Considerations on the Framework for Ethical Learning Technology
As readers may know, I’ve been looking a lot recently at ethics related to online learning. In particular, I’ve studied a number of ethical codes and frameworks, publishing a paper…
Stephen Downes
Case Studies in MOOCs
Right, I’ve never used one in a MOOC. So how I would set one up is a bit speculative, though based on some examples (references completely forgotten) I’ve seen in…
The Myth of Post-Covid Skills, Reconsidered
A few comments on this post… Having taken a look, I don’t think a search of the top ten Google results for ‘post-COVID skills’ was the best place to look…
Professors and Bias
A Reader wrote: I have seen the shift in politics over the last two years and find myself fundamentally disagreeing with many of my professor’s views more often than not.…
There’s No One Thing Called Ethics
I wrote this in OLDaily today: There’s a lesson here anyone interested in the ethics of AI or education or whatever should heed. “There are no simple solutions, because there…
The Transformation of Digital Spaces and Digital Life
Responding to a survey: Please tell us how you imagine this transformation of digital spaces and digital life will take place: What reforms or initiatives may have the biggest impact?…
Connectivism at the Moment
Responding to an email enquiry – what is your opinion/ vision regarding the application of the CONNECTIVISM theory at present ? I see it being widely applied both online and…
My Meaning and the Parrot’s
Image: Quotes A while back I read an article titled ‘My words have meaning, your parrot’s do not. Wittgenstein explains‘ and commented: For me the key message of Wittgenstein’s slogan…
RSS and the Browser As Social Network
Google Reader – source Responding to Mark Berthelemy. RSS was essentially disappeared because there wasn’t a good business model for commercialization. Centralized social networks work much better for user tracking…
Recommendations for Good Practice Using AI in Learning
Image: Forbes General Design for Humans The application of AI should be based on a human-centered approach. This means that the design should be based on actual human use, and…
How It Could Work
I’m just going to offer a short post today as I develop some aspects of gRSShopper. In particular, I now have the gRSShopper MOOC environment up and running in a…
Future Learning Environments
This is an unedited AI transcript of a conversation I had with a group of people at Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan. Please note that the AI does not distinguish between speakers;…
Connectivism
Unedited AI-generated transcript of a talk given online April 27, 2021. So, hello everyone. As was stated in the introduction, my name is Stephen Downes and it’s a pleasure to…
Supporting Everyday Learning
This is an unedited transcript of my workshop. There we go, so now I’m recording. That would have been interesting so welcome to the session called supporting everyday learning you…
Sympathy for the Devil: Criticizing and Criticalizing the Media
These are notes taken during Shirley Steinberg’s CNIE keynote, Sympathy for the Devil: Criticizing and Criticalizing the Media: Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil – accomplishments of the devil,…
What Does it Mean to Enrol in a Course?
I guess the answer seems pretty obvious: you provide your personal contact information, maybe pay some money, maybe show you’ve satisfied a prerequisite, such as admission to an institution, and…
Change in Education and What Needs to be Done
Published as Change in Education and What Needs to be Done, 15 pages, 2020, Maysan Center for Future Studies. In recent months we as a global community have experienced a…
More Open
“We should pause and ask the question,” says David Wiley, “is more open always better?” The answer, of course, is “it depends”. I don’t keep my house open for just…
OER and User Pay
Thanks to Jeff Rubenstein for a thoughtful comment. I agree that the division between ‘content’ and ‘paper + ink’ isn’t always the best way to approach the discussion, and should…
A Message About Learning from the Shop Floor
Dear Boss, Thank you for your email about e-learning, titled ‘A message about learning from the C-suite’ which was reprinted in Chief Learning Officer. You asked some questions and made…