By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Experience of disadvantage: The influence of identity on engagement in working class students’ educational trajectories to an elite university
Tamara Thiele, Daniel Pope, Alexander Singleton, Darlene Snape, Debbi Stanistreet, British Educational Research Journal, 2016/12/12
A willingness to work hard, an ability to resist negative social pressure, and a desire to prove sceptical parents and peers wrong - these are traits that characterized those from disadvantaged social groups who did attend a top-tier university, as compared to those who didn't. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. What I Learned Recreating One Chart Using 24 Tools
Lisa Charlotte Rost, Source, 2016/12/12

This is a great example of a personal professional development project, and Lisa Charlotte Rost is not only walking away from this exercise with knowledge and skills she can bank on, she provides the rest of us with an excellent understanding of the range of data visualization tools available today. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. What I have learnt from the course "Advanced Theories of Communication”
imcyndi, Tomorrowland, 2016/12/12

A lot of what underpins communications theory as described here also underpins theories of transactional distance in education theory (see the work of Michael G. Moore for example). More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Are you ready for blended learning?
Tony Bates, online learning and distance education resources, 2016/12/12

The key question to emerge from Tony Bates's review of a survey on learning technology in universities. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Tap into These 5 Tips for Mobile Learning
Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology, 2016/12/15

These five tips are practical and, according to the article, effective. It was the first tip that drew me in: find out what devices students are actually using and align support accordingly. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. The 12 Apps of Christmas 2016
Various authors, 2016/12/15
It's a fun thing, though shouldn't it be called the 12 apps of the holiday season? #jk "This short free course is for anyone who is interested in mobile learning, specifically the potential mobile apps hold for learning and teaching. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. How to Develop a Mentor Program for Millennial Employees

Samantha Welker, TTC Innovations, 2016/12/15
A large organization I know launched a mentor program for new employees by asking for volunteers, matching them with partners, then leaving them to do whatever. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. What Matters Now: A New Compact for Teaching and Learning
Various authors, National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future, 2016/12/15

The National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future (NCTAF) has released an update (24 page PDF) on its original report released 20 years ago. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Designing bots
Mary Treseler, O'Reilly, 2016/12/15

What this makes me wonder is what the best way to think is when creating bots. Consider this: "A designer who thinks in systems will get to know their users’ problems better and will be able to see the point where the bot technology won't be able to solve problems anymore." OK, fair enough. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Why the Coming Jobs Crisis Is Bigger Than You Think
Art Bilger, Knowledge@Wharton, 2016/12/15
This has come up in other discussions as well. "No matter which political party holds the White House or Congress, over the next 25 years, 47% of jobs will likely be eliminated by technology and globalization." Well then, won't new jobs replace the ones we lose? Maybe not. More...