Learning Ecosystems

Why Professors Should Ask Students For Feedback Long Before the Semester Is Over — from edsurge.com by Rebecca Koenig
This article is part of the guide Better, Faster, Stronger: How Learning Engineering Aims to Transform Education.

Excerpt:

About a month into each semester, Gayle Golden sets aside a little time to ask her students about their learning.

The journalism instructor at the University of Minnesota keeps the process simple, with brief questions similar to these:

What should keep happening in this class?
What should we start doing in this class?
What should we stop doing in this class?

Golden collects the results, which students give anonymously, then studies the feedback and makes a list of all the information she’s received. During the next class period, she discusses the findings with her students. She tells them which suggestions she plans to put into practice, which recommendations she can’t act on, and why.

From DSC:
Speaking of feedback…

I think it would be good to have our students journal about their learning — integrating their notes, readings, experiments, lectures, etc. Students could check in on these 3 questions for example.

And in the (potentially) digital process, they could also submit a form to their faculty member to answer the question:

What do I want my professor to know about my learning experience today?

Such a question could be electronically delivered to the professor on any given day. This type of feedback loop would provide real-time, formative feedback to the professor as well as help the students develop their metacognitive skills.

I would think that such a process could also be used within the K-12 realm, including homeschoolers.

Also from edsurge.com, see:

How to Use Podcasts in Teaching — by Bonni Stachowiak
To Support Black Male Teachers, A Nonprofit is Paying Off Student Loans — by Jeffrey R. Young
Millions of Students Are Still Without WiFi and Tech—Why Haven’t Policymakers Stepped Up? — by Mary Jo Madda

Apple’s latest accessibility features are for those with limb and vocal differences [Coldewey]

On 06/11/2021, in accessibility / UDL, Apple, assistive technologies, by Daniel Christian

Apple’s latest accessibility features are for those with limb and vocal differences — from techcrunch.com by Devin Coldewey

Excerpt:

Apple announced a batch of accessibility features at WWDC 2021 that cover a wide variety of needs, among them a few for people who can’t touch or speak to their devices in the ordinary way. With Assistive Touch, Sound Control and other improvements, these folks have new options for interacting with an iPhone or Apple Watch.

Move over, blue- and white-collar jobs: The workforce color spectrum is expanding [Britt]

On 06/11/2021, in 21st century, business, career development, change, corporate / business world, future, generational differences, organizational change, parents, society, student-related, technology (general), training / L&D, workplace, youth, by Daniel Christian

Move over, blue- and white-collar jobs: The workforce color spectrum is expanding — from chieflearningofficer.com by Frank F. Britt
Here’s how gray-, green- and pink-collar jobs will define the post-COVID future of work.

Excerpt:

In 2015, a report from Burning Glass and General Assembly called attention to the rise of a new type of occupation. These roles combine technology skills with positions that haven’t historically required them, like analysis, design or marketing. Burning Glass called those positions “hybrid jobs.” Today, in a rapidly digitizing labor market where tech skills are fast becoming table stakes, we might just call them “jobs.”

Back when that report came out, so-called hybrid jobs were largely a white-collar phenomenon. But today, we’re witnessing a rise in demand for digital skills that is transcending desk work — and, in fact, may be transforming the entire “color spectrum” of the American workforce.

None of these are really white- or blue-collar jobs. We might think of them, instead, as gray-collar (at the intersection of manufacturing and technology), pink-collar (allied health and the care economy) and green-collar (clean energy). These are the jobs that will define the future of work. And they’ll be the majority of jobs in the U.S. before we know it.

Museum of Other Realities XR3 Exhibition: A Clear Vision For VR Film Festivals [Baker]

On 06/11/2021, in immersion, innovation, media/film, platforms, reinvent, user experience (UX), vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Museum of Other Realities XR3 Exhibition: A Clear Vision For VR Film Festivals — from uploadvr.com by Harry Baker

Excerpt:

This week, the Museum of Other Realities launched its XR3 exhibition — a joint project between Cannes XR, the NewImages Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival. Not only does the exhibition feature some fantastic immersive VR content, but it presents it in a way that feels fresh, appropriate and the right direction for VR film festivals.

However, it feels like the Museum of Other Realities (MOR) has properly cracked the code with its XR3 exhibition this year. It’s a joint exhibition staged by the virtual museum and three organizations — Cannes XR, NewImages and Tribeca — and it results in something that feels like a true vision and creative blueprint for the future of immersive festivals.

Western Michigan University landed the largest private gift ever to a public university: $550 million

On 06/10/2021, in funding / grants, higher education, Michigan, by Daniel Christian

This Michigan school just landed a record gift for a public university: $550 million — from washingtonpost.com by Nick Anderson

Excerpt:

Western Michigan University, usually overshadowed by certain other state schools in Ann Arbor and East Lansing, announced Tuesday that it has landed the largest private gift ever to a public university: $550 million.

The blockbuster donation to the university in Kalamazoo, from anonymous Western Michigan alumni, eclipses the previous record of $500 million on a list kept by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Tips To Use Virtual Training For User Education & Immersive Site Tours [Ivec]

On 06/10/2021, in Adobe, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), content development, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, health, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, training / L&D, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, visualizing information, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

Tips To Use Virtual Training For User Education & Immersive Site Tours — from elearningindustry.com by Stephanie Ivec
While virtual reality safety and equipment training have been around the longest, more and more organizations are seeing the benefits of virtual reality for new uses, like the site tours and user education.

Excerpt:

Software tools or systems, surgical devices, and even board games commonly require end user training or customer education in order for the customer to get the most out of the item they’ve purchased. Over the years, user education and training has evolved from lengthy user manuals to online videos to fully immersive experiences. Virtual and augmented reality videos are an engaging way to make customers feel more comfortable with a new product, procedure, or system.

Addendum on 6/11/21:

Assessing Extended Reality’s Potential — from avnetwork.com by Margot Douaihy
VR and AR still mystify some integrators, but advocates say the potential of extended reality (XR) solutions is staggering.

VR costs continue to decrease as processing power increases. Tethered and wireless HMDs (head-mounted displays) are becoming more compact and easier to use. From the HTC Vive Pro 2 to Oculus Quest 2, there are solutions for various budgets. VR is no longer cost-prohibitive.

The AR ecosystem is evolving, too. Apple’s ARKit and free AR mobile apps like Adobe Aero are inviting more people into the content creation space.

It’s a different calculus for adoption in commercial sectors, however. Return on investment and utilization throughout the product lifecycle are primary concerns.

A solid collaboration between Amazon and three systems within Georgia

On 06/10/2021, in Amazon, career development, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, credentialing, platforms, professional development, programming, training / L&D, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Gov. Kemp Announces Technical Skills Training Commitment to Prepare 5,500 Georgians for Cloud Computing Careers — from gov.georgia.gov

Excerpt:

Atlanta, GA — [On June 9th], Governor Brian P. Kemp announced a collaborative initiative between the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), the Georgia Department of Education (GADOE), the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide cloud computing training and education to 5,500 learners statewide by 2024. Through this initiative, high schools and technical colleges in Georgia will offer cloud computing courses and credentials that align with skills needed to pursue in-demand technical careers.

“The tech industry in Georgia is rapidly growing with exciting job opportunities for Georgians,” said Governor Kemp. “This collaboration with AWS will ensure our citizens have access to innovative training and education to help prepare them for tech jobs in Georgia.”

John 3:16

On 06/08/2021, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, by Daniel Christian

A “popcorn prayer” from DSC:
Thank you LORD for your mercy, forgiveness, grace, and love. Thank you for providing for us and for sustaining us. Thank you that you are extremely creative and detail-oriented. Thanks for your patience with us — especially with me.

I’m also grateful for the running clean water that we have access to…and for air conditioning, for food in the cupboard, for our refrigerator/freezer, the washing machine and other amenities such as reliable electricity and internet access. Thanks for the freedoms that we enjoy here in the United States.

Have mercy upon us LORD. I/we need you…big time. Don’t give up on the work of your hands.

2021 CHLOE 6 Report
CHLOE 6: Online Learning Leaders Adapt for a Post-Pandemic World — from qualitymatters.org

Excerpt:

The 2021 report, authored by Quality Matters and Eduventures® Research, tracks how institutions are reassessing their priorities related to online learning and shifting focus to ed tech enhancements, faculty professional development and online quality. The report was compiled from responses from 422 chief online officers (COO) representing 2- and 4-year colleges and universities.

More than half of the survey respondents (57%) across all sectors of higher education, including predominantly in-person institutions, indicated that, going forward, the pandemic experience is leading to a positive reassessment of institutional priorities related to online learning. Key survey findings from the 69-page report include:

An elevated commitment to online learning quality assurance goals, including having courses meet quality standards, supported by a commitment to faculty professional development.
An average 10-15% increase across institutions in online professional development and student orientation to online study to serve formerly in-person faculty and students.
The largest yearly increases ever in ed tech investment in 2020 and 2021 across all sectors of higher ed.

Google revives RSS [Lardinois]

On 06/08/2021, in Daniel S. Christian, Google, productivity / tips and tricks, RSS, streams of content, tools, by Daniel Christian

Google revives RSS — from techcrunch.com by Frederic Lardinois

Excerpt:

Chrome, at least in its experimental Canary version on Android (and only for users in the U.S.), is getting an interesting update in the coming weeks that brings back RSS, the once-popular format for getting updates from all the sites you love in Google Reader and similar services.

In Chrome, users will soon see a “Follow” feature for sites that support RSS and the browser’s New Tab page will get what is essentially a (very) basic RSS reader — I guess you could almost call it a “Google Reader.”

From DSC:
I have been using RSS feed aggregators for years as I find them highly effective, efficient ways to keep pulse-checks on a variety of items. When Google Reader left the scene years ago, I switched to Feedly. Regardless of the tool, I hope the functionalities that the RSS protocol gives us will be enhanced…not removed. RSS feeds help me tap into — and contribute towards — the streams of content that are always flowing by us.

Several items – both good & bad – re: AI. Including “NYPD’s Sprawling Facial Recognition System Now Has More Than 15,000 Cameras” [Feathers]

On 06/07/2021, in 24x7x365 access, Amazon, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning, biology, career development, culture, engineering, health, innovation, law schools, legal reform, legislatures / government / legal, policy, society, the downsides of technology, United States, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Again, as you can see from the items below…there are various plusses and minuses regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Some of the items below are neither positive or negative, but I found them interesting nonetheless.

How Amazon is tackling the A.I. talent crunch — from fortune.com by Jonathan Vanian

Excerpt:

“One way Amazon has adapted to the tight labor market is to require potential new programming hires to take classes in machine learning, said Bratin Saha, a vice president and general manager of machine learning services at Amazon. The company’s executives believe they can teach these developers machine learning basics over a few weeks so that they can work on more cutting-edge projects after they’re hired.”
…
“These are not formal college courses, and Saha said the recruits aren’t graded like they would be in school. Instead, the courses are intended to give new developers a foundation in machine learning and statistics so they can understand the theoretical underpinnings.”

Machine Learning Can Predict Rapid Kidney Function Decline — from sicklecellanemianews.com by Steve Bryson PhD; with thanks to Sam DeBrule for this resource

Excerpt:

Machine learning tools can identify sickle cell disease (SCD) patients at high risk of progressive kidney disease as early as six months in advance, a study shows. The study, “Using machine learning to predict rapid decline of kidney function in sickle cell anemia,” was published in the journal eJHaem.

NYPD’s Sprawling Facial Recognition System Now Has More Than 15,000 Cameras — from vice.com by Todd Feathers; with thanks to Sam DeBrule for this resource
The massive camera network is concentrated in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, according to a new crowdsourced report.

Excerpt:

The New York City Police Department has built a sprawling facial recognition network that may include more than 15,000 surveillance cameras in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, according to a massive crowdsourced investigation by Amnesty International.
…
“This sprawling network of cameras can be used by police for invasive facial recognition and risk turning New York into an Orwellian surveillance city,” Matt Mahmoudi, an artificial intelligence and human rights researcher at Amnesty, wrote in the group’s report. “You are never anonymous. Whether you’re attending a protest, walking to a particular neighbourhood, or even just grocery shopping—your face can be tracked by facial recognition technology using imagery from thousands of camera points across New York.”

Related to that article is this one:

The All-Seeing Eyes of New York’s 15,000 Surveillance Cameras — from wired.com by Sidney Fussell
Video from the cameras is often used in facial-recognition searches. A report finds they are most common in neighborhoods with large nonwhite populations.

Excerpt:

A NEW VIDEO from human rights organization Amnesty International maps the locations of more than 15,000 cameras used by the New York Police Department, both for routine surveillance and in facial-recognition searches. A 3D model shows the 200-meter range of a camera, part of a sweeping dragnet capturing the unwitting movements of nearly half of the city’s residents, putting them at risk for misidentification. The group says it is the first to map the locations of that many cameras in the city.

Don’t End Up on This Artificial Intelligence Hall of Shame — from wired.com by Tom Simonite
A list of incidents that caused, or nearly caused, harm aims to prompt developers to think more carefully about the tech they create.

Excerpt:

The AI Incident Database is hosted by Partnership on AI, a nonprofit founded by large tech companies to research the downsides of the technology. The roll of dishonor was started by Sean McGregor, who works as a machine learning engineer at voice processor startup Syntiant. He says it’s needed because AI allows machines to intervene more directly in people’s lives, but the culture of software engineering does not encourage safety.

3 Education Trends to Watch for the Upcoming School Year [Ray]

On 06/07/2021, in assessment, digital learning, education, K-12 related, learning spaces, microlearning, smart classrooms, student teaching/teacher education, teachers, teaching & learning, tools, trends, by Daniel Christian

3 Education Trends to Watch for the Upcoming School Year — from techlearning.com by Dr. Kecia Ray
Education trends in the year ahead include micro lessons, integrated whole classrooms, and reconsidering assessments

Excerpts:

The study was conducted at the university level but can apply to all levels K-20. Polling, response apps, small group instruction, collaborative activities, and peer instruction are some of the effective strategies identified in active learning.

Thinking about classroom design as having all the necessary technologies — interactive panels, individual devices for students and teachers, integrated software, integrated hardware solutions, accessible high quality digital content, interactive applications — along with a teacher who is well equipped to design classes that incorporate effective instructional strategies will yield high performing students, no matter who you are teaching!

It’s like Netflix for education: UND considers subscription tuition model — from grandforksherald.com by Sydney Mook; with thanks to Ray Schroeder for this resource out on LinkedIn
Think of it as Netflix or Hulu – popular television subscription services – but for a UND education. Students could pay a flat rate and take as many (or as few) online courses as preferred, so long as they aren’t considered a full-time, degree-seeking student.

Excerpts:

UND wants to add a flat-rate subscription option to its tuition model.

Think of it as Netflix or Hulu – popular television subscription services – but for a UND education. Students could pay a flat rate and take as many (or as few) online courses as preferred, so long as they aren’t considered a full-time, degree-seeking student.

“You enroll, you have a subscription and during that subscription, you can binge watch,” said Jeff Holm, vice provost for online education and strategic planning at UND.

UND says it wants to “provide competency-based, online education that provides ‘micro-pathways’ or smaller targeted units of learning to individuals as a way to enhance their skill set and knowledge for advancing in the labor market or reskilling for a new employment opportunity.”

Morpheus is a microprocessor that randomly changes its architecture to foil attackers: This is a fascinating idea. [oreilly.com]

On 06/07/2021, in computer science, platforms, programming, trends, by Daniel Christian

Radar trends to watch: June 2021 — from oreilly.com
Trends in AI, Security, Programming, and More

Excerpt:

Security
Morpheus is a microprocessor that randomly changes its architecture to foil attackers: This is a fascinating idea. In a 3-month long trial, 525 attackers were unable to crack it.

Learning Ecosystems

Apple’s latest accessibility features are for those with limb and vocal differences [Coldewey]

Museum of Other Realities XR3 Exhibition: A Clear Vision For VR Film Festivals [Baker]

Western Michigan University landed the largest private gift ever to a public university: $550 million

Tips To Use Virtual Training For User Education & Immersive Site Tours [Ivec]

A solid collaboration between Amazon and three systems within Georgia

John 3:16

CHLOE 6: Online Learning Leaders Adapt for a Post-Pandemic World

Google revives RSS [Lardinois]

Several items – both good & bad – re: AI. Including “NYPD’s Sprawling Facial Recognition System Now Has More Than 15,000 Cameras” [Feathers]

It’s like Netflix for education: UND considers subscription tuition model [Mook]

Morpheus is a microprocessor that randomly changes its architecture to foil attackers: This is a fascinating idea. [oreilly.com]

Greetings!

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