Three months ago Kent Fuchs became president of the University of Florida, leaving New York’s Cornell University. Fuchs says Florida universities are adding new faculty, but opposition to higher tuition means more pressure to find private donations. The University of Florida is also expanding a new online program, with a goal of eventually enrolling 24,000 […]
A former teacher at a school run by online education firm K12, Inc. said she felt overwhelmed by the size of her class rosters and that online classes weren’t the right choice for the mostly poor communities K12 targeted. Teacher Darcy Bedortha published her story at Anthony Cody’s Education Week blog. I was an English […]
The new generation of free, large-scale college courses offered over the Internet was supposed to make higher education, particularly at elite universities, accessible to to the masses. But a new survey of massive open online course, or MOOC, users show that most people who enroll are “elite, young and male” and already have a college […]
Last week the Florida State University System Board of Governors approved the business plan for a legislatively-created online university at the University of Florida. The school, UF Online, will start offering classes in January. Students will be able to earn their baccalaureate degree completely online (though they may need to complete some lab at a […]
The August issue of Scientific American takes a look at the possibilities of high-tech education. The magazine’s editors argue that the rising demand for higher education and shrinking budgets are forcing schools to deploy new tools and methods for students. From the introduction to the special report: What is driving this digital revolution? One factor […]
It’s finals week at Park Vista Community High School and a small group of students buzzes over an assembly line of used Dell computers that lie cracked open with all their electronic guts exposed. “Right now it’s kind of messy,” says Park Vista junior Jonathan Stabio. “But essentially what we do is take a computer […]
In 2009, managers at online education company K12 were having a tough time hiring Florida teachers. State law requires teachers are certified in their subject area and by the state. So when a K12 teacher saw her name listed on company documents as teaching Florida classes she had not taught, she asked her managers about […]
In 2009, teachers with online education company K12, Inc. were concerned about “water cooler talk” that their teaching certifications were used without their knowledge, including in Florida. Company managers held a series of phone calls with staff to explain the situation, including admitting that a teacher’s name showed up on a roster of Florida teachers […]
The Florida House has unanimously passed a bill to create an online-only institute at an existing Florida university. “Florida is leading the charge on the digital revolution in higher education,” said House Speaker Will Weatherford. “We are taking the necessary steps to ensure our students will be ready to compete in the global marketplace.” Weatherford had […]
Some Minnesota school districts have found that student scores on state standardized tests were not matching grades earned for classroom work, according to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. To correct the problem, districts are switching to standards-based grading which ties student performance to what they are expected to know. Under the new system, students are allowed […]
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