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Privacy and Safety in Remote Learning Environments

BLEND-ONLINE : Call for Chapter Proposals– Privacy and Remote Learning

Digital Scholarship Initiatives at Middle Tennessee State University invites you to propose a chapter for our forthcoming book.

Working book title: Privacy and Safety in Remote Learning Environments

Proposal submission deadline: January 21, 2022

Interdisciplinary perspectives are highly encouraged

Topics may include but are not limited to:

  • Privacy policies of 3rd party EdTech platforms (Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Schoology, etc)
  • Parental “spying” and classroom privacy
  • Family privacy and synchronous online schooling
  • Online harassment among students (private chats, doxing, social media, etc)
  • Cameras in student private spaces
  • Surveillance of student online activities
  • Exam proctoring software and privacy concerns
  • Personally Identifiable Information in online learning systems and susceptibility to cybercriminals
  • Privacy, storage, and deletion policies for recordings and data
  • Handling data removal requests from students
  • Appointing a privacy expert in schools, universities, or districts
  • How and why to perform security/privacy audits
  • Student attitudes about online privacy
  • Instructor privacy/safety concerns
  • Libraries: privacy policies of ebook platforms
  • Libraries: online reference services and transcripts
  • Identity authentication best practices
  • Learning analytics and “big data” in higher education

More details, timelines, and submission instructions are available at dsi.mtsu.edu/cfpBook2022

Online Coaching

The Flourishing, Surprising, And Badly Needed Market For Online Coaching

The Flourishing, Surprising, And Badly Needed Market For Online Coaching

the billion dollar+ market for online coaching. It’s an amazingly successful, fast-growing space with four distinct categories.

  • Coaching on-demand, driven by AI matching,
  • Leadership development for all, democratizing coaches for everyone,
  • Wellbeing, mental, and behavioral health – psychologists selected for you,
  • General coaching for training – coaches for sales, service, tech, and other jobs.

The biggest players in this market today are BetterUpTorchCoachHubSoundingBoardSpring Health, and Lyra.

changes in DRM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management

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More on copyright in this blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=copyright

metaverse definition

What the metaverse will (and won’t) be, according to 28 experts

metaverse (hopefully) won’t be the virtual world of ‘Snow Crash,’ or ‘Ready Player One.’ It will likely be something more complex, diverse, and wild.

The metaverse concept clearly means very different things to different people. What exists right now is a series of embryonic digital spaces, such as Facebook’s HorizonEpic Games’ FortniteRoblox‘s digital space for gaming and game creation, and the blockchain-based digital world Decentraland–all of which have clear borders, different rules and objectives, and differing rates of growth.

TIFFANY ROLFE

different layers of realities that we can all be experiencing, even in the same environment or physical space. We’re already doing that with our phones to a certain extent—passively in a physical environment while mentally in a digital one. But we’ll see more experiences beyond your phone, where our whole bodies are fully engaged, and that’s where the metaverse starts to get interesting—we genuinely begin to explore and live in these alternate realities simultaneously.

RONY ABOVITZ, FOUNDER, MAGIC LEAP

Xverse

It will have legacy parts that look and feel like the web today, but it will have new nodes and capabilities that will look and feel like the Ready Player One Oasis (amazing gaming worlds), immersion leaking into our world (like my Magicverse concept), and every imaginable permutation of these. I feel that the Xverse will have gradients of sentience and autonomy, and we will have the emergence of synthetic life (things Sun and Thunder is working on) and a multitude of amazing worlds to explore. Building a world will become something everyone can do (like building a webpage or a blog) and people will be able to share richer parts of their external and inner lives at incredibly high-speed across the planet.

YAT SIU, COFOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF GAMING AND BLOCKCHAIN COMPANY ANIMOCA BRANDS

Reality will exist on a spectrum ranging from physical to virtual (VR), but a significant chunk of our time will be spent somewhere between those extremes, in some form of augmented reality (AR). Augmented reality will be a normal part of daily life. Virtual companions will provide information, commentary, updates and advice on matters relevant to you at that point in time, including your assets and activities, in both virtual and real spaces.

TIMONI WEST, VP OF AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY, UNITY:

I think we can all agree our initial dreams of a fully immersive, separate digital world is not only unrealistic, but maybe not what we actually want. So I’ve started defining the metaverse differently to capture the zeitgeist: we’re entering an era where every computer we interact with, big or small, is increasingly world-aware. They can recognize faces, voices, hands, relative and absolute position, velocity, and they can react to this data in a useful way. These contextually aware computers are the path to unlocking ambient computing: where computers fade from the foreground to the background of everyday, useful tools. The metaverse is less of a ‘thing’ and more of a computing era. Contextual computing enables a multitude of new types of interactions and apps: VR sculpting tools and social hangouts, self-driving cars, robotics, smart homes.

SAM HAMILTON, HEAD OF COMMUNITY & EVENTS FOR BLOCKCHAIN-BASED METAVERSE CREATOR THE DECENTRALAND FOUNDATION

NITZAN MEKEL-BOBROV, CHIEF AI OFFICER, EBAY

as carbon is to the organic world, AI will be both the matrix that provides the necessary structural support and the material from which digital representation will be made. Of all the ways in which AI will shape the form of the metaverse, perhaps most essential is the role it will play in the physical-digital interface. Translating human actions into digital input–language, eye movement, hand gestures, locomotion–these are all actions which AI companies and researchers have already made tremendous progress on.

HUGO SWART, VICE PRESIDENT AND GM OF XR, QUALCOMM

Qualcomm views the metaverse as an ever-present spatial internet complete with personalized digital experiences that spans the physical and virtual worlds, where everything and everyone can communicate and interact seamlessly.

IBRAHIM BAGGILI, FOUNDING DIRECTOR, CONNECTICUT INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AT UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN

As an active researcher in the security and forensics of VR systems, should the metaverse come into existence, we should explore and hypothesize the ways it will be misused.

CHITRA RAGAVAN, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER AT BLOCKCHAIN DATA ANALYTICS COMPANY ELEMENTUS 

I picture [the metaverse] almost like The Truman Show. Only, instead of walking into a television set, you walk into the internet and can explore any number of different realities

JOHN HANKE, CEO OF POKÉMON GO CREATOR NIANTIC

We imagine the metaverse as reality made better, a world infused with magic, stories, and functionality at the intersection of the digital and physical worlds.

CAROLINA ARGUELLES NAVAS, GLOBAL PRODUCT MARKETING, AUGMENTED REALITY, SNAP

Rather than building the “metaverse,” a separate and fully virtual reality that is disconnected from the physical world, we are focused on augmenting reality, not replacing it. We believe AR–or computing overlaid on the world around us–has a smoother path to mass adoption, but will also be better for the world than a fully virtual world.

URHO KONTTORI, COFOUNDER AND CTO OF AR/VR HEADSET MAKER VARJO

In the reality-based metaverse, we will be able to more effectively design products of the future, meet and collaborate with our colleagues far away, and experience any remote place in real-time.

ATHERINE ALLEN, CEO OF IMMERSIVE TECH RESEARCH CONSULTANCY LIMINA IMMERSIVE

I prefer to think of the metaverse as simply bringing our bodies into the internet.

BRANDS IN THE METAVERSE

VISHAL SHAH, VP OF METAVERSE, FACEBOOK

The metaverse isn’t just VR! Those spaces will connect to AR glasses and to 2D spaces like Instagram. And most importantly, there will be a real sense of continuity where the things you buy are always available to you.

SAYON DEB, MANAGER, MARKET RESEARCH, CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION

At its core will be a self-contained economy that allows individuals and businesses to create, own or invest in a range of activities and experiences.

NANDI NOBELL, SENIOR ASSOCIATE AT GLOBAL ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN FIRM CALLISONRTKL

the metaverse experience can be altered from the individual’s point of view and shaped or curated by any number of agents—whether human or A.I. In that sense, the metaverse does not have an objective look beyond its backend. In essence, the metaverse, together with our physical locations, forms a spatial continuum.

NICK CHERUKURI, CEO AND FOUNDER OF MIXED REALITY GLASSES MAKER THIRDEYE

The AR applications of the metaverse are limitless and it really can become the next great version of the internet.

SAM TABAR, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, BITCOIN MINING COMPANY BIT DIGITAL

It seems fair to predict that the actual aesthetic of any given metaverse will be determined by user demand. If users want to exist in a gamified world populated by outrageous avatars and fantastic landscapes then the metaverse will respond to that demand. Like all things in this world the metaverse will be market driven

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More on meta-verse in this blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=metaverse

microcredentials Australia

Stacks on: Get the max from micro-credentials

https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/shift-to-short-courses-and-online-learning-to-expand-careers-20210322-p57cvl.html

“This measure will provide additional options for students and the recently unemployed to engage with higher education across a wider range of fields, which will help further the position of the nation and our workforce to move out of the economic downturn,” a department spokesman said.

“There is some crossover between the terms ‘micro-credential’ and ‘short course’; both are generally something shorter than a full qualification. The short courses are a type of micro-credential. The short course is a credit-bearing micro-credential, meaning that it can be used to ‘stack’ into a full qualification at a later time.”

” The Australian Cyber Security Growth Network said the cyber security workforce had grown by 4000 to 26,500 since 2017. The sector grew by 6 per cent a year, compared with overall national growth of 2 per cent a year.”

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more on microcredentials in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredential

defense in the AI era

U.S. is ‘not prepared to defend or compete in the A.I. era,’ says expert group chaired by Eric Schmidt – In a report, it warned that AI systems will be used in the “pursuit of power” and that “AI will not stay in the domain of superpowers or the realm of science fiction.” from r/Futurology

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/02/us-not-prepared-to-defend-or-compete-in-ai-era-says-eric-schmidt-group.html

The National Security Commission on AI warned in a 756-page report on Monday that China could soon replace the U.S. as the world’s “AI superpower” and said there are serious military implications to consider.

The 15 members of the commission include technologists, national security professionals, business executives and academic leaders. Among them are Amazon’s next CEO, Andy Jassy, Oracle CEO Safra Catz, Microsoft Chief Scientific Officer Eric Horvitz and Google Cloud AI chief Andrew Moore.

China has stated that it wants to be a global leader in AI by 2030. The report’s authors have said it is vital that the U.S. does all it can to eliminate the chance of this happening.
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more on cybersecurity in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=cybersecurity

AI data and infodemic

AI progress depends on us using less data, not more

A minimal-data practice will enable several AI-driven industries — including cyber security, which is my own area of focus — to become more efficient, accessible, independent, and disruptive.

1. AI has a compute addiction. The growing fear is that new advancements in experimental AI research, which frequently require formidable datasets supported by an appropriate compute infrastructure, might be stemmed due to compute and memory constraints, not to mention the financial and environmental costs of higher compute needs.

MIT researchers estimated that “three years of algorithmic improvement is equivalent to a 10 times increase in computing power.”

2. Big data can mean more spurious noise. 

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more on infodemic in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=infodemic

Bundling home internet with other services

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/when-should-you-bundle-home-internet-with-other-services/

This guide will help you examine the benefits and disadvantages of bundling specific services, so you can decide if bundling services is a smart fit for you.

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more on ISP in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=ISP

Media Literacy for GLST 195

Information Media and Digital Literacy for GLST 195: Global Society & Citizenship    

Instructor: Prof. Chuks Ugochukwu   Per Syllabus:

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The course meets Liberal Education Program (LEP), Goal Area 8: Global Perspective; and Goal Area 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility objectives
Goal Area 8: Global Perspective. Objective: Develop a comparative perspective and understanding of one’s place in a global context.

Students will be able to:

  1. Describe and analyze political, economic, and cultural elements which influence relations of states and societies in their historical and contemporary dimensions.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of cultural, social, religious and linguistic differences.
  3. Analyze specific international problems, illustrating the cultural,economic, and political differences that affect their solution.
  4. Understand the role of a world citizen and the responsibility world citizens share for their common global future.

Goal Area 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility Objective: Understand and evaluate ethical or civic issues and theories and participate in active citizenship or ethical judgment

OUR HUSKY COMPACT

Our Husky Compact is a bond shared by St. Cloud State University and its students that a SCSU education will prepare students for a life of growth and fulfillment – intellectually, professionally, and personally. When students graduate with an SCSU education, they will:

  • Think Creatively and Critically
  • Seek and Apply Knowledge
  • Communicate Effectively
  • Integrate Existing and Evolving Technologies
  • Engage as a Member of a Diverse and Multicultural World
  • Act with Personal Integrity and Civic Responsibility

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Week ???: Information – Media and Digital Literacy

Most students can’t tell fake news from real news, study shows
Read more: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/03/28/fake-news-3/

Module 1
video to introduce students to the readings and expected tasks

https://mediaspace.minnstate.edu/media/GLST+195+Module+1/1_32242qua

  1. Fake News / Misinformation / Disinformation
    1. Definitions
      1. Fake news, alternative facts
        https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=fake+news
        https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=alternative+facts

Mini-Assignment: After reading the information from the links above, take a minute to write out your own definition of 1. Fake News 2. Alternative Facts

      1. Misinformation vs disinformation
        https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2018/02/18/fake-news-disinformation-propaganda/

Mini-Assignment: After reading the information from the links above, take a minute to write out your own definition of 1. Misinformation 2. Disinformation. What are their main characteristics? How do they differ?

        1. Propaganda

Mini-Assignment: What is Propaganda? How do misinformation, disinformation, fake news and alternative facts fit into the process of propaganda?

        1. Conspiracy theories
          https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=conspiracy+theories

Mini-Assignment:  Using the information from the links above, can you establish the connection between conspiracy theories, propaganda, mis- and disinformation, fake news, alternative news and social media?

          1. Bots, trolls
            https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/11/22/bots-trolls-and-fake-news/
            https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/04/30/fake-social-media-accounts-and-politicians/
            https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/01/20/bots-and-disinformation/

Mini-Assignment: using the info from the links above and/or information you have collected, can you define the role of bots and trolls in social media in regard to propaganda and conspiracy theories?

        1. Clickbait
          Filter bubbles, echo chambers
          (8 min) video explains filter bubbles
          https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter

Mini-Assignment:: based on your own information and experience, as well as the information offered in the links, can you define your own resistance to clickbaits?

Assignment: which challenges do you identify with?
The Challenge of Teaching News Literacy:
https://soundcloud.com/edsurge/the-challenge-of-teaching-news-literacy

25 min podcast.

In a short paragraph, identify the issues you see as important to address in order to improve your own news literacy.
time to accomplish the assignment: ~45 min (including listening to the podcast).

  1. Why is it important to understand these processes?

Assignment: why is it important:

In a short paragraph, share your initial feeling about Fake News / Misinformation / Disinformation. 1. Do you think, it is important at all? 2. If yes, why; if not, why. 3. If yes, what is the importance, the impact?
time to accomplish the assignment: ~5-10 min

  1. How to deal with these processes
    1. how do we apply hands-on critical thinking to withstand these processes?
      1. What is critical thinking

disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/critical-thinking

  1. Ability to research

Ability to find reliable information

  1. Popular media

How to spot fake news:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/03/15/fake-news-bib/
Can machines create fake news?
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2019/10/24/fake-news-generator/
Can machines “clean up” fake from real?
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/11/16/identifying-fake-news-by-90/
What can humans do to distinguish fake from real? Consider these five factors:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/06/26/fake-news-real-news/

Considering the second factor (who published it), here is a scale to consider when evaluating the veracity of your sources:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/08/13/library-spot-fake-news/
(can you find your favorite magazine/newspaper on the graphic?)

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2016/12/14/fake-news-2/

(can you find your favorite news organization on the graphic?)

Factcheckers/Factchecking Organizations:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/03/28/fake-news-resources/

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2016/12/14/fake-news-2/

  1. Peer-reviewed literature

Similarly to the assessment of popular information sources, academia requires vigorous vetting if the sources you will be using for your academic work. In the 21st century, your ability to find information in peer-reviewed journals might not be sufficient to assure accurate and reliable use of information from those resources for your research and writing. After your selection of peer-reviewed literature, you must be able to evaluate and determine the veracity and reliability of those sources.
How do you evaluate a source of information to determine if it is appropriate for academic/scholarly use. There is no set “checklist” to complete but below are some criteria to consider when you are evaluating a source.

Here is a short (4 min) video introducing you to the well-known basics for evaluation of academic literature:
https://youtu.be/qUd_gf2ypk4

  1. ACCURACY
    1. Does the author cite reliable sources?
    2. How does the information compare with that in other works on the topic?
    3. Can you determine if the information has gone through peer-review?
    4. Are there factual, spelling, typographical, or grammatical errors?
  2. AUDIENCE
    1. Who do you think the authors are trying to reach?
    2. Is the language, vocabulary, style and tone appropriate for intended audience?
    3. What are the audience demographics? (age, educational level, etc.)
    4. Are the authors targeting a particular group or segment of society?
  3. AUTHORITY
    1. Who wrote the information found in the article or on the site?
    2. What are the author’s credentials/qualifications for this particular topic?
    3. Is the author affiliated with a particular organization or institution?
    4. What does that affiliation suggest about the author?
  4. CURRENCY
    1. Is the content current?
    2. Does the date of the information directly affect the accuracy or usefulness of the information?
  5. OBJECTIVITY/BIAS
    1. What is the author’s or website’s point of view?
    2. Is the point of view subtle or explicit?
    3. Is the information presented as fact or opinion?
    4. If opinion, is the opinion supported by credible data or informed argument?
    5. Is the information one-sided?
    6. Are alternate views represented?
    7. Does the point of view affect how you view the information?
  6. PURPOSE
    1. What is the author’s purpose or objective, to explain, provide new information or news, entertain, persuade or sell?
    2. Does the purpose affect how you view the information presented?

In 2021, however, all suggestions above may not be sufficient to distinguish a reliable source of information, even if the article made it through the peer-reviewed process. In time, you should learn to evaluate the research methods of the authors and decide if they are reliable. Same applies for the research findings and conclusions.

Assignment: seeking reliable information

From your syllabus weekly themes: 1. Food; 2. Health; 3. Energy; 4. Environment; 5. Security, chose a topic of your interest.
For example: Food: raising cattle for food contributes to climate changes, because of the methane gas, or Health: COVID is the same (or not the same) as the flu; or Energy: Fossil energy is bad (or good) for the environment; etc.
Please consult with me (email me for a zoom appointment: pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu), if you need to discuss the choice and narrowing down of the topic.
Once you decide on the topic, do the research by collecting four sources of information:

The first couple of sources will be from popular media, whereas each of the two articles will be having an opposite approach, arguments and understanding of the issue. For example, one article will claim fossil energy is bad for the environment and the other one will argue fossil fuel has insignificant impact on climate change. You must be able to evaluate the veracity and the leaning of each source. The source can be a newspaper or magazine article, video (TV or Social Media), audio (podcasts, TV, etc.), presentations (PowerPoint, SlideShare, etc.).
Having troubles finding opposing resources? Feel welcome to search for your topic among these news outlets on the conservative side:
https://www.conservapedia.com/Top_Conservative_news_websites
and the https://aelieve.com/rankings/websites/category/news-media/top-liberal-websites/
In the same fashion, you will evaluate the second couple of sources from peer-reviewed journals. Each source will have different approach, argument and understanding of the issue and you must evaluate the robustness of the research method.

time to accomplish the assignment: ~30 min

Module 2 (video to introduce students to the readings and expected tasks)

  1. Digital Citizenship, Global Citizenship and Multiculturalism
    1. Definitions
    2. Global Citizenship
      seek global sources:

start reading:
e.g. start following and reading several news outlets from other countries and with time, you should be able to detect differences in opinions and facts presented at those outlets and your current sources for information:
Spiegel International (German, left-leaning)
https://www.facebook.com/spiegelinternational
Le Monde Diplomatique
https://www.facebook.com/mondediplo
El Pais (Spanish, left leaning)
https://www.facebook.com/elpaisinenglish

Moscow Times (Russian, left leaning)
https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes
The Epoch Times (Chinese, far-right)
https://www.theepochtimes.com/

Start watching (smart phone, laptop) news feeds, live or vlog (video blog):

Africa News
https://youtu.be/NQjabLGdP5g
Nigeria Live (you can seek any other country on YouTube by typing the name of the country adding “live”)
https://youtu.be/ATJc9LyPZj8
Al Jazeera in English
https://youtu.be/GXfsI-zZO7s

Deutsche Welle
https://www.youtube.com/user/deutschewelleenglish

BBC
https://www.youtube.com/user/bbcnews

Russia Today
https://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday

China Today
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBOqkAGTtzZVmKvY4SwdZ2g
India News
https://www.youtube.com/user/IndiaTV
you can also follow specific people’s vlogs, e.g.
Alexei Navalny’s vlog has English subtitles
https://www.youtube.com/user/NavalnyRu

France 24 Live
https://youtu.be/HeTWwH1a0CQ

 

Start listening (smart phone, laptop):
BBC
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.bbc.android.iplayerradio&hl=en_US&gl=US (Android app)

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/bbc-sounds/id1380676511 (iOS app)

Deutsche Welle
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.exlivinapps.deutschewelleradioappde&hl=en_US&gl=US (Android app)

https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/deutsche-welle/id305630107 (iOS app)

 

Assignment:
Global Citizenship and Multiculturalism and Information and Media Literacy

Study the following tweet feed
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2021/02/18/facebook-google-australia/
If the information from the tweet feed is insufficient, research the issue by seeking reliable sources. (In a short paragraph defend your choice of reliable sources).
What do you see as more important issue: the Facebook stance that it can be a subject of Australian law or the Australian government stance that Facebook is interfering in Australian life with its news delivery? Is Facebook a news outlet or a platform for news outlets? Does Facebook need to be regulated? By who; each country do have to regulate Facebook or Facebook needs to be regulated globally?

time to accomplish the assignment: ~30 min

 

Module 3 (video to introduce students to the readings and expected tasks)

  1. Assistance for work on the final project / paper

 

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Here a list of additional materials and readings on Fake News
https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter

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