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  • Coursera Valued at $2.5 Billion After a Finance Round of Additional $130 Million

    Coursera Valued at $2.5 Billion After a Finance Round of Additional $130 Million

    IBL News | New York

    Coursera yesterday announced that it raised an additional $130 million, as part of a Series F round, which was led by NEA –an investor in the trading platform Robinhood– and joined by existing investors Kleiner Perkins, SEEK Group, Learn Capital, SuRo Capital Corp, and G Squared.

    This is the biggest funding round for a U.S. education technology company in 2020.

    Investors are valuing the company at a reported $2.5 billion. To date, Coursera has raised $464 million.

    The company’s CEO, Jeff Maggioncalda, assured that “this financing brings the company’s cash balance to more than $300 million.”

    The additional funding will be used “to double down on our product and engineering efforts, expand our job-relevant catalog, and further grow our international presence,” explained Maggioncalda.

    “In particular, it gives us the flexibility to meet the considerable demand for two of our COVID-focused initiatives — Campus Response Initiative to help universities teach impacted students and Workforce Recovery Initiative to help governments reskill unemployed workers.”

    The ongoing pandemic has accelerated the expansion of Coursera, which has added 15 million new users since March. Currently, it sums 65 million learners and it houses 4,500 courses with 160 university partners and 40 companies including Google and IBM. Its workforce accounts for 600 employees.

    Since the company announced on March 12 a free offer on Coursera for Campus on March 12, over 10,000 institutions have signed up, and enrollments have spiked 500 percent over the previous spring, with 1.3 million students taking courses.

    These numbers have been used to appeal to venture capitalists, always interested in detecting major market changes.

    Coursera continues aiming for an IPO, although it has not any date on the horizon yet.

     

  • Microsoft Will Offer Free Learning Paths for Digital Jobs In-Demand to 25 Million Facing Unemployment

    Microsoft Will Offer Free Learning Paths for Digital Jobs In-Demand to 25 Million Facing Unemployment

    IBL News | New York

    Microsoft will provide by the end of the year free online classes on digital skills, job-hunting resources, and interview prepping to 25 million people facing unemployment due to COVID-19.  According to the corporation, global unemployment in 2020 may reach a quarter of a billion people.

    The training is designed to teach digital skills Microsoft says employees need to enter 10 occupations, such as help-desk technician, digital marketer, and data analyst.

    Microsoft’s employment initiative, announced yesterday on its Official Blog, will include low-cost certification and LinkedIn-job seeking tools, along with free access to content in LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn, and the GitHub Learning Lab –three organizations owned by the giant of software.

    These resources can be accessed at opportunity.linkedin.com  and news.microsoft.com/skills.

    In addition, Microsoft will back the initiative with $20 million in cash grants to selected nonprofits organizations.

    The Seattle-based company will use its outreach on public policy issues. “Microsoft will use its voice to advocate for public policy innovations that will advance skilling opportunities needed in the changed economy,” stated Brad Smith, President of the company, in the same blog post. “Unemployment rates are spiking for people of color and women, as well as younger workers, people with disabilities and individuals with less formal education. Our goal is to combine the best in technology with stronger partnerships with governments and nonprofits to help people develop the skills needed to secure a new job,” he added.

    As part of the initiative, LinkedIn will share free, real-time labor market data and skills insights to help governments, policymakers and business leaders understand what’s happening in their local labor markets: what companies are hiring, the top jobs companies are hiring for and the trending skills for those jobs.  This data can be accessed using a new interactive tool at linkedin.com/workforce. Data is available for more than 180 countries and regions (150+ cities, 30+ countries).

    Microsoft said it used the Economic Graph to identify the key jobs and horizontal skills that are most widely in demand:

    1. Become a Software Developer
    2. Become a Sales Representative
    3. Become a Project Manager
    4. Become an IT administrator (Prepare for CompTIA Network+ Certification)
    5. Become a Customer Service Specialist
    6. Become a Digital Marketing Specialist
    7. Become IT Support / Help Desk (Prepare for the CompTIA A+ Certification)
    8. Become a Data Analyst
    9. Become a Financial Analyst
    10. Become a Graphic Designer

    Regarding LinkedIn Learning paths, these are:

    In terms of Microsoft Certification, the company will make exams that typically cost over $100 available for a fee of $15. Exam takers will have until March 31, 2021, to complete the exam. These will include:

    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals
    • Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Fundamentals
    • Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate
    • Microsoft Certified: Power Platform App Maker Associate
    • Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate
    • Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate
    • Microsoft 365 Certified: Developer Associate
    • Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst Associate

     

     

  • The Global Pandemic Accelerates the Inequalities in Education; 1.1 Billion Children Still Out of School

    The Global Pandemic Accelerates the Inequalities in Education; 1.1 Billion Children Still Out of School

    Mikel Amigot, IBL News | New York

    The COVID-19 pandemic–with almost 10 million cases worldwide of infected individuals and over 450,000 deaths confirmed– continues to deepen the global crisis in education. Over 1.1 billion children are now out of school, and access to online learning is becoming increasingly unequal and divisive.

    “Providing a range of learning tools and accelerating access to the internet for every school and every child is critical”, said this month Robert Jenkins, Chief of Education at UNICEF.

    Disparities on digital technologies are aggravating the crisis. Three-quarters of countries are using online platforms to deliver online education, but in 71 countries less than half of the population has Internet access. Governments are also using TV networks to deliver distance education.

    However, even broadcast television doesn’t work in many countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 1 in 100 homes in rural Chad has a television.

    UNICEF reports show that countries have been transforming their educational systems to cope with the demand. For example, in West and Central Africa, government officials have pushed service providers to deliver education for primary and secondary school students.

    Innovative experiences have also emerged. An interesting case study happened in Somalia, where offline pre-recorded lessons were uploaded to solar-powered tablets intended for children.

    In addition, video lessons are often shared through Facebook, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms.

    The UN reported that measures have been taken in order to host educational content on connected tablets to vulnerable students.

  • Courses, Strategies, and Resources to Get The Most From Learning with edX and Coursera

    Courses, Strategies, and Resources to Get The Most From Learning with edX and Coursera

    IBL News | New York

    edX’s How to Learn Online course reached over 85,000 enrollments. This 4 to 6-hour course, taught by edX’s learning design team, includes a curation of effective science-backed techniques.

    Related to digital learning, edX offers five more courses under a Professional Certificate program, Course Creator Plus.

    Coursera’s Learning to Teach Online attracted a similar number of users. This 17-hour course is based upon award-winning educational resources developed by Dr. Simon McIntyre and Dr. Negrin Mirriahi, from UNSW Sidney.

    Both the Coursera and edX organizations have been releasing materials lately, with tips and inspirational resources about online learning for the COVID times.

    Regarding learning strategies, edX suggests making sure educators develop new knowledge and skills in a way that can be retained, applied repeatedly, and adapted to new contexts.

    The main advice is to make learning stick by taking advantage of established learning principles of practice, application, and reflection.

    “A well-designed learning experience will provide you with opportunities to practice, apply, and reflect, but you can reinforce your learning outside of a class by connecting it to your everyday life and work,” explained Nina Huntemann, Senior Director of Academics and Research at edX, and one of the instructors of the “How to Learn Online” course. [In the picture above].

    Nina Huntemann provided three top tips to getting the most from online learning and achieving those learning goals.

    1. Set aside time for learning. Plan and dedicate time to learn as you would to exercise or see friends or spend time with loved ones.
    2. Virtually meet and interact with your learning peers. You are not alone.
    3. Make your learning stick with the practice, application, and reflection.

    Coursera said that live synchronous sessions are optimal for creating a space for collaborative problem solving, peer-to-peer interaction and personalized step-by-step guidance.

    Linlin Xia and Alexandra Urban, from the Teaching & Learning Team at Coursera, described in seven points the best practices regarding live sessions:

     

    1. Enhance course community

    – Start with ice-breaker questions (e.g. what’s your favorite dessert) or virtual polls to get all students participating from the very beginning.

    – Invite alumni or previous students from the course to share their learning tips.

    – Encourage real-time community by asking students to submit messages, raise a hand, or use other tools within the virtual classroom.

     

    2. Dive into key concepts

    – Share your screen or use a virtual whiteboard functionality when the problem involves calculations, concept mapping, or images.

    – Show step-by-step problem solving to guide students in your thought process.

    – Make sure to pause and ask students questions throughout the session to ensure understanding.

     

    3. Preview or debrief an assessment

    – Collect questions from students about the specific project before the session.

    – Walkthrough the purpose and benefits of completing this assignment.

    – If it’s an open-ended project, allow students to share ideas with instructors or their peers and collect feedback.

    – Address common pitfalls, as well as how mistakes can be avoided.

     

    4. Conduct a live demonstration

    – Make sure the code, software, or interface is large and clear enough for students to read.

    – Zoom in on important elements to focus students’ attention.

    – Talk through the process for conducting this type of simulation or problem solving, so students can recreate needed steps later on their own.

     

    5. Initiate a team project

    – Encourage peer-to-peer learning through specific prompts and clear deliverables desired.

    – Use virtual breakout rooms with separate video conference links for each student-group to discuss.

     

    6. Highlight a guest speaker

    – Send a summary of the guest’s background and expertise before the session, so students can prepare.

    – Collect questions from students ahead of time to add structure to the meeting.

    – Add interactive and reflective elements to help students apply what they’re hearing and encourage the guest to brainstorm alongside the students. when possible

     

    7. Create virtual office hours

    – Let each student or team sign up for 10 to 15-minute slots of time at least one week ahead.

    – Ask students to submit their questions before the event so you can use the time most efficiently and center on the most frequently asked questions.

    – Send out beforehand which topics will be covered to pique students’ interest to attend.

  • Report: Nearly 260 Million Children Are Still Excluded from Education; Pandemic Exacerbates the Breach

    Report: Nearly 260 Million Children Are Still Excluded from Education; Pandemic Exacerbates the Breach

    Mikel Amigot, IBL News | New York

    Over 258 million children worldwide still have no access to education, mostly due to economic poverty and discrimination.

    A United Nations report released this Tuesday stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem. During the outbreak, about 90% of the student population was affected by school closures.

    However, despite the Coronavirus pandemic, one-in-five children and youngsters were excluded from schooling before the outbreak.

    “Children from poorer communities as well as girls, the disabled, immigrants and ethnic minorities were at a distinct educational disadvantage in many countries,” said UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

    The mentioned quarter-million getting no education represent 17% of all school-aged children. Most of them belong to South and Central Asia and Sub-Saharan African countries. In 20 Sub-Saharan African countries, hardly any rural girls complete secondary school. [See graphic below].

    “Lessons from the past – such as with Ebola – have shown that health crises can leave many behind, in particular the poorest girls, many of whom may never return to school,” Audrey Azoulay, General Manager at UNESCO, wrote in a report.

    UNESCO urged countries to focus on disadvantaged children when schools reopen after coronavirus lockdowns.

    “To rise to the challenges of our time, a move towards more inclusive education is imperative,” Azoulay said. “Failure to act will hinder the progress of societies.” “It has never been more crucial to make education a universal right, and a reality for all”, he added.

    The core recommendation of the UN report is to understand that inclusive education means equal access for all learners, notwithstanding identity, background, or ability.

    “Inclusion is not just an economic but also a moral imperative,” notes UNESCO. 

     

  • Open edX Juniper Platform: Changes on LMS Instructor Dashboard and Studio Tool

    Open edX Juniper Platform: Changes on LMS Instructor Dashboard and Studio Tool

    IBL News | New York

    After a week of the Open edX Juniper platform release, initial features have started to emerge.

    Technically speaking, the main change is the upgrade into Python 3, after Python 2.7 became unsupported and unmaintained on January 1, 2020.

    Other upgrades affect Django, MongoDB, and Ruby, as explained on the official Confluence forum of Open edX.

    Regarding features related to usability, the LMS’ Instructor Dashboard now includes Extensions and Open Responses data, as shown below.

    On Studio – Open edX’s authoring tool – the main visible change points to the possibility of adding a Unit through the new prominent toolbar on top.

    The 10th Open edX release Juniper –now on its version Juniper.1– was based on the code of the master software from May 27th, 2020.

    edX hasn’t yet announced the new platform, nor released notes.

    • IBL News (June 11): edX Releases Juniper, Its Tenth Version of the Open edX Platform

  • MOOCs Were Dead, but Now They Are Booming, According to The New York Times

    MOOCs Were Dead, but Now They Are Booming, According to The New York Times

    IBL News | New York

    Five years ago, The New York Times, in an extensively quoted report among academics keynoting on higher-ed conferences, had determined that MOOCs were dead. Low completion rates being below 5%, no business model behind them, and no impact on skyrocketing tuitions were the main reasons. In other words, disruption never occurred, and education wasn’t democratized.

    Yesterday, however, the Gray Lay of the journalism–the New York Times–certified a new reality. “Remember the MOOCs? After Near-Death, They’re Booming,” was the headline. The confinement at home and the online move due to the pandemic has mostly caused “a jolt that could signal a renaissance for big online learning networks that had struggled for years,” wrote the veteran reporter Steve Lohr.

    After millions of adults have signed up for online classes in the last two months, Coursera added 10 million new users from mid-March to mid-May–that is seven times the pace of new sign-ups in the previous year, according to the Times. Enrollments at edX and Udacity have jumped by similar multiples.

    “Crises lead to accelerations, and this is the best chance ever for online learning,” said Sebastian Thrun, Founder of Udacity.

    “Active learning works, and social learning works,” said Anant Agarwal, CEO at edX.

     

  • Over 10,000 Museums Across the World Won’t Open Due to the Global Health Crisis

    Over 10,000 Museums Across the World Won’t Open Due to the Global Health Crisis

    Mikel Amigot, IBL News | New York

    The COVID-19 pandemic has hit museums hard, and over 10,000 may never reopen.

    On May 18, International Museum Day, new studies conducted by UNESCO and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) found that 13% of the more than 85,000 museums across the globe that have closed due to the virus will stay shut down.

    As a result of the closures, the losses have skyrocketed. In the United States alone, art institutions are losing an estimated $33 million a day, according to the American Alliance of Museums.

    In addition, the global health crisis has exposed the precarious position of cultural workers, with thousands of employees laid off or furloughed.

    “The museum field cannot survive on its own without the support of the public and private sectors,” said Suay Aksoy, President at ICOM. “It is imperative to raise emergency relief funds and to put in place policies to protect professionals and self-employed workers on precarious contracts.”

    Audrey Azoulay, General Manager at UNESCO, promised to aid museums since “they play a fundamental role in the resilience of societies.”

    That assistance may materialize on the ResiliArt movement, launched by UNESCO in April.

    The UN agency will host a series of debates, panels, and other events to generate discussion about how art and cultural institutions, organizations, and workers will need to adapt in order to survive.

    According to UNESCO, social protection of museum staff, digitization and inventorying of collections, and online content development, are among the top priorities that need to be addressed – all of which require financial resources.

    UNESCO also pointed out that since 2012, the global number of museums has increased by almost 60%, demonstrating how important they have become in national cultural policies over the last decade.

    Museums play a fundamental role in education, culture, and in supporting the local and regional creative economy, according to UNESCO.

     

  • NY’s Governor Hires the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Reforming the School System

    NY’s Governor Hires the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Reforming the School System

    IBL News | New York

    The New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced this week that the State will work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a plan to “reimagine and build back our education system better, as we prepare to reopen”. 

    New York’s schools –which is the country’s school biggest system, with 1.1 million children– are closed for the year, and authorities are considering what they should look like when they reopen.

    “Bill Gates is a visionary in many ways, and his ideas and thoughts on technology and education he’s spoken about for years, but I think we now have a moment in history where we can actually incorporate and advance those ideas,” said Cuomo, a Democrat.

    The Governor did not outline the scope of the state’s work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a powerful player in the education space.

    Some educators criticized Cuomo’s announcement, reminding the foundation’s failed initiatives. At least three organizations – New York State Allies for Public Education, Class Size Matters, and the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy – have already written to Cuomo and state education officials opposing the partnership.

    New York State United Teachers President, Andy Pallott, said in a statement, “if we want to reimagine education, let’s start with addressing the need for social workers, mental health counselors, school nurses, enriching arts courses, advanced courses and smaller class sizes in school districts across the state.”

    How the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be compensated is unclear. So far, this non-profit has exercised a notable influence in pushing certain education policies, such as the so-called education reform movement, along with the Common Core, and other academic standards and teacher evaluation.

    Other philanthropies lobbying for education reform are the Walton Family Foundation, the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, and the Emerson Collective.

  • Harvard’s Credit-Bearing, Free Course on Mechanical Ventilators Has Attracted 170,000 Learners in Two Weeks

    Harvard’s Credit-Bearing, Free Course on Mechanical Ventilators Has Attracted 170,000 Learners in Two Weeks

    Mikel Amigot | IBL News, New York

    The “Mechanical Ventilation for COVID-19” explanatory course on edX.org has surpassed the 170,00 people enrolled, becoming a reference for licensed medical professionals worldwide.

    Developed by Harvard University in conjunction with the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) and released on April 6th, this free course now can grant up to three CME (Continuing Medical Education) credit hours to those who complete the course (2 to 5 hours) and pass a brief quiz.

    Eligible learners can claim three AMA PRA Category 1 Credit (physicians), nursing CEU credits, or a certificate of attendance for allied health professionals and other learners.

    The authors of the course, Dr. Susan Wilcox and Thomas Piraino, are continuously updating the course, given that the subject of mechanical ventilation and the offering of manufacturers are evolving.

    In addition to high enrollment, participation in the discussion forum, with clinicians sharing knowledge and tools, has made the course a valuable tool to fight to the COVID-19 pandemic and treat patients developing pneumonia.

    “The medical system will need clinicians that can assist in operating mechanical ventilators,” wrote the authors. “We encourage all non-ICU clinicians to consider completing this course, readying themselves to best help their colleagues and patients on the front lines of this virus.”

    With 27 million learners, the edX.org learning platform –founded by MIT and Harvard University as a non-profit venture– hosts over 3,000 courses, from over 150 universities, corporations, and business organizations.

    • IBL News, April 7: An edX and Harvard Course to Train Clinicians on Mechanical Ventilators for Covid-19