“What I’ve Learned in the Classroom,” Paula Maranntz Cohen, July 22, 2013. Some wise words of advice from a veteran teacher of humanities in a non-humanities oriented institution (Drexel), including caution against rashly adopting the latest tools.
“Cultivating Partnerships in the Digital Humanities,” William Pannapacker, Chronicle of Higher Education, May 13, 2013. Teaching-focused institutions have much to gain from partnerships with research universities on the digital humanities, and vice versa.
“Laptop U: Has the Future of College Moved Online?” Nathan Heller, The New Yorker May 20, 2013. Reporting on Gregory Nagy’s Greek Literature mooc at Harvard, with reflections on the mooc phenomenon. And they use lower case letter for “mooc.” Great idea, New Yorker!
“Colleges Adapt Online Courses to Ease Burden,” Tamar Lewen, New York Times April 30, 2013. Interesting experiments at San Jose State in blending MOOC content with college courses to help low-income and first generation students cross the initial hurdle of becoming ready for college-level work.
“Two Cheers for Web U,” A.J. Jacobs, New York Times, April 20, 2013. An insightful report on the experience of enrolling in 11 Massive Open Online Courses, by participatory journalist Jacobs (author of The Year of Living Biblically). “For MOOCs to fulfill their potential, Coursera and its competitors will have to figure out how to make teachers and teaching assistants more reachable. More like local pastors, less like deities on high.”
“EdX Rejected,” Ry Rivard, Inside Higher Ed, April 19, 2013. Amherst College professors voted not to work with edX, a nonprofit venture started by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to provide massive open online courses, or MOOCs.
“Scholars Increasingly Use Online Resources, Survey Finds, but They Value Traditional Formats Too,” Jennifer Howard, Chronicle of Higher Education, April 8, 2013.
“Higher education leaders move to ease online rules,” Washington Post, April 11, 2013. A commission led by former U.S. education secretary Richard W. Riley has proposed that states enter reciprocity agreements for regulation of online programs.
“California Bill Seeks Campus Credit for Online Study,” New York Times March 13, 2013. An online solution is proposed to the problem of too little access to student spaces in the California State system.
“More on Classroom Flipping in College,” Washington Post March 11, 2013. On the growing trend of college professors moving lecture material to screencasts and podcasts, saving class time for other kinds of work.
“The Newest Revolution in Higher Ed.” Drew Faust and L. Rafael Reif, The Boston Globe, March 3, 2013. The presidents of Harvard and MIT weigh in on the future of online college coursework and the value of the residential model.
“Students to e-books: no thanks.” Nicholas Carr (author of The Shallows) points out that in many cases our so-called digital natives prefer print. Rough Type, Feb. 20, 2012.
“Infrastructure Watch: Buffet as the Next Carnegie,” James Fallows, The Atlantic, Feb. 19, 2013. A call for the funding by a Carnegie-like massive donor of national digital library systems, one public, one academic, as a public utility.
“The Trouble with Online College” New York Times editorial pointing out that high attrition rates limit the impact of MOOCs, especially for those in community colleges. “Lacking confidence as well as competence, these students need engagement with their teachers to feel comfortable and to succeed. What they often get online is estrangement from the instructor who rarely can get to know them directly.” New York Times, February 18, 2013.
“Stop Calling it Digital Humanities.” William Pannapacker argues that teaching-focused colleges have significant advantages over research universities in pursuing the digital humanities, and that the clubbiness of the “DH” world is its biggest liability. The Chronicle of Higher Education, February 18, 2013. There is an interesting response by Rafael Alvarado (U.Va.), “Start Calling It Digital Liberal Arts.”
Great Ideas for the Classroom: A Teacher’s Perspective on Pinterest. (Feb. 6, 2013)
“Online Courses: Possibilities and Pitfalls,” New York Times letters Jan. 29, 2013. Dickinson pres. William Durden responding to Friedman’s piece on MOOCs. (Jan. 29, 2013)
Jake New, “Professors Say Technology Helps in Logistics, Not Learning,” Chronicle of Higher Education. (Jan. 28, 2013)