learning ecosystem - Learning Ecosystems

“6 Ways to Use ChatGPT to Save Time” [Finley] + “Using AI to make teaching easier & more impactful” [Mollick]

On 03/18/2023, in adjunct faculty, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, assessment, colleges, community colleges, education, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty, future, game-changing environment, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, pedagogy, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, science, skills, teachers, teaching & learning, universities, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

On the K-12 side of things:

6 Ways to Use ChatGPT to Save Time — from edutopia.org by Todd Finley
Teachers can use the artificial intelligence tool to effectively automate some routine tasks.

Excerpt:

In the paragraphs that follow, I’ve divided these tasks into the following categories: planning instruction, handouts and materials, differentiation, correspondence, assessment, and writing instruction and feedback. Welcome to the revolution.

Lesson plans: Ask ChatGPT to write a lesson plan on, say, Westward Expansion. The tool composes assessments, activities, scaffolding, and objectives. Want that in the form of problem-based learning or revised for a flipped classroom? ChatGPT can adjust the lesson plan according to your instructions.

I’m a high school math and science teacher who uses ChatGPT, and it’s made my job much easier — from businessinsider-com.cdn.ampproject.org by Aaron Mok; with thanks to Robert Gibson on LinkedIn for this resource

Excerpt:

Shannon Ahern, a high school math and science teacher, was afraid that ChatGPT would take her job.
But her mind changed after she started using the AI for class prep, which saved her hours of time.
Here’s how Ahern is using ChatGPT to make her job easier, as told to Insider’s Aaron Mok.

On the higher education side of things:

Using AI to make teaching easier & more impactful — from oneusefulthing.substack.com by Ethan Mollick
Here are five strategies and prompts that work for GPT-3.5 & GPT-4

Excerpt:

But one thing that is not changing is the best way for people to learn. We have made large advances in recent years in understanding pedagogy – the science of learning. We know some of the most effective techniques for making sure material sticks and that it can be retrieved and used when needed most.

Unfortunately, many of these advanced pedagogical techniques are time-consuming to prepare, and many instructors are often overworked and do not have the resources and time to add them to their teaching repertoire. But AI can help. In the rush to deliver AI benefits directly to students, the role of teachers is often overlooked.

Teaching: What You Need to Know About ChatGPT — from chronicle.com by Beth McMurtrie

Excerpt:

Digital literacy is more important than ever. Artificial-intelligence tools, and generative AI in particular, raise a host of ethical, political, economic, and social questions. Plus, this tech is soon going to be everywhere, including students’ future professions. (The technology behind ChatGPT, in fact, just got an upgrade this week.) Colleges need to figure out how to graduate digitally savvy students in all disciplines.

“The integration of technology into our lives is so pervasive that the restriction of education about AI to the computer scientists and the computer engineers makes no more sense than the restriction of taking English classes by English majors,” said Weber.

Reflections on “Policy by Waivers Won’t Boost School Innovation” [Horn]

On 03/18/2023, in change, Daniel S. Christian, education, education reform, ideas, innovation, K-12 related, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, legislatures / government / legal, reinvent, society, staying relevant, strategy, teachers, United States, by Daniel Christian

Policy by Waivers Won’t Boost School Innovation — by Michael B. Horn
“Permissionless” beats having to ask for an okay

Excerpt:

In recent conversations, educators and state policymakers have expressed shock to me that district schools aren’t innovating more. With microschools growing and test scores floundering, why aren’t districts seeking permission to reinvent themselves?

As evidence of the opportunities to innovate, many bureaucrats and think tanks point to the vast number of waivers that states offer. The opportunities to move beyond traditional structures and processes do exist, the argument goes.

Yet waivers help far less than most policymakers believe. Until regulators create frameworks where innovation in pursuit of student outcomes is the default and doesn’t require permission, don’t expect a sea change.

From DSC:
TrimTab Groups. That’s what we need more of within K-12 and higher education.

Research shows the only way an organization can truly reinvent itself is to launch a separate organization that has the autonomy to rethink its value proposition, resources, processes, and financial formula.

Below is a graphic I created a while back, but with traditional institutions of higher education in mind.

We need more Trim Tab Groups within K-12 and Higher Education.

Designing Virtual Edtech Faculty Development Workshops That Stick: 10 Guiding Principles — from er.educause.edu by Tolulope (Tolu) Noah
These ten principles offer guidance on ways to design and facilitate effective and engaging virtual workshops that leave faculty feeling better equipped to implement new edtech tools.

Excerpt:

I share here ten guiding principles that have shaped my design and facilitation of virtual synchronous edtech workshops. These guiding principles are based on lessons learned in both my previous role as a professional learning specialist at a major technology company and my current role as a faculty developer at a university. In the spirit of James M. Lang’s book Small Teaching, my hope is that the principles shared here may prompt reflection on the small yet impactful moves academic technology specialists, instructional designers, and educational developers can make to create virtual learning experiences whereby faculty leave feeling better equipped to implement the edtech tools they have learned.

Somewhat relevant/see:

Evidence-Based Learning Design 101 — by Dr. Philippa Hardman
A practical guide on how to bake the science of learning into the art of course design

Excerpt:

As I reflect on the experience and what I’ve learned so far, I thought I’d share a response to the question I probably get asked most: what process do you use to go from an idea to a designed learning experience?

So, let’s do a rapid review of the four step process I and my bootcamp alumni use – aka the DOMS™? process – to go from zero to a designed learning experience.

Four credentialing and/or accreditation-related items for you

On 03/16/2023, in accreditation, competency-based learning/education, credentialing, Daniel S. Christian, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, ideas, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, skills, by Daniel Christian

Territorium Introduces AI-Powered System to Track Skills and Competencies from K–12 to Career — from campustechnology.com by Kate Lucariello

Excerpt:

Global ed tech provider Territorium has launched LifeJourney, a suite of AI-powered tools for users to keep track of education, job skills, and career readiness capabilities. With the LifeJourney toolkit’s comprehensive individual records all in one place, students can provide quick and easily accessible information to prospective employers, according to the company. The suite of tools keeps track of progress and achievements from K–12 through higher education and career readiness.

From DSC:
This type of comprehensive learner record is a piece of the vision that I’ve been tracking at “Learning from the Living [Class] Room” — where I call it a Cloud-Based Learner Profile.

Also relevant/see:

College Accreditation 101: How It Works & Why It Matters — from business-essay.com; with thanks to Lili North for this resource

Excerpt:

Entering a prestigious college and getting a quality education is one of the top priorities for high school graduates. But how do you know if the college you are considering is really worth it?

Well, luckily, there is accreditation: a process of evaluating educational institutions. Accreditation is an important factor to consider when selecting a college: after all, unaccredited schools don’t provide you with widely recognized diplomas and can leave you with insufficient knowledge and skills.

Want to know more? You’re in the right place! This article covers the essential information every college applicant should know about accreditation.

Also relevant/see:

Building a Microcredential Program Framework to Meet the Needs of a Changing Academic Landscape — from campustechnology.com by Justin Louder
From curriculum to technology concerns, consider these essentials for creating alternative education opportunities at your institution.
Lessons Learned from Communities Accelerating Pathways to Credentials — from accelerate-ed.org with thanks to Tom Vander Ark from GettingSmart.com for this resource

Addendum on 3/18/23:

Credentialing Everything: A Primer on Learning and Employment Records and Digital Wallets — from gettingsmart.com by Nate McClennen and Rachelle Dené Poth

Key Points

Credentials and learner records are accelerating the shift to competency-based learning.
They help learners manage unbundled learning by collecting evidence from multiple providers and provide quicker and more personalized onramps to high-wage employment.

Measuring Learning Growth: Competencies and Standards — from gettingsmart.com by Nate McClennen and Rebecca Midles

Key Points

The role of competencies has become increasingly important as employers, students and educators realize the impact of transferable skill deficit in young people.
The challenge, however, becomes implementation.

??Well this is something else.

GPT-4 passes basically every exam. And doesn’t just pass…
The Bar Exam: 90%
LSAT: 88%
GRE Quantitative: 80%, Verbal: 99%
Every AP, the SAT… pic.twitter.com/zQW3k6uM6Z

— Ethan Mollick (@emollick) March 14, 2023

Description of video:

Sal Khan walks through Khan Academy’s GPT-4 integration (not generally available yet). Folks can join the waitlist at Khanacademy.org. To learn more about Khanmigo, visit: khanacademy.org/khan-labs

We believe that AI has the potential to transform learning in a positive way, but we are also keenly aware of the risks. To test the possibilities, we’re inviting our district partners to opt in to Khan Labs, a new space for testing learning technology. We want to ensure that our work always puts the needs of students and teachers first, and we are focused on ensuring that the benefits of AI are shared equally across society. In addition to teachers and students, we’re inviting the general public to join a waitlist to test Khanmigo. Teachers, students and donors will be our partners on this learning journey, helping us test AI to see if we can harness it as a learning tool for all.

GPT-4 has arrived. It will blow ChatGPT out of the water. — from washingtonpost.com by Drew Harwell and Nitasha Tiku
The long-awaited tool, which can describe images in words, marks a huge leap forward for AI power — and another major shift for ethical norms

Introducing Our Virtual Volunteer Tool for People who are Blind or Have Low Vision, Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 — from bemyeyes.com
We are thrilled to announce Be My Eyes Virtual Volunteer™, the first-ever digital visual assistant powered by OpenAI’s new GPT-4 language model.

For example, [GPT-4] passes a simulated bar exam with a score around the top 10% of test takers; in contrast, GPT-3.5’s score was around the bottom 10%.

Source

Here are some incredible things people are already doing with GPT-4

It’s been less than 3.5 hours

? A thread

— Linus (???) (@LinusEkenstam) March 14, 2023

Had my wife close her eyes and describe rooms in her dream home.

In 3 minutes, I made these on Midjourney (h/t @nickfloats)

She was speechless.

She’s now a huge fan of AI and “gets it”

This is the way. pic.twitter.com/sjf3CQYtwa

— Kallaway (@kanekallaway) March 6, 2023

HOW DUOLINGO’S AI LEARNS WHAT YOU NEED TO LEARN — from spectrum.ieee.org by Klinton Bicknell, Claire Brust, and Burr Settles
The AI that powers the language-learning app today could disrupt education tomorrow

Excerpt:

It’s lunchtime when your phone pings you with a green owl who cheerily reminds you to “Keep Duo Happy!” It’s a nudge from Duolingo, the popular language-learning app, whose algorithms know you’re most likely to do your 5 minutes of Spanish practice at this time of day. The app chooses its notification words based on what has worked for you in the past and the specifics of your recent achievements, adding a dash of attention-catching novelty. When you open the app, the lesson that’s queued up is calibrated for your skill level, and it includes a review of some words and concepts you flubbed during your last session.

The AI systems we continue to refine are necessary to scale the learning experience beyond the more than 50 million active learners who currently complete about 1 billion exercises per day on the platform.

Although Duolingo is known as a language-learning app, the company’s ambitions go further. We recently launched apps covering childhood literacy and third-grade mathematics, and these expansions are just the beginning. We hope that anyone who wants help with academic learning will one day be able to turn to the friendly green owl in their pocket who hoots at them, “Ready for your daily lesson?”

Also relevant/see:

Duolingo turned to OpenAI’s GPT-4 to advance the product with two new features: Role Play, an AI conversation partner, and Explain my Answer, which breaks down the rules when you make a mistake, in a new subscription tier called Duolingo Max.

“We wanted AI-powered features that were deeply integrated into the app and leveraged the gamified aspect of Duolingo that our learners love,” says Bodge.

Also relevant/see:

The following is a quote from Donald Clark’s posting on LinkedIn.com today:

The whole idea of AI as a useful teacher is here. Honestly it’s astounding. They have provided a Socratic approach to an algebra problem that is totally on point. Most people learn in the absence of a teacher or lecturer. They need constant scaffolding, someone to help them move forward, with feedback. This changes our whole relationship with what we need to know, and how we get to know it. Its reasoning ability is also off the scale.

We now have human teachers, human learners but also AI teachers and AI that learns. It used to be a diad, it is now a tetrad – that is the basis of the new pedAIgogy.

Personalised, tutor-led learning, in any subject, anywhere, at any time for anyone. That has suddenly become real.

Also relevant/see:

Introducing Duolingo Max, a learning experience powered by GPT-4 — from blog.duolingo.com

Excerpts:

We believe that AI and education make a great duo, and we’ve leveraged AI to help us deliver highly-personalized language lessons, affordable and accessible English proficiency testing, and more. Our mission to make high-quality education available to everyone in the world is made possible by advanced AI technology.

Explain My Answer offers learners the chance to learn more about their response in a lesson (whether their answer was correct or incorrect!)
…
Roleplay allows learners to practice real-world conversation skills with world characters in the app.

Six Important Disciplines for Using AI in Learning & Development [Cavalier]

On 03/16/2023, in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, business, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, experimentation, future, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, multimedia, training / L&D, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Six Important Disciplines for Using AI in Learning & Development — from linkedin.com by Josh Cavalier

Excerpts (emphasis DSC):

In practice, L&D professionals must responsibly use AI-based tools. AI outputs that introduce bias or falsehoods may adversely affect the learning process of individual associates as well as the company’s overall efficiency. A human must review all content before being implemented in a learning solution.
…
AI will revolutionize corporate learning and development because of the ability to analyze and process large amounts of data. These capabilities will enable learners to acquire knowledge and skills more efficiently while providing personalized learning pathways customized to their current skill levels and goals.

For example, AI-powered chatbots can provide immediate feedback to front-line sales looking for specific client solutions or trying to learn about new products. By fine-tuning models, AI can ingest vendor opportunities and dynamically priced products at scale, allowing a sales team to focus on data-driven solutions for their customers.

The creation of educational media will be automated through generative AI, including training videos, podcasts, and, eventually, eLearning courses. This new reality will level the playing field for instructional designers needing more media creation skills, ultimately allowing Learning & Development to create personalized, immersive learning experiences representing the entire learning journey.

Also relevant/see:

How artificial intelligence can support knowledge management in organizations — from realkm.com by Bruce Boyes

Examples of use cases:

Forecast sales probabilities
Discover organization inefficiencies by analyzing CRM records
Organize and summarize legal precedents relevant to a new case
Retrieve dispersed nuggets of information related to a troubleshooting situation
Facilitate feedback and peer review on communication systems (e.g., Slack)
Facilitate real-time smart sharing between marketing channels and sales pipelines
Find and apply question-answer pairs in online manuals to manage service knowledge
Provide more human-centered and accessible applications of knowledge through chatbots

ChatGPT as a teaching tool, not a cheating tool [Rose]

On 03/14/2023, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adjunct faculty, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, colleges, digital learning, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, IT in HE, law schools, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, liberal arts, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, teaching & learning, tools, UK, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

ChatGPT as a teaching tool, not a cheating tool — from timeshighereducation.com by Jennifer Rose
How to use ChatGPT as a tool to spur students’ inner feedback and thus aid their learning and skills development

Excerpt:

Use ChatGPT to spur student’s inner feedback
One way that ChatGPT answers can be used in class is by asking students to compare what they have written with a ChatGPT answer. This draws on David Nicol’s work on making inner feedback explicit and using comparative judgement. His work demonstrates that in writing down answers to comparative questions students can produce high-quality feedback for themselves which is instant and actionable. Applying this to a ChatGPT answer, the following questions could be used:

Which is better, the ChatGPT response or yours? Why?
What two points can you learn from the ChatGPT response that will help you improve your work?
What can you add from your answer to improve the ChatGPT answer?
How could the assignment question set be improved to allow the student to demonstrate higher-order skills such as critical thinking?
How can you use what you have learned to stay ahead of AI and produce higher-quality work than ChatGPT?

Exploring generative AI and the implications for universities — from universityworldnews.com

Excerpt:

This is part of a weekly University World News special report series on ‘AI and higher education’. The focus is on how universities are engaging with ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence tools. The articles from academics and our journalists around the world are exploring developments and university work in AI that have implications for higher education institutions and systems, students and staff, and teaching, learning and research.

Teaching: A University-Wide Language for Learning — from chronicle.com by Beckie Supiano

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Last week, as I was interviewing Shaun Vecera about a new initiative he directs at the University of Iowa, he made a comment that stopped me in my tracks. The initiative, Learning at Iowa, is meant to create a common vocabulary, based on cognitive science, to support learning across the university. It focuses on “the three M’s for effective learning”: mind-set, metacognition, and memory.

“Not because those are the wrong ways of talking about that. But when you talk about learning, I think you can easily see how these skills transfer across not just courses, but also transfer from the university into a career.”

From DSC:
This reminds me of what I was trying to get at here — i.e., let’s provide folks with more information on learning how to learn.

Lets provide folks with more information on learning how to learn

Also relevant/see:

Changing your teaching takes more than a recipe — — from chronicle.com by Beckie Supiano
Professors have been urged to adopt more effective practices. Why are their results so mixed?

Excerpts:

When the researchers asked their interview subjects how they first learned about peer instruction, many more cited informal discussions with colleagues than cited more formal channels like workshops. Even fewer pointed to a book or an article.

So even when there’s a really well-developed recipe, professors aren’t necessarily reading it.
…
In higher ed, teaching is often seen as something anyone who knows the content can automatically do. But the evidence suggests instead that teaching is an intellectual exercise that adds to subject-matter expertise.

This teaching-specific math knowledge, the researchers note, could be acquired in teacher preparation or professional development, however, it’s usually created on the job.

“Now, I’m much more apt to help them develop a deeper understanding of how people learn from a neuroscientific and cognitive-psychology perspective, and have them develop a model for how students learn.”

Erika Offerdahl, associate vp and director of the Transformational Change Initiative at WSU

From DSC:
I love this part too:

There’s a role here, too, for education researchers. Not every evidence-based teaching practice has been broken into its critical components in the literature,

Challenging ‘Bad’ Online Policies and Attitudes — from insidehighered.com by Susan D’Agostino
Academic and industry leaders spoke with conviction at the SXSW EDU conference this week about approaches that impede educational access to motivated, capable learners.

Excerpts:

“It’s driven by artificial intelligence,” Barnes said of IBM’s training and reskilling effort. “It’s a Netflix-like interface that pushes content. Or an employee can select content…
…
The leaders discussed the ways in which colleges, policymakers, and employers might work together to help more Americans find or advance in viable employment, while also addressing the workforce skills gap. But some “bad” policies and attitudes about online learning undermine their efforts to work together, expand access and deliver outcomes to motivated, capable learners.

“Employers were saying, ‘We have job openings we can’t fill, and we want to work with the education system, but it is so unbelievably frustrating because they’re very rigid, and they don’t want to customize to our needs,’” Hansen said. These employers sought workforce training that could produce a pipeline of learners-turned-employees, and Hansen said they told him, “If you can do that, I’ll pay you.”

Fostering sustainable learning ecosystems [Blessinger]

On 03/13/2023, in 21st century, Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, change, collaboration, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, culture, curriculum, education, education technology, Europe, formal learning, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, Google, higher education, ideas, informal learning, instructional design, K-12 related, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, legislatures / government / legal, lifelong learning, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, more voice more choice more control, platforms, policy, society, strategy, technology (general), tools, training / L&D, UK, United States, vision/possibilities, youth, by Daniel Christian

Fostering sustainable learning ecosystems — from linkedin.com by Patrick Blessinger

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Learning ecosystems
As today’s global knowledge society becomes increasingly interconnected and begins to morph into a global learning society, it is likely that formal, nonformal, and informal learning will become increasingly interconnected. For instance, there has been an explosion of new self-directed e-learning platforms such as Khan Academy, Open Courseware, and YouTube, among others, that help educate billions of people around the world.

A learning ecosystem includes all the elements that contribute to a learner’s overall learning experience. The components of a learning ecosystem are numerous, including people, technology platforms, knowledge bases, culture, governance, strategy, and other internal and external elements that have an impact on learning. Therefore, moving forward, it is crucial to integrate learning across formal, nonformal, and informal learning processes and activities in a more strategic way.

5 Ideas To Incorporate AI In Your eLearning Course — from elearningindustry.com by Christopher Pappas

Summary:

Artificial Intelligence is now taking the world of learning by storm. Here are 5 ways you can successfully incorporate AI in online learning.

Let’s say you’re training sales reps on handling different customer personalities. You can use this technology to diversify your branching scenarios so that trainees can also speak and not only type. This way, not only will the training become more realistic, but you’ll also be able to assess and work on additional elements, such as tone of voice, volume, speech tempo, etc.

What would higher ed (or even K-12) look like if you could completely scrap it and start over? [Carty]

On 03/11/2023, in business side of he, colleges, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Design Thinking, higher education, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, liberal arts, reinvent, United States, universities, vision/possibilities, vocational / trades, writing, by Daniel Christian

Transfers From Community College Continue to Fall — from insidehighered.com by Sara Weissman
Despite the decline in transfers, a new report also says six-year college completion rates among transfer students improved.

Excerpt:

Transfers between community colleges and four-year institutions continued to drop last fall, an ongoing trend since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. But the report also contains some good news, including that six-year college completion rates among transfer students improved, despite the disruptive nature of the pandemic.
…
“Upward transfer has continued to decline pretty steadily at this point in every year since the pandemic,” Shapiro said during a media briefing Wednesday. “This suggests that baccalaureate attainment is beginning to appear increasingly out of reach for community college students,” particularly for students enrolled in urban and suburban community colleges, which saw steeper declines in transfers to universities than community colleges in towns or rural areas.

An inside look at a 5th grade classroom using ChatGPT [abcnews.go.com]

On 03/11/2023, in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, content development, aggregation, repositories, creativity, education, education technology, experimentation, future, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, intelligent systems, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, teachers, tools, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

An inside look at a 5th grade classroom using ChatGPT — from abcnews.go.com
Kentucky teacher Donnie Piercey uses ChatGPT with his fifth frade students.

Excerpt:

“Like every other educator, I had that concern. Is this something that students are only going to use to cheat? So I started to think about like, ‘OK, what role is AI — artificial intelligence — going to play in the classroom?'” Piercey, the 2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, told “Good Morning America.” “And the more that I thought about it, I realized that there’s a lot more good that can come about through AI as opposed to negative things that can come in the classroom.”

Learning Ecosystems

Designing Virtual Edtech Faculty Development Workshops That Stick: 10 Guiding Principles [Noah]

Four credentialing and/or accreditation-related items for you

The AI that powers the language-learning app today could disrupt education tomorrow [Bicknell, Brust, & Settles ]

Six Important Disciplines for Using AI in Learning & Development [Cavalier]

ChatGPT as a teaching tool, not a cheating tool [Rose]

Exploring generative AI and the implications for universities [universityworldnews.com]

Reflections on “Teaching: A University-Wide Language for Learning” [Supiano]

Challenging ‘Bad’ Online Policies and Attitudes [D’Agostino]

5 Ideas To Incorporate AI In Your eLearning Course [Pappas]

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