信平臺,不掛科?
????考不及格而被迫重修一門課程會讓學(xué)費(fèi)總額增加數(shù)千美元。旨在幫助大學(xué)生完成學(xué)業(yè)的非營利組織completecollege.org在2011年開展的一項(xiàng)研究顯示,只有60%的脫產(chǎn)學(xué)生能在8年時(shí)間內(nèi)完成4年制本科學(xué)業(yè)。調(diào)查還表明,在加利福尼亞州,公立高等教育體系處于大幅萎縮和學(xué)生超員狀態(tài),在4年內(nèi)畢業(yè)的本科生只有15%。該州公立高校系統(tǒng)加州大學(xué)(University of California)表示,在進(jìn)入該系統(tǒng)公立院校就讀的本科生中,有六成學(xué)生能在4年內(nèi)畢業(yè)。 ????紐約市教育局(New York City Department of Education)創(chuàng)新辦公室首席執(zhí)行官安德里婭?科爾曼表示,雖然高校層面的預(yù)測性分析有助于杜絕不必要的開支,但在初等到中等教育階段采用這種技術(shù)讓有些人感到擔(dān)心。 ????紐約市教育局管理著全美國最大的公共教育體系。該局于2011年和Desire2Learn簽署了為期3年的合同。目前,它正在紐約市的250多所初中和高中使用Desire2Learn提供的教育服務(wù),目的是觀察個(gè)性化教育所產(chǎn)生的影響。不過,該局負(fù)責(zé)產(chǎn)品開發(fā)事務(wù)的凱西?沃爾特表示,他們并沒有使用Desire2Learn的預(yù)測性分析工具,其中一個(gè)顧慮是學(xué)生們將停止挑戰(zhàn)自我,而只去上那些對他們來說通過幾率較高的課程,這種捷徑可能存在長期缺陷。 ????奧斯汀皮耶州立大學(xué)教務(wù)長登利則認(rèn)為,這種方法不會給大學(xué)帶來問題。“這樣做絕不是讓學(xué)生去走捷徑,它的目的是指導(dǎo)學(xué)生走上一條最成功的道路。” ????Desire2Learn樂觀地認(rèn)為,在不久的將來,各個(gè)層次的學(xué)校都會用上這種預(yù)測性工具。去年9月,這家總部設(shè)在加州安大略市的公司籌集了8,000萬美元(4.912億元人民幣),其中5,000萬美元(3.07億元人民幣)來自風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資公司NEA,這也是NEA最大的一筆教育技術(shù)投資(NEA還投資于另外十多家在線教育公司,如Coursera、BenchPrep和Edmodo)。 ????Desire2Learn首席執(zhí)行官貝克從來沒有從事過教育工作,但在成長階段伴隨著他的父母都是教師。貝克說,1999年設(shè)立這家公司的目的是“影響人們的學(xué)習(xí)方法”。手握大量風(fēng)投資金,又有能力預(yù)見受教育者能否成功,看來貝克有望順利地以優(yōu)異成績“通過考試”。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)) ????譯者:Charlie |
????Failing a class and having to retake it can add thousands of dollars to a student's total tuition costs. Only 60% of full-time students complete a four-year bachelor's degree program within eight years, according to a 2011 study by completecollege.org. In California, whose state public university system has suffered dramatic cutbacks and overcrowding, only 15% of all public university and college students graduate within four years of enrolling, according to the study. The University of California system claims that 60% of freshman enrolled in the system's public universities graduate in four years. ????While predictive analytics make sense at the collegiate level to help combat unnecessary spending, some are concerned about implementing such technology in K-12 schools, says Andrea Coleman, CEO of the innovation office for the New York City Department of Education. ????The NYC Department of Education -- the largest public school system in the U.S. -- entered into a three-year contract with Desire2Learn in 2011. It is currently using the company's learning services to explore the impact of personalized education tools in more than 250 middle and high schools in the city. They are not, however, using Desire2Learn's predictive analytics tools, says Kathy Walter, executive director of product development at the NYC Department of Education. One concern is that students will stop challenging themselves and simply take classes they will probably pass, a shortcut that could have long-term disadvantages. ????Austin Peay's Denley doesn't view such an approach as a problem at the collegiate level. "It's in no way about trying to make a student have an easier path," he says. "It's about trying to guide their path in ways that they can be most successful." ????Desire2Learn is optimistic that schools across all academic levels will begin to use the predictive analytics systems in the near future. The Ontario-based company raised $80 million last September, including a $50 million investment from venture firm NEA, the firm's largest education tech investment. (NEA also invested in more than 10 other online learning companies like Coursera, BenchPrep, and Edmodo.) ????Desire2Learn CEO Baker, who was never an educator but grew up with parents who were teachers, started the company in 1999 to "have an impact on the way the world learns," he says. With a boatload of venture capital and the ability to foresee academic success, it looks like Baker is on track to pass with flying colors. |
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