Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, faculty within the chemistry department at Miami University are committed to the concept of embodied cognition, learning about things like atomic movement, by recreating the movement yourself. Spinning, vibrating, and match-making around the classroom. The results so far? Students in these classrooms are scoring 30 points above the national average.

Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, institutions should consider individual academic programs, only in relation to the entire portfolio, and where they contribute to mission (your focus), market (student demand) and margin (net profitability of the program).

Reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Eric Loepp from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater has an interesting strategy for making the important information in his syllabus more usable for his students. He puts it in FAQ form. From “What do I do if I miss class?” to “How will my grade be calculated”, re-writing your syllabus in the form of an FAQ is a kind way for your syllabus to be an effective guide for your students.

Reported by Education Dive, when remote students “call in” to an on-campus class, they’re often passive participants.

Reported by Education Dive, CSU Channel Islands launched Learning Online 101, a 1-3 hour course allowing students to practice using online course technology, along with the time management and networking skills required for successful online learning. 92% of students thus far have reported that the course “increased their confidence for learning online”.

Reported by Inside Higher Ed, IBM has deepened its relationship with 19 community colleges across the country to help train students for jobs in cloud computing, cybersecurity and other high-tech fields – roles they anticipate filling up to 20% of their new hires per year.

Reported by Inside Higher Ed, ASU has moved their algebra class from a 100-student lecture to 100 students on their laptops, while a professor and five undergraduate assistants roam and assist. The adaptive software tests existing competency, and then customizes the next-step learning path for the individual student, replacing the textbook, exam and lecture altogether.

Reported by Education Dive, the gap between federal and state funding on higher education has nearly closed due to per-student state funding falling a full 31% from 2000 to 2015. This while federal Pell Grant spending has climbed 71% over the last decade.

Are we simply making it too hard for students to transfer into our institutions?

Reported by Education Dive, the reason many students may stop after their 2-year degree is simply the friction point of moving forward.

Reported by Education Dive, rural Shasta County in Northern California has no four-year universities and only two community colleges. But through grants from the Lumina Foundation, Shasta is now offering localized support, including tutoring centers, a library, and a health center, for those students studying online at non-localized institutions.