Report Touts Benefits of Digital Learning

From online courses to an initiative that entailed putting an Amazon Echo in every freshman engineer’s dorm room, Arizona State University continues to embrace digital learning on myriad levels. This week, the university, in conjunction with the Boston Consulting Group, released a new study on the benefits of digital learning: Making Digital Learning Work: Success Strategies from Six Universities and Community Colleges.

A case study of Arizona State University and five other institutions with a longstanding interest in digital learning, including the University of Central Florida, Georgia State University, Houston Community College, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and Rio Salado Community College, the report suggests that when colleges and universities take a “strategic approach to digital learning” and invest in design and development, they can achieve three major objectives: improved student learning outcomes, improved access for disadvantaged students, and an improved financial outlook for the institution. While the report is enthusiastic about digital learning’s widespread benefits, at least some readers have questioned the report’s claims and methods.

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