using teams

Reflections on “Ask Marcus Buckingham anything you want” [Pink; Buckingham]

On 09/15/2011, in Uncategorized, using teams, by Daniel Christian

Ask Marcus Buckingham anything you want — from Daniel Pink and Marcus Buckingham

Excerpt:

In the last decade, millions of people have come around to the idea that we’re better off building on our strengths instead of constantly trying to fix our weaknesses (emphasis DSC). That change in perspective is due, in no small part, to Marcus Buckingham.

Now you’ll have a chance to ask Marcus anything you want on the next episode of Office Hours — Friday September 16 at 11am EDT.

From DSC:
What resonates with me about Marcus’ message is one of the principles that stuck with me from my economics studies; and that is, everyone benefits when we do what we do best. Again, as I age, I realize how true this is. We all have strengths and weaknesses — but the results from putting our energies into our strengths are far greater (for everyone we interface with) than the results are when we try to make small, incremental (at best) changes to our weaknesses. The Bible also talks about this concept when it talks about parts of a body — that we play different roles…that we have different gifts and abilities but none of us are the whole body in itself.

This same concept relates to why I feel so strongly about the use of teams of specialists in the creation and delivery of content for K-12 education, higher education, and in corporate training-related efforts. No one can do it all anymore.

Graphically speaking for higher education:

Tagged with: Using teams

The Digital Revolution and Higher Education — from the Pew Research Center by Kim Parker, Amanda Lenhart, and Kathleen Moore
College Presidents, Public Differ on Value of Online Learning

Excerpt:

This report is based on findings from a pair of Pew Research Center surveys conducted in spring 2011. One is a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of 2,142 adults ages 18 and older. The other is an online survey, done in association with the Chronicle of Higher Education, among the presidents of 1,055 two-year and four-year private, public, and for-profit colleges and universities.

Here is a summary of key findings…

From DSC:
First, [perhaps it’s in the appendices, but] how many of the people out in the public who were surveyed have actually taken an online class? If so, how many classes (each) have they taken and when did they take them? From whom did they take them? My guess is that most of them have never taken a class online.

Secondly, I wonder how many people thought that the telephone was a useful instrument/communication device shortly after it was introduced? Perhaps not too many…but did you use one today? Yesterday? I bet you did. I did…several times; and I bet that the same will be true of online learning (as online learning didn’t really begin to be used until the late 90’s).

The question is not whether online learning will blow away the face-to-face classroom, it’s when this will occur…? There will be many reasons for this, but the key one will be that you are putting up a team of specialists instead of using just one person. If they are reeeeaaaalllyy good (and a rare talent), that person can do the trick for now; but their success/job will continue to be increasingly difficult to perform, as they continue to pick up new hats each year, as the students’ attention spans and expectations continue to change, as lower cost models continue to emerge, etc, etc…

As Christensen, Horn, and Johnson assert, the innovation is taking place in the online learning world, and it will eventually surpass what’s possible (if it hasn’t already) in the face-to-face classrooms.

Tagged with: 21st century • 24x7x365 • attention • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • digital learning • disruption • face-to-face • future of higher education • higher education • innovation • Mobile learning • nontraditional • online learning • student expectations • teaching & learning • traditional • ubiquitous learning • Using teams • Walmart of Education

Closing the loop in education technology [Nagel]

On 08/10/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, budgets, change, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, education reform, education technology, game-changing environment, K-12 related, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, policy, United States, using teams, by Daniel Christian

Closing the loop in education technology — from The Journal by David Nagel

Excerpt:

K-12 education isn’t using technology effectively and isn’t investing nearly enough in IT infrastructure to enable next-generation learning. That’s the conclusion of a new report, “Unleashing the Potential of Technology in Education,” which called for a greater financial commitment to education technology and the adoption of a holistic, “closed loop” approach to its implementation.

See also:

From DSC:

We may continue to be disappointed in our overall results — even if we do bump up our ed tech infrastructure/investments — if we continue to use the same models/ways of doing things. That is, I wish we would move more towards a team-based approach and stop trying to load up our teachers’ and professors’ plates with tasks that they probably don’t have the time, interest, or training to do. Graphically speaking:

So…use teams to create and deliver the content — and allow for online tutoring from a team of specialists in each discipline. Like the healthcare-related billboard I kept driving by the other day said: “A team of specialists at every step.”

Tagged with: 1:1 • 21st century • 24x7x365 • budgetary • change • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • digital learning • educational technology • game-changing environment • K-12 • online learning • perfect storm • policy • United States • Using teams

Smashing the cubicles [Simonite]

On 08/07/2011, in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, business, collaboration, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, using teams, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Smashing the cubicles — from technologyreview.com by Tom Simonite
By sketching future spaces around tablets, smart phones, and social technologies, companies can operate with far fewer desks.

Designed for mobility:
This conference table, from the design firm Steelcase, allows employees to dock their mobile devices and take turns sharing the displays at the ends of the table. Credit: Steelcase

Also see:

The Rise of the Virtual Office — from technologyreview.com
As the definition of the workplace changes, dramatic increases in productivity could be ahead.

Tagged with: 21st century • A/V • business • collaboration • corporate / business world • corporate training / universities • learning spaces • smart classrooms • videoconferencing • web-based collaboration

4 ways to sync your international teams [Salamon]

On 07/19/2011, in global / globalization, productivity / tips and tricks, using teams, by Daniel Christian

4 ways to sync your international teams — from bazaarvoice.com by Jacob Salamon

Excerpt:

However, time zone differences and other barriers to face-to-face communication between offices can make keeping in touch a chore. Here are some tips for working between international offices…

Tagged with: best practices/tips • global • productivity • Using teams

My guess is that for many youth, this will blow traditional books out of the water (and for some of us adults as well)

On 07/14/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, animation, Apple, art, changing business models, convergence, creativity, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, generational differences, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, interaction design, interactivity, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, love of learning, media/film, multimedia, new business models, new media literacies, publishing, quality, reading, storytelling, technologies for your home, tools, trends, user experience (UX), user interface design, using teams, by Daniel Christian

Check out:

Fantastic new children’s iPad book by author William Joyce — from curiositycounts.com as curated by Maria Popova

Also see:

From DSC:
This also nicely illustrates why I believe we need to use teams of specialists to create and deliver our learning materials (June 2009).

Tagged with: 21st century • 24x7x365 • 3D • A/V • animation • Apple • art • convergence • creativity • cross-disciplinary assignments • digital audio • digital storytelling • digital video • disruption • educational technology • elearning • emerging technologies • engagement • engaging students • generational differences • human-computer interaction (HCI) • innovation • interaction design • iPad • K-12 • learning ecosystem • love of learning • Media/film • multimedia • new business models • new publishing models • publishing • quality • story • technologies for the home • tools • trends • user experience • user interface design • Using teams

I wondered when this was going to happen…Pearson entering the degree market

On 07/05/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, future of higher education, game-changing environment, new business models, organizational change, publishing, reinvent, staying relevant, UK, using teams, by Daniel Christian

Royal Holloway to validate publisher Pearson’s degree — from the BBC

Publishing giant Pearson has announced a partnership with Royal Holloway university that will allow it to enter the degree market.
The university is to validate a degree in business, developed by Pearson, which says it eventually wants its own degree-awarding powers.
A White Paper last week outlined government plans to allow the expansion of private degree providers.
But the lecturers’ union warned of a possible focus on profitable courses.
Pearson said the degree would be available from September 2012.
It said it was in talks with further education colleges, which would teach the course.

From DSC:
Many of the publishers already have teams of specialists in place; i.e. they’ve already set their tables (see the graphic I created below that represents where I believe ALL institutions of higher education need to get to — and as quickly as possible).

Tagged with: future of higher education • game-changing environment • multimedia • new media literacies • new publishing models • organizational change • publishing • reinvent • staying relevant • UK • Using teams

Nice work from Punflay — frog dissection app

On 06/28/2011, in animation, biology, digital learning, education technology, India, K-12 related, mobile learning, simulations, using teams, by Daniel Christian

Per Nicola Santiago at Punflay:

We develop educational iPhone/iPad apps for kids. Our Frog Dissection app which is being used in many schools was awarded the Mark Twain’s Ethical Science award by PETA and was also selected as the Best Science app by IEAR. We also have a Rat Dissection app in the store.

Side reflection from DSC:

This type of work shows the power of using teams of specialists. One person can’t do it all anymore — we need to face up to this fact and stop thinking that simply providing more professional development is the answer. I realize that using textbooks brings in teams of specialists — but it seems to me that we still think that simply by providing more professional development, our teachers and professors will be able to meet the constantly (and quickly) rising bar. That type of approach has outlived its usefulness and it just won’t cut it anymore; we do our students a major disservice by clinging to that outdated, status-quo-based model.

How can we move to using more teams of specialists to create and deliver our educational materials?

Nice work to the teams at Punflay in India!

Tagged with: animation • biology • digital learning • educational technology • India • iPad • K-12 • Mobile learning • simulations • Using teams

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Surveys of the American public and of more than 1,000 college and university presidents, conducted this past spring by the Pew Research Center in association with the Chronicle of Higher Education, revealed significant concerns not only about the costs of such education, but also about its direction and goals.

More fundamentally, the business model that has characterized American higher education is at—or even past—its breaking point. Many institutions are increasingly beset by financial difficulties, and the meltdown since 2008 is but a shadow of what is to come. Undergraduate tuition has risen dramatically: at a 6.3 percent annual clip for nearly the last three decades—even faster than the much-decried 4.9 percent annual cost increases plaguing the healthcare industry. The full increase in the price of higher education has actually been hidden from many students and families over the years because gifts from alumni, earnings from private university endowments, subsidies from state tax revenues for public universities, and federal subsidies for students have been used to mitigate some costs. But universities are exhausting these mechanisms.

…

A Thriving, Disruptive Innovation
Just at the moment when these challenges to established higher education have arisen and compounded, another group of universities has arisen whose financial health is strong and enrollments have been booming. And yet the brands of these schools are weak and their campuses far from glamorous; sometimes the campuses are even nonexistent from the perspective of students, as online learning has largely driven their growth. How could this upstart group be so successful when the rest of higher education is treading water at best?

Tagged with: budgetary • business side of he • change • cost of getting an education • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • disruption • for-profits • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • new business models in he • online learning • organizational change • perfect storm • reinvent • staying relevant • United States • Using teams • Walmart of Education

media:scape mini from Steelcase

On 06/14/2011, in 21st century, collaboration, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, library / librarians, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, using teams, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Tagged with: 21st century • collaboration • learning ecosystem • learning spaces • library / librarians • smart classrooms • social learning • Using teams • videoconferencing • web-based collaboration

Reinventing the Technology of Human Accomplishment — by Gary Hamel; from the University of Phoenix Distinguished Guest Video Lecture Series.

From DSC:
No matter whether you agree with what Gary is saying or not, can you imagine if every lecture contained this type of team-based assistance in creating the motion graphics, recording the video, editing the video, executing proper sound design principles, etc.? Most likely such an endeavor would be more achievable/successful when producing content in a controlled, studio type of environment — and then presenting it online (vs. trying to do this in front of a live classroom/audience/face-to-face.)

Anyway, very powerful communication channels here! Excellent use of motion graphics to backup his message. A transcript with bolded headings and colored main points would be great too. By the way, wouldn’t it be cool for “call outs” to appear — somewhat in an augmented reality sort of way — when a main point was just made?!

Description of video:
Watch Gary Hamel, celebrated management thinker and author and co-founder of the Management Innovation eXchange (MIX), make the case for reinventing management for the 21st century. In this fast-paced, idea-packed, 15-minute video essay, Hamel paints a vivid picture of what it means to build organizations that are fundamentally fit for the future—and genuinely fit for human beings. It’s time to radically rethink how we mobilize people and organize resources to productive ends. Here’s how we start.

This video is an excerpt from the University of Phoenix Distinguished Guest Video Lecture Series.

Sample screen shots:

From DSC:
Again, can you imagine the bump in engagement/attention spans if a faculty member could be backed up by these types of motion graphics!?

From DSC:
I realize that many of the for-profits are already using teams of specialists…but many others are not.

–Originally saw this at the
Higher Education Management blog by Keith Hampson

Tagged with: 21st century • 24x7x365 • A/V • attention • augmented reality • business • communications • corporate / business world • design • economics/business • engagement • higher education • ideas • innovation • instructional design • internet • leadership • management • MBA • online learning • online media • strategy • trends • Using teams • vision • visual design • visualizing information

Heh! Is anyone listening in Washington, D.C.!? Will you please re-allocate the funding for a few F-35s towards online learning content development?

On 05/20/2011, in budgets, content development, aggregation, repositories, cost of getting a degree, leadership, online learning, using teams, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Cost of buying and operating 2443 F35s is estimated to be $1.3 trillion — from Next Big Future

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (Stealth multirole fighter) program is now projected to cost $1.3 trillion dollars to operate and maintain over its 30-year lifetime

Ashton Carter, under-secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, said that the new $133 million price per aircraft was not affordable.

Lawmakers Want Backup Plan After Carter Calls JSF Costs ‘Unaffordable’

The Pentagon’s top arms buyer this week called current cost projections for the Joint Strike Fighter “unaffordable,” triggering a bipartisan group of senators to demand a Defense Department contingency plan for how tactical air forces would be modernized should the F-35 program collapse under the weight of its forecasted $1.3 trillion price tag.

From DSC:
Can you image what several teams worth of specialists could do with $1.3 trillion dollars!? Man, you could meet President Obama’s higher-ed related goals in a heartbeat!

Tagged with: budgetary • content • leadership • legislation • online learning • Using teams • vision

[Concept] The new “textbook”: A multi-layered approach — from Daniel S. Christian
I’ve been thinking recently about new approaches to relaying — and engaging with — content in a “textbook”.

For a physical textbook

When opening up a physical textbook to a particular page, QR-like codes would be printed on the physical pages of the textbook. With the advent of augmented reality, such a mechanism would open up some new possibilities to interact with content for that page. For example, some overall characteristics about this new, layered approach:

Augmented reality could reveal multiple layers of information:
- From the author/subject matter expert as well as the publisher’s instructional design team
  - Main points highlighted
  - Pointers that may help with metacognition, such as potential mnemonics that might be helpful in moving something into long-term memory
  - Studying strategies
- A layer that the professor or teacher could edit
  - Main points highlighted
  - Pointers that may help with metacognition, such as potential mnemonics that might be helpful in moving something into long-term memory
  - Studying strategies
- A layer for the students to comment on/annotate that page
- A layer for other students’ comments

For an electronic-based textbook

The interface would allow for such layers to be visible or not — much like Google’s Body Browser application
For example, in this graphic, comments from the SME and/or ID are highlighted on top of the normal text:

Advantages of this concept/model:

Ties physical into virtual world
We could economically update information (i.e. opens up streams of content)
Integrates social learning
Allows SMEs, IDs, faculty members to further comment/add to content as new information becomes available
Instructors could highlight the key points they want to stress
Many of the layers could offer items that might help with students’ meta-cognitive processes (i.e. to help them learn the content and move the content into long-term memory)
One could envision the textbook being converted into something more akin to an app in an online-based store — with notifications of updates that could be constantly pushed out

Addendum (5/26):

Mobile Augmented Reality: Creating 21st Century Classroom Resources — from k12mobilelearning.com by Johnny Kisso

Tagged with: 1:1 • 21st century • adjunct faculty • augmented reality • Daniel S. Christian • digital learning • digital textbooks • educational technology • emerging technologies • faculty • innovation • instructional design • learning ecosystem • learning theories • metacognition • new publishing models • professors • publishing • QR codes -- tagging • social learning • student-related • tablets • teachers • teaching & learning • textbooks • Using teams • vision

From DSC:
I realize that many in education don’t view Bill and Melinda Gates with a great deal of admiration or respect. However, they and their foundation are about to make a hugely positive difference in — and contribution to — education. I’m sure that these grants will help create solutions that will feature professionally-done, highly-engaging, interactive, multimedia-based, team-created educational content. I hope that many of the solutions will feature sophisticated back-end engines that will allow for highly personalized/customized learning.

This is huge because such solutions are highly scalable. Plus look at who is involved at this point:

Pearson
Educurious Partners
Florida Virtual School
Institute of Play
Reasoning Mind
Quest Atlantis
Digital Youth Network
EDUCAUSE

Also see:

Gates Foundation announces portfolio of innovative grants to develop new teaching and learning tools that support teachers and help students — from the Gates Foundation
Adaptable resources will provide teachers with helpful tools to differentiate instruction and prepare all students to meet the Common Core State Standards

Also see:

Tagged with: 1:1 • 21st century • 24x7x365 • animation • customized learning • digital learning • e-learning • education reform • educational technology • emerging technologies • engagement • game-changing environment • games • Global learning • grants • innovation • interactivity • K-12 • learning ecosystem • Mobile learning • online learning • online media • participation • personalized learning • publishing • simulations • Using teams • virtual schools

A hugely powerful vision: A potent addition to our learning ecosystems of the future

On 04/09/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, change, colleges, convergence, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, e-books, e-readers, education, education reform, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, entrepreneurship, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, global / globalization, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), hybrid learning, immersion, informal learning, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interaction design, interactivity, interface design, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning agents, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, lifelong learning, marketplaces, mobile learning, mobile technologies, multi-touch, multimedia, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, pace of change, personalized/customized learning, platforms, play, podcasting, professional development, reinvent, RSS, simulations, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, social media, society, storytelling, strategy, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, surviving, tablets, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, technology (general), telecommunications, telepresence, television, transmedia, trends, ubiquitous learning, universities, user experience (UX), using teams, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, webinars, by Daniel Christian

Daniel Christian:
A Vision of Our Future Learning Ecosystems

In the near future, as the computer, the television, the telephone (and more) continues to converge, we will most likely enjoy even more powerful capabilities to conveniently create and share our content as well as participate in a global learning ecosystem — whether that be from within our homes and/or from within our schools, colleges, universities and businesses throughout the world.

We will be teachers and students at the same time — even within the same hour — with online-based learning exchanges taking place all over the virtual and physical world. Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) — in the form of online-based tutors, instructors, teachers, and professors — will be available on demand. Even more powerful/accurate/helpful learning engines will be involved behind the scenes in delivering up personalized, customized learning — available 24x7x365. Cloud-based learner profiles may enter the equation as well.

The chances for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship that are coming will be mind-blowing! What employers will be looking for — and where they can look for it — may change as well.

What we know today as the “television” will most likely play a significant role in this learning ecosystem of the future. But it won’t be like the TV we’ve come to know. It will be much more interactive and will be aware of who is using it — and what that person is interested in learning about. Technologies/applications like Apple’s AirPlay will become more standard, allowing a person to move from device to device without missing a beat. Transmedia storytellers will thrive in this environment!

Much of the professionally done content will be created by teams of specialists, including the publishers of educational content, and the in-house teams of specialists within colleges, universities, and corporations around the globe. Perhaps consortiums of colleges/universities will each contribute some of the content — more readily accepting previous coursework that was delivered via their consortium’s membership.

An additional thought regarding higher education and K-12 and their Smart Classrooms/Spaces:
For input devices…
The “chalkboards” of the future may be transparent, or they may be on top of a drawing board-sized table or they may be tablet-based. But whatever form they take and whatever is displayed upon them, the ability to annotate will be there; with the resulting graphics saved and instantly distributed. (Eventually, we may get to voice-controlled Smart Classrooms, but we have a ways to go in that area…)

Below are some of the graphics that capture a bit of what I’m seeing in my mind…and in our futures.

Alternatively available as a PowerPoint Presentation (audio forthcoming in a future version)