Online Education Across the Atlantic Phil Hill, Neil Mosley, and Glenda Morgan

There's no shame in re-using the same song in a title, as long as it's a good one. Phil, Morgan, and Neil start by discussing recent conferences at ASU+GSV and THE - overviews, what worked, what didn't work, key messages. But then the conversation goes meta, discussing what makes education conferences valuable and what can kill any value.

Welcome to another episode of Online Education Across the Atlantic, where today we explore the intertwined issues of higher education crises and political impact, the evolving landscape of online education assessments, and the contentious world of educational rankings. We dive into how the declining enrollment might shake up the next U.S. elections and discuss the impact of financial oversights in tech-oriented educational firms like 2U. Furthermore, we question the methodology behind new initiatives like Times Higher Education's move to rank online programs and contrast these with the real needs of online education — highlighting the oversight of critical factors like technology integration and faculty training. Join us as we navigate these complex topics, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of how online education can be effectively evaluated and ranked. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on the future of education on both sides of the Atlantic.

00:00 Addressing financial concerns with proactive PR strategy.

05:18 Challenging to respond to agenda-driven critique.

07:29 Concerns about huge impact on education system.

10:05 Higher education funding impacted by political events.

13:47 Good at quiz shows, concern about news.

19:39 Optimistic about potential benefits of education rankings.

20:49 Rankings and student feedback on university programs.

26:49 Doubtful interpretation of online education rankings.

29:18 Critique of US news and rankings defensiveness.

31:55 Concerns about understanding online education delivery and funding.

38:02 Challenges of opposing influential university rankings system.

39:30 Evie Cummings leads UF online program successfully.

42:33 Exciting developments in online education

In three stories that we have discussed lately - the UAGC ongoing fiasco, the University of Phoenix sales process, and Project Kitty Hawk board reports - there seems to be a common theme. Namely, that governance issues are creating a lot of the risk, when governance should be used to manage risk. What is happening around governance in these three examples, and why are we seeing this common theme across high-profile online initiatives? What does this say about higher ed culture and its ability to navigate change?

Phil, Morgan, and Neil take a look at innovations in academic programs - what is new and what trends are taking root. Is there a reason for so many examples listed coming from more than a decade ago?

Phil, Morgan, and Neil take a look at the optimistic projects often involved in starting online education initiatives. What are some examples of what Morgan calls 'optimism run amok', and what are the causes? What is the role of institutional brand in online education potential?

In a real follow up episode, we first address the U Texas AI conference and the Udacity acquisition. Then we discuss a listener question asking how our current plight in higher education mirrors (or doesn't) some business bubbles that have burst.