October 17, 2011
Presentation
Connectivism and Personal Learning
Stephen Downes, October 17, 2011,
Charles University Prague, Online, vie DimDim, to Prague
Connectivism as a pedagogical theory is typically thought of in terms of networks – the making and traversing of connections. But the major practical implication of connectivism occurs in the organization of learning events and resources. Unlike traditional educational modalities, in which people work collaboratively, in a connectivist model, people work cooperatively.
Policy for the Poor and Poor Education Policy: An Essay Review
Michael W. Apple,
Education Review, October 17, 2011.
Thoughtful and comprehensive review of Education and Poverty in Affluent Countries, a collection edited by Carlo Raffo and five authors. Reviewer Michael W. Apple pulls no punches in his analysis of either the economic situation nor the linkages between poverty and educational attainment. His starting point is "the damage that is being done to the lives and hopes of millions of real people, the effects of the neoliberal policies that are being imposed by the IMF and other international and national financial agencies, and the destruction of hard-won gains in social welfare, health, and education." Through the review he nicely traces the impact of the economic situation on education, and sometimes the other way around. If there are any criticisms of the book, it is that it does not go far enough. "Some of it has little recognition of the ways this economy depends on the creation of poverty both within and outside of national borders so that the affluent can live lives that are based on the invisibility of the debt they owe to those who labor."
Education at a Glance 2011: OECD Indicators
Various Authors,
OECD, October 17, 2011.
You never know when it will be useful to have the OECD education indicators. Warning, big PDF file. The OECD writes, "the past 50 years have brought a fundamental transformation, not just in the level of educational activity but in how educational outcomes are monitored. The size of the investment in education is now too big, and its benefits too central to the success of economies and societies, for the design of effective education systems to take place in the dark."
Are we building a new grand narrative, or are grand narratives things of the past?
Roland Legrand,
Mixed Realities, October 17, 2011.
Interesting view from inside Howard Rheingold's Introduction to Cooperation Theory course. Roland Legrand asks, "Is Connectivism, as practiced for instance in the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) #Change11 more than a practical answer to contemporary challenges for the educational system? Could it also be part of an emerging new grand narrative, together with related components from network theory and cooperation theories?" My answer: yes, but it's not a 'grand narrative'.
[Link] [Comment][Tags: Connectivism, Networks, Online Learning]
Elephants of HR Software Enter the Talent Management Market
Josh Bersin,
Bersin & Associates Analyst Updates, October 15, 2011.
Related to the Pearson story, but on a different tack, we have this item describing the long-predicted movement of the human resource software giants - ADP, Oracle and SAP - moving into the learning management space (or as this article calls it, 'talent management'). In particular, we want to keep an eye on the following:
- ADP Vantage HCM - "integrates payroll, benefits, time and labor management, payroll administration, as well as talent management and social networking into an entire platform solution."
- Oracle Fusion HCM - "data services, authentication, identity management, security, content management, data intelligence, etc." and things like "risk attributes of employees based on tenure, performance, role, compa ratio, etc."
- SAP Human Capital Management - "align objectives to corporate strategy through comprehensive analytics, engage employees and identify, retain, and develop key talent through a robust talent management"
[Link] [Comment][Tags: Content Management Systems, Networks, Online Learning, Security Issues]
#Change11: Welcome to week 5: Managing Technology to Transform Teaching
Tony Bates,
e-learning and distance education resources, October 14, 2011.
Tony Bates introduces his week: "Welcome to week 5 of this Massive Open Online Course organized by George Siemens, Stephen Downes and Dave Cormier. If you want to participate but haven’t registered with #Change11, please do so now by clicking here. It’s free! This week’s topic is Managing technology to transform teaching and looks at how university and college management can bring about changes to transform the institution. A key theme of the discussions will be: Can change come from within, or do we need to re-invent new forms of higher education that are de-institutionalized?"
Ed Radio Show Notes, October 16, 2011
Tony Bates, Transforming Teaching and Learning Through Technology Management - slides, etc., here
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