Politics Trumps Facts? Is Rational Discourse Still an Option? "Motivated Skepticism" vs. Reasonable Civility

What kind of evidence counts?  Who decides?

See George Lakoff "Elephant in the Room" etc.

What happens if we allow reason and facts to die?  


Ezra Klein: Why does the GOP oppose stimulus? Ask a psychologist. - The Washington Post: "I don’t believe this sort of behavior is quite that cynical. Psychologists and political scientists talk often of a phenomenon known as motivated skepticism. The idea, basically, is that we believe the evidence and arguments we want to believe, and reject ideas and information that undercut our preferences."

Too late to talk about the elephant in the room?

Ignored too long, elephants in the room can die. 

To understand this challenge to rational discourse better, see 

George Lakoff's books re "Don't Think of an Elephant"  

You don't REALLY want another collection of good stuff, do you?

How to share overabundant good teaching/learning resources? 9/9 2pm ET Online
Join us for our first free online FridayLive! session of 2011-2012. September 9 at 2pm Eastern. Working title:
“You are not alone!” and “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Finding, Browsing, and Drowning in Overabundance
Interview of Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian for Research & Instructional Services, Temple U. and ACRL vice-president/president-elect.
AND

Recap, Extension of TLT Group’s Online Symposium 2011 (4th Annual) "Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration "

Which Courses Are/Aren't Pizza-like?

See previous 2 TLT-SWG blog postings!

How can we decide which courses are pizza-like? Which courses should or could be more or less pizza-like? For whom? Under what conditions? 


Consider:

• Differences between recorded and live presentations
• Importance of nuanced responses between audience and leader
• Role of course-related office hours - face-to-face, voice only, text only, etc.
• Potential for student course evaluations to influence mid-course improvements during and after a course
• Need for guided small group work
• Need for individual practice of techniques
• Complexity of important concepts
  
  Below find more excerpts from article:  "Virtual and Artificial, but 58,000 Want Course" By JOHN MARKOFF Published: August 15, 2011; 

DIY Pizza: Open Education Resources (MIT) Precursor to Stanford Free Online Courses?

The MIT OpenCourseWare project does NOT deliver courses. 

[See Part I of this series: Free Online Stanford Courses for Other Colleges]
As one of the first and best known sources of "open education resources," MIT has distinguished quite clearly between course resources and courses: "MIT OpenCourseWare is intended as a publication of MIT course materials, not as an interactive experience with MIT faculty. MIT OpenCourseWare does not offer users the opportunity for direct contact with MIT faculty. It provides the content of - but is not a substitute for - an MIT education." More... Also see: http://ocw.mit.edu

Many resources such as those being offered by MIT and Stanford (and recently, several other institutions)  could be useful to faculty and students at other institutions.  Even for those many  (most?) courses which are important components of an effective undergraduate education and usually NOT susceptible to pizza-like delivery.  Faculty can compare their own curriculum plans and assignments and see how colleagues at MIT and Stanford address various topics.  Students can use these resources for course enrichment and research.  Faculty can recommend these other materials to provide their own students with distinct, respectable, alternative points of view, perhaps stimulating deeper more critical analysis.

Free Online Stanford Courses for Other Colleges' Students? Is a Course a pizza?

Which courses are/aren’t pizza-like? Which can easily be ordered, delivered, and consumed? And which courses cannot?

" Having Stanford courses freely available could both assist and compete with other colleges and universities. A small college might not have the faculty members to offer a particular course, but could supplement its offerings with the Stanford lectures."

Would all small college students like access to Stanford's courses? To Stanford's faculty?  Would all small college administrators and faculty like to provide this kind of access?
Stanford's generosity might work well, but only for pizza-like courses - courses that can easily be ordered, delivered, and consumed.

"A free online course at Stanford University on artificial intelligence ... has attracted more than 58,000 students around the globe — a class nearly four times the size of Stanford’s entire student body.  ...
"The instructors are Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig, two of the world’s best-known artificial intelligence experts.
...The course "...will employ both streaming Internet video and interactive technologies for quizzes and grading,
"In place of office hours, they will use the Google moderator service, software that will allow students to vote on the best questions for the professors to respond to in an online chat and possibly video format. They are considering ways to personalize the exams to minimize cheating.
"The online students will not get Stanford grades or credit, but they will be ranked in comparison to the work of other online students and will receive a 'statement of accomplishment.'

But  recordings, interactive quizzes and automated grading feedback are NOT equivalent alternatives for most Stanford courses. 


More on this and MIT's OpenCourseWare tomorrow....

Below find more excerpts from article:  "Virtual and Artificial, but 58,000 Want Course" By JOHN MARKOFF Published: August 15, 2011;

Sample Refs for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration from C. Desrochers AND FridayLive! 9/9 2pm

Recap/Extension of 4th Annual Online Symposium on Small Mixed Collaborative Groups.

Book includes Desrochers' article listed below

9/9 2pm ET FREE online - 1st FridayLive! of 2011-12: 
Sample refs recommended by Cynthia D. Desrochers (used in her own work with Faculty Learning Communities in Calif. State Univ. system):

• Ortquist-Ahrens, L., & Torosyan, R. (2009). "The role of the facilitator in faculty learning communities: Paving the way for growth, productivity, and collegiality" [downloadable PDF] in Learning Communities Journal, 1 (1), 29-62.

• Desrochers, C. G. (2011). "Faculty learning communities as catalysts for implementing successful small group learning" [downloadable PDF]  in J. L. Cooper & P. Robinson (Eds.), Small group learning in higher education: Research and practice (pp. 130-138). Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.

Join FridayLive! 1st Session 2011-12 FREE online Sept 9, 2pm ET for Recap and Extension of 4th Annual Online Symposium on Small Mixed Collaborative Groups.

Volunteer [TLT Group Members only] to participate in a "small mixed collaborative group" to continue developing these guidelines and resources in academic 2011-12! Email Rebecca Kurtz: kurtz@tltgroup.org

We believe that working with small groups and focusing on small, realistic steps will lead to more widespread, long-lasting meaningful changes. In fact, in these especially challenging times, small steps may be the ONLY way to keep moving - in the right direction.

The resources listed at the beginning of this posting are samples from Working Draft: "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration" tlt.gs/SGCguide. Based on the work of the TLT Group's 4th Annual Online Symposium on Frugal Innovation and Collaborative Change: "You are not alone! Small Mixed Group Collaboration" (August, 2011).

• Many more resources...

Resources for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group STUDENT-FACULTY Collaboration

9/9 2pm ET FREE online -

1st FridayLive! of 2011-12: 

Recap/Extension of 4th Annual Online Symposium on Small Mixed Collaborative Groups.

_Engaging Student Voices... Book...

Sample refs from Peter Felten, Katie King, Ben McFadyen, Taylor Binnix of Elon Univ. in Symposium 2011 session 2:

• "Holy ****, you're actually listening to me" Student-Faculty Collaboration to Improve Courses - FridayLive! May 20, 2011
  
• Student-Faculty Partnerships in Course Design Bovill, C., Cook-Sather, A., & Felten, P. (2011). Students as co-creators of teaching approaches, course design and curricula. International Journal for Academic Development, 16, 2.
• Engaging Student Voices in the Study of Teaching and Learning, Carmen Werder (Editor), Megan M. Otis (Editor), Pat Hutchings (Foreword), Mary Taylor Huber (Foreword), Stylus Publishing (October 2009) ISBN-10: 1579224202 ISBN-13: 978-1579224202 - includes Elon chapter

SLIDES from Session 2: Intro/Overview incl. update of Online Survey Results

Join FridayLive! 1st Session 2011-12 FREE online Sept 9, 2pm ET for Recap and Extension of 4th Annual Online Symposium on Small Mixed Collaborative Groups.
 
TLT Group Members are also invited to participate in a "small mixed collaborative group" to continue developing these guidelines and resources in academic 2011-12!  To volunteer for this working group, send email to Rebecca Kurtz:  kurtz@tltgroup.org

We believe that working with small groups and focusing on small, realistic steps will lead to more widespread, long-lasting meaningful changes. In fact, in these especially challenging times, small steps may be the ONLY way to keep moving - in the right direction.

The resources listed at the beginning of this posting samples from Working Draft: "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration" tlt.gs/SGCguide.  Based on the work of the TLT Group's 4th Annual Online Symposium on Frugal Innovation and Collaborative Change:  "You are not alone!  Small Mixed Group Collaboration" (August, 2011). 

• Many more resources...

Stakeholders - Sample Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration

Stakeholders Participate for Successful Small Mixed Collaborative Groups

• Don't overlook students.
• Consider academic support professionals from all areas of responsibility - library, info tech, bookstore, ...
• Consider range of length of experience, stature among colleagues, etc.

From Sample Guidelines from Working Draft tlt.gs/SGCguide See More:  "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration:  Working draft from TLTG Annual Online Symposium 2011" tlt.gs/SGCguide

Expectations: Big Educational Visions AND/OR New Techs? - Sample Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration

Are some tasks, issues, themes especially good/bad for small mixed collaborative groups? How important is it to:

• Establish what big idea or vision can be embraced by the institution?
• Focus more on individual and group needs, educational goals;  less on specifics of new technologies?

Be as clear and explicit as possible

• Make sure expectations of all involved are widely known and highly consistent with feasibilities.
• Be clear and explicit about roles within each group - initially, repeatedly.
• Set clear agendas - which can be more or less detailed, explicit

From Sample Guidelines from Working Draft tlt.gs/SGCguide See More:  "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration:  Working draft from TLTG Annual Online Symposium 2011" tlt.gs/SGCguide

Incentives and Expectations - Sample Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration

Stipends and other tangible incentives are NOT essential for participation in small groups, but can be quite helpful.  

• Any tangible or extrinsic incentives should be planned, scheduled - not random.
• Financial incentives can be important as way of recognizing that people's time is valuable
• Be careful about offering financial incentives for activities that some have already been doing voluntarily without financial compensation
• Making small group participation part of "officially recognized" responsiblities demonstrates respect for the value of participants' time. 

From Sample Guidelines from Working Draft tlt.gs/SGCguide 

Planning, Membership, Communication - Sample Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration

Make participants comfortable and confident.

• Include potential leaders/facilitators and participants at earliest stages of planning - especially those who will be most affected by the results and those who will be essential to achieving those results
• Balance time spent listening to each other and modifying plans with time spent working on scheduled tasks.
• Level of Communication:

• Make it possible for the least expert participant to understand, contribute
• Make it possible for each participant to ask questions, to acknowledge limits to their own knowledge

• "Leave venting at the door" - How ?

• provide explicit time for venting and explain other times NOT for venting
• leader/facilitator models non-venting behavior

From Sample Guidelines from Working Draft tlt.gs/SGCguide See More:  "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration:  Working draft from TLTG Annual Online Symposium 2011" tlt.gs/SGCguide

Don't Get Stuck! - Sample Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration

Many factors important to the success of small mixed collaborative groups are not immutable characteristics of the group.  
These factors can, quite usefully, be treated as options or decisions.  For example, 

• the identification and role of leader/facilitators, 
• the consistency or flexibility of group structure (meeting frequency, meeting duration, ...)
• the familiarity of participants with the structure and procedures (resist or encourage new patterns?)

From Sample Guidelines from Working Draft tlt.gs/SGCguide See More:  "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration:  Working draft from TLTG Annual Online Symposium 2011" tlt.gs/SGCguide

Membership Matters - Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration

In establishing membership, in addition to faculty, consider academic support professionals from all areas of responsibility - library, info tech, bookstore, ... 

• Don't overlook students.
• Include those who will be most affected by the results and those who will be essential to achieving those results at earliest stages of planning.

From Sample Guidelines from Working Draft tlt.gs/SGCguide

See More:  "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration:  Working draft from TLTG Annual Online Symposium 2011" tlt.gs/SGCguide

Size Matters - Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration

Purpose, characteristics and expectations of participants, local culture and politics, etc. are all factors in ideal size of small groups.  From Sample Guidelines from Working Draft tlt.gs/SGCguide

See More:  "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration:  Working draft from TLTG Annual Online Symposium 2011" tlt.gs/SGCguide

Leadership/Facilitation in Small (3-12) Mixed/Collaborative Groups

Sample Guidelines from Working Draft tlt.gs/SGCguide


Leadership/Facilitation Matters

• "There is always someone who 'naturally' takes leadership in any group... either implicitly or by explicit agreement."  
• So, quite early,  explicitly identify and describe the role of leaders/facilitators... even if the decision is to share leadership/facilitation among all participants equally in a VERY small group!
• Include potential leaders/facilitators at earliest stages of planning.

See More:  "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration:  Working draft from TLTG Annual Online Symposium 2011" tlt.gs/SGCguide

Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration

Working draft from TLTG Symposium tlt.gs/SGCguide   

These Guidelines & References are based on the work of the TLT Group's 4th Annual Online Symposium on Frugal Innovation and Collaborative Change:  YOU ARE NOT ALONE!   SMALL MIXED GROUP COLLABORATION  (August, 2011).  Registration was free to TLT Group members.  See the homebase Web pages for each of the 3 online sessions:  

Session 1     Session 2     Session 3

TLT Group Members are also invited to participate in a "small mixed collaborative group" to continue developing these resources in academic 2011-12!  

To join this working group, send email to Rebecca Kurtz:

kurtz@tltgroup.org

The Symposium strongly influences the TLT Group's agenda for our weekly FridayLive! online sessions.  Our 2011-12 "season" begins on September 9, 2pm Eastern with a recap and extension of this summer's work on Small Mixed Collaborative Groups.

How can students who participate in a course online not feel disenfranchised

if some other students can participate in the same course face-to-face on campus?

• How can a student on one campus BENEFIT from taking courses in which the lead faculty member is based on a distant campus? Too distant for that student to participate in any face-to-face meetings? 
• How can a few colleges or universities each benefit from collaborating to enable their own enrolled undergraduates to take some of each others' courses? 

In what ways must the arrangements differ for students who participate only or primarily

• online 
• from the same campus as the lead instructor 
• from other campuses? 

Frugal Innovation: Colleges Share Courses?

Politically tolerable? Logistically feasible? Financially viable? Educationally desirable?

Sharing Courses with Other Colleges? Really? Where?

I'm looking for examples where a few colleges or universities each benefit from collaborating to enable their own enrolled undergraduates to take some of each others' courses.  Know of any?   Meanwhile...

Librarians + Faculty + ... Working In Small Groups & Faculty Learning Communities [FLCs]

Tues 1-2PM EDT Frugal Innovation via Small Group Collaboration, TLT Group's 4th Annual Online Symposium   

Free registration for TLT Group Members; Fee for non-members.

Guest Presenters from Miami University of Ohio:  Milton Cox (Founder of Faculty Learning Communities), Eric Resnis, Elizabeth SullivanTuesday, August 9, 2011, 1:00 pm (ET) Please complete pre-session survey!  Your answers to these 3 questions about collaboration at your own institution will help shape the Symposium and improve its recommendations, even if you can't attend the Symposium. Check your institution's status here to confirm your membership through an institutional subscription.

You are not alone! Queries and Strategies for Collaborative Change

Continuing August 11 at 1:00 - 2:00pm EST  with Steve Gilbert, President of the TLT Group, and guests

Students + Faculty + ... in Small Mixed Groups, 
and Mixed Inquiry Collaboration