By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Teaching Using Adaptive Learning
Michael Feldstein, e-Literate, 2016/11/07

I can't watch these at the moment but I can't just pass them by. So here's a link, for my own reference. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. There is no university of the future
Alastair Creelman, The corridor of uncertainty, 2016/11/07

I want to highlight a couple of points from this short article. First, "There is no one model for the future, there will be a wide range of different interpretations from traditional to innovative." This is what was wrong with Sebastian Thrun's prediction that after MOOCs only ten universities would remain. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Theories of learning – epistemology of connectivism
Stephen Downes, Nov 07, 2016, Regional Forum on ICTs in Higher Education of the Arab States, Beirut, Lebanon

Presentation of major branches of epistemology, placing connectivism into this content, and then describing learning theories in this framework. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Not Everyone’s Hero
Carl Straumsheim, Inside Higher Ed, 2016/11/11
Short article mostly intended to expose and denounce Course Hero, an online learning platform that serves essentially as a homework and assignment help site. It focuses on unreliable assignments authored by users in Kenya, "contract cheating under the guise of student support," and of course accusations of copyright violations after tests and assignments were found posted on the site. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. When Nerve Cells Detect Patterns for Acquired Knowledge
Mihai A. Petrovici, Johannes Bill, Ilja Bytschok, Johannes Schemmel, Karlheinz Meier, Heidelberg University, arXiv, 2016/11/11

Researchers are coming closer to describing exactly how knowledge is stored as patterns of connectivity in a neural network. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. There is no such thing as western civilisation
Kwame Anthony Appiah, The Guardian, 2016/11/11

This is a terrific article and one that should force us to re-examine the 'traditions' we seek to pass on through the process of education. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Educational Technology & Education Conferences #36, January to June 2017
Clayton R. Wright, Stephen's Web, 2016/11/11
Clayton R. Wright has once again published his excellent conference list. He writes, "Some of these events have intriguing themes to guide them, such as 'Changing to Learn, Learning to Change', 'The Politics of Open', 'Respect the Past, Lead the Present, Secure the Future', 'Knowledge Is the Oil of the Future', and 'Democratization and Participation – People’s Roles in the Digital World'. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. AAEEBL ePortfolio Review
2016/11/11

The Association for Authentic, Experiential, and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL) is announcing the inaugural issue of the AAEEBL ePortfolio Review. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Differences in Learning Style Preferences: A Study of Mainland Chinese College Students Studying in Hong Kong
Kin Man Chow, British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science, 2016/11/14
There has been considerable argumentation in recent years to the effect that learning styles do not exist. Such argumentation, though, is firmly rooted in western culture. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. The Failure of the iPad Classroom
David Sax, The Walrus, 2016/11/14

I think it's far too soon to say the use of technology in learning has "failed". But sceptics will enjoy this thorough denouement of educational technology. More...