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As blockchain technology continues to become more mainstream, colleges and universities are exploring new ways to help grow the cryptocurrency ecosystem by allowing students to use digital currencies as a payment service on their campuses. The appeal to higher education institutions ranges from a fear of being left behind on new and emerging technology to the desire to provide more flexible avenues of payment for its students. In fact, recent research conducted by Lendedu suggested that “36 percent of Americans age 18 to 24” say they plan to invest in bitcoin as an asset for the future (Brereton).

According to a recent article published in EdTech [1]:

[The University of Nicosia in Cyprus] told Forbes it expected the first students to use the bitcoin option would be those attending its online degree programs from countries where international payments can be slow and involve transmission fees that total 5 to 10 percent of the monthly tuition cost.

In other words—as worldwide, decentralized, payment systems—cryptocurrencies can be used by international students to pay tuition to higher education institutions outside of their home country—that is, without incurring the slow and often expensive transaction costs that are associated with traditional fiat [1]. Similar to the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, other campuses such as the Georgia Institute of Technology are allowing its students to load cryptocurrencies to their campus debit cards to pay for foods, drinks, and other items [1].

By and large, the cryptocurrency ecosystem is still in its infancy stages; therefore, it remains to be a widely a speculative and highly volatile asset class. Although it is difficult to objectively assess when or if cryptocurrencies will ever replace traditional fiat, it is exciting to see how a growing number of higher education institutions adopting this emerging technology to adapt to the needs of their students.

For more information, read the full article on EdTech.

References

[1] E. Brereton, “Cryptocurrencies Make Their Way to Campus, Bringing Flexibility and Risks,” EdTech: Focus on Higher Education, June 15, 2018. [Online]. Available:  https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2018/06/cryptocurrencies-make-their-way-campus-bringing-flexibility-and-risks [Accessed July 3, 2018].

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As educators aim to prepare today’s learners for tomorrow’s workforce needs, many are also working and looking to provide learners with more opportunities to accreditation. In fact, an increasing number of universities are expanding access to accreditation by offering their students online programs as an opportunity to learn new skills and gain certification quickly. According to a recent article published on EdTech, author Meghan Cortez asserts that the “[p]artnerships between businesses and universities have been integral to helping college graduates meet the changing technological demands in the workforce” (Cortez). Some of the major benefits to these partnerships include a flexible online space for students to access their course materials, as well as a valuable business model for universities to help better prepare students looking to enter the workforce.  

Students can gain microcredentials by attending and participating in brief programs surrounding a specific skill or topic. After a student completes a program, they will be granted a certificate to indicate their achievement in a new or an existing expertise. While a longer—more traditional—academic degree still has its place in preparing students for their vocational goals, the microcredentials option, however, provides students with an avenue to learn new skills quickly, and at a reduced cost. For instance, students at the University of California can take advantage of a number of specializations offered through Coursera—an online learning platform that works to develop online courses for a variety of colleges and universities. Some of Coursera’s programs require students to take 4 courses over a span of 16-weeks; moreover, its relatively inexpensive cost of $49 a month makes for a cost-effective approach for students simply looking to acquire new skills.

For more information, read the full article on EdTech. 

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Educause Review shares an interesting case study on the practice of microlearning in contemporary social media. In the 2017 article, “Learning in Bursts: Microlearning with Social Media,” authors Stephanie Trowbridge, Clair Waterbury, and Lindsey Sudbury examine the potential benefits of social microlearning in the classroom:

A significant part of what makes microlearning so effective is the interactive aspect that allows learners to practice their skills and apply new knowledge. Professors may also use microlearning to administer small quizzes, review content, and conduct other short assignments to evaluate their students (Trowbridge et al., 2017).

Educators are confident that microlearning effectively improves information retention; moreover, through helping students take larger, more complex, concepts and breaking them down into smaller chunks of information. These smaller chunks can be reviewed at a student’s discretion and in short bursts to help reinforce what is actually being learned. According to the article, many educators believe that by promoting students to share educational videos on social media or a hashtag per class topic, students have another opportunity to engage in conversations about the course material outside the classroom setting.

One of the few drawbacks to microlearning is the scope of its application. That is to say, some classroom concepts are better suited to be discussed in a longer, more formal, classroom setting. On the whole, however, microlearning can be used as another powerful tool to appeal to today’s learners, and will undoubtedly continue to blur the lines between education and social media.

For more information, read the full article on Educause Review.