Welcome to another episode of Online Education Across the Atlantic, where today we explore the intertwined issues of higher education crises and political impact, the evolving landscape of online education assessments, and the contentious world of educational rankings. We dive into how the declining enrollment might shake up the next U.S. elections and discuss the impact of financial oversights in tech-oriented educational firms like 2U. Furthermore, we question the methodology behind new initiatives like Times Higher Education's move to rank online programs and contrast these with the real needs of online education — highlighting the oversight of critical factors like technology integration and faculty training. Join us as we navigate these complex topics, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of how online education can be effectively evaluated and ranked. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on the future of education on both sides of the Atlantic.

00:00 Addressing financial concerns with proactive PR strategy.

05:18 Challenging to respond to agenda-driven critique.

07:29 Concerns about huge impact on education system.

10:05 Higher education funding impacted by political events.

13:47 Good at quiz shows, concern about news.

19:39 Optimistic about potential benefits of education rankings.

20:49 Rankings and student feedback on university programs.

26:49 Doubtful interpretation of online education rankings.

29:18 Critique of US news and rankings defensiveness.

31:55 Concerns about understanding online education delivery and funding.

38:02 Challenges of opposing influential university rankings system.

39:30 Evie Cummings leads UF online program successfully.

42:33 Exciting developments in online education