OLDaily

Watch the Rise and Fall of the British Empire in an Animated Time-Lapse Map
Josh Jones, Open Culture, 2018/05/30

These time-lapse maps are actually a sub-genre of YouTube history videos and I've been watching a lot of them recently. They cover everything from the fall of Bronze Age civilizations in the 1100s BCE to the Syrian War. As the article notes, " As the bombastic music that sometimes accompanies these videos suggests, one primary effect is the production of maximally sweeping historical drama through mapping, which captures the imagination in ways dry prosaic descriptions often can't." Ah, but who doesn't love bombastic music? The one referenced here in Open Culture maps the rise and fall of the British Empire from 519 to the present day. Search for channels like Ollie Bye, Emperor Tigerstar, Kings and Generals, Khey Pard and Cottereau and you'll find hundreds of them (like I said, I've been watching a lot of them recently).

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Towards a design philosophy for interoperable blockchain systems
Adrian Colyer, The Morning Paper, 2018/05/30

It's hard to dispute this proposition: "We believe the issue of survivability to be as important as that of privacy and security. As such, we believe that interoperability across blockchain systems will be a core requirement." There are numerous reasons why dependence on one single blockchain system might be a bad idea. But if there are multiple blockchains, they need to be able to interoperate. There's a parallel to be drawn here between the creation of a computer network, which connects all computers, and an inter-network, which connects networks of computers. The article concludes with five ‘desirable features’ of interoperable blockchains: independently verification, binding signatures for gateways, multiple reliable ‘paths’ between blockchains, a global resolution mechanism for identifiers, and identifiable gateways.

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The Problem with "Learning Styles"
Cindi May, Scientific American, 2018/05/30

The difference between the study reported here and other studies on learning styles is that this one focuses on learning outside the classroom - in other words, self study. The result reported is that most students don't use the learning style they report preferring, and of those that do, there is no apparent benefit. Of course, it could just be that students aren't very good at reporting their own learning style. Or it might be that the students are just unskilled at learning generally; "many students are adopting strategies that simply do not support comprehension and retention of information." And, of course, depicting 'learning' simply as "knowledge acquisition" is itself a very narrow perspective.

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The American Dream is Dead
Georges Abi-Heila, The Startup, 2018/05/30

Students have been encouraged to invest in education on the ground that it promises, ultimately, a better life. There is a basis in reality for this belief, but it's limited. "No matter what your educational background is, where you start has become increasingly important for where you end." The point of this article is to remind people (especially the rich) of the role good fortune played in their success, and to encourage them not to think that they are especially gifted or important, and to be less selfish and sanctimonious. It's good advice, but unfortunately, the wealthy do not read the writings of the proles. Meanwhile, we as educators must consider the role we play in perpetuating this state of affairs.

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Can the universities of today lead learning for tomorrow?
Catherine Friday, Lucille Halloran, Ernst & Young Australia, 2018/05/30

The authors offer (36 page PDF) four scenarios for the university of the future: the champion university; the commercial university; the disruptor university; and the virtual university. The context is Australian but the trends are global. "Demand for learning is shifting to a fundamentally new paradigm," write the authors. "Once the first new entrant cracks the market, we believe a deluge could follow." The potential for disruption is mapped to a useful grid showing how universities create, deliver and capture value. The trend toward change is depicted in terms of drivers (the usual suspects) and perceptions. The four scenarios are derived by means of government role (hands on vs hands off) and learner preferences (bundled degrees vs unbundled courses). Via Contact North.

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The Theranos Story and Education Technology
John Warner, Inside Higher Ed, 2018/05/30

John Warner compares the promises made by AI and personalized learning vendors with tne owner of the blood testing 'vaporware' product Theranos. "Through a combination of secrecy, lies, flattery, and intimidation, she maintained a fiction about having developed a truly revolutionary piece of technology." There was no requirement that the product actually work; her customers were venture capitalists, who only need to be sold on the idea. Theranos was revealed only after the Hippocratic Oath forced insiders to come clean. "I’m thinking we should have a similar "first do no harm" threshold for introducing technology into the classroom," writes Warner. This is an idea that has been around for a while, and I think it's a good one.

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