By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Towards an inclusive global knowledge society
Patrick Blessinger, University World News, 2015/10/05

I think this assertion is correct: "a chief aim of higher education should be to cultivate higher degrees of personal agency within students. As a result, the demands placed on higher education institutions have become much more complex". More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. The 'no-tech' school where screens are off limits – even at home
Sally Weale, The Guardian, 2015/10/05

Doug Belshaw shared this item this week (in his newly and inappropriately named 'Thought Shrapnel' newsletter). It's a paean from the Guardian to a school that has banned all screens and electronics at home and in the classroom. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Effectiveness of Integrating MOOCs in Traditional Classrooms for Undergraduate Students
Maria Joseph Israel, The International Review of Research in Open, Distance Learning (IRRODL), 2015/10/05

This paper examines the use of MOOCs in a classroom setting (a phenomenon called 'wrapped MOOCs', though I haven't heard the expression used recently). More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. A tumor stole every memory I had. This is what happened when it all came back
Demetri Kofinas, Quartz, 2015/10/02

This is an excellent article in its own right, but additionally offers an interesting glimpse into the formation and recovery of memories. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Innovation in Your Classroom
European Schoolnet, 2015/10/02

This is less a report and more a list of activities and resources available to teachers in Europe to foster innovation in their classrooms. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. MOOCs: A Toolbox for Course Designers?
Jim Shimabukuro, educational technology & change, 2015/10/02

This makes me happy: "The most significant breakthrough is anywhere-anytime learning, which automatically eliminates the space and time barriers that traditional classrooms represent. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Receive Files into Your Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive
Tony Vincent, Learning in Hand, 2015/10/02

I've used this service before and will probably use it again. In a nutshell, it enables you to create a place where people can send files to our cloud storage accounts (like, say, Dropbox) without having to give out credentials to your cloud storage account. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. New reforms threaten future of Japanese language study in England
William Hollingworth, Japan Times, 2015/09/30

Another good reason why you should not subcontract hyour education system to a commercial publisher: "From 2017, education firm Pearson is planning to scrap A and A-S levels in Japanese". More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Are School Internet Filters the Forgotten Equity Battleground?
Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift, 2015/09/30

I haven't written about school internet filters for a long time. They've become generally background, standard, and annoying. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Why GE had to kill its annual performance reviews after more than three decades
Max Nisen, Quartz, 2015/09/30

If performance reviews and grading by the curve are becoming a thing of the past at the auto plant, can they last long in schools and colleges? "'Command and control is what Jack was famous for. More...