OLDaily

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

Navigating Complex Interpersonal Relationships: Co-Creating Deliberate Workplace Connection
Jessica Katz, InfoQ, 2023/12/05

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This article gets at the complexity of inter-personal relationships and connections, and I like the complex adaptive relationship model (CAR) that is described here. The term 'complexity' itself "covers four broad topics: volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity." The focus here is on valuing the individual in a context that is usually governed by the organization (a simple example: job descriptions stating 'other duties as agree' instead of 'as assigned'). Where I disagree is the assertion at the end that "it's a balance" between the individual and the whole. No - it might be a negotiation, but some things (like, say, individual health) are not subject to a 'balance' at all.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

The Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools
Australian Government, 2023/12/05

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Another set of principles based on a recognizable set of values. "The Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools (the Framework) (8 page PDF) seeks to guide the responsible and ethical use of generative AI tools in ways that benefit students, schools, and society (and) is based on 6 guiding principles: teaching and learning; human and social wellbeing; transparency; fairness; accountability; and privacy, security and safety." Each of the principles is accompanied by set of between 3 and 6 'guiding statements', such as "1.1 Impact: generative AI tools are used in ways that enhance and support teaching, school administration, and student learning," or "5.2 Reliability: generative AI tools are tested before they are used, and reliably operate in accordance with their intended purpose." I'll add it to the list of similar statements. Via Education Matters.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

Coursera expands AI-powered translations to 17 popular languages - Coursera Blog
Marni Baker Stein, Coursera Blog, 2023/12/05

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At a certain point, we're not going to need translations provided by content providers. We can already translate from a number of languages directly in Firefox (see my 12 second video showing how to do this). The more localized translation becomes, the more efficient and effective it becomes; eventually, we won't even need to choose 'translate'. It will be done automatically by our browser (or PDF reader, or video player) and we won't even notice (except for a small button indicating the original language).

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

We need more problem solvers and critical thinkers
Virgel Hammonds, The Hechinger Report, 2023/12/05

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I agree that students need to learn "to process information, think critically or seek paths forward that are not explicitly spelled out for them." And I agree that "by tailoring learning experiences to individuals' strengths and preferred pace, personalized, competency-based learning not only fosters a deeper understanding of subjects but also cultivates independence and self-confidence." But I don't think the second thing addresses the first thing; in other words, I don't think competency-based learning by itself addresses the need to be able "to engage in real-world problem-solving scenarios." What is needed, over and above competency-based learning, is immersion and the experience of failures and success in real world environments, to develop the tacit knowledge needed to thrive in dynamic and often chaotic conditions. You learn surfing, in other words, by surfing.

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2U / edX Facing Additional Existential Changes
Phil Hill, On Ed Tech, 2023/12/05

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Phil Hill makes 2U's dilemma clear: "he company has almost no chance of generating the cash through normal business operations to pay its debts, and its debt holders are in control now." The company doesn't have enough cash, and it can't raise enough funds, either through operations or selling shares, to meet nearly $1 billion of debt. There are reason why its offering was fundamentally unsound, and Phil Hill outlines them. But I would like to add one object lesson Hill omits: the company's acquisitions of Trilogy Bootcamp for $800 million and of EdX for $900 million. Acquisitions convert value to debt. They are rarely the best way to grow a company. They just create a need - an imperative, actually, to squeeze money from customers.

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What Is RF Energy Harvesting?
2023/12/05

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Your next household appliance might be a RF (radio frequency) power transmitter. I encountered this while following up on an article titled 'Innovative wireless light switch could cut house wiring costs in half'. The switch is powered by harvesting ambient radio frequency (RF) energy. Such a transmitter could power any number of low-energy switches and sensors, eliminating the need for extra wires or batteries. This article is a pop science overview; here's a link to a comprehensive review of RF energy technologies.

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.

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