Future of Learning Top Reads for week of Oct 19 2020
“What the numbers say about higher ed,” by Fernanda Zamudio-Suaréz, in the The Chronicle of Higher Education Weekly Briefing
“Freshman enrollment nose-dived 16.1 percent nationwide. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center on Thursday released data showing a decline in undergraduate enrollment.”
Why does this matter to the future of learning?
At the end of August, we shared Brandon Busteed’s prediction that 40% of first year students might opt out of college this year. That’s way off 16%… but a 16% decline in enrollment is still a massive hit.
In sharing Busteed’s post, our intention was to highlight that some families would have many choices in a pandemic, a reality borne out by recent reporting that NYC metropolitan independent schools experienced a 56% decline in enrollment, while New England independent schools (just to name one other region) experienced an increase in enrollment.
As we have been telling clients, there is a lot of “free energy in the system” right now. What’s your plan to surf it?
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“Coursera Couple Returns to Higher Ed With $14.5M to Recreate In-Person Learning, Online,” by Tony Wan, on EdSurge News
“As its name suggests, Engageli aims to foster social interactions among students and instructors. One feature that Avida was keen to show off is the setup of an online class. Students are ‘seated’ in virtual tables, in groups of up to 10. They can see, hear and chat with one another, along with the teacher. But they cannot do so with students at other tables. Only when students raise their hand and are given permission to speak can they be heard by everyone else.
“The purpose of this, says Avida, is to ‘recreate the feeling of sitting at a table with other students’ and mimic, as much as possible, the sense of camaraderie and chatter that may naturally occur in a classroom setting. (But if there’s too much noise, a student can also mute others at the table.) […]
“From the instructor’s point of view, a color-coded circle overlaid on each student indicates how engaged he or she is, based on more than 70 points of data that the system is collecting in real time. Interactions tracked including whether someone is taking notes, participating in the chat, responding to questions, raising their hand to speak and taking screenshots, among others. Should professors choose, they can also see other granular details about the students’ overall academic performance and device and connectivity information.”
Why does this matter to the future of learning?
The good news? Someone is testing better engagement in synchronous online learning environments.
The bad news? The solution includes barely disguised surveillance.
Let’s hope that when Engagli comes out of beta it will not function like the panopticon.
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“Rich Parents Went All In on Lacrosse. And Squash. And Water Polo.” by Ruth Barrett, in The Atlantic
“Whereas the Hoop Dreamers of the Chicago projects pursued sports as a path out of poverty and hardship, the kids of Fairfield County aren’t gunning for the scholarship money. It’s more about status maintenance, by any means necessary.”
Why does this matter to the future of learning?
Compare “status maintenance” with “dominant group status threat,” an important part of Isabel Wilkerson’s analysis in Caste, and you can see why so many independent schools—even with the very best of intentions—struggle to have honest conversations about diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice.
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“Hackers Smell Blood as Schools Grapple With Virtual Instruction,” by David Uberti, in the Wall Street Journal
“ ‘We’re a little district,’ Mr. Pelzel said, adding that the district near Los Angeles doesn’t have a cybersecurity staff dedicated to countering attackers. ‘This is what these people do for a living.’”
Why does this matter to the future of learning?
Make sure your cybersecurity insurance policy is robust and that your IT team has built at least one backup system for immediate activation in the event that you’re hit with ransomware or another debilitating cyberattack (which increasingly seems like a question of when, not if).
In an age of hybrid or virtual learning, anything less is an abdication of your core mission.
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