Comments on: Campus Impact http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/ Rachel S. Smith on this, that, and the other Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:16:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Techfoot » Blog Archive » The Ends of Education http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Techfoot » Blog Archive » The Ends of Education Sun, 19 Feb 2006 21:03:21 +0000 http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/#comment-44 [...] There have been a number of thought provoking comments on one of Rachel’s recent posts on a paper she’s working on that focuses on what it means for a New Media Center or other organization to “have an impact on campus.” Gardner commented on the original post asking: Hmmm. What *does* it mean to have an impact on campus? …..Does an “teaching outcome” count as a “success’ if a student offers a passionate eulogy at your funeral? [...] [...] There have been a number of thought provoking comments on one of Rachel’s recent posts on a paper she’s working on that focuses on what it means for a New Media Center or other organization to “have an impact on campus.” Gardner commented on the original post asking: Hmmm. What *does* it mean to have an impact on campus? …..Does an “teaching outcome” count as a “success’ if a student offers a passionate eulogy at your funeral? [...]

]]> By: Gardner http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Gardner Sat, 18 Feb 2006 20:54:18 +0000 http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/#comment-43 Gene and Nick, you've grokked my question through and through. Thank you. I'm keen to continue this conversation. It is the key question that should be approached thoughtfully and humbly whenever we start talking about assessment. It's right up there with "what do we mean by understanding," in my view. Gene writes of "the conditions that increase the chances that teachers will have an life-long transforming impact on students." I like this phrasing. We need to build the conditions, not engineer the processes. I'm reminded of how Howard Rheingold described ARPA's strategy: fund the people, not the projects. Such potential for abuse there, but such potential for transformation as well. I really do think we're trying to scale Socrates. The older traditions of education emphasize cognitive apprenticeship. I think that's something like the "studio learning" Gene mentions. That kind of apprenticeship can happen in lots of ways. The tradition I'm bucking is the post-WW II industrial model. Does anyone have a wiki of essential books on education? Could we start us one? A kind of group bibilography, for our own edification? This is tremendously urgent stuff. I feel a podcast series coming on.... And I'm looking forward to the JS Brown presentation. Rachel, thanks for the edited post! Gene and Nick, you’ve grokked my question through and through. Thank you. I’m keen to continue this conversation. It is the key question that should be approached thoughtfully and humbly whenever we start talking about assessment. It’s right up there with “what do we mean by understanding,” in my view.

Gene writes of “the conditions that increase the chances that teachers will have an life-long transforming impact on students.” I like this phrasing. We need to build the conditions, not engineer the processes. I’m reminded of how Howard Rheingold described ARPA’s strategy: fund the people, not the projects. Such potential for abuse there, but such potential for transformation as well.

I really do think we’re trying to scale Socrates. The older traditions of education emphasize cognitive apprenticeship. I think that’s something like the “studio learning” Gene mentions. That kind of apprenticeship can happen in lots of ways. The tradition I’m bucking is the post-WW II industrial model.

Does anyone have a wiki of essential books on education? Could we start us one? A kind of group bibilography, for our own edification?

This is tremendously urgent stuff. I feel a podcast series coming on…. And I’m looking forward to the JS Brown presentation.

Rachel, thanks for the edited post!

]]> By: Gene Roche http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/comment-page-1/#comment-42 Gene Roche Sat, 18 Feb 2006 14:57:19 +0000 http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/#comment-42 Nick's follow-up to Garnder's question about what it means to have an impact on campus is a good one. I think we know a great deal about the conditions that increase the chances that teachers will have an life-long transforming impact on students. That comes when they participate together in significant, personal learning which involves the whole person--feelings and cognitive aspects. A course can provide an overall structure, but the involvement in the learning is self-initiated and self-evaluated, and throughout the student is treated as an equal participant in the learning--even though the faculty member has far more experience in dealing with content. The faculty member demonstrates an obvious acceptance and appreciation in the student as a human being and as learner. The effects of these types of interactions have been documented for decades, but most universities allow faculty to remain too wedded to a mission of "covering the content" rather than developing human beings as learners. By their natures, studios get outside that "covering the content model" and provide a unique opportunity to use new technologies to tap into authentic modes of learning. John Seely Brown has a great presentation on studio learning at http://www2.parc.com/ops/members/brown/storytelling/JSB6-k-as-soc-phenom.html that provides some good comparisons to traditional academic practice. Nick’s follow-up to Garnder’s question about what it means to have an impact on campus is a good one. I think we know a great deal about the conditions that increase the chances that teachers will have an life-long transforming impact on students. That comes when they participate together in significant, personal learning which involves the whole person–feelings and cognitive aspects. A course can provide an overall structure, but the involvement in the learning is self-initiated and self-evaluated, and throughout the student is treated as an equal participant in the learning–even though the faculty member has far more experience in dealing with content. The faculty member demonstrates an obvious acceptance and appreciation in the student as a human being and as learner.

The effects of these types of interactions have been documented for decades, but most universities allow faculty to remain too wedded to a mission of “covering the content” rather than developing human beings as learners.

By their natures, studios get outside that “covering the content model” and provide a unique opportunity to use new technologies to tap into authentic modes of learning. John Seely Brown has a great presentation on studio learning at http://www2.parc.com/ops/members/brown/storytelling/JSB6-k-as-soc-phenom.html that provides some good comparisons to traditional academic practice.

]]> By: Nick Noakes http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Nick Noakes Sat, 18 Feb 2006 03:32:57 +0000 http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/#comment-41 Bryan, thanks for the link to Colby, will check it out. Gardner, have had the same question, "what *does* it mean to make an impact?", uppermost in my mind the last few weeks too. I agree about the eulogy but I guess some follow up questions would be "what sort of change (affective, cognitive, volitional, behavioural, spiritual, cultural ...)? for whom (individually and collectively)? and when? This is something I'd like to talk about in real time (in person would be great but if not then virtually). It is such a key question. Bryan, thanks for the link to Colby, will check it out.

Gardner, have had the same question, “what *does* it mean to make an impact?”, uppermost in my mind the last few weeks too. I agree about the eulogy but I guess some follow up questions would be “what sort of change (affective, cognitive, volitional, behavioural, spiritual, cultural …)? for whom (individually and collectively)? and when? This is something I’d like to talk about in real time (in person would be great but if not then virtually). It is such a key question.

]]> By: Ninmah Meets World » Blog Archive » And Now a Normal Day http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/comment-page-1/#comment-40 Ninmah Meets World » Blog Archive » And Now a Normal Day Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:16:14 +0000 http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/#comment-40 [...] I get to do a lot of really cool stuff for my job. Yesterday, in addition to finishing a paper (see previous post), I accepted a very persuasive invitation from Gardner Campbell to attend his next big party, the 2006 University of Mary Washington Faculty Academy on Information Technologies. I will be following in the footsteps of Those Called Br*an (the one with the y and the one with the i both presented last year). It looks like an awesome event and I’m really looking forward to going. [...] [...] I get to do a lot of really cool stuff for my job. Yesterday, in addition to finishing a paper (see previous post), I accepted a very persuasive invitation from Gardner Campbell to attend his next big party, the 2006 University of Mary Washington Faculty Academy on Information Technologies. I will be following in the footsteps of Those Called Br*an (the one with the y and the one with the i both presented last year). It looks like an awesome event and I’m really looking forward to going. [...]

]]> By: Gardner http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Gardner Thu, 16 Feb 2006 21:40:44 +0000 http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/#comment-39 Hmmm. What *does* it mean to have an impact on campus? I've been thinking a lot lately about how to assess teaching effectiveness, and the question of what does it mean to have made a difference in someone's life keeps coming up. Does an "teaching outcome" count as a "success' if a student offers a passionate eulogy at your funeral? I'd say yes. I'd say it's a crucial assessment measure. (I'm not being facetious, either.) But in the arts of civilization and the experience of community, it's hard to get at those assessments, or to plan an assessment cycle around them. Hmmm. What *does* it mean to have an impact on campus? I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to assess teaching effectiveness, and the question of what does it mean to have made a difference in someone’s life keeps coming up. Does an “teaching outcome” count as a “success’ if a student offers a passionate eulogy at your funeral? I’d say yes. I’d say it’s a crucial assessment measure. (I’m not being facetious, either.) But in the arts of civilization and the experience of community, it’s hard to get at those assessments, or to plan an assessment cycle around them.

]]> By: Bryan Alexander http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Bryan Alexander Wed, 15 Feb 2006 17:49:06 +0000 http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/#comment-38 Colby College's Studio might be a useful example. They are largely student-staffed and student-organized, doing advanced projects with faculty. They use social software and project management practices to organize advanced media work. http://studio.colby.edu/ Colby College’s Studio might be a useful example. They are largely student-staffed and student-organized, doing advanced projects with faculty. They use social software and project management practices to organize advanced media work.
http://studio.colby.edu/

]]> By: Nick Noakes http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Nick Noakes Wed, 15 Feb 2006 10:11:06 +0000 http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/#comment-37 Perhaps a couple of others: * leverage existing professional/personal networks within the institution * create wants (maybe this one is just be needed reworded though) Perhaps a couple of others:

* leverage existing professional/personal networks within the institution
* create wants (maybe this one is just be needed reworded though)

]]> By: Steve Greenlaw http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Steve Greenlaw Wed, 15 Feb 2006 02:14:29 +0000 http://ninmah.be/2006/02/14/campus-impact/#comment-36 I don't have any ideas, but I'd love to see the paper when it comes out. I don’t have any ideas, but I’d love to see the paper when it comes out.

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