Dive Brief:
- Panelists like Amy Laitinen, director of New America, explained that one of the biggest challenges facing higher ed is distance education for students who may not be able to attend an actual campus, while Mark Schneider, vice president at the American Institutes for Research, explained the issue goes hand in hand with a larger concern in the industry of ensuring ROI for students who want a career out of college, reports Campus Technology.
- Sharon Leu, a higher ed policy advisor at the Department of Education noted technology is not a solution in itself, as its real value comes down to student learning that is engaging and offering users the skills they need. And often with distance education, explained Laitinen, innovations promising to help non-traditional groups like working adults, are actually sub-par tools adopted by schools that just need to survive and meet their bottom lines with a new demographic of older student consumers.
- Panelists offered their takes on how the federal government could step in, with Laitinen suggesting removing regulations would be helpful if student outcomes are enforced even with technologies that are serving distant students. Schneider suggested that the government distribute data and examine authorization processes for distance education programs, while Leu mentioned the possibility of sharing case studies.
Dive Insight:
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics on students enrolled in the 2011-2012 year showed that about 74% of all undergraduates had the characteristics of being "nontraditional students," working part-time or full-time, not having a high school diploma or having children and families to whom they are responsible.
At the same time, a survey from from Knewton shows 20% of the 20 million students attending post-secondary schools in the U.S. are over the age of 30 — which means if institutions want to be able to maintain their bottom line, they have to realize their primary customers may no longer opt for the traditional four-year campus experience, a reality panelists at Blackboard's event noted.
Institutions which have tried to adapt have looked toward a number of different strategies like alternative credentialing options, flexible degree programs, and online learning opportunities, but there is no one clear solution to what works best for students with increasingly varied circumstances. In the search to finding a method that works, it's important for administrators to recognize that merely investing in technology is probably not going to yield desired results unless they are researching and are making themselves aware of what students actually want out of their learning experiences, as well as considering student outcomes and perceived ROI are significant factors impacting their viability.
Regulations, or a lack thereof, could affect how institutions decide to invest in technology for things which affect nontraditional students, like distance education. With more regulations, institutions could feel stifled and incapable of innovating as they'd like; but a lack of regulations could mean selected technology doesn't actually benefit students at all. Policymakers can step in by offering data and models for institutions on what works, as well as work with educators to find a right balance between ensuring ROI and allowing for innovation.