LSU Top 5 #14
This is the fourteenth of our weekly links to the top 5 interesting bits and pieces we’ve found from around the internet.
(Linking doesn’t mean we necessarily agree with these articles!)
Hiring Creative Employees – The Creativity Post
Employers are increasingly looking for creative employees, and yet the requirements of potential employees ensure basic competence rather than creativity. This article looks at qualities that companies should not only be more tolerant of in applicants, but should actively seek out. (And hey, if that doesn’t work, you could always try drugging them!)
Kling on Education and the Internet – EconTalk
For those who listen to podcasts, this is a great discussion about the direction that education might and should take.
Arnold Kling, economist and teacher, and Russell Roberts, professor of economics at George Mason University, argue that educators should use new technology to allow increasing individualisation of education rather than simply making the same product available to many (MOOCs!). They also talk about how students will change (and have already changed) their approach to learning no matter what educators do, taking a more ad hoc, less structured approach.
There’s some fresh stuff here, and much more than what’s summarised above.
McGraw-Hill’s new adaptive e-books to adjust to students’ learning needs’ – GigaOM
This article gives detail on when and how the new e-books from McGraw-Hill will learn from and adapt to students’ use of the media and content as well as frequently assess students as they use the books. Other publishers are aiming to develop similar technologies and some in higher ed are projecting that universities should and could go all-digital by 2015, creating major opportunities for publishers.
Spoiled children – Inside Higher Ed
Rich parents who subsidise their children’s expensive education and college parties may not always be happy with the return on their investments. Recent research by Laura Hamilton shows that students with generous financial support from parents are – with certain caveats – less likely to succeed academically, especially when parents don’t discuss clear expectations or goals with their kids.
Internet Activist, a Creator of RSS, Is Dead at 26, Apparently a Suicide – New York Times
Activist and developer Aaron Swartz committed suicide this week amidst a case against him that might have seen him serve 35 years for illegally releasing almost five million JSTOR articles.
We love hearing your thoughts on these articles, so feel free to comment below!
