By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Bringing It to the Masses
Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, Jul 16, 2014
I like this more than I should, probably. But it's a great initiative and does for the sciences what I would like to do for education technology research, if only I had the time: to cut through the jargon and state what it is the research actually shows. "Publiscize has an intuitive interface that allows users to create accounts either as scient. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. How E-Reading Threatens Learning in the Humanities
Naomi S. Baron, The Chronicle: Commentary, Jul 16, 2014
Having made my living somehow as a student of the humanities, and having read extensively both in the paper-based and digital forms of long and short text, I think I'm in a good position to discuss this commentary in the Chronicle (where else?) from Naomi S. Baron explaining why digital reading is so impoverished. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. The Asilomar Convention for Learning Research in Higher Education
Mitchell L. Stevens, Susan S. Silbey, Asilomar 2014, Jul 16, 2014
Worth noting: "On 1-4 June, 2014, a group of educators, scientists, and legal/ethical scholars assembled at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California. Their task was to develop a framework to inform decisions about appropriate use of data and technology in learning research for higher education. A modified Chatham House Rule guided their deliberations, which produced the convention presented here." Via Inside Higher Ed. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Will SOOCs eat MOOCs for breakfast?
Unattributed, Pearson, Jul 16, 2014
You can almost hear the disbelief in Audrey Watters's voice as she says "wow" on reading this article from Pearson advocating a form of online learning that removes "unwanted diversity" from open online courses. Yes, you read that correctly, and it's not out of context. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Ministers and Key Partners Chart Path Forward for Education and Skills in Canada
Press Release, Council of Education Ministers, Canada (CMEC), Jul 14, 2014
The Council of Education Ministers, Canada (CMEC), met with "his week with more than 200 key business and labour leaders, academics, representatives of student organizations, and other stakeholders" l;ast weekend in Charlottetown, and recommended the following:
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Peer Assessment for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
Hoi K. Suen, International Review of Research in Open, Distance Learning (IRRODL), Jul 14, 2014
This article examines the application of peer assessment in massive open online courses (MOOCs). More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Social media in education: ethical concerns
Unattributed, ALT Online Newsletter, Jul 14, 2014
This is a summary of a recent workshop on ethical concerns around the use of social media in education. Four major areas were highlighted: the need for a code of conduct or legislation, online harassment and bullying, intellectual property, and authenticity of voice. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Bill Gates Talks Performance Funding and MOOCs in Conference Keynote
Don Troop, Chronicle of Higher Education, Jul 23, 2014
Bill Gates talks about education and everyone listens (one of these days I'd like to go to Redmond to talk to MS face-to-face about these topics). Still, some good bits: like this: "My key message today is that that model will be under challenge. And so, instead of tuning it to find 3 percent here or 4 percent there, which has been the story in the past, there will be dramatic changes." See also IHE coverage. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. By the numbers
Melonie Fullick, University Affairs, Jul 23, 2014
Melonie Fullick writes, "I’m more interested in the answer to a second, unasked question that’s implicit in “does it count?”: count for what? In most cases, it’s an academic job, one with some security and stability; so whether something counts towards tenure is the point, with all the implications this brings." I think this is a good point. More...
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Free Learning from a Development Perspective
Stephen Downes, Jul 18, 2014, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada seminar, Gatineau, Quebec
The slides in this presentation address: first, the relation between connectivism and free learning; second, the development of our understanding of networks and network technology; and third, the policy framework needed to enourage and promote free learning for development. The audio doesn't finish the slides but is an engaging discussion between myself and DFATDC staff. [Link] [Slides] [Audio]. More...
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