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EEUU: Humanizing Distance Education

Pluma Invitada

By Amanda Benigni

The fact that technological innovations are disrupting traditional business models and digital technologies will continue to transform the economic marketplace is hardly breaking news to members of West Virginia’s business community. Higher education is no exception.

Across the nation, online education, or distance education, is rapidly growing in popularity. According to the “Almanac of Higher Education,” which is published annually by the Chronicle of Higher Education, “Nearly 29 percent of students were enrolled in distance education courses, either in part or exclusively, in the fall of 2014.”

Today’s college students are turning to distance education in search of flexibility and convenience. Here in the Mountain State, West Virginia Junior College (WVJC) is not just accommodating that demand but also offering a different type of online learning experience. What is unique about the online learning experience at WVJC is that in an environment where technology creates barriers to interaction, WVJC infuses the human element back into the student experience. The faculty, staff and administration have adopted an approach that is based on a foundation of personal and meaningful relationships.

“The secret to a successful online program is not what you might think,” says Chad Callen, campus president of WVJC. “While technology is important, it’s nothing without the people behind it that make it work. A successful online program requires people who understand how to connect and build relationships with other people. Only from these relationships can trust be developed, and from that trust between the student and your people that work in tandem as a single unit, greatness can be accomplished.”

Online education by definition separates the instructor and the student by distance. However, WVJC is committed to putting human engagement back into distance education while still maintaining the in-demand benefits of online education. According to Brittany Nuzzo, academic dean at WVJC, the secret to effectiveness in online education is not just the content and effective delivery of that content through technology but rather the humanization of the online learning experience. “When we constructed our Online Division, we wanted to put the user at the forefront,” she says. “We wanted to humanize distance education.”

WVJC has been able to develop meaningful relationships with students in a variety of ways. Before an online course even begins, a student at WVJC receives a personal phone call from their instructor welcoming them to the class.

“It’s an expectation of our faculty that students have a direct line of access to their instructors,” says Nuzzo. “We also expect our instructors to respond to emails, voicemails and other student inquires within 24 hours, although it is usually much sooner.”

The faculty are also expected to provide timely feedback on student work. In both online and on site courses, students can expect to receive formal, written feedback within 48 hours of submission. Nuzzo knows firsthand the importance of reaching out to students early and responding to their concerns quickly. As academic dean, she makes a point to personally contact each new student at WVJC during their first term. Additionally, she meets with them regularly throughout the year to discuss their progress. As students are quickly made aware, at WVJC, the academic dean, program directors, instructors and support staff are all readily available by phone to offer guidance and feedback.

“Our students have access to their instructors 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” explains Nuzzo. “From the time they enroll to the time they matriculate and enter the workforce, we are there to provide them with support and encouragement.”

Nuzzo has personally taken phone calls from students on Christmas Day and knows that other instructors and administrators have done the same for students whose situations were especially urgent.

When a tech-related issue arises at WVJC’s online campus, it is often Ryan Langley, the director of instructional design and technology, or one of his internal staff who fields the call. In an attempt to ensure adequate response times, WVJC has a third-party service available to its students 24/7. However, WVJC prefers tech issues be handled by its internal staff because of the humanized element they add.

“I take a lot of calls outside of business hours,” says Langley. “I trouble shoot students’ technical issues, help fix their computers and internet connections and do my best to quickly and effectively address any other technical issues they might experience while enrolled in our online courses. We even fix viruses and install virus protection software for our students.”

Langley has personally answered phone calls from students in the middle of the night, as have other members of the faculty and staff. “If students are experiencing a hiccup in their progression through their degree program and that hiccup is tech related, we are going to do everything we can to resolve it, even when it’s outside the realm of service a technical support team would normally provide,” he says.

Langley believes technological advancements will help ensure more students gain access to higher education. “We create a lot of opportunities for a lot of people who otherwise might not be able to attend a college or further their education,” he says. “Many of our students work all day. They have to support their families. They cannot take time away from their responsibilities at work and at home to spend all day in a classroom. That’s something I take a lot of pride in. We give students the opportunity to accomplish things they would not be able to accomplish elsewhere, and we’re using technology to do it.”

Nuzzo also recognizes that many of her students, particularly those who are first-generation or nontraditional college students, require extra support to achieve their academic goals. “We are side by side with our students through not only this academic journey but through all of their life pursuits,” she says. “We have seen our students in their darkest hours and their moments of triumph. We have laughed with our students, cried with our students and rejoiced when they have accomplished so much on nothing but perseverance.”

Langley and Nuzzo are both humbled by seeing their students’ accomplishments. “It reminds me daily of why I entered education,” says Nuzzo.

WVJC students are appreciative of the support people like Nuzzo provide.

“WVJC online was a wonderful experience for me,” says Michelle Kornegay, a 2015 graduate of WVJC’s medical assisting program. While attending, Kornegay experienced some family-related issues that could easily have prevented her from achieving the goal she set out to accomplish, but she says the faculty and staff at WVJC were dedicated to her success. “They would not let me quit my journey. They pushed and encouraged me, even when I did not have confidence in myself. It’s because of them I earned my degree,” she says.

While WVJC prides itself on the personal relationships faculty, staff and administrators form with students, just as crucial, it seems, is the relationship students form with the institution itself. According to Callen, it is vital that students feel connected to WVJC on a personal and professional level.

“We accomplish this in several ways,” says Callen. “We often feature our students on our social media when they pass certification exams or get hired into a career they love. One of the most unique methods though is through our random gift mailings. At random times throughout the year we will mail—not email, but traditional snail mail—little mementos to let the students know we are thinking about them and encouraging them and that they are part of a larger family.”

At various points throughout the year, a student at WVJC can expect a Christmas ornament, student survival packet, handwritten note containing words of encouragement or car decal.

Education is, in essence, about human relationships, regardless of how much technology is infused into it. WVJC believes cultivating human relationships is central to the success of an online program. If the school’s online education programs are any indication, the key to maintaining effectiveness in the future will be how institutions of higher education are able to maintain and maximize those relationships as technology disrupts the environment in which those relationships are nurtured.

About the Author

Dr. Amanda. Benigni holds a Ph.D. in literature and criticism and is currently pursuing teaching certification in secondary English education. A resident of Morgantown, WV, Benigni teaches introductory-level composition and literature courses at various institutions of higher education, both in person and online.

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Grantham Journal column: Further education at college gives students better independiente

Jay Abeysekera

By: Jay Abeysekera

With so many options for teens to choose from when it comes to picking an education provider after GCSEs, it makes it harder to decide which is best. Everyone wants their teen to be happy, as well as making sure they’ve made the right choice educationally. From the teen’s perspective, high on the priority list is where their friends are and having independence.

Having experienced education at both a grammar school sixth form and college myself, I am able to tell the vast difference between them both; from not wearing uniform anymore or calling the tutors by their first name to managing my own time and gaining independence and freedom in an adult environment. All of the above contribute to the experience, success and the enjoyment of your education. Finding the best combination for you is what’s difficult.
One of the main differences between a school sixth form and college is the timetable. At school, every moment is usually accounted for with the occasional free period. At college, the scheduled hours in class are much lower but you are, of course, expected to continue with your work outside of the contact hours.
A college will offer you a different learning environment to that offered at a sixth form which is one of the reasons why many students choose college after finishing their GCSEs. Colleges usually offer more vocational subjects, have a wider range of courses and have other paths to take such as BTECs, apprenticeships and distance learning.
At school, every class has students of similar age, whereas at college, you could be studying with anyone from age 16+ and your classmates may have come from different parts of the county or even the country. All will have different stories to tell and different backgrounds and life experiences which makes the new beginning even more exciting.
Perhaps an old-fashioned, but nevertheless still useful, way of deciding for or against something is writing a pros and cons list. What are the benefits of studying at college over a local sixth form? To make your decision easier, ask questions at any opportunity you get; at your interview or at open days. Ask friends and family what their experiences and views are, speak to a careers advisor and ask current students what they think as they will give you the most honest answers. By finding out about student life, pass rates and more detailed course information, it will help you make the right decision about your future in education post-GCSEs.

Source:
http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/opinion/grantham-journal-column-further-education-at-college-gives-students-better-independence-1-8141590
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The Wisdom Of The New York Times Magazine’s Special Issue On Race And Education

John Thompson

By: John Thompson

All sides of our education civil war need to see our internal battles within the context of the travesties recounted in this amazing special magazine issue.

Which was the more tragic fact reported in the New York Times Magazine’s special issue on “the persistent legacy of racism in American education”? Is it worse, as Alice Yin reports, that “81.7 percent of black students in New York City attend segregated schools (less than 10 percent white),” or should we be more appalled by the increase in segregated Southern schools?

Largely because of geography, by 1972, Southern schools were the most integrated in the nation. In 1988, 43.5 percent of black students enrolled in majority-white Southern schools. By 2011, “enrollment of black students in majority-white Southern schools declined to 23.2 percent.”

What are the reasons for the rise of resegregation?

Nikole Hannah-Jones’ “The Resegregation of Jefferson County” makes the case that the “fight for civil rights over so many decades” reveals “the way that racism does not so much go away but adapts to the times.” The decades of Southern resistance to Brown v. Topeka was obscene. But now, why would the 88 percent white town of Gardendale, Alabama fight so hard to reject its black students, which are 25 percent of the school population?

Hannah-Jones, as well as Mosi Secret’s report on segregation, can only be explained in terms of racism. However, the Times Magazine’s Mark Binelli makes us ask whether today’s resegregation is also driven by the unrestrained efforts to maximize profits on the backs of children, or whether it’s also due to the ideology of school choice.

Binelli “writes about Michigan’s gamble on charter schools — and how its children lost.” Many true believers in charters blame that state’s failure on the deregulated nature of for-profit choice schools pushed by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. And Binelli gives evidence that the profit motive increased inequality and damaged the entire state’s education system. He also provides evidence that the competition-driven culture, that isn’t limited to for-profit schools, undermined public education. Binelli writes:

In little more than a decade, Michigan has gone from being a fairly average state in elementary reading and math achievement to the bottom 10 states. It’s a devastating fall. Indeed, new national assessment data suggest Michigan is witnessing systemic decline across the K-12 spectrum. White, black, brown, higher-income, low-income — it doesn’t matter who they are or where they live.

And that brings us to more subtle questions about why segregation persists. As Binelli reports, “Charters continue to be sold in Michigan as a means of unwinding the inequality of a public-school system.” The same continues to apply to charters across the nation. Some argue that most charters are not-for-profit, even claiming that their draining off of money and the easier-to-educate students hasn’t damaged neighborhood schools. They tend to remain silent about an even more worrisome issue ― the resulting test-driven, competitive school cultures that are imposed disproportionately on poor children of color.

The dubious education values articulated by Kathy Tassier, a charter’s curriculum specialist, has spread to other high-poverty schools. The Tassier acknowledged disappointing outcomes but “pointed to selective testing gains.” Binelli explains how she suggested that:

The students had been motivated to “really take ownership for that growth” after learning of another local charter’s slated closure. Tassier meant the remark as a compliment. But inadvertently or not, she’d applied the language of market capitalism, of increasing productivity via brutal Darwinist competition, to a group of K-7 students. They could have been assembly-line workers being warned that the factory would close if the Chinese kept eating their lunch.

If the special issue on racism and it’s legacies’ continued role in undermining public education isn’t depressing enough, it also reports on the Trump administration’s cruel attack on “Dreamers.” Even so, some corporate school reformers hope to stay their course, even though it means cooperating with DeVos and Trump.

Most reformers who I know despise Trumpism and face a conundrum similar to the one that has worried me since the election. I had underestimated the persistence of racism, and now I must admit my mistake and ask whether I should view education policy differently. I wonder how many reformers are willing to face the facts about test-driven, competition-driven reform, and rethink their ideology.

When reading Hannah-Jones’ previous work on school segregation, I painlessly adjusted my policy priorities, incorporating her lessons about integration and accepting the need to invest political capital in that controversial approach. I was much, much slower in altering my wider worldview, and acknowledging how pervasive racism remains.

Some reformers have explicitly repudiated alliances with Trump and DeVos, but I fear that few of them will look into a deeper, darker issue. When the profit motive and extreme competitive values are unleashed on children, the resulting damage could be as persistent as other legacies.

Regardless, all sides of our education civil war need to see our internal battles within the context of the travesties recounted in this amazing special magazine issue.

Source:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-wisdom-of-the-ny-times-magazines-special-issue_us_59b423c9e4b0bef3378ce0b0

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Kenia: Private universities reject State-sponsored learners

Noticias

Kenia / 09 de septiembre de 2017 / Por: PETER MBURU y LINET AMULI / Fuente: http://www.nation.co.ke

Private universities have turned away many government-sponsored students, citing poor funding.

Students admitted for courses such as law, pharmacy and clinical medicine were told to go back home when they reported for admission.

The problem has been reported in at least 28 universities.

The institutions referred the affected students back to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service.

At Kabarak University, tens of parents protested outside the main campus gate when the learners were denied admission.

SPONSORSHIP

The students were placed in the institutions by KUCCPS on a government-sponsorship basis after surpassing the cut-off points for the courses in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination.

“We were told that the government paid Sh70,000 yet a course like medicine requires more than Sh200,000 per student. We fail to understand why KUCCPS placed our children here if it knew fees would not be paid,” Mr Edwin Sitienei complained.

KUCCPS chief executive John Muraguri admitted that the universities referred the students to the agency, adding that the matter was being addressed.

“What the universities did was in order, considering the circumstances, because they expected the government to increase funding for the students,” Mr Muraguri said.

FUNDING

The CEO added that the students had been placed in the institutions but funding affected the programme.

“We have communicated with the affected students and asked them to apply for other courses offered by public universities. We will place them once an agreement is reached,” Mr Muraguri said.

Angry parents, however, blamed KUCCPS for the turn of events and threatened to storm its city offices if their concerns were not addressed.

“It is very painful because some of us have sold land and other properties to bring our children here. Now we are being told to pay what we cannot afford,” Mr David Kurgat said.

ADMISSION

His son, who scored an A- in the KCSE examination, and was placed at the university to study pharmacy.

Mr Kurgat said his son had applied for admission to a public university but was placed at Kabarak.

Vice-Chancellor Henry Kiplagat said the university had addressed the matter with the KUCCPS.

“We have already admitted more than 1,200 government-sponsored students successfully.

For those affected, the matter is being handled by KUCCPS,” Dr Kiplagat said.

Fuente noticia: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/education/Private-universities-reject-State-sponsored-learners-/2643604-4085288-1m2e67z/index.html

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Estados Unidos: California’s education chief calls DACA decision ‘mean-spirited’

Noticias

California / 06 de septiembre de 2017 / Por: Joy Resmovits / Fuente: http://www.latimes.com/

California’s top education official denounced Trump decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

“Our country made an honest deal with these students — study hard, earn your degree and you will get a fair chance to compete for college,” state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in a statement. “We should keep deals, not break them.”

Torlakson said the students covered by DACA enhance California overall. “Their hard work, energy, dedication and diverse backgrounds help them contribute to our economy,” he said. About 217,000 children in California are Dreamers, according to the California Department of Education.

Torlakson called the decision a “mean-spirited” political attack.

“I want to let all those students know that the American dream remains safe and secure in California,” Torlakson said, though it is unclear exactly what the Department of Education could do to keep migrant students in the state safely.

Chiefs for Change, a group of state education leaders founded by former Florida Gov. Jed Bush, also came out against the decision. “Pushing these young people into the shadows will hurt our schools and communities,” the group said in astatement. “This move by the Administration heightens the urgency for Congress to take action to protect Dreamers in the form of common-sense immigration reform.”

Fuente noticia: http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-essential-education-updates-southern-education-chiefs-in-california-and-1504625822-htmlstory.html

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Kenia: Schools get money to fund free education

Noticias

Kenia / 30 de agosto de 2017 / Por: OUMA WANZALA / Fuente: http://www.nation.co.ke

The government on Tuesday released Sh2.5 billion for free primary education, a day after schools reopened for the third and final term.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kispang said Sh6.4 billion for subsidised secondary education will be released to schools by Friday.

There are about 23,000 primary and 9,000 secondary schools across the country.

MANAGEMENT

The timely release of the funds is set to ease the burden head teachers faced in the past in managing schools due to regular delays in disbursing the cash.

The delays saw school heads being harassed by suppliers over failure to pay for goods and services on time.

“We want learning for this term to go on smoothly without any hitches,” Dr Kipsang said.

Two weeks ago, the government released 18 per cent of last term’s capitation.

The delay hurt the management of most public schools in the second term.

EXAMS
According to a government schedule, 50 per cent of the capitation is released in the first term, 30 per cent in the second term and 20 per cent in the third term.

The government allocates Sh32 billion for subsidised secondary school education and Sh14 billion for free primary education annually.

Schools will close on October 29 to allow the start of national examinations in November for Standard Eight and Form Four candidates.

SCHOOL FEES
The fee structures for the different categories of public secondary schools indicate that the government pays a subsidy of Sh12,870 while a parent pays Sh53,554 for a child in boarding school.

For a student attending a day school, the parent is supposed to pay Sh9,370.

Parents with children in special-needs schools are required to pay Sh37,210 while the government pays Sh32,600.

For primary schools, the government pays Sh1,420 per child per year.

SUPPLIERS
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman Kahi Indimuli said the timely release of the cash will enable schools to plan effectively.

“We are going to have examinations this term and the early release of the money will make us move forward as planned,” Mr Indimuli said.

Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association chairman Shem Ndolo made similar remarks.

He said principals can now pay suppliers on time.

“Since 2013, we have increased enrolment from 2.9 million to 3.9 million at the early childhood development level, 9.9 million to 10.1 million in primary schools and 2.1 million to 2.6 million in secondary schools.

«The number of special-needs education students increased from 107,000 to 132,000,” President Uhuru Kenyatta said last week.

At the same time, Elimu Yetu Coalition has urged teachers to ensure the term runs smoothly as candidates prepare for the national exams.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers has threatened to call a strike if members are not awarded an annual salary raise.

Fuente noticia: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/education/Schools-get-money-to-fund-free-education/2643604-4076018-5p5ay5/index.html

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Montenegro Education Council Members Resign, Learn Lesson About Plagiarism

Noticias

Montenegro/ August 30, 2017/ By: Alan Crosby/ Source: https://www.rferl.org

Montenegro’s National Education Council was set up to prepare a new curriculum for the country’s students. Apparently plagiarism wasn’t one of the lessons in the package of reforms.

The council recently published its long-awaited reforms ahead of the return of students to classes for the upcoming school year.

Within days, several experts from a 500-member panel in neighboring Croatia that had earlier drawn up a curriculum package to update that country’s education system recognized many of the changes.

In fact, they said, large parts of their work were plagiarized, some passages word for word, without attribution.

Three members of the council resigned on August 27 and said they would give back their salaries over the matter.

«If any child in the world benefits from our work, that’s good. What bothers me is the way it was done, without asking us as the authors, and without asking Croatia, which owns the documents that were taken,» said Boris Jokic, the head of the Croatian working group that drew up the reforms, in an interview on N1 television in Croatia on August 29.

Officials in Montenegro have acknowledged the similarities between the two reform packages but said the framework was not its final version and that it borrows from the experiences and practices of several countries.

The Education and Science Ministry, which oversees the council, said on August 22 that it would investigate the claims. Croatia, meanwhile, has said it is consulting with legal experts.

«The authenticity of educational efforts does not exclude the observation of the best experiences of others in order to realize the full potential of all children,» Montenegro’s Bureau for Education Services said in an August 22 statement.

Ironically, the Croatian plan, drawn up between 2015 and 2016, was pushed to the side amid internal bickering in the cabinet that took power after a snap election in 2016.

Each country is undertaking reforms to overhaul its education system’s curriculum and training methods, giving teachers more freedom in classrooms that would become more interactive.

Source:

https://www.rferl.org/a/montenegro-education-reforms-plagiarism-lesson/28703476.html

 

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