OLDaily

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

Critical Thinking and Ethics in the Age of Generative AI in Education
Pedro Noguera, USC Center for Generative AI and Society, 2024/02/07

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This report (44 page PDF) is a collection of six short articles (plus an introduction and listing of Generative AI Fellows) out of which 'An Undergraduate Perspective of Generative AI in Undergraduate Education' by Eric Bui and 'Authoring by Editing and Revising: Considering Generative AI Tools' by Benjamin Nye were the most substantial an interesting, each describing the use of AI in a slightly different way as fostering research, critical thinking and editing skills while being used as an assistant, rather than a 'teacher'. They're both good brisk reads. Via Jonathan Kantrowitz, who highlights another article in the collection, 'Ethics in Generative AI: Report From the Field' by Stephen Aguilar, which reports that "a teacher's gender and comfort with technology factor into whether artificial intelligence is adopted in the classroom."

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Join Bluesky Today (Bye, Invites!)
Bluesky, 2024/02/07

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So as the entire world is reporting, Bluesky is now open to join without invitations. There's a nice cartoon introducing the network. I'm still waiting to see the federated version, and to see whether it truly is open (as in, any application can join, not just proprietary Bluesky platforms). "Bluesky's launch was very well done," says Ben Werdmuller. "Other open platforms should learn from it." But as Cutts responds, "I imagine the 20 million dollars funding helps with polish and press coverage." Let's not forget, they're going to want to earn that money back, and then some.

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A Pattern Language for Pattern Writing
Gerard Meszaros, Jim Doble, 2024/02/07

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If you are interested in the idea of teaching as a design science, and in particular the idea of using design patterns to develop educational experiences, all popularized by Diana Laurillard around ten years ago (ancient history in our discipline!) then you may be interested in this document (36 page PDF) from the last century. "This pattern language attempts to capture some of these 'best practices' of pattern writing, both by describing them in pattern form, and by demonstrating them in action." There has always been a lot of merit in the idea of design patterns - hey're widely used in software development - and I would consider pattern recognition and development to be a basic form of literacy. Via Raghav Agrawal. Plus: How to write a pattern? by Tim Wellhausen, Andreas Fießer, and Advanced Pattern Writing by Neil B. Harrison.

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Google 'cannot proceed with third-party cookie deprecation'
Nicola Agius, Search Engine Land, 2024/02/07

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Cookies are a core web technology and remain an essential component of any stateful interactive service (including, but by no means limited to, learning management systems). They are also used to track individuals and compile identity graphs used to support unwanted marketing and advertising. Still, the idea of Google single-handedly declaring them depreciated does not sit well in many circles, especially given that the replacement, Google's Privacy Sandbox, allows the company to "continue to benefit from user activity data while limiting competitors' access to the same data," to ""control the inclusion of ad tech rivals on this list could advantage its ad tech services," while leaving media companies "less able to effectively identify fraudulent activity." As a result, we read, "Google cannot proceed with third-party cookie deprecation until it resolves concerns raised by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)." Via Jeff Jarvis.

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Shooting The Messenger (Or how to turn a $50 million investment into $3 million of revenue)
Elizabeth Spiers, A Rheumatism of Concerns, 2024/02/07

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We didn't really need a full column for the explanation. The explanation we got talks about how algorithm-based clickbait doesn't monetize in 2024. Which is true, but irrelevant. It wouldn't have mattered what the idea was. VC's don't fund ideas, they fund people like themselves. You know: white, male, well-heeled, with good connections, who spend like rich people and burn through $50 million in less than a year. (If you're buying educational technology, take note; it's a rare VC-funded operation that sustains value over time. Note: Messenger founder Jimmy Finkelstein didn't found The Hill as asserted in the article, he inherited it from his father and sold it for $130 million. Also worth noting: follow the link at the bottom to the 'gift' NY Times article by the author on The Miseducation of Nikki Haley and segregation academies (and once again I say, if you value democracy, don't hide the really important stories behind a paywall). See also: Ineptitude bordering on cruelty.

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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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