innovation

ELI 2010 Online Spring Focus Session — Mobile Learning

On 02/11/2010, in innovation, mobile learning, by Daniel Christian

ELI 2010 Online Spring Focus Session

Mobile Learning 2.0: The Next Phase of Innovation in Mobility
Join us March 3–4 for “Mobile Learning 2.0: The Next Phase of Innovation in Mobility,” the ELI 2010 Online Spring Focus Session. Back by popular demand, this virtual event, hosted in Adobe Connect, allows you to exchange ideas and collaborate with the ELI community—all without leaving your campus. You’ll have access to resources and guided activities to help you organize a local team event or participate as an individual. Program highlights include:

“A Revolution in Learning Is Taking Place in Our Hands“—Judy Brown, Mobile Learning Strategic Analyst, Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Lab

“Student iPhone App Development and Institutional IT: The Story So Far“—Douglas Johnson, Assistant Director for Learning Services, University of Florida

“Drivers and Inhibitors for Change: Are We Really Ready for Mobile Learning?“—David M. Kennedy, Director and Associate Professor, Lingnan University of Hong Kong

“Mobile Creation: Redefining the Classroom“—Kyle Dickson, Director, Digital Media Center, and William Rankin, Associate Professor/Director of Educational Innovation, Abilene Christian University

Although mobile learning has different meanings for different communities, we know that learning is deepened and enriched when students have options for their learning for multiple paths through course content. Mobile technology not only enables students to take their learning with them beyond the physical walls of the classroom, but it also makes possible a new array of interactions in the classroom as well. Mobile learning encompasses participating in learning activities anywhere, at any time, and utilizing mobile technologies that are rapidly evolving. Possible applications of mobile technology include enabling authentic learning engagements (such as real-time data collection), spontaneous mash ups (such as populating a map with local data), synchronous interactions with classmates and subject experts, and a rich variety of interactions with course content. Precisely because of its fluidity and independence from physical boundaries, mobile learning offers vast potential to enhance all types of instruction: face-to-face, blended, and online. The goal of this focus session is to re-assess the potential of mobile technologies and identify new ways in which mobility can contribute to the learning experience.

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!

From DSC:
I signed up and downloaded a whitepaper from intelliresponse.com entitled, “Going Mobile: Web Self-Service for Students — Learn how higher education institutions can embrace the new multi-channel eco-system for student self-service (via Mobile, Social Media, Web)”.

I thought it was interesting how the term eco-system weaved its way through this company’s marketing literature. But it also relayed some more data on the increasing amount of mobile devices out there (now and expected in the near future). If we were to substitute the word “learning” in place of the words “self-service”, this topic becomes very relevant to this blog.

Here are a couple graphics from the paper:

“The Class” – parody of The Office

On 02/07/2010, in blended learning, education technology, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, faculty, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, hybrid learning, innovation, instructional design, IT in HE, smart classrooms, student-related, using teams, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

“The Class” – parody of The Office— from Prof Wesch

“This is from Lynn Schofield Clark’s Innovation in Mass Communications class at the University of Denver. If you are a fan of The Office, and you follow the discussions about technology use in the classroom, you will love this. They really nail the opening, and they have some great moments.”

From DSC:
Please take this in a spirit of humor. I love “The Office” and I thought this clip was a riot.

With that said, I realize that change is not easy; and again, for me, it gets back to the need for using teams to develop and deliver content. One person just can’t do it all anymore. Using the various technologies that can/will exist in a “smart classroom” is but one of many pieces involved here.

Innovation: Rethinking the Future of Higher Education

On 02/04/2010, in future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, by Daniel Christian

Innovation: Rethinking the Future of Higher Education — from Educause Review

From DSC:
There’s that word again…innovation.

This issue of the Educause Review includes an article by Diana Oblinger, whom I quote below. The excerpt in my email said this:

Although the purpose of higher education has not changed in centuries, information technology—with its drive for innovation and entrepreneurism—has increased the options for widening that purpose from the campus of today to the future of society worldwide.

…and in the article, it mentions:

Consider a few changes already evident:

Formal, traditional boundaries are becoming more permeable and porous. Interdisciplinary fields (e.g., nanotechnology, bioethics) are increasing. Leading faculty are being recruited worldwide. The physical constraints on when and where students participate in education are being removed through open and online education and competency- or experience-based credentialing.
The classroom is no longer limited to a three-dimensional space for the dissemination of knowledge. Students have virtually limitless access to information, faculty, tutors, and each other. Digital libraries and repositories make materials instantly accessible. And learning is increasingly facilitated by exploration, interaction, and problem-solving. Thanks to large datasets and collections, students at small or remote campuses have access to large-scale resources.
The library is not defined as a building for books. Many disciplines rely almost exclusively on online resources — whether books, journals, data, or artifacts. Students may consider the library more as a social place than a site for the reference desk or physical books. In addition, the size of library collections becomes less critical in an era when Google and other large-scale digitization projects make it possible for any institution to have access to millions of books.
The digital environment is a “place” for social interaction and community exchange. Although the value of the campus as a physical place continues, an increasing number of interactions for students, faculty, and staff happen online, including the emergence of virtual, multinational research organizations.
Scholarship and research are becoming more “conversational.” There is less reliance on communication through formal publications as an increasing number of exchanges occur through e-mail, preprints, and monitored blogs. The journal article may continue to serve as a means of credentialing authors for the purposes of promotion and tenure, but scholars’ contributions to a field are likely to be posted elsewhere.
Digital technology and the unprecedented scale of data, as well as the nearly limitless ability to reconstitute the data, have altered the conduct of traditional research and scholarship. Theory and experimentation have been augmented with computation involving modeling, simulations, and visualization.
The more traditional model of a university or college providing most of its services physically on (or near) a campus is changing. More and more services and programs originate off-site and are shared, distributed, or aggregated by other colleges and universities or outsourced agencies.¹

How can liberal education prepare students for the future? — NITLE

On 02/03/2010, in dangers of the status quo, engagement / engaging students, expectations, future, future of higher education, higher education, liberal arts, student-related, by Daniel Christian

How can liberal education prepare students for the future? — NITLE

We conclude our blog conversation series on the future of liberal education, elicited by the recent AAC&U conference, with an appropriate nod to the future.

One panel* addressed an intriguing topic: how do we prepare students for a future that doesn’t yet exist?

Discussion hit on a series of topics, which we can abstract and summarize here:

There are two ways to prepare for events, reactive and creative (shaping new things). What learning attributes do we associate with both of these?

Adaptability of beliefs, behaviors, assumptions
Imagination
Innovation (implementing new ideas) <– From DSC: There’s that word again

We have our work cut out for us!

On 02/02/2010, in change, disruption, engagement / engaging students, expectations, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, innovation, student-related, by Daniel Christian

From Campus Technology’s latest edition — quote below from Geoff Fletcher, Editorial Director

Per Geoff: Innovation is in. Innovation has always been in, but it really is in these days: According to economists, innovation will be America’s [or substitute any nation — per DSC] hedge in an increasingly-competitive global economy, but only if our education system is good enough — is innovative enough — to foster the same creativity and inventiveness in our students.

Per DSC:
Wow…do we have our work cut out for us. From so many of the articles and postings I’ve seen over the last few years, innovation and change comes hard to those of us in the world of education. Are we giving the students the chances to be innovative and creative? Are we encouraging those traits in them? If not, what will it take to turn the tides here?

Also, I’d like to comment on students’ expectations — in that we should not underrate them! (Particularly in light of the higher costs of obtaining an education and the movement towards a more consumer-based mindset of our students.) I wonder how long will it be before prospective students take a good, long, hard look at what assistance/training/education an institution of higher education will offer them in developing their learning networks? What technologies does that institution support? What philosophies does that school have concerning how open to be here? Hmmm…

Finally, this edition sports a great article (starting on page 23) entitled, “Managing the Student for Life” — I’ve often thought that more colleges and universities should focus more heavily on lifelong learning possibilities, and then to market themselves as being able to assist a person from age 18 – until “death-do-we-part”. 🙂

Managing the student for life

Learning Ecosystems

ELI 2010 Online Spring Focus Session — Mobile Learning

Innovation: Rethinking the Future of Higher Education

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