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From DSC: Whether you agree with everything here, you *need* to read this one…

On 07/21/2010, in 24x7x365 access, business, business side of he, career development, change, changing business models, colleges, community colleges, competency-based learning/education, corporate / business world, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, disruption, education reform, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, innovation, leadership, learning ecosystem, lifelong learning, more voice more choice more control, new business models, online learning, online tutoring, open courseware and systems, pace of change, personalized/customized learning, strategy, teaching & learning, traditional / tradition, universities, using teams, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The future of colleges and universities -- from the spring of 2010 by futurist Thomas Frey

From Spring 2010

…

From DSC:

If you are even remotely connected to higher education, then you *need* to read this one!


Most certainly, not everything that Thomas Frey says will take place…but I’ll bet you he’s right on a number of accounts. Whether he’s right or not, the potential scenarios he brings up ought to give us pause to reflect on ways to respond to these situations…on ways to spot and take advantage of the various opportunities that arise (which will only happen to those organizations who are alert and looking for them).


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If you are interested in collaboration, you need to check out Media:Scape

On 07/16/2010, in blended learning, collaboration, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, design, distance education, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), hybrid learning, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, library / librarians, multimedia, productivity / tips and tricks, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, teaching & learning, training / L&D, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, web-based collaboration, webinars, workplace, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
For those of you involved with creating learning labs, smart classrooms, group study areas, etc. — or for those who want to enable more efficient group collaboration within your classrooms — you need to check out Steelcase’s Media:Scape product line.

One of the pieces of this configuration that I love is that they have created an easy-to-use interface in a puck-like device. What I want to see happen is for students to pull up to a movable/reconfigurable table, connect their device, and click the puck to “play” their media for the class (without interrupting the flow of the class).

Also, one monitor on the “totem” can be used for one set of information/data — or even a remote speaker via videoconferencing for example — and the other monitor can be used for someone else’s data/desktop.

Here are some images for you:

Also see the Media:Scape ad/video:

This product line is also available through Custer Workplace Interiors.

Custer Workplace Interiors

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The node chair from Steelcase — nice!

On 07/12/2010, in collaboration, face-to-face, learning spaces, smart classrooms, by Daniel Christian

Tribeca Flashpoint Presents the node Augmented Reality Demo — from blog.flashpointacademy.com

This summer, Steelcase and Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy collaborated in the research and launch of the node student learning pod.

Turn on your webcam to try the node Augmented Reality demo! http://node.tribecaflashpoint.com


Engineered specifically for today’s collaborative classrooms, the node allows students to move more, store more, and fit more into their learning space.

As part of the launch campaign for the node Classroom Chair, Flashpoint developed this augmented reality tool to illustrate the node’s easy, 30-second, tool-free assembly.

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Reflections on Seth Godin’s posting “The coming melt-down in higher education – as seen by a marketer”

On 04/29/2010, in colleges, community colleges, disruption, face-to-face, future of higher education, game-changing environment, universities, using teams, by Daniel Christian

The coming melt-down in higher education (as seen by a marketer) — by Seth Godin

For 400 years, higher education in the US has been on a roll. From Harvard asking Galileo to be a guest professor in the 1600s to millions tuning in to watch a team of unpaid athletes play another team of unpaid athletes in some college sporting event, the amount of time and money and prestige in the college world has been climbing.

I’m afraid that’s about to crash and burn. Here’s how I’m looking at it…

From DSC:
Seth’s perspectives on this are similar to what I’ve been saying — and warning would happen — for years now.

My take on the future of higher education is that someone will get it right and will be able to offer team-created and delivered content 24 x 7 x 365 that is mind-blowing by today’s standards and will be able to package and deliver that content and learning experience at discounts of 50%+ off of today’s prices. Yeah, yeah, yeah I hear ya say. Right Daniel…I’ve heard it all before.. your talk about disruption…about technology, etc. etc. etc.

You might have heard it, but you haven’t seen it in higher ed……....yet! My take on this is that you will see this happen. Massive change. The great commoditization of higher education as we know it today. The bubble is about to burst.

After all, the same publishers are selling the same textbooks to many institutions of higher education. In fact, I’m surprised that some publisher hasn’t yet taken a right turn and started offering degrees.They have access to subject matter experts (SME’s), teams of talented instructional designers, programmers, project managers, interface designers, legal/copyright experts, etc.  What they lack is accreditation.

More and more I think societies will become increasingly interested in what you can DO and not where you attended school. Sure, there will still be those companies who want to hire only from ____ , ____, or _____; but that type of hiring perspective may not hold up if that organization is being outperformed by others. Also, who knows if corporations are even going to be around in 20 years. It’s turning into a situation where everyone is their own brand, their own company. Project teams come together, do the project, and then disband.

If students are paying a premium today, they should be paying that premium to go to an institution of higher education that:

  • Has excellent faculty members — knowledgeable, passionate teachers who know their material cold and know how to teach that material; they are adaptable and are open to changing pedagogy and the use of various kinds of technologies
  • Emphasizes and rewards teaching — not necessarily research
  • Provides small class sizes and/or the ability to meet frequently with their professors (not a TA, not a grad student, and not a faculty member who might be a skilled researcher but who doesn’t know how to teach very well)

The thing all of us in higher ed need to be on guard about and the question we need to constantly be asking ourselves is, “How do we keep from becoming a commodity? What value do we bring to the table? Why should someone pay X when they are about to be able to pay 0.25 X elsewhere?”

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Can you move classroom courses online quickly and cheaply? — Tony Bates

On 03/30/2010, in face-to-face, online learning, by Daniel Christian

Can you move classroom courses online quickly and cheaply? — Tony Bates

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What do you suppose will happen here…?

On 03/25/2010, in cost of getting a degree, expectations, face-to-face, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, online learning, student-related, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
First of all, here is a mere handful of the items that I could have selected — but it is representative of the financial pressures taking place and the resulting changes that are and may be occurring to many more universities and colleges this year:

UMaine could eliminate 16 majors as part of cuts
Board of Trustees will have final say
ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine could eliminate a number of undergraduate and graduate majors as a way to trim more than $12 million in a three-year period.

Auxiliary programs face large cuts [University of Georgia] — from redandblack.com

California college crisis causing students to apply out of state — California College News Blog

Montgomery College [Maryland] faces ‘devastating’ cuts — from WashingtonPost.com

College cuts draw protests [California] — from the spokeman.com

Michigan college tuition could rise under possible budget cut — from lsj.com

From DSC:
So…what do you suppose will happen if resources/funding continue to shrink, programs are cut, staff and faculty are laid off, etc.?

Some very possible resulting directions here are that students will:

  • Go to where they can finish their degrees
  • Go to where they can find the degrees that they want to pursue
  • Search for — and utilize — less expensive alternatives.

In each of these cases, the word “online” jumps to my mind.

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The benefits of blended learning — from Faculty Focus

On 03/24/2010, in blended learning, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, hybrid learning, pedagogy, by Daniel Christian

The benefits of blended learning — from Faculty Focus

Blended learning, which combines face-to-face learning with a mixture of online activities, has been hailed as both a cost-effective way to relieve overcrowded classroom and a convenient alternative to the traditional classroom experience. But it has quickly become much more than that.

“There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests blended courses really are an effective way for students to learn,” says Ike Shibley, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at Penn State-Berks. “Blended courses can actually lead to increased student engagement, not less (emphasis DSC).”

But for blended learning to work well for you and, more importantly, your students, it requires a fair amount of upfront prep time in advance of the course and the discipline to stick to your course plan. More so than in traditional face-to-face courses, Shibley says.

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SXSW 2010 Presentatation: Universities in the “Free” Era — by Peg Faimon and Glenn Platt

On 03/17/2010, in accessibility / UDL, budgets, business side of he, change, changing business models, consortiums, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, disruption, economics, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, expectations, face-to-face, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, global / globalization, higher education, innovation, interaction design, interface design, internet, leadership, learning ecosystem, new business models, online learning, open courseware and systems, social learning / networks, staying relevant, student-related, traditional / tradition, universities, by Daniel Christian

Universities in the Free Era

From:
http://www.slideshare.net/glenn.platt/universities-in-the-free-era-sxsw-2010-presentation

Also see:
Links for SXSW 2010 Presentatation: Universities in the “Free” Era

Glenn Platt, Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies
Peg Faimon, Miami Design Collaborative — Miami University

Other food for thought:

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Another example of a learning ecosystem…

On 03/16/2010, in face-to-face, learning ecosystem, online learning, by Daniel Christian

ATG: ‘We’ll Bring the Teachers to You’ — from homecaremag.com

ROCKY HILL, Conn. — Education and information served up however you want it — that’s ATG Rehab’s vision for its new comprehensive rehab education program, one aspect of which launched on Thursday.

“We want to bring education in different forms and formats, in person and online, both free and for a charge, in a Webinar form, in an online form, tailored or specialized,” said Jerry Knight, president of northwestern regional operations for ATG Rehab, a top nationwide complex rehab provider.

The company, which has 26 locations in 21 states and is still growing, is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh, the International Association for Continuing Education and Training, manufacturers and clinical experts to offer everything from online modules and Webinars to in-person and in-facility training.

  

ATG Rehab -- we'll bring the teachers to you!

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A vision of the future Smart Classroom — Daniel S. Christian

On 03/12/2010, in 21st century, 3D, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), blended learning, change, colleges, computer science, convergence, creativity, dangers of the status quo, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, disruption, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, geography / geology, global / globalization, higher education, hybrid learning, innovation, internet, learning, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, liberal arts, online learning, online media, pace of change, participation, passions, pedagogy, smart classrooms, strategy, teaching & learning, teaching online, training / L&D, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, visualizing information, web-based collaboration, webinars, by Daniel Christian

Daniel S. Christian -- Vision of the Smart Classroom of the Future

      

      

Daniel S. Christian -- Vision of the Future Smart Classroom

      

      

Daniel S. Christian -- Vision of a Smart Classroom

      

      

DSC

      

      

A vision of the future Smart Classroom — Daniel S. Christian

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A good report on what teachers are doing to modernize classrooms — from Atomic Learning

On 03/04/2010, in blended learning, blogs / blogging / vlogging, change, creativity, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, disruption, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, expectations, face-to-face, future, game-changing environment, generational differences, innovation, internet, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, pace of change, pedagogy, smart classrooms, strategy, student-related, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

Moderning classrooms

From DSC:
For those of us in higher education, what occurs in K-12 affects us, as it affects our incoming students’ expectations. We need to prepare now for our students of tomorrow! And congratulations to those of you in K-12 who are working hard to keep your students engaged, growing, challenged, participating, and learning!


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Who needs a prof? — George Siemens (and Stephanie Findlay)

On 03/03/2010, in change, changing business models, face-to-face, faculty/staff, game-changing environment, higher education, online learning, by Daniel Christian

Who needs a prof? –– George Siemens

I’ve talked in the past about trailing ideologies – namely that we design systems to serve an era, but when the era changes, the systems often don’t. Education is a great example. In higher education and corporate training, we labour under many assumptions and ideologies that have been negated by the web, social media, and mobile technologies. Courses, classrooms, and teacher-centric learning can (should) be rethought to capitalize on what technology enables and renders obsolete from the previous model.

Who needs a prof?:

So what role is left for the teacher? To be effective, Wieman says, they must be “cognitive coaches” rather than conduits of information. Rankin believes that the change in pedagogy will happen soon. “It’s comparable to the introduction of a light switch,” he adds. “It’s just going to take a while for people to figure out what this looks like and how it works.”

From DSC:
Also from the “Who needs a prof?” article:

Similarly, William Rankin, an associate professor of English at Abilene Christian University, has been a primary mover behind equipping students at the Texas university with iPod Touches and iPhones. The program began in 2008, and now nearly half the student body have the devices. Rankin says teachers, too, are better off for it. The faculty uses the devices to overcome time delays between tests and feedback, get immediate class input, and participate in ongoing online discussions via blogs. “The medieval apprentice model in which people learned in these very personalized ways is exactly the type of learning we can see in this initiative,” says Rankin. “I do think that in the next two or three years you will see a groundswell of these sorts of initiatives.”

From DSC:
I post this here to show my support of the need for change and to sew seeds for change. In order for us to meet this next generation where they are at, we can’t hold on to the status quo. We need to cultivate change now in order to be ready for the K-12ers coming our way.

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Getting face to face with distance learning — from CampusTechnology.com by Bridget McCrea

On 02/17/2010, in blended learning, face-to-face, online learning, social learning / networks, student-related, teaching & learning, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Getting Face to Face with Distance Learning — from CampusTechnology.com by Bridget McCrea

New York Institute of Technology’s videoconferencing capabilities have brought the school closer to its overseas learning partners.

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“The Class” – parody of The Office

On 02/07/2010, in blended learning, education technology, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, faculty/staff, 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

“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.

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Major disruption on the way

On 01/27/2010, in business side of he, colleges, cost of getting a degree, disruption, elearning, face-to-face, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, internet, pace of change, by Daniel Christian

From Ray Schroeder:

A paradigm shift is ahead for higher education – Lori Sturdevant, Star-Tribune
Governor Tim Pawlenty at a Jan. 15 news conference said “You’re going to have the equivalent of iTunes in higher education, where instead of buying a song for 99 cents, you’re going to be able to click on Econ 101 for probably $199 or $399,” the governor predicted. “Unleashing technology … will massively decentralize the delivery of higher education in our country. The idea that we’re going to be here 20 years from now talking about how many more buildings can we put up is going to come into conflict with this new frontier.” Bona fide education forecasters say that Pawlenty isn’t all wrong about an explosion of online learning — though they’re not as sanguine as he is about its cost-saving potential or effectiveness.

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