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Houston — Did you hear me? We’ve got some problems (but also some opportunities) out here!

On 10/10/2011, in 21st century, change, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, funding / grants, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, innovation, leadership, reinvent, society, staying relevant, student-related, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Check out some of these announcements from The Future of State Universities 2011 Conference

 

From DSC:
Following are some of the announcements from last week’s the Future of State Universities Conference (oddly enough, I couldn’t find any blogs, recordings, etc. here…)

 

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October 7, 2011
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10:05 AM – 87% of the respondents to the pre-conference survey believe that public universities will undergo major structural changes in the future.

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9:15 AM –Two thirds of students graduating with 4-year degrees last year, owed on average $23,186 in student loans. CNN Money

Student loan debt has eclipsed credit card debt at $1.0 trillion and counting.

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In 2010 Open Universities Australia grew 35%–the largest increase on record. The Australian

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October 6, 2011
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3:45 PM – 57% of people surveyed by Pew and the Chronicle say that the cost of college outweighs its value. Boston Magazine

Unemployment rate for people under 25 is 54% and 9 out of 10 college grads are planning to move back in with their parents. Boston Magazine

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2:45 PM – Only 11% of respondents to the pre-conference survey believe that student readiness for college is stable or increasing.

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2:00 PM – 100% of presidents and 75% of provosts and deans that responded to the pre-conference survey believe that faculty interactions with students will change significantly in the coming years.

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1:00 PM – Stanford professor Thrun offered his, “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” course online and free. 130,000 students signed up. —They will get the same lectures as students paying $50,000, same assignments, same exams, and, if they pass, “a statement of accomplishment”, but not Stanford credit. “Literally,” Thrun says, “we can probably get the same quality of education I teach in class for 1 to 2 percent of the cost.” The New York Times

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12:25 PM – iTunes U online is running 300 million downloads a year, with 350,000 lectures offered by more than 1,000 universities worldwide. BBC News Oxford has 10 million downloads—130,000 per week. More than half the people using them are from the US and China.

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9:45 am – 50% of respondents to the pre-conference survey believe that foreign universities will increasingly become competitors with U.S. universities for U.S. students.

95% believe that foreign students will be a major source of students in the future.

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9:35 am – Did you know: global higher education enrollment increased 53% in the last decade?

Did you know: 20% of all college students in the world are studying outside of their home country.


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October 5, 2011
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5:00 pm – Pre-conference Survey:

  • 90% of respondents to the pre-conference survey believe that state funding for higher education will continue to decline.
  • 85% believe that federal funding for higher education will decrease in the future.
  • 75% believe that public support for higher education is destined to decline as costs increase.
  • 13% believe that public universities are well prepared to market their online programs effectively.

 

From DSC:
Besides the words “reinvent” and  “innovation” — and the phrase “the perfect storm” — the following graphic comes to my mind yet again:

 

Staying Relevant
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The second economy [Arthur]

On 10/06/2011, in career development, change, changing business models, economics, future, history, society, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The second economy — from McKinsey Quarterly by W. Brian Arthur
Digitization is creating a second economy that’s vast, automatic, and invisible—thereby bringing the biggest change since the Industrial Revolution.

Excerpt:

We could look for one in the genetic technologies, or in nanotech, but their time hasn’t fully come. But I want to argue that something deep is going on with information technology, something that goes well beyond the use of computers, social media, and commerce on the Internet. Business processes that once took place among human beings are now being executed electronically. They are taking place in an unseen domain that is strictly digital. On the surface, this shift doesn’t seem particularly consequential—it’s almost something we take for granted. But I believe it is causing a revolution no less important and dramatic than that of the railroads. It is quietly creating a second economy, a digital one.

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Culturomics 2.0: Forecasting large-scale human behavior using global news media tone in time and space [firstmonday.org; Leetaru]

On 10/05/2011, in future, global / globalization, journalism, society, by Daniel Christian

Culturomics 2.0: Forecasting large-scale human behavior using global news media tone in time and space by Kalev H. Leetaru
 

First Monday, Volume 16, Number 9 – 5 September 2011

Abstract

News is increasingly being produced and consumed online, supplanting print and broadcast to represent nearly half of the news monitored across the world today by Western intelligence agencies. Recent literature has suggested that computational analysis of large text archives can yield novel insights to the functioning of society, including predicting future economic events (emphasis DSC). Applying tone and geographic analysis to a 30–year worldwide news archive, global news tone is found to have forecasted the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, including the removal of Egyptian President Mubarak, predicted the stability of Saudi Arabia (at least through May 2011), estimated Osama Bin Laden’s likely hiding place as a 200–kilometer radius in Northern Pakistan that includes Abbotabad, and offered a new look at the world’s cultural affiliations. Along the way, common assertions about the news, such as “news is becoming more negative” and “American news portrays a U.S.–centric view of the world” are found to have merit (emphasis DSC).

Couple items from the Conclusions section

Monitoring first broadcast then print media over the last 70 years, nearly half of the annual output of Western intelligence global news monitoring is now derived from Internet–based news, standing testament to the Web’s disruptive power as a distribution medium (emphasis DSC).

…

While heavily biased and far from complete, the news media captures the only cross–national real–time record of human society available to researchers. The findings of this study suggest that Culturomics, which has thus far focused on the digested history of books, can yield intriguing new understandings of human society when applied to the real–time data of news. From forecasting impending conflict to offering insights on the locations of wanted fugitives, applying data mining approaches to the vast historical archive of the news media offers promise of new approaches to measuring and understanding human society on a global scale.

I originally saw this piece at the Futurist Update, from October 2011

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From DSC: Talk about cold-hearted…who do our corporations really serve?

On 10/03/2011, in business, corporate / business world, ethics, hearts -- matters of the heart, MBA, motivation, relationships, society, United States, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
How is it that corporations are sitting on trillions of dollars (estimates vary) but the unemployment rate continues to be towards the high end of historical unemployment rates? Where’s the love and compassion for one’s fellow man? (Some of Charles Dickens’ writings in The Christmas Carol come to my mind here…)

One has to ask, what’s the state of our hearts these days? Is business just about serving the almighty shareholder? Is that the ultimate goal of our businesses? Seriously…what percentage of Americans is that perspective currently benefiting? (I don’t have the answer/data, but I bet its not a majority of Americans. The lines at the soup kitchens and shelters are getting longer, not shorter.)  Corporations have — today — the power to change the situation.  But what’s the ultimate vision of our corporations?  Who do our corporations ultimately serve?

 

The State of the Heart

Some relevant articles:

  • Corporate profits at all-time high as recovery stumbles (March, 2011, The HuffingtonPost.com)
    NEW YORK — Despite high unemployment and a largely languishing real estate market, U.S. businesses are more profitable than ever, according to federal figures released on Friday. U.S. corporate profits hit an all-time high at the end of 2010, with financial firms showing some of the biggest gains, data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis show. Corporations reported an annualized $1.68 trillion in profit in the fourth quarter. The previous record, without being adjusted for inflation, was $1.65 trillion in the third quarter of 2006. Many of the nation’s preeminent companies have posted massive increases in profits this year. General Electric posted worldwide profits of $14.2 billion, while profits at JPMorgan Chase were up 47 percent to $4.8 billion.
  • Remarks by the President to the Chamber of Commerce — President Barack Obama (February 7, 2011 from U.S. Chamber of Commerce Headquarters, Washington, D.C.)
    “So if I’ve got one message, my message is now is the time to invest in America.  Now is the time to invest in America.  (Applause.)  Today, American companies have nearly $2 trillion sitting on their balance sheets.  And I know that many of you have told me that you’re waiting for demand to rise before you get off the sidelines and expand, and that with millions of Americans out of work, demand has risen more slowly than any of us would like.”
  • Hoarding, not hiring – Corporations stockpile mountain of cash (April, 2010, ABCNews.com)
  • U.S. firms build up record cash piles (June 2010, WSJ)
  • Corporate America sitting on $1 trillion in cash ($2 trillion if you count short-term investments) (Dec. 2010 from JoshuaKennon.com)
    …
    What does that mean?  It means that when the fear subsides, and companies are convinced that the world is all sunshine and roses, the turnaround can be rapid.  Putting $1 trillion of cash to work in the economy, whether in the form of new product launches, capital expenditures, or even mergers and acquisitions paying off investors for their shares of companies and forcing them to find another use for their newly freed funds, can go a long way to solving the unemployment figures.

 

Addendum on 10/4/11 to potentially address a part of the other side of the table here:

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Children’s Participatory Assessment Toolkit for Transitional Learning Spaces in Emergency Contexts

On 10/03/2011, in assessment, collaboration, education, global / globalization, society, by Daniel Christian

Children’s Participatory Assessment Toolkit for Transitional Learning Spaces in Emergency Contexts

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An educational system built for another time, another student demographic [Armstrong; Complete College America]

On 09/29/2011, in 21st century, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, education, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, society, sociology, staying relevant, student-related, traditional / tradition, United States, by Daniel Christian

An educational system built for another time, another student demographic — by Lloyd Armstrong, University Professor and Provost Emeritus at the University of Southern California

 

 

Excerpt:

…This is probably because much of our education system originally was designed around the traditional student and his or her needs, and the leading institutions in the system still serve primarily the traditional student. As a consequence, potential changes in educational approach or organization are most often judged according to whether or not they will benefit those traditional students who enjoy the benefits of residential life and a manageable financial burden. But, as this report describes, times have changed, the composition of the student body has changed, and because many of our institutions have not changed accordingly, the results are not pretty.

In particular, the report focuses on the plight of part time students, and shows that graduation rates for part time students at all levels – certificates, associates, and bachelors – are only about 40% as high as for full time students (if one looks at a time period twice the nominal period required for graduation). Graduation rates for both full time and part time students who are African-American, Hispanic, older, or low income are considerably lower than for the general student body, and the part-time “penalty” is somewhat higher than for the general population.

…

All in all, a very important report, with sensible and meaningful recommendations. I can’t give it an A, however, because I think its basic conclusion in not bold enough – and maybe not even correct. The recommendation is basically to fiddle the system to enable part time students to behave more like full time students, assuming that if they can behave more like full time students they will graduate like full time students. That is not a bad idea, of course, but why not start from the premise that the system itself needs to be redesigned so that it focuses on the needs of the part time students? Maybe the problem is not simply the full time/part time divide, but that the system responds or does not respond to the many and highly varied needs of part time (and by extension, non-traditional) students.

 

 From DSC:
Nice report — well done.  My only wish here would be that the costs of obtaining an education were discussed more — as one of the causes of this issue but also a potential/significant piece of the solution.  I think cost is one of the key factors as to why more students are becoming part-time students — and thus are more likely susceptible to “life getting in the way.”

There was some mention of this in the solution proposed — which was good to see:

4. Restructure programs to fit busy lives. It’s time to face facts: College students today are going to have to work while trying to graduate. What else can they do when college is so expensive? (emphasis DSC)

 

 

 

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Digital Exclusion in the U.S. [Microsoft.com]

On 09/21/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, business, career development, digital learning, economics, education reform, Microsoft, society, sociology, student-related, surviving, United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian


Microsoft.com

 

Also see:

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Deuteronomy 10:12-13

On 09/19/2011, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

 12 And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

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connectedthefilm.com <-- coming in theatres in fall 2011

On 09/16/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, communications, online media, pace of change, relationships, society, story, technologies for your home, technology (general), by Daniel Christian

 

 In this funny, eye-opening, and inspiring film,
director Tiffany Shlain takes audiences on an
exhilarating rollercoaster ride to discover what it
means to be connected in the 21st century.

 

From DSC:
My thanks to Mr. Joseph Byerwalter for this resource.

 

 

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It’s time to take the black male achievement crisis seriously [Dwyer]

On 09/15/2011, in education, education reform, K-12 related, society, United States, by Daniel Christian

It’s time to take the black male achievement crisis seriously — from good.is Liz Dwyer

Excerpt:

Despite the dire statistics on how the education system fails black males—only 50 percent of them graduate from high school—the issue generally isn’t addressed with a sense of urgency. So veteran broadcaster Tavis Smiley has committed to spending the next year asking tough questions and finding solutions to the problem. He kicked off the effort last night with “Too Important to Fail,” an hour-long PBS special featuring interviews with education experts and black male students in Chicago, Philadelphia, Oakland, and Los Angeles.

Also see:

Too Important to Fail

 

Addendum on 9/20/11:

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Computer Clubhouse: Constructionism and Creativity in Youth Communities

On 09/14/2011, in 21st century, computer science, creativity, K-12 related, learning theories, society, by Daniel Christian

http://www.computerclubhouse.org/

 

Also see:

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Philippians 2:1-2

On 09/14/2011, in faith, global / globalization, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

Philippians 2:1-2

“[Imitating Christ’s Humility] Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

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If it feels right … [Brooks; regards young people’s moral lives in America]

On 09/13/2011, in business, economics, ethics, faith, future, K-12 related, MBA, morals/values, relationships, religion, society, student-related, United States, by Daniel Christian

If it feels right … — opinion piece from the New York Times by David Brooks

Excerpts:

 During the summer of 2008, the eminent Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith led a research team that conducted in-depth interviews with 230 young adults from across America. The interviews were part of a larger study that Smith, Kari Christoffersen, Hilary Davidson, Patricia Snell Herzog and others have been conducting on the state of America’s youth.

…

What’s disheartening is how bad they are at thinking and talking about moral issues.

…

But they just don’t have the categories or vocabulary to do so.

…

When asked to describe a moral dilemma they had faced, two-thirds of the young people either couldn’t answer the question or described problems that are not moral at all, like whether they could afford to rent a certain apartment or whether they had enough quarters to feed the meter at a parking spot.

…

“I don’t really deal with right and wrong that often,” is how one interviewee put it.

Also see:

Moralistic therapeutic deism
The authors find that many young people believed in several moral statutes not exclusive to any of the major world religions. It is this combination of beliefs that they label Moralistic Therapeutic Deism:

  1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
  2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
  3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
  4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
  5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

These points of belief were compiled from interviews with approximately 3,000 teenagers.[4]

From DSC:
But don’t worry or lose any sleep or anything…these are the people who will be out on Wall Street or in the big banks (who are too big to fail) — and they’ll be carefully watching over the nest eggs that it took you 30-40 years to build. (Yeah, right…)

Or…these are the folks who you will be trying to do business with…where will the speed of trust be then? I don’t mean to point the finger at the youth…the problem is with us adults. We model or teach — or choose not to model and teach — the youth.

 

Addendum on 9-15-11:


 

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Glo Bible — one of the top coolest book apps this fall

On 09/07/2011, in 21st century, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, e-books, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), e-readers, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, faith, interactivity, relationships, religion, by Daniel Christian

Glo Bible -- http://www.globible.com/

 

 

http://www.globible.com/

 

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[For those studying architecture] Design Challenge 2011: Homelessness

On 09/06/2011, in architecture, real-world assignments, society, sociology, by Daniel Christian

Design Challenge 2011: Homelessness

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