WGU Labs

College students are weary. Among the more disturbing trends to accelerate during and persist beyond the pandemic is the decline in student well-being. According to many studies, students have become more stressed and less socially engaged. However, researchers have identified a sense of belonging as a key protective factor against the stressors caused by the pandemic. This year, we surveyed 359 faculty members from six institutions to find out the faculty perspective on belonging in the classroom. Our data revealed four key takeaways: 👭 87% of faculty believe it is important to ensure that all students feel like they belong at their institution 🏫 75% of faculty received training on implementing inclusive practices in the classroom  👩🏫 Women faculty are ten percentage points more likely than men to take steps to increase students’ belonging and tailor their instructional approaches for diverse learners 💻 Faculty that reported most looking forward to a tech-enabled future for education were also most likely to value cultivating belonging in the learning environment. Find the full research brief on our site: https://lnkd.in/guzisMHn

What a pleasure it was to sit down with WorkingNation's Ramona Schindelheim to discuss how #highereducation can be a powerful force in activating talent and connecting individuals with opportunities that have a lasting impact. It’s not just about earning a degree—it’s about creating an educational experience that continues to deliver value throughout a lifetime. By personalizing learning journeys and aligning curricula with the demands of tomorrow’s workforce, higher ed can empower students to develop the skills and confidence they need to step into meaningful careers. This commitment to aligning education with workforce needs is something Western Governors University is actively pursuing through our new partnership with Social Finance, which I was grateful to discuss with Ramona. This collaboration is a testament to how higher education can be reimagined to deliver lasting value. We’re not just bridging gaps—we’re creating pathways to meaningful careers and a stronger, more resilient workforce. https://lnkd.in/gz8wVZMw

Meet our newest Accelerator client CodeSignal! CodeSignal enables teams and individuals to discover and develop essential skills by assessing skill gaps and creating personalized learning pathways. Its platform offers learning paths in a variety of topics related to career readiness, including coding, preparing for job interviews, and AI and machine learning. The platform also features a built-in AI tutor that gives users one-on-one guidance to provide a more interactive and adaptive learning environment. “CodeSignal is committed to democratizing education by providing practice-based, personalized learning that aligns with the evolving demands of the job market,” said Tigran Sloyan, co-founder and CEO of CodeSignal. “Our partnership with WGU Labs will help us extend these benefits to a broader student base, empowering them to achieve their career goals.” Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g34fzJfK

Our latest CIN Faculty EdTech Survey revealed that less than 33% of faculty believe higher education is heading in the right direction. Faculty members acknowledged that EdTech is here to stay, with 92% expecting to use more education technology tools in class. The majority also see the value of EdTech, with 79% feeling positive about offering more modality and credential options to students. But 67% of faculty believe these changes will result in courses becoming more standardized, and 58% believe they’ll have less autonomy over their course design. Additionally, 37% reported believing that students will have lower-quality learning experiences in the future, and 36% believed that the value of higher education would decrease. We don’t know everything that’s driving faculty’s pessimism, but we do know that they have raised important concerns about the long-term impact of technology on the student and teaching experience in higher education. At the same time, they believe EdTech is here to stay and recognize its value, indicating the need for tech to address their concerns around autonomy, standardization, and quality. Read more of our findings in the full report: https://lnkd.in/d3RdGrBU

ICYMI | Almost half of faculty members nationally feel burned out because of their work—and a similar number (39 percent) felt emotionally exhausted, according to a report released Thursday by the College Innovation Network. While burnout among professors is nothing new, Omid Fotuhi, director of learning and innovation at WGU Labs—a subset of Western Governors University that funds the College Innovation Network—believes technology could be greatly contributing to it. According to the report, roughly eight in 10 faculty members feel that they’re always “on the job” because of technology, while another 64 percent say technology makes it difficult to take breaks from students or work. “Faculty now see technology as not only a permanent but also a growing influence on learning,” write the report’s authors, noting that that viewpoint can create a divide among professors who want technology in the classroom and those who do not. “Such growing chasms among faculty may pose challenges, inefficiencies, and inconsistencies in teaching and instruction, which administrators must navigate.” Read more ➡️ https://bit.ly/3XjZp07

The ways artificial intelligence will change how we learn, work, and live are still unfolding. At WGU Labs, we’re largely enthusiastic about advancements in technology. Yet, we also apply a healthy dose of skepticism to promises of tech-driven transformation. In AI, we see the potential for tools to help learners succeed at scale while simultaneously recognizing the ways they could uphold historic and current systemic inequities. It will be vital for administrators and EdTech founders to understand these nuances as they adopt and build AI-based solutions. If they don’t, we risk leaving underserved learners and underresourced institutions behind once again. In our latest blog, we examine AI’s potential to both help and harm, so we can address what’s wrong and lean into what’s right: https://lnkd.in/gtKbnsYH

👋 We’re hiring! We’re looking for a Director of Venture Programs to lead and manage our startup accelerator program and oversee internal corporate venture initiatives. This role focuses on identifying, supporting, and accelerating high-potential, early-stage EdTech innovation. If you’re an experienced education leader with EdTech or startup experience, consider applying to join us on our mission to create better pathways to opportunity for all: https://lnkd.in/gdaUCszB.

In education, there is always a push-pull between the need for innovative advancement and proof of efficacy. Online education, the internet, and even calculators were all met with initial questions and resistance. Now, the dichotomy of progress and proof is on full display as higher education wrestles with the evaluation, adoption, and ethics of generative artificial intelligence tools. At WGU Labs, we are currently exploring AI and its potential to transform the postsecondary experience. Our Solutions Lab, which conducts small-scale, exploratory pilots in response to real learner challenges, allows institutions to understand the efficacy of innovative approaches before scaling them. While many of the pilots are in their early stages, we believe sharing our initial findings can help higher education administrators, policymakers, and EdTech founders fine-tune the adoption, regulation, and creation of generative AI tools to benefit learners. Learn more in the first blog in our [work in] Progress series — an effort to share our preliminary findings on the impact of artificial intelligence in higher education to help the field move at the pace of technology. https://lnkd.in/e4RCQ8kr

Our latest CIN Faculty EdTech report has revealed that only 33% of faculty think higher education is heading in the right direction. Higher education has witnessed rapid change in recent years with the rise of EdTech and the shift to more flexible, remote, and asynchronous learning environments. As a result, the role of faculty has also undergone rapid evolution. Faculty must adjust to an increasingly tech-enabled learning environment while maintaining a productive, accessible, and engaging learning experience. Regarding one of the most debated concerns with technology on campus — the use of AI and large language learning models like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude, to name a few — we found little consensus. Faculty were nearly evenly split on whether they found these tools useful in their work and whether they encouraged students to use them in their work. Divergent attitudes among faculty, who serve as curators of the learning experience, will likely mean students have different access and exposure to these tools in their learning experience. This survey offered four key insights into faculty’s view of technology in higher education: 🏫 92% of faculty expect to use more EdTech tools in the classroom. But less than 33% believe that higher education is heading in the right direction. 👩💻 Teaching modality impacts perceptions of higher education: 42% of faculty teaching online believe that higher education is headed in the right direction compared to 20% of faculty teaching face-to-face.  😟 Only 42% of faculty believe AI tools will positively impact faculty, and 49% do not use them in the classroom.  🔥 41% of faculty report burnout, which is correlated with high levels of technology fatigue. Full report: https://lnkd.in/d3RdGrBU

Nearly 37 million working-age Americans were once enrolled in college but stopped out before completing their degree. With the looming demographic cliff and falling demand among young adults, many institutions are looking to bring these students back to complete their degrees. But working adults have different needs than the “typical” 18-year-old college student. In this article for University Business, philanthropic leaders Lexi Anderson and Mike Krause highlight the institutional shifts required to better support students, including: 🛤️ Developing effective transfer pathways 💰 Ensuring returning learners are eligible for financial aid 👩🏭 Awarding credit for prior learning, including military and workforce training 🔁 Providing wrap-around support https://lnkd.in/gbPNEh5k