September 2024 Digest

??? We’re hiring!?

We’re looking for a Director of Venture Programs to lead and manage our startup accelerator program and oversee internal corporate venture initiatives. This role focuses on identifying, supporting, and accelerating high-potential, early-stage EdTech innovation.?

If you’re an experienced education leader with EdTech or startup experience, consider applying to join us on our mission to create better pathways to opportunity for all: https://wgu.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/Salt-Lake-City-Office/Director--New-Venture-Programs_JR-018755 .??

Month in Review

• CIN Faculty EdTech Survey 2024 : Our latest CIN Faculty EdTech report has revealed that only 33% of faculty think higher education is heading in the right direction. Higher education has witnessed rapid change in recent years with the rise of EdTech and the shift to more flexible, remote, and asynchronous learning environments. As a result, the role of faculty has also undergone rapid evolution. Faculty must adjust to an increasingly tech-enabled learning environment while maintaining a productive, accessible, and engaging learning experience.
• Faculty Prioritize Student Belonging | Research Brief :? College students are weary. Among the more disturbing trends to accelerate during and persist beyond the pandemic is the decline in student well-being. According to many studies, students have become more stressed and less socially engaged. However, researchers have identified a sense of belonging as a key protective factor against the stressors caused by the pandemic. This year, we surveyed 359 faculty members from six institutions to find out the faculty perspective on belonging in the classroom.?
• Student AI Use Grows, but They Aren't Ready to Replace Professors with Bots | Research Brief :? The results of our Student EdTech Research Brief suggest that the uncertainty and inaction among administrators and faculty on how to integrate AI within the postsecondary experience is beginning to trickle down to their students. Although AI awareness has grown in the last year, we found clear user group gaps. Most students responding to our survey aren’t confident in their ability to use the tools, and many aren't sure it will ultimately have a positive impact on their learning experience.
• Balancing Innovation and Efficacy in Generative AI Exploration : In the first blog in our [work in] Progress series — an effort to share our preliminary findings on the impact of artificial intelligence in higher education to help the field move at the pace of technology — we examine the push-pull between the need for innovative advancement and proof of efficacy.?
• Can AI Solve Higher Education's Wicked Problems? It Depends. : The ways artificial intelligence will change how we learn, work, and live are still unfolding. At WGU Labs, we’re largely enthusiastic about advancements in technology. Yet, we also apply a healthy dose of skepticism to promises of tech-driven transformation. In this latest blog, we examine AI’s potential to both help and harm, so we can address what’s wrong and lean into what’s right.
• WGU Labs Partners with CodeSignal to Bridge Employment Gaps : Meet our newest Accelerator client CodeSignal ! CodeSignal enables teams and individuals to discover and develop essential skills by assessing skill gaps and creating personalized learning pathways. Its platform offers learning paths in a variety of topics related to career readiness, including coding, preparing for job interviews, and AI and machine learning. The platform also features a built-in AI tutor that gives users one-on-one guidance to provide a more interactive and adaptive learning environment.?

What We’re Reading

• 3 strategies to support college readiness among students | Inside Higher Ed
• The untapped potential of near-completers: Why higher ed must double down on adult learners | University Business
• Workers with 4-year degrees will hold most good jobs in 2031, report predicts | Higher Ed Dive
• Disability as a Source of Competitive Advantage | Harvard Business Review
• As More AI Tools Emerge in Education, so Does Concern Among Teachers About Being Replaced | EdSurge

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.?