Also from Robert Gordon out on LinkedIn:
The Big, Profitable Education Race To Detect ChatGPT — from forbes.com by Derek Newton
On 01/23/2023,
in 24x7x365 access, active learning, adjunct faculty, adult learning, career development, collaboration, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, education, faculty/staff, future, heutagogy, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, hybrid learning, Hyflex learning, ideas, informal learning, instructional design, K-12 related, law schools, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning theories, legislatures / government / legal, liberal arts, library / librarians, lifelong learning, love of learning, metacognition / metacognitive skills, microlearning, mobile learning, online learning, online media, personalized/customized learning, platforms, professional development, psychology, skills, society, sociology, strategy, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, traditional / tradition, training / L&D, United States, universities, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
Let’s put together a nationwide campaign that would provide a website — or a series of websites if an agreement can’t be reached amongst the individual states — about learning how to learn. In business, there’s a “direct-to-consumer” approach. Well, we could provide a “direct-to-learner” approach — from cradle to grave. Seeing as how everyone is now required to be a lifelong learner, such a campaign would have enormous benefits to all of the United States. This campaign would be located in airports, subway stations, train stations, on billboards along major highways, in libraries, and in many more locations.
We could focus on things such as:
- Quizzing yourself / retrieval practice
- Spaced retrieval
- Interleaving
- Elaboration
- Chunking
- Cognitive load
- Learning by doing (active learning)
- Journaling
- The growth mindset
- Metacognition (thinking about one’s thinking)
- Highlighting doesn’t equal learning
- There is deeper learning in the struggle
- …and more.
NOTE:
The URL I’m using above doesn’t exist, at least not at the time of this posting.
But I’m proposing that it should exist.
A group of institutions, organizations, and individuals could contribute to this. For example The Learning Scientists, Daniel Willingham, Donald Clark, James Lang, Derek Bruff, The Learning Agency Lab, Robert Talbert, Pooja Agarwal and Patrice Bain, Eva Keffenheim, Benedict Carey, Ken Bain, and many others.
Perhaps there could be:
- discussion forums to provide for social interaction/learning
- scheduled/upcoming webinars
- how to apply the latest evidence-based research in the classroom
- link(s) to learning-related platforms and/or resources
On 01/20/2023,
in accessibility / UDL, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), colleges, community colleges, higher education, IT in HE, law schools, neurodivergent/special needs, UK, United States, universities, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
College Guide for Students with Disabilities and Their Parents — from ivypanda.com; with thanks to Yvonne McQuarrie for this resource
Excerpt:
According to recent statistics, 18% of undergraduate and 12% of graduate students have temporary, relapsing, or long-term disabilities. Students might have noticeable disabilities, but many disorders are “hidden.” Luckily, modern colleges have many resources that allow people with disabilities to attend classes and thrive in their academic life. This guide will focus on the advice that can help students with disabilities successfully navigate their higher education.
“Hard Truths That Higher Education Has Evaded for Too Long” [Mintz] + several other HE-related items
On 01/17/2023,
in adjunct faculty, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), business side of he, career development, colleges, community colleges, credentialing, health, higher education, leadership, learning ecosystem, liberal arts, online learning, skills, strategy, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
Hard Truths That Higher Education Has Evaded for Too Long — from insidehighered.com by Steven Mintz
The brutal truths that institutions don’t want to acknowledge.
If we want to make higher education truly equitable and produce the learning outcomes that we claim to seek, then we must confront painful truths no matter how uncomfortable they make us.
Preaching to, and Challenging, the Liberal Arts Choir — from insidehighered.com by Doug Lederman
In a conversation with presidents of small private colleges, tech company executives praise graduates’ leadership and critical thinking ability but say they need to develop skills for a first job, too.
Excerpt:
In that more competitive landscape, Ferrick and others said, colleges should think in terms of “both-and”—delivering a four-year degree grounded in the liberal arts that remains the best preparation for a lifetime career, yes, but also building into their curricula more practical digital and other skills that can help graduates compete for a first job.
The Edge: Momentum Builds for ‘Credential as You Go’ — from chronicle.com by Goldie Blumenstyk
Excerpt:
A higher-ed credential system that’s ‘not all about degrees.’
Holly Zanville has a clear goal for the Credential as You Go initiative she co-leads: Shift the entire “degree-centric” model of postsecondary education to make it easier for people to develop skills and knowledge in shorter chunks while recognizing “meaningful learning along the way.”
Whatever you think of its prospects, you can hardly fault the effort for a lack of ambition.
Ideally, students will layer incremental credentials over a lifetime of learning.
Goldie Blumenstyk
Issue #11: Navigating the credential maze — from theview.substack.com by Gordon Macrae
Running to stand still.
Excerpt:
The credentials market for degree and non-degree programs is… complex.
A recent report from the non-profit Credential Engine identified 1,076,358 different credentials – from specialized certificates to bachelor’s degrees to PhDs.
Credential Engine started producing these reports in 2018. Back then there were “just” 334,114 credentials. In the last four years, the number of certifications has more than trebled. And from 2021 to 2022, there’s been a 38% increase in providers issuing certificates.
.
When you eyeball the largest higher ed institutions by enrollment comparing 2012 to today, it’s pretty clear that online degrees have driven – essentially – ALL of the growth.
Brandon Busteed commenting on Phil Hill’s posting (also listed below)
.
Fall 2021 Largest Institutions by Total Enrollment and DE Type — from philonedtech.com by Phil Hill
Excerpt:
Based on reader request after yesterday’s post, I’d like to share another view of largest US higher education institutions, this one ranked by total enrollment with color coding of distance education (DE) type. This chart combines undergrad and grad student enrollments.
Mental Health Is the Top Student Stressor — from insidehighered.com by Johanna Alonso
Excerpt:
Fifty percent of college students cited their own mental health struggles as their top stressor going into 2023, according to a survey of 1,200 students nationwide conducted by the virtual health services provider TimelyMD. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said they were most concerned about their personal finances, and 37 percent named academics, while mass shootings and inflation were each cited by 35 percent.
On 01/16/2023,
in adjunct faculty, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, digital video, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, faculty/staff, higher education, instructional design, learning, Learning Experience Design, learning theories, memory, pedagogy, teaching & learning, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
Shared Course Preparation Checklist — from facultyecommons.com
Excerpt:
Utilizing the same master shell between multiple faculty is a great way to ensure students have the same experience regardless of who is facilitating the course. When developing and facilitating the course, you may want to consider the following areas within the course design and adjust elements to meet your personal preferences. You’ll want to review the following pages of the course and ensure the elements are tailored to meet your expectations and needs.
Rubric for Quality Course Videos — from facultyecommons.com
Excerpt:
Are you concerned about the quality of your recorded videos for your online courses? The Course Video Scoring Rubric below provides you with additional guidance on how to improve the quality of your online course multimedia content.
The rubric is divided into four criteria: Content, Audio, Visuals (Camera), and Visuals (Screen Capture). Each of those criteria contain multiple standards for which you can review your existing content. These specific standards are graded on a scale of 0-2 points, for a total of 26 points.
Download the Video Scoring Rubric to begin analyzing the video content in your courses! For more information on creating quality video in your online course, check out our on-demand webinar Recording Video for Your Online Course.
15 Insights From Learning Science That Help You Master New Things Faster — from medium.com by Eva Keiffenheim
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
Learning how to learn is the meta-skill that accelerates everything else you do.
Once you understand the fundamentals of learning science, you can save hours every time you learn something new. You become more strategic in approaching new subjects and skills instead of relying on often ineffective learning methods many pick up in school.
…
Below are key insights I’ve learned about how we learn. Every single one will help you understand how your brain learns. By doing so, you’ll make better decisions on your journey to wisdom.
How Instructors Are Adapting to a Rise in Student Disengagement — from edsurge.com by Jeffrey R. Young
Excerpt:
SAN MARCOS, Texas — Live lecture classes are back at most colleges after COVID-19 disruptions, but student engagement often hasn’t returned to normal.
In the past year, colleges have seen a rise in students skipping lectures, and some reports indicate that students are more prone to staring at TikTok or other distractions on their smartphones and laptops during lecture class.
To see what teaching is like on campus these days, I visited Texas State University in October and sat in on three large lecture classes in different subjects.
ChatGPT Advice Academics Can Use Now — from insidehighered.com by Susan D’Agostino
To harness the potential and avert the risks of OpenAI’s new chat bot, academics should think a few years out, invite students into the conversation and—most of all—experiment, not panic.
Excerpt:
Faculty members and administrators are now reckoning in real time with how—not if—ChatGPT will impact teaching and learning. Inside Higher Ed caught up with 11 academics to ask how to harness the potential and avert the risks of this game-changing technology. The following edited, condensed advice suggests that higher ed professionals should think a few years out, invite students into the conversation and—most of all—experiment, not panic.
Next, consider the tools relative to your course. What are the cognitive tasks students need to perform without AI assistance? When should students rely on AI assistance? Where can an AI aid facilitate a better outcome? Are there efficiencies in grading that can be gained? Are new rubrics and assignment descriptions needed? Will you add an AI writing code of conduct to your syllabus? Do these changes require structural shifts in timetabling, class size or number of teaching assistants?
From DSC:
Faculty members, librarians, academic support staff, instructional designers, and more are going to have to be given some time to maneuver through this new environment. Don’t expect them to instantly have answers. No one does. Or rather, let me say, no one should claim that they have all of the answers.
On 01/16/2023,
in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, active learning, adjunct faculty, adult learning, collaboration, colleges, communications, communities of practice, community colleges, corporate universities / corporate training, culture, Daniel S. Christian, design, digital audio, digital learning, digital video, distance education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, face-to-face, faculty/staff, higher education, instructional design, interactivity, IT in HE, law schools, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning spaces, liberal arts, participation, pedagogy, research, social learning / networks, social media, strategy, student-related, teaching & learning, training / L&D, United States, universities, user experience (UX), using teams, videoconferencing, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
What factors help active learning classrooms succeed? — from rtalbert.org Robert Talbert
Excerpt:
The idea that the space in which you do something, affects the thing you do is the basic premise behind active learning classrooms (ALCs).
…
The biggest message I get from this study is that in order to have success with active learning classrooms, you can’t just build them — they have to be introduced as part of an ecosystem that touches almost all parts of the daily function of a university: faculty teaching, faculty development and support, facilities, and the Registrar’s Office to name a few. Without that ecosystem before you build an ALC, it seems hard to have success with students after it’s built. You’re more likely to have an expensive showcase that looks good but ultimately does not fulfill its main purpose: Promoting and amplifying active learning, and moving the culture of a campus toward active engagement in the classroom.
From DSC:
Thank you Robert for your article/posting here! And thank you for being one of the few faculty members who:
- Regularly share information out on LinkedIn, Twitter, and your blog (something that is all too rare for faculty members throughout higher education)
- Took a sabbatical to go work at a company that designs and develops numerous options for implementing active learning setups throughout the worlds of higher education, K12 education, and the corporate world as well. You are taking your skills to help contribute to the corporate world, while learning things out in the corporate world, and then taking these learnings back into the world of higher education.
This presupposes something controversial: That the institution will take a stand on the issue that there is a preferred way to teach, namely active learning, and that the institution will be moving toward making active learning the default pedagogy at the institution. Putting this stake in the ground, and then investing not only in facilities but in professional development and faculty incentives to make it happen, again calls for vigorous, sustained leadership — at the top, and especially by the teaching/learning center director.
Robert Talbert
On 01/09/2023,
in business, career development, change, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, education technology, instructional design, interaction design, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, multimedia, teaching & learning, training / L&D, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
Job Titles: It’s Not Only Instructional Design — from idolcourses.com by Ivett Csordas
Excerpt:
When I first came across the title “Instructional Designer” while looking for alternative career options, I was just as confused as anybody would be hearing about our job for the first time. I remember asking questions like: What does an Instructional Designer do? Why is it called Instructional Design? Wouldn’t a title such as Learning Experience Designer or Training Content Developer suit them better? How are their skill sets different from curriculum developers like teachers’? etc.
Then, the more I learnt about the different roles of Instructional Designers, and the more job interviews I had, ironically, the less clarity I had over the companies’ expectations of us.
The truth is that the role of an Instructional Designer varies from company to company. What a person hired with the title “Instructional Designer” ends up doing depends on a range of factors such as the company’s training portfolio, the profile of their learners, the size of the L&D team, the way they use technology, just to mention a few.
From DSC:
I don’t know a thing about idolcourses.com, but I really appreciated running across this posting by Ivett Csordas about the various job titles out there and the differences between some of these job titles. The posting deals with job titles associated with developers, designers, LXD, LMS roles, managers, L&D Coordinators, specialists, consultants, and strategists.
On 01/09/2023,
in business, business side of he, career development, changing business models, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Design Thinking, experimentation, higher education, ideas, leadership, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, real-world assignments, skills, strategy, training / L&D, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
It takes a village — from chieflearningofficer.com by Joe Mitchell
Colleges, companies and training providers have a unique opportunity to work together to address tech worker shortages and create more opportunities and upward mobility.
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
But what higher education institutions and companies need isn’t a totally new approach that ignores the old systems — it’s someone to act as connective tissue between them. Fortunately, an emerging cadre of education providers are doing just that: developing the curriculum to help students earn industry-recognized credentials that can help them get good jobs right away in high-demand fields, and then working with universities to get that curriculum to their students.
The environment seems ripe for this type of collaboration. A 2020 survey of business leaders found that 70 percent think higher education institutions should be more involved in job training. Nearly 90 percent say colleges and universities could help their students learn industry-specific knowledge and advanced technical skills.