Global EdTech Funding 2021 – Half Year Update — from holoniq.com
A record half year in EdTech funding with 568 rounds raising $10B of investment as, ready or not, the world turns to technology to support learning and education delivery.
On 06/29/2021,
in 21st century, change, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, education, education reform, higher education, ideas, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, online learning, passions, personalized/customized learning, productivity / tips and tricks, research, student-related,
by Daniel Christian
Potential unfulfilled: COVID-19, the rapid adoption of online learning, and what could be unlocked this year — from christenseninstitute.org by Thomas Arnett
Excerpt:
The foundational tenets of conventional instruction hinge on uniformity and compliance. Schools and classrooms, by and large, need students to conform to a common set of requirements in order for cohort-based learning to work. Unfortunately, nearly all students struggle to one degree or another to fit conventional instruction’s norms.
For example, conventional instruction requires students to show up to school ready to learn at times dictated by the school schedule, but for some students, life gets in the way. Conventional instruction moves all students through content at a uniform pace, but not all students master content in the time allotted. And conventional instruction often obliges students to sit and work or sit and listen for large portions of the day, yet some students struggle to sit quietly for extended periods of time. Fortunately, online learning offers the ability to replace many of these systemic rigidities with greater adaptability to students’ needs.
From DSC:
The above excerpt brings the image (below) back to my mind. The image represents our educational systems’ ways of never stopping or slowing down for anyone. They leave the station at such and such a time and then they move at a very face pace for everyone. There’s no stopping them — regardless of whether a student has mastered the content or not.
On 06/28/2021,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, active learning, adult learning, Alternatives, business side of he, career development, change, changing business models, colleges, community colleges, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, experimentation, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, ideas, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, liberal arts, lifelong learning, love of learning, marketplaces, online learning, organizational change, pace of change, reinvent, society, staying relevant, student-related, surviving, teaching & learning, traditional / tradition, training / L&D, trends, United States, universities, vendors, vocational / trades, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
A LIFETIME OF LEARNING — from continuum.uw.edu
Excerpts:
The 60-year curriculum is the modern approach to a lifetime of learning. Getting a degree, getting a job and never setting foot in a classroom again are not today’s reality.
A discussion paper from the McKinsey Global Institute predicts that in the next 10 to 15 years, the need for new tech skills will accelerate. We will also need people who will develop, innovate and adapt those technologies. The paper asserts that, right now, 80% of the workforce doesn’t have the skills for most of the jobs that will be available in the next five to 10 years.
From DSC:
It would be good to integrate more vocational types of pathways/items in here as well.
On 06/25/2021,
in Alternatives, colleges, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, credentialing, dangers of the status quo, digital learning, disruption, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, lifelong learning, marketplaces, multimedia, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, online learning, online media, online tutoring, platforms, reinvent, society, traditional / tradition, United States, universities, vendors, vocational / trades, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
Coursera: The ‘Amazon’ Of Online Education May Grow By Magnitudes — from seekingalpha.com
Summary
- Increasing student dissatisfaction and declining enrollment suggest that many people are rethinking traditional methods of higher education.
- The historical value of universities is becoming defunct as the internet allows a more efficient, less expensive, and more accessible vector of transmitting knowledge.
- Innovative platforms like Coursera offer students a huge “marketplace” of high-quality courses far less expensive than those in traditional universities.
- Given Coursera’s minimal barriers to growth and its massive total addressable market, I would not be surprised to see its annual revenue rise by 10X or more within years.
- COUR may be one of the few recent IPOs which is actually trading below its fundamental fair value – subject to the assumption that online education will eventually supersede traditional models.
On 06/16/2021,
in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, Augmented Reality (AR), business, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, future, immersion, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning preferences, Mixed Reality (MR), tools, training / L&D, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, workplace, XR - extended reality,
by Daniel Christian
Accenture Extended Reality (XR)
Immersive learning for the future workforce
On 06/11/2021,
in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, instructional design, K-12 related, law schools, learner profiles, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning preferences, liberal arts, metacognition / metacognitive skills, podcasting, society, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, tools, universities, web-based collaboration, youth,
by Daniel Christian
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
On 06/05/2021,
in 21st century, accessibility / UDL, active learning, blended learning, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, experimentation, face-to-face, faculty, higher education, hybrid learning, instructional design, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, online learning, pedagogy, quality, strategy, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, traditional / tradition, universities,
by Daniel Christian
Planning for a blended future: A research-driven guide for educators — from everylearnereverywhere.org by Every Learner Everywhere in partnership with Online Learning Consortium (OLC) & National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA)
Excerpt:
The purpose of this guide
This resource is a collaboration among the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advances (DETA), the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), and the Every Learner Everywhere Network. It is designed to serve as a resource for educators — faculty, instructors, instructional staff, instructional improvement staff, instructional designers, learning experience designers and developers, technological support staff, and other stakeholders — to guide strategic planning for blended learning courses and programs.
Therefore, blended learning is instruction that blends technological, temporal, spatial, and pedagogical dimensions to create actualized learning. Students feel they are successful when they actually learn and that does not always equate to grade and course completion.
KEY IDEAS
- Designing courses to meaningfully integrate the different environments and temporal cadence (online and onsite, live and overtime) while incorporating an active learning approach can improve student outcomes in blended and hybrid courses.
- Faculty must become guides for students and their engagement by intentionally and strategically using a variety of modalities to scaffold learning.
- By designing and scaffolding blended courses effectively, faculty can avoid the common pitfall of course and-a-half-syndrome, which occurs when the online portion of a course is tacked on, creating busywork for students.
On 06/02/2021,
in accreditation, Alternatives, Canada, cost of getting a degree, credentialing, dangers of the status quo, learning ecosystem, learning preferences, lifelong learning, microlearning, society, United States, vocational / trades,
by Daniel Christian
Microcredential programs on the rise in Canada — from by Sharon Aschaiek; with thanks to Amrit Ahluwalia for this resource out on LinkedIn
Low rates of awareness about microcredentials by prospective students and employers remains a challenge.
Excerpt:
A new report on current views about microcredentials in Canada reveals a majority of higher education institutions are keen to create these concise, competency-focused upskilling programs, and many say the COVID-19 pandemic has made them even more relevant.
Released by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) earlier this month, “Making Sense of Microcredentials” reveals what this emerging training trend means from the perspectives of three key stakeholder groups: universities and colleges, prospective students and employers. The 32-page descriptive research report is based on the results of a literature review, 44 interviews (17 with postsecondary schools), and 2,362 surveys, which included 161 representatives from 105 postsecondary institutions, including 41 universities.
Along these lines, see:
Mapping Out a ‘Credential As You Go’ Movement For Higher Education — from edsurge.com by Rebecca Koenig
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
A new initiative called “Credential As You Go” aims to shift this status quo by making it easier for students and workers to earn recognition for their learning—in increments smaller than the colossal college degree.
Its goals include creating a national credentialing system designed around what the journey through higher education and job training actually looks like for many people: intermittent, nonlinear and unpredictable.
Also along the lines of keeping things brief, see:
- Leading the Way for Microlearning? Assess the Barriers — from learningsolutionsmag.com
On 05/31/2021,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, active learning, Canvas - and other Instructure-related items, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, digital learning, education technology, elearning, experimentation, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, mathematics, microlearning, more voice more choice more control, online learning, online media, online tutoring, pedagogy, physics, platforms, society, teaching & learning, teaching online, United States, universities, user experience (UX), web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
Teaching: Why an Active-Learning Evangelist Is Sold on Online Teaching — from chronicle.com by Beth McMurtrie
Excerpts:
Now, says Mazur, the results are in and he’s convinced: online teaching is better. Not in all circumstances, to be sure. But in his applied-physics courses, students showed larger learning gains and felt more supported than students had in in-person classes. In fact, they appear to have learned so much more effectively in this new format that he wonders if it’s “almost unethical,” to return to the classroom this fall.
“I have never been able to offer a course of the quality that I’m offering now,” he says. “I am convinced that there is no way I could do anything close to what I’m doing in person. Online teaching is better than in person.”
One benefit of this setup, says Mazur, is that students go at their own pace. He has thought a lot about how classroom-based work, even when it is student-led, is hostage to the clock and the instructor. Not every group works at the same pace, yet everyone has to wait until others are ready, or rush ahead when they fall behind. When groups set their own pace, it gives them the space to work through problems or get help as needed. The value of self-paced learning is also evident outside of class, says Mazur, who built more asynchronous work into his online course.
“I have never seen students work this hard for my course,” he says. “Never. And so consistently.”
Also see:
But he’s so convinced of how valuable this model is that he asked Harvard to allow him to keep teaching online this fall.
Also relevant/see:
- Online Learning Increases College Access for Underserved Native American Students — from edtechmagazine.com by Adam Stone
The California Indian Nations College saw a 22 percent increase in enrollment last year. Here’s a look at how they did it. - A Simple Guide to Four Popular Online Learning Formats — from blog.commlabindia.com by Nameera Sallum
With the pandemic making in-person training a remote possibility, organizations relying on classroom training are now looking to online learning. This post discusses various aspects of four popular online learning formats – eLearning, microlearning, virtual classrooms, and social learning.
On 05/26/2021,
in 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, accessibility / UDL, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, education technology, educational games / serious games, K-12 related, languages and translation, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, love of learning, mathematics, play, robotics, science, STEAM-related, student-related, tools, youth,
by Daniel Christian
Per Elnaz Sarraf (She/Her), Chief Evangelist at ROYBI Robot:
ROYBI INC, the creator of the award-winning ROYBI Robot, announced today that it was named the winner of the World Economic Forum Smart Toy Awards 2021 in the category of Smart Companion. This is a remarkable achievement!
The category winner had to meet four important criteria:
- Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
- Accessibility
- Innovative Use of AI Transparency
- Healthy Play in Childhood Development.
According to the World Economic Forum representative, Seth Bergeson, our ROYBI Robot met and exceeded these important criteria. ROYBI’s award acceptance ceremony can be watched here.
Also see:
On 05/25/2021,
in career development, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, education, education reform, experimentation, face-to-face, formal learning, future, ideas, K-12 related, leadership, learner profiles, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning preferences, Michigan, more voice more choice more control, student-related, teachers,
by Daniel Christian
Michigan appeals to former teachers as districts face ‘dire’ shortage — from mlive.com by Kayla Miller
Kindergarten teacher Melissa Sanborn instructs students…Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 at Cook Elementary School in Grand Blanc. (Jake May | MLive.com) Jake May | MLive.com
Excerpt:
Looking ahead to August, Beecher Community School District is expecting to be short about a quarter of their needed teaching staff for the 2021-22 school year.
The Flint-area district is one of many schools across Michigan fighting to keep educators in classrooms amid a statewide teacher shortage. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is now appealing to former teachers to get recertified and back to work.
…
David Crim, spokesperson for the Michigan Education Association, said multiple factors are keeping people from pursuing teaching and forcing young teachers to leave the profession.
“There’s no respect for teachers, no respect for the profession and poor compensation,” Crim said. “We have the perfect storm.”
From DSC:
It feels like there are major changes occurring throughout the K-12 learning ecosystems out there. It will be interesting to see what shakes out from this period of disruption.
By the way, those with little respect for teachers clearly have never taught themselves. Teaching is a very difficult profession. You try providing personalized learning to 25-30+ students at a time. Once you begin to scratch the surface, you’re retiring. We need to continue to try to share our knowledge, learnings, effective pedagogies/research, growth, tools, contacts, and more to help the next generation of teachers, students, administrators, and leaders.
Personally, I would like to see teachers have far more agency themselves. Don’t straight jacket them so much with standardized testing every ___ weeks/months. And allow more choice and control for the students (where possible). And allow the damn trains to slow down and/or vary their pace — allow them to stop if necessary for a student or a group of students.
I don’t see real personalized learning occurring until more technologies get involved/integrated into the classrooms out there — things like learner preferences, cloud-based learner profiles, AI and more.
On 05/24/2021,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adjunct faculty, Alternatives, career development, change, changing business models, colleges, distance education, education, ideas, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, lifelong learning, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, new business models, universities, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
A16z is betting $20 million on Maven, an ed tech and creator economy mashup — from protocol.com by Penelope Blackwell
Since launching in January 2021, instructors have sold over $1 million worth of courses on Maven.
Excerpt:
A little over a decade ago, Gagan Biyani founded Udemy, one of the main platforms that popularized massive open online courses. Now, he’s back with a new idea that jams together ed tech and the creator economy, and he thinks it can help more students stick out their online learning.
His new company, Maven, is focused on cohort-based learning. An expert tutor with a large online following leads an online course for a group of learners. The students join and move through content at the same pace, but much of the learning happens peer-to-peer as the students share their experiences over the web.
“There are thousands of experts, creators, and practitioners around the world who have valuable knowledge to share but aren’t traditional professors, and we think this is the best way for creators to monetize over the next decade,” said Biyani. “We’re creating the university of the future, built around these 21st-century professors.”
From DSC:
If adjunct faculty members want to go a different way in order to try their hand at making a lot more money, institutions of traditional higher education better look out! Especially if this new/alternative approach picks up steam! Such institutions have been paying extremely low rates for adjunct faculty members. And because these folks aren’t tenured faculty members, they rarely get much of a say in the strategies and directions that their institutions set and pursue.
With lifelong learning now a requirement, this type of alternative will be on an increasing number of peoples’ radars out there.
