There are many ways to read OLDaily; pick whatever works best for you:
- Read in your web browser on this web page, updated weekdays
- Receive a daily or weekly email newsletter by subscribing here
- Subscribe to the RSS feed using your favourite feed reader
- Follow @OLDaily@mastodon.social on Mastodon or elsewhere in the fediverse
- Follow @OLDaily on Twitter
- Integrate the open API using the JSON feed
Presentation
Universities at the Crossroads: Technologies, values and the role of the institution
Stephen Downes, Dec 02, 2022,
1r Congres Internacional de la SCP-IEC, Lleida, Spain
My objectives are to:
- offer clear and understandable descriptions of three current technologies (metaverse, blockchain, artificial intelligence)
- discuss how they will impact the traditional role and function of universities
- describe the application of the conference themes (inclusion, sustainability, ethics) to these technologies with respect to these roles
Video with translation into Catalan
Consensus - Evidence-Based Answers, Faster
Consensus - Evidence-Based Answers, Faster,
2022/12/02
Here's the pitch: "Consensus is a new search engine that uses AI to find you answers in scientific research. Find out what the research says in seconds with Consensus." Via Alan Levine. We read that "Consensus only searches through peer-reviewed, published sources," which may limit its source material too much, but does serve the need to feed AI systems something better that Twitter chats and Reddit threads, and is therefore directly related to my talk.
Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]
Can We 'Cheat' in the Creation of and Marking of Academic Assessment Material By Getting a Machine to Do It?
Tony Hirst,
OUseful.Info,
2022/12/02
This is a fun back-and-forth chat between Tony Hirst and chatGPT. Here's how he sets the context: "Generate an exam question intended to assess a first year undergraduate's level of understanding of relational databases. Then generate a marking guide..." Now the conversation isn't without its hiccups. chatGPT seems to have trouble counting to ten. It sometimes mangles sentences. But overall, considering this represents a few seconds of effort, the results are impressive. See also this exchange with chatGPT. Or generating diagrams with chatGPT. Or this chat with an unreliable chatGPT with a regional idiom.
Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]
Schools must resist big EdTech - but it won't be easy
Michael Veale,
5Rights | Digital Futures Commision,
2022/12/02
"Schools are slowly becoming extremely reliant on a few large companies' entire technological stacks in order to operate. In turn, these stacks are reshaping what schooling is and could be, and exercising unaccountable control over students," writes Michael Veale. However, resisting them is not straightforward, as schools are challenged to maintain these technologies on their own. "Schools, teachers and administrators can also find themselves tied into a single platform's ecosystem. This may be because technologies are sold as a bundle." Image: Steven Singer.
Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]
Better together than alone: say hello again to the Open Knowledge Network
Sara Petti,
Open Knowledge Foundation blog,
2022/12/02
The Open Knowledge Network is being relaunched. "The Network connects those in the open movement across the globe. The members use advocacy, technology and training to unlock information, to create and share knowledge, with the goal of enabling people to take action to achieve local impact." The impetus to relaunch was created at a Mozilla festival earlier this year.The relunch consists of two projects, the Open Knowledge Project Repository, "a searchable database of the most prominent projects from the Network", and the Open Knowledge Global Directory, "a global and multilingual excellence cluster of leaders of the open movement, carefully selected by the Network."
Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]
FutureLearn sold to GUS, Jo Johnson to chair
Kim Martin,
The PIE News,
2022/12/02
The article highlights the positive: "The deal will allow Netherlands-based GUS to provide FutureLearn with access to its proprietary AI-powered career management solution, widening FutureLearn's offering to provide fully-fledged career advancement, linking learners with content, accreditation, mentorship and career opportunities." But it should be kept in mind that financing to leverage such a deal needs to be returned as profits from the company, turning FutureLearn into just another commercial learning service.
Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]
'GRExit' gains momentum as Ph.D. programs drop exam requirement
Katie Langin,
Science,
2022/12/02
As recently as 2017 only one U.S. university eschewed the GRE for graduate admission to PhD programs. But it's a trend now. "The COVID-19 pandemic, unease about whether the test puts students from less privileged backgrounds at a disadvantage, and doubts about how well GRE scores predict grad school success all helped drive the changes." The stories contains sceptical comments from places like Purdue and Dartmouth. But as the test "unfairly privileges certain groups—white men in particular" we can't really be surprised. Related: colleges are abandoning the U.S. News & World Report rankings, which it should be noted classify test-based achievement along with low acceptance rates and exclusivity favourably in the standings.
Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]
This newsletter is sent only at the request of subscribers. If you would like to unsubscribe, Click here.
Know a friend who might enjoy this newsletter? Feel free to forward OLDaily to your colleagues. If you received this issue from a friend and would like a free subscription of your own, you can join our mailing list. Click here to subscribe.
Copyright 2022 Stephen Downes Contact: stephen@downes.ca
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.