We are back with more great articles about higher education and online learning. Here are the articles we most enjoyed reading and sharing this week; covering subjects including the best online colleges, a connected school bus initiative, and more in online learning.
Best Online Colleges: Ranking Top Universities for 2016-2017 – Affordable Colleges Online
Fort Hays State University is ranked as the top online university, going above and beyond to ensure that each online student has all the tools, support, and opportunities that an on-campus student has. The Virtual College at Fort Hays State University offers more than 40 degrees completely online. Affordable Colleges Online ranks the top 50 online higher education institutions.
Texas District Launches Connected School Buses – eSchool News
The Huntsville Independent School District in Texas is deploying wi-fi and real-time monitoring on school buses to extend learning and create safe environments for students. Many students in the 650 square mile district live in rural, disconnected areas. Presidio partners with the district to create buses that enhance the quality of life for students. eSchool News reports how the district’s bus solution is part of their initiative to build a smart and connected community.
Why Online Proctoring Works for Instructors in Higher Education – ProctorFree
When an ill patient has an appointment seeking a diagnosis, a trusted doctor will go through all the symptoms with the patient before drawing a conclusion. A doctor will conduct the thorough evaluation in a fast and efficient manner. Instructors in higher education go through a similar process when drawing conclusions on the academic integrity of a student. To determine the integrity and honor of a student, an instructor looks at the entire performance of the student during an exam. In online education, instructors benefit immensely from analyzing comprehensive reports of exam takers’ behaviors. ProctorFree provides instructors with all the information about a student’s exam so that an informed decision can be made about any potential violations of a school’s honor code, in a fast and efficient manner.
California Community Colleges Offer Online Classes Across the System – EdSurge
The California Community Colleges debut a new online education initiative this fall to meet student demand. The community had been dealing with a serious over-capacity issue, which the California Community Colleges Online Education Initiative is fighting. The collaborative program will allow students to register and participate in classes across campuses. EdSurge highlights how the initiative is preventing students from being shut out in the future.
Hitting an Unclear Target: The Impact of Ambiguous “Student Outcomes” on Technology – Eduventures
Higher education institutions face challenges when trying to improve student outcomes; often because “student outcomes” is defined in an ambiguous manner. Eduventures suggests that improving different student outcomes may require different strategies. Understanding how an institution defines student outcomes, and the metrics to measure student outcomes, are the keys to ensuring that technology tools align with initiatives around student outcomes.
Check back next week for more of what we’re reading about in higher education and online learning. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook to have daily access to higher education and edtech news.