vendors

Radar Trends to Watch: August 2022 [Loukides]

On 08/10/2022, in 21st century, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, computer science, emerging technologies, Google, health, innovation, languages and translation, Microsoft, open courseware and systems, platforms, programming, trends, United States, vendors, Web3, by Daniel Christian

Radar Trends to Watch: August 2022 — from oreilly.com by Mike Loukides
Developments in Security, Quantum Computing, Energy, and More

Excerpt:

The large model train keeps rolling on. This month, we’ve seen the release of Bloom, an open, large language model developed by the BigScience collaboration, the first public access to DALL-E (along with a guide to prompt engineering), a Copilot-like model for generating regular expressions from English-language prompts, and Simon Willison’s experiments using GPT-3 to explain JavaScript code.

On other fronts, NIST has released the first proposed standard for post-quantum cryptography (i.e., cryptography that can’t be broken by quantum computers). CRISPR has been used in human trials to re-engineer a patient’s DNA to reduce cholesterol. And a surprising number of cities are paying high tech remote workers to move there.

The Metaverse Is Not a Place: It’s a communications medium. [O’Reilly]

On 08/10/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, cryptocurrencies, distance education, drama/theater, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, future, global / globalization, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, immersion, innovation, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, Metaverse, multimedia, new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, participation, platforms, remote teaching and learning, social learning / networks, social media, society, technologies for your home, technology (general), telecommunications, telelegal, telemedicine / telehealth / virtual health, telepresence, tools, training / L&D, trends, United States, user experience (UX), vendors, videoconferencing, Virtual courts and law firms, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, wearables, web-based collaboration, Web3, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

The Metaverse Is Not a Place — from oreilly.com by Tim O’Reilly
It’s a communications medium.

Excerpt:

Foundations of the metaverse
You can continue this exercise by thinking about the metaverse as the combination of multiple technology trend vectors progressing at different speeds and coming from different directions, and pushing the overall vector forward (or backward) accordingly. No new technology is the product of a single vector.

So rather than settling on just “the metaverse is a communications medium,” think about the various technology vectors besides real-time communications that are coming together in the current moment. What news from the future might we be looking for?

Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality…
Social media…
Gaming…
AI…
Cryptocurrencies and “Web3”…
Identity…

#metaverse #AI #communications #gaming #socialmedia #cryptocurrencies #Web3 #identity #bots #XR #VR #emergingtechnologies

one hundred best workplaces for innovators [fastcompany.com]

On 08/03/2022, in corporate / business world, innovation, MBA, United States, vendors, workplace, by Daniel Christian

one hundred best workplaces for innovators — from fastcompany.com

Excerpt:

In this era of distributed workforces and mass attrition (the so-called Great Resignation), our fourth annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list highlights more than 100 companies that energize employees by rewarding creativity wherever it arises. The venerable toy giant Mattel operates a “virtual garage platform” that allows workers at any level to pitch new concepts, while Maverick Quantum, a Texas-based artificial intelligence platform, goes one step further, soliciting ideas not only from employees but also from their family members. “These innovative organizations have cultures that offer meaningful employee engagement, and a chance to change the world,” says Paul Daugherty, group chief executive of Technology and CTO at Accenture, Fast Company’s research partner on Best Workplaces for Innovators.

One of the articles in this series is at:

Best Workplaces for Innovators 2022: Innovation Team of the Year — from fastcompany.com by Jay Woodruff
A group of Alaska Airlines employees take top honors.

Excerpt:

Whether focused on microscopic computer chips or cement trucks full of concrete, these six teams stood out to Fast Company judges for devising innovative solutions to global problems.

The edtech top 50 — emerging companies for higher education

On 08/03/2022, in education technology, emerging technologies, higher education, innovation, instructional design, technology (general), vendors, by Daniel Christian

The edtech top 50 — emerging companies for higher education — from medium.com by Nic Newman (back from June 27, 2022)

Two Years After Promising a ‘Transformational’ Partnership, the U. of Arizona and Zovio Part Ways [Bauman]

On 08/03/2022, in business side of he, change, changing business models, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, distance education, global / globalization, higher education, learning ecosystem, online learning, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Two Years After Promising a ‘Transformational’ Partnership, the U. of Arizona and Zovio Part Ways — from chronicle.com by Dan Bauman

Excerpt:

The University of Arizona Global Campus announced on Monday it would take over management of its online education programs from Zovio Inc. — the same company that two years earlier transferred its for-profit college holdings to the University of Arizona in what was touted then as a “transformational” agreement.

The news marks a precipitous end for the original deal, Arizona acquired Zovio’s Ashford University in 2020 and created the University of Arizona Global Campus, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the traditional public university.

The article links to “An Open Letter from Paul Pastorek” (President of the University of Arizona Global Campus) — from uagc.edu

Excerpt:

As an institution, this new chapter reflects our belief that our mission demands that the governance and control of critical functions, in particular enrollment, marketing, student advising, and financial aid, rest exclusively with UAGC leadership. It is grounded in a conviction that outsourcing such functions is inherently at odds with our aspirations and desired outcomes. Placing all of our services under one roof, we believe, will increase efficiency, reduce costs, and is a necessary precondition to making good on our commitments to our students.

Impatient for workers, businesses help students take college shortcuts — from hechingerreport.org by Lilah Burke
Employers and states are adding faster-paced skills training for people who want to forgo college

Excerpt:

It’s part of an accelerating movement of noncredit, short-term training programs, not just in technology, but in many fields for which students are impatient for jobs and employers for workers who want to leapfrog their way to careers — and do it without necessarily spending the years and money it takes to earn a university degree.

These are among the ways “employers are creating the solutions they need in order to deal with their talent demands,” said Bridgette Gray, chief customer officer at Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit that encourages employers to hire more people without degrees.

Now some companies, motivated by a mix of corporate social responsibility and the need for talent, are edging toward a new model in which they create their own, or hire from other, training programs.

2U announces layoffs and new approach to tuition-share agreements [Schwartz]

On 07/30/2022, in business side of he, change, changing business models, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, higher education, learning ecosystem, new business models, online learning, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

2U announces layoffs and new approach to tuition-share agreements — from highereddive.com by Natalie Schwartz
The online program manager expects the restructuring will lead to about $70 million in annual cost savings.

Excerpt:

2U announced across-the-board layoffs and changes to its business strategy on Thursday, as it reorients the company around edX, a prominent MOOC platform it acquired last year.
…
2U officials announced the company is updating this part of the business model, saying it will offer tuition-share agreements starting at 35% of a program’s revenue — with higher rates available to colleges that want more services.

Brief reflections on “Brands Are Already Making Millions in the Metaverse. Here’s What Business Owners Need To Know.” [Sherry]

On 07/29/2022, in art, attention, business, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, communications, communities of practice, content development, aggregation, repositories, creativity, education, education reform, education technology, educational games / serious games, Emotion, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, global / globalization, immersion, innovation, instructional design, interaction design, interactivity, K-12 related, Learning Experience Design, learning spaces, maker movement, marketing/social marketing, marketplaces, Metaverse, student-related, teachers, technologies for your home, United States, user experience (UX), vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, web-based collaboration, XR - extended reality, youth, by Daniel Christian

Brands Are Already Making Millions in the Metaverse. Here’s What Business Owners Need To Know. — from inc.com by Ben Sherry
Entrepreneurs who follow Gen-Z into the metaverse could gain a competitive advantage.

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

If you’re still skeptical about the metaverse, you certainly aren’t alone. According to a recent survey, 55 percent of adults with yearly incomes over $100,000 said they were not interested or excited about the concept, while 37 percent said they were primarily worried about it. Only 6 percent of respondents claimed to be excited about the metaverse.

Those numbers might not seem encouraging, but it’s important to remember that one of the most popular metaverse platforms currently available, Roblox, averages more than 54 million daily users, the vast majority of whom are Gen-Z or younger. Those users have cumulatively spent more than $1 billion on digital items such as outfits or accessories designed to be worn by player avatars in addition to in-experience upgrades and various other paid features.

From DSC:
The article stated that over 30 million virtual worlds had been created from scratch using Roblox Studio, the platform’s creation engine. So youth are creating, sharing, and participating in virtual worlds all the time…while experimenting, playing, and practicing their creativity. This all is done outside of school. Hmm…

4 items for those working in Training, Learning & Development, & Instructional Design

On 07/25/2022, in adjunct faculty, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, digital learning, elearning, faculty, ideas, India, instructional design, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, training / L&D, UK, United States, vendors, workplace, by Daniel Christian

L&D Go Beyond Podcast: Bridging the Gap between Learning and Performance, with Charles Jennings — from upsidelearning.com by Gabriella Daniels

Excerpt:

Often, there is a vast gap between learning and performance in many organizations. Given Charles’ experience in the field, here are the key takeaways from this episode:

Identifying the difference between schooling and learning and the business paradigm and the learning paradigm
Learning through experience, practice, conversation, and reflection
Looking at ‘learning for performance’ in a holistic way
Recognizing the purpose of learning
Understanding the relevance and application of training
Uncovering the aspects of 70:20:10 or the performance-based learning methodology
Determining learning through observation
Moving from a learning-based culture to a performance-based culture
Working with stakeholders to define performance metrics
Conducting a performance analysis before every L&D project

Training with Branching Scenarios — from christytuckerlearning.com by Christy Tucker
You can do live training with branching scenarios using full group discussions, polls, small groups, or assignments.

Excerpt:

How do you use branching scenarios in instructor-led training, rather than self-paced elearning? I think there are a couple of possibilities for doing live training with branching scenarios. These could work for either classroom-based training or vILT (virtual instructor-led training). For example, you can use branching scenarios in training as a full group with discussion or polls, in small groups, or outside of class as a discussion prompt.

Learning Content Maintenance: Don’t Skip This Essential Step — from learningsolutionsmag.com Adam Weisblatt

Excerpt:

L&D departments get bombarded with requests for new content, and they are reward for their responsiveness. As soon as one eLearning module is completed and loaded in the LMS, it is forgotten and the next course in the queue is started. Multiply this by all the organizations that share the LMS. The result is a catalog of thousands of courses that no one has time to look at.

It is important to see this from the perspective of the learner.

Second Career Satisfaction — from learningsolutionsmag.com by Natalie Schoof

Excerpt:

Hey teachers: In case you didn’t realize it, you’re an instructional designer.

I attended a conference (Learning Solutions 2022) where I met two other former teachers, who, like myself, had recently transitioned from the classroom to the field of instructional design (ID). We instantly bonded over our shared experiences—the rewards and challenges of teaching, of course, but also why and how we decided to move on.

Our stories had striking resemblances. I’m sharing mine here in the hopes that it might encourage other would-be instructional designers.

“Lawyers and the Metaverse”, 3 warnings re: virtual hearings, using tech to advance legal ed, & more

On 07/25/2022, in 21st century, Access to Justice (A2J), Asia, Blockchain, business, Canada, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, communications, copyright/ownership/NFTs, corporate / business world, cryptocurrencies, emerging technologies, experimentation, face-to-face, future, game-changing environment, human-computer interaction (HCI), immersion, innovation, interaction design, interactivity, law schools, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, new business models, platforms, privacy, society, strategy, telelegal, tools, United States, vendors, Virtual courts and law firms, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, wearables, Web3, by Daniel Christian

How will the Metaverse Influence Business and Legal Processes? — from jdsupra.com

Excerpt:

While some will be hesitant to use the metaverse and adoption is difficult to predict, it is not going away and will undoubtedly affect internal processes, business dealings, case strategy, and more. Organizations should start thinking about the possibilities now to be better prepared for future challenges. Below are some predictions on how the metaverse will influence operations, strategy, and investments across different areas of the enterprise.

Lawyers & the Metaverse — from joetechnologist.com by Elizabeth Beattie and Joseph Raczynski

Excerpt:

In a new Q&A interview, Thomson Reuters’ technologist and futurist Joseph Raczynski offers his insight about the Metaverse and how it will impact the legal industry.

I have likely spoken to thousands of lawyers over the last several years. They are extraordinarily bright, but with one limiting factor — their dedication to their craft. This means that they do not have the time to lift their heads to see what is coming. All these emerging technologies will impact their practices in some way, as well as the business of law. At a minimum, lawyers need the opportunity to focus on the big four: AI, blockchain, workflow, and the grab bag of general emerging technology. There are a multitude of places to learn about these things, but I would include some of the classics such as Google Alerts, Twitter threads on these topics, and magazines like Wired, which should be a staple for everyone.

These legal issues should be on college business officers’ radars — from highereddive.com by Rick Seltzer
A panel at the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ annual meeting covered legal questions spanning many offices on campus.

Let’s not presume that virtual hearings are the best solution in family law — from canadianlawyermag.com by John Silvester

Excerpts:

Proponents argue that virtual hearings are less expensive for clients, leading to enhanced access to justice for those who cannot afford to pay for their lawyers to travel to a courthouse and then sit and wait for hearings to commence. Sounds reasonable, right?

Not so fast.
…
Virtual hearings are advantageous in some scenarios, but there are at least three reasons why moving to an almost entirely virtual legal world may prove problematic.

LawNext Podcast: CALI Executive Director John Mayer on Using Tech to Advance Legal Education and Access to Justice — from lawnext.com by Bob Ambrogi and John Mayer

Excerpt:

In this episode of LawNext, Mayer joins host Bob Ambrogi to discuss the history and mission of CALI and to share his thoughts on the use of technology to enhance legal education. They also talk about how and why A2J Author was developed and how it is used by courts and legal services organizations to help those who are without legal representation. Mayer also shares his thoughts on the future of innovation in law and on the future of CALI.

Louisiana Approves Virtual Custody Services and Proposes Virtual Currency Business Licensing Rules — from natlawreview.com by Moorari Shah and A.J. S. Dhaliwal

Excerpt:

Recently, the Louisiana lawmakers and regulators have taken steps to legalize operations in the state involving virtual currencies. On June 15, the Louisiana governor signed a bill that, effective August 1, 2022, will allow financial institutions and trust companies to provide virtual currency custody services to their customers as long as they satisfy certain requirements on risk-management and compliance. On June 20, the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions (OFI) published proposed rules on licensing and regulation of virtual currency businesses in the state pursuant to the Louisiana Virtual Currency Business Act, which went into effect on August 1, 2020.

I think we’ve run out of time to effectively practice law in the United States of America [Christian]

On 07/25/2022, in 21st century, accreditation, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Augmented Reality (AR), Blockchain, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, communities of practice, copyright/ownership/NFTs, corporate / business world, Cost of legal services - including access, credentialing, cryptocurrencies, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, distance education, emerging technologies, engineering, entrepreneurship, experimentation, face-to-face, future, higher education, Holographic comms, human-computer interaction (HCI), hybrid learning, Hyflex learning, ideas, innovation, instructional design, law schools, leadership, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, learning spaces, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, Metaverse, Michigan, Mixed Reality (MR), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Near Field Communication (NFC), online learning, organizational change, pace of change, platforms, policy, productivity / tips and tricks, reinvent, robotics, skills, society, staying relevant, strategy, surviving, technology (general), telelegal, trends, Uncategorized, United States, universities, using teams, vendors, Virtual courts and law firms, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, Web3, workplace, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Given:

the accelerating pace of change that’s been occurring over the last decade or more
the current setup of the legal field within the U.S. — and who can practice law
the number of emerging technologies now on the landscapes out there

…I think we’ve run out of time to effectively practice law in the U.S. — at least in terms of dealing with emerging technologies. Consider the following items/reflections.

Inside one of the nation’s few hybrid J.D. programs — from highereddive.com by Natalie Schwartz
Shannon Gardner, Syracuse law school’s associate dean for online education, talks about the program’s inaugural graduates and how it has evolved.

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

In May, Syracuse University’s law school graduated its first class of students earning a Juris Doctor degree through a hybrid program, called JDinteractive, or JDi. The 45 class members were part of almost 200 Syracuse students who received a J.D. this year, according to a university announcement.

The private nonprofit, located in upstate New York, won approval from the American Bar Association in 2018 to offer the three-year hybrid program.

The ABA strictly limits distance education, requiring a waiver for colleges that wish to offer more than one-third of their credits online. To date, the ABA has only approved distance education J.D. programs at about a dozen schools, including Syracuse.

Many folks realize this is the future of legal education — not that it will replace traditional programs. It is one route to pursue a legal education that is here to stay. I did not see it as pressure, and I think, by all accounts, we have definitely proven that it is and can be a success.

Shannon Gardner, associate dean for online education

From DSC:
It was March 2018. I just started working as a Director of Instructional Services at a law school. I had been involved with online-based learning since 2001.

I was absolutely shocked at how far behind law schools were in terms of offering 100% online-based programs. I was dismayed to find out that 20+ years after such undergraduate programs were made available — and whose effectiveness had been proven time and again — that there were no 100%-online based Juris Doctor (JD) programs in the U.S. (The JD degree is what you have to have to practice law in the U.S. Some folks go on to take further courses after obtaining that degree — that’s when Masters of Law programs like LLM programs kick in.)

Why was this I asked? Much of the answer lies with the extremely tight control that is exercised by the American Bar Association (ABA). They essentially lay down the rules for how much of a law student’s training can be online (normally not more than a third of one’s credit hours, by the way).

Did I say it’s 2022? And let me say the name of that organization again — the American Bar Association (ABA).

Graphic by Daniel S. Christian

Not to scare you (too much), but this is the organization that is supposed to be in charge of developing lawyers who are already having to deal with issues and legal concerns arising from the following technologies:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) — Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP), algorithms, bots, and the like
The Internet of Things (IoT) and/or the Internet of Everything (IoE)
Extended Reality (XR) — Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), Virtual Reality (VR)
Holographic communications
Big data
High-end robotics
The Metaverse
Cryptocurrencies
NFTs
Web3
Blockchain
…and the like

I don’t think there’s enough time for the ABA — and then law schools — to reinvent themselves. We no longer have that luxury. (And most existing/practicing lawyers don’t have the time to get up the steep learning curves involved here — in addition to their current responsibilities.)

The other option is to use teams of specialists, That’s our best hope. If the use of what’s called nonlawyers* doesn’t increase greatly, the U.S. has little hope of dealing with legal matters that are already arising from such emerging technologies.

So let’s hope the legal field catches up with the pace of change that’s been accelerating for years now. If not, we’re in trouble.

* Nonlawyers — not a very complimentary term…
I hope they come up with something else.
Some use the term Paralegals.
I’m sure there are other terms as well.

From DSC:
There is hope though. As Gabe Teninbaum just posted the resource below (out on Twitter). I just think the lack of responsiveness from the ABA has caught up with us. We’ve run out of time for doing “business as usual.”

Law students want more distance education classes, according to ABA findings — from abajournal.com by Stephanie Francis Ward

Excerpt:

A recent survey of 1,394 students in their third year of law school found that 68.65% wanted the ability to earn more distance education credits than what their schools offered.

An interesting question: “What happens to a college’s online programs if the company operating them changes hands?” [Swaak]

On 07/25/2022, in change, colleges, community colleges, education technology, future of higher education, higher education, ideas, India, instructional design, leadership, learning ecosystem, online learning, online media, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

An Overseas Ed-Tech Firm Wants to Buy 2U. What Could That Mean for Colleges? — from chronicle.com by Taylor Swaak

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

What happens to a college’s online programs if the company operating them changes hands? It’s a question on the minds of higher-ed leaders as an overseas ed-tech company attempts to buy 2U.

Byju’s, an ed-tech behemoth based in India, has put more than $1 billion on the table to acquire the online program manager, Bloomberg first reported late last month. 2U is one of the largest online-program managers, or OPMs, in the United States, known for scaling up online-degree programs and teaming up with more than 130 American colleges, including large institutions such as Arizona State, New York, and Syracuse Universities. It’s also the parent company of the online-course provider edX.

From DSC:
Is the use of virtual instructors going to be used more to fill vacancies within K12? Hmmm…time will tell.

By the way, I think online-based learning works for many people, but certainly it isn’t for everyone (even with the likely unfair assumption that everyone has Internet access and the equipment/setup that they need). From what I’ve observed, it works best for very disciplined, motivated students — they need to be a bit more independent in their learning. But school systems should have backup plans in place if the exodus continues.

Education tech companies bring virtual teaching to the table as solution to teacher shortage — from thedenverchannel.com by Chloe Nordquist

Excerpts:

Education technology companies like Elevate K-12, which is a live streaming instruction platform, are growing. Especially in areas where hiring a teacher can be tough.
…
The company is seeing more interest from teachers in joining their platform. One is for schedule flexibility.

7 Amazing Ways Technology Is Changing Higher Education for the Better [Newton]

On 07/21/2022, in assessment, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, creativity, engagement / engaging students, higher education, innovation, learning ecosystem, personalized/customized learning, technology (general), tools, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

7 Amazing Ways Technology Is Changing Higher Education for the Better — from innotechtoday.com by Emily Newton

Excerpt:

As society has stepped decidedly into the digital age, there’s been a lot of debate about how technology is changing higher education. Some people believe there are benefits of technology in education, while others are concerned about tech’s impact on learning and motivation. Technology in higher education can be a major distraction or an incredibly helpful resource.

Technology is only as good or as bad as what you do with it. In education, AI, coding, and media creation are tools that teachers can use to motivate their students and help them grasp new ideas. Keeping pace with everyday tech is important for modern students. Here are seven amazing ways technology is changing higher education for the better.

Matthew Ball on the metaverse: We’ve never seen a shift this enormous [Roettgers]

On 07/20/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, career development, change, communications, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, drama/theater, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, future, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, interaction design, interactivity, interface design, internet, IT in HE, marketplaces, media/film, Metaverse, story, storytelling, technologies for your home, tools, Uncategorized, United States, vendors, videoconferencing, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, wearables, web-based collaboration, Web3, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

Matthew Ball on the metaverse: We’ve never seen a shift this enormous — protocol.com by Janko Roettgers
The leading metaverse theorist shares his thoughts on the sudden rise of the concept, its utility for the enterprise and what we still get wrong about the metaverse.

Excerpts:

What are the biggest misconceptions about the metaverse?
First, the idea that the metaverse is immersive virtual reality, such as an Oculus or Meta Quest. That’s an access device. It would be akin to saying the mobile internet is a smartphone.

We should think of the metaverse as perhaps changing the devices we use, the experiences, business models, protocols and behaviors that we enjoy online. But we’ll keep using smartphones, keyboards. We don’t need to do all video conferences or all calls in 3D. It’s supplements and complements, doesn’t replace everything.

Also relevant/see:

A former Amazon exec thinks Disney will win the metaverse — from protocol.com by

Excerpt:

This month, Ball is publishing his book, “The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything.” The work explains in detail what the metaverse is all about and which shifts in tech, business and culture need to fall into place for it to come into existence.

How will the metaverse change Hollywood? In his book, Ball argues that people tend to underestimate the changes new technologies will have on media and entertainment.

Instead of just seeing a movie play out in 360 degrees around us, we’ll want to be part of the movie and play a more active role.
One way to achieve that is through games, which have long blurred the lines between storytelling and interactivity. But Ball also predicts there will be a wide range of adjacent content experiences, from virtual Tinder dates in the “Star Wars” universe to Peloton rides through your favorite movie sets.

Addendum on 7/24/22:

Neurodiversity, Inclusion And The Metaverse — from workdesign.com by Derek McCallum

Excerpt:

Innovation in virtual and augmented reality platforms and the vast opportunities connected to the metaverse are driving innovation in nearly every industry. In the workplace, future-focused companies are increasingly exploring ways to use this nascent technology to offer workers more choices and better support for neurodiverse employees.

It would be nearly impossible to list all the challenges and opportunities associated with this technology in a single article, so I’ll keep things focused on an area that is top-of-mind right now as many of us start to make our way back into the office—the workplace. The truth is, while we can use our expertise and experience to anticipate outcomes, no one truly knows what the metaverse will become and what the wide-ranging effects will be. At the moment, the possibilities are exciting and bring to mind more questions than answers. As a principal and hands-on designer in a large, diverse practice, my hope is that we will be able to collectively harness the inherent opportunities of the metaverse to support richer, more accessible human experiences across all aspects of the built environment, and that includes the workplace.

Learning Ecosystems

one hundred best workplaces for innovators [fastcompany.com]

The edtech top 50 — emerging companies for higher education

Two Years After Promising a ‘Transformational’ Partnership, the U. of Arizona and Zovio Part Ways [Bauman]

Impatient for workers, businesses help students take college shortcuts [Burke]

2U announces layoffs and new approach to tuition-share agreements [Schwartz]

4 items for those working in Training, Learning & Development, & Instructional Design

“Lawyers and the Metaverse”, 3 warnings re: virtual hearings, using tech to advance legal ed, & more

An interesting question: “What happens to a college’s online programs if the company operating them changes hands?” [Swaak]

7 Amazing Ways Technology Is Changing Higher Education for the Better [Newton]

Matthew Ball on the metaverse: We’ve never seen a shift this enormous [Roettgers]

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