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Vocabulary in Context: Inked Mummies

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Vocabulary in Context: Inked Mummies

Today, Ms. Sialuk Jacobsen uses historical documents, artifacts and the Qilakitsoq mummies — several of which are now on display at the Greenland National Museum — to research traditional Inuit tattoo designs. Then she hand pokes or stitches the patterns onto the faces and bodies of Inuit women, and occasionally men, helping them connect with their ancestors and a part of their culture.

“I take great pride in tattooing a woman,” she said. “When she meets her foremothers in the next world, it will be like looking in a mirror.”

Teenagers in The Times: October 2021

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Teenagers in The Times: October 2021

Here is the October edition of Teenagers in The Times, a roundup of the news and feature stories about young people that have recently appeared across sections of NYTimes.com. We publish a new edition on the first Thursday of each month.

For ideas about how to use Teenagers in The Times with your students, please see our lesson plan and special activity sheet, both of which can be used with this or any other edition.

_________

‘This Drop Came So Quickly’: Shrinking Schools Add to Hong Kong Exodus

The Chinese territory is experiencing its biggest population drop in decades as residents flee political repression and a new “patriotic” curriculum.

The Fight to Ban Books

Critical race theory battles hit libraries.

With Masks On or Off, Schools Try to Find the New Normal

Despite some turmoil, a vast majority of students have been in classrooms full-time and mostly uninterrupted this fall. Now, educators debate what’s next.

How Students Fought a Book Ban and Won, for Now

Hundreds of students, parents and residents in York County, Pa., protested limits on books told from the perspective of gay, Black and Latino children.

De Blasio to Phase Out N.Y.C. Gifted and Talented Program

The mayor unveiled a plan to replace the highly selective program, which has become a glaring symbol of segregation in New York City public schools, for incoming students. It will be up to his successor to implement it.

The Difference Between an Unpaid and a Paid Student-Athlete? Not Much.

Since July, the N.C.A.A. has allowed athletes to make money from endorsement deals. Fans don’t seem to mind.

His N.B.A. Dream Was Right There. Then He Couldn’t Move His Legs.

A mysterious illness on the eve of the 2019 N.B.A. draft derailed Kris Wilkes’s hopes of going pro. As he heals, he’s not giving up hope.

Headgear Reduces Concussions in High School Girls’ Lacrosse, Study Shows

A University of Florida study includes data from roughly 350,000 games and practices in more than 30 states. Headgear for girls has been mandated in Florida since 2015, and remains hotly debated.

Emma Raducanu, After U.S. Open Win, Keeps Her Feet on the Ground

The 18-year-old returns to the court at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., as a headliner, richer and more famous. She still needed a wild card.

The Next Generation of Men’s Tennis

Fixing this and that in their games, these 10 players could join the elite.

Transgender Athletes Face Bans From Girls’ Sports in 10 U.S. States

Over the past two years, nine states have enacted laws to bar transgender girls and women from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Another relied on an executive order for a ban.

What Can Older Generations Learn From Gen Z?

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What Can Older Generations Learn From Gen Z?

What is unique about Gen Z? What are some of the qualities — good and bad — that define your generation? Have you found older generations accepting of those qualities?

In “The 37-Year-Olds Are Afraid of the 23-Year-Olds Who Work for Them,” Emma Goldberg writes about generational differences related to work and beyond:

As a millennial with a habit of lurking on TikTok, Jessica Fain understood that skinny jeans and side parts were on the steady march toward extinction. But when Ms. Fain, who works as a product manager at a large tech company, heard that some of her favorite emojis might also be confronting retirement — namely that laughing-sobbing face — she decided to seek the counsel of her junior colleagues.

“I heard that using this emoji isn’t cool anymore,” Ms. Fain, 34, said she wrote in a water-cooler-type Slack channel.

“Yeah I only use that emoji at work for professionalism,” she recalled a younger employee replying. “H8 2 break it to 2 u Jess.”

Ms. Fain is old enough to remember when millennials determined what was in vogue: rompers, rose pink, craft beer, Netflix and chill. Now, she gets the foreboding sense from colleagues that her AARP card awaits. Subtly yet undeniably, as generational shifts tend to go, there’s a new crop of employees determining the norms and styles of the workplace. And they have no qualms about questioning not just emoji use but all the antiquated ways of their slightly older managers, from their views on politics in the office to their very obsession with work.

The article continues:

It’s a fault line that crisscrosses industries and issues. At a retail business based in New York, managers were distressed to encounter young employees who wanted paid time off when coping with anxiety or period cramps. At a supplement company, a Gen Z worker questioned why she would be expected to clock in for a standard eight-hour day when she might get through her to-do list by the afternoon. At a biotech venture, entry-level staff members delegated tasks to the founder. And spanning sectors and start-ups, the youngest members of the work force have demanded what they see as a long overdue shift away from corporate neutrality toward a more open expression of values, whether through executives displaying their pronouns on Slack or putting out statements in support of the protests for Black Lives Matter.

“These younger generations are cracking the code and they’re like, ‘Hey guys turns out we don’t have to do it like these old people tell us we have to do it,’” said Colin Guinn, 41, co-founder of the robotics company Hangar Technology. “‘We can actually do whatever we want and be just as successful.’ And us old people are like, ‘What is going on?’”

Twenty-somethings rolling their eyes at the habits of their elders is a trend as old as Xerox, Kodak and classic rock, but many employers said there’s a new boldness in the way Gen Z dictates taste. And some members of Gen Z, defined as the 72 million people born between 1997 and 2012, or simply as anyone too young to remember Sept. 11, are quick to affirm this characterization.

Students, read the entire article, and then tell us:

  • What is your reaction to the article? Did any of the examples of Gen Z perspectives, ideas or actions — whether about work, political activism or anything else — resonate with your beliefs or experiences? Why or why not?

  • How do you feel about older generations characterizing Gen Z? Is it flattering to hear their views on your generation? Are their views frustrating or reductive?

  • In your opinion, what are the most important things that older generations, and even future generations, could learn from yours? What valuable things have you learned from older generations?

  • Describe a moment from your life that illustrates a generational difference. It could be a time when you helped someone older understand an important issue in a new way, or when you felt misunderstood because of stereotypes about your generation. Describe the situation, how you felt and why it matters.

  • What do you think this article is missing, if anything, about Gen Z? Are there perspectives or conclusions that you believe the writer misunderstood or misinterpreted? What else do you think she, and readers of the article, should know about people your age? (You might scan the 2,800-plus reader comments on the piece. This article prompted a lot of conversation!)

Alison: Playing Our Part in Combating Climate Change

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Alison: Playing Our Part in Combating Climate Change

At Alison, we believe that our commitment to fighting climate change goes hand-in-hand with our devotion to empowerment through education. Our project of bringing top quality education and training to anyone, anywhere, at any time, is not limited to workplace and professional skills. We believe that every individual on the planet should have access to the information necessary to save it.

We have always been committed to promoting accurate and up-to-date information on the challenges facing our global family of learners, from coronavirus to climate change. As the situation evolves, we will continue to produce vital courses outlining how individuals and companies can affect changes that can reduce emissions and protect the planet.

Central to our mission is our alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the UN’s “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all people and the world by 2030”. The idea of sustainability is woven into the fabric of what we do.

Alison is a remote company, which means that our team is not centralised in a single building but rather is based in a variety of locations around the world. This allows us to reduce our carbon footprint by slashing office energy usage and also elimates the fuel consumption of commuting. As a digital only enterprise, we also operate with zero paper waste.

At the heart of our project is our belief in the endless potential for good that comes from leveraging technology for online learning. Through our online platform, and more recently through the Alison App, we allow millions of Learners around the world to gain a quality education without any of the environmental costs that are inherent in bricks and mortar schooling. Our model means no paper waste, no schoolbus fumes, no lights left on in the school overnight. Our Learners are taking part not just in an educational revolution, but an environmental one.

To mark the 2021 United Nations’ Climate Change Conference, we reached out to our employees around the world and asked them what action they took to play their part in the fight against climate change. We were inundated with tips and advice and from their suggestions we’ve put together ten recommendations for leading a more sustainable life.

1. Energy

Instead of using traditional oil or gas sources to generate power, consider alternative energy options such as solar panelling.

2. Garden

By germinating and growing fruit tree seedlings, you can distribute them to friends in order to increase the number of trees to absorb carbon. When working in your garden, be conscious of planting more water-wise plants and plants that help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. You can also recycle much of your kitchen waste for compost, which both benefits the garden and saves you money on fertiliser.

3. Food shopping

When shopping, select fruit and vegetables which are not wrapped in plastic and which are locally grown when possible. Use canvas, rather than plastic, bags and if you do happen to get plastic bags, make sure to reuse them as much as possible. Avoid buying single use plastics and buy food that comes in glass, cardboard or tin as much as possible.

4. Diet

Follow a vegan diet for 5 days a week and a vegetarian one for the other 2, as these diets have far lower carbon footprints than meat-heavy diets. You should also try and eat food that’s in season.

5. Toiletries

Buy toiletries from whole sale or refill shops where you can buy them by the litre and bring your own reusable containers. Many sustainable, water-saving and environmentally friendly personal care products are now very easy to source, such as bamboo toothbrushes, organic loofahs, reusable make-up remover pads, shampoo bars and bamboo cotton buds.

6. Transport

Limit your fuel emissions by walking and cycling as much as possible and using public transport when you can.

 

7. Water Conservation

Catch cold water from the shower in a bucket to use in the toilet and garden or to wash floors, rather than let it go down the drain.

8. Education

Learn about the science behind climate change in order to be better informed about how you can implement the most effective changes in your own daily routines.

9. Paper Waste Reduction

Use recycled toilet paper and, instead of using kitchen role/paper towel, use reusable cloths. Invest in a reusable coffee cup and straw to reduce cardboard waste.

10. Clothes Shopping

Shop from charity shops as much as possible and don’t buy new clothes or shoes until the old ones are worn out. Limit your new clothing purchases to local and ethically sourced materials, and learn to repair clothes that can be fixed.

Film Club: ‘Greta Thunberg Has Given Up on Politicians’

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Film Club: ‘Greta Thunberg Has Given Up on Politicians’

2. After watching, think about these questions:

  • What questions do you still have?

  • What connections can you make between this film and your own life or experience? Why? Does this film remind you of anything else you’ve read or seen? If so, how and why?

3. An additional challenge | Respond to the essential question at the top of this post: What gives you hope in the fight against climate change?

4. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)

5. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.

6. To learn more, read “This Is the World Being Left to Us by Adults.” a Guest Opinion Essay published in August by Greta Thunberg along with Adriana Calderón, Farzana Faruk Jhumu and Eric Njuguna, who are youth climate activists from Mexico, Bangladesh and Kenya:

Last week, some of the world’s leading climate change scientists confirmed that humans are making irreversible changes to our planet and extreme weather will only become more severe. This news is a “code red for humanity,” said the United Nations secretary general.

It is — but young people like us have been sounding this alarm for years. You just haven’t listened.

On Aug. 20, 2018, one child staged a lone protest outside the Swedish Parliament, expecting to stay for three weeks. Tomorrow we will mark three years since Greta Thunberg’s strike. Even earlier, brave young people from around the world spoke out about the climate crisis in their communities. And today, millions of children and young people have united in a movement with one voice, demanding that decision makers do the work necessary to save our planet from the unprecedented heat waves, massive floods and vast wildfires we are increasingly witnessing. Our protest will not end until the inaction does.

For children and young people, climate change is the single greatest threat to our futures. We are the ones who will have to clean up the mess you adults have made, and we are the ones who are more likely to suffer now. Children are more vulnerable than adults to the dangerous weather events, diseases and other harms caused by climate change, which is why a new analysis released Friday by UNICEF is so important.

The Children’s Climate Risk Index provides the first comprehensive view of where and how this crisis affects children. It ranks countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks, as well as their underlying vulnerability to those shocks.

It finds that virtually every child on the planet is exposed to at least one climate or environmental hazard right now. A staggering 850 million, about a third of all the world’s children, are exposed to four or more climate or environmental hazards, including heat waves, cyclones, air pollution, flooding or water scarcity. A billion children, nearly half the children in the world, live in “extremely high risk” countries, the UNICEF researchers report.

This is the world being left to us. But there is still time to change our climate future. Around the world, our movement of young activists continues to grow.

What Students Are Saying About Climate Anxiety, Football Controversies and Making Choices

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What Students Are Saying About Climate Anxiety, Football Controversies and Making Choices

It is underwhelming yet not surprising that only 26% of Americans are worried about climate change, and it is most likely composed of Gen Z since they will have to face the consequences, unlike older generations. This portion only goes to show the disconnect between many Americans since much of the population either does not believe in climate change or separate themselves from societal issues which ultimately only hurts marginalized identities. Despite this, Shain’s article stresses the value of climate action since shared feelings of grief open a door of social support and the opportunity to fight for sustainability. Many activists, such as Greta Thunberg, have challenged political leaders to take immediate action to protect the livelihoods that will be stolen from climate change; however, a plethora of communities have actively fought for climate justice, yet their voices are not amplified, such as the Indigenous American community…Because of this, we need to recognize more communities that are directly impacted by this issue and fight for climate justice.

— Vera, Kempner High School

While I do not experience “Climate Anxiety”, I think that it’s very important to be aware of our environment. The changes happening today are our future and if we want to live in a safe and habitable earth as adults, we need to think about our decisions today. I think that most of the people concerned with Climate Change are my generation, or Gen Z, because it’s almost not the older generation’s problem because they will be gone before it starts to affect them.

— Matthew, Long Island

Reducing climate change has always been a passion of mine since middle school. Yes, I have on multiple occasions worried about the current state of our world, where it’s headed, and how we’re going to stop trends stirring us in the wrong direction. But after taking an AP Environmental Science course my sophomore year of high school, I found myself a coping method: breaking it down. There are many factors that fall under the umbrella of climate change, from waste disposal to agriculture practices to factories; during the APES course I learned about all these things and what things have what affects on the environment. It may seem like learning about all the different ways we’re hurting the earth would cause more stress, but for me it helps me process everything. When you think about climate change as a whole, naturally that’s a bigger bite then we can chew- you just don’t know where to start- but when you break it down into all the contributors, it’s much easier to digest. In regards to conservation efforts, identifying and figuring out how to tackling one specific factor is much easier than trying to take on climate change all together.

— Annika, Glenbard West High School

I do believe that I have, to some degree, experienced anxiety and grief related to climate change. Sometimes when my mind is wondering, a world fully infested with climate change will invade my thoughts. I may think about towns being flooded, vegetation becoming scarce, or animals that have been on this planet for longer than humans going extinct. To try to cope with this “climate anxiety,” I think about the things that can be done to reduce climate change. When thinking about this it calms me down some, knowing that if we all work together, we can stop, or at least reduce, the flooding, food scarcity and animal extinction caused by climate change…

— Peter, Julia R. Masterman School

For some, climate change is not an issue worth tackling. However, for others, climate change is the source of unrelenting anxiety, especially for those who are directly impacted by the change in climate, even those concerned about the future. This anxiety and grief run through the veins of many young people, and while, in many cases, anxiety is associated with negative connotations, in this case, anxiety should work as our motivation for change. As we continue to uphold the status quo and allow multibillionaires to continue to pollute ecosystems and harm the Earth for profit, we are allowing people all over the world to suffer, specifically those from low-income communities and people of color, who are “often on the front lines of climate change.” While it is imperative that the grief that we collectively feel is used to bring about real action we should also celebrate our wins, as well as work to overcome this despair and transform it into a more positive feeling …

— Emaan, Kempner High School

I experience climate anxiety, as I think a large portion of my generation does. This guilt has integrated into my everyday life from things like what I eat to where I buy clothes. The threat of climate change is all-encompassing, thus the anxiety is too. Some try to argue that the guilt is pointless because there’s nothing you can do about climate change. While I can understand that feeling, I would have to disagree because there are always actions you can take to make a change. I think it’s about finding ways big or small that make a difference whether that be voting for the right people, volunteering your time, or making sustainable swaps. Of course, this problem can’t be solved on our own, it is largely on big corporations to fix their practices of fossil fuel burning, but we can still use that feeling of guilt to create a positive change.

— Ben, Glenbard West HS

As someone who often experiences anxiety, when I contemplate my future plans, I often circle back to the worry that there’s no point in making any goals if there might not even be a world I want to be in, in the not-so-distant future. I wouldn’t say it’s the top priority in my life but it’s like a nagging issue, constantly in the back of my mind. The article claims that 26 percent of the American population is very concerned about climate change. I find this statistic depressing as that’s exceptionally low when climate change is a detrimental problem affecting everybody. Many young people I talk to seem to feel like the situation is out of their hands completely. That it’s impossible to change the outcome at this point. While I understand how they feel, and oftentimes feel just as hopeless, I think people need to ask themselves: What is it that I can do to make a small change in my day that will make a difference no matter how seemingly insignificant?

— Zoe, Union High School, Vancouver, WA

What’s Going On in This Graph? | Nov. 10, 2021

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What’s Going On in This Graph? | Nov. 10, 2021

4. After you have posted, read what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting a comment. Use the “Reply” button to address that student directly.

On Wednesday, Nov. 10, teachers from our collaborator, the American Statistical Association, will facilitate this discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time.

5. By Friday morning, Nov. 12, we will reveal more information about the graph, including a free link to the article that includes this graph, at the bottom of this post. We encourage you to post additional comments based on the article, possibly using statistical terms defined in the Stat Nuggets.

We’ll post more information here on Thursday afternoon. Stay tuned!

More?

• See all graphs in this series or collections of 60 of our favorite graphs, 28 graphs that teach about inequality and 24 graphs about climate change.

• View our archives that link to all past releases, organized by topic, graph type and Stat Nugget.

• Learn more about the notice and wonder teaching strategy from this 5-minute video and how and why other teachers are using this strategy from our on-demand webinar.

• Sign up for our free weekly Learning Network newsletter so you never miss a graph. Graphs are always released by the Friday before the Wednesday live-moderation to give teachers time to plan ahead.

• Go to the American Statistical Association K-12 website, which includes teacher statistics resources, Census in the Schools student-generated data, professional development opportunities, and more.

Students 13 and older in the United States and the Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

The Whole World

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The Whole World

What do you think this image is saying? How does it relate to or comment on society or current events? Can you relate to it personally? What is your opinion of its message?

Tell us in the comments, then read the related Guest Essay to learn more.

Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this column.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Word of the Day: facile

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Word of the Day: facile

1. arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth

2. performing adroitly and without effort

3. expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively

_________

The word facile has appeared in 41 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 3 in “A ‘Rent’ Reunion Measures 25 Years of Love and Loss” by Maya Phillips:

Is “Rent,” Jonathan Larson’s 25-year-old groundbreaking musical, somber or celebratory? When I was in high school, in the early throes of my “Rent” obsession, I made my aunt see the show. “That’s so depressing!” she wailed afterward. “No it isn’t!” I insisted. She looked at me like I was crazy.

It took me a few viewings before I could watch “Rent” without bursting into head-aching, snot-falling ugly crying, but eventually the show became my joy, my comfort. As much as Roger and Mark, a songwriter and filmmaker, hoped to make something of themselves through their art, so did I make myself — in whatever facile way — through “Rent,” using it to shape myself as an artist and an outcast and a New Yorker.

Can you correctly use the word facile in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how facile can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try one of our monthly vocabulary challenges.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

Coming Soon – Skill Platforms from your Learning System Provider

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Coming Soon – Skill Platforms from your Learning System Provider

Automatic Pot Stirrers. Until yesterday, I had no idea this even existed, and only learned about it (a learning experience) from an Uncommon Goods catalog. I saw it, and thought this is a clever idea. I then did what folks who see products that think “maybe I’ll buy it” go online to do comparision pricing. And lo and behold, there wasn’t just this one product, but a lot of these things out there. It’s like a hidden niche product line, just waiting to be discovered.

Cheap ones. Expensive ones. Ones with great reviews, ones with bad reviews. Ones claiming it is a miracle worker, others saying they can’t spin water.

Then on top of all that, it turns out these companies, even the ones you are like, “Who?” make other products that are either similar in some fashion or not at all to the auto pot stirrers.

The ones that had other product lines with some similarities to the auto pot stirrer, definitely would confuse any consumer, because if that is the case, why buy this one, when I can get a combo one, that does way more than just a pot stirrer?

Skills in Learning Systems, that are not like or may be similar to a skills platform – Confused yet?

I’m sure you have heard the saying, “When is a bird, not a bird?” What you haven’t? That’s good, because me neither. I just made it up.

I guess for those folks who refer to a bird as a middle finger, yeah, you got me there.

Anyway.

I figured the best way to explain this, without making you feel as though you are not getting whiplash, is via Q and A – with me. For fun, feel free to use a different voice, when you read it back.

Q: What is this new trend you are talking about? My learning system says it comes with skills functionality?

A: The trend I am referring to, is where that same learning system vendor has/is creating a separate skills platform, that is an add-on to the existing learning system you have just purchased. It is either included (in the pricing) at no additional charge OR as a separate fee.

There will be learning system vendors who will offer their Skills Platform as a standalone, which means that you can just purchase that, without having to buy their learning system, if you so choose – let’s say it is an LMS or even an LXP, for example, Biz Skills – is following this approach OR you have to purchase or already have the vendor’s learning system, let’s say an LMS or LXP, before you can purchase the Skills Platform – Cornerstone xPlor, Cornerstone’s skills platform.

Q: What about vendors who sell their system as a “learning suite”?

A: If they have a separate skills platform, then again, it is separate (I’ll explain really how this works, because it will be confusing as well) add-on, they may include it at no additional charge – after all you are buying the entire suite OR sell it as an add-on, because there are vendors who sell a “learning suite” where each module if you will, is actually a separate cost. In this manner, the learning module is a must buy, because if you are doing learning or training for example, learning has to be the foundation, right?

Everything can synch in theory.

Add-ons (the term I use, plenty of vendors do as well) or modules (one in the same) are actually already in the learning system -but are not visible, until you purchase said add-on. Then they (the vendor) activates it, and whalla, it is fully integrated.

If the add-on is free, then it automatically appears in the learning system. This is why, there is functionality you can turn off, because of the way the system is built.

Using Biz Library as an example here. They have an LMS. If you are an existing customer and you want Biz Skills (an add-on, that can be a standalone), after you purchase it, it will – the capabilities automatically show up in the LMS (in the admin side, and learner side). The navigation stays the same, the look and feel stays the same. If you do not buy it, then it doesn’t appear.

Q: Okay, I think I got it, but what about vendors such as Degreed and EdCast and Pluralsight which seem to be heavily focused on skills capabilities/functionality. Are they already in this new trend?

A: No. These systems come with all the skill capabilities/functionality etc. in the sytem itself. You are not purchasing an add-on specifically for skills, excluding 3rd party off the shelf content/courses; it is a key a core component of their systems. Now any of these vendors could create and sell, add-ons to their existing platforms, but these would be more along the lines of enhancements or specific functionality to boost the system.

Degreed for example, sells an add-on called “Opportunities”. Yes, the whole spin is to tie skills to job opportunities, but if you choose not to purchase it, because you have no interest in doing this, you are not impacting the system itself – to such a level, that it radically changes. EdCast XP, used to charge extra for Domo, a BI – think advanced analytics solution. If you wanted to take your metrics to the next level, you purchased it – it is now included at no additional charge – called EdGraph. But initially, this was the approach. For most folks, the current metrics are sufficient.

Q: My LXP and LMS repeatedly say they have skills features, in the system. Does this mean these new skills platforms are already built into the system?

A: Yes and No. As mentioned earlier, all learning systems who have add-ons (additional cost or not) are in the system already, they just turn on the features. Systems that already come with skills functionality – and I can say it is all over the place, some with quite a bit, others not so much, is part of the system – at no additional fee.

Thus, in one way, the answer is no. However, a vendor could easily spin the skills component as a “separate product” – list it as part of their “learning suite” and say it is already included, at no additional cost.

When you think about, some vendors are already doing this with other offerings. I have seen vendors split out under the suite, “You get an LMS, LXP, eLearning marketplace” as part of our suite. OR the system is made up of an “LMS, LXP, eLearning Marketplace, a year’s supply of Rolo”.

Now, in reality, all of those offerings exist in the system.

If I was the vendor, and already had skills functionality in my system, I’d spin it as a separate product, that is included as part of the suite. My gut says there will be vendors who do this in the coming years, to offset those who are really building a separate platform.

Why do I say this? Because think of all the vendors who spin that they an LMS or LXP as part of their platform, even though it already existed in there, ahead of time. And they market it as such.

Q: What do you find that skills platforms, those that exist, as well as skills already in the system, that should be standards, regardless?

A: Skill Ratings. A system who says they have skills functionality already OR has a separate skills platform, must have this. There are vendors who refer to this feature as – Self-Assessment. Pretty basic honestly. With the vendors who offer it, or plan to:

  • The Base – Learner (usually an employee) self-rates themselves on a skill or set of skills. Their Manager rates them on said skill or set of skills.
  • Next tier up – A target – This is where a “target” is set that is the minimum that learner has to meet to be identified as knowledgeable and thus in theory, capable with that skill. Thus you see – Learner-Manager-Target. Who creates the target? Who knows. Maybe the manager, maybe the system, maybe Fred down the street. Hi Fred!
  • Next tier up – Identifying what those numbers really mean. In other words, vendors for right now, usually use a five point scale. 1 – is beginner or novice, 5- Expert. There are vendors that have eight point – which makes no sense, and even 10 point. I know of two vendors, who allow the administrator to decide whether they want a five point scale, eight point or 10 point.
  • Next tier up – The administrator or whoever, writes in text for what each point means. In other words, a beginner is someone who has no knowledge of this skill. At point 2 – the learner knows blah, blah, blah, blah – It needs to be very specific.

There are vendors who have some text already in there – think a default. The admin can change that. Generally speaking, the vendors who I know offer this (i.t. the boxes where you identifiy the criteria to achieve that skill) will work with the client, as part of the setup to ensure it is explicit enough on what each point on the scale means.

I will tell you that there are a lot of vendors who lack skill ratings, and plenty who do offer it, lack the scale explanation feature – which to me is a must. Ditto on the target.

  • Next tier up – Content/Courses associated with the skill(s) that they will need or should explore to meet the target. This is where the “AI” comes into play. A few offer this already. Seems to be a no-brainer to me.
  • Next tier up – On the admin side – Data showing the skill ratings breakdown, along with the manager’s rating and the target and tracking this. I find this is all over the board. And so far, it looks like someone just grabbed an Excel Graph to do it.

Another function that everyone should have are the Top 10 skills and bottom 10 skills. This would appear on the admin dashboard on the home page. When I see this, it is always the top 10. Same with content too mind you. Nobody ever shows nor allows a filter to show the bottom10, the content that nobody is touching – bottom of the rung. Yet this is crucial information. I would want to know what people are not selecting as a skill, and then try to figure out why, especially if you – who is running L&D or Training, see this as important. The content – again, maybe the content is awful design, maybe the skill map is wrong, and if you are paying for it, then why? We tend to look only at the top, and ignore everything else. This is the wrong way to think. You have to look at popular and not. Otherwise, your data is skewed.

The Big Missing

  • On the admin side – Data with the skills tied to content/courses and metrics there. This isn’t a correlation angle here, this is you finding out which skills folks are selecting tied to which course and content, with a trend line. This will tell you whether you need more content around this skill, whether the skill mapping to the content/courses (if your system offers this) is accurate or not. And if you are tying all thise to job roles, then – are all your learners with that job role or role they are seeking, are selecting the skill(s) to do it, tied around that specific content/courses. There is a lot of data you can extract from this. I can tell you, that I have yet to find a vendor who can show these specific metrics – will the entire combo.

Interesting Tidbit

Due to the Great Resignation, existing learning system clients are reaching out to 3rd party content providers seeking wellness courses/content. The amount of calls and inquiries are the highest, providers have ever seen.

And yet, there are ZERO skills or various levels someone could accomplish. For example, why can’t I achieve higher levels for say Yoga? If you offer online classes to your learners, even if they are recorded, would you want someone who is at the intermediate level to be with the beginners?

L&D and Training needs to consider this, and learning systems need to add it. Wellness content is only as could as what can be accomplished with it, for the individual.

Bottom Line

Skills Platforms by existing learning system vendors will continue to grow. You can expect to see “Coaching and Expert(s)” as a separate down the road too.

Different brand name, different business strategies.

Different way

Of selling training

and Learning.

E-Learning 24/7

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