Author: Reporter

An estimated 30 percent of graduate students would hit their student loan limits if new borrowing caps take effect this summer. That’s according to new research from the Postsecondary Education & Economics Research Center at American University that breaks down how the loan limits will affect states, institutions, programs and students. The caps, put in place by Congress last summer, are expected to significantly change how students pay for college and could force some institutions to close programs. To prepare, institutions are offering their own lending options, partnering with private lenders or helping to get students grandfathered into the current system.…

There are two screening criteria I use to decide if a role fits in this Featured Gig series. The first is whether the job is one I might be interested in if I were in the job market. The second is if the role sits at the intersection of learning, technology and organizational change. Today’s featured gig is for the executive director of online education and AI innovation at Manchester University. The university’s human resources director, Heather N. Hess, has the answers to my questions about the role. Q: What is the university’s mandate behind this role? How does it…

What Is Multimodal AI? Multimodal AI is a type of Artificial Intelligence that can understand, process, and generate multiple forms of data, such as text, images, audio, and video, within a single system. Unlike traditional AI, which typically works with a single data type at a time, multimodal AI combines multiple inputs to produce more accurate, context-aware outputs. In learning contexts, this mirrors how humans naturally process information by combining visuals, language, and sound. What is multimodal data? It is any dataset that includes more than one type of input, such as a training video (visual + audio) paired with…

Think of Markdown as the universal translator for the internet. It is a lightweight language that uses simple symbols to handle formatting instead of hidden, messy code. It is designed to be human readable, meaning you can look at the raw text and still understand the structure without needing a special viewer.A Markdown TutorialGetting started with Markdown is easier than you might think. Here are the most common symbols you will use:Headings: Use hashtags at the start of a line. One hashtag (#) is a main title, while two (##) or three (###) create subheadings.Emphasis: Wrap your text in double…

The first report in this series on financial aid for students without financial need argued that most colleges cannot cover their costs without revenue from higher-income students. The second report showed that the practice of providing merit aid for students without financial need is widespread and growing, especially at public institutions, which traditionally did not offer this type of aid. This report focuses on the strategies colleges use to set prices. How do colleges set sticker prices and how do they choose how much to discount that price for students without financial need by offering merit aid? Over time, how…

ADHD can be so misunderstood. I know there was a season I had to learn about what it is. How to be sensitive to students — and my own children. As a Mom, a child with ADHD is a very sensitive topic to me. Even in hindsight I remember the struggle and wonder if the decisions I made were on point based on what today’s guest and many others have taught me about ADHD. This is the episode I wish I could have had as a Mom and a teacher fifteen years a go.But I can’t go back, but I…

My mom used to say that mismatched ideas went together “like tuna fish and hot fudge”—each is fine on its own, but the combination is nasty. I was reminded of that in reading the Washington Post article about students completing four-year degrees in a couple of months. Students can combine competency-based education—that is, a structure that focuses on tasks rather than seat time—with AI. When a “class” doesn’t have any sort of interaction other than submitting papers, and we have what amounts to paper-o-matic technology, then blasting through a series of classes quickly becomes comically easy. The only thing missing…

Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a Colorado case questioning whether private schools that get public funding from a state universal preschool program must admit children of same-sex couples.  A nondiscrimination provision in the state program requires each school receiving public money to provide eligible children an equal opportunity to enroll, regardless of race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity and other factors.  Plaintiffs in the case St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy — parents of preschool-age children, along…

Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief: K-12 schools and colleges will get another year to comply with looming deadlines for a new web accessibility rule, under an interim final rule issued Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice. For K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions in counties or cities with populations of 50,000 or more, the original compliance date of April 24, 2026, is now extended to April 26, 2027. For school districts or colleges in counties or cities with fewer residents, the April 26, 2027, deadline…

Impactful Scenario-Based Training Scripts L&D leaders face a complex training landscape shaped by skill shortages, rapid digitalisation, evolving compliance requirements, and a diverse, multilingual workforce. Corporate training investments are rising, with European organisations allocating on average 2.5% to 3% of payroll costs to employee development, demonstrating a growing commitment to nurturing talent in a competitive skills market. But investment alone isn’t driving the impact leaders expect. High workloads and reduced cognitive bandwidth are undermining the effectiveness of traditional training formats. According to a 2026 report, half of European employees report having little time for training, even when it is crucial…