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Thought Leadership

Insights for Educational Leaders

Dive into the future of higher education with Apollidon's thought leadership articles. Our expert insights cover the latest trends in online learning, program management, and educational technology. Explore these valuable resources to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education.

Trends

Distance Learning in Higher Education 2023: The Year in Review

In 2023, distance learning in higher education saw some major trends, advancements, announcements, and notable reversals. 2024 is shaping up to be truly revolutionary, with remote classrooms looking more like the futuristic visions promised to us in decades past. Here we offer a summary of the year just ending as well as a preview of the year to come to keep your institution up to date. 2023: Noteworthy Distance Learning News The stories that caught our interest this year speak to the limitless potential of distance learning and possible but surmountable speedbumps in the education space. Distance Learning Continued to Grow as Campus-Based Enrollments Dwindled According to “Changing Landscape of Online Education,” a report reviewed by Inside Higher Ed in August, while overall higher education enrollments have decreased in recent times, online and hybrid program enrollments have increased. A senior official connected with the report cautioned: “For many institutions struggling with enrollment and revenue levels, success in building online capacity may spell the difference between viability and crisis in the next decade.” Institutions Implemented (Then Abandoned) AI-Detecting Software In late 2022, ChatGPT was released to both great anticipation and trepidation. In the academic realm, colleges and universities were alarmed that the readily available artificial intelligence chatbot could “write” papers in seconds, enabling students to turn in work that wasn’t theirs

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Strategy

How Universities Can Keep Online Students Engaged

Your students have been working hard for months, and that mid-to-late semester inertia is setting in. With the holidays approaching, their minds start drifting toward what they’re going to do with their time off from school, and they’re starting to lose their focus on their studies. While student engagement is a concern on campus, with remote learning it can be an even bigger challenge. “Fall fatigue,” or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), can further compound the issue. At this time of year, it’s as crucial as ever to keep online students engaged. Here we’ll suggest some ways your institution can keep students focused throughout the school year. How Universities Can Keep Online Students Engaged Mix and Mingle To keep online students engaged, it’s important to vary your strategies and make an even greater effort to encourage (virtual) interaction

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Trends

Cyber Security Considerations for Your Online Programs

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As an online program manager and partner to universities that offer online degree and certificate programs, we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer some important cyber security guidance and reiterate our commitment to maintaining the security of our partners’ data. Here are some essential ways to ensure the safety and security of your online students, faculty, and the endless amounts of data associated with an online program. Cyber Security Considerations for Your Online Programs Have Robust IT Security Tools and Qualified Personnel When entrusted with the private data of thousands of students, your institution must have its networks safeguarded by the latest tools and a highly trained information technology services team. Cyberattackers use sophisticated tools and methods and frequently change their tactics to compromise, damage, hijack, or steal data from university networks

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Industry

Why Established Universities Should Offer Their Programs Online

Still unsure about offering your programs online? Perhaps you haven’t considered some of the distinct advantages you’ll be able to provide to current and prospective students as an established university. Below we’ll outline a few of the substantial benefits that your online students can enjoy and the corresponding advantages to your institution. Why Established Universities Should Offer Their Programs Online The 24/7, Anywhere Classroom The convenience and flexibility of online learning are unequalled. Students appreciate the ability to complete their program from virtually any location at any hour of the day, and some may even opt out of returning to the traditional campus-based classroom after completing an online program. Anyone with professional or personal commitments—and that certainly describes most students—can benefit from the self-paced study opportunities that online learning alone offers

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Strategy

Not All Online Programs Are Created Equal: Why a One-Size-Fits-All Approach Doesn’t Work

Apollidon Learning specializes in online program management (OPM) and related services, but we don’t offer off-the-shelf solutions. There are many good reasons for this, a few of which we will discuss in more detail below. Listening to the individual needs of an institution and tailoring a solution that matches those needs is what Apollidon does best. We provide program branding, education consulting, custom web development, online program management, market research, lead management, public relations, video production, and more. Alternatively, we can provide just one or select services from among these

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Strategy

How to Keep Online Programs Competitive in Saturated Markets

Back in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 2,500 U.S. colleges offered online programs : a number that has continued to grow since. Colleges and universities must now step up their game to stay relevant in the increasingly crowded online higher education space. The key to establishing a competitive edge? Differentiation. Higher education institutions must offer potential students educational options and benefits that are both enticing and exceptional

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Strategy

Creative Workarounds in Online Learning

Some degree programs can be presented 100% online and still offer students the equivalent of an in-person educational experience. While most lectures, assignments, tests, and class discussions can be conducted virtually, certain types of programs may require additional resources to facilitate a comparable experience. If you’re wondering how to create an online degree program of distinction, read on to learn a few of the creative workarounds Apollidon Learning can help your school implement to ensure online students receive a high-quality, robust education. Creative Workarounds for Your Online Learning Transition Offer Local Options Face-to-face human interaction is essential to the completion of some programs. But how practical is this when an online program’s student roster may include individuals from across the country and even around the globe? The solution may be to offer a local option for these interactions

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Industry

7 Benefits of Adding Online Learning to Your Catalog

Modern consumers demand more choices and flexibility in practically every market, and education is no exception. This contemporary reality has contributed to the popularity of online learning. Whatever rationale an institution may have for eschewing online programs, there are compelling arguments for transitioning to at least a hybrid learning format, where some programs and courses are offered online and others on campus. Below we’ll discuss some of the benefits that Apollidon Learning’s brick-and-mortar university partners experience after adopting a distance learning option for their programs—all sharing the common benefit of higher enrollment potential. 7 Benefits of Adding Online Learning to Your Catalog #1: Catch Up to Your Competition For most educational institutions, the question of whether to introduce online options is no longer an if but a when

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Trends

The Implications of ChatGPT and AI on Distance Education

In late 2022, the Microsoft-affiliated company OpenAI released a revolutionary artificial intelligence (AI) tool called ChatGPT. This “chatbot” can simulate human conversation, provide detailed answers to questions, translate languages, write code, and even write authoritative papers on any number of topics in just seconds. The implications for education and society as a whole are considerable. A major point of concern, especially in education, is that not all of these implications are positive.Will students have AI write their research papers?Will students learn anything when a seemingly all-knowing AI program can do a very believable job of completing their assignments for them?While there are risks inherent in the technology—and some educational institutions are even banning AI out of concern over academic dishonesty—the growing consensus is that AI tools such as ChatGPT should be harnessed to automate some processes and enhance others, improving the learning experience for students and educators alike. Let’s examine some of the potential benefits for all involved

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Industry

Debunking Misconceptions About Online Program Management Services

For-profit colleges closing and leaving students without degrees but with considerable student loan debt have given online program managers (OPMs) a bad name. This is due in part to some OPMs blurring or crossing the line between educational institution and marketing firm. Here we’ll clear up some of the misconceptions that are broadly (and incorrectly) applied to the entire OPM category—and explain how our clients trust Apollidon Learning to transcend expectations and empower them to do what they do best. Debunking OPM Misconceptions While some OPMs develop and run their own courses, Apollidon prefers to leave all educational aspects to the expertise of our university partners. We focus on our own specialties: marketing and supporting our partners’ programs to increase student enrollment and retention

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