In this thesis, I discuss the emergence of the “non-traditional” post -secondary student and what is necessary to both narrow the socioeconomic education gap and make higher education more efficient for the vast majority of Americans. l explain how the current conglomeration of laws, regulations and proposed regulations stifle innovation and inhibit the achievement of a high Education Return On Investment. I discuss changes that are on the horizon and borrow from the success of certain innovations. In the final section, I suggest and review potential frameworks for education innovation and funding that can make a difference. I propose a better measure of program-level success by using the following formula: EDUCATION ROI = (Increased Earnings + Increased Economic Productivity + lower healthcare, unemployment, and other related costs) / (Federal + State + Student Expenditures) To arrive at this formula and evaluate current institutions, I look at the total costs to attend these schools, the cost per degree, and the cost per taxpayer. I look at earnings data for different periods after graduation as well as the levels of debt and interest payments students accumulate during this time. The results show that currently, for-profit institutions are much cheaper per degree to the student (long term) and taxpayer due to superior graduation rates, higher earnings data, and better job placement and therefore provide a higher Education ROI. These schools are also the most active in the education space in creating innovative new ideas to increase the “Return” while decreasing the “Investment” and at the same time increasing accessibility to a larger group of students. Using this measure to evaluate our schools may result in a more efficient appropriation of federal funds to the schools that are achieving a better Education ROI, an increase in the exponentially growing skilled labor market, and several other positive externalities positively correlated with education such as health, reduced crime, and a general increase in value to society.

Submitted by Livia Raposo Bardy Ribeiro Prado (liviarbardy@gmail.com) on 2018-04-26T18:33:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Bardy_Lívia Raposo.pdf: 4176284 bytes, checksum: 73ca9a17c218851fceb82d0b5c3b5e30 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ALESSANDRA KUBA OSHIRO ASSUNÇÃO (alessandra@fct.unesp.br) on 2018-04-26T20:31:39Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 bardy_lr_dr_prud.pdf: 4176284 bytes, checksum: 73ca9a17c218851fceb82d0b5c3b5e30 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-26T20:31:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 bardy_lr_dr_prud.pdf: 4176284 bytes, checksum: 73ca9a17c218851fceb82d0b5c3b5e30 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-02 / A presente tese de doutorado está vinculada à linha de pesquisa: Processos Formativos, Ensino e Aprendizagem do Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP), campus de Presidente Prudente. A pesquisa se desenvolve a partir da realidade vivenciada pela sociedade em virtude do intenso e dinâmico processo de mudanças, ocasionado especialmente pela forte evolução tecnológica e científica, que impacta sobremodo a vida das pessoas. No âmbito educacional, por sua vez, a situação não é diferente. Assim, é em torno do enfrentamento de desafios, tais como a falta de interesse dos estudantes pelas instituições formais de educação, a necessidade de melhor flexibilidade, otimização do tempo e de maior qualidade da aprendizagem dos graduandos que o estudo se desenvolve. Nesse contexto, o cenário educacional deve ser revisto a fim de se adequar às novas perspectivas de construção do conhecimento, implementando mudanças relacionadas ao uso de tecnologias, metodologias diferenciadas e do protagonismo do estudante em sua aprendizagem. Diante dessa situação, a UNESP criou o Programa Graduação Inovadora (PGI), com ações voltadas à formação continuada de seus docentes. Para tanto, ofertou o curso “Construção de Materiais Didático-Pedagógicos para E-Learning, M-Learning e B-Learning” (CMDP), selecionado para análise por sua consonância com o aporte teórico defendido neste estudo. Portanto, a tese traz como enfoque os fatores considerados essenciais à inovação na educação, partindo da premissa de que o protagonismo do estudante pode ser intensificado com o uso de Metodologias Ativas. Destacamos a inovação na Educação Superior (ES), a relação com E-Learning, M-Learning e B-Learning, uso de Tecnologias Digitais de Informação e Comunicação (TDIC) em uma abordagem Construcionista, Contextualizada e Significativa (CCS) e, ainda, a inserção do estudante em uma postura ativa e protagonista de construção do seu conhecimento. Assim, a pesquisa é de natureza qualitativa e estabeleceu como objetivo geral: averiguar, no âmbito do PGI, as contribuições do processo formativo proposto em termos didático-pedagógicos para o desenvolvimento de ações inovadoras na ES. O curso teve o escopo de fomentar o uso da modalidade a distância e de Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA), estratégias de E-Learning, M-Learning e B-Learning, como componente de grande relevância para inovação no cenário educacional atual. A coleta, seleção e análise de dados foram divididas em três fases e em três formas. Ocorreram por meio da observação das atividades propostas no AVA do curso e no que fora delineado no PGI, a partir do seu confronto com o planejamento, construção e execução, além de entrevistas com docentes participantes. A pesquisa revelou que ações inovadoras foram proporcionadas aos participantes, sobretudo ao compreender que a formação docente se pautou nos pressupostos da abordagem CCS. Por fim, concluímos que para o desenvolvimento contínuo de posturas inovadoras também é preciso proporcionar processos formativos permanentes aos docentes, em uma abordagem CCS, a fim de que possam, assim como seus estudantes, vivenciar a condição de protagonistas na construção do conhecimento. / This doctoral thesis is linked to the research line: Formative Processes, Teaching and Learning of the Post-Graduation Program in Education of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Sao Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), campus of Presidente Prudente/SP. The research is developed having as a starting point the reality lived by the society due to the intense and dynamic process of changes, caused especially by the strong technological and scientific evolution, that overly impacts people's life. In education, in turn, the situation is no different. Therefore, the research is developed surrounding these challenges such as students 'lack of interest in formal educational institutions, the need for better flexibility, optimization of time and higher quality of learning for university students. To this end, the educational scenario should be reviewed, adapting itself to the new perspectives of knowledge construction, implementing changes related to the use of technologies, differentiated methodologies and the protagonist role of students in their own learning. Given the above, UNESP has created the Innovative Graduation Program (known as PGI) with actions aimed at the continued education of its teachers. For this purpose, it offered a training course called "Construction of Didactic-Pedagogical Materials for E-Learning, M-Learning and B-Learning" selected for analysis due to its alignment with the theoretical referential adopted in this study. Therefore, the thesis has as its focus the factors considered essential for the innovation in education, starting from the premise that the student's protagonist role can be intensified with the use of Active Methodologies. It is worth highlighting the innovation in Higher Education, the link with E-Learning, M-Learning and B-Learning, the use of Digital Information and Communication Technologies in a Constructionist, Contextualized and Significant Approach (known as CCS) and, the inclusion of students in an active posture, where he is the protagonist of his knowledge construction. Therefore, this research, based on a qualitative approach, established as general objective: to investigate, within the PGI framework, the contributions of the formative process proposed in didactic-pedagogical ways for the development of innovative actions in Higher Education. The purpose of the course was to encourage the use of distance learning and Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and, strategies of E-Learning, M-Learning and B-Learning, that is, the adoption of hybrid education (B- Learning), seen as a component of great relevance for change and innovation in the current educational scenario. Data collection, selection and analysis were divided into three phases and three different ways. They were done through the observation of activities proposed in the VLE and in what was proposed in the PGI, from its confrontation with the planning, construction and execution of the course, in addition to interviews made with course participants. The research revealed that innovative actions were provided to course participants, especially through understanding that this teacher training was based on the assumptions of the CCS approach. To conclude, our understanding is that for the continuous development of innovative mindsets, it is also necessary to provide permanent training processes to teachers, made in a CCS approach, to ensure that they, as well as their students, can experience being protagonists in the knowledge construction process.