OLDaily

114 studies on flipped classrooms show small payoff for big effort
Jill Barshay, The Hechinger Report, 2020/12/15

As always with these sorts of studies, I ask what counts as 'success' (or in this case, 'payoff') in their evaluations. Often it's a very narrow parameter, such as 'increase in standardized test scores', which by its very nature relegates as irrelevant any gains not measured by standardized tests. In this article that parameter is described in terms such as "the relatively small boost to learning" and "the average benefit of learning in a flipped classroom was similar to getting a 586 on a standardized math test when the average score is 550" and quotes a study from Utrecht (and so not surprisingly draws from the direct-instruction crowd for values and sources). The article concludes, "Flipped classrooms show some promise but clearly need a lot of planning to work effectively."

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How to Replace the Sky in a Photo With Photoshop
Harry Guinness, How-To Geek, 2020/12/15

I'm not saying you should go out and replace the sky in all your photos. But this article is a good read if only to keep you informed on what can be done with AI in Photoshop, and also, some of the errors that people make when applying that AI (which makes the manipulations easier to spot).

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The New Laws of Robotics and what they might mean for AI
Aaron Davis, Read Write Collect, 2020/12/15

This short article provides me with a frame to highlight a few resources. The focus is this audio program from ABC in Australia with Frank Pasquale about his new book New Laws of Robotics. The 'new laws' aren't just an update on Asimov's original three laws, they are (to my view) an over-reaction to the threat from AI, maintain that robots must never replace humans, must never appear human, must  be prevented from intensifying “zero-sum arms races,” and must always identify their owner/operators. Call me a cynic, but I still prefer Asimov's rules. In that light, I think people making rules for AI would do well to revisit Dave Winer's 2017 Rules for Standards Makers (especially the remarks about practice and the idea that people "feel like they can make decisions that the world will then obey. You can hear it how people talk"). Related: AI for Social Good (76 page PDF) from Monash University and Mozilla's vision for trustworthy AI (69 page PDF released today).

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Early Lessons From The Real World Learning Initiative
Getting Smart, 2020/12/15

This is one of those school reform initiatives, and I can't speak to how well it is actually being received in recipient communities in the six counties in Missouri and Kansas where it is being applied. But I think it should be at least mentioned here because of some aspects of the program, and specifically, those involving real-world experience and community involvement. It's based on the Kauffman Foundation's Real World Initiative to provide "immersive experiences across a multitude of interests, industries, and employers through real-world projects and internships." Here's a video with more information from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce. I looked, but didn't find any neutral or third-party assessment of the program.

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What Higher Ed Taught Us in 2020: Analyst Reflections
Encoura, 2020/12/15

This is another 'lessons learned' document drawing on our experiences of 2020. It collects reflections from six different writers, so there isn't really a unifying theme or idea. Richard Garrett, for example, writes, "COVID-19 may produce an outbreak of campus nostalgia short-term. But expect to see more schools... creating hybrid experiences that transcend the traditional campus or—for oversubscribed institutions—using online to boost capacity and economies of scale." By contrast, Kim Reid writes, "Our research shows dissatisfaction among all students relates to two major factors: the notion that students are not getting their money’s worth and the loss of community.

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