{"id":4734,"date":"2018-02-01T07:00:16","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.elearninginside.com\/?p=4734"},"modified":"2019-07-13T16:38:41","modified_gmt":"2019-07-13T20:38:41","slug":"free-speech-currently-trumps-online-learning-for-u-s-academic-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.elearninginside.com\/free-speech-currently-trumps-online-learning-for-u-s-academic-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Speech Currently Trumps Online Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

The writing appears to be on the wall: Students are no longer willing to go into debt for an education that offers no clear return on investment. As a result, a growing number of students are now looking for viable alternatives, including increased access to online courses and programs. Despite the growing demand, however, a recent Inside Higher Ed\u00a0<\/em>study suggests that online learning currently remains a much lower priority for most postsecondary leaders than free speech and politics.<\/p>\n

Highlights from the 2018 Inside Higher Ed<\/em> Survey\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"The 2018\u00a0Inside Higher Ed<\/em>\u00a0Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0was conducted by Gallup and included responses from 516 provosts or chief academic officers. While one might expect technology, virtual learning, eLearning, MOOCs<\/a>, and AI to be key concerns, the survey found that politics rather than tech is currently the greatest preoccupation among U.S. university leaders.<\/p>\n

Among the study’s other key findings is a clear sense that while postsecondary leaders by and large remain strong\u00a0supporters of the liberal arts, many are pessimistic about the future of both liberal arts programs and colleges. Many surveyed leaders are also currently concerned about how to promote civic engagement on their campuses, given the nation’s current political conflicts. The Inside Higher Ed<\/em> survey also found that compared to past years, more provosts now recognize the value of competency-based education with provosts working the public system more likely to be supportive overall.<\/p>\n

What the 2018 Survey Reveals About Leaders and Online Learning<\/h2>\n

While online learning and edtech are not a key focus of the 2018\u00a0Inside Higher Ed<\/em>\u00a0Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers<\/em>, the survey does hold some notable findings about online learning and technology-based assessment:<\/p>\n