Archive | July, 2011

The Era of Credentialing

By on July 25, 2011 in Trends in Higher Education

An article in last Friday’s New York Times by Laura Pappano entitled “The Master’s as the New Bachelor’s” highlights the fact that the master’s degree is now the fastest growing degree with the number awarded doubling since the 1980’s.  According to the author, nearly 2 people in 25 over the age of 25 now hold a master’s degree and that is the same proportion as the number of people who held a bachelor’s degree in 1960.

Debra W. Stewart, President of the Council of Graduate Schools, is quoted: “Several years ago, it became very clear to us that the master’s degree was moving very rapidly to become the entry degree in many professions.”  She further states that the degrees are not “generic” master’s degrees but are profession specific such as a Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management or a Master’s in Skeletal and Dental Bioarcheology.… Read the rest

Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }

Technology Changing Outcomes in Education

By on July 18, 2011 in Access and Affordability, Business of Education, Learning Outcomes Assessment, Online Education, Technology, Trends in Higher Education

An article in the August issue of Wired magazine about the Khan Academy and how it is changing the rules of education prompted me to write.  Back in 2006 when my neighbor’s son was a middle school student at McDonogh School, I heard his mother describe how the math teachers at McDonogh had created math instructional videos for the students to use to grasp mathematical concepts.  The part that resonated with me was her statement that her son would review the videos from their home computer as many times as necessary to grasp the topic before submitting homework or taking exams. … Read the rest

Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }

What is a Massive Open Online Course? (aka MOOC)

By on July 11, 2011 in Online Education, Technology

Recently, I had the opportunity to present two papers at the Association for the Advancement of Technology in Education (AACE) EdMedia 2011 conference in Lisbon, Portugal.  One of the keynote speakers was Alec Couros who is Professor of Educational Technology and Media at the University of Regina.  Couros’ talk was fascinating for the insights into learning as it is evolving through the utilization of today’s rapidly changing technologies.  However, what particularly interested me was his description of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).… Read the rest

Continue Reading • Comments { 3 }

APUS Recognizes More Than 5,500 Graduates

By on July 6, 2011 in Current Events, Graduation

Two weeks ago, we recognized the graduation of 5,589 students with a graduation ceremony in the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center at National Harbor, Maryland.  This year’s graduating class was the largest in the history of the American Public University System (APUS) and its institutions, American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU).  Our 5,589 graduates were awarded 2,388 master’s degrees, 2,506 bachelor’s degrees, and 695 associate’s degrees and hailed from all 50 states in the United States and 17 other countries. … Read the rest

Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }