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View of Socio-Demographical Variables as Predictors of Academic Self-Directedness | The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
Jo-Anne Botha, Ingrid Potgieter, International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2024/10/31

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This is one of those studies I which had been more broad; it "was conducted in one South African higher education institution (and) the sample was composed mainly of African women." So obviously, "the findings cannot be generalized." That would include the finding that "learners who... identified as a particular gender exhibited a greater success-oriented attitude." I do wonder how this was established. The study also found influences for high school English grades, proximity to a library, number of modules taken, and financial support for dependents. The authors then go on to generalize, "ALSD is influenced by socio-demographic factors such as culture, gender, and socio-economic environment." I do think this is true, but would be hard-pressed to see any support for this in this study. Image: Zhao.

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Treat GenAI Like You Treat Google Search
Jason Godfrey, The Learning Agency, 2024/10/31

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"Few things draw criticism faster than a new technology that disrupts the traditional education system for future learners," writes Jason Godfrey, and we can perhaps learn from that. Consider the use of Google search, for example. Using search is no longer regarded as cheating, we don't ask students to submit their search terms, and importantly, we "rarely give assignments that can be completed by copying Google search snippets" and "rarely assume that a student who used Google search failed to engage critically." I like the comparison.

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Just released! Seven Videos on the Effective Use of Video
Tony Bates, 2024/10/31

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I'm on the road and haven't had the chance to view the seven videos (one weakness of video is the amount of time it takes to watch them) but coming from Tony Bates as they do I'm sure they'll be worth a look. And even if you don't watch them, there's enough additional content in this article to make the visit worthwhile. The focus is mostly on educational videos, but they cut deep into the topic, for example, in an interview with "Claudia Krebs, Professor of Anatomy at the University of British Columbia, who made a video on the anatomy of the brain, using an actual human brain." 

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EDI progress being made at Canadian institutions, but clear goals still lacking — University Affairs
Moira MacDonald, University Affairs, 2024/10/31

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When I was a graduate student in philosophy almost 40 years ago the buzz among the students was that there would be no jobs for men because of ongoing equity policies. All this time has passed and it still hasn't happened and we're still reading things like "a problem where universities 'launch an initiative and they don't have a clear baseline - what are we starting from, for instance?'" The most telling quote, I think, is this: "We need to understand that postsecondary institutions weren't built for diversity in the first place," said Dr. Rodgers. "We know who they were built for. And that is who dominated them for hundreds of years." And still do.

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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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