Do Digital Learners Have an Identity Crisis?

Identity: “sameness of essential or generic character in different instances”. Merriam Webster Dictionary

In a recent post I reviewed Routledge’s book “Learning Identities in a Digital Age”. The book is rich with thought-provoking insights into education, technology and its impact on learner identity. In chapter four, Making Up Digital Learning Identities authors suggest that today’s learners are suffering from an identify crisis; that globalization and digital interactions are fragmenting, deconstructing and dismantling stable concepts of identity and meaning (p 61). In this post I explore the authors viewpoint on learners’ identity crisis and conclude with my own thoughts.

Exploring past perspectives on this topic is perspicacious; authors examine the history of identify crisis by referencing a collection of essays by psychologist Erik H. Erikson, Identity: Youth and Crisis. Erikson defined identity as a “personal sense of invigorating sameness and historical continuity”.  According to Erikson, youths’ identify was of a serious concern due to significant changes within society—wars, political revolutions and moral rebellions. These events, according to Erikson, shook the traditional foundations of all human identify (1968, p 25).  Erikson wrote this statement in 1968, imagine what he would have to say about youth identity in todays’ digital culture.

And today students do indeed have multiple and complex identities, some are self-created while others are institutionally driven and even algorithmically determined. These multidimensional personas are most challenging to untangle. Authors propose several questions within the chapter including, ‘who is in control’? And ‘what are the implications when a learner loses, or has no control over his or her identity‘?  And my question—does the learner really have an identity crisis, where they are fragmented and unable to make solid contributions, or are they able to reconcile their various ‘faces’ seamlessly?

The books’ chapter explores the questions by presenting various perspectives of learner identities. A selection below:

1. Prospective Identity
Sociologist Basil Bernstein proposed the idea of prospective pedagogic identities. He suggested that a learner’s identity is formed as a process that reflects the current state of educational reforms. Bernstein suggests that identities are ‘made up’, not a real reflection of learners but projected as the consequence of the schools’ pedagogy that reflects societal values at a given point in time (p 57).

Another viewpoint, one that the authors ascribe to, suggests that identities are not influenced by the state as Bernstein implies, but are “being formed through the participation and intervention of myriad of organizations and actors from across the public and private sectors, not least from those involved in the technology industries” (p 58).

2. Portfolio Identity
Most educators are likely familiar with the idea of a portfolio, where a selection of a student’s work are collected to demonstrate a set of competencies or skills, and used as a method of assessment. The portfolio then becomes an ‘identity’, a snapshot of a student displayed through prescribed selections of work samples or projects.  This idea of a portfolio identity extends further, has deeper implications—for those students that undertake a do-it-yourself portfolio or even portfolios to present an image of a person with a certain set of skills that can fit into a given situation.

3. ‘Shape-Shifter’ Identity
Another term for this concept is ‘shape shifter’, coined by James Gee in his book  Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional Schooling. According to Gee these individuals see themselves as free agents in charge of their own selves as if those selves were projects or businesses. Shape-shifters rearrange their skills, experiences and achievements creatively, shape-shift into different identities to adapt to certain circumstances, i.e. for a company position or member within a group.

We see this concept reinforced through platforms that offer flexible portfolio building. Several new platforms introduce the idea of a do-it-yourself transcript that includes a place to feature a collection of learning experiences such as degreed.com.

4. Learner’s Digital Identify
Another identify is one that is established by educational institutions and is not controlled by the student directly. This digital identify, though not explored in-depth in the book, is significant.  Students have a digital identify, or ‘learner profile’ associated with him or her, as determined by an institutions’ learning management platform [LMS]. The system records each time a students logs on to the LMS and for how long, links clicked, web pages viewed, time taken on a test etc. The term for this tracking is ‘learning analytics‘.  Institutions [and companies] that create identities based upon a student’s online behaviours have an ethical responsibility to communicate how data is used, more so when learners are unaware of that an identity is constructed on their behalf.

Conclusion
So, do learners have an identity crisis? Are multiple identities affecting learners, making them inconsistent and unable to learn effectively? On a broader scope, how does managing multiple identities impact their ability to cope and function within society?

From my viewpoint, youths don’t see themselves in crisis mode. It appears that young learners are able to seamlessly and fluidly manage numerous identities across multiple platforms. A recent study even suggests the younger generation are unconcerned about the collection of personal data. Furthermore, students are shaped by the agendas, programs and forces within our institutions, businesses and organizations and have no choice but to adapt accordingly. However there are ramifications of the movement towards multiple learning identities, just one example is the project-based approach to work versus a long-term commitment to a job or career, which is consistent with the ‘shape-shifter’ identity.  Much to consider. What the chapter of this book does very well, rather than provide answers, it promotes deep thought about what our roles as educators are in the shaping and supporting learners —who they are and where they are going.

Resources:

• Dream or Nightmare? The Ethics of Learning Analytics (2012), Online Learning Insights
• About Erik H. Erikson, erikson.edu
• Pedagogy, Symbolic Control, and Identity, (2000), Basil Bernstein
• Learner Interaction Monitoring Systems (LiMS), Capturing the Behaviours of Online Learners and Evaluating Online Training Courses, (nd), Sorenson & Macfadyen

“Learning Identifies in a Digital Age: Rethinking Creativity, Education and Technology” Book Review

How do we think about and make sense of education, technology and creativity? “Learning Identities in a Digital Age,”  Avril Loveless & Ben Williamson

The book “Learning Identifies in a Digital Age: Rethinking Creativity, Education and Technology” is thought provoking and rich with concepts and research about the relationship between education and technology, and its influence on learner identity. Released in February 2013 as part of Routledge publishing’s ‘changing times in education series’, I’ve  been challenged by this book. It brings forth the issues that I don’t always consider, but should when reading and writing about the technological applications and platforms that education institutions are embracing and promoting, i.e. MOOCs, machine grading, social media in education etc.  I am not opposed to progress and innovation by any means, but I am concerned about the long-term implications for learners, and high school and higher education in general. I’ve found this book helpful for guiding my thinking about these issues; it focuses on one important aspect, learning identities. It examines how learners see themselves, and how they are influenced and shaped by factors not within their control.

The authors take a ‘backward gaze’ perspective, where they approach the subject matter “as a historian from the future might, looking back at our present time and seeing vast numbers of unresolved issues, differences of interpretations and general confusions….” (Loveless & Williamson, 2013).  The authors’ approach rests on the idea described by Nigel Thrift in his book Knowing Capitalism (2005). Thrift suggests this method prevents what he calls ‘historical atrophy’, where past events often are packaged up in order to move on and embrace modernity (Thrift, 2005, p 3). This sounds familiar. Though I do find that the book emphasizes more of the ‘now’, and promotes thinking about how policy decisions of governments and curriculum choices made by education institutions impact our students. Rather than provide answers, Loveless and Willamson aim to stimulate deep thought by treating education, technology and creativity as objects of thought, which I believe they do quite successfully.

Digital Identity vs. Learning Identity
I’m familiar with the term digital identity, yet learning identity, I discovered is more complex. Digital identify can be described as one’s persona that is displayed and shared online through social media sites and other platforms. Learner identity in the context of youth and young adult learners encompasses their online persona and another dimension—identity that is created through academic learning and pedagogy. For the most part, these latter factors are not within the learners control but are shaped by programs and methods driven by policy, an institutions curriculum, educators and even society’s use of, and attitudes towards technology.  For readers interested in learning more about digital identity for students, I’ve included links to resources at the end of the post from Catherine Cronin, an educator with considerable experience in teaching digital citizenship.

Big Picture Overview
An interesting fact about the authors, is that they are two decades apart in age, which according the preface, promoted differing viewpoints that led to different types of questions and arguments within the book.

The scope of the book is guided by these three questions:

1. How is the future of education being through and re-thought in relation to new technology and media?
2. What kind of learning identities are presupposed and promoted by the merger of new technologies and media with education?
3. How are those learning identities to be organized in emerging models of learning, curriculum and pedagogy?

Content is divided into two sections, Part I, Reconfiguring education and technology, and Part II, Thinking, curriculum and pedagogy. You can review the specifics of each of the eight chapters by visiting Routledge’s website here.

Conclusion
I highly recommend this book for educators that work within K-12 and higher education settings, and I’ll go so far as to suggest it is a must-read for individuals in either of those groups that teach or support online education in any capacity. Decision makers in education public and/or institutional policy would also benefit from the book’s topics and arguments—it could provide a basis for promoting constructive dialogue among stakeholders about learner identities. The book is dense with ideas, addressing through the topic of learner identity how technology is interwoven with education and its effect on education and students.  I do hope that this book makes its way into the hands of educators and decision makers sooner rather than later.

Resources on Digital Citizenship:

• Enacting Digital Identity, (2012), Catherine Cronin
• Catherine Cronins’ Slideshares
• Digital Citizenship, ISTE Wikispaces
• Digital Identities: Who are you when you are online? (2013), Danya Braunstein, Huff Post

‘Hacking your Education’: Key Takeaways for Higher Ed

“For those who have absolutely no idea of their interests, a four-year institution is a waste of money and time.” Dale J. Stephens, “Hacking your Education: Ditch the Lectures, Save Tens of Thousands, and Learn More Than Your Peers Ever Will”

Dale J. Stephens. From the cover of his book “Hacking your Education”

This quote is from a twenty-one year old college dropout. He not only is the author of the book Hacking Your Education, but is founder of the website and movement, UnCollege. Stephens insists he is not advocating that young people don’t go to college, but is suggesting students only go to college if they know what they want to study and why. Seems reasonable enough. Yet Stephens argument and advice for hacking your education lacks credibility. Yes he is a college dropout and hacked his education, but he is also a Thiel Fellow, a recipient of a $100,000 award through a program for college dropouts. The $100,000 award allowed Stephens to explore what he wanted to do, hack is education as part of a two-year program to “skip college and focus on their work, their research, and their self-education” [thielfellowship.org]. Though after reading more on the Thiel website, it appears that entrepreneurship is the focus.  And Stephens did take the entrepreneurship route by founding UnCollege and writing his book.

The Message in Hacking Your Education
However, there is message within the book and website that is worth examining, both for higher education institutions and parents. The main message when delving further and reading between the lines, is how differently these kids think—how education [even employment] methods, norms and traditions don’t align with their values and desires. I’ll expand further in this post, but before I do, first a brief background on the Thiel award.

Thiel Fellows: Awards $100,000 to College Dropouts
The Thiel Fellowship is controversial, both with educators and employers. It is funded and founded by Peter Thiel, a wealthy venture capitalist and critic of the higher education system. He started the ‘Thiel Fellows,” program in 2011. The program awards twenty individuals under the age of twenty— $100,000. It’s a highly competitive application process. Though given the vast sum of money at stake it’s not surprising.

“Thiel Fellows are given a no-strings-attached grant of $100,000 to skip college and focus on their work, their research, and their self-education. Our network of visionary thinkers, investors, scientists, and entrepreneurs, who provide guidance and business connections that can’t be replicated in any classroom, mentors them. Rather than just studying, you’re doing.” [thielfellowhip.com]

Mr. Stephens is from the Thiel class of 2011. Ironically, Stephens business model for UnCollege is loosely based on the Thiel model. Except in Stephens model students are customers, they pay for the UnCollege experience.  UnCollege experiences come in two versions, the Gap Year Program, and a weekend conference, Hack Camp. The price is dear, $750 tuition for the three-day camp, and $13,000 for the Gap Year Program.

UnCollege.com

UnCollege: Hacking your Education
I can see how UnCollege is appealing to teenagers, especially young men that seem to be less motivated than young women to apply to and complete college as the statistics show.  It is especially appealing to those that don’t have the inclination or desire to go to college, but want to do something, but don’t know what that something is [though really,  isn’t this common to most teenagers, especially high school seniors?].

What the UnCollege website does provide for teenagers is reassurance. The site subtly states that it is normal and okay to not know what to do, and to question the notion that college education is the only alternative after high school or the only path to success. It also promotes self-directed learning, and encourages students to take charge of their lives and create their own paths. This latter part about taking responsibility for one’s own learning is excellent advice – and more so that it comes from a peer.

Stephens Message to Students
There are also some worthy points in the book for young adults. Though the advice has are more to do with lifestyle choices and finding personal interests rather than education choices. Stephens encourages readers to be productive, i.e. getting up early every morning, and to be learning everyday with a direction and a plan. Each chapter ends with a “HACK Of THE DAY’ that includes practical tips and advice. The ‘hack’ ideas are helpful, but I do wonder how many young people have the motivation and drive to follow what Stephens suggests.

Why UnCollege Misses the Mark
However, the UnCollege website itself lacks breadth. There are few viable options presented other than entrepreneurship that students could consider if unsure about college. The site does provide a few free resources and idea for students seeking guidance, but overall it is heavily slanted to entrepreneurship and little else. In fairness, it really is a platform for selling its programs, book and Stephens’ services as a speaker. It is a business, despite its .org suffix in its web address that may lead some to believe it is a not-for-profit organization.

The site would be far more valuable to students if it included a variety of resources with information on alternative paths and options to traditional higher education. Imagine how this site could truly benefit teenagers that are confused about college, unsure of what to do, but want to make a difference. With multiple options to consider, perhaps it could put kids on the right path to higher education by suggesting alternatives to the traditional path. Or the site could provide options where young people can be productive in communities while figuring out what they really want to do. I’ve listed a couple of ideas below [though there are many more out there]:

• Volunteer programs that are study abroad lasting for one year. Some examples: from the UK: VSO Program for 18 – 25 year-old individuals,  Peace Corps, or the Go Overseas Program, which has its own Gap Year Program
• Alternative Degree Programs: University Now [US], or The Open University [UK]
• Education Platforms that offer courses earning certificates with direct links to employers, i.e. Udacity
  

Closing Thoughts for Educators
What can be gleaned from the book and site is that a large group of students find the thought of studying in traditional settings unappealing. They want to do something but are unsure of what. Some have a vague idea but don’t know where to start. Students [the 20 and under crowd] don’t value traditional education the way that we do. Perhaps presenting options for students that deviate from traditional study is the answer, project-based learning for example, where students begin the program in their first year of college. We need to share and promote alternatives to traditional higher education that provide productive real-life learning experiences. Getting students involved in volunteer programs to learn new skills and experience other cultures is a worthy endeavor. I am not discounting traditional education and study by any means, there are students that will take this route, but there are thousands that don’t want to, or would benefit from life experience first. Perhaps colleges can develop an UnCollege program of its own. Does this seem far-fetched? Maybe, but it is worth thinking about.

Further Reading:

• College is a waste of time, Dale J. Stephens, (2011) CNN
• Peter Thiel, Megan Mcardle, (2011), The Atlantic
• Hacking your Education, Dale J. Stephens, Amazon

Groups, Clay Shirky and Online Education

This post explores the significance of student groups in online learning courses—the value and influence on institutions in light of the principles outlined in Shirky’s book “Here Comes Everybody”.

Image: penguingroup.com

I just finished reading Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody, The Power of Organizing Without the Organization. You may wonder how valuable such a read would be given the book was written in 2008, yet reading the book with five years of Internet advancements under our belt, was strangely thought-provoking.  More so when considering the influence and power that groups can, and have wielded in the realm of online education, specifically in courses attracting massive numbers. Here I’ll share the potential that groups hold for learning within online courses, the three principles needed for successful groups, and how student groups are subtly influencing the paradigm shift in education.

Clay Shirky: Author
Shirky is a professor, journalist, author; he studies and writes about the effects of the Internet on society from a cultural and economic viewpoint. Several recent articles written by Shirky have caused some educators to bristle. In a blog post from 2012, Napster, Udacity, and the Academy Shirky compares higher education to the music industry, suggesting that the MOOC model, or some version of it, will replace higher education as we know it. Yet my focus here is not on Shirkys’ views on education, but his insights on group formation which is particularly relevant in light of learning online in massive courses.

Three Principles of Effective Groups
Shirky discusses how society is transforming, with citizens newfound ability to form en masse with the advent of the Internet and the low barriers to group formation. Now, in 2013 there are even fewer barriers to group formation than at the time of Clay’s writing. Now groups can come together with a choice of platforms. Though all groups develop for different reasons, there are elements common to effective groups which Shirky outlines in his book (p 261):

1. The Promise is what brings the group together, around a topic of interest with a basic desire to participate. Implied in the promise is that each member will participate and contribute.
2. The Tool is the platform that will help people approach the problem/topic together. Usually a leader [organizer] emerges within a group, or soon-to-be group and chooses the platform for group communication and collaboration i.e. Facebook, Google + Community, etc. He or she will invite members, and/or approve members joining, etc.
3. The Bargain is the guidelines or rules for participating. Group norms are established, i.e. what is acceptable for communication and not, contributions, etc. The organizer essentially established the tone, which influences the culture of the group. I have seen examples of this in virtually every large online group I have participated in; the organizer dictates through actions and tone, which influences the effectiveness of group collaboration and even participation.

Groups that Collaborate
To collaborate effectively groups need the three components as mentioned. Shirky uses Wikipedia as an example of a large group that demonstrates the three principles. With its tightly knit core group and a commitment to a promise, to create a database of free content maintained by a massive community of contributors, Wikipedia has control built-in by its group norms [the bargain]. An example of the bargain in action, is when one or more of the community of contributors overrides an article written by someone that tries to sabotage its integrity. Enough members care about Wikipedia, which is why it continues to thrive (p 140).

Groups, Learning and MOOCs
Here is where things get interesting. In small, online closed courses, group collaboration is under the control of the instructor—groups actions are structured, guided, even graded as part of a student’s final grade. Group work in this instance can be effective, as instructors can teach students how to participate and collaborate effectively.

But in MOOCs learning through group interactions is not within the instructors control, yet there is even greater potential for rich learning to happen with its large, diverse body of learners. Though MOOC organizers can guide participants and be catalysts for group formation by suggesting participants share, connect and collaborate outside of the MOOC platform. [It's also helpful that instructors suggest tools to facilitate group work. Though this may seem obvious, the instructor cannot assume that everyone is familiar social tools as a vehicle for learning]. Still, learning within a group in this context is dependent upon the self-direction and motivation of its members.

The Power and Influence of Groups on the Institution
Yet for institutions that offer massive courses, there is a risk. When working with massive numbers of students, not only is group collaboration and learning not guaranteed, there is potential for groups to influence actions and decisions of instructors and institutions in ways that may not be expected, or even desired. Groups have the potential to sabotage the learning of others and the course over which the instructor has little control. Already we have seen the influence of groups within Coursera courses. For example with the Microeconomics course where groups of students were challenging the professor which prompted the professor to quit the course before it was over. Or the Fantasy-SciFi that was sabotaged by a group of students participating in the discussion forums that were working under anonymous profiles causing numerous to be vocal about their negative experience. And the Foundations of Online Education with the thousands of student complaints about the  structure and technology glitches, forced it to shut down.

Conclusion
We are just beginning to see the power of groups in online learning courses with massive numbers of students. There is great potential yet to be realized, for the development of new knowledge and problem solving with the collaborative efforts of students worldwide. The power of groups cannot by ignored, the influence they have is great, and the institutions that embrace it and acknowledge that they are no longer in control, will be better prepared to create conditions to harness its potential.

Resources

• A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy, (2003), Clay Shirky
• Clay Shirky: Institutions vs. collaboration, (2005), Ted Talk
• Here Comes Everybody, Summary from Wikipedia

Can We Transform Education with Sal Khan’s One World Schoolhouse?

“As our world grows smaller and the people in it more inextricably connected, the world itself comes to resemble one vast, inclusive schoolhouse“  Sal Khan.

I am a big fan of Khan Academy. I turned my youngest two teenagers onto Khan’s videos when they were struggling with their Calculus homework, which they shared with their friends, then their classmates and finally their teachers. That is when I knew Khan Academy was going to be big—when an online platform that I thought was useful and ‘cool’, was good enough to be endorsed by my kids.

Which is why I read the book The One World School House: Education Reimagined written by the founder himself, Sal Khan. Khan shares how Khan Academy came to be by tutoring his niece, and how he eventually quit his job as hedge fund analyst to launch Khan Academy and filmed hundreds of videos in his closet. What comes through the pages is the passion Khan has for education, his drive to transform, and provide “a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere” (Khan, p 4).  In this post I’ll provide a brief overview of the book, but I focus on Khan’s vision for classrooms of the future, for an education system that is almost a utopian one, featuring the ‘ideal’ where students learn and grow at their own pace, at no cost, anywhere in the world.

I’ll outline Khan’s vision for K-12 and higher education, which is based on the Khan Academy philosophy, and I’ll examine why it is a worthwhile to consider his vision, even if unrealistic. A utopian view, which assumes that digital technology [in this case the Internet], can provide a near perfect, or ideal education scenario for K-12 and college students, happens to be this week’s topic in, e-Learning and Digital Cultures, at Coursera’s #edcmooc. In the course we are examining technology and its impact on cultures, societies and communities, and specifically what education looks like from a utopian (creating highly desirable social, educational, or cultural effects) and dystopian (creating extremely negative effects for society, education or culture) viewpoint. Khan does present a utopian vision which has come under criticism, (Coulson, 2012), (Wan, 2012), and though I agree that Khan’s strategy is far-fetched, there is value in considering what ‘perfect’ conditions look like in a classroom.

Snapshot of the One World Schoolhouse
Before I analyze Khan’s vision of the one world schoolhouse, I’ll review Khan’s journey to the Academy. What Sal Khan is promoting is more than a library of videos, which at this point holds 3,900 lessons on subjects of math, science, economics, computer science and the humanities; Sal is promoting a pedagogy where  the learner is self-directed, in the center of the learning paradigm, and teachers, act as mentors and guides rather than directors of learning (p 242).  Sal also believes that students can be inherently motivated when the conditions of learning are right, where they can work at their own pace, experience success and are not grouped by ability or age.

Classrooms of the Future: Utopia?
One cannot help but get caught up in the enthusiasm of Khan’s vision of education. Students of all ages combined in class, spending only one or two hours on lessons, and spending the rest of the school day with hands-on learning and projects. Standardized tests would be few, and transcripts a thing of the past.

In Khan’s vision of a K-12 classroom, learning is active. Students progress at their own pace, only moving ahead when they have mastered the concepts. In this model, older students assume more responsibility, mentor and help younger students. This idea has considerable merits, as teaching others a concept helps to reinforce one’s own learning. It removes the focus from self to others, in this case older to younger students, which can foster leadership and confidence.

The classes are large, with 100 students, yet there are five teachers that mentor and support, guide and provide feedback to small groups of students. Other characteristics of Khan’s classroom:

• No transcripts, or letter grades but instead “two things: a running, multi-year narrative not only of what a student has learned by how she learned it, and a portfolio of a student’s work” (p 137).
• At any given time in the school day: 1/5 of students doing computer-based lessons, 1/5 of students playing games that reinforce concepts, 1/5 students building robots, or constructing structures with Lego, (making something), 1/5 art or creative writing, and 1/5 on music.

Vision for Higher Education
Khan’s vision of higher education is grounded not in grades and transcripts, but in work experience, hands-on experience with lengthy internships of five or six months where students work in meaningful positions where skills are learned and applied alongside experts in the field. These are not summer, make-work projects, but paid positions. Between internships, students don’t attend lectures but study, learn, and collaborate, yet take rigorous assessments to show that they can go deep in certain academic areas (p 152).

“End”, by mrjoro, on Flickr.

Utopia and Dystopia Explored in Education
Are these utopian vision of education? Impossible ideals, where technology is not the focus, but the vehicle for bringing education to everyone, yet still with face-to-face interaction? I refer to utopia here in the context of perfect K-12 and higher education systems, in contrast to dystopia, which some would say is where education systems in the US are heading. Clay Shirky, a writer and journalist who writes frequently about the effects of the Internet on society and culture, calls the current higher education system “broken, expensive, (he calls it a ‘cost disease’), elitist and ineffective in developing an intellectual community” (Shirky, 2012), which does lean towards a dystopian view. Dystopia, according to the definition provided Hand & Sandywell’s paper, is one that includes anti-democratic properties, is corrupt, and would be controlled for purposes other than providing a sound and comprehensive education for students (Hand & Sandywell, 2002). However, it is the concept of utopia that might be exactly what we need when aiming to transform education—what could it be? How can technology enhance education for all? What if there were no constraints, how would we create a new system with the technology we have?

Why we Need a Utopian View
Which is why I support the vision—the ideal, such as the one that Khan proposes, because we need creative solutions and thinkers to construct new models for education–visions that inspire and make us think differently. It is the bold thinkers; the ones with seemingly crazy ideas, that most say will never work, that do create change and provide solutions. I think of William Murdoch and his prototype for a locomotive steam engine in 1784, and the Wright brothers with their flying machines. These visionaries had utopian-like views of people moving around the country in matter of hours rather than weeks or months. Crazy ideas? At the time yes.

Closing Thoughts
While Khan’s views may be considered impossible, radical, or completely unrealistic, I believe we need these visionaries. Though realistically we know utopia is a fictitious concept we create, but it helps build a new and fresh perspective on problems that need solving. It is visionaries like Khan that can help get us there. I’ll leave you with two other visions, the first an advertisement on YouTube video, created by Corning, A Day Made of Glass. This is a must see for the ‘vision’ of education (5 minute video below).

The second is an open, online class called Designing a New Learning Environment, led last year by Stanford professor, Dr. Paul Kim is Chief Technology Officer and Assistant Dean for Stanford University School of Education, “The ultimate goal of this project-based course is to promote systematic design thinking that will cause a paradigm shift in the learning environments of today and tomorrow.”  Click here to go to the web page and view the completed [and inspiring] video projects created by participants.

View Corning’s video for a glimpse of the Future of Education

References:

• Hand, M. and B. Sandywell. 2002. E-topia as cosmopolis or citadel: On the democratizing and de-democratizing logics of the Internet, or, toward a critique of the new technological fetishism. Theory, Culture & Society 19, no. 1-2: 197-225. (p.205-6)
• Designing a New Learning Environment 2012, Open, Online Course, Stanford University, Dr. Kim
• Napster, Udacity, and the Academy, (2012),  Blog post: Clay Shirky

Four Really ‘Good Reads’ for Educators Over the Holidays

The holidays; time to recharge the batteries, enjoy, relax, and for some it’s a time to catch up on that list of books waiting to be read. I usually have an ambitious to-read list over the two-week break, this year is no exception. Several education related books are on the list that I discovered either through a book review in the Sunday paper or through a colleague’s recommendation.  I thought I’d share just in case there are readers out there looking for a good read this holiday season.

Below are the four books on my list.  Enjoy!

The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined by Salman Khan
Released in October, the reviews so far are very favorable. On Amazon 58 readers give it 5/5 and Good Reads 4.8/5. I’ve been following Khan Academy since its inception and am impressed by the drive and tenacity of its founder Salman Khan. The venture is not-for-profit, Khan quit his job and took 10 months to film the videos for the platform in his apartment.

A free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere: this is the goal of the Khan Academy, a passion project that grew from an ex-engineer and hedge funder’s online tutoring sessions with his niece, who was struggling with algebra, into a worldwide phenomenon. Today millions of students, parents, and teachers use the Khan Academy’s free videos and software, which have expanded to encompass nearly every conceivable subject; and Academy techniques are being employed with exciting results in a growing number of classrooms around the globe. (Amazon.com)

Opening Up Education: The Collective Advancement of Education Through Open Technology, Open Content, and Open Knowledge by Toru Iiyoshi, M.S. Vijay Kumar and John Seely Brown.

This book is a collection of essays by educators, technologists and researchers (including organizations and associations) involved in open education; it discusses the successes, challenges, and opportunities in the movement towards ‘open’. Looks like a helpful read for educators initiating, or involved in open programs in their own institutions.

In keeping with the theme of ‘open’, the book is available through the support of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, under a Creative Commons license at the MIT Press Web site, http://mitpress.mit.edu.

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle
The title is intriguing—does it not describe what happens when people hide behind their electronic devices? If you don’t have time to read the book, Turkle did an excellent TED talk on this topic, http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkl…

As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? Sherry Turkle studies how our devices and online personas are redefining human connection and communication — and asks us to think deeply about the new kinds of connection we want to have. (Amazon.com)

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough
I first heard of this book after reading a review in the New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/boo…
and what piqued my interest was the well-known and much cited study, the marshmallow experiment of psychologist Walter Mischel. The study found that children who mustered the self-control to resist eating a marshmallow right away in return for two marshmallows later on, did better in school and were more successful as adults. Hmm…. Given today’s current culture, it will no doubt be a thought-provoking read.

In his new book, “How Children Succeed,” Tough sets out to replace this assumption with what might be called the character hypothesis: the notion that noncognitive skills, like persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit and self-confidence, are more crucial than sheer brainpower to achieving success. (Amazon.com)

Any good reads you’d like to share?

You can view all my reviews at Good Reads here.

Is ‘Reality Broken’? How One Game Can Change Education For the Better

“Games lubricate the body and the mind.” Benjamin Franklin

If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, what kind of gamer would he be?  An author, inventor, scientist, civic activist, Franklin was also an avid player of chess and checkers as described in the Journal of Occurrences in my Voyage to Philadelphia (1726). Franklin believed that engaging in strategic games sharpened the mind, and provided insight into mans moral behaviour. Fast-forward to the 21^st century meet another avid lover of games, author, speaker and activist of sorts, who wants to change the world— Jane McGonigal, Ph.D and author of Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. Can games be used in higher education? Can they be part of a solution to fix what some consider ‘broken’?  McGonigal’s answer is yes. Though the book is not specific to higher education, it speaks philosophically and practically about the role that games play, and the potential they have as a vehicle to improve real lives and solve real problems.

Reality may indeed be broken, and if games can change the world as the title suggests, I considered this a worthwhile read. And worthy it was; I discovered a unique, collaborative game, Superstruct  that appears to have great potential to develop solutions to at least some of the educational challenges we face today. In this post I’ll review the book briefly, share examples of socially conscious games that aim to have a positive impact, and details of the game Superstruct mentioned already.

I’ll admit that I didn’t hold computer or video games in high regard before I read the book, which is why I did not consider games as a viable vehicle for instruction. In a K-12 setting maybe, but higher education? Certainly not. Narrow minded thinking on my part I admit. McGonigal’s admits there is a stigma associated with video games, but she did change how I view video games and gamers by explaining the why, before the how.

Why Games Make Us Happy
McGonigal outlines the physical and emotional responses players feel when they play computer and video games; the why, before she tells the reader how games can change the world.  Why do people play computer games for several hours each week or even each day? There is a neurochemical reaction triggered in when we play a well-designed computer game. This physical response gives the player focus, motivation and creates a sense of flow, which is described by McGonigal as intense engagement.

Book Highlights

• Hard and meaningful work is something that all humans want [and need], and our reality, our everyday lives of work and social interaction fall short.
• “That’s exactly what the game industry is doing today. It’s fulfilling our need for better hard work… “(McGonigal, p 29).
• Which is why, according to McGonigal gamers seek alternate realities in online games that provide numerous benefits that:
  • build collaborative and networking skills in players via online teams of gamers that compete with other teams around the globe.
  • enhance real life experiences by engaging family members and friends in everyday challenges. McGonigal has created numerous successful games that are changing the lives of thousands of individuals; one is the Super Better game [I wrote about his game in my running blog] another Chore Wars to help family members build relationships through household chores, or Lost Joules making a social game of saving energy and living ‘green’.  One worthy game,  an alternate reality game, world without oil, challenges players to survive and create alternative life skills in the face of a global oil crisis.

Superstruct for Higher Education
I was looking for a solution in the book specific to higher ed. McGonigal provided one example of a K-12 school using a game based environment, but no reference was made to higher education. Yet there is an answer within the book. It’s through a game called Superstruct that is designed to encourage individuals from different organizations and backgrounds to team up online to tackle a significant issue or threat to society.

Superstructuring isn’t about just making something bigger. It’s about working with an existing foundation and taking it in new directions, to reach beyond present limits. It means creating flexible connections to other structures, to mutually reinforce each other. Superstrucuting means growing in strategic and inventive ways so that you can create new and more powerful structures that would have been previously unimaginable. (McGonigal, p 318)

Superstruct created by the Institute for the Future, was implemented on a grand scale in 2008 and played as a massively multi-player forecasting game with more than 8000 citizen future-forecasters from September to November 2008. Players could pick any of the five Superthreats, and start investigating the future by visiting one of the five Superthreat hubs. What happened afterwards was collaboration extraordinaire, results included online discussions, blog posts, group work, wiki collaboration. You can read more about the projects at Superstructgame.org.

McGonigal outlines how to play Superstruct in chapter fourteen, and highlights a critical element, “The most important rule for inventing a superstructure was that it should be unlike any existing organization. It should be a fundamentally new combination of people, skills and scales of work.”

The Potential
Think of the potential of people coming together to address a significant and complex problem such as the future of higher education. Superstruct is not just a game in this context, but can be applied to a real problem, with real people, professionals, and individuals coming together from different sectors to come up with real solutions. It is  possible. I suggest the players could include, business people, high school educators, students of higher education, recent graduates, faculty from community colleges, public and private colleges and a representative of government and parents.

At the end of a specified period of collaboration, a small group of the ‘players’ would work together virtually, to synthesize the ideas generated and identify the viable and potential solutions. The next steps would need to be actionable, not simply a new policy or recommendation. The key to change is action. Though how these actionable steps would or could be carried out is beyond my expertise. Though could this work?  I believe so. The strength of this approach is the inclusion of diverse group of players, and the multitude of participants that could contribute.  What do you think?

Related Reads

• A Story on Active Learning, Archaeology, Museums & Outreach, (2012),  [A blog post describing a college class based on students developing their own 'game'].
• Games In Education: Realizing Opportunities and Overcoming Obstacles, (December, 2011), EDUCAUSE
• Student-Community Collaboration to Construct Mobile Learning Games, (2011), Paul Wallace, EDUCAUSE
• Introducing a Game-Based Curriculum in Higher Ed, (June, 2012),  K. Walsh
• Reality is Broken, Jame McGonigal
• 8 Research Findings Supporting the Benefits of Gamification in Education
  (December, 2012), K. Walsh