Hosts Reflect with Yong Zhao, Curt Bonk, Chris Dede & Punya Mishra

Transformations Shaping Education in the MENA Region (Middle East & North Africa) with Shireen Yacoub (Istidama Consulting),  Elyas Felfoul (Qatar Foundation/ WISE), and Rami Qubain (PWC)In this episode, we navigate the intricate dynamics of the youth bulge in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 30. We will delve into the opportunities and challenges this demographic trend presents for both higher education and employment. One pressing challenge we tackle is the persistent issue of skills mismatch and high youth unemployment rates in MENA. Despite the increasing number of graduates, there exists a significant disconnect between the skills acquired through higher education and the demands of the job market. We will engage in a thoughtful discussion on strategies aimed at bridging this gap, aligning education with the evolving needs of the job market, and highlight success stories and promising programs that are already making a difference in addressing this crucial issue.Our guests will provide insights into key topics such as the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs), the localization and contextualization of reform efforts, curriculum modernization, and teacher development. We'll also explore the integration of technology to enable digitization and strategies for addressing the complex issue of the skills gap. Join us for a grounded, informative conversation that conversation that not only explores the challenges but also offers practical strategies and solutions that are actively shaping higher education in the MENA region.Episode guestsShireen Yacoub: An EdTech pioneer in MENA and Managing Partner at Istidama Consulting, working at the intersection of research and education with a primary focus on upskilling vulnerable communities, including refugees, and harnessing educational technology for enhanced economic mobility. Prior to joining Istidama, Shireen was the the CEO of Edraak, the leading open online learning platform reaching 7 million learners across the MENA region. She holds a master's degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education, specializing in Education, Innovation, and Technology.ELYAS FELFOUL, Director - WISE, Qatar Foundation: Elyas joined WISE in 2013, he has been in charge of managing and establishing the summit's platform as well as overseeing the EdTech Accelerator Program. With his extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, Elyas brings vast and rich knowledge and expertise to WISE. Before joining WISE, he worked as a political advisor to the Quebec Vice-Prime Minister, and later held a position at a Toronto-based firm specializing in M&A. Elyas studied International Relations at University of Sherbrooke in Canada and obtained a Masters in Public Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore.About WISE: WISE is an international, multi-sectoral platform for creative thinking, debate and purposeful action. WISE has established itself as a global reference in new approaches to education. Through both the biennial Summit and a range of ongoing programs WISE is promoting innovation and building the future of education through collaboration.Rami Qubain: Rami is a Director at PwC Middle East Education and Skills Advisory services, He has more than 20 years of experience in North America and MENA regions developing a track record managing transformation projects in different sectors including education, non-profit, community development, and public sector. He gained a solid skill-set working and managing projects to enhance operational efficiency, regulatory and academic governance frameworks, and stakeholder management. Prior to joining PwC in 2014, Rami worked across multiple higher education institutions including the American University in Cairo, Manhattanville College, and other start-up educational institutions and regional governmental entities

The HUB: A Parent's Journey to Create a Global School with Luba Vangelova and Miro Siegel

Experiential Learning and its Potential Impact on our Postsecondary Ecosystem with Howard Lurie, Senior Vice President for Research and Evaluation, Academic Programs International (API) &the API Foundation and Anastasia Vrachnos, Vice Provost of Global Education and Strategic Initiatives,  University of San Francisco.Amid tightening budgets, challenging demographics and uncertainty in enrollment forecasts, the overall health of the education abroad sector remains at a critical crossroads. Recent global student flow forecasting by the international research firm HolonIQ suggests that a rapid return to pre-pandemic enrollment is not a foregone conclusion. A variety of global and economic factors, including affordability, could continue to limit access to education abroad programs. In this context, schools need a more precise and actionable understanding of demand for education abroad. A more detailed understanding of demand can also help ensure that education abroad programs are more readily accessible and available to the full spectrum of undergraduate students.Academic Programs International (API), an award-winning provider of experiential learner programming is addressing these challenges through the development of its Experiential Learner Mindsets. This conversation will explore both the current state of the education abroad sector, and the potential impact that an understanding of learner mindsets may have on expanding access and lowering barriers of entry to these experiences.Episode GuestsHoward Lurie has been the Senior Vice President for Research and Evaluation at Academic Programs International (API) since 2021.  He is responsible for establishing and leading API’s research and evaluation services, focused on assessing the preferences and motivations of both prospective and alumni learners seeking study away/abroad and experiential learning opportunities.Prior to joining API, Howard served for seven years as the Principal Analyst for Online and Continuing Education at Eduventures, an independent research and advisory firm. At Eduventures, Howard designed and directed nationally representative research studies investigating the adult learner market, competency-based education (CBE), alternative credentials, and Online Program Management (OPM) services. Howard was the principal investigator for Eduventures’ 2016 – 2019 study Deconstructing CBE: An Assessment of Institutional Activity, Goals and Challenges in Higher Education.  Previously, Howard served in management and leadership roles at Acrobatiq, EdX, and WGBH where he co-founded and directed PBS LearningMedia, a free digital resource used by millions of secondary and postsecondary students.Anastasia Vrachnos works with leadership, academic partners, and business units to advance the scope of the university's global partnerships and immersive learning opportunities. She also coordinates strategic planning implementation and communications, oversees academic planning at Star Route Farms, and helps lead cross-divisional strategic initiatives that advance the academic enterprise.Before joining USF in 2019, Anastasia was the Vice Provost for International Affairs and Operations at Princeton University, and prior to that, served as dean of international and professional experience for Yale-NUS College in Singapore. She draws on a wide range of professional experience in the fields of education, nonprofit administration, finance, and journalism. She was the executive director of Princeton in Asia, worked as an investment banker for Morgan Stanley, taught middle school in the Bronx, and was an award-winning photojournalist in Indonesia and East Timor.

U.S. schools are implementing a 4-day school week, with positive feedback from parents and staff. Financial savings are less than 2%. The impact on academic outcomes is unclear. Some states have tried to block this change. Strategies for retaining quality teachers in high poverty districts are discussed.

Leading Edge Immersive Learning in Higher Education with Marcy Drummond, Greg Heilberger, and Jonathon RichterThe hype and promise of immersive learning such as virtual reality or augmented reality has been around for decades. Immersive environments can draw learners into highly engaging experiences unlike any other medium.  However, adoption of high quality immersive learning in higher education is uneven, though there are by now examples and institutions finding reliable success. What are the latest examples of immersive learning in higher education, what can we learn from these examples, and what might we do to improve the future?Three expert leaders of immersive learning get together for this episode of Silver Lining for Learning to discuss the trends and highlights of what’s happening with immersive learning experiences across the higher education space through three very distinct organizational lenses  - Marcy Drummond of MetaCity in Los Angeles, Greg Heiberger in South Dakota, and Jonathon Richter with the Immersive Learning Research Network. With special focus on strategic approaches for accessible and meaningful learner engagement, our guests may discuss immersive learning with respect to current trends such as the idea of the metaversity, low/no cost deployment, the drift from Metaverse to eXtended Reality (XR), games, game design and gamification in immersive learning, the wild array of immersive learning possibilities springing up across the curricula, the range of platforms and approaches for higher education professionals to consider in co-designing with students, integrating AI into immersive learning experiences, and the nature of hype versus evidence-based simulations to be found across higher education, and out into the workforce and other field-based settings.ResourcesMetaCity:https://www.lacitycollege.edu/about/why/meta-citySouth Dakota State University:https://www.sdstate.edu/news/2023/03/sdsu-selected-one-seven-original-metaversitiesImmersive Learning Research Network’s Champions in Higher Education for XR (CHEX):https://www.immersivelrn.org/initiatives/champions-in-higher-education-of-xr-chex/ Free and Lo/No-Code -Immersive experiences used be expensive and reserved for the “techies”. Now, with drag and drop functionality in graphic and immersive spaces, students can collaborate and prototype and codesign spaces WITHOUT have much technical skill. Check out this recent Geekflare article on empowering students with no-code for Augmented Reality development.  [ . . . } At the crossroads between two current trends, Artificial Intelligence is taking over the Lo- or No-Code development space.Artificial Intelligence & Generative Text impacting Immersive Learning -VR software company ENGAGE has ChatGPT embedded into virtual “bot” beings in their virtual environment - a project called Athena worth investigating. Many informal reports of higher education engaging in projects using text and image generating AI to design and develop immersive experiences - particularly with educational character design, world/level design, and dialogue customized to specific faculty expert-context.Accessible Tech -Look to the emerging power of WebXR, such as: FrameVR, Mozilla Hubs, Alakazam, Spatial.io - if you can access the web (a relatively low bar), you can thus, get into the virtual 3D space, as WebXR operates in the web browser - no need to download and install a separate program. Mobile phones can then become a common demoninator access point - something many learning institutions already practice. Ruth Le at the University of Michigan has a good summary of the limitations vs. benefits of eXtended Reality regarding accessibility and learning.Digital Twins - This is a popular buzzword in higher education and thus, operates at all levels of conversation. Digital Twins are digital models linked to physical reality. There is some tangible reality - some real benefits being actually realized out of this old concept and institutions are finding success innovating with the idea: from digital twins of municipal areas, sports arenas, bridges, and the many ongoing digital twin projects of universities in partnership with Victory XR. Graphics Card maker NVIDIA has a 5-step guideline on Getting Started with Digital Twins.Metaversities - What is a Metaversity and should you build one? (Forbes, Jan 2023); Previously mentioned Victory XR and Virbela are two companies that offer different kinds of metaversity solutions.Simulations and Training - Companies like TaleSpin offer enterprise software and toolkits that universities and other orgs can use to design and integrate their own XR solutions. Other solutions, such as those offered by the company BodySwaps provides “soft skills” training and accreditation pathways for universities to build & reinforce cultural expectations and cultivate professional behavior. Focused on specific job-related skills and career pathways, companies like Transfr collaborate with universities and businesses with active work sites.Games, game design, and gamification - Some universities are hoping that gamification can stem the tide of declining enrollment. Generative text is being used to customize complex narratives, curated by higher education experts as a core aspect of the design of highly engaging customized learning experiences. The ethical implications and consequences that we face are worth careful consideration. ChatGPT has a free version but the AI visual image generators such as Bing’s, Open AI’s DALL-E2, or MidJourney - which are NOT free but still relatively accessible - are potentially transformative for use in teaching and learning in higher education. The Immersive Learning Research Network has explored and experimented with Alternate Reality Games in education for the past few years.Evidence-based Design of Immersive Learning experiences - In 2022, in support of the mission of the IEEE Technical Committee on Immersive Learning Environments, the iLRN FAIDS initiative worked with the iLRN community to crowdsource  emerging design standards for developing high quality immersive learning experiences.Episode GuestsMarcy Drummond led the development of the MetaCity XR teaching and learning program as Vice President for Economic and Social Mobility Innovation at Los Angeles City College. Marcy’s prior positions were at the ACT Foundation and the  Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  Marcy also served more than ten years as Los Angeles Trade-Technical College’s Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Innovation and as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development where she led major education and workforce development initiatives, several of which received national and international recognition, including the Pathways to Academic, Career, and Transfer Success (PACTS) model, the Regional Economic Development Institute, the Transportation Workforce Institute, and the Green Technology Incubator.Dr. Heiberger’s 20 years of innovation at South Dakota State University (SDSU) includes curricular, co-curricular and outreach programming. His professional career spans 5 years in student affairs, 10 years as pre-med advisor/instructor and he currently serves as Associate Professor & Coordinator of the accelerated master’s in Human Biology and Associate Dean in the College of Natural Sciences. His active research projects include a social listening study exploring the change in STEM career sentiment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and is the PI for an NSF funded project titled: The Wokini Undergraduate Biology Education Network. In 2022, SDSU was named one of the first 10 Metaversity campuses in the US. Greg currently leads SDSU’s Metaversity initiative and additionally he has cultivated internal and external investment in VR initiatives supporting over 150 headsets deployed in physical VR labs, and a mobile VR lab project aimed at engaging regional rural communities in STEM activities and careers through VR.Jonathon Richter, is co-Founder and the current Chief Executive Officer of the Immersive Learning Research Network, or iLRN - where he has led in the co-creation of the iLRN Virtual Campus since 2020 with partner platforms such as Virbela, Frame, Mozilla Hubs, and Alakazam. In collaboration with universities such as San Diego State University, Harvard University, University of Roehampton, and Goethe University, the iLRN Virtual Campus

Contemporary Education and Changing Culture in UkraineThe war raging in Ukraine has been front page news for the past 18 months. The co-hosts at Silver Lining for Learning (SLL) have been concerned about the educational situation in Ukraine; what is happening in the classroom as well as online. In this episode of SLL, Dr. Hanna Bondarenko, Associate Professor at the Institute of International Education at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, will share her perspectives on education in this time of crisis. V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, founded in 1804, is a prestigious academic university and the second-oldest university in Ukraine. In Episode #163, Dr. Bondarenko explores and discusses how K-12 and higher education are practiced under war conditions and what she sees as the future of education with such changing circumstances. During the hour, we will also discuss its’ impact on culture and life in general. As the person responsible for directing international education on her campus, she will also discuss the present circumstances for domestic and international students in a post-pandemic world and amidst forced conflict. As you will learn from this episode, Hannah’s insights will speak to the resilience of the human heart, the fortitude of the human mind, and the possibilities for education despite the plethora of challenges posed to educators, students, and parents by the current political, social, and economic landscape.Hanna Bondarenko (PhD in History) is Associate Professor at the Institute of International Education V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. She is also a visiting scholar at Indiana University. Her scholarship and teaching address international education and Ukrainian history and culture. Her recent international project includes: "Kharkiv as a Multicultural City of Eastern Ukraine: Advantages, Contradictions, Challenges and Prospects for Development (1991-2020)," funded by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. She is the Project Coordinator of "City and War" (Destruction, Preservation and Rethinking of the Cultural Heritage of Large Cities in Eastern and Southern Ukraine During the Russo-Ukrainian War) (https://en.cityface.org.ua/projectheritage.html) (2022 - to date).Hanna teaches many courses intended for international students. These courses include: "History of Ukraine," "Culture and Traditions of Ukraine," "History of Kharkiv Region," and "History of Kharkiv University." She participated in the following international projects: "Kharkiv as a Multicultural City of Eastern Ukraine: Advantages, Contradictions, Challenges and Prospects for Development (1991-2020)." This project was funded by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (2020). In addition, she was involved in: "Practices of the Self-Representation of Multinational Cities in the Industrial and Post-Industrial Era" (2018-2021) that was supported by the Kowalski Program and the Program for the Study of Modern Ukraine of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta (https://cityface.org.ua/). A third international project was: "Integration and Adaptation of Foreign Students / INTERADIS Erasmus+. Her latest publication on the topic of education in Ukraine (in English): Bondarenko, H. Ukrainian Education in Wartime: Challenges and Problems. The Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series: History, no. 62, 2022, pp. 142-159. https://www.doi.org/10.26565/2220-7929-2022-62-06. She can be contacted at: abondarenko@karazin.ua.Suggested readings: Nazarenko, Y., Kohut, I., & Zheriobkina, T. (No date). Education and War in Ukraine (February 24-April 1, 2022). Cedos, 1-10.Impact of the War on Higher Education in UkraineUkrainian Education in Times of War: Ukrainian Education in Times of War

Danielle McNamara, Scotty Craig, and Rod Roscoe join the SLL Team to discuss the emerging field of learning engineering—and discuss innovative methodologies to optimize educational experiences and leverage technology for improved learning outcomes.Learning engineering is an emerging field that integrates educational psychology, data science, and technology to design, implement, and assess effective learning experiences. Through data-driven insights, learning engineers bridge the gap between educational research and practical application, devising personalized and adaptive learning environments tailored to individual learner needs.The newly instituted Learning Engineering Institute at Arizona State University will bring together multidisciplinary experts, encompassing cognitive science, computer science, and instructional design, to collaboratively undertake cutting-edge research and development. By harnessing the potential of learning analytics and artificial intelligence, guided by evidence-based understanding of learning and learners, the institute aims to revolutionize education, fostering accessibility, effectiveness, and customized learning experiences for all. Through this initiative, ASU  empowers learners and educators to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape of learning technologies and pedagogical approaches. Our guestsDanielle S. McNamarahttps://search.asu.edu/profile/1805468Danielle S. McNamara is the Executive Director of the newly formed ASU Learning Engineering Institute, Director of the Science of Learning and Educational Technology (SoLET) Lab, and a Professor in the Department of Psychology. She is an international expert in the fields of cognitive and learning sciences, comprehension, writing, natural language processing (NLP), intelligent tutoring, and artificial intelligence in education. She and her team have developed several intelligent tutoring systems, including iSTART and Writing Pal, for comprehension and writing instruction and practice. Research on these technologies have explored methods for improving student engagement via game-based practice, enhanced adaptability functions, and assessed the feasibility and usability of these systems in real world settings such as high school classrooms. Dr. McNamara has also led the development and testing of multiple NLP tools that have been used in various contexts and learning environments involving essay writing, reading comprehension, second language learning, and creativity. Such tools allow for quick, efficient, and reliable analyses of large text corpora, which is particularly relevant and valuable when analyzing big data. She is an APS, AERA, and ST&D fellow, Founding Editor of APA Technology, Mind, & Behavior, and served as associate editor for the Cognitive Science Journal, Journal of Educational Psychology, Learning & Instruction, International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, and founding AE of Topics in Cognitive Science.Scotty Craig: https://search.asu.edu/profile/1978855Scotty D. Craig is the Director of Research, Assessment, and Evaluation at the ASU Learning Engineering Institute and is an associate professor of human systems engineering within The Polytechnic School of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Dr. Craig is a learning engineer with expertise in cognitive science, design science, and the science of learning (specifically learning technology). He has contributions at the intersection of psychology, education, and technology within the areas of multimedia learning, virtual environments, distributed learning as well as development and evaluation of learning technology within laboratory and applied settings. Dr. Craig is currently the Graduate Chair for the Human Systems Engineering Program and the University Senate Past President of the Polytechnic Campus.Rod Roscoehttps://search.asu.edu/profile/1809961Rod D. Roscoe is the Director of Inclusion for the ASU Learning Engineering Institute and he is an associate professor of human systems engineering in the Polytechnic School of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, and was a Diane and Gary Tooker Professor of Effective Education in STEM. He is affiliate faculty of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and a member of the Center for Human, Artificial Intelligence, and Robot Teaming (CHART). His research investigates how the intersection of learning science, computer science, user science, and equity science can inform effective and innovative educational technologies. He is also interested in how cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational learning processes can be scaffolded by educational technology. Recent work has explored inclusive language analytics and emphasizing inclusive approaches to assessment and AI in educationOther linksGoogle ScholarSLATE Lab

As activist and author Adrienne Maree Brown urges us, to “...fight for the future, get into the game, get dirty, get experimental…” – we need reimagined schools and public education now more than ever. Urgent problems like climate change, poverty, and global hunger require immediate, widespread, and collective action. They require a humane education that ensures all students are critical, empathic agents in their communities and on the global stage. A different world is possible if we overcome the distortion of our senses and see beyond broken systems. By setting our sights toward something new, we can reveal solutions that already exist today. What if we started by listening to students?That’s the question that lives at the heart of our professional development. At the core of every school are the students. We’re building a platform for educators, administrators, and families to connect with young people, breaking barriers toward learning and building engaging practices. Our process begins by working with multiple groups of young people of all age levels to learn about their hopes, dreams, and aspirations, connecting each to their school experience. We learn about what they love and wish could be improved.Human Restoration Project takes these conversations and analyzes them, utilizing a high-quality transcription and collaborative discussion tool from MIT-partner Cortico. This enables us to build a multi-day interactive, hands-on professional development model that not only provides the latest in research-driven practice, but is directly built on the aspirations of young people.Consistently, we find young people telling us the same issues that need addressed (which mirrors what we see in research):Classrooms need to be increasingly collaborative, hands-on, purpose-focused, and meaningful. They should be more active and less passive.Schools need to draw upon students’ lived experiences and with the assets of their local communities.Assignments and projects must aim toward an interdisciplinary focus, leading to increasingly authentic learning experiences.School is, well, boring. Reimagining education (see above) would lead to more engagement, higher academic achievement, and better social emotional health.There’s a mental health crisis, and school structures and systems are in-part to blame, and need to change.We’re former public school teachers and we understand that PD rarely feels worthwhile: only 29% of teachers say they are satisfied with their PD. We believe that the research-driven interactive, discussion-based model we are passionate about in our classrooms should also be how we learn with adults. Through a workshop model, educators co-design changes to their classroom.Through our work, we have led large scale focus-group analysis with young people and community members, directed workshops, embraced PBL and interdisciplinary learning, redesigned schedules and classrooms, and co-designed entire “schools-within-schools.” One thing remains consistent: the vast majority of educators and young people want and desire change. Imagining and building a better schooling system – a better future – isn’t naivety, it’s essential for a thriving world. Individual actions snowball and propagate through systems, and each act of service, each pushback, each classroom decision can fundamentally build a better future. It’s up to us to make that tomorrow a reality.Let’s restore humanity together.Human Restoration Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on restoring humanity to education: providing free resources to educators looking to make change, and working directly with schools to develop partnerships with young people, educators, and administrators in systems-based design.Guests:Nick Covington is a former high school Social Studies teacher in Iowa public schools and Creative Director of Human Restoration Project, who promotes progressive education across the board. Nick aims to reestablish the idea of what school could be to one of student-centered success that relies on their ideas and knowledge, instead of a dictated “future ready” curriculum.Chris McNutt is obsessed with the benefits of progressive education and wants a practical place to find everything, for free, under one roof (hence HRP!) He was a public high school digital media & design educator who centered his practice on experiential learning, purpose-driven pathways and community involvement. He is the Executive Director of Human Restoration Project.

SLL Ep. 160 | Hosts reflect on media, language and meaning making in an age of AI   Silver Lining for Learning is an ongoing conversation on the future of learning with educators and education leaders from across the globe. Hosted by Chris Dede, Curt Bonk, Punya Mishra & Yong Zhao, these conversations began under the “dark cloud” of the COVID19 crisis and continue today. We see these conversations as space to discuss the creation of equitable, humanistic and sustainable learning ecosystems that meet the needs of all learners. These  conversations are hosted live on YouTube every Saturday and are archived on https://silverliningforlearning.org