How Can Schools Prepare for VR/AR Integration? https://t.co/X3FhkUPyfZ via @VRScout
— Daniel Christian (he/him/his) (@dchristian5) November 15, 2020
On 11/07/2020,
in colleges, community colleges, health, leadership, student-related, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
College and University presidents respond to Covid-19: 2020 fall term survey — from acenet.edu by Jonathan Turk, Maria Claudia Soler Salazar, and Anna Marie Ramos
Excerpt:
On 11/02/2020,
in 21st century, career development, change, competency-based learning/education, ideas, law schools, leadership, Legal operations, legislatures / government / legal, strategy, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
Important New Report on Essential Lawyering Skills — from bestpracticeslegaled.com by John Lande
Excerpt:
Ohio State Professor Deborah Jones Merritt and Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System Research Director Logan Cornett just published an important report, Building a Better Bar: The Twelve Building Blocks of Minimum Competence, based on insights from 50 focus groups.
They found that minimum competence consists of 12 interlocking “building blocks,” including the ability to interact effectively with clients, communicate as a lawyer, and see the “big picture” of client matters.
They propose 10 recommendations that courts, law schools, bar associations, bar examiners, and other stakeholders should consider in their efforts to move towards better, evidence-based lawyer licensing.
On 11/02/2020,
in business side of he, change, changing business models, colleges, community colleges, digital learning, distance education, education technology, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, ideas, innovation, IT in HE, law schools, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, liberal arts, new business models, online learning, remote teaching and learning, strategy, teaching online, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
Top IT Issues, 2021: Emerging from the Pandemic — from educause.edu
Excerpt:
The EDUCAUSE Top IT Issues list has been refactored for 2021 to help higher education shape the role technology will play in the recovery from the pandemic. What different directions might institutional leaders take in their recovery strategy? How can technology help our ecosystem emerge stronger and fitter for the future?
The 2021 EDUCAUSE IT Issues project explores these questions using a very different approach from previous years. Anticipating potential ways institutions might emerge from the pandemic, this year we offer three Top IT Issues lists and examine the top 5 issues within three scenarios that may guide institutional leaders’ use of technology: restore, evolve, and transform.
Also see:
- Educause Identifies Top IT Issues for an Uncertain Future — from campustechnology.com by Dian Schaffhauser
On 10/27/2020,
in collaboration, colleges, communications, community colleges, computer science, higher education, leadership, Learning Experience Design, online learning, participation, platforms, presentations, programming, remote teaching and learning, teaching & learning, teaching online, tools, vendors, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
The Advantages of Teaching Soft Skills to CS Undergrads Online — from cacm.acm.org by Orit Hazzan; with thanks to Sarah Huibregtse for posting this out on LinkedIn.
Excerpt:
At first, I wondered whether teaching soft skills online is even possible since, unlike theoretical courses, I assumed that close face-to-face (F2F) interaction is required in order to practice such skills. Eventually, I realized that teaching this course online has, in fact, some advantages, that this teaching format opens up new opportunities, and that this medium can even foster several soft skills that I had not previously considered teaching in the F2F format. This blog demonstrates these advantages by focusing on the use of the breakout rooms option available in Zoom, which I used extensively in the course.
On 10/18/2020,
in business side of he, change, changing business models, colleges, community colleges, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, leadership, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, liberal arts, lifelong learning, parents/guardians, reinvent, society, staying relevant, student-related, surviving, traditional / tradition, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Monthly Update on Higher Education Enrollment — as of October 15, 2020 and as referenced late last week by The Chronicle of Higher Education
From DSC:
The window of opportunity for traditional institutions of higher education to reinvent themselves, become cheaper, and offer more value is beginning to close. The window is still there…but it’s beginning to close.
On 10/10/2020,
in 21st century, Access to Justice (A2J), innovation, law schools, leadership, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, Michigan, society, United States,
by Daniel Christian
The justice gap in the United States is striking. It ranks 103rd out of 126 countries in accessibility and affordability of civil legal services, according to a World Justice Project survey. More than 80% of those in poverty, as well as a majority of middle-income Americans, receive inadequate civil legal assistance, the nonprofit Legal Services Corporation found.
From DSC:
If the public doesn’t have access to justice — and the majority of those involved with civil-based law cases (vs. criminal law cases) don’t — the system has failed. Throughout the last several years, I have thought about the topic of access to justice (#A2J) many times on my walks past the Michigan Hall of Justice building in Lansing, Michigan.
I am hoping that a variety of technologies can help address this problem — at least in part. The impact of the Covid19 pandemic is pushing us in the right direction, but it never should have taken that horrendous event to occur in order for such innovations and changes to take root.
6 “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.
Also see:
- Scripture passages dealing with the topic of justice — from BibleGateway.com
- Measuring the Justice Gap — from worldjusticeproject.org
- Legal Technology and Access to Justice — from cicerosoftware.com
- The “Access to Justice” category on this blog, Learning Ecosystems
On 10/10/2020,
in 21st century, business, corporate / business world, education, global / globalization, health, hearts -- matters of the heart, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, K-12 related, law schools, leadership, media/film, parents/guardians, relationships, society, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, UK, United States, workplace, youth,
by Daniel Christian
New Film Addresses Mental Health By Challenging Us To ‘Listen’ To Our Youth Voice — from gettingsmart.com by Michael Niehoff
Also see:
IW Official Guide: World Mental Health Day Supporting the workplace during the pandemic & beyond — from inspiring-workplaces.com by Aimee O’Leary
For World Mental Health Day 2020, we have created a quick guide of 10 top tips for you. It has been compiled from experts around the world on how to support the mental health of your people during these challenging times.
It includes:
- How to do your part to break the stigma
- How to create functional routines
- How to look out for colleagues without being invasive
- How to stay connected
- and more
Lastly, before reading the guide, reach out to someone you know today, who you have haven’t spoken with in a while and simply ask… How are you, really? It will make a huge difference.
*****************
Addendum on 10/13/20:
As the Pandemic Grinds On, Here Are 5 Big Worries of College Presidents — from chronicle.com by Michael Vasquez
Excerpt:
Campus mental health is the No. 1 worry. The college leaders were asked to select their five top concerns from a list of 19 Covid-related issues. Fifty-three percent of presidents listed student mental health, and 42 percent pointed to faculty and staff mental health as being among their biggest worries. Anxiety, uncertainty, depression, and grief — compounded by the isolation of the pandemic — have exacted an often invisible toll on people who study and work in higher education.
On 09/29/2020,
in Access to Justice (A2J), collaboration, ideas, innovation, law schools, leadership, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, productivity / tips and tricks, society, technology (general), tools, United States, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
Civil Justice for All — from amacad.org
Excerpts:
This report calls for the legal profession, the courts, law schools, tech professionals, and partners from many other fields and disciplines to coordinate their efforts to provide necessary legal assistance to many more people in need. Past efforts to improve access to justice offer strong evidence that such an effort would have a profound effect on American society—measured in financial savings, greater trust in law and social institutions, and the safety and security of families and communities.
THE PROJECT’S SEVEN RECOMMENDATIONS ARE:
First, and above all, dedicate a consequential infusion of financial and human resources to closing the civil justice gap, and seek a significant shift in mindset—extending beyond lawyers the duty and capacity to assist those with legal need—to make genuine strides toward “justice for all”;
Second, increase the number of legal services lawyers who focus on the needs of low-income Americans;
Third, increase the number of lawyers providing pro bono and other volunteer assistance, to supplement the corps of legal services lawyers;
Fourth, bring many new advocates—service providers who are not lawyers—into the effort to solve civil justice problems;
Fifth, foster greater collaboration among legal services providers and other trusted professionals—such as doctors, nurses, and social workers;
Sixth, expand efforts to make legal systems easier to understand and use through the simplification of language, forms, and procedures and the wider use of technology; and
Seventh, create a national team, or even a new national organization, to coordinate the efforts listed above, collect much-needed data on the state of civil justice, and help identify and publicize effective innovations that improve access.
On 09/26/2020,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, accessibility / UDL, Amazon, Canada, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, global / globalization, leadership, neurodivergent/special needs, online learning, online media, personalized/customized learning, society, universities, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
Learning in the Cloud: Canada’s First University to Move Operations into One Secure Cloud Infrastructure Sets the Stage for the Future of Learning — from globenewswire.com by Athabasca University
Athabasca University (AU) lays the groundwork to build a more accessible and personalized future for post-secondary learners
Excerpt:
Edmonton, Alberta, Sept. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At a time when you can personalize everything from your online shopping experience to your dating prospects, it seems only reasonable to ask: why can’t students “swipe right” on their course load? Why can’t a degree be structured around what someone wants to learn or how they learn, instead of what’s traditionally part of the program? In other words, why isn’t it possible to choose your own adventure in a university environment?
Athabasca University (AU), Canada’s Online University, recently completed a six-month rapid cloud migration project with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to construct a secure, flexible, and global infrastructure required to make personalized learning an infinitely scalable reality. With the completion of its cloud migration project, AU became the first post-secondary institution in Canada to move its entire digital operations infrastructure into its own secure AU cloud environment powered by AWS.
On 09/25/2020,
in accessibility / UDL, Daniel S. Christian, education, education reform, instructional design, K-12 related, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, neurodivergent/special needs, pace of change, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, United States, youth,
by Daniel Christian
Personalized Learning Is Special Education and the Time Is Now — from gettingsmart.com by Karla Phillips-Krivickas and Rebecca Midles
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
Educators have long recognized that the education strategies that work for students with additional needs would benefit all kids. These personalized learning strategies are, in fact, best practices for all students. Yet we continue to design our schools for the ‘average’ student. And then we wonder why there is so much frustration when we try to fit the proverbial square pegs into round holes.
You may assume the line between general and special education is clear, but it is quite blurry. Special education was never intended to be a separate system. It was designed to facilitate access to general education. Unfortunately, disability labels can now act as fuzzy barriers separating those who qualify for individualized instruction and those who do not. And this is the problem: the one size fits all approach to education doesn’t account for students’ differences or preferences unless they have a disability.
From DSC:
Exactly the experience our family has had as well. The K-12 education train stops for no one and moves quickly. To *^*^ with mastery. To *^*^ with the love of learning — or even the slightest liking of it.
Let us not come out of this crisis with the same systems and ways of doing things. Time for greater innovation, experimentation, and invention to take place!
On 09/24/2020,
in change, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, faculty/staff, future of higher education, higher education, ideas, law schools, leadership, learning ecosystem, organizational change, participation, strategy, United States, universities, using teams, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
Staff get little to no say in campus governance. That must change. — from chronicle.com by Lee Skallerup Bessette
As professors and administrators debate how to reimagine academe after Covid-19, that reform must include a greater voice for staff members.
Excerpts:
Why, then, in all of this recent (and needed) hand-wringing and speculating about the future of the university, post-pandemic, have we not heard many (if any) staff voices? Or for that matter, any calls for our voices to be included in any planning and restructuring?
…
Faculty members are the experts in their disciplines, but they do not have a monopoly of knowledge around pedagogy, programming, student success, inclusivity, equity, accessibility, among other things. We shouldn’t expect already overtaxed faculty members to be experts in everything and anything. In fact, the intense pressure that many of them are feeling lately is largely because of structures and traditions that discourage professors from collaborating with staff members who are experts in those areas.
…
With college campuses selling themselves as an entire “experience,” not just a set of courses, it’s high time for those of us responsible for that campus experience to be included in the larger conversation.
On 09/22/2020,
in career development, change, changing business models, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, IT in HE, leadership, organizational change, strategy, trends, United States, universities, vendors, vision/possibilities, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Digital transformation: 5 ways the pandemic forced change — from enterprisersproject.com by Gordon Haff
The pandemic has reshaped consumer behavior and team expectations. At a recent MIT Sloan CIO Symposium event, CIOs detailed what it means for organizations, IT, and the CIO role
Excerpt:
The new CIO role: Chief Influencing Officer
Zemmel says that the evolution of the role of the CIO has been accelerated as well. He sees CIOs increasingly reporting to the CEO because they increasingly have a dual mandate. In addition to their historical operational role running the IT department, they now are also customer-facing and driving revenue. That mandate is not new for forward-looking IT organizations, but the pandemic has made other organizations hyper-aware of IT’s role in driving change quickly. CIOs are becoming a sort of “chief influencing officer who is breaking down silos and driving adoption of digital products,” Zemmel adds.
Experian’s Libenson puts it this way: “The pandemic has forced us to be closer to the business than before. We had a seat at the table before. But I think we will be a better organization after this.”
On 09/22/2020,
in Access to Justice (A2J), culture, law schools, leadership, legal reform, legislatures / government / legal, Michigan, society, United States,
by Daniel Christian
WMU-Cooley Named Top 10 Law School For Ethnic Enrollment in 2019 — from fox47news.com
Excerpt:
LANSING, Mich. — Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, with campuses in Michigan and Florida, was named a top 10 law school for racial and ethnic minority enrollment in 2019 by Enjuris, a collection of independent legal resources for legal professionals.
With Black students comprising 22.4 percent of WMU-Cooley’s total student enrollment in 2019, the law school is ranked in Enjuris’ recently released, Law School Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity (2019) [enjuris.com] report.
