Friday, January 29, 2021

Can virtual profs get the job done?; Workforce advice for Biden; Teachers on TikTok

No. 254 | 01/29/21 | Subscribe to this newsletter

ISTE_vF2_EdSurge_NwsLttr_Header HigherEd

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Higher education is going through a big rethink. That's thanks to the pandemic, and also the national conversation about structural racism and how to dismantle it.

That's the premise of a project by Georgetown University's Learning, Design, and Technology master's program, which has been working for the past year to host online discussions and publish video interviews with key leaders in education technology and teaching about those themes. We were curious to hear what their takeaways are so far.

For one thing, the joint crises have made colleges much more focused on teaching and learning, said Bryan Alexander, an edtech futurist who is working on the Georgetown project. As he put it: "I don't think I've seen this much commitment in my lifetime to teaching at colleges." And he says there's a greater commitment to social justice and thinking about whether that teaching is getting to everyone. "I've never in my life seen so much interest in the digital divide," he added.

The group is hosting a Twitter chat today from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET asking instructional designers and educational technologists to share their stories of how they've responded to these times. Alexander expects plenty of discussion of if and how colleges should change after the pandemic subsides.

👂 EAR TO THE GROUND

WHEN VIRTUAL INSTRUCTORS LOOK BORED: Let's say students are learning from a series of animated videos where the instructor is a computer-rendered animation. Can these "virtual pedagogical agents" make an emotional connection with students that get them more engaged? That's the question of a research project that ran students through randomized tests where some saw videos of humans teaching and others saw animations (some of them delivering in monotone). Here's what they're finding.

✍️ COLUMNIST CORNER

MOBILIZING OPPORTUNITY: Fixing the racial equity crisis is a focus of the first 10 days of President Biden's administration. That effort must also address inequalities in economic opportunity, especially for communities of color, writes Jonathan Hasak, senior director at Year Up. A national effort to revamp employment practices and restore the prestige of community colleges could make a difference.

ℹ️ FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Scholars of higher education at four universities have teamed up to found the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges, an effort to study and increase awareness about what these institutions offer to students, faculty and communities. Its first report, published this week, assesses the ways in which more than 100 rural public colleges serve as economic and public health anchors for their regions. Featuring an interactive map, it also explores the effects the COVID-19 pandemic is having on these colleges.

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🎧 ON THE PODCAST

TEACHER TIKTOK IS A THING: Teachers are becoming stars these days on TikTok, that social media platform for sharing short videos. Some of them say the platform serves as a kind of virtual teaching lounge during COVID. But is it a good thing for the teaching profession that classroom instructors are part of a site known for dance crazes, jokes and other irreverent content? Two viral stars weigh in.

📈 STAT-O-MATIC

$2.4 million

The median amount colleges are set to receive from the federal government in the latest round of pandemic relief payments, according to The Business Journals. About $22.7 billion will be divided among approximately 3,500 higher ed institutions.

📣 SPOKEN WORD

"During this time of fear and turmoil, I have learned that family and friends are of prime importance in life. Whatever is next on the list comes in a distant third. Likewise, professionally, most of the things I valued so much a year ago—my career, my professional accomplishments, my reputation—have taken a back seat to something far more important: students, their well-being, and what they learn in my classes."—Rob Jenkins, an associate professor of English at Georgia State University's Perimeter College. (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

💼 BYTE-SIZED BRIEFS

Professors continue to clash with Chegg and other study-help sites as academic-conduct violations rise during online learning. (The College Post and Forbes)

Graduate programs in STEM fields have changed how they teach during the pandemic, and a new survey shows some of those changes are likely to stick around. (NORC research center at University of Chicago)

Redditor betting on GameStop used profits to pay off student loans. (Yahoo Finance)

📚 FROM THE ARCHIVES

HELP FOR HIRE: Companies that sell academic shortcuts to college students have gotten more aggressive. These "contract cheating" businesses often target people who may have genuine need for more support, either because they are juggling multiple responsibilities or aren't fully prepared for rigorous coursework. Here's how modern cheating deals go down.

Looking for a job in edtech? You've come to the right place. EdSurge has the leading edtech jobs board in the industry with openings from schools, nonprofits and companies.

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Faculty Administrator, Instructional Design | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL

The University of Central Florida's (UCF) Center for Distributed Learning (CDL) is searching for a Director of Instructional Design.

Learning Designer, Digital Education | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI

We are looking for a Learning Designer to bring to life course and program strategies, stories and ideas. You'll have a foundation in the science of learning and learning design.

Director of Information Systems | Calbright College | Remote

The Director of Information Systems leads the development of systems and solutions responsible for supporting student success and administrative operations at Calbright College.

Director of Graduate Recruitment | Northeastern University - Khoury College | San Jose, CA

The Director of Graduate Recruitment is an integral role in the growth of domestic enrollments in the Align program at Khoury College. Align enables students to earn a MS in Computer or Data Science w/o a background in computing or programming.

Facilitator | Synthesis School | Remote

We're looking for exceptional facilitators to join our team. Classroom experience is great, but not required. We are looking for smart, adaptive generalists who are passionate about what we're doing. We're hiring for part-time at $100/hour.

Director, Learning Futures Initiatives | Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ

The Learning Futures Collaboratory at Arizona State University is seeking a Director of Learning Futures Initiatives.

Events

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Teaching Purposeful Minds Apr 17-18 | Online | More than $250

This virtual conference will explore the importance of purpose, connections (including love and belonging), and curiosity and exploration, and how they can help support learning, coping, and personal growth.

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