Higher Education

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education August 22, 2018

Why Universities Are Needed Now More than Ever

Some people argue that colleges have lived past their usefulness, but that’s not true. Universities are needed now more than ever.

Financial stability

A college degree is one of the best ways to assure that you’ll experience financial stability.

College grads make more money than their peers who do not go to college. While money is no guarantee of a happy and successful life, the money a college degree will make for you can help to offset inflation over time.

A university degree makes you more employable. As automation takes over many of the jobs that do not require higher order thinking skills, workers who can compete in today’s job market are more likely to remain employed.

Universities are needed to produce graduates with the critical thinking skills that are in demand.

Universities are the hub of their communities

Colleges provide quality education, training, and certification for the kinds of jobs needed in the community. Some universities are research centers or medical centers for their regions, and they become well-known for the caliber of students they turn out.

Institutes of higher education become the civic glue that holds together the fabric of our lives. Schools are involved in every aspect of our lives, and we need universities more than ever to continue serving as a resource and mentor for those in the community. Higher education has the knowledge and resources that can improve the quality of life for those around them.

The reach of a college often goes far beyond its communities. Universities have a global impact, and we need them for a peaceable, worldwide workforce.

A social voice

High school promotes free speech in only the most desultory fashion, and the workplace often does not permit employees to express themselves freely during work hours.

Universities, however, are champions of free speech, and most social protests take place at college campuses. Described as chaotic places, colleges encourage diversity in thinking. That’s part of the educational process: learning how to analyze and debate perspectives that are different than your own.

Universities serve as the social lab needed to test theories and explore divergent thought.

Global education initiatives

International education is needed more than ever. Already countries trade and work across porous borders of commerce, but they are working against a resurgence of nationalism. Some leaders are concerned that the return to nationalism will create animosity between countries.

An intercultural, global education can mitigate the sense of pitting one nation against another, and many leaders are advocating for an international baccalaureate curriculum. Colleges are in a position to support and continue this initiative, requiring that all graduating students have a foundation in international studies.

Universities are not going away; we need them more than ever.

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education August 21, 2018

Have Public Universities Forgotten their Missions?

Public universities were designed to support the needs of their communities.

Some members of the community, however, feel as though many public universities are ignoring their focus.

According to those who have been scrutinizing colleges and universities, today’s public universities and faculty members focus almost exclusively on research. As a result, teaching assistants serve as instructors or grade essays for professors. University leadership spends its time fundraising rather than working with faculty, and students are being left behind.

Some people say that public universities have forgotten their missions by leaning toward privatization, encouraging non-residents to matriculate, and becoming more business-like.

Privatization

Fewer students are enrolling in public universities, and that has given schools cause to consider privatization. Public institutes of higher education have experienced failing levels of taxpayer support, making it harder to generate the revenue necessary for operations.

It’s become a vicious cycle: fewer students enroll in higher education, so universities generate less money. To offset the costs, schools raise tuition, but fewer students enroll because of decreased affordability. The cycle has been perpetuating itself for years, but universities have found a way to offset the tuition conundrum.

By privatizing, public colleges charge more for tuition, but they are also able to offer students more in financial aid. Eager for the assistance, more students matriculate, and enrollment goes up.

Seeking out-of-state students

Public universities also seek out-of-state-students as a way to offset the tuition crisis. Out-of-state students pay more per tuition hour, so schools generate more revenue.

By enticing non-resident students to their campuses, public universities are limiting opportunities for low-income or minorities candidates, the student in the community the school is supposed to serve.

Public universities are ignoring the prospective students who need them the most.

A business-like accountability

Businesses are holding schools accountable for their work, and colleges are responding by becoming more business-like. Public universities are devoting more effort to measure their effectiveness.

With a vast amount of data to sift through, schools can create metrics and analyze their progress toward meeting them. By focusing on metrics that matter, colleges can quickly determine what’s working and what’s not, and they can respond more rapidly than ever before.

In essence, public higher education has become more like the industries holding it accountable.

In summary

It may be that public universities have not forgotten their missions; they have had to adapt their missions to remain relevant in today’s world.

Matthew Lynch published in Adult Education, Ask An Expert, Assessment, Assistive Technology, Black Boys in Crisis, August 18, 2018

Introducing The Edvocate Podcast

For over 15 years, veteran educator Matthew Lynch has written about and researched the field of education. On “The Edvocate Podcast,” he discusses education trends, issues, and futures. To join him on this journey, click the subscribe button so you can be alerted when the first episode goes live.

Matthew Lynch published in Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech, EdTech & Innovation, Higher Education, Higher Education EdTech August 10, 2018

Tips for Teaching with Apps

Teaching with apps is not new. We have compiled lists of apps and tech resources that can be used in the classroom and for education outside the classroom. However, we haven’t necessarily offered any tips for successfully using apps for teaching.

Finding, downloading, and having students use apps for learning is one thing. Teaching with apps effectively and making use of the data they track is another task entirely. The goal of using an app in education is not simply to use it because it’s available but to enhance learning and individualized teaching approaches.

We’ve listed some tips as to how you as an educator, or even parent, can optimally teach with apps in an effective way.

1. Set Goals & Expectations

When beginning to teach with apps, it’s important to set goals for student learning and to set guidelines and expectations for how students should use and interact with the app(s). Educators should outline goals about what they want students to learn through the app, how this will coincide with other learning material, and how students should interact with the app.

It’s also essential to set goals with your students so they have something to work towards and can recognize when they achieve the objectives. It’s important, too, that students understand the connection to the broader lesson and application of the learning experience.

2. Adjust the Learning Experience

Perhaps one of the most challenging parts of incorporating teaching with apps is contextualizing the experience and integrating it with other teaching methods. It’s critical that students see the connections between the broader lesson and the specific app activities.

Educators must also find a good way to combine and manage both traditional methods of teaching and technology-based methods. There must be a balance, routine, and a strong policy surrounding the use of apps for learning.

3. Establish a System of Handling Passwords & Login Info

Certainly, with the use of apps by a class full of students, logistics and the handling of information must be considered and organized. Educators should develop a system to enter, store, manage, and retrieve information such as usernames, passwords, issues, etc.

Whether it’s just a simple spreadsheet, another app for storing and managing such information, or some other tool like Google for Education, it will save a lot of headaches to have all the relevant info logged in one, orderly place.

4. Use Them in Conjunction with Books

Apps don’t replace textbooks and novels. It’s still important to teach with books and other resources so make sure you can find a good balance where one resource does not detract from the others.

For example, after introducing or teaching a lesson from a traditional textbook, educators can follow up on a particular topic or application of the lesson through a specific app.

Apps tend to be more activity-based and hone in on a more specific topic or skill, whereas textbooks contain a variety of information on a broad subject and novels offer personal experiences and perspectives. Each is important to the learning process and can be used to gain varied perspectives and different presentations of information about the same subject.

5. Be Aware of Apps that Abuse In-app Purchases

Always vet the apps you use in the classroom before introducing them to students. Some are sub-par, others irrelevant, and some others offer little functionality while trying to get you to purchase more and more.

It’s wise to research, and select apps that limit ads and in-app purchases, specifically because your students shouldn’t be exposed to some of the content nor should they be able to have the option to make an in-app purchase. These are also distracting to students and teachers. Fortunately, there are many resources for finding good apps that have already been approved by other teachers.

6. Self-Directed Learning

Finally, apps are good for self-directed learning. Some students might even know more than you about the technology or app – it’s ok! Let the students teach you, also. Additionally, students can direct their own learning through the use of apps.

Students can be taught by educators in the classroom, and some can take the lesson further by exploring the key points using apps on their own time. After all, andragogy and heutagogy are gaining increasing popularity in education.

7. Do Further Research on Best Practices

Finally, it is said that we should always be learning and improving. Educators should understand and practice this, too. The tips here are only a few to get you started teaching with apps, but it’s highly recommended that you research best practices and tips from other teachers on your own.

Apps are beneficial to teaching, but they must be used carefully and with an organized plan of execution to be effective.

What tips do you have for those just starting to teach with apps? Tell us about them!

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education, Higher Education EdTech August 3, 2018

A Vision of the Future of Higher Education

Every new generation sees changes in the landscape of higher education, but the essential tenets have always remained the same. Students live in dorms or student apartments and go every day to sit in classrooms where they hear lectures from professors.

However, many things we used to take for granted about the college experience may be changing. In fact, the higher education of future generations may be unrecognizable to those of us who came of age in the 20th century.

Here are some of the changes that seem to be emerging.

Adaptive learning

We are already witnessing technologies that adapt to learner needs. These tools can track student progress, making learning far more personalized. Students will no longer have to adjust to the lecture styles of various instructors. Instead, their online teachers will easily adapt to them. As AI (Artificial Intelligence) becomes more advanced, technology will adapt even more intuitively, responding to physical gestures and facial expressions.

Changes in concepts of the classroom space

The increasing popularity of the flipped/blended classroom models foreshadows a reimagining of the classroom space as we know it. Universities will investigate more creative approaches to learning spaces, similar to the global microcampuses proposed recently by the University of Arizona. As devices become smaller, classrooms themselves may be equipped with “smart” functions, able to adjust to the students that enter them as well as to connect to a wide range of teaching materials from around the world.

Equity around the globe

Institutions of higher learning are taking on the mission of making education accessible to students from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural and economic backgrounds. Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) have opened up a whole world to people that never could have considered a college education before. Although some issues of digital equity still remain, future generations will find educational opportunities increasingly available to the geographically remote and the economically disadvantaged, leveling the playing field to a greater degree than ever.

Collaboration

Technological advances have broken down walls, connecting students to real-world problem-solving and to leaders in their chosen field. Soon, possibilities for partnership between academia and the corporate world will surpass what anyone could have previously imagined. In addition, students and instructors will have the capacity to problem-solve together, resulting in deeper and more relevant learning experiences.

It seems clear that higher education of the future will turn our expectations upside down in many ways. It’s time to prepare to meet this brave new world.

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education July 20, 2018

How Higher Education Leaders Can Boost their Graduation Rates

Getting students to enroll in a university is important, but the real test of higher education’s impact on learning is the graduation rate at every college.

University leaders can boost their graduation rates with these strategies.

Seek edtech solutions

One of the ways colleges are improving their graduation rates is with software solutions like Starfish. By measuring continuous progress, academic achievement, student engagement, and providing feedback, the company has shown efficacy in helping universities increase retention rates with early alerts for college students. Starfish connects students with measuring progress toward meeting goals toward finishing degree programs.

Get a life coach

Having a coach who can help you overcome obstacles and meet the milestones you set in completing your degree can help you acquire that sheepskin and move forward with your career.

Surprisingly, the academics aren’t the most significant challenges most students face when trying to complete a degree. Non-academic obstacles can thwart hopeful candidates from getting their degrees.

Unlike therapists, who work on issues from the past with their clients, life coaches work in the present to help a client identify barriers to graduation. The coaches also help these students identify solutions and implement them so they can reach the higher education finish line.

Go Greek

Positive peer pressure works.

Research at DePauw University in Indiana revealed that the students most likely to drop out of college were the ones who did not identify with any one particular group. Students who were members of sororities and fraternities, however, were more likely to complete the college degrees.

By encouraging involvement with Greek societies in college or creating structured engagement opportunities for non-Greek students, universities can improve their graduation rates.

Merge and integrate rather than separate

Students complain about increasing tuition costs, but the cost of operating a university is rising as well, thanks to reduced funding.

Although a merger between similar schools can raise college costs, a merger may make sense when it comes to attracting, enrolling and graduating students. The most effective mergers take place between two- and four-year schools, like Perimeter College and Georgia State University, where there is a strong academic rather than a vocational focus. Because they have similar, shared goals, the merged system can save money. Systems are expanded rather than replicated.

As a result, students have a pipeline to graduation. Course credits transfer easily throughout the system, which helps students stay focused on completing their degrees with as little frustration as possible.

Boosting graduation rates in higher education can be done. Leaders have to be willing to explore new alternatives or tweak those attempted in the past. The end result of graduating more students will be worth the effort.

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education July 17, 2018

What’s Next for Affirmative Action?

Affirmative action has roots going back to 1957, with the Civil Right Movement. As part of the Civil Rights Act, college admissions officers were tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that higher education is equally available to all students regardless of race or ethnicity. Historically, most colleges and universities have taken this mandate even farther with policies that actively pursue racial and ethnic diversity on their campuses.

In the last few years, such policies have become increasingly controversial. Here is a look at some of the issues around affirmative action and where it may be headed in the future.

Is This Discrimination?

Some argue that Affirmative Action, when not carried out according to the mandates of the Constitution, actually results in discrimination against white Caucasian applicants. A few years ago, a young white woman named Abigail Fisher brought a case against the University of Texas at Austin claiming that she was unfairly discriminated against based on her race. Although the case was not decided in her favor at the district court, she brought it to the Supreme Court and was successful.

Last year for the first time, Harvard admitted an incoming class in which the majority was non-white, begging the question as to how much race weighs in their admission decisions to the possible exclusion of other relevant factors. Is Affirmative Action still necessary? Or has it devolved into reverse discrimination?

Who Really Benefits?

Even today, it can’t be denied that there are deserving but underprivileged students among us who need some admissions advantages. One study found that the top colleges in the U.S. admit more students in the top 1% of income levels than from the entire bottom 60%. And the pursuit of racial diversity seems to accomplish little to nothing in resolving this discrepancy: even among admitted minority students, 86% are in the middle or upper class.

Alternatives

It is unlikely that we will see Affirmative Action go away in the future. Ethnic and racial diversity is essential to preserving a vibrant, meaningful campus life. But many schools are revising the way they think about Affirmative Action to keep it in the true spirit of the Civil Rights Act. In most cases, they are required to show that they’ve made an effort to choose students on racially neutral measures before resorting to Affirmative Action. As a result, we will see more inclusive and race-neutral policies, such as granting an admissions edge to economically disadvantaged students or admitting the top 10% in every high school class. Such policies can help ensure diversity without employing race as a primary factor in the admissions process. We have already seen such policies at play in places like Texas A&M and the University of Florida.

While diversity will always be cherished, it may be a good moment for college admissions officers to redefine the term.

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education July 16, 2018

Online Learning: Why Students Want Quality Over Convenience

What are the defining features of a quality educational experience?

Without thinking much about it, we would probably cite elements like knowledgeable and responsive instructors, clearly structured curriculum, and engaging learning activities.

In the current educational climate, where online learning increasingly is becoming the norm, the question arises whether these qualities still matter. After all, most students take courses online because of the demands of their schedule. It seems that in this context, convenience would be a top concern.

But the data says otherwise.

What Students Truly Want

A 2017 study of online college students showed that they place a high value on a sense of community and connection. They want to feel connected to their instructor and they want a feeling of group cohesiveness with their classmates. These students often experience a kind of “buyer’s’ remorse” after purchasing an online course, and they are beginning to “comparison shop” at a variety of different schools when making a selection.

These trends reveal that students want more than simply a storehouse of information, as is available through platforms like MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). They want the consistent presence of their instructor and frequent discussions and communication among classmates. Students reap the most benefits from online coursework when it engages their emotions. When they feel that such engagement is lacking, they look for it somewhere else.

Quality Matters

When surveyed, the majority of students indicated that the design standards outlined in the Quality Matters rubric were critical in determining their overall sense of success and satisfaction with a course. Clear learning objectives, frequent interactions with classmates and instructor, and smooth navigation were among the many indicators of a quality online education experience.

A Bright Spot in a Darkening Landscape

The last few years have seen a dramatic drop in college enrollment at most post-secondary institutions. The reasons cited are a dropping birth rate, rising tuition costs, and an improving economy which draws more students into the working world sooner.

But online course enrollment is a bright spot in this landscape, as these have been steadily increasing in direct proportion to the decrease in traditional college enrollment.

These trends say volumes about the changing educational experience and the things that our students require from their colleges and universities.

Online courses can be highly relevant, even life-transforming, exposing students to experiences they could never find in a traditional classroom environment. It is worth the effort to improve the quality of online courses in the same way that we have always worked to improve the face-to-face classroom experience.

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education July 13, 2018

What is the Future of College Marketing?

Many people think of branding when they think of college marketing, but branding alone does not generate marketing. Institutions of higher education are discovering that to prevent enrollment numbers from flat-lining, they will have to plan for the future of college marketing.

The future of college marketing is about the sophisticated use of data, experiences, and technology for identifying prospective students.

Psychographics

Colleges once studied the demographics of the students the attracted to their campuses. Factors such as age, gender, and ethnicity were analyzed in the hopes of finding the right applicants.

Smart colleges today explore psychographics to identify the students most likely to succeed at their campuses. Psychographics go far beyond demographics, because they measure subjective areas, like attitude and interest, in an attempt to understand their potential students.

In short, colleges are taking their cues from social media, determining what applicants care about the most.

Showcasing perks

Knowing who your potential students are means knowing what they want. Colleges can now provide incoming students a plethora of perks and amenities designed to attract them to the university and keep them enrolled until graduation.

These perks may include late night sushi bars, updated technology, and access to cultural events, and they may be the ticket to attracting students and keeping them in school.

Technology

There is no doubt that technology will continue to play a huge role in the future of college marketing. Colleges will continue to review big data, and they’ll still need to cater to student interests.

Most students are interested in acquiring hands-on experiences, which is something difficult and expensive for universities to provide. Technological advances, however, are changing that. Colleges are able to offer simulated experiences for their students. These experiences can also be used for marketing purposes.

Rather than send out a brochure or post a video on the campus web site for prospective students, students could participate in a simulated tour of the campus. Colleges could and should customized these tours according to individual interests.

Simulation-based marketing may become common one day in college marketing, creating high-end user experiences and attracting more students to the campus.

Developing the right environment for higher learning means providing students with what they want. University marketing can engage them with their environment. It’s time for colleges to go beyond branding. College must initiate future marketing strategies today to increase their enrollments.

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education July 6, 2018

How the Pathway to the College Presidency is Changing

Leadership in higher education can be a challenge, but aspiring college presidents aren’t letting obstacles get in their way when it comes to assuming the reins of a university.

At one time, the traditional trajectory to the college presidency was to become a dean and then a provost, among other roles.

Now, however, the pathway to the college presidency is changing.

The Office of Provost

College deans today have discovered that they no longer must include a term as provost to secure the top position in a college or university. Many deans are making the transition to the president’s office without having ever been a provost.

A globalized community and integrated technologies have made campus leadership more dynamic. As a result, colleges have discovered that there’s more than one way to acquire the experience necessary for higher education leadership.

Interestingly, more men than women skip the position of provost before becoming a college president. Nowhere is this truer than at smaller colleges and universities.

Talent Incubators

You may be wondering where to go for the experience you need. A handful of universities in the country will prepare you with the hands-on experience you need, although it won’t come from the provost’s office. Some of them include:

Arizona State University
Brown University
Johns Hopkins University
Georgia State University
Harvard University
Texas A&M University
Yale University

Bringing Business Acumen

Colleges and universities are also looking beyond the ivory tower for their next presidents. Leaders with business backgrounds lend a different skill set to the job than academic candidates. Non-traditional college leaders with a business background have a different perspective on the role and can lead the campus in the right direction.

According to the Education Advisory Board (EAB), non-traditional business leaders

Have skills that apply in a variety of situations,
Demonstrate excellent communication skills, and
Are engaged with the community.

They bring fresh eyes to the challenges the school has been facing.

As the role of the university president continues to change, the pathway to landing this position is changing, too. Provosts tend to turn their immediate attention inward to the campus, faculty, and students, whereas presidents look out to the horizon at what the future may hold for the school.

As the role of the president metamorphoses, the pathway to this position will continue to change.