By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Try to Lower the Stakes of the Job-Interview Dinner
Jonathan Malesic, Chronicle of Higher Education, 2018/10/25
I've never had a job-interview dinner, and never really thought of it, but I do recall meeting Gene Semchych at a restaurant prior to my employment at Assiniboine Community College (which would be my first real job in 15 years) and spilling food on my shirt. I'm not really a social eater to bgin with; I can't imagine eating when my future employment is on the line. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. VET Knowledge Bank
2018/10/25
The National Vocational Education and Training Research NCVER News has been running a series on the vocational education and training (VET) Knowledge Bank, including especially the History of VET and Landmark documents. From the website: "The VET Knowledge Bank contains a suite of products capturing Australia's diverse, complex and ever-changing vocational education and training (VET) system. . It aims to provide a collected memory of VET reference information. The VET Knowledge Bank is a living, growing resource. More content will be added in the coming months." Also, "VOCEDplus is a free international research database for tertiary education relating to workforce needs, skills development, and social inclusion."

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Social entrepreneurship gains ground on Canadian campuses
Anqi Shen, University Affairs, 2018/10/25
According to the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation’s RECODE initiative program director Chad Lubelsky, “A social entrepreneur, in the broadest sense, is someone who is starting things for the social good, and the container – be it a business, co-op, not-for-profit or charity – is secondary,” I'm not thrilled by the use of the term 'entrepreneur', which to me seems to import for-profit business concepts into the social and public spheres, but but I do support the idea of promoting projects that engage students in projects designed to increase the public good. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. EDEN RW Barcelona Declaration 2018
European Distance Education Network, 2018/10/25
I'm not sure when this will wrap up (perhaps even before you read this post) but it's worth forwarding: "#EDENRW10 organizing committee is working on a Declaration regarding the workshop theme. Here's the draft http://ow.ly/YPPi30mmYF6  Please we would love your contribution using the hashtag #BCNdeclaration18." The document addresses the need for personal learning, open learning, and teachers as facilitators using digital technologies. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. 2018 Students and Technology Research Study
Dana C. Gierdowski, D. Christopher Brooks, Joseph Galanek, EDUCAUSE, 2018/10/25

From this report (47 page PDF) some of the the key findings (quoted):

• Practically all college and university students (in the U.S.)  have access to the most important technologies for their academic success.
• While laptops, hybrids, desktops, and smartphones continue to be rated as very to extremely important to student success, the importance of these devices differs considerably by student demographics. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Media, Society, Culture and You
Mark Poepsel, Media, Society, Culture and You, 2018/10/25
This isn't a great book, and it isn't a terrible book - I think the advertising describes it best, as "an approachable introductory Mass Communication text that covers major mass communication terms and concepts including 'digital culture.'" It introduces readers to everything from Dewey to brocolage to Shirky to framing theory. More...