Universities across North Carolina welcomed students back to campus last month for what may be the most “normal” semester since the pandemic began. And according to the chancellor of North Carolina State University, Randy Woodson, students are happy to be back in person, although there is some apprehension. Despite the massive interruptions caused by the … Continue reading “A Conversation with the Chancellor of NC State University”
COVID-19 has revolutionized how we think about online college teaching. Until last spring, two perspectives predominated. One argued that massively enrolled online classes presented by impressive teachers or prestigious universities would increase efficiency while preserving quality. The other worried about the quality of online classes, and that the gap between those able to afford in-person … Continue reading “How Can Professors Inspire Students to Want to Learn?”
Most American children are trapped in public elementary and secondary schools that are either mediocre or dysfunctional. Readers who wonder if this statement is polemical should know that for almost two decades, the federal government’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the nation’s highly respected school assessment tool, has documented that on average, less than … Continue reading “Reforming Dysfunctional Teacher Education: ‘Back to the Future?’”
The overall success of online education is being hindered by the fact that some classes just aren’t meant for online instruction. If higher ed leaders can adjust online classes for the future, they may be able to build a collection of online course offerings that don’t make students dread them. For example, Logyn Welborn, a … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Future of Online Learning”
Please join the Martin Center via Zoom for “Getting Online Education Right” on Thursday, October 1. This panel discussion features leaders in higher education. Our panelists include Catherine Truitt, Chancellor of Western Governors University North Carolina. Chancellor Catherine Truitt joined WGU North Carolina after serving as Associate Vice President of University and P–12 Partnerships at … Continue reading “Getting Online Education Right”
American higher education is struggling. Even before the coronavirus struck, schools all over the country were dealing with declining enrollment. In an effort to replace lost revenue they sought out international students, developed online degrees, and courted non-traditional students. That helped for a while. But now many schools are back in trouble. Even before COVID-19, … Continue reading “Shedding Light on Lumina and Its College Agenda”
About 67 percent of four-year colleges plan to re-open in the fall for in-person classes, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Those re-openings tend to be in states with Republican governors, who have been more willing to reopen their states. Although 26 states have a Republican governor, only 41 percent of colleges and universities … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Partisan Split in Re-opening Colleges”
Higher ed leaders have bemoaned what they see as insufficient federal support during the coronavirus pandemic, but they might have a bigger problem: convincing students to enroll in the fall. A recent survey found that about one-third of high school seniors will defer or cancel starting their freshman year of college if classes are online-only. … Continue reading “Did You Know? Colleges Could Lose 1/3 of Students if Fall Classes Stay Online”
Unforeseeable conditions caused by the coronavirus have driven universities across the country to launch online courses. As a sophomore at North Carolina State University, I’ve experienced the online transition since classes resumed on March 23. NC State has relied on Zoom, a video-chat program, for professors to continue lectures. Some tests are being proctored online … Continue reading “A Student Perspective on NC State’s Online Transition”
The coronavirus, combined with the public and private reactions to it, has affected every aspect of Americans’ lives, including the ways they learn. From pre-K to graduate seminars, many classes are moving online for the duration of the pandemic and perhaps beyond. That may spur pedagogical reforms that will lead to the creation of more … Continue reading “Higher Education Will Never Be the Same—And That’s Not All Bad”