Searching for "covid"
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/29/how-to-deal-with-a-conspiracy-theorist-5g-covid-plandemic-qanon
Fake authority
You may see articles by Vernon Coleman, for instance. As a former GP he would seem to have some credentials, yet he has a history of supporting pseudoscientific ideas, including misinformation about the causes of Aids. David Icke, meanwhile, has hosted videos by Barrie Trower, an alleged expert on 5G who is, in reality, a secondary school teacher. And Piers Corbyn cites reports by the Centre for Research on Globalisation, which sounds impressive but was founded by a 9/11 conspiracy theorist.
“pre-suasion” – essentially, removing the reflexive mental blocks that might make them reject your arguments.
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more on conspiracy theories in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=conspiracy
more on fake news in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=fake+news
The controversy over left-wing populism
by Chantal Mouffe: https://mondediplo.com/2020/05/14populism
recent book Le siècle du populisme (‘The Century of Populism’) (1), Pierre Rosanvallon
“populism consists in opposing a ‘pure people’ to a ‘corrupt elite’ and conceiving of politics as an immediate expression of the ‘general will’ (2) of the people.”
“There are only populisms, which explains why the notion produces so many interpretations and contradictory definitions.”
The left’s populist strategy appears particularly pertinent in the context of an exit out from the Covid-19 crisis which has been touted as a prelude for building a new social contract. This time, unlike in the 2008 crisis, a space could open up for the clash of opposing projects. A mere return to business as usual seems unlikely and the state will probably play a role that is both central and more prominent. We may witness the arrival of a ‘state capitalism’ that uses public authorities to rebuild the economy and restore the power of capital. It could take more or less authoritarian forms depending on the political forces at its helm. This scenario would signal either the victory of right-wing populist forces or neoliberalism’s defenders last-ditch attempt to ensure the survival of their model.
contrary to what Rosanvallon argues, far from threatening democracy, today left-wing populism is the best strategy if we want to orient the forces resisting a post-democratic, neoliberal order in an egalitarian direction.
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more on populism in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=populism
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2020/11/will_teachers_get_priority_for_new_covid-19_vaccines.html
The online vs. in-person learning debate is missing the point
We need to prioritize student outcomes over modality, says a higher ed industry executive.
https://universitybusiness.com/the-online-vs-in-person-learning-debate-is-missing-the-point/
“Students miss opportunities for enriched and flexible learning opportunities when they are confined to a binary learning modality. I envision a future where we retire the idea of online vs. classroom learning, replacing these dueling models with a unified format that prioritizes outcomes. Instead of approaching education from a “this or that” approach, we’d serve students much better with a “this and that” approach.”
My note: That higher ed industry executive seems oblivious about the #hyflex discussions
Even before COVID-19, in-person learning was being challenged by innovation.
Finally, no matter which hybrid approach schools take to learning, they need to work with businesses to align curriculum to in-demand job skills. It doesn’t matter how perfectly designed a course or program is if it doesn’t provide outcomes that ultimately enable employment opportunities.
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more on online learning in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=online+learning
more on F2F learning in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=f2f
Micro-credentials and Badges in Higher Education
- Cost and business model considerations
- Different types of badging platforms and technology
- How to partner with industry to deliver in-demand competencies
- Considerations for monetizing microcredentials
- Current issues impacting badges during COVID-19
Identifying Badges that Add Value to Your Institution
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Our faculty will establish a shared terminology, discuss the benefits and challenges of various badges, and explain how each type can advance the goals of your institution and best serve students. You will share your purposes for pursuing a badging initiative, identify the types of badges that could add the most value to your institution, and set goals for the conference.
Designing Quality Alternative Credentials
2:30 – 3:15 p.m.
What goes into developing, designing, assessing, and maintaining quality microcredentials? In this session, you will learn about:
- Standardization and rigor in development
- Curriculum design and assessment
- Developing a governance process
- Continuous maintenance and improvement
Funding and Monetizing Badges
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Many institutions are looking into badging as a potential revenue stream during lean times. During this hour, you will learn strategies for monetization. We will also look at various fee-based and tuition-based funding models to financially operationalize microcredentialing.
Marketing and Branding
1:30 – 2:15 p.m.
How do you articulate the value proposition of badges to internal and external stakeholders? During this session you will learn how to brand and market your microcredentials. You will study badge images and stacking considerations that will help you create the best design for your circumstances.
Jeff Bohrer
Technical PM, IMS Global Learning
Jeff currently serves as a program manager for digital credentials initiatives at IMS Global Learning Consortium. Jeff leads projects and programs related to digital badges, comprehensive learner records, and the interoperability of learning technologies. Jeff is also co-chair of the EDUCAUSE Microcredentials and Badges Constituent Group.
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More on microcredentials in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredentials
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more on special education in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=special+education
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7wxvd/students-are-rebelling-against-eye-tracking-exam-surveillance-tools
Algorithmic proctoring software has been around for several years, but its use exploded as the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to quickly transition to remote learning. Proctoring companies cite studies estimating that between 50 and 70 percent of college students will attempt some form of cheating, and warn that cheating will be rampant if students are left unmonitored in their own homes.
Like many other tech companies, they also balk at the suggestion that they are responsible for how their software is used. While their algorithms flag behavior that the designers have deemed suspicious, these companies argue that the ultimate determination of whether cheating occurred rests in the hands of the class instructor.
As more evidence emerges about how the programs work, and fail to work, critics say the tools are bound to hurt low-income students, students with disabilities, students with children or other dependents, and other groups who already face barriers in higher education.
“Each academic department has almost complete agency to design their curriculum as far as I know, and each professor has the freedom to design their own exams and use whatever monitoring they see fit,” Rohan Singh, a computer engineering student at Michigan State University, told Motherboard.
after students approached faculty members at the University of California Santa Barbara, the faculty association sent a letter to the school’s administration raising concerns about whether ProctorU would share student data with third parties.
In response, a ProctorU attorney threatened to sue the faculty association for defamation and violating copyright law (because the association had used the company’s name and linked to its website). He also accused the faculty association of “directly impacting efforts to mitigate civil disruption across the United States” by interfering with education during a national emergency, and said he was sending his complaint to the state’s Attorney General.
here is a link to a community discussion regarding this and similar software use:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/RemakingtheUniversity/permalink/1430416163818409/
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more on Proctorio in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=proctorio
“Some of the more prominent companies offering these services include Proctorio, Respondus, ProctorU, HonorLock, Kryterion Global Testing Solutions, and Examity.”
Call for Chapters: Transforming Teachers’ Online Pedagogical Reasoning for Teaching K-12 Students in Virtual Learning Environments
Proposals Submission Deadline: November 16, 2020
Full Chapters Due: February 21, 2021
Submission Date: February 21, 2021
Introduction
How can students learn safely amid the challenges of the global pandemic? Currently, it is not safe to have them crowded in a classroom engaged in face-to-face learning. The challenge has forced K-12 teachers to think differently about teaching. Unexpectedly, and with little warning, they have been confronted with redesigning their curriculum and instruction from face-to-face to online virtual classrooms to protect students from the COVID-19 virus. The critical questions include: Has this shift assured that students will learn the identified essential content and skills for the 21st century? Will they develop the skills identified through the 4C’s: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity (Thoughtful Learning Organization, 2016)? The rapid shift of K-12 education to being online left educators and parents lacking in confidence that students will receive an appropriate education through the virtual environments proposed for keeping students safe. The speed with which this transition was made prevented educators from developing the necessary knowledge and skills needed to create engaging learning in the unfamiliar virtual environment. Superficial observations of the online features and organizations for virtual environments suggest these environments lack key elements for guiding students in engaging in the skills such as those identified by the 4 C’s. A more serious question is: Are the bold claims true that students cannot learn online in virtual environments? Some say that teachers lack the knowledge of how to think about online teaching in a virtual environment. This begs the question, are today’s teachers simply applying their classroom strategies as they have done in their face-to-face classrooms, only now in front of a web camera?
Objective
The primary objective of this book is to gather and present actual best practices and pedagogical reasoning for designing online strategies that work for K-12 virtual learning. The chapters will provide ways to think about teaching in virtual environments that can be used to guide instructional strategy choices and ultimate decisions. The ideas and frameworks will present effective online pedagogical reasoning for the redesign and implementation of K-12 virtual classrooms.
Investment continues to flow to ed tech, with $803 million injected during the first six months of the year, according to the industry news website EdSurge. But half of that went to just six companies, including the celebrity tutorial provider MasterClass, the online learning platform Udemy and the school and college review site Niche.
From the outside, the ed-tech sector may appear as if “there’s a bonanza and it’s like the dot-com boom again and everybody’s printing money,” said Michael Hansen, CEO of the K-12 and higher education digital learning provider Cengage. “That is not the case.”
Even if they want to buy more ed-tech tools, meanwhile, schools and colleges are short on cash. Expenses for measures to deal with Covid-19 are up, while budgets are expected to be down.
Analysts and industry insiders now expect a wave of acquisitions as already-dominant brands like these seek to corner even more of the market by snatching up smaller players that provide services they don’t.
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Tech-based contact tracing could put schools in murky privacy territory
https://www.educationdive.com/news/tech-based-contact-tracing-could-put-schools-in-murky-privacy-territory/584881/
- A white paper from the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) suggests the use of contact tracing technology by schools could erode student privacy and may not be effective in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
Despite the pandemic, schools still must conform to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other laws governing student privacy. Districts can disclose information to public health officials, for example, but information can’t be released to the general public without written consent from parents.
The Safely Reopen Schools mobile app is one tool available for automating contact tracing. The idea is that if two mobile phones are close enough to connect via Bluetooth, the phone owners are close enough to transmit the virus. The app includes daily health check-ins and educational notifications, but no personal information is exchanged between the phones, and the app won’t disclose who tested positive.
Colleges are also using apps to help trace and track students’ exposure to coronavirus. In August, 20,000 participants from the University of Alabama at Birmingham were asked to test the GuideSafe mobile app, which will alert them if they’ve been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The app determines the proximity of two people through cell phone signal strength. If someone reports they contracted the virus, an alert will be sent to anyone who has been within six feet of them for at least 15 minutes over the previous two weeks.
Critics of the technology claim these apps aren’t actually capable of contract tracing and could undermine manual efforts to do so.
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more on ed tech in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=educational+technology
Alternative Credentials on the Rise
Interest is growing in short-term, online credentials amid the pandemic. Will they become viable alternative pathways to well-paying jobs?
Paul Fain August 27, 2020
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/08/27/interest-spikes-short-term-online-credentials-will-it-be-sustained
A growing body of evidence has found strong consumer interest in recent months in skills-based, online credentials that are clearly tied to careers, particularly among adult learners from diverse and lower-income backgrounds, whom four-year colleges often have struggled to attract and graduate.
For years the demographics of higher education have been shifting away from traditional-age, full-paying college students while online education has become more sophisticated and accepted.
That has amplified interest in recent months among employers, students, workers and policy makers in online certificates, industry certifications, apprenticeships, microcredentials, boot camps and even lower-cost online master’s degrees.
Moody’s, the credit ratings firm, on Wednesday said online and nondegree programs are growing at a rapid pace.
Google will fund 100,000 need-based scholarships for the certificates, and said it will consider them the “equivalent of a four-year degree” for related roles.
Google isn’t alone in this push. IBM, Facebook, Salesforce and Microsoft are creating their own short-term, skills-based credentials. Several tech companies also are dropping degree requirements for some jobs, as is the federal government, while the White House, employers and some higher education groups have collaborated on an Ad Council campaign to tout alternatives to the college degree.
One of the most consistent findings in a nationally representative poll conducted by the Strada Education Network’s Center for Consumer Insights over the last five months has been a preference for nondegree and skills training options.
Despite growing skepticism about the value of a college degree, it remains the best ticket to a well-paying job and career. And data have shown that college degrees have been a cushion amid the pandemic and recession.
Experts had long speculated that employer interest in alternative credential pathways would wither when low employment rates went away,…. Yet some big employers, including Amazon, are paying to retrain workers for jobs outside the company as it restructures.
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more on badges, microcredentialing in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredential