HIGHER EDUCATION
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Special Supplement
Supporting Your College Student By Allison Oster
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t’s a season unlike any other as families adjust to many changes as a result of the pandemic. Naturally, you’re probably relieved to have your child safe at home. Keep in mind, they may be struggling with this sudden change. This isn’t a typical holiday break when your student returns home for a short time with family. They may be anxious about their academics, disappointed in missing out on campus events, and coping with the realities of being away from friends, peers, and faculty.
‘Move your relationship from a parent-child to an adult-adult relationship. This doesn’t mean you still aren’t the parent, but when you treat your child like an adult, the new relationship can blossom and improve.’
Create space to support their studies Some students will have an easier time than others adapting to an online class format. Many students may find it more difficult without the boundaries that in-class sessions can offer. Ask your child how you can support them as they learn to set a routine and prioritize coursework. If it’s conducive in your home, help create a space that is somewhat free of distractions so they can focus on their studies. Do they need periods of quiet for certain tasks or online class discussions? Does white noise help them work? Make a plan together for how to communicate their needs according to their learning style and coursework.
Take time to have fun
Your son or daughter will need your encouragement, but in new ways. Jim Burns, Ph.D., executive director of Azusa Pacific University’s HomeWord Center for Youth and Family, offered four tips for parents and families whose students are now home from college
should spend on schoolwork. Burns advises parents to find a balance of being caring, without enabling dependency. Unsolicited advice can be taken as criticism, so sometimes it’s best to step back and let them figure things out on their own.
Be encouraging, not intrusive “Wise parents will recognize that they can be encouraging but not intrusive,” recommends Burns, who is also the author of Doing Life With Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out. “Parents want to be careful not to revert to how it was during the teen or even pre-teen years.” When adult children have been away from home for a while, they are no longer used to their parents weighing in on day-to-day decisions, such as when to eat or take a break, or how much time they
Work together to set expectations With school and work happening simultaneously in many households, families are experiencing new challenges that may require new boundaries. Your young adult may not be sure how to be a young adult at home after being away. Don’t wait until there’s a problem. Sit down together as a family and discuss expectations and boundaries. How can you help respect one another’s time and space while being intentional with your time together?
“This is not the time to nag but rather cheer them on,” recommends Burns. “Be their greatest cheerleader. Praise them. Bless them. Have serious fun with them.” Celebrate moments of success, like finishing a big paper, test, or project. Make their favorite meal or pick a new show to binge-watch together as a reward for getting the day’s work done. Plan time for breaks to go on walks or work out together to an online class. This is a time to enjoy the opportunity to be together and create space to have fun as a family. Most of all, help remind your child that this season is temporary. Make the best of it and have patience with one another.
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Special Supplement Sunday, April 26, 2020
Strategies for Online Learning During Crisis By Jennifer Snelling & Diana Fingal
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s the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread, schools around the globe are shifting to online learning in an effort to slow the spread of the disease.
Here are some of the best ideas from educators from around the world, many of whom have already been teaching during coronavirus closures.
Ensure digital equity Equity is the biggest obstacle in preparing for online learning, and the first thing you should be thinking about. If your institution does not have devices to send home with everyone, survey teachers and families ahead of time to figure out who will need devices and bandwidth. During a shutdown, parents may also be working from home, meaning several people could be competing for one or two computers. Therefore, make sure all online apps work on mobile devices in case a laptop is not available. Keep in mind that students who have individual education plans (IEPs) need to have access to their specific accommodations during the closure, including video access to aides and logins for apps.
“In an online environment, everyone’s anxiety is high and channels of communication need to be frequent, clear and succinct,” Chow says. For big-picture communications, prepare an FAQ outlining all the details of how the institution will operate during a closure so staff and parents are on the same page.
Practice Institutions that regularly have digital learning days – and have worked through home-connectivity and device issues – are already ahead of the game. But if your college has not laid the groundwork, consider this to be an opportunity. Teachers not already using a learning management system regularly, need to dive in now so that there will be no interruption in communication in the wake of a sudden closure. Teachers should train themselves and their students on the apps and technology tools they may need to use in the event of closure. Practice in the classroom and then send students off to try using the tools from home, says Sandra Chow, director of innovation and digital learning at Keystone Academy in Beijing. Chow, who has been teaching online since coronavirus shut down her school in early February, says educators won’t regret spending time on this. “None of this learning will go to waste moving forward,” she says, “as many of the skills learned during the online learning period will be equally beneficial in a regular classroom.”
Provide clear expectations to staff and parents During a closure, communication between administrators, staff, parents and students is more important than ever.
David Lowe, a parent and former assistant principal whose children’s district in Washington state switched to remote learning on March 9, recommends the FAQ include where to find the daily assignments; a list of sites and tools the students will need, how to log in and what to do if the technology doesn’t work; and, finally, the expectations of parents. “There’s a lot of information to sift through and parents are working hard to make sure they’re clear on what they should be doing to best support their students.” In addition to posting and distributing FAQs, colleges should set up communitywide texting to communicate quickly and then advise people where to find follow-up messages via email or on your website. Next, prepare a step-by-step guide on how to access and use online learning tools and curriculum. Make sure you present this information in various formats including video and text and include screenshots and screen-casting tutorials. Ask families to make sure all students – especially the youngest learners – know how to log in to the apps and know their passwords. Teachers need to know how to take attendance. Provide extra tech support and make sure parents and teachers know how to ask for help. Communication should go beyond logistics and academics. David Miyashiro, superintendent at Cajon Valley Union School District in California, recorded a video for the teachers in his district outlining what the district has been doing to meet academic and basic needs of students. But he also covered at length the importance of meeting the social-emotional needs of students. “Based on the input our principals have received from you and the input we received from our parent leaders, it’s obvious that flexibility, human connection and guidance for our staff, students and their parents during this time is most important for the engagement and continued progress of our students,” he said in his address to teachers.
Take time to plan If a shutdown occurs before your staff is ready to teach online, invest some time – even if it’s just a day or two – to prepare before
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Special Supplement Sunday, April 26, 2020
‘Committed to quality education even in these trying times’
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tenden University Qatar, which officially opened its doors in 2000, occupies a distinctive status in the higher education arena of Qatar. Many of its alumni hold vital positions in governmental and non-governmental organisations and play an important role in the economic, social, human, and environmental development of the country. As the Covid-19 pandemic raged across the globe, its rapid advance gave little time for educational institutions to prepare themselves; it was not different in Qatar too. Here, Dr. Ivan Ninov, the Executive Dean of Stenden University Qatar, shares with us how his prestigious institution, together with a supportive staff, braved all odds to make sure day-to-day functioning of classes are not disrupted in this unprecedented situation.
by Stenden Qatar to bypass any major disruptions in studies? The pandemic caught many organizations by surprise, but it did not affect the effectiveness of our operation. At Stenden University Qatar we have successfully facilitated the delivery of virtual educational activities for all of our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. This came in response to the directive of the Qatari government to suspend studies in all public and private schools and universities in the country as a measure to limit the spread of Covid-19. I am happy to say that as a university we were fully prepared to adopt this not very traditional approach and to maintain the high quality of our education and student support activities.
Tell us a bit about your new mode of teaching, courses and how effective they are. Through the combined efforts of our dedicated staff, Stenden University Qatar has adopted a novel approach which ensures the continuity of the delivery of classes through the online teaching and learning facilities available to our students, who can use the university’s online portals at no additional cost. All lectures, workshops, presentations and other academic sessions, including supervision of internships and dissertations are now taking place online. So far we have received very positive feedback form our students and staff members and we are happy that this transition has not affected the value of our education. Dr. Ninov is a Ph.D. holder in Hospitality Administration and completed his MSc in Restaurant, Hotel & Institutional Management from Texas Tech University in USA. Prior to joining Stenden Qatar, he has served as Assistant Dean at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management in Dubai, where he is credited with developing and implementing the university’s exemplary Quality Assurance system. Dr. Ninov has been involved in supervising numerous research and consultancy projects.
Dr. Ivan Ninov, current pandemic crisis has affected almost all sectors in Qatar, including the higher education institutions. What are the steps taken
Since the situation demands social distancing, it may have some sort of emotional impact on students. Have you included any counseling sessions in your curriculum? The COVID crisis has affected many students and their families, who needed to quickly adapt to this new environment. As a university we have always been focused on providing counselling and individualized support to all of our students. Unlike other universities we do offer a familylike atmosphere, in which every student receives personalized attention and support. We know our students by name and supporting and developing our students has always been one of our utmost priorities. In the current situation our counselling
services have continued and we are fully addressing the needs of all students for academic or emotional support.
How equipped are your staff to cope with this scenario? Have they received any special training? Naturally, we have trained all of our staff and students on how to use the different online platforms for virtual delivery and assessment. Stenden University Qatar acknowledges the fact that there are some minor inconveniences associated with the transition from regular face-toface to virtual classes, but we also see this move as a necessary and important step to protect the health of its students, staff, and the wider community. While all face-to-face classes have been discontinued, the university has remained open with all faculty and administrative staff continuing to work and to provide continuous support to students remotely. This will be the arrangement at the university until further notice from the government authorities has been issued.
Would you like to say a few words on students’ feedback on new arrangement? As mentioned previously the feedback from our students has been very positive. We have always been very open to the implementation of innovative teaching and learning methodologies and I am proud to say that we are the only institution in Qatar which has introduced design-based education and our students are required to work with real companies and solve real life problems from the very first day they
Contd. from page 2 rolling out online learning with the students. The brief delay in starting online lessons will pay off in the long run. In the Washington district where Lowe’s three children attend, staff spent time getting ready for an impending closure.
Take regular breaks. Making time to exercise. Keep to a regular sleep schedule.
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Limit distractions when possible (turn off social media notifications, for example).
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Set daily and weekly goals.
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Make time to socialise, even if it’s virtually.
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Choose the right tools and stick with them A wide variety of technology tools, many free, are available to help. Jason Reagin, edtech consultant and teacher in Incheon, South Korea, has put together a Wakelet of apps offering free upgrades during the global crisis. Educator Alison Yang developed an online learning guide, which stresses that online learning should never be an excuse to assign busy work, but rather to address clear engaging learning objectives. Bailey, the Beijing teacher-librarian, adapted Yang’s guide into one for parents to help them understand the objectives. For key principals that ISTE recommends are: Break learning into smaller chunks.
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Be clear about expectations for online participation.
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Provide immediate (or at least frequent) feedback through online knowledge checks, comments on collaborative documents and chat to keep students motivated and moving forward.
Lowe acknowledges that his family is lucky. He’s a consultant who can work from home and his wife is a teacher, so they are available to pitch in. Not all parents will be able to cope as easily, especially those with small children who can’t work from home. “One of the best things our schools have done to support parents is streamlining information by creating one place for all the assignments, schedules and expectations,” he said. “The closer to a checklist you can make these resources, the better.”
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Include virtual meetings, live chats or video tutorials to maintain a human connection.
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Provide robust learning In extreme circumstances like an impromptu closure, it’s tempting for teachers to upload worksheets for students to complete and return. But online earning during a closure – especially during extended closures – should be at least as engaging as the classroom experience (if not more) or students will suffer.
In addition to delivering our education online, we have also started organizing a number of webinars for potential students and their parents. All potential students can submit their applications online and can also follow our website and social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter where they can receive more information about our academic programmes. We very much look forward to welcoming our new students in September.
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Pack your bag
Sometimes it can be difficult to anticipate the roadblocks that students might face while navigating this new territory. Nadine Bailey, teacher librarian and technology integrator at the Western Academy of Beijing, suggests picking one student per grade and monitoring their “expected” path throughout the day from tool to tool to make sure everything is working as it should. If not, be flexible and make changes along the way.
Any add-on?
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Even if a closure is sudden and offers no time to plan before schools are shuttered, it is still prudent to plan before beginning online lessons.
Expectations should be clear about when teachers and students need to be logged on. A full day in front of a screen is a lot for kids and teachers, especially for families who may be sharing one device. Many colleges are choosing two check-in times – a morning meeting and an afternoon check-in – and then allowing families flexibility about how they organize the at-home schedule.
Our mission as a university has always been to offer a holistic education by unleashing the potential in our students and staff in a multicultural and challenging environment, where we believe that knowledge empowers students to become the future leaders in the constantly changing global arena. Currently we are facing a crisis which is affecting our students, staff, and their families. I can confidently say that we have managed to successfully adapt to this new environment and I would like to thank our students for their commitment and flexibility. We should also appreciate the current situation, as during times like we can determine who we really are and what our priorities in life should be.
While it may seem fun to work from home, it can be challenging to keep to a regular schedule. Some things that can help include:
Teams divvied up and tackled everything from logistical issues, like the setup of Zoom meetings, to instructional ones, like different home support models, and then reported out to the larger group. When the district shut down two days later, teachers got two planning days before fully jumping into online learning with the students. The team and individual planning days helped smooth implementation.
Establish daily schedules
What would be your advice to the Stenden student community at this stage?
In his guide to online learning, Rushton Hurley, an ISTE member and founder of Next Vista for Learning, shares a story from expat teachers in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus. After weeks of largely being confined to their apartments, teachers began calling each other and leaving the lines open, even if they weren’t talking. They simply wanted the comfort of being able to speak up and have someone hear their voices. If a closure lasts for a long time, you will miss your students, and they will miss you and each other, Hurley said.
Strategies for Online Learning During Crisis
Make sure you have access to everything you need from home in case you are not able to return to the college or bring home your computer and move your files into the cloud.
join the university. Therefore our students are always performing very well in different student competitions in Qatar and abroad. I am confident that this will continue in the future despite all the challenges which the higher education sector is currently facing.
Chow’s leadership team in Beijing met virtually to design an online learning plan, which included training for video production and other tools, online learning pedagogy as well as social-emotional training. She stressed that the community will need time to adjust. Provide manageable and achievable goals to work on each week, listen to feedback and communicate frequently, she says.
Design independent learning Keep in mind that parents might either be at work or working from home and unable to help much. It’s important to design learning that does not require a lot of support from parents who might already be overwhelmed. Lowe, the parent from Washington state, said expectations about parental support might be the biggest issue for him and his wife. Providing guidance for parents on how they can be supporting their kids in an online learning model is also helpful. “It feels similar to homeschooling right now,” Lowe said. “The biggest challenge is parents supervising what their kids are supposed to be doing and at what time.”
Address the emotional toll Check in with students and coworkers, especially those who are less comfortable with digital tools to see if they need any help or someone to talk to. Being sequestered at home can be isolating and exacerbate the fear of dealing with a global crisis. Taking time to check in about feelings of anxiety is just as important as checking on academics.
With so much out there, it can be tempting to try to use everything. Instead, limit the number of tools, apps and platforms so students and their parents are not overwhelmed. It may be a little harder for students to follow classroom assignments when you are not there face to face. Some ideas from Arizona State University for helping students focus are using different colored fonts on-screen to help learners distinguish important ideas. Try to keep online instructions short, simple and clear. Consider making video instructions instead of text. Videoconferencing will take you and your students into each other’s homes so it’s important to consider privacy. Some programs let users blur your background. Dress as you would for attending school and expect students to do the same. Online learning also presents a great opportunity to review digital etiquette and embed digital citizenship into online collaboration activities.
HIGHER EDUCATION
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arnegie Mellon University attracts a certain type of student: motivated, inventive, and driven to make a difference. Students come to Carnegie Mellon to learn, create and innovate with the very best. They leave with the passion, connections, credentials and lifelong friends who will help them change the world.
Programs of study
Work that matters
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For more than a century, Carnegie Mellon University has challenged the curious and passionate to imagine and deliver work that matters. A private, global university, Carnegie Mellon stands among the world’s renowned educational institutions, setting its own course with programs that inspire creativity and collaboration. Consistently top-ranked, Carnegie Mellon has more than 13,000 students and 110,000 alumni worldwide.
Special Supplement Sunday, April 26, 2020
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CMU-Q offers undergraduate programs that are ahead of the curve, in fields at the forefront of technology, innovation, scientific discovery and economic growth. All undergraduate majors require four years of full-time study, after which students earn a bachelor of science degree.
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Biological Sciences has a core curriculum of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics. In-depth exposure to multiple disciplines prepares students for careers at the forefront of emerging new fields. Business Administration provides the foundation for motivated students to become leaders in the business arena within Qatar, the region and the world. The program emphasizes an analytical approach to problem-solving, providing the tools to adapt to an evolving business environment.
Computational Biology applies computer science techniques to complex biological and biomedical problems. The program provides an intensive, interdisciplinary education grounded in the disciplines of biology and computer science.
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Computer Science provides students with the core skills of mathematical reasoning, algorithmic thinking, and programming. The program encourages creativity and provides the fundamental skills to develop new technologies. Information Systems is based on professional core courses that teach students to analyze, design, implement and test information systems using current and emerging practices. The flexible nature of the program encourages students to work outside of traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Small campus, big spirit The CMU-Q student body is exceptionally diverse, representing 48 nations. Students form a busy and active community, participating in clubs, organizing large-scale events, traveling for service and academics, and competing in local and international contests. The low student-to-professor ratio means students receive unparalleled individual attention.
Graduates who make a difference Graduates from CMU-Q are highly sought-after: most choose careers in top organizations, while a significant number pursue graduate studies at international institutions. With 12 graduating classes, the total number of alumni is more than 800. The CMU-Q alumni network has a growing influence, with most graduates working in Qatar or the region. You will find our alumni in organizations like Ooredoo, Qatar Airways, Qatar Shell, McKinsey and Company, KPMG, Siemens and ExxonMobil. In Doha’s budding entrepreneurial sector, CMU-Q alumni members are a driving force, creating startups, mentoring current students and contributing to an emerging community of young innovators.
Learn by doing A world class education in Qatar At the invitation of Qatar Foundation, Carnegie Mellon joined Education City in 2004 to deliver select programs that will contribute to the long-term development of Qatar. Today, Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers undergraduate programs in biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science, and information systems. More than 400 students from 48 countries call Carnegie Mellon Qatar home.
Students at Carnegie Mellon Qatar learn beyond the classroom through a slate of unique enrichment opportunities. Most students choose to study abroad for part of their education, or travel on academic trips that enhance classroom work. Students who intern receive on-the-job experience, which adds an important dimension to their undergraduate education. Research is part of the fabric of a Carnegie Mellon education. Students engage in a wide variety of research endeavors, such as independent studies, senior and honors theses, summer internships and funded projects as junior researchers.
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Special Supplement Sunday, April 26, 2020
Helping Students to Cope With the New situation W
ith the national emergency of the coronavirus pandemic, college students’ lives have been upended as they have been asked to leave campus and adjust to new living situations. As the director of psychological services in McLean’s College Mental Health Program (CMHP), Caitlin Nevins, PhD, and the CMHP team work with young adults to balance mental health with the demands of a college environment. Nevins and her colleagues help their patients adjust to complicated schedules, manage highly competitive environments, and navigate new social situations. Nevins offered these tips for college students and their families to help them cope.
Validate the experience It’s important to remember that this isn’t a vacation from school or a way to get out of classes. This is a sudden change, and a loss — of community, graduation ceremonies, living environments, sporting events, etc. “While we encourage students to practice gratitude and to continue on, this situation is still a disruption,” said Nevins. During this time, students can practice self-compassion for what they’re going through. Families can validate students’ feelings and keep the lines of communication open about what’s challenging and difficult about this change.
Good sleep hygiene, nutrition, self-care, and activities outside of screen time are all part of this foundation. It’s essential to retain these practices as much as possible, particularly if students’ options are more limited in terms of what they can do and where they can go.
Make it easy to reach out for support It’s important for students to be able to communicate if they don’t feel like themselves. Even if in-person supports may not be as readily available right now, many clinicians are able to provide assistance over the phone and through telehealth. “Students should have a low threshold for reaching out and exploring what resources their school can offer remotely,” Nevins suggested. “Living at home may not be ideal, or even feasible, for all students. Now is an important time to access supports.”
Be mindful of exposure to the news It’s important to stay informed, but it’s also important to know when you need a pause from stressful news. Take a break to watch a movie, read, or joke with friends. Such practices will build resiliency for the stressful news that’s arriving with increasing frequency. Students should be aware of how the news is making them feel and how much media they can consume. It can be helpful to step back and practice extra self-care at this time.
Stay connected This is an isolating experience for students as a whole. Consider moving beyond texting or social media to more interpersonal communications, such as phone or video calls with friends. Make plans to watch shows remotely together or participate in other digital forms of dorm activities. This is a time to get creative about maintaining vital social connections.
Maintain structure as much as possible In addition to switching from in-person classes to online learning, students have lost much of their routine. Because of this, it’s important to maintain a foundation of the coping skills.
As Nevins said, “If anyone can do this, college students can: they’re probably the best generation to understand how to stay connected and be resilient in times like this.” Courtesy: McLean’s College Mental Health Programme
Careers Considered More Viable During this Unusual Times Marketing If you’ve thought of starting a new marketing career, know this — the field has taken major leaps forward from the days when marketing was only about a logo and a printed brochure. (Actually, it was never really like that but people had that perception.) It is now extremely strategic, visual, digital, and technical. And, marketing had already gone “virtual” before the pandemic.
Writing It might be the best time ever to start a writing career.
By John Brandon
Graphic design
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Visual communication is also more viable now — mostly because we’re all so distracted and stressed out. Graphic design is a field that helps cut through the noise.
e’re living in unusual times. With the pandemic taking its toll all around the world, there’s been a massive shift not only in where we work but in how we work. While it’s true that remote work is challenging and there is a new reality for most, some employment categories will likely see an upswing in terms of greater needs, more positions available, and even higher pay. These jobs will be in particularly high demand over the next few months.
There is a hunger for more information, especially if it is accurate and well-sourced. Writers can easily camp out at home and deliver a final product as they have for decades, but now the need is even greater for good storytelling, accurate news and feature stories, copywriting, and any other written communication.
Customer support Companies are already creating virtual teams who work at home but handle support calls. Interestingly, while there are challenges in terms of communication and access to systems needed to do the support, there will be an increased need for support representatives in the coming weeks and months just as much as ever.
A well-designed logo, website, or banner can stand out in a crowded field. Designers will be in high demand because communication has become so important for branding, sales, and customer support.
There’s tension in the air about how to use products and how to resolve problems — and customer support will meet those needs.
Online sales
Software development To say that software development is now even more important is an understatement. Apps and desktop software are now more viable because many of us are working at home on a computer all day. We need apps to help us connect with one another, keep track of projects, and communicate more effectively. I’m convinced we’ll see new and innovative apps that go beyond Zoom and Slack that offer even more powerful features after this is all over.
Online instructor If you have ever thought of finding a position with a company that teaches online, now is the time. Many colleges and universities have moved to all digital classrooms. Now, you could argue the budgets are being reduced and that may be true, but there is still a great need for folks who understand technology and how to teach in an online setting.
Those who can work at home and make calls, check-in by email, or use a customer relationship management database will also be in high demand. That’s because, while these positions are relationship-based they can be conducted at home and without constant supervision. Online sales is a category that keeps growing and will be more and more viable. Courtesy: theladders.com
HIGHER EDUCATION
Special Supplement Sunday, April 26, 2020
VCUarts Qatar Making Virtual Study Work for Art and Design I
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for volunteers from the Ministry of Public Health so the individuals wearing them can be more easily recognized by colleagues and patients when they working in important situations,” said Amir Berbić, the Dean of VCUarts Qatar.
t wasn’t the news anyone wanted to hear, but within 24 hours of being advised by Qatar’s government to move to online instruction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, art and design classes at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), a Qatar Foundation partner university, continued, but with the use of remote, online teaching technology.
“We have the responsibility and the ability, especially in an extraordinary time such as this, to act as creative practitioners. We are able to identify problems, respond with intelligent design proposals to them, and perhaps offer solutions that could be useful and practical when dealing with a particular circumstance.”
The academic team at VCUarts Qatar had been preparing for the potential of more online teaching since heavy rain had closed the school for almost a week in October 2018. They moved swiftly and efficiently, and with the energy and flexibility of the students, and the creativity of their professors, were able to continue the semester, with a few adjustments at the home classroom, office or studio, for the new reality.
While acknowledging that the world’s focus is mainly on containing the pandemic and searching for a cure, Berbić nevertheless underlined the supporting importance of education.
When the announcement was made, fashion design students quickly packed up fabric, sewing machines, and mannequins to set up home studios, while Painting and Printmaking students stocked up on paint, paper and canvas before the school closed.
online breakout groups, virtual exhibitions of student work, and other solutions kept students engaged and on-task. While academic work continues on a virtual track, VCUarts Qatar also believes that artists and designers have a responsibility to the community and can play an important role in creating solutions in response to immense challenges. “Our digital fabrication team are producing face shields by using acrylic and other sophisticated materials and technologies that will be helpful to members of the frontline essential services community that need them. Our Fashion Design department is also looking at the possibility of designing and fabricating identifiable protective garments
“In addition to staying healthy in a time like this, I think academic continuity is the second most important thing to do right now. I believe in that mission and that’s what we are trying to do,” he said. Over the past few years, the Graphic Design department has been using more and more of Google’s online resources and the department had established a firm foothold in the digital world, so for them, the transition was relatively smooth. The University’s Fabrication Lab team took 3D printers and materials home with them so student projects could be completed, while other students redesigned or modified their projects as they adapted to studying and working remotely, something that VCUarts Qatar’s professors believe is an experience that should serve them well when they graduate and apply for art and design jobs in Qatar and abroad. Other VCUarts Qatar programs also turned to digital tools, such as workflow and communication applications like Slack and Zoom, while
While it cannot be denied that adapting to the circumstances set by virtual education can sometimes be challenging, especially for professors and students of art and design, those new circumstances also offer unlimited possibilities for pedagogical exploration, not least in research and development, which is one of the University’s strengths. “It comes with challenges, but I think it might also lead us to some new pedagogical approaches or methods of doing art and design that we haven’t seen before. Every week brings new challenges and with challenges come opportunities, and so far so good. Human beings are resilient and I think artists and designers are particularly adaptable,” Berbić said. “Our ability to rethink and reimagine is especially sought after in the community during difficult times.”
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Special Supplement Sunday, April 26, 2020
HIGHER EDUCATION
How Technology Is Changing the Future of Higher Education Labs test artificial intelligence, virtual reality and other innovations that could improve learning and lower costs for Generation Z and beyond.
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ruising to class in her driverless car, a student crams from notes projected on the inside of the windshield while she gestures with her hands to shape a 3-D holographic model of her architecture project. It looks like science fiction, an impression reinforced by the fact that it is being demonstrated in virtual reality in an ultramodern space with overstuffed pillows for seats. But this scenario is based on technology already in development.
graduation rates of online higher education remain much lower than those of programs taught in person. “One of the most important things we do here is disprove and dismantle ideas,” said William Zemp, chief strategy and innovation officer at Southern New Hampshire University. “There’s so much white noise out there, you have to be sort of a myth buster.” But some ambitious concepts are already being tested.
College by Subscription One of these would transform the way students pay for higher education. Instead of enrolling, for example, they might subscribe to college; for a monthly fee, they could take whatever courses they want, when they want, with long-term access to advising and career help. The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the places mulling a subscription model, said Richard DeMillo, director of its Center for 21st Century Universities. It would include access to a worldwide network of mentors and advisers and “whatever someone needs to do to improve their professional situation or acquire a new skill or get feedback on how things are going.” Boise State is already piloting this concept. Its Passport to Education costs $425 a month for six credit hours or $525 for nine in either of two online bachelor’s degree programs. That’s 30 percent cheaper than the in-state, in-person tuition.
The setting is the Sandbox ColLABorative, the innovation arm of Southern New Hampshire University, on the fifth floor of a downtown building with panoramic views of the sprawling red brick mills that date from this city’s 19th-century industrial heyday.
More than 200 have added senior executives whose titles include the words “digital” or “innovation,” the consulting firm Entangled Solutions found; many were recruited from the corporate and tech sectors. M.I.T. has set up a multimillion-dollar fund to pay for faculty to experiment with teaching innovations. Some colleges and universities are collaborating on such ideas in groups including the University Innovation Alliance and the Marvel Universe-worthy HAIL Storm — it stands for Harvesting Academic Innovation for Learners — a coalition of academic innovation labs. If history is a guide, the flashiest notions being developed in workshops in these places won’t get far. University campuses are like archaeological digs of innovations that didn’t fulfill their promises. Even though the biggest leap forward of the last few decades, for example — delivering courses online — appears to have lowered costs, the
Students in the immersion lab mastered Mandarin about twice as fast as their counterparts in conventional classrooms, said Shirley Ann Jackson, the president of Rensselaer. Dr. Jackson, a physicist, was not surprised. The students enrolling in college now “grew up in a digital environment,” she said. “Why not use that to actually engage them?” Slightly less sophisticated simulations are being used in schools of education, where trainee teachers practice coping with simulated schoolchildren. Engineering students at the University of Michigan use an augmented-reality track to test autonomous vehicles in simulated traffic.
A Transcript for Life The way these kinds of learning get documented is also about to change. A race is underway to create a lifelong transcript. Most academic transcripts omit work or military histories, internships, apprenticeships and other relevant experience. And course names such as Biology 301 or Business 102 reveal little about what students have actually learned.
The I.L.R. would list the specific skills that people have learned — customer service, say, or project management — as opposed to which courses they passed and majors they declared. And it would include other life experiences they accumulated. This “digital trail” would remain in the learner’s control to share with prospective employers and make it easier for a student to transfer academic credits earned at one institution to another.
Theirs is not a future of falling enrollment, financial challenges and closing campuses. It’s a brighter world in which students subscribe to rather than enroll in college, learn languages in virtual reality foreign streetscapes with avatars for conversation partners, have their questions answered day or night by A.I. teaching assistants and control their own digital transcripts that record every life achievement.
Now, however, squeezed by the demands of employers and students — especially the up and coming Generation Z — and the need to attract new customers, some schools, such as Boise State and Southern New Hampshire University, are starting labs to come up with improvements to help people learn more effectively, match their skills with jobs and lower their costs.
Julian Wong, a mechanical engineering major in the first group of students to go through the program, “thought it would be cheesy.” In fact, he said, “It’s definitely more engaging, because you’re actively involved with what’s going on.”
A proposed solution: the “interoperable learning record,” or I.L.R. (proof that, even in the future, higher education will be rife with acronyms and jargon).
It is one of a small but growing number of places where experts are testing new ideas that will shape the future of a college education, using everything from blockchain networks to computer simulations to artificial intelligence, or A.I.
Universities may be at the cutting edge of research into almost every other field, said Gordon Jones, founding dean of the Boise State University College of Innovation and Design. But when it comes to reconsidering the structure of their own, he said, “they’ve been very riskaverse.”
The students learn Mandarin Chinese by conversing with A.I. avatars that can recognize not only what they say but their gestures and expressions, all against a computer-generated backdrop of Chinese street markets, restaurants and other scenes.
“The learner, the learning provider and the employer all are speaking different languages that don’t interconnect,” said Michelle Weise, chief innovation officer at the Strada Institute for the Future of Work.
A simulated Beijing in an immersion lab at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., where students can learn Mandarin Chinese.
The possibilities for advances such as these are vast. The structure of higher education as it is still largely practiced in America is as old as those Manchester mills, based on a calendar that dates from a time when students had to go home to help with the harvest, and divided into academic disciplines on physical campuses for 18- to 24-year-olds.
Another harbinger of things to come sits on a hillside near the Hudson River in upstate New York, where an immersion lab with 15foot walls and a 360-degree projection system transports Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute language students to China, virtually.
A meeting in the kitchen area of the Sandbox CoLABorative at Southern New Hampshire University.
American universities, colleges and work force training programs are now awarding at least 738,428 unique credentials, according to a September analysis by a nonprofit organization called Credential Engine, which has taken on the task of translating these into a standardized registry of skills.
Paying by the month encourages students to move faster through their educations, and most are projected to graduate in 18 months, Mr. Jones said. The subscription model has attracted 47 students so far, he said, with another 94 in the application process. However they pay for it, future students could find other drastic changes in the way their educations are delivered.
Your Teacher Is a Robot Georgia Tech has been experimenting with a virtual teaching assistant named Jill Watson, built on the Jeopardy-winning IBM Watson supercomputer platform. This A.I. answers questions in a discussion forum alongside human teaching assistants; students often can’t distinguish among them, their professor says. More Jill Watsons could help students get over hurdles they encounter in large or online courses. The university is working next on developing virtual tutors, which it says could be viable in two to five years. S.N.H.U., in a collaboration with the education company Pearson, is testing A.I. grading. Barnes & Noble Education already has an A.I. writing tool called bartleby write, named for the clerk in the Herman Melville short story, that corrects grammar, punctuation and spelling, searches for plagiarism and helps create citations. At Arizona State University, A.I. is being used to watch for signs that A.S.U. Online students might be struggling, and to alert their academic advisers. “If we could catch early signals, we could go to them much earlier and say, ‘Hey you’re still in the window’ ” to pass, said Donna Kidwell, chief technology officer of the university’s digital teaching and learning lab, EdPlus.
A learning space at the Sandbox CoLABorative at Southern New Hampshire University.
Unlike transcripts, I.L.R.s could work in two directions. Not only could prospective employees use them to look for jobs requiring the skills they have; employers could comb through them to find prospective hires with the skills they need. “We’re trying to live inside this whole preindustrial design and figure out how we interface with technology to take it further,” said Dr. Kidwell of Arizona State. “Everybody is wrangling with trying to figure out which of these experiments are really going to work.” Courtesy: New York Times.