International
What direction next for university rankings? | The improvement of ranking methodology has been, to a considerable measure, linked to the needs of the so-called ‘Excellence Initiatives’ that governments in a number of countries established with the purpose of accelerating the development of a selected group of universities.
*A ‘Netflix for Education’? Why LinkedIn’s New Product Should Give Us Pause | LinkedIn believes that one type of course — based on short video segments and short multiple-choice quizzes — is what it needs to develop knowledge and skills. From a pedagogical standpoint, the LinkedIn Learning platform is a very limiting one.
Reimagining the HE curriculum for the 21st century | Today, in a world that is more connected and interdependent than ever before there is also an increased focus on nationalism and narrow-minded approaches to race and religion. In these times, perhaps more so than ever before in recent history, higher education institutions have an important role to play in making a meaningful contribution to the creation of dynamic and sustainable local and global communities.
Making the case for higher education | Melbourne is the world’s most liveable city and a thriving global centre of tertiary education. But articulating the value of tertiary education seems harder than ever before.
International student enrolments in Canada up 11% | International student enrolments at postsecondary institutions in Canada rose by more than 11 per cent between 2013-14 and 2014-15, according to recent figures from the country’s statistics agency.
U.S. National
Top 10 Education Technologies that Will Be Dead and Gone in the Next Decade | In our 2016 Teaching with Technology survey, faculty members offered their predictions on what the future holds for technology in teaching — including what hardware and systems will bite the dust over the next 10 years.
A ‘Moon Shot’ for Libraries | Bourg was presenting a report on “The Future of Libraries,” the outcome of a year’s worth of conversations between faculty members, staffers and students at MIT. While its findings and recommendations are still preliminary, the report presents a vision of the library as an “open global platform” that gives people (regardless of whether they are affiliated with MIT) access to information that can help them solve global challenges such as increasing access to clean water or discovering new clean energy sources.
*Betsy DeVos, Charter-School Advocate, Is Trump’s Pick for Education Secretary | President-elect Donald J. Trump has selected Betsy DeVos, a charter-school advocate, to be his secretary of education.
U.S. States
Texas Program ‘Guarantees’ Technical Jobs After Graduation | The Texas State Technical College (TSTC) System is debuting its “Money-Back Guarantee” program for technical college students who earn associate arts degrees in specific disciplines and are unable to find jobs within six months of graduation.
*Some parents don’t like the new ‘Summit Personalized Learning Platform,’ want to opt out | The Summit Personalized Learning Platform at first glance sounds like an incredible opportunity for students to learn at their own pace… The parents said they didn’t know how their children were chosen for this experimental teaching tool. They were told they couldn’t opt out.
An Admissions Experiment Succeeds | It’s been a year since the state of Idaho embarked on an ambitious experiment: directly admitting graduating high school seniors into Idaho’s public colleges and universities without requiring them to fill out an application. For many institutions in the Idaho system, it worked.
Metrics for Money | The University of Illinois System is ready to sacrifice future flexibility in order to end fiscal uncertainty that has persisted as a state budget stalemate continues into its second year.
Institutional
A Final Push for Inclusivity | As the Obama administration winds down, Department of Education and college leaders call on institutions to better acknowledge history of racism and to offer more support to minority students.
Hampshire College Decides Not to Fly Any Flags | Hampshire College announced Friday that it will, for some period of time, not fly the U.S. flag or any flag from a flagpole at the center of campus.
Going out-of-state to grow student population | Nichols College is the latest in Central Massachusetts to offer an articulation agreement that provides a pathway to a four-year education for community college students, but the small private college is approaching the issue slightly differently than other schools in the region.
Three new VP finalists to visit [Alamo Community College District] | A second round of finalists for vice president of college services has been selected and will visit this college for daylong interviews Monday through Wednesday, with an open forum 2-3 p.m. each day in Room 120 of the visual arts center.
* These three stories link themes of charter schools, education technology, and the decline of pedagogy in higher education.
Note: Additional news items added on Tuesday, November 29, 2016.