Eddie Davila

As an instructor of entrepreneurs at Rice University, in one of my classes I have my students debate from thier seats whether everyone should learn Python or at least a fundamental programming language in middle school. The answer is usually a resounding yes! As the President of the Parent Teacher Association at my sons' school, we tackle this issue regularly, and 3D modeling has also come up in our discussions. My sons, who are now 10 and 12, have been learning Scratch, Python, JavaScript, and various modeling software. They use these skills to design and execute programming projects and tangible items on our 3D printer at home. It's incredible to see how these tools foster creativity and problem-solving skills at such a young age... and one is leaning into architecture hard because of it. Jennifer recently posted (shared at the end of this) about the impact of early exposure to 3D design and entrepreneurship in education. I couldn't agree more with her perspective. Introducing these skills early can shape career paths and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. Plus, it's just plain fun for the kids! At my son's school, we're always looking for ways to better utilize our technology and curriculum... and seeing schools lead the way with robust entrepreneurial programs is inspiring. Let me know if you have ideas or a strong opinion. Should we, and how should we, be integrating more tech and entrepreneurship into our schools? #3DDesign #Education #STEM #Innovation #Programming #Python

13

8 Comments

Dive into the basics of teaching with AI with the one and only Doan Winkel this summer. You will leave this workshop with the tools and knowledge to begin your journey in integrating AI into the classroom.

10

3 Comments

Teachers' working conditions are the students' learning conditions. At this stage of my career, one of my central goals is simple: bring JOY back to the profession of education and learning. My colleague Mary Laski at ASU's Next Education Workforce shared some findings that suggest the promise of team-based staffing models to deliver on that goal. Read on! https://lnkd.in/g_tWEw9T

27

Digital learning should be at the forefront of everyone in higher ed technology. The upcoming Digital Learning Transformation Institute can help you understand the framework to make informed decisions that can impact meaningful change at your institution.

17

Enrollment in higher ed can be challenging, especially for schools lacking strong online options. Those with extensive digital resources tend to thrive. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to tackle "brain drain" in communities and regions. Dr. Marina Aminy, from California Virtual Campus, discussed on the Parchment podcast how course sharing is changing the game. Students traditionally faced hurdles accessing key courses. Dr. Aminy highlighted how California's Community College system is leading the charge. With 116 colleges working together, students now access over 350,000 courses annually, vastly improving their educational opportunities. Here at Parchment, we partner with state systems and smaller groups to streamline cross-registration and expand non-degree offerings through our Course Sharing platform. Our aim is to help you combat brain drain, improve completion, and boost enrollment. What strategies have you found effective in making courses more accessible and enhancing student success? Let's hear your thoughts below as we continue to innovate together! #CourseSharing #HigherEducation #Innovation #StudentSuccess

9

2 Comments

Mathematics includes challenging concepts like fractions and decimals, which students frequently find difficult to convert between. This guide aims to simplify these conversions for both students and others. Additionally, there are online tools like the one from fraction-online.net that quickly convert fractions to decimals, easing fraction-related calculations. Let’s learn about them.

3

Check out my presentation on data-driven decision-making for educators using AI tools for the #weekofai online conference. We focus on instructional decision-making, school-wide decision-making, and using your data to then start finding research to support your decision-making. #edtech #ai #teachers #principals Watch Here: https://lnkd.in/gzJ8XXFJ

4

Multiple Chance Testing as a Gateway to Standards-Based Grading  Autar Kaw May 5, 2024 Traditional grading may not reflect student learning, which is a common concern. Imagine a large enrollment class that assesses learning via three midterm tests and a final exam, each weighing 25% of the semester grade. If a student scores 46%, 90%, 90%, and 90% on the four assessments, they will have a grade of C at the end of the semester. What are the alternatives? Some speak of using standards-based grading (SBG). So, what is SBG? What is SBG?  Standards-based grading (SBG) is an alternative method of assessing students. It emphasizes evaluating their mastery of specific learning objectives or standards rather than using points or percentages for assignments and exams. In SBG, students receive feedback on their progress toward each standard and are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate their proficiency. The goal of SBG is to foster a growth mindset where students view learning as a process of improvement rather than a competition for grades. I considered using SBG in my Numerical Methods class, a required junior-level course in Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Florida. The class typically enrolls 60-120 students per semester. I started watching YouTube videos, reading blogs, and analyzing journal papers on SBG. As I reviewed the many ways instructors use SBG, the idea of implementing it into my courses seemed overwhelming. Some had 30-50 standards in a course, and keeping track of each standard for every student would be overwhelming for students as well as the instructor.  Read the full article at my blog: https://lnkd.in/g9Esh_aX References: Autar Kaw and Renee Clark, Effects of Standards-Based Testing via Multiple-Chance Testing on Cognitive and Affective Outcomes in an Engineering Course, International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 303–321, 2024, https://lnkd.in/egCv4wud. #standardsBasedGrading National Science Foundation (NSF) USF Mechanical Engineering University of South Florida USF College of Engineering USF Research & Innovation

10

Very interesting! We are piloting M365 Copilot and I'm now wondering how these two will compare. #gptvscopilot #aiineducation #aiforeducation

6

1 Comment

The article explores the potential of AI to revolutionize education. AI can personalize learning experiences, provide real-time feedback, and automate tasks like grading. This allows teachers to focus on instruction and students to benefit from a more efficient and accessible learning experience. #GPTinEducation #FutureofLearning

1

How can we bridge the data analysis gap between higher ed and K12 without standardization? AI tools like GPT-4o’s Advanced Data Analysis might be the answer. Here’s why. In higher ed, many fields lack generic metrics, standardized tests, and the curricular rigidity they demand. This is largely due to the research-driven nature of universities, which prioritizes cutting-edge inquiry and its concomitant independence. As a result, professors often rely on their own qualitative analyses and unique quantitative data to evaluate their curricular choices, techniques, and teaching effectiveness, unlike K12 teachers who have comprehensive dashboards that display student progress relative to curricular standards. Given their lack of expertise (and time), many professors don't conduct quantitative analyses of their teaching as a result. ADA allows professors to upload data files directly into the ChatGPT interface, where it can analyze the data by writing and executing Python code in a sandboxed environment. It can handle tasks like reading, cleaning, and manipulating datasets, performing statistical analyses, and creating visualizations. Here are some examples of what ADA can do for professors: 📝 Evaluate the Import of Attendance and Participation: Professors disagree deeply about requiring attendance and participation. ADA can help analyze whether there is a relationship between attendance, participation, and academic performance, whether in a single course or over multiple semesters. 📈 Assess Formative Assessment Effectiveness: ADA can analyze if there's a sufficient correlation between formative assessments and summative assessments. If a lack of correlation is found, it indicates the formative assessments are not effective (though a correlation doesn't show they are effective, of course). 🛠️ Compare Curriculum Changes: ADA can help compare student performance data before and after curriculum changes, helping to assess the impact of new teaching methods or materials. Through use cases like these, AI tools like ADA can address professors' lack of quantitative insights on student learning while not sacrificing what makes higher ed distinctive. It democratizes data analysis, making robust analytical tools accessible to all educators, regardless of their data science background. What pedagogical use cases for ADA can you think of? I plan on writing more on this topic in the future and would love to hear your thoughts. #AI #EdTech #DataScience #HigherEd #TeachingInnovation

2

2 Comments

It’s one thing to get job search tips from an old man - it’s another thing to receive them from an early career researcher! Chaitanya Sambhara provides 💯 useful insights for running a successful academic job search! #academiccareers

28

1 Comment

Mid-Semester Changes and Covey’s Trust and Inspire Leadership: A Mismatch Introducing new procedures and systems mid-semester with less than a week's notice significantly impacts faculty. It disrupts their teaching flow, increases stress, and creates confusion. These practices fundamentally contradict Covey’s Trust and Inspire leadership ideals. Here’s why: Trust and Communication: Sudden changes undermine trust between faculty and administrators, creating confusion and stress. Empowering Others: Last-minute changes hinder faculty from performing at their best. Sustaining Relationships: Abrupt changes strain relationships between faculty and administrators by causing unnecessary tension. Encouraging Feedback: Implementing changes without faculty input disregards their expertise and contributions. Long-Term Vision: Quick fixes often sacrifice future stability and success. Trust and Inspire leadership means thoughtful planning, open communication, and empowering everyone involved. Let’s strive for practices that reflect these values, ensuring a supportive and effective teaching environment. #HigherEd #Leadership #TrustAndInspire #ChangeManagement #FacultyEmpowerment

1

As I prepare for SERVSIG 2024 in Bordeaux, including Journal of Services Marketing Associate Editor Meetings and a Special Session with Thomas Hollmann, Back to the Future? Services Science Myopia, there are some thoughts that educators must address. The United States is experiencing a cultural shift whereby programs, including credentials, are evaluated exclusively based on a learner's capacity to secure employment (see https://lnkd.in/g6xFxfFH We will increasingly be judged not by article generation, but rather, by our ability to maximize learners'' "Return on Investment," see https://lnkd.in/gX8pm23i To maintain employment, educators will have to consider linkages to skills and practitioners. If I'm accused of being extreme, colleges are now closing in the U.S. at a rate of one per week, https://lnkd.in/gESnhG-u I am promising an insightful session for SERVIG 2024 attendees as we discuss our responsibilities as marketing educators in a field where our success is correlated with the return on investment for our students. See you at the KEDGE Business School next week!

29

4 Comments

California's Reading Challenge: What's Needed? 📚 Dive into the discussion on EdSource as experts explore strategies to boost reading proficiency among California's youth. #ReadingChallenge #EducationReform

1

The 2023 Western Governors University Annual Report launched and we have so much to share ⭐ : *2023 = 169,379 total enrolled students *2023 = 46,895 graduates (352,368 total degrees awarded over time! 🎉 ) *43% of grads were first-generation college students We continue to strive for Equity in Access and Equity in Attainment An important piece to highlight: WGU grads, on average, have half the debt. ❤️ ($15,557 compared to $29,100 nationally) What We Believe: -We believe in human potential. -We believe in the promise of education. -We believe in our students. -We believe outcomes matter. -We believe that learners are workers. -We believe we can't get there without innovation. -We believe that big problems demand big solutions. Learn more here--WGU Annual Report 2023: https://lnkd.in/gJReFVnh #WGU #annualreport #highered

6

San Jose State University's Summer Elementary Math Teacher Institute Day 4: Our TK-Grade 2 teachers explored AI tools to personalize learning, teaching, and assessment. I am Sophie was amazing (!), including ChatGPT and Magic School Plus (!!). The teachers learned that AI tools could be put to work in different ways that are UDL-responsive, and co-created with AI math lessons that have a social justice focus, are culturally relevant, and model different depths of knowledge. Cheryl Roddick, math ed professor and facilitator, shared with the teachers in the beginning of the AI PD the early resistance toward graphing calculators in the 1990s. But, industry AI is about 20 years old now (and still growing), and AI in education seems rather stuck in the beginning phase of integration. AI is certainly going to (I hope) reconceptualize business-as-usual models of learning, teaching, and assessment, and our TK-2 teachers are excited!! Now if AI designers can develop math drawings on demand, I think that will speed up the process.

18

I am excited to share my recent publication in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, titled Why History Matters: A Review of Watters's Teaching Machines, The History of Personalized Learning. https://lnkd.in/e2-96Wg6

87

2 Comments