Big news this week for all Starbucks customers: They will now compete for their local baristas’ attention, which will be focused on signing up for their new online classes. As most have heard by now, Starbucks will provide free college tuition to thousands of workers (New York Times, June 16, 2014). While this is a big deal for those involved, the offer of an education-paid benefit by a corporation isn’t new. What's different with this partnership is the stipulation that the courses be taken online. Below we've compiled five recent resources on what's happening in the world of online education in higher education.
- Debate: In an Online World, Are Brick and Mortar Colleges Obsolete?, NPR intelligence2 Debates, April 2014. In this podcast, two debate teams face off over the argument that physical campuses are no longer needed to pursue higher education.
- Understanding the Learning Personalities of Successful Online Students, EDUCAUSE Review Online, February 24, 2014. Using assessment tools is seen as a way to identify various personality types and temperaments, along with learning styles, teaching strategies, and opportunities, to increase success for both students and teachers.
- Blazing Trails: Launching the First Online Degree Completion Program at the University of Washington, EDUCAUSE Review Online, January 2014. The article describes the planning and support that went into creating an online degree, from course development to support for student retention and success.
- The Potential for Online Learning: Promises and Pitfalls, EDUCAUSE Review, September/October 2013. To realize the potential and promise of online learning (and MOOCs), colleges and universities must be aware of the pitfalls while taking full advantage of the wonderful, if problematic, opportunities provided by ingenuity and technological prowess.
- Managing Online Education 2013: Practices in Ensuring Quality. This report summarizes finding from the WCET survey, which obtains data on the instructional, operational, and technology infrastructure of online programs in higher education.
If you'd like to learn more about the Starbucks/ASU partnership, we recommend these resources:
- Starbucks Paying for College? Really, CNN, June 16, 2014. In this video, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and ASU President Michael Crow discuss their new online education partnership for Starbucks employees.
- Starbucks Will Send Thousands of Employees to Arizona State for Degrees, Chronicle of Higher Education June 15, 2014. The Chronicle reports the initial details of a "new model for higher education."
- The Daily Show, June 16, 2014. In this interview with Jon Stewart, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz discusses high student debt, the ASU partnership, and corporate responsibility.
- More Short Than Venti, Inside Higher Education, June 18, 2014. An opinion piece on the specifics of the deal.