The bulk of growth in higher education today is happening globally as demand picks up for massified educational systems designed to boost economic growth and competitiveness. Nonetheless, “global higher education” is a complex phenomenon. Many institutions—and institution types—make up this diverse landscape, which consists of “world-class” research institutions, teaching focusedinstitutions, vocational schools, and online for-profits. In this episode of Thinking Outside the Sandbox, deputy director of research Brian Fleming explores the megatrends of globalization, massification of higher education, and the global knowledge economy with Dr. Phillip Altbach, professor and founding director of the Boston College Center for International Higher Education. Dr. Altbach also discusses findings from his most recent book, Global Perspectives on Higher Education, and his view of the future of the teaching university. Sandbox is pleased to present this episode as part of our ongoing coverage of megatrends and the future of higher education.

No discussion about the future of higher education can ignore the impact of globalization and its effect not only on how students experience the world around them but how institutions prepare students for success in a global age. In this episode of Thinking Outside the Sandbox, deputy director of research Brian Fleming sits down with Dr. Jamil Salmi, who was until January 2012 tertiary education coordinator for the World Bank. Dr. Salmi offers advice on education reform to institutions and governments on a range of topics, including strategies for building world-class universities and the impact of globalization on teaching and learning. Sandbox is pleased to present this episode as part of our ongoing coverage of megatrends and the future of higher education.

There’s a big difference between teaching and teaching naked. In this episode of Thinking Outside the Sandbox, Deputy director of Research Brian Fleming explores the promise of technology for improving face-to-face instruction with Dr. Jose Bowen, president of Goucher College and author of Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning. Dr. Bowen’s research focuses on ways to blend technology into traditional face-to-face experiences through adoption of technology-enabled active learning models. Sandbox is pleased to present this episode as part of our ongoing coverage of pedagogic innovation in higher education and the many promising new practices taking shape across the industry for improving instructional quality and the likelihood of student success.

What is blockchain and how does it apply to higher education? In this episode of Thinking Outside the Sandbox, Sandbox Deputy Director of Research Brian Fleming sits down with Chris Jagers, CEO of Learning Machine, a company that creates software for education providers, employers, and students to create and issue and track digital certificates using block chain technology, to explore the use of blockchain technology in higher ed, and its impact on a host of issues from digital transcripts and alternative credentials, to privacy, security, and authenticity. Sandbox is pleased to present this podcast as part of our ongoing coverage of pedagogical innovation and higher education, and of the many promising practices taking shape across the industry through the use of technology.

In higher education, mission matters and markets make the world go around. But margins? Do they matter? And what does it mean to be market margin conscious? In this episode of Thinking Outside the Sandbox, deputy director of research Brian Fleming explores transformative teaching and learning models, and operational strategies, with Dr. William Massy, economist, professor, and a former vice president and vice provost at Stanford University, and author of Reengineering the University: How to Be Mission Centered, Market Smart, and Margin Conscious. Dr. Massy’s research focuses on the reform of traditional higher education and the role of emerging strategies to improve learning outcomes and contain costs, such as course redesign, cost modeling, and strategic accounting practices. Sandbox is pleased to present this episode as part of our ongoing coverage of business model innovation in higher education.

Making innovation happen in higher ed requires looking beyond ourselves to other industries like healthcare, which today is under immense pressure to extend access and improve quality and patient outcomes through use of digital technologies and alternative business models. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kevin Fickenscher, MD and CEO of CREO Strategic Solutions in Boston, to discuss cross-industry engagement and to get his thoughts on what educators can learn from healthcare professionals.

How might we make a better future? As a distinguished fellow – and former president - at the Institute for the Future (IFTF), Bob Johansen helps leaders of business, government, and nonprofit organizations engage thoughtfully with this question. He draws on his training in the social sciences and his extensive experience at the edges of multiple disciplines to help leaders listen “through the noise of a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world” so they might prepare for and shape the future. In this episode, Bob shares with Steve Brown, the Sandbox’s new deputy director, the sources of his hope, what educators (and parents) can learn from and share with the first generation of digital natives, and how gameful design will revolutionize learning

The future of education is here and it’s more and more digital through use of artificial intelligence. And fret not; AI is not near as scary as it seems. In fact, many AI tools are already quite mainstream and will only gain traction as the technology becomes more powerful and accessible to all. These tools have the power to unlock tremendous value, and their use is not as far off as many think. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kelly Calhoun Williams, Research Director at Gartner to discuss the meaning of AI and its use in education both today and tomorrow.

Workforce development has moved beyond basic job boards and conventional training and development to digitally immersive experiences facilitated by a growing market of employment technology products. Think LinkedIn, Coursera, and Indeed; then, think bigger. Tools and technologies designed for low-skill workers are also changing the game by providing on-ramps to employment and career advancement for these populations. At the epicenter of this movement is Wal-Mart, which through its foundation has contributed millions to projects designed to get employment technology in the hands of workers who need it most. In this episode, we sit down with Gayatri Agnew, Director of Opportunity at Walmart Foundation to discuss Walmart’s support of these efforts.

The future of education is here and it’s more and more digital through use of artificial intelligence. And fret not; AI is not near as scary as it seems. In fact, many AI tools are already quite mainstream and will only gain traction as the technology becomes more powerful and accessible to all. These tools have the power to unlock tremendous value, and their use is not as far off as many think. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kelly Calhoun Williams, Research Director at Gartner to discuss the meaning of AI and its use in education both today and tomorrow.