OLDaily

Building Community
Madeline St. Amour, Inside Higher Ed, 2020/09/11

This is another one of those things sceptics said were impossible to produce online - until they were produced online out of necessity. "Many colleges have pivoted their student services to a virtual setting. At Northern Virginia Community College, students can enter a virtual lobby on Zoom that connects them with advisers, who then connect them with the services they need." In my experience, community college students are also often working or supporting a family, and don't have time for more traditional forms of college community, but a virtual alternative allows them to take part in their own time and place. But the college has to actually make it available for it to work.

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A Different Perspective on College
Mitch Weisburgh, PILOTed, 2020/09/11

This is a short post posing two perspectives on college against each other. One is what we may call the standard view where "college is the gateway to a good life and a good career; every person should have the opportunity to go to college." But, says Mitch Weisburgh, "This perspective looks down on anyone without a college degree: they couldn’t cut it, they weren’t smart enough, they settled for something less, they dropped out, etc." The alternative allows that "you don’t need four years of college to start being an adult." It's just one pathway, and the people who pursue it aren't better than anyone else. "The amount of education required is just dependent on the life and occupation paths you choose, and most do not require a 2-year or 4-year degree." I'm not really happy with either option. I think people have value independently of their education, and reject any framing that depicts one person as better than another. That said, education is typically of great value to people, and I think it should be accessible to all, depending on their need and interests.

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Introducing Facebook Campus
Charmaine Hung, Facebook, 2020/09/11

Facebook has just launched Facebook Campus, "a college-only space designed to help students connect with fellow classmates over shared interests." Long-timers will recognize in this the origins of Facebook itself, which started as a Harvard-only service called thefacebook. And like Facebook, the new product is launching in a set of selected U.S. colleges. Since it's unlikely Facebook is attempting to recreate itself, the product is most likely a nascent learning experience platform of some sort. Definitely watch this space. See also: The Verge, TechCrunch, Mashable, Social Media Today, AdWeek, Pymnts.

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