I'm attending a webcast this morning in the Libraries (Terrell's instruction room); Mark Milliron is the main presenter; WSU's Mary Doyle is the moderator.
He described several trends in education: uneven population growth, an increasing need for education, and an increasing need for workforce training. One stat that stood out is that the University of Texas at Austin (where Milliron teaches) has over 50,000 students, but over 300,000 students enrolled in non-credit extension courses.
>>>>> 15 minutes of unwelcome background noise....a jackhammer sound from the CUB construction next door. Apparently, they've just gotten close enough in the last day or so for this to be a problem. I'm coordinating this program...mildly embarrassing, given the number of ITS and CTLT attendees....
Milliron presented some stats on computer/video games: the average game player age is 33; in 2005, 25% of gamers were over 50, and cited some of the learning skills gained through gaming (examples, the need to multitask, evaluate risks...). He also showed this interesting video created at Kettering University, which provides a nontraditional means for engaging students.
Towards the end, he's describing institutional use of data, the need to move from a "culture of blame" to a "culture of wonder" through using data to inform decisions regarding the implementation of technology. This really hit home for me...it's important to approach assessment data and responding to data in an innovative way.
Finally, he wrapped up with this innovative use of technology, a Southern Poverty Law Center online map describing hate groups. Milliron's summary was excellent; he described the opportunities available in education today due to array of available tools and the ability to touch and connect with more students.
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