Dive Brief:
- Stanford President John Hennessy outlined his vision for a digital future in higher education during the American Council on Education summit Sunday.
- He expects blended and online options to expand possibilities for students but does not think MOOCs or other online courses will or should replace faculty-guided undergraduate learning, Inside Higher Ed reports.
- Hennessy raised up high-quality online courses and adaptive learning, which would offer students courses that are continually tailored to their skill level and comprehension, the article said.
Dive Insight:
The American Council on Education’s annual meeting is an excellent opportunity for higher education leaders to come together and discuss the most pressing issues facing the industry. Hennessy’s lecture provided important insights into the digital future of higher education. His support for “large selective online courses,” another variation on the MOOCs that several institutions are trying to adapt, shows an acknowledgement that online learning is here to stay. It will be the job of high-quality institutions to figure out how to incorporate the digital technology in traditional course environments and create new, optimal learning environments for students. Importantly, Hennessy argued for the central role of faculty in whatever online world higher education lands on next.
