Searching the Internet for evidence of time travelers
Robert J Nemiroff, Teresa Wilson, Cornel University Library, January 3, 2014

This is a nice example of netnography (see other link, below) which employs methods that would not exist without the internet, seeking behaviours that require the internet. A search problem and experimental methodology are set up, using three distinct research mechanisms. The results are as we would predict. Via Metafilter. 11 page PDF - direct link. Image from the Daily Mail, Stephen Hawking: How to Build a Time Machine.

[Link] [Comment]

You Own Your Learning
Dannis Callaham, learnstreaming.com, January 3, 2014

The restaurant metaphor used by Dennis Callahan reminds me of the graphic I made last month to illustrate the difference between formal learning, xMOOCs and cMOOCs. Callahan writes, "As an adult, who is accountable for your diet and the food choices you make? You are accountable. You select food based on your dietary goals (e.g., balanced diet, losing or gaining weight, vegetarian, etc). You decide these food choices and this is similar to your own learning. You make learning choices based on your learning goals (e.g., learn to code, learn to play guitar, build a learning network, etc)."

[Link] [Comment]

FaceBook As A Temporary Social Sandpit
Graham Wegner, openeducator, January 3, 2014

I've been reading Facebook more and more as many of my friends and family become connected. But I've become increasingly frustrated by the stream, which instead of sending me actual posts from them, has been increasingly sending useless posts from Huffington Post, Upworthy, Forbes, LifeHacker, and other publications I assume to be premium content partners. So how should I think of it? I like the idea of Facebook being a temporary social sandpit. With the emphasis on temporary. Graham Wegner writes, "by the time they (our students) enter the workforce, Facebook may be dead and buried, all of its inane data buried deep in the web where only the most dedicated needle-in-the-haystack hacker will be able to make sense of the posts, chats and likes of the Facebook era."

[Link] [Comment]

Dealing to Uncertainty and Chaos
Judith Pilnik, Datenglish, January 3, 2014

From this somewhat chaostic article, a nice quotation: "'The whole idea of rhizomatic learning is to acknowledge that learners come from different contexts, that they need different things, and that presuming you know what those things are is like believing in magic,' Dave (Cormier) writes."

[Link] [Comment]

The Field Behind the Screen: Using Netnography For Marketing Research in Online Communities
Robert V. Kozinets, Journal of Marketing Research, January 3, 2014

So here's an interesting question I got in my email: is netnography a real thing? I have to confess that I don't know, as it's totally new to me. So what is netnography? Harrison Hayes writes, "In Netnography, online observations and interactions are valued as a cultural reflection that yields deep human understanding. Like in Ethnography, Netnography is naturalistic, immersive, descriptive, intuitive, adaptable, and focused on context." Robert Kozinets makes clear its relation to consumer research. and cites people like Sherry Turkle. There are two key aspects to netnography: first, the use of the internet to facilitate ethnographic research, and second, the student of net-specific cultures, such as online games and communities. Kozinet's The Field Behind the Screen describes the foundation of netnographics. Se also his more recent article in MIT Technology Review. For more, Academia lists three dozen papers on the subject. So yes, I would say not only that it's real, but that it's worth following.

[Link] [Comment]

Udacity 2013 Yearbook
Brenna Van Norman, Udacity Blog, January 2, 2014

After its late-year 'pivot' and Sebastian Thrun's "we make lousy software" remark, this is actually printed in the Udacity blog: "2013 was a great year with a lot of new milestones." So how is the pivot going? "Starting in January 2014, we are proud to offer a full course experience to help you succeed! We offer ongoing feedback on your projects, guidance from coaches, and a verified certificate to help you advance your career in tech." Next they'll bring back fopotball and cheerleading.

[Link] [Comment]

Rethinking School Privatization in Sweden
snickerdoodle, Metafilter, January 2, 2014

Metafilter thread, introduced as follows: "20 years ago, Sweden passed a series of reforms that encouraged privatization of its schools. In addition to making it easier to create new schools, the new laws made it legal for private, profit-seeking companies to open schools. For over a decade, these reforms were hailed as a market-driven success story, as market share private schools grew. Earlier this year, the bankruptcy of Sweden's largest private school operator and questions about school quality has some in Sweden rethinking its privatization experiment." Best comment is near the end of the thread: "Privatisation is the socio-economic equivalent of kidnapping someone, cutting out all their major organs and selling them for transplantation into aging millionaires."

[Link] [Comment]