信平台，不挂科？

    考不及格而被迫重修一门课程会让学费总额增加数千美元。旨在帮助大学生完成学业的非营利组织completecollege.org在2011年开展的一项研究显示，只有60%的脱产学生能在8年时间内完成4年制本科学业。调查还表明，在加利福尼亚州，公立高等教育体系处于大幅萎缩和学生超员状态，在4年内毕业的本科生只有15%。该州公立高校系统加州大学（University of California）表示，在进入该系统公立院校就读的本科生中，有六成学生能在4年内毕业。

    纽约市教育局（New York City Department of Education）创新办公室首席执行官安德里娅•科尔曼表示，虽然高校层面的预测性分析有助于杜绝不必要的开支，但在初等到中等教育阶段采用这种技术让有些人感到担心。

    纽约市教育局管理着全美国最大的公共教育体系。该局于2011年和Desire2Learn签署了为期3年的合同。目前，它正在纽约市的250多所初中和高中使用Desire2Learn提供的教育服务，目的是观察个性化教育所产生的影响。不过，该局负责产品开发事务的凯西•沃尔特表示，他们并没有使用Desire2Learn的预测性分析工具，其中一个顾虑是学生们将停止挑战自我，而只去上那些对他们来说通过几率较高的课程，这种捷径可能存在长期缺陷。

    奥斯汀皮耶州立大学教务长登利则认为，这种方法不会给大学带来问题。“这样做绝不是让学生去走捷径，它的目的是指导学生走上一条最成功的道路。”

    Desire2Learn乐观地认为，在不久的将来，各个层次的学校都会用上这种预测性工具。去年9月，这家总部设在加州安大略市的公司筹集了8,000万美元（4.912亿元人民币），其中5,000万美元（3.07亿元人民币）来自风险投资公司NEA，这也是NEA最大的一笔教育技术投资（NEA还投资于另外十多家在线教育公司，如Coursera、BenchPrep和Edmodo）。

    Desire2Learn首席执行官贝克从来没有从事过教育工作，但在成长阶段伴随着他的父母都是教师。贝克说，1999年设立这家公司的目的是“影响人们的学习方法”。手握大量风投资金，又有能力预见受教育者能否成功，看来贝克有望顺利地以优异成绩“通过考试”。（财富中文网）

    译者：Charlie

    Failing a class and having to retake it can add thousands of dollars to a student's total tuition costs. Only 60% of full-time students complete a four-year bachelor's degree program within eight years, according to a 2011 study by completecollege.org. In California, whose state public university system has suffered dramatic cutbacks and overcrowding, only 15% of all public university and college students graduate within four years of enrolling, according to the study. The University of California system claims that 60% of freshman enrolled in the system's public universities graduate in four years.

    While predictive analytics make sense at the collegiate level to help combat unnecessary spending, some are concerned about implementing such technology in K-12 schools, says Andrea Coleman, CEO of the innovation office for the New York City Department of Education.

    The NYC Department of Education -- the largest public school system in the U.S. -- entered into a three-year contract with Desire2Learn in 2011. It is currently using the company's learning services to explore the impact of personalized education tools in more than 250 middle and high schools in the city. They are not, however, using Desire2Learn's predictive analytics tools, says Kathy Walter, executive director of product development at the NYC Department of Education. One concern is that students will stop challenging themselves and simply take classes they will probably pass, a shortcut that could have long-term disadvantages.

    Austin Peay's Denley doesn't view such an approach as a problem at the collegiate level. "It's in no way about trying to make a student have an easier path," he says. "It's about trying to guide their path in ways that they can be most successful."

    Desire2Learn is optimistic that schools across all academic levels will begin to use the predictive analytics systems in the near future. The Ontario-based company raised $80 million last September, including a $50 million investment from venture firm NEA, the firm's largest education tech investment. (NEA also invested in more than 10 other online learning companies like Coursera, BenchPrep, and Edmodo.)

    Desire2Learn CEO Baker, who was never an educator but grew up with parents who were teachers, started the company in 1999 to "have an impact on the way the world learns," he says. With a boatload of venture capital and the ability to foresee academic success, it looks like Baker is on track to pass with flying colors.