EdCrunch Reload Conference Discusses Challenges and Achievements of Online Education
HSE University recently took part in EdCrunch Reload, Europe's largest conference on new technologies in education. The conference was held in Kazakhstan on November 23rd and 24th. Yulia Remezova, Director for eLearning, talked about the digital expertise of HSE University during a panel discussion entitled ‘Are the Giants Still Strong? The Path of Massive Online Universities in an Ever Changing Educational Context’.
EdCrunch was attended by general, higher, and additional education organizations, heads of IT companies and corporate universities, HR Directors, and L&D specialists, as well as investors, entrepreneurs, teachers, and parents. Nurlan Kiyasov, founder of the conference, believes the event will strengthen interaction between developers, methodologists, psychologists, designers, producers, teachers, and other professionals to improve the effectiveness of teaching.
The Age of Discovery
According to experts during the panel discussion, the digital revolution has transformed the traditional on-campus university system, while also contributing to the rapid growth of the so-called ‘open universities’- online learning centres. Many of them are true giants with hundreds of thousands of students. What role do they play in the higher education system? How can they implement the research and social missions of universities? What are they doing to reduce the number of students who drop out? These and other questions were the topics of a discussion moderated by Isak Froumin, Head of the Higher Education Observatory at Jacobs University (Bremen) and HSE Professor. The session was attended by representatives from major open universities, traditional universities with a large e-learning division, and technology companies, including David Porcaro, Vice President for Learning and Innovation, General Assembly (USA), Dale Johnson, Director of Digital Innovations for the University Design Institute at Arizona State University USA), Dr. Aras Bozkurt, Associate Professor of Distance Education at Anadolu University (Turkey), and Kamran Mir, Assistant Director IT, Allama Iqbal Open University (Pakistan). HSE University was represented by Yulia Remezova, Director of Online Learning.
Digital Advantage
Isak Froumin said that despite an ‘explosive and impressive growth’ in e-learning, the concept of open universities had been introduced well before the platform era: the British Open University is a case in point. Kamran Mir, Allama Iqbal Open University (Pakistan), pointed out that Asia had this type of university as early as the 1970s, and therefore, extramural courses should not be considered as a new educational trend.
According to the moderator, traditional universities have adapted to the digital age and are increasing their presence online, with the world's largest universities educating many thousands of students. ‘HSE University is the largest digital university in the Russian Federation. More than 15,000 online students in Russia and the CIS are taking HSE online courses, and more than 1,500 students from around the world have enrolled in the university’s full-time bachelor’s and master's programmes which are being implemented entirely online. In 2020, HSE University launched the Master of Data Science course, Russia’s first English-taught online Master’s programme on an international platform. The most successful online Master's programme at HSE University is made up of over 40% foreign students, which allows the university's academic experience to be translated to a global audience,’ shared Yulia Remezova. Dr. Aras Bozkurt is an Associate Professor at Anadolu University (Turkey), the record-breaker in terms of students (over 1 million). Dr. Bozkurt said that Turkey's student community exceeded 8 million, and half of them are studying online. His colleague Dale Johnson reported that online students outnumbered on-campus students at Arizona State University with 85,000 online and 70,000 on-campus students.
Online studies for those who work
Online students are disproving the stereotype that studying after work, rather than instead of work, is not as efficient as on-campus studies. ‘We are focused on making online education more accessible, and encouraging more and more people to study online. In Pakistan, more than 20 million students from different social strata are studying online without attending classes in person. Many cannot attend traditional offline courses for economic reasons,’ said Kamran Mir. This is exactly the demographic that needs to grow professionally in a highly competitive job market and to constantly update one’s competencies, which is why more and more working students are attracted to online universities. Among the trends in the distance-learning sector, Isak Froumin mentioned the growth of the micro-degree market, which makes it possible to learn a required profession in a short time.
HSE University is focused on ensuring the success of online graduates and demand for them on the market, so each of the university's 16 online programmes works closely with industrial partners. The educational programmes are based on collaborations with business: laboratories, seminars, internships, and practices with key industry experts enable students to master relevant competencies. There are many business representatives, high-level managers, and experienced professionals among the students of online master's programmes. These people want to gain new knowledge without having to take a break from work. However, a busy work schedule is no excuse for failing to prepare for entrance exams. According to Yulia Remezova, HSE University is as selective towards potential online students as it is with traditional applicants. ‘Online proctored entrance exams allows us to maintain the proper level of university standards, weeding out those who do not meet them.’
Online community
According to Dale Johnson, online higher education is based on three pillars: content, context, and community. The first pillar is clear: the university broadcasts academic expertise through online lectures. Context enables students to put knowledge into practice, keeping up with the times and the demands of employers. ‘Communities are a new facet of online education,’ stressed the speaker. Universities should socialise students who do not meet face-to-face with their classmates and professors and ensure engagement through collaborative projects and research activities. For example, four Arizona State University online engineering students took part in a NASA project and built a satellite by sending parts to be assembled by post. As the world's largest research centre, HSE University also places special emphasis on integrating online students into such activities. ‘Online students can choose an applied major or develop along academic tracks, immersing themselves in scientific research together with leaders from the academic community. In this respect, HSE online education is able to demonstrate maximum flexibility,’ said Yulia Remezova.