October 2024 Digest

New Research on Low-Wage Working Adults Without Degrees

Over the past year, WGU Labs has been analyzing longitudinal data to better understand the unique characteristics of an overlooked learner population we and WGU call Rising Talent . We define Rising Talent as working adults with limited post-secondary education and low career resiliency. This week we unveiled our research on this group with a new report . An accompanying brief details our perspective on why supporting Rising Talent is so important for learners and the workforce. We’ll also be diving into the data at the upcoming Human Potential Summit — we hope to see you there!

Month in Review

• Swords into Plowshares: How Competency-Based Education Repurposes AI as a Tool for Learning : “If students are using AI to cheat, perhaps the ultimate blame lies not in the technology but in the education model,” writes WGU Labs Senior Learning Experience Designer Tadd Farmer, Ph.D. in this blog post. A competency-based education (CBE) model establishes clear connections between classroom learning and workplace expectations, minimizing students’ desire to cheat.?
• Faculty Members Are Burned Out—and Technology Is Partly to Blame : WGU Labs Director of Learning Innovation Omid Fotuhi spoke with Inside Higher Ed about the findings from our latest Faculty EdTech Survey — and what institutions can do with this data
• Despite growth of online tools, these pains jeopardize faculty buy-in : In our latest EdTech report, we found that many faculty are pessimistic about the future of higher education. Nearly two-thirds (64%) reported that technology makes it difficult for them to take a break from their work, and 41% reported burnout, which was correlated with tech fatigue. Find our three suggestions for improving the faculty experience in this article from University Business.?
• Technology is burning out faculty, survey shows : EdScoop also covered our latest Faculty EdTech Report, highlighting faculty’s fatigue and trepidation with rapidly evolving technology in higher education.

What We’re Reading

• ‘Time poverty’ can keep college students from graduating ? especially if they have jobs or children to care for | The Conversation U.S.
• Impact Of Student Debt On The Workforce: How Employers Can Help | Forbes
• STUDENT VOICE: Here’s how colleges can help more student parents graduate | The Hechinger Report
• Six ways to promote belonging among college students | Inside Higher Ed
• Colleges Face Stiff Competition in the Race for AI Expertise | The Chronicle of Higher Education ?

Collaboration, diverse perspectives, and ideas that challenge the status quo are critical to solving higher education’s Wicked Problems. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a comment to let us know what’s on your mind. And consider sharing this newsletter with your network to help us maximize our impact.