Loading...
Stephen's Web ~ Link
OLDaily - Text Edition by Stephen Downes Feb 20, 2017
Source: Getty Images Top Hat Raises $22.5 Million to Go
After Pearson, McGraw-Hill
,
-------------------------------------------------------------
Link
Bloomberg offers coverage to this Canadian company
Linkthat has set up an online
bookstore Linkfor textbooks.
Many of the offerings come from OpenStax (Rice University's
former Connexions service) and are offered for free while
the rest appear to be authored using TopHat's own authoring
tool ad sell for various prices. Presumably the company has
something else going for it, or they're just a really swell
bunch of guys, to account for $40 million in venture
capital funding. Top Hat CEO Mike Silagadze "started by
selling software tools to professors that help them engage
their students, such as smartphone apps that let them tell
lecturers if they understand new concepts in real-time."
Comment: Link
Direct Link:
Link
Trust Score (Beta) for Ethereum
,
-------------------------------------------------------------
Link
I agree with Nantium OÜ that "decentralization
will lead to a more fair society where monopolies lose
their stranglehold over some of our key economic sectors
(and possibly even government sectors)." I'm less convinced
that trust is a key part of this, but I'm willing to
listen. In any case, what OÜ has done is to create a
(beta) trust mechanism for Ethereum. Basically, it uses the
same mechanism for trust as it does for payment: "you can
file a complaint through an Ethereum contract that will
ultimately penalize the other party’s score." This
mechanism has already been suggested for credentials, such
as academic achievement or badges. I'm more inclined to
think that trust (and achievement) will be derived by AIs
mining publicly accessible data. But we'll see.
Comment: Link
Direct Link:
Link
Global Sentiment in L&D
,
-------------------------------------------------------------
Link
Donald Taylor has released the results of his 'global
sentiments' survey of around 800 people in learning and
development from around the world. The main result is that
personalization is the top trend, collaboration is dipping,
microlearning is becoming more important, and alignment
with business (including showing value) is becoming a core
concern. I found it odd that all the charts were (to me)
backwards, running chronologically right-to-left instead of
left-to-right.
Comment: Link
Direct Link: Link
Geek Career Paths
,
-------------------------------------------------------------
Link
The is a cogent and clear article (laced with some
off-colour language because it's tech) on what tech people
(programmers, developers, designers) should think about
doing later in their careers. The advice was accurate so
far as my own experience can attest. Keeping up to date in
tech is hard work, because it's constantly changing. The
biggest jump for most tech people, I think, is the jump
into people-oriented positions, like management or sales.
The biggest risk for tech people is exposure to toxic
environments, like the world of venture capitalism. And
government isn't as bad as people say. Image: Mcleans
Link
Comment: Link
Direct Link:
Link
These are the science concepts you need to know to
understand political life in 2017
,
-------------------------------------------------------------
Link
These concepts don't all relate to education, and their
importance most certainly isn't limited to political life,
but it's a good list and educators should be aware of all
of them. Here's the one-minute version:
Scepticism
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-skepticism-reveals/ -
"a willingness to evenly assess the scientific evidence
available."
Iatrogenesis
http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pdf -
illness “brought forth by the healer," like
the opioid epidemic
Social cost of carbon
Link//www.epa.gov/climatechange/social-cost-carbon
- the damage each ton of CO2 emission costs society
Clean coal https://qz.com/806040 - expensive, but
"captures the carbon dioxide and buries it"
Gene drives https://qz.com/558373 - increase a gene's
chance of being inherited
CRISPR
https://www.neb.com/tools-and-resources/feature-articles/crispr-cas9-and-targeted-genome-editing-a-new-era-in-molecular-biology -
being widely used to manipulate DNA with extraordinary
precision
NgAgo
http://www.nature.com/news/biotech-firm-backs-controversial-crispr-challenger-1.21343 -
new tech which might manipulate DNA with even greater
precision
Confrmation bias
https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/confirmation_bias.htm -
the tendency to select information that supports our
existing beliefs
IPFS Link- makes copies of everything
instead of relying on links
PFOA
http://fusion.net/story/349506/toxic-water-crisis-at-new-yorks-newest-superfund-site/ -
unregulated cancer agent turning up in drinking water
Neonicotinoids Neonicotinoids - the pesticide that
caused widespread bee colony collapse
SETI https://www.seti.org/ - search for
extra-terrestrial intelligence using powerful new tools
Now you's caught up. :)
Comment: Link
Direct Link:
Link
Archive Link
Discuss Link
Search Link
About Link
Options Link
This newsletter is sent only at the request
of subscribers. If you would like to unsubscribe:
Link
Know a friend who might enjoy this newsletter? Feel
free to forward OLDaily to your colleagues.
If you received this issue from a friend and
would like a free subscription of your own,
you can join our mailing list.
Link
Copyright 2017 Stephen Downes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License
Link
Loading...
Loading...