collaboration

U-M partners with Google to offer job-ready tech skills program — from record.umich.edu by Sean Corp

Excerpt:

A new flexible online training program on data science will prepare job-seekers in Michigan and beyond to quickly enter one of the fastest-growing labor markets and advance their careers.

The Center for Academic Innovation created the program, “Data Analytics in the Public Sector with R,” for data science and other professionals interested in how public data sets can drive decisions and policymaking in the public sector. The course complements current Google career certificates, flexible online “Grow with Google” job-training programs for high-demand fields.

Also relevant/see:

Google Cloud and edX Partner to Launch Cloud Computing Professional Certificate — from prnewswire.com 2U, Inc.

Excerpt:

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Google Cloud and edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), today announced the launch of a Professional Certificate program in Google Cloud Computing Foundations. The certificate will bring edX’s global community of 45 million learners access to skills that are central to cloud basics, big data, machine learning, and where and how Google Cloud fits in. Registration is open today at www.edx.org, with courses beginning November 2022.

“We are excited to launch our Google Cloud training content on the edX platform,” said Chris Pirie, Director of Google Cloud Learning Profile and Partnerships. “This partnership presents a fantastic opportunity for learners around the world to build in-demand cloud skills on a proven learning platform.”

New Mexico College Publishes Report to Advance a National Learning and Employment Record for Skills-based Credentialing and Hiring — from prnewswire.com by Central New Mexico Community College

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — In the current job market, applicants are usually asked to provide a broad résumé that lists the basics of their qualifications including college degrees and past work experience. It’s an outdated and inefficient system and one that Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) is now helping to improve.

Thanks to a grant from Walmart, CNM produced a comprehensive report that researches several independent efforts underway in order to build a model for creating a national Learner and Employment Records (LER) infrastructure. An LER enables the exchange of skills-based digital records that facilitate more efficient pathways from learning to earning.

An LER is more efficient and secure for both employers and job-seekers because it uses blockchain technology to provide security, trust, and transparency.

From DSC:
I still am learning about how secure blockchain-based applications are — or aren’t. But this idea of a Learner and Employment Record — which I’ve referred to on this blog as a “cloud-based learner profile” — seems to hold a lot of potential as we move into the future. Especially when the focus is increasingly on which skills a position needs and which skills an individual has.

I have used the term cloud-based learner profiles instead of LERs but the idea is the same

What Ails Our Labor Market Is Evident in College [Busteed]

On 10/12/2022, in business, business side of he, career development, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, corporate / business world, future of higher education, higher education, United States, universities, workplace, youth, by Daniel Christian

What Ails Our Labor Market Is Evident in College — from insidehighered.com by Brandon Busteed
Both colleges and employers must fix work-readiness failures and inequitable work-readiness practices, writes Brandon Busteed.

Excerpts:

The price tag for college continues to rise, while doubts about the work readiness of college graduates are rampant. This is very bad news for higher education, given the No. 1 reason Americans value a college degree is to get a good or better job.
…
Higher education isn’t alone in needing to fix what ails us. Employers of all shapes and sizes need to step up. After all, what they want most from a college graduate is one with relevant job or internship experience. State and federal governments can and should provide more incentives (whether matching funds or tax subsidies) to encourage more paid internships offered by employers. And why not an addition to the Pell program to provide stipends for unpaid or low-paid internships?

Unfortunately, only 14 percent of current college students received academic credit for their internship.

8 Ways to Use QR Codes in Higher Education Classrooms — from er.educause.edu by Tolulope (Tolu) Noah

Excerpt:

QR codes open up a world of possibility in the higher education setting. They provide a quick and easy way for students to access instructional materials, and they complement the design of more interactive and engaging learning experiences.

From DSC:
QR codes can bridge the physical world with the digital world — which is something about to take an exponential leap as more AR and MR-based hardware and software solutions hit the marketplace in the near future.

21st-Century Skills That Every Learner Needs [studycorgi.com]

On 10/04/2022, in 21st century, Blockchain, bots, collaboration, communications, copyright/ownership/NFTs, creativity, innovation, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, new media literacies, pace of change, skills, technology (general), by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
The Ultimate List of 21-Century Skills – 2022 that’s on that page lists fifty skills. Whew! That’s a lot of skills. I doubt anyone will have them all. But the posting/infographic has a lot of fodder for further reflection and growth.

Lessons Learned from Six Years of Podcasting — from derekbruff.org by Derek Bruff

Excerpt:

Last month on Twitter, I shared some of the many, many things I’ve learned from podcast guests over the last six years. I encourage you to check out that thread and listen to a few of my favorite episodes. Here on the blog, I’d like to share a few more general reflections about what I learned through producing Leading Lines.

Finally, one lesson that the podcast reinforced for me is that faculty and other instructors want to hear stories. Sure, a peer-reviewed journal article on the impact of some teaching practice is useful, but some of those can focus too much on assessment and not enough on the practice itself. Hearing a colleague talk about their teaching, the choices they’ve made, why they made those choices, what effects those choices have had on student learning… that can be both inspirational and intensely practical for those seeking to improve their teaching. A big part of Leading Lines was finding instructors with compelling stories and then letting them shine during our interviews.

Speaking of digital audio, also relevant/see:

With Audiobooks Launching in the U.S. Today, Spotify Is the Home for All the Audio You Love — from newsroom.spotify.com by

Excerpt:

Adding an entirely new content format to our service is no small feat. But we’ve done it before with podcasts, and we’re excited to now do the same with audiobooks.
…
Just as we did with podcasting, this will introduce a new format to an audience that has never before consumed it, unlocking a whole new segment of potential listeners. This also helps us support even more kinds of creators and connect them with fans that will love their art—which makes this even more exciting.

Addendum on 9/30/22:

8 TIME-SAVING TIPS FOR TEACHING WITH PODCASTS – EASY EDTECH PODCAST 182 — from classtechtips.com by Dr. Monica Burns

Video games dreamed up other worlds. Now they’re coming for real architecture [Berg]

On 09/27/2022, in 3D, architecture, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, communications, graphics, NVIDIA, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Video games dreamed up other worlds. Now they’re coming for real architecture — from fastcompany.com by Nate Berg
A marriage between Epic Games and Autodesk could help communities see exactly what’s coming their way with new construction.

Excerpt:

Video games and architectural models are about to form a long overdue union. Epic Games and design software maker Autodesk are joining forces to help turn the utilitarian digital building models used by architects and designers from blocky representations into immersive spaces in which viewers can get a sense of a room’s dimensions and see how the light changes throughout the day. For both designers and the clients they’re designing for, this could help make architecture more nimble and understandable.

The AutoCAD model (top) and Twinmotion render (bottom) [Images: courtesy Autodesk]

Integrating Twinmotion software into Revit essentially shortens the time-sucking process of rendering models into high-resolution images, animations, and virtual-reality walkthroughs from hours to seconds. “If you want to see your design in VR, in Twinmotion you push the VR button,” says Epic Games VP Marc Petit. “You want to share a walkthrough on the cloud, you can do that.”

From DSC:
An interesting collaboration! Perhaps this will be useful for those designing/implementing learning spaces as well.

What the Faltering OPM Market Means for Colleges [Hill]

On 09/24/2022, in business side of he, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, higher education, instructional design, online learning, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

What the Faltering OPM Market Means for Colleges — from chronicle.com by Phil Hill
Even institutions not involved with the companies should take heed.

Excerpts:

It turns out that the OPM business is a difficult one. And colleges with online programs — whether or not they use OPMs — can take a handful of important lessons away from the recent developments.
…
Long-term contracts might not be viable. What happens to an online program if the OPM company helping manage the program with complicated contractual terms gets bought or starts operating at a reduced level? That is no longer a theoretical question. Colleges need to become much more sophisticated when they enter into contracts, coming up with real contingency plans and terms that can end partnerships without harming the underlying academic programs.

Reflections on “To improve outcomes for students, we must improve support for faculty” [Wiley]

On 09/12/2022, in A/V -- audio/visual, adjunct faculty, Alternatives, animation, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, cost of getting a degree, Daniel S. Christian, design, digital audio, digital learning, digital video, education technology, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, instructional design, law schools, learning, Learning Experience Design, learning theories, library / librarians, online learning, online media, professional development, research, teaching & learning, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

To Improve Outcomes for Students, We Must Improve Support for Faculty — from campustechnology.com by Dr. David Wiley
The doctoral programs that prepare faculty for their positions often fail to train them on effective teaching practices. We owe it to our students to provide faculty with the professional development they need to help learners realize their full potential.

Excerpts:

Why do we allow so much student potential to go unrealized? Why are well-researched, highly effective teaching practices not used more widely?

The doctoral programs that are supposed to prepare them to become faculty in physics, philosophy, and other disciplines don’t require them to take a single course in effective teaching practices.

The entire faculty preparation enterprise seems to be caught in a loop, unintentionally but consistently passing on an unawareness that some teaching practices are significantly more effective than others. How do we break this cycle and help students realize their full potential as learners?

From DSC:
First of all, I greatly appreciate the work of Dr. David Wiley. His career has been dedicated to teaching and learning, open educational resources, and more. I also appreciate and agree with what David is saying here — i.e., that professors need to be taught how to teach as well as what we know about how people learn at this point in time.

For years now, I’ve been (unpleasantly) amazed that we hire and pay our professors primarily for their research capabilities — vs. their teaching competence. At the same time, we continually increase the cost of tuition, books, and other fees. Students have the right to let their feet do the walking. As the alternatives to traditional institutions of higher education increase, I’m quite sure that we’ll see that happen more and more.

While I think that training faculty members about effective teaching practices is highly beneficial, I also think that TEAM-BASED content creation and delivery will deliver the best learning experiences that we can provide. I say this because multiple disciplines and specialists are involved, such as:

Subject Matter Experts (i.e., faculty members)
Instructional Designers
Graphic Designers
Web Designers
Learning Scientists; Cognitive Learning Researchers
Audio/Video Specialists and Learning Space Designers/Architects
CMS/LMS Administrators
Programmers
Multimedia Artists who are skilled in working with digital audio and digital video
Accessibility Specialists
Librarians
Illustrators and Animators
and more

The point here is that one person can’t do it all — especially now that the expectation is that courses should be offered in a hybrid format or in an online-based format. For a solid example of the power of team-based content creation/delivery, see this posting.

One last thought/question here though. Once a professor is teaching, are they open to working with and learning from the Instructional Designers, Learning Scientists, and/or others from the Teaching & Learning Centers that do exist on their campus? Or do they, like many faculty members, think that such people are irrelevant because they aren’t faculty members themselves? Oftentimes, faculty members look to each other and don’t really care what support is offered (unless they need help with some of the technology.)

Also relevant/see:

The unasked question about the student loan bailout: What’s colleges’ responsibility? — from hechingerreport.org by Jon Marcus
Schools that benefit from all that debt share almost no accountability for poor returns

DC: Now you’re talking! A team-based effort to deliver an Associate’s Degree for 1/3 of the price! Plus a job-ready certificate from Google, IBM, or Salesforce

On 09/08/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adjunct faculty, business, career development, changing business models, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, cost of getting a degree, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, faculty/staff, game-changing environment, higher education, ideas, innovation, instructional design, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, learning spaces, liberal arts, new business models, online learning, online media, platforms, programming, skills, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Now you’re talking! A team-based effort to deliver an Associate’s Degree for 1/3 of the price! Plus a job-ready certificate from Google, IBM, or Salesforce. Nice.

Check these items out!

We started Outlier because we believe that students deserve better. So we worked from the ground up to create the best online college courses in the world, just for curious-minded learners like you.

The brightest instructors, available on-demand. Interactive materials backed by cognitive science. Flexible timing. And that’s just the beginning.

Outlier.org

MasterClass’s Co-Founder Takes on the Community-College Degree — from wsj.com by Lindsay Ellis
A new, online-only education model promises associate degrees via prerecorded lectures from experts at Yale, NASA and other prestigious institutions

Excerpts (emphasis DSC):

One of the founders of the celebrity-fueled, e-learning platform MasterClass is applying the same approach to the humble community-college degree—one based on virtual, highly produced lectures from experts at prestigious institutions around the country.
…
The two-year degrees—offered in applied computing, liberal studies or business administration—will be issued by Golden Gate University, a nonprofit institution in San Francisco. Golden Gate faculty and staff, not the lecturers, will be the ones to hold office hours, moderate virtual discussions and grade homework, said Outlier, which is announcing the program Wednesday and plans to start courses in the spring.

Golden Gate University and Outlier.org Reinvent Affordable College with Degrees+ — from prnewswire.com

Excerpt:

For less than one-third the price of the national average college tuition, students will earn an associate degree plus a job-ready certificate from Google, IBM, or Salesforce

NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Golden Gate University is launching Degrees+, powered by Outlier.org, with three associate degrees that reimagine the two-year degree for a rising generation of students that demand high quality education without the crushing cost. For annual tuition of $4,470 all-inclusive, students will earn a two-year degree that uniquely brings together the best of a college education with a career-relevant industry certificate.

Beginning today, students can apply to be part of the first class, which starts in Spring 2023.

“Imagine if everyone had the option to go to college with top instructors from Harvard, Yale, Google, and NASA via the highest-quality online classes. By upgrading the two-year degree, we can massively reduce student debt and set students up for success, whether that’s transferring into a four-year degree or going straight into their careers.”

Aaron Rasmussen, CEO and founder of Outlier.org
and co-founder of MasterClass

Outlier.org & Universities Call for Greater Credit Transfer Transparency — from articles.outliner.org

Excerpt:

“Outlier.org is working with leading institutions across the country to build a new kind of on-ramp to higher education,” said Aaron Rasmussen, CEO and Founder of Outlier.org. “By partnering with schools to build bridges from our courses into their degree programs, we can help students reduce the cost of their education and graduate faster.”

From DSC:
All of this reminds me of a vision I put out on my Calvin-based website at the time (To His Glory! was the name of the website.) The vision was originally called “The Forthcoming Walmart of Education” — which I renamed to “EduMart Education.”

By the way…because I’m not crazy about Walmart, I’m not crazy about that name. In today’s terms, it might be better called the new “Amazon.com of Higher Education” or something along those lines. But you get the idea. Lower prices due to new business models.

.

And the winner is ….. Library of the Year 2022 [designinglibraries.org.uk]

On 09/06/2022, in architecture, collaboration, learning, learning spaces, library / librarians, society, UK, United States, by Daniel Christian

And the winner is ….. Library of the Year 2022 — from designinglibraries.org.uk
Congratulations to Missoula Public Library in the United States which was announced as Library of the Year at the IFLA 2022 conference in Dublin, in July.

Also see:

Missoula’s new library — from missoulapubliclibrary.org

What if smart TVs’ new killer app was a next-generation learning-related platform? [Christian]

On 09/06/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, communications, communities of practice, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, Design Thinking, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), education, education technology, educational games / serious games, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, heutagogy, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, legislatures / government / legal, liberal arts, library / librarians, lifelong learning, more voice more choice more control, multimedia, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, platforms, second screen apps, skills, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, society, staying relevant, strategy, streams of content, surviving, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, telelegal, telemedicine / telehealth / virtual health, telepresence, television, tools, training / L&D, transmedia, trends, TVs, ubiquitous learning, United States, universities, user experience (UX), vendors, videoconferencing, Virtual courts and law firms, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, Web3, webinars, by Daniel Christian

TV makers are looking beyond streaming to stay relevant — from protocol.com by Janko Roettgers and Nick Statt

Excerpts:

The search for TV’s next killer app
TV makers have some reason to celebrate these days: Streaming has officially surpassed cable and broadcast as the most popular form of TV consumption; smart TVs are increasingly replacing external streaming devices; and the makers of these TVs have largely figured out how to turn those one-time purchases into recurring revenue streams, thanks to ad-supported services.
…
What TV makers need is a new killer app. Consumer electronics companies have for some time toyed with the idea of using TV for all kinds of additional purposes, including gaming, smart home functionality and fitness. Ad-supported video took priority over those use cases over the past few years, but now, TV brands need new ways to differentiate their devices.

Turning the TV into the most useful screen in the house holds a lot of promise for the industry. To truly embrace this trend, TV makers might have to take some bold bets and be willing to push the envelope on what’s possible in the living room.

From DSC:
What if smart TVs’ new killer app was a next-generation learning-related platform? Could smart TVs deliver more blended/hybrid learning? Hyflex-based learning?
.

.

Or what if smart TVs had to do with delivering telehealth-based apps? Or telelegal/virtual courts-based apps?

Adobe’s and Unacademy’s new channels on YouTube

On 09/06/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Adobe, career development, collaboration, content development, aggregation, repositories, cost of getting a degree, game-changing environment, global / globalization, Google, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, India, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, learning spaces, lifelong learning, microlearning, more voice more choice more control, new business models, online learning, online media, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, social learning / networks, social media, society, student-related, teachers, teaching online, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, United States, vendors, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Per Adobe today (emphasis DSC):

And we’re live! Starting 9:30am pst on Adobe Live’s YouTube Channel

After years of partnering with the Creative Cloud YouTube channel to bring our community inspiration and advice, Adobe Live will be streaming to our own YouTube channel (+Behance!) starting 9/6! This gives the Adobe Live team an exciting opportunity to connect closely with YOU, our community, through tailored content, YouTube’s community tab and, of course, LIVE streams.

Make sure to subscribe to the Adobe Live channel NOW!
.

EdTech Giant Unacademy Launches 50 New Channels On YouTube To Democratise Online Education — from edtechreview.in by Shalini Pathak

Excerpt:

Unacademy, an Indian EdTech unicorn and one of the leading online learning platform, has recently launched 50 new education channels on Google-owned YouTube. The channels significantly help in increasing accessibility for millions of learners across academic and non-academic categories.

Few of these 50 channels are built on the existing content categories as offered by Unacademy. They mark Unacademy’s foray into newer terrains such as ‘Tick Tock Tax’- to simplify the direct and indirect tax concepts, and Life After IIT – a platform to crack JEE and discuss success stories of top rankers.

Top Tools for Learning 2022 [Jane Hart]

On 09/02/2022, in adjunct faculty, Adobe, adult learning, Africa, Asia, Australia, blogs / blogging / vlogging, Bring your own device (BYOD), Canada, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, communications, communities of practice, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, design, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), education, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, engagement / engaging students, Europe, experimentation, face-to-face, faculty/staff, Google, graphics, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), instructional design, interactivity, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, liberal arts, library / librarians, lifelong learning, love of learning, Microsoft, multimedia, new media literacies, online learning, participation, personalized/customized learning, platforms, play, podcasting, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, RSS, simulations, social learning / networks, social media, society, storytelling, streams of content, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, trends, UK, United States, universities, vendors, videoconferencing, visualizing information, web design and production, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Top tools for learning 2022 — from toptools4learning.com by Jane Hart

Excerpt:

In fact, it has become clear that whilst 2021 was the year of experimentation – with an explosion of tools being used as people tried out new things, 2022 has been the year of consolidation – with people reverting to their trusty old favourites. In fact, many of the tools that were knocked off their perches in 2021, have now recovered their lost ground this year.

Also somewhat relevant/see:

Tech & Learning Names Winners of the Best for Back to School 2022 Awards — from techlearning.com
The best education technology tools and solutions for back to school 2022

Microcredentials: A new category of education is rising [Caballero, Gallagher, Shapiro, & Zanville — via Zeina Chalich]

On 08/25/2022, in Alternatives, Australia, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, credentialing, Europe, new business models, reinvent, skills, staying relevant, student-related, surviving, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

Despite the lack of globally accepted standards or even agreement on language, microcredentials have proven to be a promising way to fulfil student and labour market needs that are unique to the digital age.#aussieED #womenED #microcredentials https://t.co/CJfxwxm2K5

— Zeina Chalich ? (@ZeinaChalich) August 24, 2022

Learning Ecosystems

What Ails Our Labor Market Is Evident in College [Busteed]

8 Ways to Use QR Codes in Higher Education Classrooms [Noah]

21st-Century Skills That Every Learner Needs [studycorgi.com]

Video games dreamed up other worlds. Now they’re coming for real architecture [Berg]

What the Faltering OPM Market Means for Colleges [Hill]

Reflections on “To improve outcomes for students, we must improve support for faculty” [Wiley]

DC: Now you’re talking! A team-based effort to deliver an Associate’s Degree for 1/3 of the price! Plus a job-ready certificate from Google, IBM, or Salesforce

And the winner is ….. Library of the Year 2022 [designinglibraries.org.uk]

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