Developing a State Authorization Policy: It’s About the Journey

March 13, 2019.Reading time 9 minutes.

Today we welcome Lisa Siefker and Robert Griffiths from The Ohio State University to share their journey to educate their institution, assess practices, create and implement processes that connect the core mission of the university to institutional compliance for out-of-state activities for the entire university. The WCET/State Authorization Network (SAN) presents SANsational awards annually to […]

Generation Z Engaged in the Classroom

March 6, 2019.Reading time 15 minutes.

Picture of Generation Z student studying and touching a large computer screen. The computer screen contains a circular graph that shows how to increase motivation. This picture is an ideal learning environment for a Gen Z student.

Vickie S. Cook, Executive Director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of Illinois Springfield, explores the strengths of the innovative and eager Generation Z students. In her blog, she depicts the unique story and gifts offered by this generation within an academic and professional context. As invested educators, we […]

Announcing the Report Reader Checklist: Your newest research resource

January 18, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Marketing image showcasing the Report Reader Checklist from Oregon State University Ecampus. Includes hyperlink ecampus.oregonstate.edu/checklist.

Today we’re excited to welcome Mary Ellen Dello Stritto and Kathryn Linder from the Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit to introduce an excellent new resource: the Report Reader Checklist. This checklist is a set of criteria that can help guide report readers and evaluate online education. Thank you to Mary Ellen and Katie for […]

Congratulations! You are a Best Ranked School! But…

January 16, 2019.Reading time 13 minutes.

Picture of red, white, and blue first place ribbon.

In the media and in communications to your PR staff, there will be lots of hype this week about ranking online programs. In the past, we have been critical of such rankings on the basis of the quality of their methodology and we let them respond to questions from WCET members. Subsequent discussions produced mixed […]

Regional Collaboration in Promoting OER Adoption

December 12, 2018.Reading time 15 minutes.

Today WCET Frontiers is excited to showcase the recent Open Educational Resources (OER) Implementation and Policy Summit for the MHEC States. This multi-state OER meeting brought together OER advocates from across campuses, legislatures, faculty, students, and more to collaboratively learn about OER and OER expansion for their states. To give us a review of this […]

Accessibility & Procurement: What do we need to know?

November 14, 2018.Reading time 22 minutes.

quote box: Higher education needs to “bake” accessibility into our activities rather than wait to “bolt” it on after the fact.

WCET and the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) jointly offer this blog post on a topic of national interest to education communities. This post is part of the on-going collaboration on accessibility issues between WCET and OLC. Thank you to Kelly Hermann, University of Phoenix, for today’s guest post on these important issues! If you’re attending OLC Accelerate […]

MonsterBash: Data Protection and Privacy Unmasked

October 31, 2018.Reading time 12 minutes.

a large lock and key graphic sits in front of a background made of networked lines

It is getting scary out there! What a spooky coincidence that October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month! It is 2018, is your institution or organization’s data protected? How do you know the goblins, ghouls, and trolls are not already infesting your perimeter? WCET began following the issue of data protection and privacy (DPP) in […]

Transforming Our Model for Student Success: The WRAP Initiative

October 19, 2018.Reading time 14 minutes.

quote box reads: “It’s truly rewarding to watch our campus do a complete 180-degree turn, 9% virtual in 2004 and now is 9% face-to-face in 2018. To accomplish this and have increases in matriculations, persistence, and graduations as well as keeping a population of over 24,000 students active by completely overhauling our model is incredible.” - Jason M. Ruckert, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide

Welcome to the final blog post in our WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award blog post series! Today we are joined by Jason M. Ruckert from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide, to discuss their 2018 WOW Award winning initiative: Worldwide Retention, Affinity, and Persistence or WRAP. The WRAP initiative encompasses immersive solutions which include the incorporation […]

UNLV Pays a Cost for Not Notifying Students about Charges for Proctoring Services

October 17, 2018.Reading time 11 minutes.

image of text reading: The moral of this story: Just in case anyone doubts it…there is a cost for not being compliant!

Cheryl Dowd, Director of the State Authorization Network, and I have been presenting this summer about the status of the federal state authorization regulation. In those presentations we remind people about other federal regulations that remain in place. The one that has most surprised those in our audiences is the requirement that students be notified […]

Developing Future Leaders in Maryland Distance Education

August 16, 2018.Reading time 12 minutes.

As a new generation of distance education leaders emerges, it is incumbent on all of us to help these future leaders develop their leadership skills. The MarylandOnline consortium has taken great steps to ensure the success of future leaders through its new Leadership Institute. Thank you to Doug Gray and Jessica Young for sharing their […]