OLDaily

A Brief History of Neural Nets and Deep Learning
Andrey Kurenkov, 2021/07/15

This is a long and detailed post I've consulted a number of times since its publication last September but for some reason haven't included here. Let me correct that now. It is a lengthy and authoritative overview of developments in artificial intelligence, and in particular, neural networks and connectionism. The work here parallels and is obviously influential on my own thinking about learning and cognition in general, and connectivism in particular. It is recommended for anyone interested in learning theory and should be taken into account by those designing, developing and deploying educational technology.

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Predictive processing and anti-representationalism
Marco Facchin, Synthese, 2021/07/15

"Many philosophers claim that the neurocomputational framework of predictive processing entails a globally inferentialist and representationalist view of cognition," says Marco Facchin. "Here, I contend that this is not correct." Quite right. Indeed, I have said in the past that this is what distinguishes connectivism from cognitivist theories such as constructivism and direct instruction. "Cognitive science really seems strongly committed to representationalism," writes Facchim. But there's nothing in cognitive science, even as it is practiced today, that commits us to things like working memory, concept formation and structural representations. This is a preprint; the article is also behind a stupid paywall here. See also: Daniel Williams, Predictive Processing and the Representation Wars; Representation in Cognitive Science by Nicholas Shea: Reply by the Author; and Constant, Clark and Friston, Representation Wars: Enacting an Armistice Through Active Inference.

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There is no physics of human systems
Jim McGee, McGee's Musings, 2021/07/15

There's a lot more to this post than is actually stated in this post, especially when it comes to educational research, but if it serves as a starting point for some, then it will have served its purpose. Jim McGee's discussion starts with the definition of two terms:

• nomothetic – relating to the study or discovery of general scientific laws.
• idiographic – relating to the study or discovery of particular scientific facts and processes, as distinct from general laws.

Now most work in educational theory is nomothetic. As McGee writes, "Organizations push for standardization and uniformity – this solves problems that organizations have to deal with." However, "nomothetic claims about human systems have to be filtered through an idiographic lens." And that's exactly the wrong approach. "You will be better served to frame your task as that of 'solving for pattern,'" he writes. "I’ve written about this shift of perspective before: Don’t connect the dots solve for pattern and Learning to solve for pattern."

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The Wyatt Sharpe Show
Wyatt Sharpe, 2021/07/15

When I was 12 years old I was publishing my own newspaper, The Eagle Report (I loved birds even then). It was a terrible product, mimeographed and poorly distributed. Technology today allows 12-year olds much greater reach and professionalism. This page is the home of Wyatt Sharpe, who has his own podcast, and is a columnist for a local newspaper. I learned about him from an interview he did with Breakfast Television. I have always felt that most any 12-year old is capable of similar things, each in their own domains of interest, and I note well that the ability to do things like interview politicians and be featured on local news shows is more a question of privilege and position than ability. Not that I'm selling Wyatt Sharpe short; I think that what he's doing is great. What I'm saying is what we will succeed as a society only when every child has the same opportunities to achieve that greatness.

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Class Central Study Groups: Common Questions
Manoel Cortes Mendez, Class Central, 2021/07/15

Class Central Study Groups are a relatively recent development at the MOOC-centered website and arise out of a longstanding need. "You can think of them like a book club, but instead of reading a book, we’re taking an online course together with learners worldwide, supporting each other through a discussion forum, and meeting weekly for a Zoom chat... The new, open Study Groups are simply an attempt to expand the experience to learners worldwide." Here are the current groups under way, with new groups expected to be announced. Now of course you don't need Class Central to do this - anyone could do this. Maybe I should do this! What do you think?

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Intersectionality: Considering Identity When Working Towards a More Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Future
Laura Martin, The Scholarly Kitchen, 2021/07/15

"None of us have just one identity," writes Laura Martin. "The concept of intersectionality highlights how multiple, overlapping identities and identity markers—such as race, class, age, gender, sexuality, and religion—contribute to how marginalized groups experience discrimination." This article is frustratingly brief, but links to a longish video. And people looking for deeper conversations and actions promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in educational publishing can look to Eylan Ezekiel's new EDITalk channel. I think it's important to recognize that each of us faces individual challenges around diversity, equity and inclusion, both from the perspective of membership in marginalized groups, and also from the perspective of privilege and advantage. None of us is entirely one or the other, and to me the importance of a concept like intersectionality is to bring out the implications of that realization.

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An introduction to cloud computing
FutureLearn, 2021/07/15

This is an introductory article so if you already know about cloud computing trhen you probably won't need this. But it might be just the thing to send to a decision-maker who needs a quick overview of the topic. Here's the value proposition: "this shift from software and hardware that was on-premises to a networked, remote resource has meant that companies no longer have to worry about investing in labour, expertise, or capital for the maintenance of these resources." Of course, they still need to worry about investing in labour, expertise and capital for managing cloud computing resources. The cloud can get complex in a hurry. But the benefits outweigh the costs in many instances.

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