On 08/18/2011,
in A/V -- audio/visual, change, convergence, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital video, game-changing environment, internet, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, Near Field Communication (NFC), technologies for your home, television,
by Daniel Christian
How connected devices and streaming video are changing the way we consume content — from mashable.com by Christina Warren
On 08/18/2011,
in budgets, business side of he, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, society,
by Daniel Christian
Student loan debt climbs — WSJ.com by Justin Lahart
Student loan debt growing even as consumers pull back on other types of debt — from dailyjournal.net; originally saw this one at Academic Impressions
Push comes to shove: More American parents would like Uncle Sam to regulate college costs — from Straighterline.com
Student-loan delinquencies rise, adding to fears of an education bubble — HuffingtonPost.com
On 08/17/2011,
in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, convergence, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, digital textbooks, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, technologies for your home, transmedia, trends,
by Daniel Christian
Some updates on learning from the living room:
US cable and pay TV lose another half million customers in Q2, 2011 – cord cutting continues — from appmarket.tv by Richard Kastelein
According to Bloomberg, the six largest publicly traded U.S. cable and Pay TV providers are to lose 580,000 customers in the second quarter of 2011 – which is the biggest such decline in history.
‘TV textbooks’ bring access to low-income Florida students — from eSchoolNews.com by Jenna Zwang
Jacksonville officials introduce a program to raise reading scores
Prompted by lackluster reading scores, Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) in Jacksonville, Fla., is attempting to reach low-income students by turning students’ televisions into learning centers.
Time Warner cable head says company future is broadband, not TV –– ReelSEO Video Marketing by Jeremy Scott
Well surprise, surprise. The chief executive of Time Warner Cable, the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., says that broadband is the anchor service of the company’s future, not television. And while that may be a no-brainer for most of us observers in the industry, it’s still a pretty big deal for a cable company to admit their future isn’t in cable (emphasis DSC).
Research: Connected TV will be consumers’ portal to the Web by 2015 — from fierceonlinevideo.com
Google, Motorola deal may impact TV future — from bizreport.com by Kristina Knight
Add another destination for online giant Google – your living room (emphasis DSC). With the announcement that Google will purchase Motorola Mobility many in the space wonder what is next.
Addendum on 8/18/11:
- TV trends to watch at IBC 2011 — from tvgenius.net by Emma Wells
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.”
On 08/06/2011,
in 21st century, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, internet, IT in HE, leadership, strategy,
by Daniel Christian
Reengineering IT in higher education — from campustechnology.com by John Waters
Excerpt:
Higher ed IT is going the way of the TV repairman, eventually becoming anachronistic maintainers of commodity systems–if university and college technology managers and chief information officers don’t reclaim their rightful place as innovators. So proclaimed William G. “Gerry” McCartney, CIO at Purdue University, who spoke to attendees at the annual Campus Technology 2011 conference last week in Boston. McCarthy said he wants to see nothing less than a new kind of higher ed hybrid, one that transforms colleges and universities into “producers as well as consumers.”
From DSC:
I have had the perspective for decades now that those organizations who utilize technologies the best will be the winners (sorry for the competitive way of framing this topic, but it’s true).
“Keeping the systems running” in the world of IT is important — but the strategic use of IT has arguably become more important as the Internet, changing landscapes, and budgetary pressures continue to disrupt higher education.
In the 21st century, if you want a successful organization, you must have at least one visionary technologist — who understands your business — on your organization’s decision-making board; if not, good luck to such an organization in the future. If your organization minimizes and underestimates the power of technology to disrupt your business, things may not turn out too good for your organization in the future.
Also see:
- Technology not a priority for most college administrators, report finds — from ConvergeMag.com by Tanya Roscorla
On 07/26/2011,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, convergence, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, e-books, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), e-readers, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, flipping -- inverted learning, future, future of higher education, global / globalization, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, internet, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, media/film, mirroring and/or multiple devices, multi-touch, multimedia, music, new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, play, social learning / networks, social media, storytelling, streams of content, technologies for your home, technology (general), telecommunications, telepresence, television, training / L&D, transmedia, trends, user experience (UX), videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
Intel predicts Smart TV is the device of the future — from nyxiotechnologies.com’s blog
Chipmaker Intel believes that the Smart TV is the electronic device of the future, in the living room anyway.
Excerpt:
The Smart TV is already upon us, in its various forms from various manufacturers. It has arrived with 3D capabilities, web browsing and social networking and applications. Currently Samsung and LG seem to be two of the big players pushing the Smart TV to consumers.
Also see:
On 07/18/2011,
in 21st century, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Daniel S. Christian, faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, robotics, society,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
Items re: The Singularity:
- The Singularity just got a lot closer — from Benzinga.com
New tool by ai-one inc. allows programmers to build artificial intelligence into almost any software application.
“…ai-one’s “biologically inspired intelligence” is a virtual brain that learns without human intervention.” - Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence — www.kurzweilai.net/
… accelerating change articulated in Ray Kurzweil’s landmark books — notably The Age of Spiritual Machines and The Singularity is Near — and updates these … - http://www.singularity.com/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity
- Michael Vassar and Michael Anissimov Talk About the Singularity on Supreme Master TV (12/27/10)
- Excerpt from The Illusion of Control in a Intelligence Amplification Singularity (7/1/11)
From what I understand, we’re currently at a point in history where the importance of getting the Singularity right pretty much outweighs all other concerns, particularly because a negative Singularity is one of the existential threats which could wipe out all of humanity rather than “just” billions. The Singularity is the most extreme power discontinuity in history. A probable “winner takes all” effect means that after a hard takeoff (quick bootstrapping to superintelligence), humanity could be at the mercy of an unpleasant dictator or human-indifferent optimization process for eternity. - IBM’s Watson | IBM’s Deep QA Project| Human vs. Machine
From DSC:
I don’t mean to suggest here that just because someone is pursuing the development of AI, robotics, etc. that their heart isn’t right — that’s just not accurate and such a perspective would be painting a broad and bogus swath across mankind.
But from some of the robotic and AI-related sites and blogs that I’ve seen (and not necessarily those listed above), I’m becoming a bit more skeptical of peoples’ motivations in this space, as many of these folks seem to be saying they can create better than God can. Alternatively, some don’t believe in a Creator at all, and thus want to make themselves the ultimate creator. When inventors, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, military leaders, and other relevant parties have “hearts of flesh” that are compassionate, caring, and giving…these technologies can be very useful and beneficial. But I’m more concerned if these types of technologies are warped into a pathway for power, personal gain, military applications, etc.
Also see:
- Last Look: War of the machines? — from cnn.com
- The DIY Terminator: Private Robot Armies And The Algorithm-Run Future Of War — from FastCompany.com by Greg Lindsay
In the latest installment of the Butterfly Effect: Predator drones are just the start of unmanned, autonomous warfare technology. But as the tech becomes more democratized and more deadly, what happens when anyone can assemble an army of killing machines?
On 07/01/2011,
in business, corporate / business world, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, expectations, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, leadership, reinvent, strategy, surviving, trends, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
A reflection on:
- “Why did Myspace fail?… Are you listening Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL, and Cisco? — from FastCompany.com by Mark Goulston
Don’t confuse a one-trick pony, first-mover niche player with a visionary company.
Excerpt (with emphasis from DSC):
The secret to visionary companies’ continued success was explained best what NHL great Wayne Gretzky stated: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” What Apple and Facebook know and more specifically their founders/CEOs’ Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg have in common is aspirational clarity. They appear to be able to see where the puck will be and into the future of what their market will not just want, but go ga-ga over and then they deliver it. Some may refer to that as their being market makers, but what enables them to make their market is that they can anticipate what will delight their customers and members that those people don’t even know will delight them.
From DSC:
This is why futuring, taking pulse checks on current trends, being in touch with your customers’ expectations (and future customers in the case of students), and scenario building are so important these days.
With the pace of technological change continuing to pick up, a healthy organization will constantly be looking to maintain its relevancy — to innnovate, to reinvent itself.
If you are not constantly reinventing yourself — as an individual or more collectively as an organization — your chances of staying relevant and marketable will likely decrease in the future.
Image by Daniel Christian
On 06/29/2011,
in A/V -- audio/visual, Apple, collaboration, convergence, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, emerging technologies, future, ideas, innovation, learning spaces, mirroring and/or multiple devices, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, technology (general), trends, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
Reflections from DSC (additional emphasis by DSC):
I ran across Braden Kelley’s posting over at Blogging Innovation that’s entitled, “An Innovation Perfect Storm? In that posting, Braden lays out a powerful vision that he’s had for at least 2 years:
I believed two years ago and still believe that what the world needs is not more smart devices, but more flexible and plentiful dumb devices that are driven by the one smart device to rule them all – an extensible smart phone that can not only drive multiple display and input devices wirelessly, but also augment its processing and storage capabilities via wireless devices or the cloud.
Besides mentioning Motorola’s Atrix, RIM’s Blackberry Playbook , and Nintendo’s WiiU, Braden focuses on Apple’s product line. But later on in his posting, he provides a link to Teq’s WiD410 product — a conference room flat panel solution:
Braden’s vision caused me to piggyback on my vision for what I’d like to see in our Smart Classrooms — the ability for students to quickly and easily project/”play” their content for others in the class to see — without interrupting the flow of the class.
This concept holds true for corporate conference rooms & training centers as well.
Addendum/see also:
On 06/20/2011,
in budgets, business side of he, change, colleges, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, online learning, organizational change, reinvent, staying relevant, United States, universities, using teams,
by Daniel Christian
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?
On 06/16/2011,
in Daniel S. Christian, ideas, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, tools,
by Daniel Christian
Smart Pens and Learning — from Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning by Thomas Luxon
From DSC:
I’m also pondering if Prezi can be used for long mathematical equations and/or problems… That is, can you zoom into a particular portion of the work being done, but then zoom out to see the entire work?
In other words, how can we capture and present several “chalkboards'” worth of material — with the end user being able to drill down where they want to?
On 06/16/2011,
in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, convergence, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, future, future of higher education, learning preferences, mirroring and/or multiple devices, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, personalized/customized learning, technologies for your home, television,
by Daniel Christian
What TV operators are missing — from Emma Wells
From DSC:
It may not be that long before the word “learning” can either be added to — or substituted for — the word “TV” below (emphasis mine):
Many of the TV tablet apps have taken a few tentative steps toward personalisation, but no one has fully embraced the potential of TV interfaces that can learn and change according to an individual’s preferences and tastes.
What a lot of these operators seem to be overlooking is the chance not only to offer content anytime, anywhere, but to personalise the entire TV experience.
While watching the main TV tends to be a group experience, watching TV on an app is much more intimate and personal.
-- excerpt from What TV operators are missing [Wells]
Addendum on 6/17/11
- Has the Holy Grail of Adaptive Tech Been Discovered? — from Mind Shift by Tina Barseghian
On 06/15/2011,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, budgets, business side of he, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, learning, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, open courseware and systems, reinvent, society, staying relevant, United States,
by Daniel Christian
DIY U: The Future Of Learning [Video] — from FastCompany.com by Anya Kamenetz
From Khan Academy and TED Talks to instructional YouTube videos, the future of learning is open and free.
A related comment from DSC:
I have it that higher ed is a bubble and if an increasingly larger group of people can’t afford it — yet still want it — then, in my book, that’s a major problem.
I’ll use myself as an example. My wife and I could not begin to afford to send our kids to many of the colleges and universities out there right now — today, in 2011! (Let alone in 2017+ when our kids start hitting the college scene.) I should note that our kids are doing well in school and are very talented, hard workers. I should also point out that my wife and I place a very high value on being educated and we are both trying to pass that value along to the next generation.
But if you tell me that higher ed is not a bubble, the first question I will ask you (besides what planet are you living on) is what’s the gross income for your household? If you are making close to 6 figures, I highly doubt that your perspective will be the same as that of folks from households who are making $20,000-$50,000 a year. In fact, my hunch is that those who say higher ed is not a bubble are:
- Upper middle class to upper class (i.e. wealthy in the eyes of many in the world today)
- Folks who don’t have to worry about where their next paycheck is coming from (nor have they had to live like that in years!); that is, they are doing quite well these days…living quite comfortably
- College educated (nothing wrong with that!)
- Potentially involved with higher ed — or at least want to maintain the status quo
- Folks who do not have children
My take on this is that all of us in higher education need to figure out how we can greatly reduce the price of higher education. It shouldn’t be how well you understand the system or how many hours of work you have done to figure out the grants, loans, etc. that exist out there.
NEVER again should we be pleased with ANY sort of increase in tuition. Never again should we say, “Well, our tuition only went up by ___% which is the smallest increase in our history (or the smallest increase relative to our competition…or the smallest in our state/country/nation).”
Such a situation is causing a backlash against the current higher education environment/setup.
As such, we need to constantly be looking to reinvent ourselves — and to staying relevant.
Addendum on 6/17/11:
- Colleges add net price calculators to school prospective students on degree costs –– ecampusnews.com
New tool will give students a more accurate cost estimate
On 06/15/2011,
in blogs / blogging / vlogging, Daniel S. Christian, elearning, online learning,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
In case it’s helpful to you, this Learning Ecosystems blog is now in the e-learning portion of Alltop.
