By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. A Design-Based Approach To Teachers’ Professional Learning
Sharon Friesen, Michele Jacobsen, CEA Blog, 2016/07/12

In this short article Sharon Friesen and Michele Jacobsen quote Carl Bereiter in support of design-based research and learning. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Learn by doing: Why work-integrated learning works
Anne Sado, Tom Jenkins, Elizabeth Cannon, iPolitics, 2016/07/12
Certainly I am in support of the idea that work and learning ought to be more closely linked. So I am in general supportive of the idea that "post-secondary students should have access to some form of work-integrated learning." But I believe the push should come in the opposite direction from that proposed by these authors from the Business/Higher Education Roundtable, particularly with respect to the role of business. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Open Content Initiative Call for Proposals
eCampus Ontario, 2016/07/29

eCampus Ontario (which is welcoming David Porter as its new CEO) is launching an open content initiative. The call for proposals (27 page PDF) is available for download. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Yahoo Has a Tool that Can Catch Online Abuse Surprisingly Well
Will Knight, MIT Technology review, 2016/07/29

Interestingly, the term 'surprisingly well' in the headline still means 'far from perfect'. The Yahoo tool uses keywords and word phrases to catch abusive emails, but finds it difficult to go deeper. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Disruptive Innovations in Learning
Stephen Downes, Jul 27, 2016, , Bangkok, Thailand

In this presentation I outline the characteristics of innovation and consider them in the light of educational technology. I survey some major innovations and question them from the perspective of idea, benefit and execution. Then I look at the changing nature of benefits in education and take learning beyond innovation and into transformation. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Connectivism, MOOCs and Innovation
Stephen Downes, Jul 25, 2016, MOOC and Innovation Conference, Chiang Mai, Thailand

In this presentation I outline the major elements of connectivism as a learning theory, show how this informed the development and design of our massive open online courses (MOOCs), and then discuss the role played by open educational resources in a learning community. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Developing a Personal Learning Infrastructure
Stephen Downes, Jul 29, 2016, TCU International e-Learning Conference 2016, Bangkok, Thailand. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Studying the viral growth of a connective action network using information event signatures
Jeff Hemsley, First Monday, 2016/08/01
Interesting paper studying the growth and decline of 'connective action networks' such as the Occupy movement and the Arab spring. " A connective action network supports collective action by employing technologies that link together users who all have their own network." More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. ShortSims
Clark Aldrich, 2016/07/08

A few years ago we invited Clark Aldrich into the Chande 11 online course, where he talked about simulations for learning. Over the years he has created and collected a variety of these under the heading 'short sims'. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. You Can’t Depend on Free
Tim Stahmer, Assorted Stuff, 2016/07/08

After events such as the changes to Evernote or the shut-down of Google Reader we get constant reminders like this one, that we cannot depend on free. More...