integrity and Institutional Quality negotiated rulemaking sessions. It addresses suggested new compliance requirements for postsecondary distance education courses and programs. […]
In the ever-evolving education landscape, staying informed about the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities is crucial for educators, administrators, and policymakers. We support the Department of Education’s goals in protecting students and financial aid expenditures. Some proposed changes are right on the mark while others may cause more harm than good. If you’re passionate about […]
There is no more hiding from the eventuality of the effective date for new Federal regulations affecting the institutions serving students in programs leading to a license or certification. Institutions and the U.S. Department of Education (Department) have a common goal to support a student participating in an educational program leading to a state license […]
Journalists are currently facing an unprecedented challenge. The relentless 24/7 news cycle, coupled with layoffs, an uncertain business model, and a growing public distrust of media, is putting immense pressure on us. This comes at a time when the world is becoming increasingly complex, and journalists need to contextualize fast-paced news and help a divided […]
On May 1, leading higher education organizations jointly submitted a letter to the Department of Education (the Department) detailing concerns about recently raised proposals regarding state authorization reciprocity agreements. Earlier this year, the Department’s negotiated rulemaking sessions included several recommendations to alter the operations of such state-to-state agreements. The Department was clear that the proposals […]
In case you haven’t noticed, the higher education world is highly focused on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the present and future of postsecondary education. AI’s impact has been and will be felt in many facets of our field, especially within digital education. That is why the WCET team has focused on the topic […]
The Foundations of Higher Education in America Considered the cornerstone of the American higher education system, community colleges have made post-secondary education more accessible and affordable since the early 1900s. However, it is essential to remember that higher education in this country was not created to advance equity and opportunity for commoners. It would not […]
Important proposed regulations affecting distance education were discussed during the Department of Education’s Program Integrity and Institutional Quality negotiated rulemaking sessions that ended on March 7. In brief, you should take action: The Background On March 20th, we published a blog update on the final week of negotiated rulemaking. Despite tons of suggestions and hours of […]
Major changes loom on the horizon for postsecondary distance education programs in the United States, but we are now in a temporary limbo of uncertainty. The Department of Education’s Program Integrity and Institutional Quality negotiated rulemaking sessions ended on March 7. Despite tons of suggestions and hours of discussion, none of the distance and digital […]
A few short weeks ago, WCET staff, presenters, and members joined together for presentations and discussions about the policy and practice of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education. The event, which was exclusively offered to WCET members, took place on February 22, 2024. I was not involved in the planning and implementation of this Summit, so […]
Today’s workplaces are ever evolving, and one of the best consequences of that is the pursuit of equity and access. It is imperative that we not only foster inclusive environments but actively celebrate such workplaces that embrace diversity and recognize those individuals working to advance inclusive initiatives. In today’s post, guest author Sabrina Short, Founder […]
This month, February, WCET’s main focus topic has been on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). February marks Black History Month, an observance that honors the rich histories and acknowledges the invaluable contributions of African Americans across various facets of society. In honor of this Heritage Month, we wanted to highlight the the inclusive and […]
The film Nyad is sometimes difficult to watch as the titular character braves her way through a Cuba to Florida swim that took 53 hours of non-stop swimming. Along the way she is besieged by poisonous jellyfish, sharks, exhaustion, and the constant battering of waves. We feel a connection with her. Last week was the […]
Happy 2024! I know you are probably a little sick of top 10 lists for things that went well, were trendy, or went poorly in 2023. So, I’ve made a top 12 list instead. Today we’re looking at our readership and views for the WCET Frontiers blog over the past year. In 2023, we published […]
Post-secondary education serves as a cornerstone for personal development and plays a large role in shaping an individual’s career path. Such an education provides the opportunity to increase a student’s understanding of their chosen field and to develop important skills for their daily personal and work life. Experiential and practical experiences associated with a course […]
While I feel that the pandemic brought the impact of mental and physical health on daily life more into focus, it’s still hard for us to balance wellness with work. I love my work, but this is a daily struggle for me. Throw some health challenges into the mix, and suddenly that juggling act gets […]
Here we go again! Significant changes to postsecondary distance education operations emerged from the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) Winter 2024 negotiated rulemaking discussion. The proposed changes could be huge and we suggest you read or scroll through this post to see what might affect you and your students. For example, state authorization reciprocity could […]
In Hanna-Barbera’s 1962-63 space age cartoon, The Jetsons, Jetson’s son Elroy is enrolled in Little Dipper School with a robotic teacher, Miss Brainmocker. In this depiction, there is not a human teacher in sight, just robotic Miss Brainmocker. It’s safe to say, that in the future there is either no Department of Education or a […]
In the realm of excellence, there are those who go above and beyond to achieve greatness. Their dedication, passion, and outstanding contributions set them apart, and it is important to honor those contributions with prestigious awards. Today, the State Authorization Network (SAN), a division of WCET – the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies, not only […]
ChatGPT recently turned one and what a wild, first year it has been. Over the last twelve months, institutions have scrambled to not only better understand generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on teaching and learning, but also to determine the best ways to provide guardrails and guidance for faculty, staff, and students. Many […]
As promised in my most recent post, I wanted to continue to share feedback and reflections about this year’s WCET Annual Meeting and the Annual Summit for Women in eLearning (ASWE) . I asked some of the WCET leadership and friends to share takeaways and topics that threaded through the entire event (especially those that […]
As my plane took off from the airport in New Orleans, LA a few weeks ago, I had a smile on my face. That smile was due to the wonderful experience of this year’s WCET Annual Meeting. This year I attended several meetings and sessions that brought up fresh topics to learn about, networked with […]
WCET would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and show appreciation for our veterans and military affiliated families. Thank you to those who currently serve and have served in the U.S. Armed Services. WCET Frontiers would like to honor our veterans by sharing about the history of Veterans Day and also share some updates […]
Today, WCET’s parent company, WICHE – the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, is holding its Commission Meeting in California. During this meeting, Commission members, higher education leaders from each of the WICHE states, and WICHE staff will meet to orient new Commissioners, discuss the work of WICHE and WICHE member states, hold committee meetings […]
This is the second of our two-part blog post series on the recently released U.S. Department of Education regulations. The first covered new rules regarding programs leading to professional licensure. This one is about institutions complying with closure requirements in each state in which it serves students. We, especially, analyze the impact on the more […]
This is the first of our two-part blog post series on the recently released U.S. Department of Education (the Department) regulations. This post covers new regulations regarding programs leading to professional licensure. The second post is about institutions complying with closure requirements in each state in which it serves students. We have made the Federal […]
Today we welcome several staff from the eLearning Department at Sinclair Community College, who are here to share about a new tool they use for designing and evaluating digital courses. Sinclair Community College prioritizes transformative teaching and learning reflecting the Dayton region’s goal of holistic diversity. The college’s mission reflects the historic words of its […]
Today we continue the 2023 WOW Awards series here on Frontiers! If you missed the first post in our series, check out the post about RIOPACT from Rio Salado College. This week, we’re joined by Brad Griffith, Associate Vice Chancellor […]
This month, WCET selected Academic Integrity as our focus area theme. I always associate October with academic integrity because of the International Center for Academic Integrity’s (ICAI) International Day Against Contract Cheating – which, this year, is being re-framed as […]
The State Authorization Network (SAN) is pleased to release a very thorough examination of state authorization of distance education through the lens of a colleague who witnessed many steps in the development of consumer protections for students participating in interstate […]
Each year, the goal of the WCET Awards Program is to highlight and showcase promising practices in higher education digital learning and to honor those who have dedicated their time and energies to our field. It is an absolute honor […]
Introduction Online learning, hybrid learning, hyflex learning, blended learning, and distance education. What are the differences between these terms that necessitate the creation of novel words for variations of modality? What goes into the institutional decisions on defining these terms? […]
National HBCU Week, a White House initiative to gather HBCU representatives, federal agencies, and supporting organizations, kicked off this week in Arlington, Virginia. The theme this year is “Raising the Bar: Forging Excellence through Innovation & Leadership.” Prior to the […]
Over the last several months, WCET has been researching and developing resources on Artificial Intelligence and the use of Generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT in higher education digital learning. An important aspect of our work in this area is […]
WCET members spend countless hours in committee meetings trying to finesse definitions for digital learning modalities. Help is on the way!!! Nicole Johnson’s new WCET-sponsored paper addresses the basic question: “What to do when a modality of a learning experience […]
While the benefits of attaining a post-secondary credentials are numerous, it is not a given that learners will have the necessary support and resources to successfully complete said credentials. Community colleges provide more flexibility and support to students in order […]
This month (September 2023) WCET is focusing on Culturally Responsive Digital Learning. While I, personally, had heard of this pedagogical framework, I didn’t have a lot of experience in this space. And, as a proponent of owning up to our […]
The biggest topic in higher education right now, at least in my opinion, is artificial intelligence. There are various stories in higher education news about what impact AI will have on students, instructors, and the education field at large. This […]
States and Institutions Need More Time We have had more time to consider the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed regulations on programs leading to professional licensure and state authorization reciprocity. The Department might release final rules that are close to […]
August is Data Protection, Privacy, and Student Agency month here at WCET. This month we’ve set our focus for events and resources on the importance of cybersecurity and data protection. Today’s post, from WCET’s own Rosa Calabrese, zeros in on […]
My History with Online Courses Welcome to the third and final post in our series on higher education enrollment shifts. In our first post, the WCET Steering Committee work group focusing on this area reviewed historical enrollment trends, changes in […]
As we approach the fall semester we also approach the start of the first full academic year in a generative AI, ChatGPT world. We’ve heard that many institutions have used the summer to examine how they will integrate (or not) […]
Welcome to the second post in our series on higher education enrollment shifts. In our first post, the WCET Steering Committee work group focusing on this area reviewed historical enrollment trends, changes in student markets, and what may be coming […]
In April 2023, the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) undertook a national survey to ascertain how and why postsecondary institutions are using Artificial Intelligence to support instruction and learning, what policies are in place, and what are the perceived […]
This month, WCET will be focusing on enrollment trends and the impact those trends will have on higher education. To kick off the theme, the WCET Steering Committee work group on enrollment joins us for the start of their Frontiers […]
As a membership organization made up of nearly 900 institutions across the United States, the SAN team considers it of the upmost importance to provide opportunities for our institutional colleagues to share the unique experiences of working in compliance at […]
As states and institutions struggle with how to teach about equity, diversity, and inclusion, WCET and Every Learner Everywhere are celebrating Juneteenth by highlighting stories of how Black history is being discussed at institutions and organizations. We invited the WCET […]
The WCET Steering Committee Microcredentialing workgroup is a small and passionate group of higher education leaders and practitioners. Led by Krysia Lazarewicz, Wiley University Services, and Suzanne Ehrlich, University of North Florida, the group has had discussions since December 2022 […]
Hello and welcome to WCET’s annual summer media review and recommendations list! Each summer we like to share our staff’s recommendations for fun reads, listens, and watches for the summer. These suggestions are a mix of personal and professional development […]
As higher education institutions seek to support learners in a more holistic and comprehensive manner, many are turning to wraparound services to ensure that learners’ full range of needs are addressed. Specifically, wraparound services are programs and support initiatives that […]
As we revealed in our recent post, ED’s New Proposed Regulations: Part 1, State Authorization Reciprocity, the Department of Education’s new package of proposed regulations includes issues that could have a big impact on institutions that offer programs in other […]
Big changes could be in store for institutions that offer programs in other states and for the students they serve. This might surprise you as recent press articles about the Department of Education’s new proposed regulations focused solely on Gainful […]
Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness month? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the U.S. has observed this since 1949. The month is a focused “national movement to raise awareness about mental health.” You […]
A general perusal of Inside Higher Education, Chronicle of Higher Education, or the internet in general turns up countless fears that generative AI, especially in the form of large language models such as ChatGPT, will increase attacks on academic integrity. […]
As we start our new awards season here at WCET, we’re thrilled to continue to feature our previous honorable mentions for the 2022 WOW Award. Our judges were so impressed by this project and the inspiration the team showed that […]
In this post, Rosa Calabrese (WCET’s Manager, Digital Design) and Russ Poulin (WCET’s Executive Director) share our organization’s journey over this past year in improving our website. We have made much progress and there is still more to be done. […]
This month WCET has focused on accessibility. As you may or may not know, we’ve been undertaking an accessibility review and revision of our entire website and document development practices. We held a WCET Webcast this month to feature the […]
Since our last blog in January on generative artificial intelligence (AI), the field has changed by leaps and bounds: Open AI released GPT4, Microsoft released its AI empowered Bing, and, Google recently released Bard. The higher education press continues to […]
The feeling of belonging is, in my opinion and experience, a truly important factor for anyone’s success in an educational or even professional environment. The courses that I remember the most, the ones that I felt made the greatest impression […]
A few weeks ago we started our feature of recent WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award winners. Today we continue that feature with one of our WOW Honorable Mentions – Oregon State University Ecampus and their outstanding work developing a custom […]
As we travel further into this post-pandemic era, I am struck by a recurring theme. The mix of courses with digital components demanded by students and offered by institutions has changed. And this shift is having real impact on campuses. […]
Providing uniform consumer protection for distance education students located in all member states is a hallmark of the interstate reciprocity agreement known as the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). States that chose to join the agreement, often through state legislation […]
Each year, I have the honor of coordinating the WCET Awards initiative. The goal of our awards program is to highlight those doing great work in higher education digital learning. I feel so lucky to get the chance each year […]
The U.S. Department of Education is listening! Their February 15 press release (see our post about it) provides opportunities to inform the Department on two separate but related topic areas. We hope that you will take one or more of […]
As previewed in a fall WCET Frontiers post, WCET and SAN have been conducting an analysis of “distance education” definitions used by federal agencies, states, accreditors, and others. The purpose of this review is to highlight the challenges and risks […]
Today’s blog explores Regular and Substantive Interaction through a learning science-based approach to course design and instruction. Thank you to Kristen Betts, Clinical Professor at Drexel University, and Karyn Holt, Vice President of Institutional Partnerships & Research at INTERACT123, for […]
I know, I know, many of you are questioning the title of today’s post … “having fun?” plus “regular and substantive interaction” … what? But, as our authors will show you, it’s totally possible. And a great idea, for your […]
Did you hear that loud noise last Wednesday? For those in the middle of the country, it was the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade. For those in higher education, the U.S. Department of Education created its own rumblings by releasing […]
So, this post was written(?) generated(?)by ChatGPT. Mostly, but not fully. If you’re like us, you’re reading many of the articles and news about ChatGPT with excitement, sometimes confusion, and often apprehension. Many of the WCET team members have accessed ChatGPT […]
Today’s blog emphasizes the need to continue iterating on how digital learning works and how we can leverage technology to deliver successful outcomes for learners. Thank you to Katie Brown, founder of EnGen, for this look at the shift to […]
I’ve written a couple blog posts already introducing different aspects of cybersecurity, including a general introduction to the topic and a description of common password issues. Today I want to talk to you about a certain kind of cybersecurity threat […]
At this year’s WCET Annual Meeting, Brandon Karcher, the Manager of Instructional Technology at Bucknell University, facilitated an unconference session titled “Higher Ed Technology: Innovative or Overwhelming.” A thought-provoking Twitter thread flowed from the session, further considering the proliferation of […]
Today we welcome back Kara Monroe, friend of WCET and President and Founder, Monarch Strategies, to continue her discussion of the future of higher education. Specifically, today’s post focuses on institution and industry partnerships and how institutional leadership and staff […]
Today’s post, from three inspirational leaders in the digital and eLearning fields, considers the strengths brought from those who have a background in The Arts. As a musician, theater nerd, and amateur embroiderer, I absolutely enjoyed their discussion and wholeheartedly […]
Does anyone else feel like we are constantly on a precipice – waiting for the next “big thing” to tip us over? I do feel that way often, whether I’m thinking about my professional life, technological advances, or an innovative […]
Professional development is a highly important factor to our success. This is why we are sharing information on Every Learner Everywhere’s upcoming series “Strategies for Success Through Digital Learning.” This program includes access to a community of practice. Today, we’re […]
In 2019, I asked our readers the question “how do you ensure quality in online courses?” This question was part of my introduction to a fantastic article written by Aimee deNoyelles from the University of Central Florida. Aimee discussed UCF’s […]
By now you’ve likely seen the hubbub over ChatGPT, OpenAI’s new chat bot trained on their large language model AI GPT 3.5. Some of the more provocative announcements about the impact of artificial intelligence include: This is the end of […]
Three postsecondary institutions each earned a 2022 SANsational Award for the creation of innovative processes and structures to manage state and federal regulatory compliance for out-of-state activities of the postsecondary institution. Since 2015, the State Authorization Network (SAN), a division […]
Today WCET Frontiers welcomes Shani Suber, Dean of E-learning Effectiveness and Enhancement with Dallas College and member of the WCET Steering Committee! Shani joins us to talk about her transformative journey using digital learning tools to better help students achieve […]
A new SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) Policy Modification Process was approved by its oversight Board last summer. This new process will offer increased transparency and public participation in the development of SARA Policy additions and revisions to manage reciprocity […]
As digital learning professionals, we know that there are a variety of issues that can factor into student success in a digital course. Such issues range from access to the necessary technologies and bandwidth to better understanding instructor expectations for […]
Each year (except for a few recent years that we don’t want to think about) WCET community members, higher education practitioners, and the WCET staff join together to celebrate, collaborate, share, learn, and laugh at the WCET Annual Meeting. After […]
We normally do not repost content from other sources, but today’s Frontiers entry is a notable exception. November brings us in the United States two great holidays focused on giving thanks. This week is Thanksgiving, but we also are very […]
What is “Regular and Substantive Interaction”? Congress created a distinction between the definitions of “distance education” and “correspondence education” for purposes of federal financial aid eligibility. The distinction is that distance education courses include “regular and substantive interaction” (or RSI) […]
Image by David Mark from Pixabay ‘Tis the season for all things pumpkin, brisk mornings, and the release of new U.S. Department of Education final regulations! WCET and the State Authorization Network (SAN) have been closely following and reporting about […]
Today I’m thrilled to help kick off our Frontiers and WCET Steering Committee working group series on equity and quality in higher education digital learning. Throughout the next several weeks, we will hear from Steering Committee members and experts in […]
Today WCET Frontiers welcomes Kelly Otter, Dean of the School of Continuing Studies at Georgetown University, to discuss the University’s program to assist refugees in the Middle East. This outstanding work will have an incredible impact for refugee students, and […]
Overview and Introduction Today, we conclude the WCET blog series on microcredentials which set out to address the inception, implementation, and evaluation of microcredentialing approaches across the higher education industry. We learned that there is a wide range of reasons […]
Welcome to the continuation of the WCET + WCET Steering work group series focused on microcredential initiatives. This series explores microcredential adoption, implementation, and evaluation. Previously, the series has reviewed the importance of understanding the strategic goals of microcredential projects, […]
What term do you use to describe a course where technology allows faculty and students to connect over space and time? Any/all of these? Distance learning. Online learning. Blended learning. Hybrid learning. Hyflex learning. Digital learning. Remote learning. Emergency remote […]
Password security is, simultaneously, one of the most important and most hated aspects of cybersecurity. To many – myself included – it’s frustrating and confounding that everyone should need so many passwords, each of which contain more complex characters, just […]
It’s Back to School time and while the season is filled with its typical excitement for new beginnings, this year there are certainly additional considerations when it comes to heading back to campus. Today we welcome back Kara Monroe, who […]
The one constant in life is change. The variable is the pace of change. And lately, it seems change has accelerated. Image by Andreas Glöckner from Pixabay The academic year has either just started, or you are preparing for it […]
Welcome to the continuation of the WCET + WCET Steering work group series focused on microcredential initiatives. This series explores microcredential adoption, implementation, and evaluation. Previously, the series has reviewed the importance of understanding the strategic goals of microcredential projects […]
In November 2019, the WCET community of higher education digital learning leaders and practitioners met in Denver for one of our largest and most successful Annual Meetings. At the end of the event, we were excited to see everyone the […]
Whenever we hear of intriguingly innovative programs happening in the digital learning space, we hasten to share the details with you. That’s why we’re excited to help showcase a new online program focused in on the lifelong learning space that […]
July brought us the next chapter chronicling the U.S. Department of Education rulemaking process. WCET and the State Authorization Network (SAN) have been following the rulemaking process, which began with the preview of the second Biden administration negotiated rulemaking committee, […]
Today, WCET’s policy team shares important updates about guidance from the Department regarding approval for accreditation changes. Due to an important federal regulatory change that became effective July 1, 2020, which expanded formerly “regional accreditors” beyond specific geographic areas for […]
Today on Frontiers, we’re happy and also sad to welcome Dr. Elaine Villanueva Bernal, who, for the past several months, has served as the STEM, Digital Learning Strategist for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, here at WCET. Elaine’s post looks back […]
Today I’m thankful to welcome, again, Kara Monroe, President and Founder of Monarch Strategies LLC to continue her Frontiers series on leadership in higher education digital learning. This post, a reflection on mental health, especially as it pertains to caring for […]
While it seems we have an increasing number of options when it comes to virtual services and activities – anything from banking, to food delivery to scavenger hunts – the virtual world can be lacking when it comes to social […]
What is a microcredential? A certificate? Bootcamp? If you are confused, you are not alone. Currently, there are no industry-wide standard definitions for microcredentials. There are several national initiatives coalescing around developing standard terms to provide cohesion and clarity. While […]
Recently, a friend texted me to complain about the cybersecurity training she had to do for work, and then asked, jokingly, how I can bear to follow and study the subject matter. I completely understand her complaint. Photo by Patrick […]
Publication of the Department of Education’s proposed professional licensure and reciprocity rules will be delayed until 2023. In March we alerted you to two proposed changes to U.S. Department of Education regulations from its Negotiated Rulemaking process earlier this year. […]
WCET + Every Learner Everywhere Celebrate Juneteenth Juneteenth, or “Freedom Day” is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth not only celebrates the freedom of African Americans from slavery, but it also […]
Next week we observe Juneteenth – a day to commemorate the announcement in Texas that slaves had been granted freedom during the Civil War, a day to reflect on the true meaning of “freedom” and cultural tradition. Inspired by this, […]
It has been an action-packed year thus far on the Federal regulatory front. In January, we shared a preview of the “coming attractions” and encouraged you to grab some popcorn and watch along with us. And, while we’re only through […]
WCET Frontiers is happy to again welcome Kara Monroe, President and Founder of Monarch Strategies LLC to continue her article series on leadership in higher education digital learning. This post, a reflection on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for higher education […]
We live in a drastically different world than we did just a few years ago. In particular, the higher education part of the world has seen some challenges – and has changed in response. Today’s higher education environment has shifted, […]
The WCET Steering Committee work group focused on Credentials is kicking of a blog series sharing good practices and lessons learned with microcredential initiatives. The blogs will explore various topics related to microcredential adoption, implementation, and evaluation. The blogs feature […]
Don’t you just love performance evaluations? I do! Just kidding, is there anyone who truly loves being evaluated on their job or teaching performance? I do, however, appreciate the opportunity to learn and improve my work or teaching (etc.). So, […]
The changing nature of digital learning and postsecondary education in the post-COVID era has brought new opportunities and challenges for the quality assurance provided by the accreditation process. In a preview of a plenary session to be held at the […]
Thank you to Kathryn Kerensky of WCET’s State Authorization Network for today’s blog, and thank you to Van Davis and Emilie Cook of Every Learner Everywhere for assistance and strategic direction. Enjoy! There is a role for everyone to play […]
WCET welcomes Kara Monroe, President and Founder of Monarch Strategies LLC. Today we are continuing the article series on leadership in higher education digital learning. This is the third blog post in the featured series. Enjoy the previous posts: “Shifting from […]
An urgent need caused the creation of the State Authorization Network (SAN) by our parent organization WCET (the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies). In October 2010, to the great surprise of many institutions and states, the U.S. Department of Education […]
Recently, the organization that I lead, the Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas (DigiTex), was honored to receive a grant from Greater Texas Foundation to support a two-year project, Harnessing Course Sharing to Support Texas Pathways at Scale. The funding, […]
Last fall, WCET relaunched the WCET website. And, to be honest, Frontiers got a little jealous. So, what else could we do except give Frontiers an update as well? As you can see, we’ve made several design and feature changes […]
WCET welcomes Kara Monroe, President and Founder of Monarch Strategies LLC. In partnership with her, WCET is launching a new article series on the continued shifts in leadership in higher education and educational technology. This is the second blog post […]
We are pleased to welcome Ryan Faulkner of College of Eastern Idaho as today’s guest blogger. We often hear about the great things that large institutions are doing, but we have many members at smaller colleges and universities who are […]
Earlier this week, we shared some very important issues from recent Federal rulemaking that will likely have a big effect on distance education. You probably have heard much more about the other “bigger” issues addressed during this rulemaking such as […]
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash The annual NCAA college basketball tournament, celebrated nationally and called the “Big Dance” or “March Madness,” began last week with great hoopla. Simultaneously, another form of “competition” occurred – the final week of the […]
WCET welcomes Kara Monroe, President and Founder of Monarch Consulting. In partnership, WCET is launching a new article series on the continued shifts in leadership in higher education and educational technology. This is the first blog in the series and […]
WCET + Every Learner Everywhere Celebrate Women’s History Month To celebrate Women’s History Month, WCET and Every Learner invited inspiring women to share their reflections on International Women’s Day’s 2022. The 2022 theme is “Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness against bias. […]
WCET is happy host the National Consortium of Open Educational Resources (NCOER), which facilitates collaborative efforts of the four regional higher education compacts: Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), […]
Today we welcome guest author, Pamela D. Williams from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Pamela’s experience saving a baby bird is analogous to how we jumped in and provided emergency remote teaching during the pandemic and the lessons that follow. Thank […]
Today our blog author, Todd Zipper with Wiley University Services, highlights trends that are impacting higher education and shares research insights to help illuminate how the ecosystem of teaching, learning, students, and employers are evolving and responding. Thank you Todd. […]
How many of you like surprises? Surprises can be great fun, but let’s be clear that rulemaking surprises are sometimes more like encountering the clown from IT. Not to be left out, Congress is also providing its own surprise so […]
Thank you to today’s author, Van Davis, who shares key findings from a new collaborative report from OLC, WCET, and Every Learner Everywhere about understanding the important role that adjunct instructors play in online education. The blog also shares six […]
Today on WCET Frontiers, author David Helene talks about the role of basic needs coordinators and how the emergence of the position at higher education institutions supports students throughout their learning journey. Thank you David for highlighting ways basic needs […]
We are thrilled that Anita Gabbard and Beth Nettles from the University of Central Florida, share their journey of creating a digital badge program for hybrid work. Their responsiveness to the challenge of preparing staff to successfully work in a […]
The University of Arkansas Cossatot is a small community college in the southwest corner of Arkansas with approximately 1,400 students. Among two-year colleges in Arkansas, we lead in OER usage, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took collaboration between college […]
The self-proclaimed “policy nerds” at WCET and WCET|SAN began looking forward to 2022, and we started to marvel at all the policy issues for digital learning in higher education that will be in play this year. Some significant changes for […]
The self-proclaimed “policy nerds” at WCET and WCET/SAN began looking forward to 2022, and we started to marvel at all the policy issues for digital learning in higher education that will be in play this year. Some significant changes for […]
Today’s blog outlines five steps educators can implement to ensure that we are approaching our work from a learner first perspective. Thank you to WCET Member O’Donnell Learn and Carrie O’Donnell for this thoughtful blog that will help reach and […]
We are happy to have Patti O’Sullivan provide us with an update on Every Learner’s advances over the past year with a special focus on their attention to increasing equity in the ways institutions serve students.WCET enjoys a dual role […]
WCET staff–thank you for your on-going support of the WCET Frontiers blog. Over the holidays, we wanted to offer you the chance to review posts that you may have missed but had been popular with your peers. Rather than evoking […]
Institutional procedures to comply with state and federal law are unique to an institution’s activities and administrative structure. Regardless, much can be gained from observing the work of exemplars and sharing practical strategies deployed at other institutions. The State Authorization […]
This week’s WCET Frontiers blog is written by guest author Alexandra M. Pickett, Director, SUNY Online Teaching, SUNY Online with The State University of New York. The blog features updates to The SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric, OSCQR. OSCQR […]
Today’s post looks at how accessibility can be incorporated into online experiences with some simple and actionable steps that improve learning and success for all. Thank you Brandon Smith for providing excellent strategies for improving accessibility, the importance of continuous […]
Thank you to our many military veterans! As we look forward to Veterans Day, we wish to honor the men and women who serve and who have served in the U.S. Armed Services. WCET Frontiers frequently shares information regarding Veterans […]
The 33rd WCET Annual Meeting took place on November 2nd in our virtual platform. The event was a one-day conference which included two pre-conference workshops as well as post-conference sessions taking place this week and next. Although we were disappointed […]
With today’s post, we continue the WCET Steering Committee’s series on student return on investment (ROI) and the role of digital learning in improving that return. Thank you to Chantae Recasner of Northeast Lakeview College in San Antonio, Texas. She […]
“Learning happens everywhere. Somehow, we have to figure out how to recognize that learning.” That was one of the closing thoughts that stuck with me when I sat in on an interview between WCET’s Executive Director, Russ Poulin, and the […]
Thank you to WCET Steering Committee member Adam Cota and his colleagues, Sarah DeMark and Kacey Thorne, for the next entry in our series on student Return on Investment (ROI) in higher education and the role of digital learning in […]
Thank you to WCET Steering Committee member Justin Louder for the next entry in our series on student Return on Investment (ROI) in higher education and the role of digital learning in the equation. Justin shows how a creative public/private […]
It started before COVID-19. Students, families, businesses, and those considering college questioned the value, the “return on investment” (ROI), of postsecondary education. Could they do better doing something else? Was the debt worth it? Is college for them? Those questions […]
Welcome to our continued celebration of 2021 WOW awardees! We’re joined today by Jenny L. Reichart, who is the Faculty Development Specialist and Inclusion Ambassador with the Teaching Transformation and Development Academy (TTaDA) at the University of North Dakota (UND). […]
It started before COVID-19. Students, families, businesses, and those considering college questioned the value, the “return on investment” (ROI), of postsecondary education. Could they do better doing something else? Was the debt worth it? Is college for them? Those questions […]
Welcome to our continued celebration of 2021 WOW awardees! We’re joined today by Connie Johnson and Ellise Farber, both from Colorado Technical University, who were nominated this year for the Messenger app via CTU Mobile, which provided real time communication […]
Welcome to our continued celebration of 2021 WOW awardees! We’re joined today by Melissa Vito and Claudia Arcolin, both from The University of Texas at San Antonio who shared the following post about UTSA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their […]
Welcome to our continued celebration of 2021 WOW awardees! We’re joined today by Alicia Montgomery Dunlap and Aimee Greene both from the University of Louisville, who wrote the following post about the outstanding work from the staff with Louisville’s Delphi […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic lurches on, many employers, including postsecondary institutions, are navigating the reality of what many feel is the future of work: remote employment. By the end of 2021, its predicted that over a quarter of the workforce […]
Today we continue our celebration of 2021 WOW awardees with a post from Rachel S. Thompson, Director, Center for Instructional Technology Office of Information Technology with The University of Alabama. When the higher education world moved online due to the […]
WCET’s staff and Steering Committee work groups continue their efforts toward increasing access to quality higher education. Previously our work groups have shared incredible research and discussed opportunities for creating a more equitable and inclusive future for higher education and […]
Today’s post from Chantae Recasner, Dean, Academic Success with Northeast Lakeview College – Alamo Colleges District and the WCET Steering Committee working group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, who joins us to close out the Frontiers series started at the […]
Today we begin one of my favorite parts of the year – and no, it’s not pumpkin spice season (although that is up there…), it’s WOW celebration season! For the next several weeks, WCET Frontiers will feature blog post authors […]
On July 1, 2021, the Department of Education released the final set of proposed regulations stemming from the 2019 Negotiated Rulemaking process (the Distance Education and Innovation Regulations). As part of these regulations, the definition of “distance education” in Chapter […]
Today’s post from Anna Porcaro and Robert McGuire continues our series on “Enabling Difference.” Today’s post, a joint post with Every Learner Everywhere, focuses on technology barriers to equity students face with ideas on how to move past them. We’re […]
Today’s post from Adam Cota with the WCET Steering Committee working group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion highlights how Adam’s institution, Western Governors University, uses data analytics to accomplish equity and diversity goals. This post continues the series started earlier […]
Today’s post from Janelle Elias with the WCET Steering Committee working group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion reviews her research on how WCET member institutions are addressing equity work in strategic plans. This post continues the series started earlier this […]
Conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have recently taken center stage on many college and university campuses. Institutions are setting goals to make their campuses more diverse and inclusive and embarking on strategic initiatives to close equity gaps. Within […]
Today Frontiers is excited to welcome Rebecca Karoff, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs with The University of Texas System to tell us about the work of the DOERS3 Collaborative, specifically the OER Equity Blueprint and the Equity Through OER […]
Institutions that offer programs to students who utilize Veterans Benefits must be aware of institutional compliance requirements that are to be observed by August 1, 2021. Our colleague Leah Matthews, Executive Director and CEO, Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), joins […]
We, at WCET, often hear how institutions and state systems are being pushed by state leaders to be more attentive to state workforce needs. We also hear about the innovations that are happening in the many types of postsecondary credentials […]
Today’s blog is a conversation with a Feng Hou, Founder of Pistis.io and Chief Digital Transformation Evangelist at Maryville University. Feng talks about the power, potential, and application of digital ledger technology, i.e., blockchain, in education. Feng’s a visionary who […]
Maybe it is a little cheeky to say celebrating, but we are all on this crazy journey together to manage these institutional requirements. The federal regulations require notifications in order for institutions to participate in Title IV HEA programs, and […]
Today I am happy to welcome Vickie Cook with the University of Illinois Springfield, who joins us to discuss recent study undertaken on distributed leadership models and the experiences of using such models in our daily educational work. Thank you […]
We are just now figuring out that both accrediting agencies and institutions may have more work ahead of them in meeting federal requirements regarding oversight of distance learning programs. Image by kalhh from Pixabay Sometimes at first look, we don’t […]
The WCET team has committed to working toward a more equitable world through our work on digital learning in higher education. This fall we will dedicate the month of August to discussion of equity and inclusion in higher education, planned and […]
NC-SARA has opened a two month opportunity for SARA state members, SARA participating institutions, and members of the public to submit comments regarding the 21st Century Guidelines from June 2, 2021 through August 2, 2021. Institutions that obtain state institutional […]
Regular readers of WCET Frontiers will recall that we avidly follow the U.S. Department of Education’s quest to develop regulations through the negotiated rulemaking process. Rulemaking is a complicated and intriguing process. Our colleagues, Jeannie Yockey-Fine with NC-SARA and Shari […]
This week we saw the start of what we have been expecting from the new administration – new rulemaking. Experts have shared for months that the Biden Administration and the Department of Education have prioritized several issues to address including: […]
WCET and the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA) announce today’s release of a new joint report: “Research Review: Educational Technologies and Their Impact on Student Success for Racial and Ethnic Groups of Interest.” Purpose The events […]
Today’s guest authors, Mary Ellen Dello Stritto and Rebecca Thomas from the Ecampus Research Unit with Oregon State University’s Ecampus are here to discuss how social scientists can contribute to online teaching and learning research. Thank you to both of […]
What is the value of a college education? The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Postsecondary Value Commission released today the first in a series of reports, data tools, and action agendas to address this elusive question. Students, parents, employers, and […]
This month WCET wrapped its two-part epic mini-series Practical Considerations for an Uncertain Future. Both sessions were filled with, as our Executive Director put it, never-ending and only slightly miserable chess/Queen’s Gambit, Star Wars, and Star Trek references plus amazing […]
For the last several years, WCET has shared about the implications on GI Benefits for Veterans who participate in courses solely online. Student utilizing GI Bill benefits who participate in a full-term course load solely at a distance are eligible […]
Last semester, I began a graduate program to study Technology, Cybersecurity, and Policy. I have also, like many other people, been digging deeper into learning about anti-racism since the summer of 2020. As my learning about these two topics coincided, […]
During the 2020 presidential campaign, then candidate Joe Biden released a sweeping higher education platform that, in addition to free community college, included calls for increased federal investment in minority serving institutions (MSIs), doubling the Pell grant, and increasing workforce […]
Ten years ago on April 6th, the first meeting of the initial members of WCET’s State Authorization Network (SAN) was held in Boulder, Colorado. To honor SAN’s 10th Birthday, I asked the founder of SAN, Russ Poulin, to reflect on […]
There are always new books. Several books have either come across my desk or caught my attention this year. Wish I (and all of you) had more time to get all the reading done that we would like to accomplish. […]
Later today WCET will be hosting the first of its new member only events called Closer Conversations. These events are meant to foster active engagement and discussion between several higher education digital learning experts and attendees. in honor of International […]
Highsmith, C. M., photographer. Sculptor Robert I. Aitken’s statue, “The Future,” Recently, Josh Kim in his Inside Higher Education blog, Learning Innovation, suggested that any discussion of the future of higher education should be informed by an understanding of the […]
One of my favorite parts of the work I get to do for WCET is helping to honor our members and colleagues in the field that accomplish outstanding acts of service dedicated to improving student success in higher education. That’s […]
Happy #OEWeek! This week we celebrated with our WCET, higher education, and open education community on social media and learned through a wonderful guest post from Jenny Parks and Regina Gong. Check out their post for information on leveraging partnerships […]
Happy Open Education Week! What can be accomplished when we all work together for educational equity? This week’s blog post by Jenny Parks and Regina Gong answers that question (Hint: the answer is going to blow your mind and make […]
Providing and supporting education today requires instructors and practitioners to be highly knowledgeable, flexible, and adaptable, and to have a whole toolbox full of technology and teaching related skills. This is especially true now that they are teaching or supporting […]
Cover of the 60 Minutes transcript So, how did the mass media view online education two decades ago? On February 18, 2001, the CBS news magazine 60 Minutes ran the segment “Online U,” which discussed the emergence of online offerings […]
2020 sure was challenging, difficult, unique, interesting (?), and [insert other adjectives here]. As we said last week, we’re in a new year, but are, sadly, still facing similar issues as we were just a few months ago. But who […]
2020 sure was challenging, difficult, unique, interesting (?), and [insert other adjectives here]. Now that we are in a new year, (but are, sadly, still facing similar issues as we were just a few months ago) WCET is curious what […]
Since the inauguration, we have been very focused on what Jed Bartlett would say is “what’s next?” WCET Frontiers will be publishing a great deal in the weeks to come about the priorities of the new Biden Administration. However, today […]
For much of 2020, the pandemic had us trapped in Blursday…the nagging feeling of déjà vu that one day is very much like every other. If you’re like me, you probably expect to wake up each morning to “I’ve Got […]
As you read last week in Frontiers, my colleague Mollie McGill has retired after 32 years of dedicated service to WCET. Mollie wore many hats at WCET, including directing membership. With her exit, I’ve been gifted her metaphorically huge shoes […]
On December 31, 2020, our beloved Mollie McGill ended 32 years of serving WICHE, WCET, and their members. Mollie embarks on a well-deserved retirement. Unfortunately, the pandemic limited our ability to have a blow-out bash for her, in person. We […]
It’s that time again – let’s take a look at 2020’s Top 10 Frontiers blog posts based on views by you, our readers! Thank you for your support of WCET Frontiers through your subscriptions, comments, sharing, and guest authoring! 2020 […]
Institutions often ask, “who is doing good work with state authorization compliance”? The WCET|State Authorization Network (SAN) is pleased to celebrate our sixth year recognizing the outstanding efforts of SAN member institutions and organizations by awarding SANsational Awards. About the […]
The following special topic paper originally appeared in the publication Pursuing Regulatory Compliance for Digital Instruction in Response to Covid-19: Policy Playbook, which was published by the Every Learner Everywhere Network and develop and edited by WCET. The Playbook gives background on several […]
The U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) provided guidance on how to report distance education activities during the pandemic. Whether on an emergency basis or planned for the safety of faculty and students, colleges and universities […]
The following special topic paper originally appeared in the publication Pursuing Regulatory Compliance for Digital Instruction in Response to Covid-19: Policy Playbook, which was published by the Every Learner Everywhere Network and develop and edited by WCET. The Playbook gives […]
The election of Donald Trump in 2016 significantly impacted higher education, perhaps more than any recent election. Citing her belief that “We must expand our thinking about what education actually is, as well as resist the urge to expect all […]
These unprecedented times raised regulatory compliance challenges that may have surprised some institution personnel. However, some of these regulatory compliance challenges were not actually unprecedented. The COVID-19 pandemic induced institutions to shift from in-person to remote instruction. As a result, […]
In response to the pandemic, accrediting agencies acted creatively in applying their quality assurance processes in an uncertain and changing world. Today’s guest post provides insights about how one accrediting agency (the Higher Learning Commission) responded to this challenge and […]
The spring 2020 term saw an unprecedented response to an unprecedented challenge as virtually every U.S. higher education institution offering face-to-face instruction rapidly switched to remote instruction, many in as little as one to two weeks and some in a […]
Over the past two weeks, Frontiers has featured its series on academic integrity and cheating syndicates. The first post considered the spectrum of threats facing higher education and our students and the second looked at the practices cheating sites use […]
This week the Scaling Partners Network, on which I represent WCET, issued a “call to action” regarding transfer in higher education. It’s a bold request to educators and policy makers to rethink articulation among institutions. In this post, I outline […]
Have you had the opportunity to notice that some parts of the U.S. have seen a change in the weather and the trees? To say that this fall has been busy is quite an understatement! We know that everyone has […]
Today is the 5th Annual International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating. We join with the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI) to participate and encourage other organizations, college’s and universities to sign up and participate in ICAI’s website. As […]
One of the priorities identified this year by WCET’s Steering Committee was to shed light on the unscrupulous practice of third party sites that entice students to cheat. WCET learned that many of our member institutions regularly issue “cease and […]
WCET is thrilled to serve as the intermediary for Every Learner Everywhere, a network of twelve partner organizations with expertise in evaluating, implementing, scaling, and measuring the efficacy of education technologies, curriculum and course design strategies, teaching practices, and support […]
Editors note: An earlier edition of this article was published with a different title. Our team needed to make some updates to the content. We apologize for any disruption to reading the post. Online education has a problem and it’s […]
To teach online… or not to teach online… Well, that doesn’t seem to be the question today, during a time when social distancing is important for the safety of our students and ourselves. Online and hybrid course options seem to […]
In a world…in which unthinkable disasters plague colleges and universities… It’s a long-standing joke that many action and disaster film movie trailers begin with a deep-voice providing the harbinger of doom with the introduction “in a world…”. Arising from the […]
Over the last few weeks, we have shared tips for taking care of ourselves and our colleagues. This week I wanted to share advice from several higher education leaders about their experiences leading teams through this time of crisis. The […]
On April 1st, the Department of Education released the final set of proposed regulations stemming from the 2019 Negotiated Rulemaking process (April Fools!). Back in April, WCET published three blog posts outlining the proposed regulations on April 3rd, April 6th, […]
Today’s post, from Christine Lustik, the owner of Mindfulness in Organizations, LLC., is all about resilience. In a continuation of our series, “In a Time of Crisis,” we asked Christine to share the lessons she has learned working with organizations […]
A few weeks ago, my team mate Megan Raymond and I chatted a little about self-care during this time of COVID-19. We are both working right now with our kids home and I for one feel lucky that I have […]
It is no secret that many of us on the WCET team, myself included, enjoy listening to podcasts. In fact, we’ve recommended podcasts in several of our summer listen lists. This year, one of the podcasts we included in our […]
Last month I asked our readers to contemplate whether or not we’re “on a road to nowhere” as we prepare for the fall and beyond. Today, I want to take a look at where we are on that road and […]
One of my favorite parts of my role here at WCET is learning about technology initiatives at colleges or universities, especially those that are not only helpful for students, but receive such rave reviews from faculty members and staff! That’s […]
July 1 is that magical day when Federal Regulations affecting institutions that participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs become effective for regulations that were released by the U.S. Department of Education by November 1 of last year. The […]
Two new surveys show the reactions and resilience of students and faculty in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic this spring. Overcoming conjecture and some bold (often unsupported) statements about the move to remote teaching, the survey results provide real […]
Today I’m here to talk about community, specifically the technical way we at WCET are working to build a community for higher education professionals and how we plan to support that community. As the Community Manager for wcetMIX, our online […]
In 1985 The Talking Heads released “Road to Nowhere.” That song, and that metaphor, have been on my mind a lot lately as I think about where higher education is going in the fall and beyond. Photo by Illiya Vjestica […]
Welcome to Quarantine Lindsey and I (Rosa) began plans for this blog very soon after quarantine began back in March. We wanted to put together something fun to share that would contrast with the other conversations happening about the future […]
The COVID-19 pandemic forced colleges and universities to move their face-to-face courses to remote and online formats. Instructors heroically worked to ensure continuity of learning for their students. Considering this shift online, Anna Porcaro, the Executive Director of Online Learning […]
Winning Isn’t Everything, but Wanting to Win is! – Vince Lombardi Excitement is in the air! There’s two minutes left in the game! You have the ball with no time outs left! What are you going to do? It is […]
In Harold Ramis’ 1993 classic, Groundhog Day, Bill Murray portrays a television weatherman sent to cover Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day who ends up repeating the day over and over again. At first, Murray’s character, Phil Connors, uses the time […]
The WCET team enjoys planning our two live events each year. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for our community to come together to network, discuss new ideas, learn from each other, and bring important promising practices back to […]
Even before the COVID-19 global pandemic, higher education was struggling to make sense of what David La Piana and Melissa Mendes call a VUCA world in The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution: Real-Time Strategic Planning in a Rapid-Response World. Originally coined by […]
Institutions have juggled many issues to maintain educational continuity during the pandemic. WCET has addressed accessibility, Veterans benefits, crisis coordination, Open Educational Resources, the U.S. Department of Education’s ability to exercise enforcement discretion for Title IV eligibility , and more! […]
Today’s installment of What’s Next comes from Katie Carroll, Assistant Director of Admissions from the University of Wyoming. Katie shares with us how Wyoming is using Cowboy Joe, the institution’s chatbot, to help students, faculty, and staff navigate many of […]
I have long marveled at how quickly and effectively WCET pivots to support its members when we most need assistance. Remember the announcement of new guidelines that regional accreditors were going to use to evaluate distance education (CRAC-2001)? State authorization […]
I don’t know about you, but the last few weeks (months?) have felt surreal. Not only on a professional level, but on a personal one as well. That uncanny feeling I have about ‘these times’ has continued as our local […]
As an ongoing part of WCET’s efforts to help faculty and staff respond to the pandemic, today Dr. Tanya Spilovoy, our resident Open Educational Resources (OER) expert, takes a look at the role openness and OER can play as institutions […]
In case you missed it, the Department of Education finally released the last set of regulations from its epic 2019 negotiated rulemaking process on April 1st. And, no, it wasn’t an April Fool’s Day joke. This is the third and […]
Today we provide our second installment of the “What’s Next” stories, featuring the experiences of colleges and universities moving from the initial rapid deployment phase to the next phase of planning for how to deal with the reality of medium-term […]
This week WCET is starting a new series of blog posts on what distance education leaders should be thinking about as we move past the initial pivot to remote learning. The series, “What’s Next?” will focus on a variety of […]
On April 1st, the Department of Education finally released the last set of regulations from its epic 2019 negotiated rulemaking process. On April 3rd WCET posted an analysis of proposed changes to the definition of distance education including (finally) a […]
Much to everyone’s surprise, the Department of Education finally released the last set of regulations from last year’s negotiated rulemaking for public comment on April 1st (and it wasn’t an April Fool’s Day joke—we checked). This post will examine the […]
**Update: On 4/2/2020, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it amended the public comment period timeline. The text below has been updated to reflect this update.** The third package has arrived! In the midst of managing rapid conversion of […]
The WCET member discussions over the past two weeks (has it really only been a few weeks since schools announced closures?) have vibrantly shown the collaborative and supportive nature of our community of edtech leaders and practitioners. This is an […]
The Little Dutch Boy is the tale of a boy who finds a hole in the dike and saves the town by plugging it with his finger. Given the current massive scale of the transitioning courses into #KeepTeaching modes, all […]
We welcome today’s guest post from Cyndi Rowland, Executive Director of WebAIM (at Utah State University) which empowers organizations to make their web content accessible to people with disabilities. Cyndi gives us great and compassionate advice for teachers and faculty […]
The dynamic conversion of face-to-face courses to online format at post-secondary institutions nationwide due to the closing of campuses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic became a concern for our nation’s veterans who rely on GI Bill benefits. As we […]
***Updated 3/17/2020 2:50 PM MT time*** We are pleased to share that although the guidance we referenced in the article below was provided by the Veterans Administration (VA) on March 13, 2020, the VA rescinded this guidance. Senate Bill, S.3503, […]
On March 5, 2020, the Department of Education issued guidance to institutions facing possible interruptions of study because of COVID-19. WCET’s Cheryl Dowd, Director of the WCET State Authorization Network, provided an overview of the guidance for WCET Frontiers. As […]
March 8th is International Women’s Day. According to the International Women’s Day (IWD) website, IWD is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, and the celebration has occurred annually for well over a century. […]
***Update: On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education provided updated guidance by adding an FAQ attachment to the March 5, 2020 guidance previously released. Note that this update extends the term of flexibility from being based on students […]
Last week we welcomed Lynn Wahl, Instructional Designer for UNC Charlotte, to discuss how they used design thinking to create online faculty development workshops. In a continuation of the topic, Lynn joins us today to talk about how to assess […]
Have you heard of design thinking? This process is a non-linear, iterative process that focuses on understanding users and redefining problems to create innovative solutions and prototype said solutions to make them even better (interaction-design.org). We can use design thinking […]
Hello WCET, Today’s post is a continuation from last week’s topic from the WCET/State Authorization Network (SAN) Special Interest Team. The Special Interest Teams are workgroups on a designated topic area. This particular special interest team worked on contributions for the network […]
Hello WCET, Today we have a post from the WCET/State Authorization Network (SAN) Special Interest Team. The Special Interest Teams are workgroups on a designated topic area. This particular special interest team worked on contributions for the network on the issue of […]
Data is Everywhere Everything we do online or out in the world is collected as data and stored. This data is tracked and analyzed and used to inform predictions about the future. Data about our spending habits informs companies about […]
Hold on, let me finish up one thing on my phone. Okay, I’m finished! Now, onto our post. I don’t know about you, but it can be hard for me to put my smartphone down sometimes. This relatively small device […]
Don’t you just love it when we come up with new things? Today I’m here to tell you about our new format for our annual WCET Summit! That’s right, this year our WCET Summit is not only EARLIER in the […]
Happy new year! WCET is excited for 2020. Today, we want to share our plans, priorities, and some coming attractions for the year. Members – It’s All About Our Members WCET’s emphasis has always been serving the needs of our […]
Today we’re looking back over 2019 and our most popular blog posts at WCET Frontiers. 2019 has been a busy year, especially for federal regulations, negotiated rulemaking, and state authorization. This year we clocked in with 126,034 words in 74 […]
Welcome to Judith Sebesta, Executive Director of the Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas (DigiTex), who joins us with an update on the strategic planning process for the former Virtual College of Texas and to tell us about this year’s […]
To early implement or not to early implement, that is the question… Ok, so maybe Hamlet had a bit more weighing on his mind when he posed the question, “to be or not to be,” but I do think institutions […]
Welcome to the Annual Meeting Annual Summary Blog Post.! This year, I’ve focused it more on different topics of interest from the meeting, rather than going through a play-by-play of the week. I hope this year’s summary post is intriguing […]
Today we welcome Andria Schwegler, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for the Master of Science Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University – Central Texas. Andria joins us to discuss the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and the opportunity such […]
Earlier this year, the Department of Education engaged in negotiated rulemaking around several issues including state authorization and reciprocity, accreditation, distance education and innovation, regular and substantive interaction, competency-based education (CBE), TEACH grants, and faith-based institutions. Despite all odds and […]
At a recent #DLNChat, one of the questions, answers, and resulting discussion prompted me to ask Karen Costa (writer, faculty member, and faculty development facilitator extraordinaire) to write a piece for us on her comments. Today’s blog post is thought-provoking […]
Two previous WCET Frontiers posts (post 1, post 2) addressed the issue of housing allowances for students who are Veterans and taking online courses. Today and appropriately during Veteran’s Day week, we’re happy to welcome Mark Haskins of Pierce College […]
We’ve written several posts on the negotiated rulemaking process and updates to state authorization and accreditation regulations. Today we hear from another participant in the innovation negotiated rulemaking process on that experience and her institution’s take on new models of […]
Today marks the finale for our 2019 WOW Award series. The WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Awards honor member institutions and organizations that develop technology-based solutions to challenging educational needs. As we mentioned last week, we have three outstanding award winning […]
Without a moment to spare, on Friday, November 1, 2019, the Federal Register shared the release of the long awaited 2019 Final Federal Regulations with the official and concise title: Student Assistance General Provisions, The Secretary’s Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, […]
Today we continue our 2019 WOW Award series. The WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Awards honor member institutions and organizations that develop technology-based solutions to challenging educational needs. As we mentioned earlier this week, we have three outstanding award winning initiatives […]
Each year I am so happy to coordinate the WCET Awards initiative, through which our cooperative honors institutions and individuals for exciting work in technology-enhanced learning. One of my favorite aspects of this initiative is working with our WOW Awards. […]
Cleaning up….is definitely not my favorite activity. But, I understand a clean home and an organized workspace can be important for a healthy and effective life. Today’s guest author, Maria Andersen, the CEO of Coursetune, is here to discuss the […]
In just a few short weeks WCET will convene this year’s Annual Meeting in beautiful Denver, CO. This year’s meeting promises to be full of outstanding sessions and great networking opportunities. One of the sessions will be offered by one […]
Blockchain? In higher ed? Maybe? Yes? No? We had so many questions about this trending topic, so, we found some experts and asked them about it. Today, Megan Raymond, WCET’s Director of Programs and Sponsorship, is here to discuss her […]
Online education can often be polarizing—some advocates champion it as higher education’s savior, bringing access and affordability to students across the globe. Others see it as the modern equivalent of a Trojan horse come to assault the quality of higher […]
If you could start completely from scratch, how would you design an institution of higher education? The California Community College System plans to open its 115th institution in October. And it is an interesting answer to that question. Based upon […]
Accessibility is not only one of the main areas of focus for WCET, but a consistent issue and opportunity for higher education institutions. In order to support faculty, instructional designers, and others who work in the area, Quality Matters, a […]
A few months ago, Rosa and I released a list of recommended podcasts, which we had elicited from our members. Gettin’ Air was one of these recommended listens. So, I was thrilled when our Director of Open Policy, Tanya Spilovoy, […]
Today we welcome David Dannenberg, the Director of Academic Innovations, State Authorization, and eLearning with the University of Alaska Anchorage. David joins us to discuss the economic issues facing higher education in Alaska and his reactions to the financial exigency […]
Welcome today to Abbey Elder, the Open Access & Scholarly Communication Librarian for Iowa State University, who is here to discuss the development of a series of videos about open education. Abbey’s post today provides a wonderful outline for how […]
Accessibility of college and university materials and services is an important topic for all those involved in education today. Higher Education institutions are working to develop policies and guidelines for ensuring accessible content for all learners. Do such policies result […]
The WCET 31st Annual Meeting in Denver has something for anyone interested in the intersection of policy and practice of technology-enhanced teaching and learning in higher education. With a blend of inspiring keynotes, panels, loosely organized roundtable discussions, and freeform […]
Well, it’s that time of year again—students and faculty are descending, virtually and physically, on college campuses everywhere, eagerly awaiting the start of the 2019/2020 academic year. That means that it is also time for the Marist College (formerly Beloit […]
As a women working in edtech, open education, and higher education, the #femedtech network has provided hope, joy, and encouragement for me and many others working within the space. Although Maren and I have never met in person, I am […]
What does your career trajectory look like? Today we welcome Dan Silverman, Assistant Director of WCET’s State Authorization Network (SAN), to discuss career pathways for state authorization and compliance staff. Dan conducted interviews with several compliance officials about their careers. […]
Today we’re excited to welcome back Patricia O’Sullivan, the Program Manager for Externally Funded Academic Innovation Projects at the University of Mississippi. Patti inspired us last year with the University of Mississippi’s work in this area to help their students […]
Last week, I began to explain what WCET is doing – and potential areas of improvement – about web accessibility, based on different disabilities and barriers that people with those disabilities may encounter as described by The World Wide Web […]
Are your course materials and institutional websites accessible for all learners? Here at Frontiers, we discuss accessibility quite often, but today we have a very practical post that directly reviews content to determine accessibility for all. I’m excited to welcome […]
Last week’s announcement by the Department of Education that “consistent with the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California…. As of May 26, 2019, the amendments to 34 CFR 600.2, 600.9 (c), 668.2, and the […]
While I love podcasts and listen to them while doing just about anything, I often struggle with finding new podcasts. Few digital systems are built around recommending relevant new podcasts to listeners, which means that listeners rely on general recommendation […]
As if we needed more excitement! The Department of Education uttered its first peep regarding the impact of the U.S. District Court’s April 26, 2019 ruling of a vacatur of the delay of the 2016 Federal Regulations relating to State […]
Welcome to Judith Sebesta Executive Director of the newly minted Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas, who is here today for a followup to her post a few months ago. Today’s post discusses the strategic planning process for the former […]
How do you ensure quality in online courses? That word gets a lot of buzz in higher ed! Today’s Frontiers post is all about quality and how to implement a course certification process. Joining us from the University of Central […]
The Democratic debates are heating up already and they were quite interesting to watch (and it was also interesting to read the social media commentary). Today our new Policy and Planning Consultant, Van Davis, is here to provide an update […]
Today we welcome the President of the NROC Project, Ahrash Bissell, to discuss accessibility as an opportunity we should all be involved with, rather than a regulatory requirement that we should all worry about. We are excited to see this […]
Today we welcome Cheryl Dowd, Director of WCET’s State Authorization Network (SAN), who is here to give us a summary of WCET’s recent Leadership Summit. This year’s focus was workforce partnerships. You can view Summit information and resources. Thank you […]
This is the second of two posts on the new regulations that the U.S. Department of Education released in the Federal Register earlier this week. The first post focused on state authorization and student notification issues. This post focuses on […]
The Federal Rulemaking process has taken its next step. The U.S. Department of Education released in the Federal Register a portion of the proposed regulations. This first set of regulations focuses on accreditation and state authorization. The proposed language came […]
This week, WCET is thrilled to convene this year’s Leadership Summit on workforce and higher education partnerships. Attendees at the event will focus on how higher education institutions can work with employers to create programming that can help students be […]
Next week, WCET hosts it’s annual Leadership Summit. This year the topic is: Workforce Partnerships that Work: Creating Public-Private Partnerships that Serve Students, Institutions, Employers, and Communities. Summit attendees will attend sessions focused on higher education institutions can work with […]
Hello and welcome to the 2019 WCET Summer Reading list! Our staff and several WCET Steering Committee members created a list of our recommended reads for this summer. You’ll find professional development or higher education reads plus some fun reads […]
Today we welcome Shannon Riggs, Executive Director of Course Development and Learning Innovation for Oregon State University Ecampus. She is also the author of the forthcoming Thrive Online: A New Approach for College Educators (Stylus, 2019). Shannon shares with us […]
Today we welcome Susan Neale, senior writer and editor for The Ohio State University College of Nursing. She explores a non-traditional approach to teaching remote nursing students the nuanced skills and tools needed to succeed in the field. Telehealth technology […]
In today’s blog, we welcome Laura Sankovich from Capella University. It is increasingly difficult to create and maintain community with adjunct faculty members who work remotely and yet this is a reality in higher education. In this blog, Laura discusses […]
This is the fourth and final post in our blog post series on the results of the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking process. You may recall that there were many issues covered by the negotiated rulemaking committee and to […]
As many of you have heard, Mike Abbiatti recently retired as the Executive Director of WCET. Today’s post contains my interview with him on his last Friday in office! Mike joined me to discuss leadership, why he first joined the […]
Today we welcome Kenneth Rogers, Enterprise Instructional Technology Specialist with Alamo Colleges District as he shares a story from which all contemporary educators can glean insight. Integrating new technology requires courage and a willingness to embrace change and yet springs […]
As one of my favorite columnists, Dave Barry, used to say, “I am not making this up!” Maybe what I am about to share isn’t as exciting to you as last week’s release of “Avengers: Endgame” or Sunday’s “Game of […]
This is the third in our blog post series on the results of the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking process. The first in the series focused an overview of process, issues, and next steps. The second covered rules for […]
Today we welcome Steven Chaffin, Research Consultant, and Steve Graham, Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, both from the University of Missouri System. Online learning is an increasingly attractive alternative for students and educational institutions, and yet, to be […]
Today we welcome Judith Sebesta, Executive Director of Virtual College of Texas as she shares a poignant, entertaining story of valuing strategic planning and the many benefits it offers all organizations, particularly those that receive state legislative appropriations. Enjoy! -Erin […]
In this second of our blogs dedicated to exploring the outcomes of the recent negotiated rulemaking sessions, Cheryl Dowd and Russ Poulin focus on the state authorization for distance education language that transpired from those conversations. They also share some […]
In this first of several blogs dedicated to sharing the meaningful outcomes of the three-month negotiated rulemaking sessions, Cheryl Dowd and Russ Poulin announce some exciting news and provide an overall assessment of the process and results from these important […]
Today we welcome Mickey Slimp, Executive Director of the Northeast Texas Consortium of Colleges & Universities (NETnet), located at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, where he also serves as an associate provost of academic affairs. In […]
In this blog, we welcome Mary Ellen Dello Stritto and Kathryn Linder from the Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit as they introduce a companion resource: 10 Tips for Report Writers. This new resource was thoughtfully developed to assist practitioners […]
Thank you to Kara Monroe for today’s WCET Frontiers guest blog post. Kara is the Provost and Senior Vice President at Ivy Tech Community College and also serves on the WCET Steering Committee. During Ivy Tech’s Innovation Day, faculty have […]
WCET plays an integral role in advising the Canadian National Survey of Online and Distance Education. This is the second year of the survey and the following blog contains the most recent results. Thanks Tricia Donovan! -Erin Walton, contract editor […]
In this blog, Mark Jenkins and Boyoung Chae detail the vital benefits of using a data-driven approach in OER initiatives to promote affordability and student success for Washington’s Community and Technical Colleges. Their approach helped to meet two important goals: […]
The “Distance Learning and Education Innovation” Subcommittee of the current U.S. Department of Education negotiated rulemaking process completed its work last week. While several reports highlighted that there was disagreement on issues, there has been less attention paid to the […]
Today we welcome Lisa Siefker and Robert Griffiths from The Ohio State University to share their journey to educate their institution, assess practices, create and implement processes that connect the core mission of the university to institutional compliance for out-of-state […]
Vickie S. Cook, Executive Director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of Illinois Springfield, explores the strengths of the innovative and eager Generation Z students. In her blog, she depicts the unique story and […]
For the past year, OLC and WCET have been partnering to better inform our memberships on better meeting student and faculty needs for accessibility. Kelly Hermann, University of Phoenix, and Cyndi Rowland, WebAIM, have provided us with tremendous guidance, including […]
The Department of Education has a long list of higher education regulations under consideration in its negotiated rulemaking process. As the calendar of meetings winds down, the path to agreement on most issues remains rocky, but not impossible. Lost in […]
A Sense of Urgency Many public colleges and universities have embraced the mission of increasing access to higher education by recruiting more diverse student populations. Unfortunately, institutions continue to see significant persistence and completion gaps for their low-income students, students […]
Dan Silverman, WCET/State Authorization Network Assistant Director, and I are taking a brief break from the coverage of Negotiated Rulemaking as it affects State Authorization. We remembered that we needed to make good on a promise we made last summer […]
Executive director of WCET, Mike Abbiatti, recently attended the massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. New and soon-to-be introduced electronic products are unveiled each year at the Show. The following blog contains the details and reflections of his adventure […]
Rajiv never ceases to amaze me; the first time was at Nicole Allen’s (SPARC) annual OERroke party at Open Ed. Rajiv can really sing and dance. Although it is hard to top a duet performance of “I Had the Time […]
Welcome to Sasha Thackaberry (Vice Provost, Digital and Continuing Education at Louisiana State University and member of WCET’s Executive Council) who authored today’s guest blog post. At a couple meetings of our Executive Council, we’ve had brief discussions about the […]
WCET continues to cover the wide-ranging set of rule changes that are being proposed under the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking process. The Department is seeking input on several major changes on issues with special focus on accreditation and […]
Today we’re excited to welcome Mary Ellen Dello Stritto and Kathryn Linder from the Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit to introduce an excellent new resource: the Report Reader Checklist. This checklist is a set of criteria that can help […]
In the media and in communications to your PR staff, there will be lots of hype this week about ranking online programs. In the past, we have been critical of such rankings on the basis of the quality of their […]
A fond welcome and thank you to Van Davis, Foghlam Consulting, for his analysis of what will be discussed in the U.S. Department of Education’s rulemaking process, which begins this week. As you will see, there sure is a lot […]
Hello and welcome to a whole new year of WCET Frontiers blog posts! Today we’re joined by the Chairs of the WCET Leadership groups as well as our Executive Director for a welcome to 2019 and a discussion of WCET’s […]
The U.S. Department of Education begins meetings of its negotiated rulemaking main committee and subcommittees next week. There are several issues that will have an impact on the technology-enhanced higher education community. These decision will affect your students, faculty, and your […]
[caption id="attachment_10667" align="alignright" width="321"] Casey Kasem. Photo from The Scooby-Doo! Gang: In Their Own Words DVD.[/caption] In 2018, the idea for a “Most Popular Movie” Oscar (thankfully) came and went, we debated whether we heard “laurel” or “yanni,” and J.R. […]
Welcome today to David Porter, CEO of eCampusOntario, who joins us to discuss the value of micro-credentials and badging. After an intriguing keynote presentation at an educational event, David reached out to several education colleagues who work and research in […]
Today WCET Frontiers is excited to showcase the recent Open Educational Resources (OER) Implementation and Policy Summit for the MHEC States. This multi-state OER meeting brought together OER advocates from across campuses, legislatures, faculty, students, and more to collaboratively learn […]
What signals do you use to showcase your skills and expertise? Our students need a way to let future employers know about their collegiate experiences and accomplishments. Today we welcome Mike Simmons from University of North Texas to discuss their […]
Hello and welcome to my yearly WCET Annual Meeting summary and review! This year I’m changing things up a bit – instead of the usual day-by-day, play-by-play, I’d like to focus on some of the themes we noticed that filtered […]
WCET and the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) jointly offer this blog post on a topic of national interest to education communities. This post is part of the on-going collaboration on accessibility issues between WCET and OLC. Thank you to Kelly Hermann, University […]
Recently, the U.S. Department of Education announced their winners of the Department’s Higher Education Ecosystem Challenge. The challenge was to “imagine what higher education would look like in 2030.” WCET’s Dan Silverman, Assistant Director of the WCET State Authorization Network […]
How does your college or program handle learning outcome assessments? Today we’re thrilled to be joined by several representatives from the University of Western States, Bernadette Howlett, Denise Dallmann, Dana Sims-Barbarick, and Susan Donoff, to discuss the University’s Every Course […]
It is getting scary out there! What a spooky coincidence that October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month! It is 2018, is your institution or organization’s data protected? How do you know the goblins, ghouls, and trolls are not already […]
WCET and the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), in conjunction with the National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE is a partner with WebAIM), jointly offer this blog post on a topic of national interest to education communities. This […]
To gear up for the WCET Annual Meeting this week we welcome Jim Friscia, Portland native, to give us a grand, virtual tour of the City of Roses! While we definitely hope you’ll stay with us during the Annual Meeting […]
Welcome to the final blog post in our WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award blog post series! Today we are joined by Jason M. Ruckert from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide, to discuss their 2018 WOW Award winning initiative: Worldwide Retention, […]
Cheryl Dowd, Director of the State Authorization Network, and I have been presenting this summer about the status of the federal state authorization regulation. In those presentations we remind people about other federal regulations that remain in place. The one […]
On Friday, October 13, the U.S. Department of Education published the unofficial version of its plan to establish an “Accreditation and Innovation” negotiated rule making committee. The final version should be published in the Federal Register today and includes the […]
Today we continue our 2018 WCET Oustanding Work (WOW) Award blog post series! For this post, we’re joined by Ryan Schrenk and Robert Currie of the Montana Digital Academy (MTDA) with the University of Montana, who are here to tell […]
This week on WCET Frontiers we’re excited to hear from Cali Morrison and Luke Dowden about their experiences at the recent CBExchange conference. While Cali has attended this conference a few times, this year was Luke’s first time attending. Read […]
Each week leading up to this year’s WCET Annual Meeting (October 23 – 25), WCET Frontiers will be featuring a post from one of our 2018 WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award recipients. This week we are excited to hear more […]
We love insights and stories about improving academic integrity in all settings and we welcome today’s guest post. Beth Rubin, Ph.D., has been practicing and leading online education at for-profit and non-profit universities for the past 19 years. She is […]
Last week, we announced the WCET Outstanding Work – or WOW – awards for this year. these awards honor member institutions and organizations that develop technology-based solutions to challenging educational needs. Congratulations again to Colorado State University/ Grit Digital Health, […]
If you celebrated a recent large-scale study at the University of Georgia showing Open Educational Resource’s (OER) positive impact on student outcomes, you’ll be excited to know that there are many other articles on the topic of OER efficacy and […]
One of my favorite WCET activities is coordinating our WCET Awards initiative. I am lucky to have the opportunity to learn about the incredible work being done by various institutions and organizations in higher education. WCET highlights this work through […]
In case you haven’t heard, WCET has turned 30th! That’s right, we’re celebrating our 30th year at our Annual Meeting in October. As part of that celebration, we invited Ray Lewis, an early WCET Steering Committee member and WCET friend, […]
In a week when both the Carolinas and Hawai’i are being hit by hurricanes, we are reminded of the power of a particularly powerful storm to wreak havoc. Former WCET Steering Committee member, Burck Smith, has long been a student […]
NUTN, the National University Technology Network, is a consortium of higher education institutions that just celebrated its 35th anniversary. As of September 1, NUTN is now incorporated into WCET. We welcome our new friends and are glad to have them […]
Many of us have an interested in increasing the opportunities for our students to work collaboratively. An excellent way to help facilitate group work is to make sure our learning spaces are conducive to group conversations, work, and study. Many […]
You’ve seen the tweets, maybe (hopefully) received the invitation emails, and heard the rumors of cake, but today we’re sharing all the outstanding details of the 30th WCET Annual Meeting! Welcome to Megan Raymond, WCET’s Assistant Director, Programs and Sponsorship, […]
In our last dual enrollment post, we discussed the various types of dual enrollment courses, impact of these courses, who’s taking and offering these courses, and the pros and cons of dual enrollment. This week we’re looking at some promising […]
As a new generation of distance education leaders emerges, it is incumbent on all of us to help these future leaders develop their leadership skills. The MarylandOnline consortium has taken great steps to ensure the success of future leaders through […]
Many conversations in Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee meeting on the reauthorization of the Higher Ed Act focused on dual or concurrent enrollment. Concurrent enrollment was also in the news in the past few years when The Higher […]
Ready to change higher education, as we know it, in the United States? Based on two announcements from the U.S. Department of Education on July 31, Betsy DeVos and company seem poised to do so. [caption id="attachment_10159" align="alignright" width="259"] Photo: […]
As WCET’s Director of Open Policy, one of the issues I constantly face is getting people up-to-speed on their options for openly licensing content. As they describe on their “about” page, Creative Commons “provides free, easy-to-use copyright licenses to make […]
It’s a DETA Update! Today we welcome Tanya Joosten, Director of Digital Learning Research and Development and Co-Director, National Research Center for Distance Education (DETA) and Technological Advancements at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, to give us an update on DETA. […]
Today on WCET Frontiers, we welcome Alexandra Pickett, the Director of Open SUNY Online Teaching, to talk with us about the development of the online course design rubric OSCQR. This rubric was developed to help faculty improve the quality and […]
A little discussed component of the state authorization regulations is Chapter 34, Section 600.9(d) on authorizations for locations or branch campuses in other countries. In the announcement released on July 3, the Department decided NOT to delay the implementation of […]
When is a “delay” not a delay? The Department of Education’s latest regulation on state authorization went into effect on July 1. The Department wanted to announce a delay of the effective date before last Sunday. They missed that deadline. […]
As recently as April, I cited the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC) as a stellar example of institutions coming together to accomplish more in partnership than they could on their own. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that CTDLC is closing […]
We are proud to have Tanya Spilovoy, WCET Director of Open Policy, provide periodic updates on events in the world of open education. Today’s post talks about her role in the development and teaching of a professional development program for […]
Happy Birthday WCET! This year we’re celebrating WCET’s 30th birthday! We hope you’ll join the celebration at the 2018 WCET Annual Meeting. Today, Rosa Calabrese, WCET’s Manager of Digital and Project Support Services, is here to review the last 29 […]
We just got back from the annual WCET Leadership Summit in Newport Beach, CA where we deliberated on how digital learning can help higher education can embrace: Equity as a demonstrated priority for the institutions’ students, faculty, and staff. Accessibility […]
What technology devices do you have close to you right now? I have a desktop computer, two laptops, a Smartwatch, and a Smartphone. Students also have a numerous devices which they use for a variety of different purposes. But do […]
Do you have much experience with Universal Design? Today we’re thrilled to welcome a guest author who has not only implemented UDL on her own, but is assisting her colleagues in applying the principles in their classrooms as well. Tianhong […]
Hello and welcome to WCET’s annual summer reading list! We have compiled a list of enticing reads to get you through those lazy summer days. I plan on making a pitcher of iced tea, sitting back in the sun, and […]
Our holiday message arrived! The Department announced in the Federal Register on Friday, before the holiday weekend, that the Secretary proposes to delay until July 1, 2020, the effective date of the final regulations regarding state authorization of distance education […]
What does the “higher education of the future” look like? Will it be online? On campus? Virtual? Will we still have the same 4 – 7 year undergraduate degree programs? Or will alternative credentials change the higher education landscape? This […]
Breaking news! The 2016 Federal regulations for State Authorization of Distance Education have been delayed. Today we are joined by Cheryl Dowd, Director of WCET’s State Authorization Network (SAN), to discuss what we do know about the delay and provide […]
Today’s post is an important example of how a campus culture can impact student success. WCET is happy to share this post from Sarah Torres Lugo, Research Assistant with NCHEMS and the Foundation for Student Success. Sarah is here to […]
Today here on WCET Frontiers we are happy to welcome Stacey VanderHeiden Güney, the Director of the Digital Learning Solution Network. Stacey is here to discuss a recent study on higher education institutions implementing digital learning and follow-up conversations regarding […]
Z Degrees (Zero-Textbook Cost Degrees) are what many consider the holy grail of Open Educational Resources (OER) accomplishments. Today’s guest blogger, Tanya Grosz, Ph. D., Dean of Graduate, Online & Adult Learning, led the open initiative at the University of […]
In June 2017, I had the outstanding opportunity to attend my first WCET Leadership Summit. Last year’s event focused on the essential institutional capacities needed to encourage and lead innovation. I specifically remember feeling so invigorated by every session I […]
Frequently Asked Questions: Overview and Direction of the Regulations The U.S. Department of Education is scheduled to implement state authorization for distance education regulations on July 1, 2018. There is still some uncertainty about whether the Department will implement the […]
Should we count all students when analyzing higher education, or only some of them? We think all students should be included….and community colleges are often misrepresented by not doing so. This third post in a series of posts on the […]
Should we count all students when analyzing higher education, or only some of them? It’s not surprising that when you include all students, you get different results from that analysis than when you don’t. We think all students should be […]
There is new improvement to the U.S. Department of Education’s Graduation Rate statistic. And we should all be using it. Institutions with large non-traditional student enrollments (e.g.: community colleges, online colleges, inner city universities, military-serving institutions) have not been well-represented […]
How do you define academic rigor? I know when I was completing my undergraduate and graduate coursework, I could tell the difference between a rigorous course and one that would be a little less time consuming. I also understood, especially […]
This week’s Frontiers Blog is written by one of my OER heroes, Dr. TJ Bliss. Like so many others working to reduce costs and increase open access to education, I was inspired, mentored, and empowered by TJ. In his previous […]
Even a gazillion dollar industry like the National Football League can be blind to accessibility needs, at times. Perhaps, even, color blind. If you have not seen it, be sure to look at this video of the game in which […]
When passed in 1965, the Higher Education Act (HEA) was intended to “to strengthen the educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education.” Updated or “reauthorized” several times since […]
In February 2018, we had a question submitted through our WCETDiscuss email list about the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. This prompted a discussion of how the reauthorization would or should impact distance education. The original question asked about […]
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) recently released its 2016 distance education data. This report shows course enrollment for distance education programs in the United States. Today, we welcome Terri Taylor-Straut, Senior Research Analyst for WCET, to WCET Frontiers. […]
How do faculty at your institution enhance their teaching skills or discuss best practices with their peers? Today, we’re thrilled to learn about Louisiana State University’s Online Teaching Cohort program from Hala Esmail, the Manager of the Faculty Technology Center […]
In October we opened the call for nominations for this year’s Digital Inclusion Award. The Digital Inclusion Award, co-sponsored by WCET and GlobalMindED, was first awarded last year. Today, WCET Frontiers is happy to welcome Mike Abbiatti, Executive Director of […]
This week on WCET Frontiers Blog, Tanya Spilovoy, Ed. D., Director of Open Policy for WCET, discusses the outcomes of the Colorado Open Educational Resources (OER) Council recent work in open textbook initiatives, her research and consulting role with WCET, […]
It seems like the complexity of compliance requirements increases each year. Luckily, we have WCET staff to provide updates on education regulations as we need them. Today, Cheryl Dowd, our Director of the State Authorization Network (SAN), is here to […]
Distance education enrollment data continue to show growth. But, we wondered why. Is the motivation to serve more students, to make money, both, neither, or a complex set of other issues? We had heard many theories, often delivered with absolute […]
The Senate is moving ahead with deliberations on its version of a bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). Yesterday morning, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing focusing on “access and innovation.” Much was said […]
WCET Job Postings are a compilation of member higher education job posts, emailed directly to our WCET membership and also posted to the WCET website. Rosa Calabrese, the WCET Manager of Digital and Project Support Services shares the job posts […]
This week on WCET Frontiers, we are happy to welcome back Niki Bray, Instructor and Instructional Designer with the School of Health Studies at the University of Memphis. Niki is here today to discuss another aspect of adaptive learning: research-based […]
It seems like all the cool kids are writing about last year’s trends and predicting what will come to pass in 2018. Well, we WCETers don’t want to be left out of the fun! Over the last few weeks I’ve […]
[caption id="attachment_9366" align="alignright" width="114"] CA Governor Brown[/caption] Governor Jerry Brown proposed a new community college that would be online, competency-based, offer sub-associate credentials, and focused on serving working learners. The idea was included in his budget request that he delivered […]
What a weird year for news. Comic actress Melissa McCarthy won an Emmy Award for her Saturday Night Live portrayal of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. It is hard to say which was more surreal, her version of “Spicey” […]
My name is Emma. I am 25 years old and I am a part time student who is also working full time. I have been familiar with WCET for quite sometime, however, it was not until recently that my interests […]
This year’s Award Season included the recognition of the award winners for the 3rd Annual SANsational Awards. Today, we’re excited to welcome Cheryl Dowd, Director of the State Authorization Network, to introduce this year’s SANsational Award winners. Congratulations to these […]
In a new bill regarding higher education rules proposed in the House of Representatives: all federal state authorization rules are ended, competency-based education gets a boost with “regular and substantive interaction” being redefined and expanded accreditation oversight, accreditation reviews for […]
WCET is thrilled to welcome Mary Ellen Dello Stritto and Katie Linder, from the Oregon State University Ecampus, to introduce the new Online Learning Efficacy Research Database. This database will help you find citations for higher education studies that compare […]
What do you know about the E.U.’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)? If you have not read up on this important regulation recently, never fear! Today, Cheryl Dowd, Director of the State Authorization Network, is here to provide background […]
What are the barriers on your campus to innovations that promote student persistence? That’s the question Michelle Miller, Director of the First Year Learning Initiative with Northern Arizona University, is here to discuss. At NAU, the Persistence Scholars program works […]
This week, WCET and the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), in conjunction with the National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE), a partner with WebAIM, jointly offer this blog on a topic of national interest to education communities. Thank […]
You really should have been in Denver at WCET’s 29th Annual Meeting…or “family reunion” as Mike Abbiatti liked to call it. If you were there, you probably did not catch every session and every conversation. Let me help. I’m here […]
Close your eyes (not for too long) and answer the question: “What is distance education?” Did you envision the same concept and experiences as I did? Even though more than one-quarter of all higher education students in the United States […]
WCET was thrilled to help recruit participants for the Spring 2017 Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit national study on the research engagement and training of instructional designers in institutions of higher education. Today we welcome the authors of the […]
Greetings from beautiful Denver, CO, where WCET Frontiers is joined by our Director of Open Policy, Tanya Spilovoy. Read on to catch up with Tanya on OER events, the Z Initiative, and how you can connect with her (either here […]
Today we continue the WCET Frontiers series on the 2017 WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Awards. These awards honor member institutions and organizations that develop technology-based solutions to challenging educational needs. The 2017 award winners will be honored this week at […]
Congratulations to our Canadian friends on releasing the results of their first survey of online learning activities throughout their country. Released on Tuesday of this week at the ICDE World Conference on Online Learning, the report (“Tracking Online and Distance […]
Thank you to Van Davis for this third entry on our series examining the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Audit Report of Western Governors University. Today, Van examines the changing nature of definitions used over time. Is […]
Today we continue the WCET Frontiers series on the 2017 WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Awards. These awards honor member institutions and organizations that develop technology-based solutions to challenging educational needs. We welcome Blackboard to discuss their award winning program Ally. […]
I’ve held many conversations with higher education professionals about how to encourage the use of instructional technologies in the classroom. Many times the conversation revolves around the newest innovations, what tool is the most user-friendly, or which new tech will […]
It has been more than a week since the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued its Final Audit Report declaring that “Western Governors University Was Not Eligible to Participate in the Title IV Programs.” Both of […]
Hello and welcome to today’s WCET Frontiers blog post, with guest author John Gillmore, Research Fellow with the Institute for Learning Environment Design at the University of Central Oklahoma. John is here to discuss a new system of course, program, […]
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report concluding: “We concluded that Western Governors University did not comply with the institutional eligibility requirement that limits the percentage of regular students who may enroll in […]
This year I had the exciting opportunity to coordinate our WCET Awards initiative. The most valuable aspect of this initiative was the chance to learn about the meaningful, student-focused work being done by various institutions and organizations in higher education. […]
This week we are excited to work with NC-SARA to release two NC-SARA documents, the 2017 enrollment report and a paper comparing NC-SARA enrollments to IPEDS data from 2015. Today on Frontiers we welcome Marshall Hill, Executive Director of NC-SARA, […]
Similar to the birth of eLearning in the 1990s, the rush to implement adaptive learning has led to the development of poorly designed courses that are not properly aligned and fail to effectively implement the principles of multimedia learning. As […]
Welcome to Kate Jordahl the Director of Strategic Planning & Operations for the California Community Colleges Online Education Initiative. Kate is here to discuss opportunities to help our students and our higher education communities by stepping up to lead. Whether you choose […]
Traffic has increased, school supplies are in high demand, pumpkin spiced items have already hit the shelves, the marching bands are rehearsing, and there’s a hint of a chill in the air. We are heading toward my favorite season, fall, […]
Thank you to today’s guest blogger, Jackie Luft, Online Accessibility Specialist for Texas Tech Worldwide eLearning. As we start the new academic year, the issue of assuring that our courses are accessible arises anew. Jackie gives us great resources and […]
It is said that we count what we value. It is also said that not everything that can be counted has value. Can you help tell the difference when measuring distance education activities? The U.S. Department of Education needs your […]
Does your institution have a well designed, easily understood, and compliant complaint process? Today we welcome Cheryl Dowd, Director of the State Authorization Network, and Jennifer L. Parks, Director, Midwestern State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (M-SARA), to review the federal student […]
When we asked Sara Appel to write a guest blog post for us, we did not know we would also be advocating for increased GI Bill benefits, but it fits in with the unexpected military theme. But, it’s more than […]
How are edtech related decisions made at your institution? Do your decision makers review research to make decisions about what edtech is selected for use in the classroom? This week we welcome Fiona Hollands from the Teachers College with Columbia […]
Following up on the Housing Allowance for Veteran Distance Ed “The technology has advanced, but not the laws” says one of the veterans, Aaron Slatton, whom we spoke with this week regarding the Basic Housing Allowance reduction imposed on veterans […]
Many of us have worked with Learning Management System (LMS)s in one way or another, as administrators, instructors, support, assistants, or students. And, through working with these platforms, many of us end up strongly disliking them. This week we welcome […]
Veterans taking all their college courses online are getting short-changed. As Congress moves to rework the GI Bill, let’s get them to fix this problem. We need your help. Read the background and see how to respond at the end. […]
The Department of Education seeks comments about higher education regulations that may be “appropriate for repeal, replacement, or modification.” WCET and the WCET State Authorization Network (SAN) will comment about the federal state authorization regulations that are scheduled to be […]
Federal higher education regulations are under fire and the Department of Education wants your input. Let’s give it to them. Only the Teacher Prep regulations suffered the quick death of the Congressional Review Act. Several other postsecondary consumer protection regulations […]
Hello WCET, Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the GlobalMindED conference in Denver, CO to help with the presentation of the first ever Digital Inclusion award. We co-sponsored this award with GlobalMindED. All of the nominees are working […]
WCET’s 6th Leadership Summit engaged institutional leaders in strategic discussions regarding alignment and support of their institution’s human capital and technology investments, and how to develop a content strategy to sustain innovation in teaching and learning. In my opinion, boy […]
Drum roll please! Welcome to WCET’s new Director of Open Policy, Tanya Spilovoy! Tanya is here on WCET Frontiers today to introduce the new WCET Z Initiative and her work with OER and Open Policy. We’re quite excited to have […]
In the second of our series on financial aid issues, Brittany Hackett of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Officers (NASFAA), gives us a look at aid for non-traditional students. She also highlights some of NASFAA’s tip sheets for […]
This month WCET is focusing on a complex component of student participation in higher education: financial aid. We are very appreciative of our friends at the National Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) for providing two blog posts giving […]
Hello! This week we welcome Sunny Lee, the Senior Product Manager with Higher Ed at EdSurge. The EdSurge HigherEd team just completed a total relaunch of their courseware product index, which is a system to help higher education administrators search […]
This week, WCET Frontiers welcomes Cheryl Dowd, our Director of the State Authorization Network. Cheryl is here to announce a new set of helpful state authorization papers. These documents will serve as excellence resources for our colleagues working in state […]
Happy Summer! Welcome to WCET’s 2017 Summer Reading list! This year we asked for several recommendations from the WCET team, our leadership committees, and friends, and compiled this exciting list of reads. We recommend grabbing your summer hat, sunblock, some […]
This week WCET Frontiers is excited to offer something a little different… We all know and love WCET’s Russ Poulin. Here at WCET, several of us are excited about innovative activities and developments in Artificial Intelligence. This week, Rosa Calabrese […]
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) And by name, I mean definition. And by definition, I mean the definition of distance education. […]
Higher education enrollments for all students fell, but more students enrolled in distance education courses than ever before. This is one of the findings of the new “Distance Education Enrollment Report 2017” released by the new Digital Learning Compass partnership. […]
There was quite a bit of surprise in the higher education world yesterday when Purdue University (a large land-grant university in Indiana) announced that it was essentially acquiring Kaplan University (a large for-profit institution). Lots of questions arise. This blog […]
This is the second in a two-part series on a partnership between the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) and WCET (the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) to obtain feedback from some of our members. Part 1 focused on the outcome of […]
This is the first in a two-part series resulting from a partnership between the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) and WCET (the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies). These posts provide you timely insights from your peers and seek to obtain your […]
The federal state authorization for distance education regulation released in December 2016 will likely survive a little longer. Late last year, we reported that this federal regulation would likely be a victim of the Congressional Review Act (CRA). That rarely-used […]
Data privacy and protection is becoming an increasingly important topic on a personal and professional level and in all fields -not just higher education. Lately stories about hackers gaining access to important data has filled my news feed. We need […]
Undergraduate costs are on the rise and student loan debt is a huge issue impacting today’s society. How can we, as higher education professionals, help limit the costs for students while also ensuring and promoting their success? This week we […]
The 28th WCET Annual Meeting was my first WCET Annual Meeting. Actually, since I had only started my new position with WCET a few, tender weeks prior to heading Minneapolis, it was one of my first WCET experiences! And, it […]
Happy 60th Anniversary to the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN)! WIN is the western regional nursing organization that succeeded the Western Council on Higher Education for Nursing (WCHEN). Today we welcome Paula McNeil and Anna Galas from NEXus to discuss […]
Accessibility is a hot topic in and outside of education. In fact, this month, WCET joined the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) for Developmental Disabilities […]
Military personnel and veterans are eager to learn…and most of them do so using educational technologies and distance learning. Given that the United States has been involved in two wars for more than a decade, how do they defend the […]
WCET has long been a champion of e-learning consortia, multi-institution efforts to partner to do more together than can be done by an individual campus. Today we feature one of them. In the past, the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC) […]
I believe that developing an inclusive and welcoming classroom environment is an important aspect of effective teaching and learning. But, how can we foster such an environment? Especially in an online classroom, where it may be harder to make connections […]
You’ve heard of course management tools, you’ve heard of ePortfolios… but you’ve never heard of this! This week we welcome Dr. Jeff Borden, the Chief Innovation Officer at Saint Leo University, to discuss the implementation of a new and exciting […]
What do you know about the price and cost of distance education? What do we charge students (the “price”)? How much does the institution spend to create the course (the “cost”)? In order to learn more about this issue, WCET […]
Today we welcome Mike Abbiatti, the executive direction of WCET and WICHE Vice President for Educational Technologies, to WCET Frontiers. Mike will discuss the term cybersecurity in higher education, why we should care about protecting privacy and data, and actions […]
Competency Based Education allows students to advance toward a completion goal based on their mastery of a skill or competency at their own pace. Establishing a CBE program can seem like a daunting task, but, luckily, this post contains some […]
What is the attitude toward online teaching on your campus? What has it been historically? Today on WCET Frontiers we are thrilled to have guest authors from Wiley Education Services, blogging about an interview with two members of their faculty […]
This week we welcome Patricia O’Sullivan, Manager of the University of Mississippi Personalized Learning & Adaptive Teaching Opportunities (PLATO) Program to give us news from the APLU adaptive courseware grant front. Adaptive courseware can positively impact student outcomes and the […]
Thank you Ted Mitchell! In his last hours as the Under Secretary of Education, Mitchell wrote a letter to Marshall Hill (Executive Director, NC-SARA) and me confirming the clarifications to state authorization regulations that Department staff made to me and […]
To paraphrase Mark Twain: “The report of SARA’s death was an exaggeration.” Department of Education officials recently told me that they recognize the hard work over many years in creating interstate reciprocity agreements for state authorization. They also expressed surprise […]
It has been a busy few days since the U.S. Department of Education released the final version of its “State Authorization of Postsecondary Distance Education, Foreign Locations” regulations. You can see Cheryl Dowd’s and my initial take on the final rules, in […]
The U.S. Department of Education released its final version of the its long-awaited regulations on “State Authorization of Postsecondary Distance Education, Foreign Locations” earlier today. They will be published next week with an effective date of July 1, 2018. What […]
This week we are happy to welcome Dr. Katie Linder, Oregon State University Ecampus, as our guest blog post author. Dr. Linder is here to discuss a national research project on student use of closed captions and transcriptions. The important […]
This week we welcome Dr. Susan Aldridge, President of Drexel University Online, and Marci Powell, Chair Emerita of the U.S. Distance Learning Association, to discuss Drexel’s success in teaching and learning in virtual environments. Their story is not only “virtually […]
This week we welcome Niki Bray, WCET Adaptive Learning Fellow, to discuss the impact of adaptive learning at CTU. I loved reading this post from Niki, especially the focus on one of our 2016 WOW Award Winners! For more on CTU’s […]
Even George Clooney could not save the day as three storm fronts converged on his doomed fishing boat in 2000’s The Perfect Storm. Similarly, a new Republican President, Republican Congress, and an obscure law will come together to sink eight […]
This summer before transitioning from WCET to APUS, I had the opportunity to interview Adina Martinez, who was a student at a progressive institutional upstart, Portmont College at Mount St. Mary’s. Portmont was run in conjunction with My College Foundation […]
In the spring semester of 2013, American Sentinel University was experiencing the welcomed issue of high student traffic. The university had back-to-back years of significant growth in enrollment, and new degree program requirements were being implemented in the spring, naturally […]
Leading up to the 2016 Annual Meeting, the WCET team and Steering Committee discussed making future conferences more of an experience that includes facilitated discussions, loosely organized conversations around key edtech topics, and other session types to make the event […]
Thank you to WCET members University of Nebraska and Ranku for today’s post. The University of Nebraska Online Worldwide was seeking a solution for a user-friendly web tool enabling prospective students to search the offerings of the four system institutions. […]
Earlier this year, Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska called this election a “dumpster fire.” We were reminded of this insight by Terry Hartle (Senior Vice President, Division of Government and Public Affairs of the American Council on Education) at last […]
Hello WCETer’s! Today I’d like to share the highlights of the meeting from my point of view as a new WCET staff member and first timer at the WCET Annual Meeting. As I, sadly, could not be everywhere at once, […]
For the last 7.5 years I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best people in technology-enhanced higher education – the WCET staff and members. I am a better person, a better learner, and a better educator […]
“We need a hero!” is a recurring subject line in emails I receive from a popular contract cheating provider. In these emails, they beg me to become a “hero” by uploading my “study resources” to help others or by becoming […]
As greater numbers of students move into online and competency-based education programs, we have seen new interest in understanding the Department of Education’s regulations. In particular, faculty and administrators seek to understand how the Department interprets rules requiring courses to […]
Today’s guest blogger is Jeremy Walsh of Learning House. He has spent his career helping organizations to reach their potential. As a dynamic leader, business developer, former pastor, small business owner, entrepreneur, and business consultant, he has a unique perspective on […]
Change begins with an idea, and in the Instructional Design department at Walters State Community College, we are not afraid of change. We realize that technology is changing our world minute by minute, and by embracing that movement, Walters State […]
What’s Been Up? The National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA) is wrapping up its second year of a national U.S. Department of Education funded effort to conduct rigorous research to identify key factors influencing student success […]
WCET’s 28th Annual Meeting is a mere seven weeks away- October 12-14. In no time, our community of edtech leaders and innovators will convene in beautiful Minneapolis to connect with colleagues, exchange ideas, and share triumphs and challenges. The WCET […]
Nine higher education organizations partnered to submit comments to the Department of Education regarding its proposed state authorization regulations for distance education. By working unison, we provided a strong and consistent single voice in making recommendations to the Department. The […]
Overview The North Dakota University System Open Educational Resources Initiative is a 3-phased plan hinging upon a unique collaboration among the North Dakota legislature, the University System Office, and the faculty at public institutions across the state. At the intersection […]
On Tuesday, The U.S. Department of Education announced (Department press release, Wall Street Journal story) the eight partnerships that were selected in the EQUIP (Educational QUality through Innovative Partnerships) experimental sites program. The Department sought collaborations between accredited institutions that […]
Myk Garn is a long-time friend of WCET. He currently champions “new learning models” for the University System of Georgia. Myk also serves on the Board of Directors for the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN). After recent discussions about attacks on […]
I encourage you and/or your institution to submit comments on the state authorization regulation proposed recently (press release, proposed regulations) by the U.S. Department of Education. In a recent post, I gave you a “first look” at the language, included some […]
A trim hiker in black shorts and a blue sleeveless shirt stands atop a mountain, her arms raised in victory. This image literally headlines Eva Gregg’s digital eWolf portfolio. That’s her in the picture. [caption id="attachment_4598" align="alignleft" width="647"] This image […]
This morning the U.S. Department of Education released its proposed new regulations (press release, proposed regulations) for the state authorization of distance education programs. Institutional personnel and the public are invited to submit comments by August 24. This post will […]
[caption id="attachment_4566" align="alignleft" width="300"] Higher-Ed Edtech & Innovation Conferences graphic from our Friends at EdSurge HigherEd.[/caption] We have all attended a conference and had that déjà vu feeling, where you look at the program and the attendees and have the […]
For the past six weeks I have been serving as the connected learning coach for Collaborative Curiosity: Designing Community Engaged Research, a fully online, graduate level, connected learning course sponsored by the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Division of Community Engagement […]
On the last day of June, the U.S. Department of Education hosted an invitation-only session on “Reimagining Higher Education.” I was very pleased to represent WCET members. Here are some of the top takeaways and notice that they are planning […]
I have always enjoyed the “Spy vs. Spy” section of Mad Magazine. If you are not familiar with it check out this animated version. In the wordless comic strip two spies battle it out against each other. The spies are identical […]
Earlier this month WCET’ers gathered in Salt Lake City to have frank discussions and hear from leading experts in the somewhat nebulous construct of 21st Century Credentials. There is no way I can replicate the conversations held, the discussions, the […]
It’s coming back! The federal regulation for the state authorization of distance education appears to be returning. The Department of Education submitted a proposed regulation to the Office of Management and Budget for its review. The abstract on the OMB […]
Higher education has undergone a dramatic shift over the last 10 years, and so too has the world of marketing. In 2014, the Harvard Business Review stated that it could not think of another discipline that had evolved so quickly, […]
Sometimes in higher education common sense and doing the right thing for students supersede competition, policies, and politics (SARA may quickly come to mind). An example, the newly-minted Consortium for the Assessment of College Equivalency (CACE), formed officially in 2015, […]
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.” – John Lydgate Abraham Lincoln referred […]
With the desire to support our learners, a number of colleges and universities are implementing technological methods and approaches for academic advising. Whether it is campus change or technological necessity, we need a way to encourage advising programs to consider […]
As we make our way through the final few weeks of the traditional college graduation season, it makes me reflect on the flawed first-time, full-time federal graduation rate used by the Department of Education. There’s been news on this front […]
Learn how competency-based education (CBE) helped one Texan (an adult, veteran, fully-employed, grandparent) achieve another important title: college graduate. Thank you to Judith Sebesta, Institute for Competency-Based Education, Texas A&M University-Commerce for contributing this inspiring story. Russ Poulin In his […]
We called for help in getting the voice of students into our blog posts. I want to thank Holly Jean Greene (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) for preparing this video for us with real, live students sharing their experiences. Thank you! […]
Transforming Your Practice as a Pathway to Fulfillment and Student Success in State Authorization Careers Please join us in welcoming Jason Piatt, Director, Online Compliance and Communication, Kent State Online Kent State University to the Frontiers blog as he shares an […]
If you have not paid attention to the proposed “Teacher Prep” regulations, it’s time to do so. Once again “distance education” is being treated differently by the U.S. Department of Education. Certainly, institutions with distance education programs that prepare students […]
WCET conducted analysis on the Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) data since the initial release of distance education data for the Fall, 2012. Most recently, we produced a comprehensive report, WCET Distance Education Enrollment Report 2016, […]
So you have decided you want to adapt a course and you are just beginning to learn more about the process and work involved. In this blog post, I will share my personal experience of working through the adaptive process, […]
In an era when undergraduate students emerge digitally engaged, the progressive graduate educator is one who is open to adapt and adjust the delivery of their teaching, assignments, and interactions to incorporate innovative technology. Faculty face both implicit and explicit […]
Today, the U.S. Department of Education released a new set of proposed regulations for those educating our future teachers at a distance. The long-delayed “Teacher Prep” regulations could cause more complications for colleges of education using distance education to serve […]
We welcome Alexis Hope, MIT Media Lab, as today’s guest blogger, as she gives us a peek at a new publishing platform that incorporates many types of multimedia into your text copy. Alexis and a panel of MIT Media Lab […]
This post originally appeared as an opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed. Thanks to Phil Hill, e-Literate, and Russ Poulin, WCET, for debumking the myths being spread about SARA in New York. A coalition of consumer groups, legal aid organizations and unions […]
Instructional design has a problem. I noticed it last summer when I was doing the conference circuit. We have run out of things to say. Keynotes, which are supposed to rally the troops and get us fired up for the day, offer […]
If you talk to an academic advisor about degree completion for any period of time, you will hear heartbreaking stories of the students who “got away” (students who got close to the goal of graduation but had to stop for […]
Today we welcome Kathy Keairns, Director of Web-Based Learning in the Office of Teaching & Learning at the University of Denver, to the Frontiers blog. Kathy has been involved in faculty development and online education for over 15 years and is a […]
Sometimes you have to start at the end to see the beginning more clearly. On my {somewhat delayed} journey home from SXSWedu, our Mike Abbiatti posed the question, “if technology is all it’s cracked up to be, why do we spend so […]
We’re happy to welcome Deb Everhart, Georgetown University, back to the Frontiers blog. Today Deb is sharing work she did with ACE on connected credentials and the value of competencies. Our own Mike Abbiatti worked on this with her and […]
The U.S. Department of Education’s long-delayed “Teacher Prep” regulations look like they will soon be back in the limelight. In a subtle addition to the Department’s web page that tracks the progress of this proposed regulation, the following statement was […]
Thank you to Allison Friederichs (Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Assistant Teaching Professor, University College University of Denver) for recommending an innovative adjunct faculty member for today’s guest blog post. I think you will enjoy learning from Joseph Kerski. Thank you Joseph […]
Today we’re honored to welcome TJ Bliss, Program Officer, Education at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to share with us the learning the Foundation has garnered in over 15 years of supporting open educational resource projects. Thank you, TJ […]
We need your help in providing data – WCET is currently conducting a survey on the price and cost of distance education. But before we get to the survey completion plea, some background… How Are You Saving Money Using Technology? […]
During the 2015 WCET Annual Meeting, The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) received a WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award for their work in replacing all of their undergraduate course textbooks with Open Educational Resources. Thank you to the team […]
We are pleased to announce the first issue of a new report, the “WCET Distance Education Enrollment Report 2016: Using IPEDS 2014 Fall Enrollment Data.” Based on data accumulated by the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System’s […]
Who wants the best LMS? We all do! How do you pick the best LMS? *cricket chirp, cricket chirp* A choice of a Learning Management System (LMS) is a critical one for colleges and universities on so many levels – it […]
In the final chapter of our three-part set of guest blog posts focusing on the future, we welcome Michelle Weise. Formerly at the Clayton Christensen Institute, Michelle now serves as Executive Director of the Sandbox CoLABorative for Southern New Hampshire […]
Have you met Robbie Melton, Tennessee’s emerging education technologies evangelist? We sent her back to the future and an in today’s guest blog post, she shares what she found there. Thank you Robbie! What are your thoughts about the future? […]
By now, it borders on trite to declare that American higher education, and, in fact, global higher education stands on the precipice of dynamic, revolutionary, and disruptive change. But the cards that I see being dealt as we enter 2016 […]
WCET partners with the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) in creating a unified voice on pending federal regulations for today’s higher education students. By working together, we can have more impact on […]
In this week’s blog on adaptive learning, I will share some benefits of using adaptive learning in higher education based upon the three major challenges Richard Culatta, former Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the U.S. Department of […]
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) released the third year of Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data that reports Distance Education (DE) student enrollment for the Fall of 2014. This is […]
We welcome guest blogger Alan Contreras who is a former regulator for the state of Oregon and is the chief interpreter (not his official title) for all the details of how states and colleges are implementing SARA (the State Authorization […]
WCET seeks to raise awareness on the why, how and what of adaptive learning; to develop a community of faculty, administrators, designers and providers to share promising practices and ideas; and for WCET to be a valuable resource on this […]
For those who attended the annual meeting, you already had in introduction to EdReady by The NROC Project as a 2015 WOW Award winner. They created a great video that explains the basis of the project, but we asked Ahrash […]
Last month, just ahead of the WCET Annual Meeting, the Adult College Completion Network held their annual Workshop, focused on garnering discussion of how we best serve adult learners and bring them back into higher education. Today, Christina Sedney, project […]
Today we welcome our WICHE colleague, Christina Sedney, project coordinator for the Adult College Completion Network (ACCN), as she shares with us the changes to IPEDS reporting that will improve, if not drastically at least incrementally, the data we have […]
Thank you to Nancy Spector for her guest blog post. You can see her in the WCET Annual Meeting session on Interstate Agreements in State Authorization on Wednesday, November 11 at 3:30. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing […]
Are colleges doing all they can to assure that their online adjunct faculty are successful? Institutions employing adjunct faculty for online courses were surveyed about the practices they use in supporting them. With the frequent use of adjuncts and growing […]
Students at “non-traditional providers” of postsecondary education will have a chance to earn federal financial aid through experimental partnerships recently announced by the U.S. Department of Education. To participate, providers are expected to partner with “traditional” institutions that currently offer […]
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA) Research Center invites you to participate in a competitive grant process. They are looking for researchers who want to conduct rigorous studies on effective course and institution practices in online […]
To join or not to join…. that is the question. The answer, like everything else related to state authorization is….it depends! This blog post will identify the factors that an institution faces in making that choice. Begin with Internal Analysis […]
Thank you to Nancy Anderson and Paul Thompson of the Washington, DC law firm, Cooley, LLP. Over many years, Cooley has been of great service to WCET members in keeping us abreast and advising us on how federal regulations will […]
WCET Steering Committee member Preston Davis guest blogs today about the skill requirements for modern faculty. After reading his post, join him on October 6 as he leads a Google Hangout addressing the question: “is there a digital divide between […]
Thank you to Howard Kramer from the University of Colorado-Boulder for this interview on Universal Design’s power to assist those with accessibility needs…and to benefit everyone else in a course. Howard is a cofounder of the annual Accessing Higher Ground […]
In today’s blog post, we have a conversation with Jarret Cummings, EDUCAUSE’s Director of Policy and External Relations. Jarret has helped lead negotiations on new federal legislation that would facilitate the development of voluntary accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional materials […]
Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Education released its long-awaited College Scorecard. Originally envisioned as a way to help the Department in determining whether institutions should remain eligible to offer financial aid, the focus is now on student-as-consumer information. […]
Denver and its surrounding area, including Boulder, is known for progressive and innovative tech business incubation and growth. The urban landscape adjacent to the foothills and the Rocky Mountains nurtures an innovative yet reenergizing spirit. The WCET Annual Meeting, commemorating […]
Note: This blog post is for those managers of online learning or extended learning units who are in maturing organizations. If you have started an online learning unit or recently been asked to transition an operation to partially or fully […]
Van Davis, Blackboard’s new Associate Vice President of Higher Education Research and Policy, is today’s guest blogger. We’re all engaged in assuring that student data is used properly. Van gives us an insight into legislation that may add new responsibilities in protecting student […]
Today we welcome Stacey Güney, director, HLC ACCelerator, Austin Community College as she shares with us how the rebirth of the physical shell of the Highland Mall has led to the rebirth of hope in ACC students. Rebirth of the Highland […]
This summer the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions) Committee has begun the process of reauthorizing the Higher Education Act of 1965. As some of you have experienced in previous reauthorizations, the committee has been holding hearings to determine […]
You will not want to miss the WCET Annual Meeting in Denver at the beautiful Westin Downtown, November 11-13. Though the fall meeting schedule is packed, a recent attendee said, “WCET is the one meeting on my agenda that I WILL […]
This week the WCET State Authorization Network is hosting its second State Authorization Compliance Workshop in Denver. In discussing the contents for this event, we started stumbling on some common myths that we keep hearing about state authorization and distance […]
After 10 years of providing technical support for e-Learning solutions, the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium’s (CTDLC) Call Center was presented with an interesting opportunity. The CFO of our parent organization, Charter Oak State College, approached us to ask whether we […]
Hello from Washington, DC and the NACUA (National Association of College and University Attorneys) Annual Conference. As part of my role on a state authorization panel, I was asked to give an overview of the Department of Education’s state authorization […]
As has become tradition, June 10th and 11th, a band of WCET’ers gathered to explore an emerging innovation in higher education – adaptive learning. Following in the footsteps of our summits on big data and alternative credentials, this summit looked […]
“We are introducing a disruptive model into the traditional college campus. Nothing will be the same once you take the time orientation off the table.” Tom Nielsen (Bellevue College) Tom shared that wisdom at last week’s CBE4CC event, which brought […]
Some new federal regulations may be coming your way and we need to make our voice heard. We need your help in addressing concerns in four areas: ensuring equity for financial aid, student identity, accessibility, and state authorization of distance […]
Today we learn with Deb Adair, Managing Director and Chief Planning Officer, Quality Matters and Julie Porosky Hamlin, Executive Director, MarylandOnline; Member, Quality Matters Board of Directors their perspective on quality assurance for alternative higher education. Thank you Deb and Julie for […]
As of summer 2014 CCCOnline has been offering 6-week intensive courses. These have shown great promise in terms of student interest, student success/retention, and instructor satisfaction. Before I embark on this journey we’ve been on, first a little background on […]
The final state authorization deadline for “on ground” programs approaches quickly A U.S. Department of Education regulation that outlines steps states must take in overseeing institutions within their own boundaries will take effect on July 1 of this year. It […]
David Clinefelter, Chief Academic Officer at the Learning House, joins us on the Frontiers blog today to share a partnership that is bringing college credit to coding bootcamps, helping students gain real world skills and credit towards a college credential at […]
Tony Bates has had a distinguished career promoting distance learning and open learning and content initiatives around the world. Today Tony shares with us his latest book – an online, open textbook – as a resource for those teaching in our current digital […]
How do students judge the quality of distance education courses? The Distance Education Accrediting Commission’s (DEAC) new quality review process helps students to make that evaluation. Traditional colleges have accreditation. Accrediting agencies traditionally provide peer-review evaluations to (according to the […]
Many pressures on higher education make the services of the North American Network of Science Labs Online (NANSLO) essential. These include growing enrollments in online courses while campus enrollments decline, the need to provide flexibility for nontraditional students, a growing […]
Accessibility is a concern across all of technology-enhanced education. At BCcampus, they wanted to help content creators incorporate accessible practices into their open materials. Amanda Coolidge, Open Education manager at BCcampus, shares with us how they crafted the BC Open Textbook […]
Those of us in WCET’s State Authorization Network (SAN) and in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) leadership often get asked the questions: “Does anyone really enforce ‘state authorization’ in the U.S.?” “Why don’t I read in the higher education […]
A long time supporter of WCET, we are delighted to hear from Tricia Donovan, executive Director of eCampusAblerta today. Thank you, Tricia, for sharing with us eCA’s work in developing the quality eToolkit. eCampusAlberta is a consortium of 26 publicly funded post-secondary […]
This is the third in a series of three blog posts examining the 2013 IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey and its counts of distance education enrollments. The first blog focused on the 2013 survey statistics and the second compared the growth […]
The first blog post in this series analyzed the Fall 2013 distance education enrollment data (as released by the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS survey) sector-by-sector. The post revealed that one-of-four students took at least one distance education course and […]
This is the first of a series of posts providing insight on data regarding enrollments in distance education that was released by the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year. Terri Taylor Straut crunched the data for WCET. Terri has […]
Today we hear from Peter Smith, Founding President, Open College @ Kaplan University and chair of the WCET Executive Council. Thank you Peter for your insights today and the leadership you provide your Cooperative. It is a tremendous honor to […]
Today we welcome academic integrity expert Tricia Bertam Gallant, Outreach Coordinator at the International Center on Integrity, who will share with us how they are helping institutions employ academic integrity best practices. The “Trusted Seal of Integrity” should help us combat […]
Thank you to Tanya Joosten, Laura Pedrick, and Diane Reddy for inviting me to a summit to kick-off the new National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements. Operated by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, DETA (as they have thankfully […]
Last week’s blog post looked forward to the likely reauthorization this year of The Higher Education Act, the “major law that authorizes the federal programs that support colleges and universities and their students, most significantly the federal student loan and […]
With great foresight into the happenings of the Hill, today Christopher T. Murray and Kenneth D. Salomon, partners at Thompson Coburn LLP, share with us what they have observed regarding Higher Ed Act Reauthorization possibilities for 2015. WCET is currently exploring ways to […]
In a continuation of our look into the Open Educational Resources Initiative in North Dakota, today we are excited to share Teresa Tande’s, Associate Professor of English/Humanities at Lake Region State College, story of incorporating OER into her classroom. When […]
Today we have the privilege of hearing from Tanya Spilovoy, director of distance education and state authorization at the North Dakota University System, as she shares with us the journey of an open educational resource initiative that has what we […]
Today we welcome our new WCET executive director, Michael D. Abbiatti, to his first post on Frontiers. Many of you know Mike from his years of active participation as a member of WCET. We invite you to take a moment […]
Looking back at 2014, here are some of our most popular blog posts. There were some posts that were quite popular regarding the U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking process for state authorization for distance education regulations. We’ve removed those […]
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education has a great history of statewide elearning innovation, see Kentucky Virtual Campus, Kentucky Virtual Library, Kentucky Virtual Adult Education, and Learn on Demand. In a partnership among its colleges, they are increasing the capacity […]
December 12, 2014 It was a quiet week in Lake Wobegone… …and then new Teacher Prep regulations were released. On December 3rd, the U.S. Department of Education released proposed new accountability regulations for teacher preparation programs. Public comment will be […]
November 19-21, 2014 seasoned WCET’ers and new comers to our community gathered in Portland, OR (known the City of Roses) to exchange ideas and learn together. Invigorated by the conversations and fueled by amazing epicurean adventures, the tenor of the […]
WCET’ers are arriving from all over the nation in beautiful Portland, Oregon to celebrate 26 years of coming together. This year we’re proud to present a program that brings both big picture, forward thinking ideas and practical applications that […]
November 18, 2014 Another Portlandite, Jim Friscia, gives us a look into the fun Portland has to offer to compliment the learning at #WCET14. Who knows, perhaps the next big thing in e-learning will come from a walk in the […]
November 14, 2014 I’ve had the great pleasure of working with Nancy Spector over the past few years as the National Council of State Boards of Nursing works on the issue of prelicensure Nursing requirements across the states. They have […]
A 2014 WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award winner, the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) OER-Based Associate Degree Project has saved its students nearly half a million dollars in its pilot year. Read on as Wm. Preston Davis, Director of Instructional […]
Today we feature Ellen Wagner, Chief Strategy Officer, Predictive Analytics Reporting (PAR) Framework as she takes us on a tour of the post-secondary big data landscape, including reflections on the first three years of the PAR Framework. It Begins With […]
This morning, the U.S. Department of Education released a 945 page document describing its new “Gainful Employment” (GE) regulations. An informal version is available on the Department’s website and the final version will be published in the Federal Register on […]
At your cooperative, we’re always happy to share the learning of our members. Sharing with us today is Sally Johnstone, Vice President for Academic Advancement at Western Governors University, about the work WGU has done with community colleges to launch […]
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a 2014 WCET Outstanding Work Award winner for their innovative online instructional approach, U-Pace. Today Diane Reddy and Ray Fleming, co-creators of U-Pace and Laura Pedrick, executive director of UWM Online, share with us a […]
In an extended conversation with the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) IPEDS personnel, they confirmed which distance education enrollment counts colleges should be reporting to the Department’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey. The Department representatives also wondered […]
Today we welcome Colorado Technical University Chief Academic Officer and Provost, Connie Johnson and CTU faculty member, Sarah Pingrey as they share what their WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) award-winning program has done to improve the student and faculty experience in […]
Capella University is a 2014 WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award recipient for the development of FlexPath. Deb Bushway, Vice President of Academic Innovation and Chief Academic Officer shares with us today the evolution of FlexPath from pilot to celebrating its […]
Katie Blot, senior vice president, education services at Blackboard shares with us how MyEdu is helping learners succeed through academic planning and out into the marketplace. When we talk about changes in education, the best place to start is with […]
After billions of dollars spent on administrative computer systems and billions of dollars invested in ed tech companies, the U.S. higher education system is woefully out of date and unable to cope with major education trends such as online & […]
Greetings from the great Pacific Northwest! Portland (aka the City of Roses, Bridgetown, Beervana, P-Town, Rip City, Stumptown, and PDX) welcomes you to WCET’s 26th Annual Meeting. There’s no way to tell if you’ll experience the usual rain, sun breaks, […]
The Excelsior College Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a 2014 recipient of the WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award and will accept the award at the WCET Annual Meeting. Today Crystal Sands, Director of the OWL shares with us the goals, […]
In partnership with M-SARA (run by MHEC), the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), we offered two webcasts in August with updates on state authorization. The first webcast focused on state and federal […]
What do Greeks, Vietnamese, Australians, and Americans have in common? The answer is no joke… I travel a lot. For the past several years, I have accumulated over 200,000 miles per year, going around the world to speak about education […]
This year, the WCET Annual Meeting will kick off with a keynote from Nancy Zimpher, Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY). Today she shares with us how her team is addressing three fundamental principles in education – access, completion and […]
Online learning has been popularized through programs in business, technology, education and even nursing. However, over the years, the diversity of programs you can take online – even those which require extensive clinical hours – has grown. For a little […]
Our WICHE Colleague, Patrick Lane, senior policy analyst and the project coordinator for the Adult College Completion Network, shares with us today a recap, originally posted on the ACCN blog, of what the Starbucks-ASU partnership means for employees and how […]
It has been a good summer and a good year for colleges finding ways to work together online. I’ve been meaning to note this development for some time, but this week’s developments with California State University Online prompted me to […]
It has been a few weeks since Ted Mitchell, the U.S. Department of Education’s Under Secretary for Postsecondary Education, announced that there will be a “pause” in proposing new federal state authorization regulations for distance education. According to Inside Higher […]
As military boot camp serves to bulk up the physical endurance and mental preparation for combat service, WCET’s data boot camp brought together cross-functional teams to bulk up their knowledge and preparation to build analytics capacity at their specific institution. […]
In an address to the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) yesterday, Ted Mitchell (Under Secretary for Postsecondary) Education announced a ‘pause’ on state authorization. This announcement was reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed today. […]
Connecticut’s innovative new program to attract students with some credits, but no degree has had amazing success in grabbing the attention of its target audience. Thank you to Ed Klonoski, President of Charter Oak State College, who describes “Go Back […]
For the first time, WCET partnered with UPCEA and Sloan-C in providing recommendations on distance education policy. We stated our positions in a letter delivered on Friday to Secretary Arne Duncan of the U.S. Department of Education. In the letter […]
By Phil Hill and Russ Poulin, cross-posted to e-Literate blog. Last week the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a new report analyzing the new IPEDS data on distance education. The report, titled Enrollment in Distance Education Courses, by […]
Deb Gearhart, Ohio University, recently told me the inspiring story of one of their distance graduates who overcame several life challenges on his road to a degree. After several youthful bad decisions, this student was sentenced to life imprisonment through […]
The U.S Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking process is designed to advise the Department on regulations that they are seeking to implement or change. Negotiators are chosen to represent the different constituencies that have an interest in the outcome. Thanks […]
May 7th & 8th, 2014 Salt Lake City was again host to a bevy of WCET’ers, gathered to discuss how we in higher education can adopt, adapt and administer high quality credentials in new ways utilizing tools like competency based […]
Colleges increasingly comply with state authorization regulations for distance education, but they often do so by choosing not to enroll students from some states. These are some of the findings of the latest survey on institutional progress in state authorization. […]
Many WCET members are involved in “reinvention” of their institutions and the change management that it implies. Project DAVID engaged leaders in liberal arts colleges in sharing their innovations. Thank you to Ann Hill Duin and Eric Childers for their […]
Today we welcome guest author, David Shulman, Campus President, Broward College Online, as he shares with us how Florida’s Global Campus made the commitment to and implemented open educational resources and other no-cost course materials. Background It’s no secret that […]
NOTE: Since publishing this blog post, the Department released an updated document that includes proposed wording resulting from discussion at the April meeting. — Russ Members of the U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking Committee proposed many options for the […]
The U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking Committee is discussing the return of the federal regulation requiring institutions to be authorized in each state in which it enrolls students eligible for Title IV financial aid. The Committee meets next week […]
State U Online: An Overview Last year, New America published State U Online, a report I wrote after over a year of research. The project, which was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Lumina Foundation, was based […]
April 7, 2014 Provide your input on some proposed federal regulations regarding state authorization and distance education. If you are concerned, inform the Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking Committee is discussing the possible return of […]
In an ideal world, we would all have custom, personalized support standing at the ready to provide just-in-time response to our need for guidance and support. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could provide this for faculty developing online courses […]
March 24, 2014 On March 20, I posted the new language proposed by the U.S. Department of Education staff regarding federal requirements for the state authorization of distance education. In that post, I asked for comments and I received quite […]
March 20, 2014 As you may know, I was selected to the U.S. Department of Education’s Program Integrity Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. One of the regulations that we are considering is the federal rules regarding the state authorization of institutions offering […]
March 19, 2014 Let’s play a game. What percentage of all distance education enrollments occur in for-profit institutions? In private, non-profits? In public institutions? Hold onto your guesses as we’ll get to the answers later in this blog post. The […]
March 11, 2014 This is the third in a series of blog posts examining data recently released by the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS survey on distance education (DE) enrollments. Our first blog post in this series looked at students […]
This is the second in a series of blog posts examining data recently released by the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS survey on distance education enrollments. Our first blog post in this series looked at the percentage of students enrolled […]
This is the first of a series of posts providing insight on data regarding enrollments in distance education that was released by the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year. Terri Straut crunched the data for WCET. Terri has a […]
February 26, 2014 New regulations and reporting requirements to help battle federal financial aid fraud for institutions that offer distance education are coming. No doubt, additional protections are needed tools to combat financial aid fraud. The distance education community needs […]
February 20, 2014 If not handled well, accusations of cheating or plagiarism, could have a huge impact on a student’s academic journey. We welcome Dr. Michelle Warn, Program Chair, Masters in Teaching and Learning with Technology at Ashford University, to share with […]
In talking with institutional personnel, I’ve noted some confusion about different aspects of the state authorization regulations. There are still many who believe that the federal deadline to be in compliance for those offering distance education in each state is […]
February 12, 2014 Hooray! College football in the United States is finally doing away with the Bowl Championship System (BCS) to anoint a national champion. Meanwhile, a mania remains for ratings and ranking systems of collegiate performance in academics, financial […]
We asked you to: “Predict something that will happen this year regarding teaching, learning, technology, business of e-learning, policy, regulations, student behavior, or other related items.” Not surprising of our followers, the bulk of the focus is on academic issues […]
January 30, 2014 Thank you to Mike Abbiatti from the Southern Regional Education Board for giving us his take on Net Neutrality. Recently a federal court in the U.S. struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s right to enforce net neutrality […]
January 28, 2014 Thank you to Tony Bates for providing his perspective on productivity and online education, including part 1 on “Main Concepts and Principles” and Part 2 on “Identifying Promising Areas of Productivity for Online Learning.” We asked five […]
January 23, 2014 This is the second of two parts of a guest post by noted educational technology thinker, Tony Bates. The first part focused on Main Concepts and Principles. Again, thank you to Tony Bates for his contribution. Russ […]
January 21, 2014 In some circles, online learning has become the panacea for increasing access and productivity in higher education. As distance education professionals, we’ve been comfortable with the access issue, but politicians have pulled us into the productivity mix […]
January 16, 2014 Today, President Obama convenes a “Summit” on higher education access and affordability. Given that theme, I thought it would be appropriate to hear one student’s perspective. Celia Perez is an adult, a single parent, an employee, and […]
Late in 2013, WICHE President, David Longanecker, announced that Ellen Wagner is stepping down as Executive Director of WCET as of December 31. Here is Dr. Longanecker’s announcement to WCET members and a link to a “thank you” that he […]
January 7, 2014 In January of last year we asked you to: “Predict something that will happen this year regarding teaching, learning, technology, business of e-learning, policy, regulations, student behavior, or other related items.” Given that broad request, it is […]
December 31, 2013 WCET ends the year by looking back at the most popular blog posts from 2013 and in wishing you a very happy new year. Our offerings that received the most views include… Is Your Distance Education Course […]
December 18, 2013 Thank you to Colt Alton of Ednak for conducting this interview with Panagiotis Adamopoulos on his research regarding “What Makes a Great MOOC.” Adamopoulos is a PhD Candidate of Information Systems at New York University’s Leonard N. […]
Today WCET Frontiers welcomes Dr. Robbie Melton, Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, with the Tennessee Board of Regents, eLearning Initiative, as a guest blogger. In the following post she shares with us the research she conducted on the top educational […]
December 9, 2013 We’re pleased to have Marshall Hill, Executive Director of the National Council for State Reciprocity Agreements update us on progress with SARA. WCET will host a free webcast featuring Marshall Hill updating us with more details about […]
November 22, 2013 The Department of Education took the next steps in reinstating the federal regulation requiring institutions to demonstrate that they have the proper authorization to serve distance students in other states. Earlier this week the Department announced in […]
As we crossed the milestone of the 25th WCET Annual Meeting, the WCET community took the time to celebrate the past while not dwelling there but rather planning for the future. As promised, not only did the weather in Denver […]
Whether you’ll be with us in person or in spirit, there are many not-to-miss sessions and networking opportunities at the WCET 25th Annual Meeting. WCET is thrilled to have numerous edtech innovators on the Annual Meeting program. Our two keynote […]
Over the past two years, we at WCET have had the pleasure of working with Anne Derryberry on several game and badge related initiatives. In late summer 2012 we commenced WCET’s Who’s Got Class? which was designed and game-mastered by […]
In the last of our three blog posts on Walters State (TN) Community College’s ambitious initiative to implement mobile learning campus-wide, we learn about the IT needs required to support multiple devices for every faculty, staff, and student. If they […]
This is the second in a series of blog posts from our friends at Walters State Community College in Tennessee. The first post covered how they organized campus-wide implementation of their mobile learning initiative. This post focuses on steps in […]
We better be paying attention to mobile learning. A short while ago, I asked Robbie Melton, the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (and WCET’s) “Appologist” about examples in her state of successful implementation of mobile learning on campus. She introduced me […]
Today we welcome a young leader working at the intersection of higher education and technology, Sean Traigle, Senior Director, Academic Partnerships at StraighterLine. Sean shares his perspective on the contributions millenials stand to make to our industry and puts a call to […]
Today’s guest blog is from Jane Hart who is a world renowned edtech expert, the founder of the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies (C4LPT), and compiler of Top 100 Tools for Learning lists. WCET is fortunate to have Jane […]
Alternative credentials are a hot topic in higher education – from the new direct assessment competency based programs to badges to certify competency. Today, Anne Derryberry of Sage Road Solutions, LLC, shares with us the current thinking around how badges […]
Today’s guest blogger is Karen Solomon of the Higher Learning Commission, one of the regional accrediting agencies. She shares some of the e-learning emerging issues that they are following. Karen also serves as the chair of WCET’s Steering Committee. Thank […]
As a distance education administrator you will be working with all kinds of third party vendors. In higher education we use many vendors to run our business. For distance education there are the critical systems we use, such as our […]
After last week’s blog posting from David Cillay, Richard Katz (former WCET Executive Council member) and I had a great discussion via email. I invited Richard to provide his viewpoint. Richard served 14 years as vice president of EDUCAUSE and […]
So many exciting things are happening in higher education these days, it could make a guy’s hair fall out (see my photo at the bottom of this post). Most of the headlines have been about “massive” education and the stories […]
In earlier Frontiers blog posts, we heard about developing competency-based programs at Northern Arizona University and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. WCET is also currently partnering with Mozilla, Blackboard, and Sage Road Solutions in offering a MOOC on badges […]
Thank you to everyone who has been contacting us with concern for our safety in the great flood of 2013. Let’s start with: This is a BIG deal. Northern Colorado will be dealing with the aftermath of this flooding for […]
In the last several weeks there have been several developments regarding state authorization of distance education courses and programs. Here is a summary of those activities.State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement The four regional higher education compacts (Midwestern Higher Education Compact, New […]
In 1989 a group of people committed to improving access to higher education across the western region met in Denver to form a cooperative organization to leverage technology for distributed education and to advance excellence in technology-enhanced teaching and learning […]
Today we welcome guest blogger, Dr. Deborah Everhart, Director of Integration Strategy at Blackboard, our partner in the upcoming MOOC, Badges: New Currency for Professional Credentials which starts Sept. 9th. Deborah shares with us the tipping point for badges and […]
Today we welcome guest blogger, Dr. Deborah Everhart, Director of Integration Strategy at Blackboard, our partner in the upcoming MOOC, Badges: New Currency for Professional Credentials which starts Sept. 9th. Deborah shares with us the tipping point for badges and […]
Welcome to our guest blogger Angela Anastacio who is Academic Integrity Manager at Florida Virtual School. While she is focused on academic cheating and plagiarism in the K-12 realm, I find that she has some lessons for us in higher […]
In our on-going series of blog posts on MOOCs, Elizabeth Allan shares her experiences as a reviewer of the “credit-worthiness” of a science MOOC. Previously, Patricia Book gave us her insight into the overall ACE review process. In this post, […]
Our next guest blogger in our series on MOOCs is Ray Schroeder, who, until recently was the Associate Vice Chancellor of Online Learning at the University of Illinois Springfield. Congratulations to Ray on his new position with UPCEA. Ray has […]
As part of our series on MOOCs, WCET asked Pat James Hanz of Mt. San Jacinto College to provide an overview of their experience in developing and offering their first course. We also asked her to provide some lessons learned […]
As part of our current series on MOOCs, we had planned to have Phil Hill (co-founder of MindWires Consulting and co-publisher of the e-Literate blog) as a guest blogger to update a January 2013 post for WCET in which he […]
John Ebersole, president of Excelsior College, gives his views on where MOOCs currently stand on their trek to become avenues for students to receive college credit. This guest blog posting is part of a short series on MOOCs and follow […]
Over the next few weeks, WCET will publish a series of blog posts on Massively Open Online Courses. Given the amount of press that MOOCs have received over the past year, you must be wondering why we need more writings […]
In recent weeks I have received several inquiries about that status of SARA – the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. Since the national meeting in April, there has been activity, but it has been slower than hoped. To be clear, I […]
As a loyal follower of WCET’s discussion threads over the years, I’ve had an opportunity to chime in on various topics, and the use of online tools for student collaboration is probably at the top of my list of issues […]
Making college affordable is in headlines across the country. In today’s blog, Van Davis, Director of Special Projects, Workforce, Academic Affairs, and Research Division, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shares with us the story of an innovative baccalaureate program in Texas which […]
Last week higher education leaders from around the U.S. gathered in Salt Lake City to answer not only the question, “What is ‘big data’?”, but also the “Now What?” for its implications on the future of higher education. The two […]
In May, WCET sought your input regarding the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement of a new round of negotiated rulemaking. Such “rulemaking” is the first step in the Department possibly creating new regulations or refining old ones. Most notable to […]
This week, Luzelma Canales, Executive Director, Resource Development & Administration, Lone Star College System brings us along the path that her system has followed to adopting predictive analytics. Luzelma and others will share more about their analytics journey at the WCET Leadership […]
In honor of Memorial Day in the United States, our guest blogger is Gregory Barber who is retired from the U.S. Air Force. While learning online at the University of Maryland University College, he has lead in helping other veterans […]
On Tuesday, May 21, the U.S. Department of Education is officially releasing a new ‘Dear Colleague’ letter on state authorization. I thought it might be helpful to put this new announcement into context. But first, let me start with a […]
WCET welcomes Lauren McLarney of the National Federation of the Blind in giving us some recent history of and the next steps for proposed regulations regarding accessibility to educational technologies for those with disabilities. Thank you Lauren. I was in […]
Just days before Halloween in 2012, the residents of New Jersey faced the high winds, storm surge, and flooding from Hurricane Sandy. We asked Sheri Prupis from NJEDge to give us an update on how New Jersey’s colleges and universities […]
In mid-April of this year, the U.S. Department of Education announced an “intention to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee to prepare proposed regulations for the Federal Student Aid programs…” Through this process, the Department is visiting or revisiting several issues […]
After I published my blog piece that analyzed the Community College Research Center’s (CCRC) new research on online students, Mac Adkins of Smarter Services contacted me about research based upon the experiences of institutions using their services. Mac was invited […]
A national meeting on next steps in state reciprocity was held in Indianapolis on April 16 and 17. The purpose of the event was to serve as an initial introduction to representatives from each state about next steps in reciprocity. […]
This week both the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed have reported on a developing issue with the federal regulations on state authorization. From your emails to me, these stories have been a bit confusing and confounding to […]
In this Frontiers blog, we welcome back the 2007 WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award winning eTutoring program from the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium. A long running program by any standards, this WOW Award winner has continued to grow and improve […]
We had planned this blog to run today, but did not know that the U.S. Department of Education would choose March 19 to release its new “Dear Colleague” letter on “Applying for Title IV Eligibility for Direct Assessment (Competency-Based) Programs.” In […]
If there was ever any doubt that we are in the midst of a new dot.com boom for education, that doubt was removed at last week’s SXSWEDU. The event brought entrepreneurs and educators to Austin, Texas for four days of panels and […]
The requests look innocent enough. “I’ve created a site to help students looking to enroll in {insert option: online colleges, night school, distance education, adult education, and so on and so forth}. My goal is to help students who want […]
There are plenty of activities on the State Authorization front this week. Below are announcements about: State Authorization Network Year 3 — Call for Members State Authorization Compliance Workshop — April 21, 2013 Latest State Authorization Reciprocity Draft Released — […]
Last Sunday, a New York Times editorial educated us on “The Trouble with Online College.” When the editorial focuses on the results of a longitudinal study by Columbia University’s Community College Research Center (CCRC). While they make some good points, […]
With all this talk about MOOCs, we wanted to hear from someone who had deep experience with open courses long before the idea was discovered by the elite universities. Guest blogger Alan Levine most recently was instructional technology specialist at […]
Dr. Christine Geith, Michigan State University, has been pioneering new approaches in higher education for more than 20 years using educational technology, online learning and entrepreneurial practices. Dr. Geith has experience in research, teaching, small business, internet start-ups, online and […]
A few weeks ago we asked you to: “Predict something that will happen this year regarding teaching, learning, technology, business of e-learning, policy, regulations, student behavior, or other related items.” Some people see big changes for higher education. Will higher […]
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education released a new “Dear Colleague” letter regarding the upcoming deadlines regarding state authorization. The letter was sent to the attention of the “State Education Agency Administrators” and the governors of each state. […]
Last week, we heard Phil Hill’s take on a statewide meeting in California to address how technology-mediated learning could help the state meet its higher education goals. David Longanecker, president of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) was […]
In dealing with tight budgets, limited access to courses, growing costs to students, and concerns about educational quality, we’re noticing that governors and legislators in states and provinces are asking tough questions. Many see technology as part of the answer […]
Early in 2012 we asked WCET members and other notable thinkers to provide predictions for postsecondary e-learning for the year. From a OMG-it’s-all-over-the-media point-of-view, it’s quite clear that MOOCs were the big story this past year. None of our prognosticators […]
Need some advice for reading for the holiday break or as a resolution for the new year? I was thinking about books about elearning or higher education that I have read or have had recommended to me in the past […]
Earlier this year, I was on a plane that was delayed for unknown reasons. During the several hour delay I had the pleasure of meeting Sean Baxter, an up-and-coming executive with ITriage. In our discussion we solved many world problems […]
WCET is pleased to welcome Liz Ciabocchi and Amy Ginsberg of Long Island University as guest bloggers in sharing their research on faculty development. Thank you to WCET members who responded to their survey on training opportunities for blended learning […]
There are some exciting changes in the Integrated Postsecondary Data Education System (IPEDS) data collection. Most notably, IPEDS has started to collect more information on postsecondary distance education. In the 2011-12 data collection year, IPEDS began asking institutions if they […]
The work on the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is moving forward and I’m inviting you to give some feedback. Additionally, significant new rules regarding state authorization for military personnel are on the near horizon. For those waiting for state authorization […]
Our colleague from across the building, Patrick Lane, joins the Frontiers blog today to share the resources from the recent meeting of the Adult College Completion (ACC) Network. The ACC Network aims to unite organizations and agencies working to increase […]
The WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award recognizes exceptional efforts by WCET members in implementing technology in higher education, especially in outstanding innovation, quality improvement, or achievements in using educational technology tools, techniques, or services. Guest Blogger Claudia L’Amoreaux describes the […]
Now that you’ve unpacked your bags, fallen back with that extra hour of sleep and as you begin looking through your notes, we want to be sure you know just where you can find all of the great resources from […]
We enjoyed another great day in San Antonio for the WCET Annual Meeting. We’re happy to share some highlights with you. Equity: The Answer to National Completion Goals David Longanecker, WICHE President, introduced Deborah Santiago, Excelencia in Education, who gave […]
Greetings from San Antonio and the WCET Annual Meeting!! Here are some highlights Thursday’s activities. Keynote Speaker Jane Bozarth on social media toys for tools. Self-proclaimed “world’s oldest millennial,” Jane Bozarth, helped us move beyond the social media hype to […]
A big thank you to our guest blogger, Rhonda Epper, Assistant Provost at the Colorado Community College System and past chair of the WCET Executive Council, who shares with us today a new study of online science course outcomes in […]
Thank you to our guest bloggers Marianne Boeke of NCHEMS and Sharmila Basu Mann of SHEEO. Both of their organizations share the same building as WCET, and we have enjoyed working together with them on the state authorization issue. With […]
Thank you to guest blogger, Chuck Wight of the University of Utah. In this post, he describes some of his experiences in taking a MOOC offered by Coursera. Last fall, Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig offered their Artificial Intelligence course […]
At last year’s WCET Annual Meeting, the “Forging the Future” preconference engaged participants in addressing the question of whether a $10,000 degree was doable. Together, the participants developed fascinating options on how an institution could be created to address this […]
Game-based learning, gamification and badges are gathering steam across higher education as forms of student engagement and alternative credentialing. As your cooperative, WCET designed our authentic experience of badges and game-based learning to give our members and friends a way […]
Today Frontiers is pleased to welcome Jerry Trapnell, Ph.D. of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International as our guest blogger. Dr. Trapnell shares with us here the process of AACSB’s review and update of its accreditation standards […]
Last fall, I had the pleasure of meeting President Lee Lambert and Ann Garnsey-Harner of Shoreline Community College after they presented on their ambitious plans to create a virtual college. I was taken by the visionary leadership of President Lambert […]
This past week I had the opportunity to chat with Inside Higher Ed reporter Steve Kolovich on the post-MOOC emergence of free courses, programs, and even degrees. In particular, Steve was interested in knowing what I thought about World Education […]
Ah, late October….what a great time to visit San Antonio for WCET’s 24th Annual Meeting! The weather is perfect, the festivals are in full swing, and the city is filled to the brim with great stuff to do and see. […]
Robert Griggs is the Interim Vice President for Innovation and Extended Learning at Bemidji State University, which is located in northern Minnesota. Bob has a long history of experience with online education. We asked him to comment on trends that […]
In our blog posting earlier this week, we said that the U.S. Department says that it will not enforce its distance education state authorization regulations, but that many questions remain. I’ve had several conversations over the last few days as […]
In a “Dear Colleague” letter issued on July 27, the U.S. Department of Education revealed that it will NOT enforce the controversial distance education provision of the state authorization regulations. To verify this news, Megan Raymond and I called Sophia […]
Sharing his vision with us today is Dr. Mark Sarver, the CEO of eduKan, a consortium of colleges delivering online education. Do you ever look at something and know it doesn’t look right, but you just cannot figure out why? […]
Today WCET is pleased to announce the kick-off of Who’s Got Class? Our new badge and game-based learning initiative. This customized multi-player game provides our members and friends with the opportunity to explore the emerging, evolving world of badges and […]
Deep within an appropriations bill that was recently passed by the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations is a provision that could have a deep financial impact on the most cash-strapped undergraduate distance students. The bill proposes to disallow counting the […]
Today’s guest blog comes to us from our WICHE colleagues Pat Shea and Catherine Weldon who run an innovative program to bring sophisticated science into the virtual hands of online students. NANSLO represents an international collaborative partnership between postsecondary institutions […]
Jane Bozarth, author of the book “Social Media for Trainers,” is an expert on training and social media strategy and a dynamic presenter. You won’t want to miss Jane’s keynote presentation which kicks off WCET’s 24th Annual Meeting, October 31 […]
Earlier this year, the Association of Public Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) announced the creation of the Commission on Regulation of Postsecondary Distance Education. According to the Commission’s mission statement, it will: “develop and […]
This afternoon (June 5, 2012), the U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court ruling to ‘vacate’ the distance education portion (§600.9c) of the U.S. Department of Education’s ‘state authorization’ regulation. In last summer’s ruling on a lawsuit challenging […]
As you may have noted, we are still addressing federal regulatory issues that resulted from the last round of Higher Education Act reauthorization. While we will continue to address what’s in place, it’s also time to look forward. We invited […]
When speaking about state authorization to institutional audiences, we are often asked to provide guidance to institutional leaders and staff on how they might go about starting the process of becoming authorized outside of the institution’s home state. After thinking […]
Yesterday we completed WCET’s Leadership Summit on New Directions for Digital Learning Content. We had great conversations with academic leaders, elearning professionals, and corporate executives about educational digital resources of all kinds. Thank you to T.J. Bliss, doctoral candidate at […]
Greetings from Salt Lake City where WCET is holding its Leadership Summit on New Directions for Digital Learning Content. Academic leaders, elearning professionals, and corporate executives are sharing advances in both proprietary and open digital resources. Below is a taste […]
State regulators attending the annual NASASPS meeting earlier this week received a first draft of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). With funding from Lumina Foundation, the Presidents’ Forum working with the Council of State Governments developed the document as […]
St. Mary-of-the-Woods College should refund $42 million in federal financial aid dollars that it disbursed to students over a five year period. That is the finding of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General, which found that […]
Today Frontiers welcomes David Porter, Executive Director of BCcampus which is a publicly funded organization that uses information technology to connect the expertise, programs, and resources of all B.C. post-secondary institutions under a collaborative service delivery framework. It looks like […]
Today WCET Frontiers welcomes Dr. Robbie Melton, Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, with the Tennessee Board of Regents, eLearning Initiative, as a guest blogger. Mobilization (the use of mobile devices and apps) continues to change the way we communicate, conduct […]
I was recently invited to address the Indiana Commission for Higher Education on this issue. They had received several proposals for distance programs in recent months. Each one was pricing its courses at a rate higher than its on-campus counterpart. […]
In talking to institutions about state authorization, we often get asked about the consequences to the institution for not complying with the regulations. Rarely do we get asked about the impact on students. We became aware of some instances where […]
Just when I was thinking that it was time for an update on state authorization regulations, the U.S. House of Representatives schedules a vote on the subject. Wow! Were they ever accommodating! What are next steps? What is the impact […]
Last week the Council for College and Military Educators held their annual symposium and as an attendee and concurrent session presenter, I had the opportunity to observe the many conversations those in the military voluntary education community are having that […]
Today we welcome Phil Hill, executive vice president at Delta Initiative, as a guest blogger. Phil is a consultant and industry analyst covering the educational technology market primarily for higher education. We have seen a great deal of change in […]
Today we welcome Peg Wherry, Director of Online Learning at Montana State University, as a guest blogger. Peg currently leads the WCET Academic Integrity and Student Authentication Subcommittee on Proctoring Practices and Policies and takes this opportunity to share with […]
The developers of the US News and World Report’s Top Online Programs rankings invited WCET members to ask questions regarding the implementation, methodology, survey questions, and future plans. We thank Bob Morse and Eric Brooks of U.S. News for extending […]
Thank you to everyone who participated in our call for elearning predictions for 2012. We received quite a variety of opinions on what we can expect for the coming year. There seemed to be plenty of worries about what others […]
As you may have noticed, many sites around the web have gone black today to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA – H.R. 3261) in the House and the Protect IP Act (PIPA – S.968) in the Senate. We […]
The moment has arrived. The ‘mother of all rankings,’ also known as the US News and World Report rankings, have birthed their newest baby where they list the “Top Online Programs.” Rather than an overall institutional ranking they have created […]
In the first week of 2011, WCET’s Frontiers blog posted predictions solicited from leaders of our organization and leaders in community of technology-mediated education. We asked them to predict something that will happen in 2011 about teaching, learning, technology, business […]
Increased affordability is a hot topic for 2012, but just how much affordability can higher education afford? How do we increase affordability and what are the pitfalls? The Forging the Future workshop, developed and directed by Myk Garn, Southern Regional […]
Cali Morrison, Transparency by Design Project Director, brings to Frontiers the process by which the Transparency by Design initiative created the recently launched learner progress metrics available on its website College Choices for Adults. The Problem Transparency by Design (TbD) […]
Several years ago, it became clear that eportfolios were going to have a lasting impact in higher education. At that time, WCET conducted (now dated) research on the emerging eportfolio products. As an update, we asked Trent Batson of the […]
FIRST – Sorry to our subscribers who received the seemingly random post of Jo Kroll’s picture. I was trying a newer version of WordPress and made a mistake. Some parts are not quite as user friendly as I’d hoped. Russ […]
As part of our coverage of the state authorization issue, we at WCET have met several regulators charged with enforcing those rules. We asked Alan Contreras, who recently retired from Oregon’s Office of Degree Authorization and is now a higher […]
You get questions. We get questions. What are other campuses doing about the issues that vex you? How do you know? There is only one way to find out, ask them. And there is only one way for us share […]
Hello from the WCET Annual Conference – More fun and learning from Denver. The temperatures outside warmed up and so did the sessions inside. Here are more thoughts, comments, and things we learned today… Mike Goldstein, from the Dow Lohnes […]
Hello from the WCET Annual Conference – We are having fun with our friends here in Denver and wanted to share with you some of the thoughts, comments, and things we have learned thus far… On Monday we had record […]
Lumina Foundation has a BIG GOAL: To increase the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025. Over the past several years, they have supported many projects that are of sufficient scale to […]
Our guest post this week is by Ritchie Boyd, Academic Technology Specialist at Montana State University, long-time WCETer and one of the best Smackdown’ers from our inaugural Smackdown powered by Pecha Kucha (learn how to pronounce it here) at the […]
by Ellen Wagner, WCET Executive Director The recent release of the movie Moneyball has drawn attention to an idea that has also been top of mind at WCET in recent months: What might happen if we used advanced statistical methods […]
Ancient Greek playwrights would sometimes write themselves into a corner. The intricate plot, which was so carefully developed through the initial acts, did not lend itself to an easy resolution in the finale. One answer was to let the gods […]
WCET’s 23rd Annual Conference is just around the corner. The office is a buzz with the coordination of speakers, logistics, and details for the conference. I like many of you, am wondering if we lost a month of summer, because […]
Guest post by Kelley Brandt, Assistant Director of Distance Education at Boise State University. Kelley also serves as the WICHE ICE PIC Coordinator organizing communications and activities among the participating institutional representatives. Broadening student access to experts through collaboration Social […]
At the end of July, I moderated a webcast for WCET with Bob Morse and Eric Brooks from US News and World Report regarding their forthcoming ranking of online education. The purpose of the webcast was to answer the questions […]
Adrian Sannier, vice president of product at Pearson eCollege, and Mark Sarver, CEO of EduKan, will be kicking off WCET”S 23rd Annual Conference, in Denver, CO on October 26-29. The duo will present about the future of technology in higher […]
We have received a lot of questions about the complaint process portion of the federal student complaint process regulation since Russ’s July 19 blog Federal Student Complaint Regulation- Clarifying Misconceptions. My sense is that some are panicking at the thought […]
It’s suddenly the dog days of August. Many people are on vacation and the beginning of a new school year is only weeks away for many institutions. Below are updates on several activities regarding the State Authorization regulations. Lumina/Gates State […]
Roger McHaney is a long-time advocate of online learning and has participated in past WCET Conferences. He is the Wiki-keeper for ELATEwiki and has recently written a book entitled ‘The New Digital Shoreline: How Web 2.0 and Millennials are Revolutionizing […]
In the hubbub over the ‘state authorization’ issue for distance education, we have not paid as much attention to another part of the regulations released last October. Each institution must notify all current and prospective students of third-party complaint processes. […]
Today (July 12, 2011), the United States District Court for the District of Columbia struck down the distance education portion of the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDOE) ‘state authorization regulations. The decision is as a result of a lawsuit brought […]
Myk Garn, SREB, and Hae Okimoto, University of Hawaii, have been thinking up an exciting new addition to the WCET Annual Conference. We asked them to share their idea with you. The future is relatively hard to predict. But, future […]
What are institutions doing about complying with state authorization regulations? We get asked that question repeatedly. Institutions want to know what others are doing to make sure they are not left behind. State regulators are interested in knowing if they […]
Last week, Cyd Grua, from the Utah System of Higher Education asked me: OK, Russ, I am going to ask what is probably a really dumb question: with or without Department of Education involvement, we all now know the states […]
Diane Goldsmith is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium. A long-time contributor to WCET activities, Diane is the current WCET Steering Committee Chair and serves on the WCET Executive Council. Maybe I’m just getting cranky, but I’m […]
Several months have passed since I last scoured the state regulatory agency websites for information about which institutions must seek approval to operate to be in compliance with state and federal regulations. We undertook the research with our partners, The […]
Late last year, Lumina Foundation announced its financial support for 19 projects seeking to dramatically increase the number of adults who complete their postsecondary degrees. WICHE’s grant differed from the others as it is tasked with bringing together representatives of […]
Michael Goldstein and Greg Ferenbach represent Dow Lohnes, a Washington, DC firm with one of its specializations in higher education law. They have been very helpful in interpreting the federal versions of the state authorization regulation. After our post yesterday […]
Before we get to some great resources from SHEEO, NCHEMS, Ohio Learning Network, and UMassOnlne, we’ll address a question we have received often. Since the release of the second ‘Dear Colleague’ letter by the U.S. Department of Education, we have […]
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded WCET (the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) a grant to identify variables that influence student retention and progression. Announced in a May 16 press release, the findings are intended to assist institutional and […]
“Learning Analytics” is a term used to describe an emerging professional practice that systematically applies statistics and research methods to large “n” data sets. Analysts look for patterns among the analyzed results that can inform more accountable decision-making. It’s not […]
The first two organizations will be working on a new list of state regulators and regulations. The last organization is comprised of state regulators, who met in Denver this week. It was interesting to get their take on the ‘state […]
WCET: Many people have asked for advice on the steps to take in researching state regulations and applying to states for approval. When WCET and our partners were creating the ‘Starter List’ of state regulatory agencies, Sharyl Thompson of Capella […]
Around 5:00 Eastern Time today (April 20), the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) released a new ‘Dear Colleague’ letter on the ‘state authorization’ regulation. After a quick review, below are immediate thoughts on the new language. The USDOE is to […]
“It is illegal for you to offer classes in this state.” Stay Outta My State That was the essence of a call that a WCET member institution received last week. A state regulator from another state called the registrar’s office […]
Rumors There are rumors, hints, innuendos, and whispers floating around about the federal ‘state authorization’ regulation… A leader of a national organization (who had been in contact with the Department of Education on this issue) said that he thought there […]
On Monday, the Presidents’ Forum of Excelsior College held a meeting in Washington, DC addressing the “Federalization of Higher Education.” Other topics arose, but the main focus of the discussion was on the ‘state authorization’ regulation. While I was on […]
First a short musing on “train wrecks” followed by a couple requests of you. We need your help on the impact of the ‘state authorization’ regulation on students and your outstanding questions about it. Speaking of Train Wrecks “Train Wreck.” […]
The long-awaiting ‘Dear Colleague’ letter is now here. The letter is meant to answer outstanding questions on this regulation. Sometimes it succeeds and sometimes it fails. Eduardo Ochoa, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, reminds us that: “this guidance is provided […]
The 2010 Managing Online Education survey had a very disturbing finding considering that distance education has moved beyond its nascent years. We learned that many campuses do not have formal policies and procedures to assure that their online courses and […]
House to Investigate ‘State Authorization’ Tomorrow, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training will hold a hearing titled “Education Regulations: Federal Overreach into Academic Affairs.” We’ve heard that ‘state authorization’ is one of the issues that they […]
As of today, there are 119 days remaining until July 1, when the ‘state authorization’ regulation takes effect. With less than four months to go, we are forced to split our attention in two directions. The first direction is “advocacy.” […]
I have had many conversations on this issue in the past week. As institutions begin (or have begun) enrollment for the summer term, this issue has become very real. Students enrolling for courses beginning in June will be in courses […]
Happy Valentines Day. There has been much action on the “state authorization” issue over the last couple weeks. In late 2010, I had several people assure me that this issue was “not a problem.” It has been fun to watch […]
I am pleased to welcome Paul Shiffman, Assistant Vice President for Strategic and Governmental Relations as a guest blogger. As reported in earlier blog postings, Excelsior College’s Presidents’ Forum is working on model reciprocal agreements to aid institutions in obtaining […]
We are happy to welcome Ed Klonoski, a long-time friend of WCET. His guest posting invites you to take another look at Transparency by Design and its College Choices for Adults website. I am Ed Klonoski, President of Charter Oak […]
The DRAFT version of our state-by-state list of regulatory agencies is now available on WCET’s state approval update page. This document is a joint publication of WCET, the Southern Regional Education Board, the American Distance Education Consortium, and the University […]
I’ve received several inquiries in the last few days about what institutions should do next. Amanda Mead, Director of Online Program at Fontbonne University summed up the questions very well: I have been diligently following your blog, email updates, conference […]
I learned an important fact this week…institutions offering distance education in other states will need to meet the regulations (if any) of those states by July 1, 2011. There are no extensions. But, keep reading for some good news. In […]
I thought it might be fun and informative to pose a challenge to several people whose opinions I respect. I asked them to send me: “A prediction – something that you think will happen in 2011. You can be as […]
Okay, I have to confess that I created the title for the December 7 webcast “Clarifying New Federal Regulations on State Approval for Distance Education.” I really appreciated the willingness of Fred Sellers from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) […]
Watch for more information about the regulations regarding state approval of distance education coming soon. Meanwhile, I am pleased to introduce this guest posting about developing online adjunct faculty. Faculty development for distance teachers has long been thought to be […]
The U.S. Department of Education recently released new regulations regarding the state approval of out-of-state institutions operating in each state. These regulations put some expectations both on states in regulating those out-of-state institutions and the institutions in meeting the regulations […]
Want to share all the great things you saw with your colleagues back home? Look no further than our archives! View the General Session Presentations Thanks to our friends at Sonic Foundry, the conference general sessions will be available to […]
WCET hosts its 22nd Annual Conference in La Jolla this week. For those of you who wanted to be connected to what’s happening, you need to know: The MobileApp – A mobile app with the conference schedule, participant information, presentations, handouts, […]
Containing about 12% of the population of the United States, one can’t help but feel that when California sneezes, the rest of us might catch a cold. That’s one reason we should pay attention when some big distance education strategy […]
The U.S. Department of Education may be requiring institutions that offer distance education courses to meet the state approval requirements for each state in which the institution enrolls students. This morning, I have been sifting through a new “Program Integrity […]
The question about the quality of learning in technology-mediated instruction still lingers. Regardless of the evidence provided (U.S. Department of Education’s meta-analysis, No Significant Difference studies) about the quality of the outcomes, there are always detractors. At the same time […]
Original post from Ellen Wagner on her eLearning Roadtrip blog: As I have been immersing myself in the issues, politics and nuances of post-secondary educational online learning this past year, I have come to appreciate the role that a cooperative […]
“I can assure you that this committee will be exploring legislative changes.” That statement came from Sen. Tom Harkin (IA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee at the end of the third hearing on for-profit […]
Shannon Meadows is one of the co-leaders of WCET’s Student Retention Common Interest Group. We were pleased that she accepted our invitation to blog about successful campus strategies that she has witnessed. Imagine a female community college student in an […]
I spent the last two days at the Non-Traditional No More meeting in Denver. Funded by Lumina Foundation for Education, this WICHE-run project works with five states – Arkansas, Colorado, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Dakota – to identify their “ready […]
La Jolla (pronounced la HOY ya), the location of this year’s WCET Annual Conference, is nicknamed “Jewel City.” Best known for its beautiful beaches, upscale homes, boutique shopping, galleries and elegant dining with breathtaking views, when you are in […]
Just a hint…you may want to review your financial aid processes for distance education. Thank you to Michael Jortberg from Acxiom for alerting me to a small item in this morning’s Chronicle of Higher Education postings: Audit Finds Errors in […]
It’s exciting that WCET is starting a new blog. There is so much that is interesting that is going on in the distance, online, and hybrid learning spheres that we need more ability to share with each other. In the […]
If you have not heard about it, there are several links below to coverage of the U.S. Senate’s hearing last week regarding for-profit institutions. I could not make it to DC for the hearing, but I followed the tweets and […]
You will find some very humorous, although sometimes unintentionally so, quotes in the article about the University of California outlining an online learning program in the face of a fiscal crisis. First there is the interesting observation from a University […]