Beyond Academics, a higher ed consulting firm, issued their Top 10 list of things to expect in 2023. It’s a list worth reading and rather than repeat much of what is in the short report, I thought I’d provide a few comments.
1 – Enrollment campaigns start to leverage emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
In 2016, the American Public University System (APUS) joined the Credential Transparency Initiative (CTI) and in 2017, APUS became a founding member of the Credential Engine. As APUS president at the time, I was pleased that we participated in this initiative at its inception. Last year, I wrote about Credential Engine’s third report identifying nearly 1 million credentials and approximately 2 trillion dollars spent on training annually in the United States.
With all of the hoopla about the declining ROI of a college degree and the move to short-term credentials that can lead to increased wages, it was surprising to read Lee Gardner’s article in The Chronicle of Higher Education revealing the fact that few community colleges that offer these credentials track their outcomes or even the number of students that enroll in these programs.
With more than 830 million members in 200 countries and territories, LinkedIn’s data about the jobs that its members occupy are as current as the frequency by which its members update their profiles. With its acquisition of Lynda.com in 2015, LinkedIn Learning offers more than 16,000 business, design, and tech online courses. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, LinkedIn disclosed $11.5 billion in revenues in 2021.
It’s common knowledge among those of us researching student retention in online higher education that swirling (attendance by a student at multiple institutions) is much more prevalent with online, than on-ground, programs. Some of the explanations offered include that it’s easier to switch from one online program to another and there’s less social integration among online students so less social stigma in leaving. Others posit that online students are much more savvy about reviewing courses at multiple institutions to enable them to build a richer collection of courses. Lastly, some note that the more frequent semester starts offered by online institutions makes it more conducive for students switching schools to accommodate their personal and work schedules, and to finish their program sooner.
