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How COVID Changed What We Expect From Higher Ed

A year in review. A summer of all of 2020 in EdTech.

2020 EdTech Recap

The headlines at the beginning of the year were vastly different from how we are ending the year:

Employers influencing the higher ed landscape:

Employers want workers who are flexible and strong leaders. Link
New partnerships between corporations and universities are emerging. Link

New models of learning are being considered in higher ed:

The way gamers learn from each other online ‘could be future direction’ for student engagement by universities. Link
Some universities are re-imagining the four-year learning model. Link
AI, virtual reality, and other innovations in technology are changing the landscape of higher ed. Link

COVID’s evolving role in Higher Ed:

February:

UNESCO has been monitoring global school closures in response to COVID-19 - report that schools in China started closing as early as February 8, 2020. Link
Schools in Asia started closing at a national level due to COVID-19 mid-February (2/14/2020). Link
By the end of February, U.S. universities had started cancelling study abroad programs in Italy (2/26/2020). Link

March:

In early March, COVID-19 became a real threat for many Americans.The U.S. started planning for national school closures (3/6/2020). Link
The bleak reality of what college closures means for low-income and disadvantaged students became all the more clear (3/11/2020). Link
The security and privacy of Zoom started to be questioned as “Zoombombers” entered the scene (3/26/2020). Link
Many educators weighed in on how the current form of distance learning is not representative of what successful online learning looks like (3/27/2020). Link

April:

Critiques on Zoom and synchronous teaching (4/2/2020). Link
Boston University is the first school to announce they may not reopen their campus in the fall and remain online (4/11/2020). Link
Colleges and universities offer virtual study abroad programs (4/11/2020). Link
Universities experience significant losses, resulting in a different approach to their budgeting for the next fiscal year (4/20/2020). Link

May:

Self-reflection by an ed-tech skeptic on their teaching experience during the COVID-19 crisis (5/28/2020). Link
Boston University’s plans for hosting a virtual new student orientation (5/29/2020). Link

June:

Invite students to be at the center of decision making for the fall (6/5/2020). Link
Can you create online learning communities? (6/11/2020). Link

July:

How Spring’s transition to remote learning is shaping how universities plan fall (7/1/2020). Link
Colleges are getting creative in attempts to retain students (7/16/2020). Link
The investment in remote learning due to COVID-19 could increase online offerings in the future (7/21/2020). Link

September:

* Various reopening models for roughly 3000 universities (9/21/20). Link
* Several colleges were met with strikes over fall reopening plans (9/8/20). Link
* Online learning programs will have to differentiate their student experience offerings to make it “worth” the price tag (9/2/20). Link

October:

“Overall undergraduate enrollment is running 4 percent below last year’s levels” (10/15/20) - Link
Emotional wellbeing tops problems for college students (10/15/20) - Link
Students are not satisfied with remote learning (10/6/20) - Link
Around 10% of students report losing a loved one to COVID this fall (10/15/20) - Link

November:

Schools are lowering tuition. (10/30/20) - Link
Student impressions of online learning improve slightly. (11/13/20) - Link
Debate heats up over test monitoring tools. (11/13/20) - Link

December:

More students are invited to return to campuses this spring (12/9/2020) - Link
The need for non-course related community is evident (12/16/20) - Link
Federal plans for relief are unclear (12/2/20) - Link

News Outside of COVID:

Racial Justice:

50 libereal arts colleges join together to fight systemic campus racism. (11/12/20) - Link
Harvard lawsuit over civil rights law potentially going to Supreme Court. (11/12/20) - Link
There is undeniable inequality in the college pipeline. (11/17/20) - Link
Academics also went on strike for racial justice (9/9/20). Link

The Election:

What Biden as president could mean for higher education. (11/7/20) - Link
Biden’s proposal for immigration policy impact on international students. (10/30/20) - Link
Jill Biden to be first First Lady currently working in Higher Ed. (11/12/20) - Link

Disclaimer: This recap is based on what the Yellowdig team came across in the edtech news media in this month. We do not endorse any 3rd party sources or claim this list is comprehensive.

How COVID Changed What We Expect From Higher Ed

A year in review. A summer of all of 2020 in EdTech.

2020 EdTech Recap

The headlines at the beginning of the year were vastly different from how we are ending the year:

Employers influencing the higher ed landscape:

Employers want workers who are flexible and strong leaders. Link

New partnerships between corporations and universities are emerging. Link

New models of learning are being considered in higher ed:

The way gamers learn from each other online ‘could be future direction’ for student engagement by universities. Link

Some universities are re-imagining the four-year learning model. Link

AI, virtual reality, and other innovations in technology are changing the landscape of higher ed. Link

COVID’s evolving role in Higher Ed:

February:

UNESCO has been monitoring global school closures in response to COVID-19 - report that schools in China started closing as early as February 8, 2020. Link

Schools in Asia started closing at a national level due to COVID-19 mid-February (2/14/2020). Link

By the end of February, U.S. universities had started cancelling study abroad programs in Italy (2/26/2020). Link

March:

In early March, COVID-19 became a real threat for many Americans.The U.S. started planning for national school closures (3/6/2020). Link

The bleak reality of what college closures means for low-income and disadvantaged students became all the more clear (3/11/2020). Link

The security and privacy of Zoom started to be questioned as “Zoombombers” entered the scene (3/26/2020). Link

Many educators weighed in on how the current form of distance learning is not representative of what successful online learning looks like (3/27/2020). Link

April:

Critiques on Zoom and synchronous teaching (4/2/2020). Link

Boston University is the first school to announce they may not reopen their campus in the fall and remain online (4/11/2020). Link

Colleges and universities offer virtual study abroad programs (4/11/2020). Link

Universities experience significant losses, resulting in a different approach to their budgeting for the next fiscal year (4/20/2020). Link

May:

Self-reflection by an ed-tech skeptic on their teaching experience during the COVID-19 crisis (5/28/2020). Link

Boston University’s plans for hosting a virtual new student orientation (5/29/2020). Link

June:

Invite students to be at the center of decision making for the fall (6/5/2020). Link

Can you create online learning communities? (6/11/2020). Link

July:

How Spring’s transition to remote learning is shaping how universities plan fall (7/1/2020). Link

Colleges are getting creative in attempts to retain students (7/16/2020). Link

The investment in remote learning due to COVID-19 could increase online offerings in the future (7/21/2020). Link

September:

* Various reopening models for roughly 3000 universities (9/21/20). Link

* Several colleges were met with strikes over fall reopening plans (9/8/20). Link

* Online learning programs will have to differentiate their student experience offerings to make it “worth” the price tag (9/2/20). Link

October:

“Overall undergraduate enrollment is running 4 percent below last year’s levels” (10/15/20) - Link

Emotional wellbeing tops problems for college students (10/15/20) - Link

Students are not satisfied with remote learning (10/6/20) - Link

Around 10% of students report losing a loved one to COVID this fall (10/15/20) - Link

November:

Schools are lowering tuition. (10/30/20) - Link

Student impressions of online learning improve slightly. (11/13/20) - Link

Debate heats up over test monitoring tools. (11/13/20) - Link

December:

More students are invited to return to campuses this spring (12/9/2020) - Link

The need for non-course related community is evident (12/16/20) - Link

Federal plans for relief are unclear (12/2/20) - Link

News Outside of COVID:

Racial Justice:

50 libereal arts colleges join together to fight systemic campus racism. (11/12/20) - Link

Harvard lawsuit over civil rights law potentially going to Supreme Court. (11/12/20) - Link

There is undeniable inequality in the college pipeline. (11/17/20) - Link

Academics also went on strike for racial justice (9/9/20). Link

The Election:

What Biden as president could mean for higher education. (11/7/20) - Link

Biden’s proposal for immigration policy impact on international students. (10/30/20) - Link

Jill Biden to be first First Lady currently working in Higher Ed. (11/12/20) - Link

Disclaimer: This recap is based on what the Yellowdig team came across in the edtech news media in this month. We do not endorse any 3rd party sources or claim this list is comprehensive.