Source: Mint
From virtual reality to big data, the tech frenzy has hit education too, but will it go beyond gimmicky?
changes
The Gap Between Old & New IITs
Source: The Wire
It will probably take more than 10 years for these institutes to even register on the Indian research landscape. For them to become global players will require much more than that though.
Lumina President Says PSE Must Change to Accommodate Shifting Demographics
Source: The Hill via Academica | January 13, 2015
In an editorial published in The Hill, Lumina Foundation President Jamie Merisotis argues that PSE must adapt to meet changes in student demographics. Merisotis notes that today’s students are far more diverse than those in the past, and coming from a broader range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, as well as being older and having more work experience. He also cites a study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research that shows that a quarter of all college students are raising dependent children, with half of those being single parents. Merisotis says that PSE leaders must “redesign education beyond high school” in order to improve attainment rates and close the talent gap. He calls for 3 specific shifts: first, he calls for changes to financial aid to maximize its impact, including incentives for students who make rapid progress and complete their degrees; second, he says that educators should measure student learning rather than classroom time, turning to a more competency-based approach to assessment; and finally, he calls for the “democratization of high-quality instruction” by making the knowledge and skills needed to obtain credentials more accessible.
Changes to 485 visa make it easier for students to stay
Source: World News Australia
Under new rules, foreign students who graduate with an Australian bachelor’s degree, masters or doctorate can work for up to four years in Australia upon completion.
International students have greater chances to find employment under the federal government’s changes to the 485 Temporary Graduate visa.
Under the changes to visa subclass 485, which took effect on March 28, foreign students who graduated with an Australian bachelor’s degree, masters or doctorate, can obtain a visa to remain and work in Australia for between two and four years, depending on their degree — a significant increase on the previous limit of 18 months.
In an already competitive job market, the incentive is to lure high quality overseas students to study in Australia.
“Technically, it’s now much easier for international students to stay in Australia,” said Danny Ong, Multicultural Employment Consultant at Monash University. “But the main concern is that there is now a bigger group of international students competing for work opportunities”.
Remaining in Australia can be a gamble.
“This is a question that international students need to ask: it’s whether I can get a job,” Mr Ong said.
For international students, tuition fees could cost up to $30,000 per year, paid up-front, and application fees can cost almost $2,000.
“A lot of students find it very difficult to deal with parental expectations,” said Mr Ong. And this is affecting the quality of the international student experience.
“They tend to make an association between money and the quality of education. And that influences their interaction with the university,” he said.
Lyndal Partington, careers consultant at the University of NSW, says it is important to learn skills away from the classroom for a holistic education.
“It’s important to help them [international students] develop communication skills, team work skills — soft skills employers look for in graduates,” she said.
“One of the challenges is that they don’t have local work-experience and it’s hard to get their foot in the door. And another challenge is the difference in workplace culture between Australia and their home country,” said Ms Partington.
Under the 485 Temporary Graduate Visa, students can obtain a two-year work visa if they studied in Australia for at least 16 months and have completed either a bachelor’s degree or a masters by course work. Students who completed a masters by research can qualify for a three-year visa, while those who completed a doctorate get four years.
CBIE response to Citizenship & Immigration Canada: proposed changes to International Student Program, February 13, 2013.
Source: CBIE / Canadian Bureau for International Education
“…We believe that you will find our recommendations supportive of the objectives of the regulatory changes. Several suggest changes in language for purposes of clarity. Others are more substantive, for example, seeking to recognize that secondary school and pathways programs are increasingly important components of international education in Canada. As we noted in our letter last July in response to the notice of proposed changes, a third of international post-secondary students in CBIE’s 2009 national survey said that they had studied either at a Canadian secondary or language school prior to entering a Canadian college or university.
We appreciate CIC’s consultative approach over the past few months. Our Immigration Advisory Committee members took part in meetings in several provinces. CBIE and our partners in the Canadian Consortium for International Education Marketing (CCIEM) appreciated the opportunity to provide views during the meeting held last week in Ottawa.
Moreover the Consortium values our ongoing relationship with CIC. We believe that discussion of issues and possible solutions in our quarterly forum will be even more important once the regulations are finalized and signed into law, and when implementation takes centre stage.
As noted in the attached Comments and Recommendations document, we understand that a Working Group will be established to examine operationalization issues. We would be pleased to contribute our expertise to this effort.
In closing, CBIE values its partnership with CIC and looks forward to continued dialogue in support of our shared goals in international student policy and practice.”