Let the countdown begin! EdSurge brings you a roundup of our readers’ most popular higher education stories published in 2023.
As these headlines indicate, college is in flux. Administrators, professors, and students are rethinking nearly everything about how higher education works. It starts with the very basics, such as whether it makes sense to measure learning in units of time anymore, and moves on to the conundrums we face in the future: how to deal with the sudden proliferation of artificial intelligence tools. It keeps piling up. Should universities still wait for students to apply, or should they actively accept qualified candidates? Should calculus be taught differently in the 21st century? Should it function like an online mega-university?
Our stories don’t always include solid answers to these big questions. But they offer insights from smart people who are trying to solve these mysteries.
Thank you for reading and Happy New Year.
Ten. The power of microcredentials and the dilemma of American higher education
Written by Mordecai I. Brownlee
Microcredentials are tiered qualifications that demonstrate skills, knowledge, and experience in a specific subject area or competency. Will these innovative qualifications replace traditional degrees, diplomas, and grades to meet student and employer demand for skills?
9. With the rise of AI chatbots, more educators are turning their attention to oral exams – with a high-tech twist
Written by Jeffrey R. Young
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With the introduction of ChatGPT, educators are looking for alternative ways to assign essays. One idea that emerged was to reinstate the oral exam. But even fans of this approach admit that it has major drawbacks. That means it takes time and puts a heavy burden on educators. Can oral exams be conducted at the scale required for today’s class sizes?
8. What if we measured learning by skills acquired rather than time spent in the classroom?
Written by Rebecca Koenig
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Influential educational institutions are focusing on bringing competency-based education to high schools and universities. Will focusing on educational outcomes, such as skills, rather than processes, such as credit hours, allow schools and universities to embrace the nuances of learning that a ticking clock cannot?
7. The mathematical revolution you don’t know about
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp
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University professors are pushing calculus beyond its traditional limits to help more students succeed in advanced mathematics. Take a peek at her week-long training at Harvard University. There, with the goal of solving calculus, 20 university educators from across the United States received lectures on pedagogy, the finer points of mathematics, and how to apply them to real-world biological problems. Bring teaching into the 21st century by using real-world problems to teach students.
6. Harvard University and MIT create nonprofit organization to increase access to university
Written by Jeffrey R. Young
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A new nonprofit called Axim Collaborative will focus on serving learners higher education has historically left behind, and the two universities will sell their edX online learning platform to 2U in 2021. It was founded with $800 million raised from a controversial decision. We found out what the new group plans to do with their windfall.
Five. The reality of working as a part-time university professor
Written by Christina Burke
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In this essay, one adjunct professor reflects: It’s not that different from being a wage worker, which means working long hours without compensation or working without appreciation. ”However, she believes her own work is essential and should be paid as her compensation in and of itself.
Four. The free online university has grown to 126,000 students. What can traditional universities teach?
Written by Jeffrey R. Young
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Renmin University has a basic model of taking courses for free, but requiring a fee to take the final assessment, and providing financial assistance for those who cannot afford to do so. i got you. There are also many smart ways to keep costs low, such as relying on free or low-cost open educational resources rather than expensive commercial textbooks. Should more universities adopt this free university approach?
3. Is “flipped learning” effective?New analysis that delves into the research
Written by Jeffrey R. Young
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An extensive meta-analysis focused on flipped learning. Flipped learning is an approach that has grown in popularity since the pandemic, asking students to watch lecture videos from home and use class time for active learning. Is it really effective?
2. Due to delays in admissions procedures, universities will send acceptance letters to students who have not applied
Written by Emma Davis
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Universities across the country are adopting streamlined admissions processes to address the ongoing problem of low enrollment. One is called direct admission, in which an institution sets standards for admissions and actively contacts those who meet the standards, usually in an effort to help potential admissions earn a spot on campus. We will send you personalized information about what you need to do. Here’s what happened when Common App experimented with this strategy at scale.
1. Girls rules at school. Where does that leave the boys?
Written by Rebecca Koenig
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Universities began as an almost exclusively male world, and that has long permeated the entire educational system. And he said 50 years ago, the U.S. government banned discrimination based on gender in education. Women now earn more than 57 percent of all bachelor’s degrees. This is evidence that “in just a few decades, girls and women have not only caught up with boys and men in the classroom, but quickly surpassed them,” writes researcher Richard V. Reeves. ing. What does that mean for today’s highly educated men?