personalized/customized learning

The game-changing environment continues; an update on my vision of the “Forthcoming Walmart of Education”

On 02/09/2010, in budgets, business side of he, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, disruption, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, informal learning, innovation, internet, IT in HE, learning ecosystem, mobile learning, more voice more choice more control, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new media literacies, online learning, online media, open courseware and systems, pace of change, personalized/customized learning, teaching & learning, traditional / tradition, trends, using teams, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
The following article got me to thinking of the future again…

Thousands to lose jobs as universities prepare to cope with cuts — from guardian.co.uk (original posting from Stephen Downes)
Post-graduates to replace professors | Staff poised to strike over proposals of cuts

I post this here because I believe that we are at the embryonic stages of some massive changes that will take place within the world of higher education. The timeframe for these changes, as always, is a bit uncertain. However, I would expect to see some of the following changes to occur (or continue to occur) yet this year:

Cost cutting
The cutting of programs
Laying off of staff and faculty
Not filling open positions
More outsourcing
The move towards using more cloud-based-computing models
The movement of students to lower-cost alternatives
Greater utilization of informal learning
The rise of online-exchange oriented offerings (i.e. the matching up of those who teach a subject and those who want to learn that subject)
The threat to traditional ways of doing things and to traditional organizations — including accreditation agencies — will cause people within those agencies to be open to thinking differently (though this one will take longer to materialize)
The continued growth of online learning — albeit at a greatly-reduced price
…and more.

This isn’t just about a recession. The Internet is changing the game on yet another industry — this time, it’s affecting those of us in the world of higher education. When the recession’s over, we won’t be going back to the way higher education was set up previous to the year 2010.

What did those us of in higher education learn from what happened to the music industry? What did we learn from what happened to the video distribution/entertainment business? To the journalism industry? To the brokerage business? To the travel and hospitality industries? To the bookstores of the world?

Along these lines…back at the end of 2008, I posted a vision entitled, The Forthcoming Walmart of Education. So, where are we on that vision? Well…so far we have:

Straighterline.com
A significant open courseware movement, including MIT Open Courseware, the Open Courseware Consortium, Connexions, Open Content Alliance, OpenLearn, Intute, Globe, Open Yale Courses, Open Education, The Internet Archive and many others
University of the People
YouTube.edu
iTunes U
Academic Earth
and more…

I realize that several of these items were in place before or during 2008…however, at that time, there was no dominant, inexpensive alternative. And there still isn’t one that has jumped into the lead (the University of Phoenix with their 150,000+ students doesn’t qualify, as their pricing is not yet nearly aggressive enough as what I’m predicting will occur).

Though we aren’t there yet, there has been significant change that has already taken place. So…if I were an administrator right now, I’d be asking myself the following key questions:

Can we reduce tuition and fees by at least 50%? If not, how can some of our offerings be delivered at half the price (or more)?
How are we going to differentiate ourselves?
How are we going to deliver value?
How are we going to keep from becoming a commodity?
Are we using teams to create and deliver our courses? If not, why not? What’s our plans for staying competitive if we don’t use teams?

Most likely, further massive changes are forthcoming. So fasten your seatbelts and try to stay marketable!

Tagged with: budgetary • change • future • game-changing environment • higher education • innovation • internet • PLE • student-related

Digital Tools Expand Options for Personalized Learning

On 02/04/2010, in education technology, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

Digital Tools Expand Options for Personalized Learning — from EdWeek.org by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo

Digital tools for defining and targeting students’ strengths and weaknesses could help build a kind of individualized education plan for every student.

Teachers have always known that a typical class of two dozen or more students can include vastly different skill levels and learning styles. But meeting those varied academic needs with a defined curriculum, time limitations, and traditional instructional tools can be daunting for even the most skilled instructor.

Some of the latest technology tools for the classroom, however, promise to ease the challenges of differentiating instruction more creatively and effectively, ed-tech experts say, even in an era of high-stakes federal and state testing mandates. New applications for defining and targeting students’ academic strengths and weaknesses can help teachers create a personal playlist of lessons, tools, and activities that deliver content in ways that align with individual needs and optimal learning methods.

Tagged with: 1:1 • PLE

“Learning itself is a ‘mashup'” — “Learning is messy.”

On 02/01/2010, in learning, personalized/customized learning, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

From DSC: A couple of interesting/recent quotes jumped out at me as being very true:

From a webinar that I just learned about which is later tonight entitled “New Learning Communities: Theoretical Frameworks”:
A landscape of new tools has lead to entirely new forms of communication. Learning itself is a ‘mashup.’ Teaching and communicating using online tools creates a conversation that takes place in a cloud. New learning skills and styles emerge. This presentation will introduce three concepts especially relevant to teaching and learning in this potentially overwhelming context: learning ecosystems, organizational biomimicry, and connectivism. This is a concise introduction to what’s new in learning and communication and is meant to provide the background knowledge to support changes in practice.
From Mark Berthelemy’s Reflections on Learning Technologies 2010
We like our systems. I like systems. They help us feel in control of things. Sometimes they’re even useful. The trouble is, the individual process of learning just doesn’t fit nicely in systems. Learning is messy. It happens at the oddest times, for the strangest reasons. Trying to systemise learning is like trying to pick up milk in your hands. Yes, some of it might stick, but that will be the exception rather than the rule.

From DSC:
“Learning itself is a ‘mashup.'” “Learning is messy”. After the numerous learning theories I’ve seen, and the myriad of perspectives regarding what works in education, I’m beginning to agree with these statements. There’s just as much art in teaching & learning as there is science. If someone can prove me wrong here, I’d love it. Give us a clean picture of how people are learning today and it would really help.

I’m wondering if we could create a system that would allow an educator to input which models of learning they believe in, for which subject, and ask them to input some other parameters, and the system/database would recommend some possible learning plans/ideas for them (based upon how they wanted to relay a topic). Hmmm…not sure though…

Anyway, from the items I mentioned above — as well as from my studies in my “Instructional Design for Online Learning” Masters program — I’m just not seeing any kind of silver bullets out there! 🙂

Tagged with: Canada • teaching & learning

Apple Launches iPad
“Apple today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, playing games, reading e-books, and much more. Its high-resolution Multi-Touch display lets you interact with content — including 12 innovative new apps designed especially for iPad and almost all of the 140,000 apps available on the App Store. At just 0.5 inches thick and 1.5 pounds, iPad is thinner and lighter than any laptop or notebook. iPad will be available in March starting at the breakthrough price of just $499. ” Read more: apple.com/ipad

Tagged with: Apple • iPad • publishing • TV

The Open Learning Initiative (OLI)

On 01/27/2010, in instructional design, online learning, open courseware and systems, personalized/customized learning, simulations, by Daniel Christian

The Open Learning Initiative (OLI)

“Using intelligent tutoring systems, virtual laboratories, simulations, and frequent opportunities for assessment and feedback, the Open Learning Initiative (OLI) builds courses that are intended to enact instruction – or, more precisely, to enact the kind of dynamic, flexible, and responsive instruction that fosters learning.”

Tagged with: AI • assessment • evaluation • instructional design • intelligent tutoring • OLI • online learning • simulations

Here’s how I’m approaching Personal Knowledge Management — from learninggeneralist.com

On 01/26/2010, in personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

Here’s how I’m approaching Personal Knowledge Management — from learninggeneralist.com

Tagged with: PKM

2010 Annual Letter from Bill Gates: Online Learning — Gates foundation

On 01/26/2010, in blended learning, hybrid learning, online learning, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

Original resource from:
Grant Writers, Get Ready. Bill Gates Is Fired Up About Online Learning. — from The Chronicle, by Marc Parry

The quote below is from the Gates Foundation’s 2010 Annual Letter:

“The foundation has made a few grants to drive online learning, but we are just at the start of this work. So far technology has hardly changed formal education at all. But a lot of people, including me, think this is the next place where the Internet will surprise people in how it can improve things—especially in combination with face-to-face learning. With the escalating costs of education, an advance here would be very timely (emphasis DSC).“

Tagged with: blended learning • elearning • hybrid learning • online learning

A Learning Ecosystem, now that sounds more like it. — from Paul Simbeck-Hampson (1-12-10)

On 01/26/2010, in blended learning, elearning, online learning, personalized/customized learning, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Paul Simbeck-Hampson has some good thoughts on the term “learning ecosystem” — check them out.

I think, as this blog progresses, blended learning will definitely be a very important element of a learning ecosystem, as it combines the best of both worlds:

Blended learning -- the best of both worlds

I am working on a graphic for “The House of Instruction“. Given all of the building blocks out there, how do we best build such a house? Which materials get used? Can we use them all and let students select which “blocks” work for them?

Tagged with: blended learning • elearning • hybrid learning • online learning

Like a mechanic…

On 01/22/2010, in assessment, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

Tagged with: 1:1 • assessment • higher education • K-12 • personalized learning

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