Ray Schroeder

While the first full year of operation of ChatGPT, 2023, gave a foretaste of the enormous impact that AI is going to have on us all, 2024 shows every sign of boggling the mind even more. Here are some things to look out for.... Of course, there are many factors impacting the decision of whether to retain workers in the wake of significant new efficiencies and competencies afforded by GenAI. In order to best confront this decision, it may be best to engage GenAI itself, to assist with the… Show more

While the first full year of operation of ChatGPT, 2023, gave a foretaste of the enormous impact that AI is going to have on us all, 2024 shows every sign of boggling the mind even more. Here are some things to look out for.... Of course, there are many factors impacting the decision of whether to retain workers in the wake of significant new efficiencies and competencies afforded by GenAI. In order to best confront this decision, it may be best to engage GenAI itself, to assist with the priority considerations in decision-making. On 8 February, I asked the newly named Google Gemini to provide a list of considerations. Gemini prefaced its remarks with, “This is a complex issue with ethical and financial ramifications, so consider these factors closely.” Show less

We understand that artificial intelligence (AI) resulted in the loss of many blue-collar jobs as smart robots took over the manufacturing process. However, we now know that this generation of AI will have even greater impact in truly creative fields, including art and original authorship. The impact is far-reaching and revolutionary.

Awards: LearnX Learning Technology Innovation Award in the category of Best Learning & Talent Technology, Diamond level and Chief Learning Officer Magazine Learning in Practice Award, Technology Award, Gold level, Division 2 category

Foreword: Learning in colleges and universities abruptly changed in the spring semester of 2020 when the rise of the highly-contagious Coronavirus prompted most of the 4,000 colleges and universities in the US to close their campuses to students. In many… Show more

Awards: LearnX Learning Technology Innovation Award in the category of Best Learning & Talent Technology, Diamond level and Chief Learning Officer Magazine Learning in Practice Award, Technology Award, Gold level, Division 2 category

Foreword: Learning in colleges and universities abruptly changed in the spring semester of 2020 when the rise of the highly-contagious Coronavirus prompted most of the 4,000 colleges and universities in the US to close their campuses to students. In many cases, this coincided with the scheduled spring break. While online learning had been a segment of the college experience at many colleges and universities over the prior two decades, suddenly every campus considered moving most or all of their classes online to protect learners from the pandemic. With just one week or less of notice, a limited pool of available faculty experienced with online learning, modest technology capacity, and scarce expert support, most institutions did not have the resources to ensure high quality methods of online delivery for every class.

Faced with moving thousands of classes to remote delivery for the first time, many campus administrations chose to simply move the on-campus syllabus to online delivery with synchronous class sessions meeting online in the same time slots with similar assignments and activities in hopes of accomplishing the learning outcomes designed for the campus-based classes. This was a great emergency solution to the pandemic crisis, but it was less than optimum for the long-term delivery of quality online learning.... Show less

From Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated: Online Leaders Share Their Stories of the Evolving Online Organizational Landscape in Higher Ed aims to illuminate the organizational structures and leadership strategies of online education units at higher education institutions through Chief Online Officer’s first-person stories, practices, lessons, and innovations. Edited by Bettyjo Bouchey, Erin Gratz, and Shelley Kurland, this volume features a spectrum of voices from higher education leaders… Show more

From Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated: Online Leaders Share Their Stories of the Evolving Online Organizational Landscape in Higher Ed aims to illuminate the organizational structures and leadership strategies of online education units at higher education institutions through Chief Online Officer’s first-person stories, practices, lessons, and innovations. Edited by Bettyjo Bouchey, Erin Gratz, and Shelley Kurland, this volume features a spectrum of voices from higher education leaders from the field. Show less

We are embarking on an online environment transformation that is every bit as revolutionary as the inception of the Web browser in 1992. The Metaverse will supplant the browser for many of our activities. We will immerse ourselves through avatars to engage in commerce, education, and social exchanges. Now is the time to prepare for the transition.

Award: AECT Division of Distance Learning BEST BOOK Award 2022

Chapter 2 Leadership for Online Learning
Author: Ray Schroeder
Abstract
The objectives of this chapter are to establish a foundation for a deeper dive into the many aspects of leadership for distance learning that are detailed in this book. The reader will build an understanding of the roles and requirements of effective operational leadership in the day-to-day operations of distance learning. Further, it is the… Show more

Award: AECT Division of Distance Learning BEST BOOK Award 2022

Chapter 2 Leadership for Online Learning
Author: Ray Schroeder
Abstract
The objectives of this chapter are to establish a foundation for a deeper dive into the many aspects of leadership for distance learning that are detailed in this book. The reader will build an understanding of the roles and requirements of effective operational leadership in the day-to-day operations of distance learning. Further, it is the objective of this chapter to explain the multifaceted roles of the strategic leader within the institution to advance the distance learning program within the institution as well as the broader field worldwide. Tools, techniques, examples, and resources will be shared to accomplish these objectives. Finally, it is intended that the reader will assimilate an understanding and appreciation of the importance of leading with knowledge, humility, and wide perspective. Show less

The second edition builds on the success of the first edition and presents both the collective expertise of veterans who have pioneered the field for 20 years, and of a rising generation of eLearning leaders that are transforming online programs at their own institutions, to address these challenges.

The Handbook of Distance Education, 4th Edition is a comprehensive compendium of research in the field of distance education. The volume is divided into four sections covering the historical and theoretical foundations of distance education, attributes of teaching and learning using technology, management and administration, and different audiences and providers. Throughout, leading scholars address future research needs and directions based on current research, established practices, and… Show more

The Handbook of Distance Education, 4th Edition is a comprehensive compendium of research in the field of distance education. The volume is divided into four sections covering the historical and theoretical foundations of distance education, attributes of teaching and learning using technology, management and administration, and different audiences and providers. Throughout, leading scholars address future research needs and directions based on current research, established practices, and recent changes to implementation, pedagogy, and policy. Show less

College is too expensive for too many; politicians call for more financial support but approve far less; underpaid and overworked adjuncts teach vastly more than the impressive faculty who drew students to campus; departments and administrations focus more on protecting their territories than on pedagogy or even management. Technology is extolled and resisted, hyped as the force that will utterly transform or deform education. It seems clear that the American system of higher education is… Show more

College is too expensive for too many; politicians call for more financial support but approve far less; underpaid and overworked adjuncts teach vastly more than the impressive faculty who drew students to campus; departments and administrations focus more on protecting their territories than on pedagogy or even management. Technology is extolled and resisted, hyped as the force that will utterly transform or deform education. It seems clear that the American system of higher education is broken.With solutions from such stellar educators and thought-leaders as Cathy Davidson, Candace Thille, Ray Schroeder, James Hilton, and Jonathan Cole, Change We Must is a must-read for anyone wanting American higher education to succeed and thrive in these challenging times.
Book Title: Change We Must: Deciding the Future of Higher Education
Book ASIN: 0795348045
Book ISBN-13: 9780795348044 Show less

Two daily postings on trends in funding higher education.

Three daily postings on news, research and trends in online, continuing and professional education.

Occasional articles in Evolllution Online.

Written by pioneers in the field of online learning, Leading the e-Learning Transformation of Higher Education is a professional text that offers insights and guidance to the rising generation of leaders in the field of higher education. It explains how to integrate online learning into an institution during a period of rapid social and institutional change.

Foreword: Faced with moving thousands of classes to remote delivery for the first time, many campus administrations chose to simply move the on-campus syllabus to online delivery with synchronous class sessions meeting online in the same time slots with similar assignments and activities in hopes of accomplishing the learning outcomes designed for the campus-based classes. This was a great emergency solution to the pandemic crisis, but it was less than optimum for the long-term delivery of… Show more

Foreword: Faced with moving thousands of classes to remote delivery for the first time, many campus administrations chose to simply move the on-campus syllabus to online delivery with synchronous class sessions meeting online in the same time slots with similar assignments and activities in hopes of accomplishing the learning outcomes designed for the campus-based classes. This was a great emergency solution to the pandemic crisis, but it was less than optimum for the long-term delivery of quality online learning. Show less

A bi-weekly column on emerging issues and trends in online and distance learning. Published since 2014 at UPCEA and since 2018 on Inside Higher Education