What are the most important issues for students and parents when it comes to satisfaction with Higher Eduction?

What are the most important issues for students and parents when it comes to satisfaction with Higher Eduction (HE)? This infographic (based on US data) highlights important factors, as well as providing some guidelines for improving the overall college experience. I was particularly impressed that parents...an often neglected or unheard voice in education...are included - and there are 5 suggestions (scroll down to the  end of the infographic) about how colleges can work with parents. This is perhaps something less relevant where mature students are concerned, but it is likely to be a benefit for those students moving into HE directly from High School.

Could learning analytics lead to the ‘Wal-Martification’ of Higher Education?

As a self-professed skeptic of learning analytics (I'm still not totally convinced they are great for the learner...even if they might be a great tool for education institutions), I was reassured to hear Gardner Campbell (director of professional development and innovative initiatives at Virginia Tech) speak so well. Campbell speaks of the possibility that learning analytics might 'dumb down' higher education. He also suggests that the learning analytics as a concept should support our notion of education should be, as well as reflecting positive learning experiences rather than focussing on information...especially that related to 'failure'.

For a full overview (and access to the interesting comments that follow, click here. I would highly recommend checking out the podcast, which is part of the Chronicle's Tech Therapy offering, hosted by Jeff Young and Warren Arbogast.

Download this recording as an MP3 file, or subscribe to Tech Therapy on iTunes.

Image: 'business chart showing success' http://www.flickr.com/photos/57567419@N00/5961260280. Found on flickrcc.net

Millenials under the microscope: Resources, ideas and a quiz from Cyberwise

The wonderful team at Cyberwise recently shared the following resources, focussed on the Millennial Generation, in NewsWise. Whether you are convinced or not that folk are 'wired differently' because of the ability to be 'connected', creative, and communicating 24/7, these resources are well worth dipping into...and the quiz is fun too :)

The world has changed dramatically in the last ten years; we are plugged in and tech'd out like never before, and these changes are having a huge impact on those growing up immersed in a newly connected world. Just ask the first generation to enter adulthood having grown up digital -- a 2.3 billion-strong tribe of "Millennials" (18-29 year olds).

Research suggests these twenty-something's are markedly different in their attitudes, beliefs, and habits than any generation that has proceeded them. They are connected, informed, passionate, idealistic, technically proficient... and majorly stressed out. And guess what? They want and even need our help as they chart a course through this new world. So this week's NewsWise is dedicated to the Millennial Generation, those brave young souls who are guiding us all into the digital future. Check out our blog and all the great resources (including a quiz to find out how "Millennial" you are) we've gathered for you about Millennials, or as we like the call them, the "indicator species" of the digital age.

Image: 'connectivity' http://www.flickr.com/photos/65256426@N00/839920747. Found on flickrcc.net

Building the Network for Learning: Commentary by Niki Davis

You may, or may not, be familiar with the Network for Learning (N4L) that is being developed in New Zealand. The potential of such a network is huge, but it requires a collaborative effort to actually make it work. It's not so much about the infrastructure, it's more about the people, the connections...the opportunities to collaborate, share, and build. How can you get involved, if you are not already? In her column While waiting for the Network for Learning we are building it!  (CINZ) Niki offers some suggestions, while also adding ideas for the overall planning behind the N4L. (All quotes from the article reproduced in this post are with kind permission of Niki Davis.)
Niki provides a useful overview of the background to the N4L.

Let me introduce you to the crown entity that has been established this year called the Network for Learning Ltd. (N4L). The New Zealand Government is making a significant investment in infrastructure that will deliver ultra-fast broadband (UFB) to more than 97% of New Zealand schools by 2016, including support for upgrades to schools’ internal network infrastructure (SNUP). This began as the Ultrafast Broadband in Schools (UFBiS) initiative in 2010 and the best information is probably on the Ministry of Education “Enabling e-Learning” website led by Margaret McLeod and Howard Baldwin http://elearning.tki.org.nz/. In 2011 cabinet approved a business case for a managed network with managed services for schools and decided that this “Network for Learning” would be overseen by a new Crown-owned Company, (called the “Network for Learning Ltd”/N4L; incorporated in July 2012 seehttp://www.n4l.co.nz/about.php). The Network for Learning Ltd. aims to realise the benefits of this infrastructure investment in terms of improved educational outcomes for students in line with government policy. The N4L Ltd is accountable to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Education who have appointed N4L’s independent board to govern this crown company. The board have now appointed a chief executive and are gaining additional staff to ensure a network service is available to all schools in 2013.

To conceptualise what the N4L 'looks like' in practice, Niki gives an insight into what is underway in the Cantanet and Westnet clusters, as well as  activities in initial teacher education that provide significant resources and networking activity that should benefit and accelerate the growth of the N4L and its impact". Niki goes on to say

I trust that readers will therefore support the case for those involved in initial teacher education to be encouraged to actively participate in the N4L with our colleagues and their students in schools. After all, to limit access would reduce the preparation of newly qualified teachers for schooling today and block development. For that reason I have developed a discussion paper (see http://wikieducator.org/NfLandITE) and sought and received support from key agencies including the Tertiary eLearning Reference Group, TEFANZ, the VLNC Council, and DEANZ, the national association for open flexible and distance learning representing all sectors of education and training.

Will you join the conversation? "Only then can the N4L emerge and grow to play its part to support increased educational outcomes and related economic benefits for all students and their communities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand".

•  While waiting for the Network for Learning we are building it! (HTML)Resource
• Niki Davis - University of Canterbury, e-learning lab, Christchurch, New Zealand.
• Niki Davis Virtual Schooling Column (PDF)PDF document
  

Image: cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by katypang: http://flickr.com/photos/katypang/2628074710/

The 12 dimensions of thinking infusion

Lane Clark unveiled her new thinking at the International Conference on Thinking in Wellington, the perfect place!

The 12 dimensions of thinking infusion from EDtalks on Vimeo.

Creative and Critical thinking: Creating space for innovation

Ewan McIntosh's session on Monday was so inspirational we rocked up 45 minutes early to ensure we have a seat for his second session today. The room is completely packed with people sitting on every available floor space, propping up the room at the back and around the sides, and standing outside the double doors craning their necks to see in. The place is a sea of mobile devices, and the wireless is groaning as the Tweets flow. Great stuff. (But maybe a bigger venue...?)
The last Ewan did this session was with 6 people in Texas...and if it fails it's our fault :-). Some of the reasons innovations tend to get blocked are those folk who have leader in their title tend not to be the innovators, and (along with many other things), there is negativity around and dismissal of ideas. On the other hand for innovation to happen it is important for active listening, people who will join in, assume valuable implications, deal with you as an equal, and support ambiguity.

>>>Click here to read the rest of the post.
Images:

• 'arne jacobsen, aarhus town hall 1937-1942' - Found on flickrcc.net

Teacher's metacognition

Alejarndra Martinez is a psychologist has been working with teachers, initially in rural Chile. She is interested in how teachers view themselves as learners. Currently working on her PhD at the University of Melbourne  Alejandra has been working in professional learning teams, to investigate links between courses and students' outcomes.

One of the focus was to move thinking about my student to our student. The key aspect to inform our teaching from this perspective is the skill level of the students. The variables that are collected around numeracy, literacy, student outcomes, classroom practices, PLT functioning, beliefs and attitudes, and metacognition. Further research on teachers'  professional learning is required in order to understand the characteristics and development of their metacognition (Dinsmore, 2008). The key focus, therefore is how teachers see themselves as learners, and how this impacts their own practice.

The main aim is to analyse the extent to which the shift from a deficit to a developmental approach to assessment and learning influences teacher metacognitive awareness of their professional practice. The study uses a teacher metacognition framework that has 5 elements, which are part of a cyclical process: Comprehension of differentiated teaching practice; self evaluation of current competence; planning professional learning; monitoring professional learning; and evaluation of the progress made.
The Metacognitive Awareness Inventory was adapted (16 questions), and other new questions were added. Two forms were developed (A and B) with 14 common questions to enable comparison. After a calibration process using Item Response Modelling 7 questions were removed, as they were discriminating less the the expected model.

The data was analysed using an item/person map with level descriptions. Teachers were then given the results that indicated that the level they were at, rather than a specific 'score'. The initial findings were based on 359 teachers. There was a large number of teachers at Level A, Level D, and Level F. A learning readiness report on metacognition, which has individual feedback which is linked to the 5 stage cyclical model.

The students who grow the most who are at the lower level, whereas the top level the students do not grow the most. We need to connect differentiated teaching, not only to student needs, but also to teacher needs. Some of the challenges are the links with student performance. There are some aspects of metacognition that needs to be captured with qualitative data; so the next step is to conduct some interviews with the teachers. This is longitudinal research, and data has been collected in year 1 and this year data will be collected to illustrate changes.

Image: '_繁華燃燼，那一面斑駁｡' - Found on flickrcc.net