OLDaily

Welcome to Online Learning Daily, your best source for news and commentary about learning technology, new media, and related topics.

Harnessing AI in admissions: the future of standardised interviews
The PIE News, 2023/10/10

---

This is (unlabeled) advertorial content for Vericant's AI Insights reprinted in PIE news. It asserts in essence that AI can be used to analyze student admissions interviews. To be honest, the whole idea of admissions, much less admissions interviews, seems wrong to me. But if you are using interviews, this might seem appealing: "An AI tool can review hundreds of interviews and pinpoint critical moments, topics discussed, and even the sentiment behind responses. This allows admissions officers to focus on the crux of the interview rather than getting bogged down by the volume." So, let's suppose this is true. Then why can't companies do the same thing during the hiring process? Why do they need college and university credentials? This is the dilemma facing higher education: if it automates any part of the process, it removes any barrier that prevents others from automating the same process, leaving them performing functions (like admissions interviews) that are less and less relevant to the rest of the world.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

Student guidance for the responsible use of AI
Rachel Heyes, ALTC, 2023/10/10

---

Another in the wider collection of articles on the same topic. The main message here is that "AI tools are tools. They are not substitutes for intellectual growth. This guidance will support students to embrace AI responsibly, engage actively in studies and uphold academic integrity." One thing I've noticed is a gradual shift in terminology from 'ethical use' to 'responsible use'. The concept of assigning 'responsibilities' to people has always fascinated me. Who defines 'responsible' in this scenario? Is there any expectation at all of student engagement with what is or isn't 'responsible', or is it an external constraint arbitrarily imposed.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

What is Web3?
McKinsey & Company, 2023/10/10

---

Introductory article. "Web3 is the idea of a new, decentralized internet built on blockchains, which are distributed ledgers controlled communally by participants. Because of the collective nature of blockchains, if and when Web3 fully arrives—elements of it are already in place—it will, in theory, signal a new era of the internet, one in which use and access are controlled by community-run networks rather than the current, centralized model in which a handful of corporations preside over Web2." You might be sceptical of web3, but in my view, you probably shouldn't be. It will be one of those things that people deride for a decade and then suddenly realize that it's here.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

When It Comes to Promoting Prosperity, Production Beats Consumption
Kartik Akileswaran, Jonathan Mazumdar, Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2023/10/10

---

According to this article, "Development philanthropists should focus on building the productive capacity of entire countries, to achieve large-scale economic transformation, rather than enabling a few individuals to increase their consumption." It's an interesting alternative to the Christensen 'disruptive innovation' model that focuses on developing markets. I like to think of the larger context in a smaller context: suppose you wanted to build a small town or village somewhere, in a low-population area. What would you need? How would you do it? People would need to be able to make a living somehow - that's the production side. Sure, they need markets to sell to, but if they can produce something useful, there are always markets. You want to produce higher-value products - sustenance and low-wage artisan enterprises won't sustain the town. So you need education, but education that is relevant to making a good living where you live. It's not simple.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

We publish six to eight or so short posts every weekday linking to the best, most interesting and most important pieces of content in the field. Read more about what we cover. We also list papers and articles by Stephen Downes and his presentations from around the world.

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