In 17 executive orders, memorandums and proclamations signed hours after his inauguration, President Biden moved swiftly on Jan. 20 to dismantle Trump administration policies his aides said have caused the “greatest damage” to the nation.
Which of the following is NOT one of the many executive orders signed so far by President Biden?
Just when you thought there couldn’t be any more niche segments in the learning system space, I’m sorry to say, “nope, there is one more.” But this new segment, while niche today, by 2025, will be the second biggest segment in the learning system space.
Niche today. Behemoth within four years.
Talent Development Platforms are made up of three core components, and if thus if someone says we are a talent development platform and lacks any of the three, then no, you are not. A Talent management system is not a TDP. Nor is a performance management system.
The number of talent development platforms as of today is quite small. By the end of 2021, I am projecting at least 50. Granted, you could say that is still small, a blip if you will, but let’s remember in the first year of the LXP space, there were around 15.
This post will cover a multitude of items for this new segment and its future i.e. what will happen to the LMS market as a result (by 2025) – at least from what I see, so think of it as a forecast.
Areas to be presented
What constitutes a Talent Development Platform?
Going forward, I will refer to a Talent Development Platform as TDP.
A TDP is made up of three core components
A talent development platform says in essence an organization directs employee development thru specific content pushed to a specific job role (current) and future within the organization. This is achieved with skills mapping and career development.
Job Roles and Skills go hand in hand here. There isn’t any of this personal and professional development push here, except when it comes to having a specific or set of PD tied to the job role. Thus the “interests” angle, doesn’t apply. The “I am interested in data science, if though I am an accountant,” doesn’t apply either, unless the manager or the organization sees that individual as a potential fit for a data scientist.
Can you still offer PD in your TDP? Sure, but that’s not really its main objective, otherwise, you could do that just as easily with an LMS, LXP, Learning Platform.
The best way to explain how the content+learning+career development tied around skills mapping works is to present a series of examples.
Example
Jen works in marketing. Within her marketing job role, she needs a series of specific skill sets. While Jen may have some of those skill sets, it is likely she does have all of them (they should be constantly updated). Behind the scenes within the system, the skills are mapped to the job role. You still can have skill ratings, and assessment if you will, which only helps with the push out content tied to the skills mapped to the job role.
Let’s say Jen is interested in other opportunities at the organization. The opportunities are presented either as “everyone sees them” or can be targeted just for Jen, based on her consumption of content tied around skills, wait for it, back to her current job role. In this scenario, though, let’s say, everyone who is on the TDP, sees the same job opportunity.
Jen wants to apply, but before she can, she sees what skills are required for this opportunity. She realizes she is missing five skill sets, which she must achieve to be considered for this opportunity. Jen selects the playlist or playlists of content tried around the skill sets she is lacking. She completes them or completes the modules within that she needs for this opportunity. Perhaps she is provided an assessment at the end for validation/verification of acquisition Or not (dependent on the hiring manager and administrator of course).
Jen scores well, enough (let’s say there is a minimum score) and now can apply for this opportunity. The system either via integration or already within it has an area where she can apply.
Jen though doesn’t just stop using the system. She continues to build and develop even more skills tied around her current role – both on her own – selecting her own content playlists around her role or assigned by her manager.
All those wonderful learning features and functionality that exist in many LMSs and other learning systems such as some LXPs (most lack parts though) are part of the talent development platform.
What is the difference between an LMS and a TDP?
It all depends on what you are using the LMS or LXP or whatever for. If you are using your LMS or LXP for example, for skill development and building tied around job roles, then what a TDP does is truly zero in on that premise by focusing specifically on career development. Your learning is all about your job role. Nothing more (well, if you are seen as a candidate for another job role in the organization), nothing less.
Thus if you are not including personal or professional development in your LMS, LXP, etc. nor allowing your employees to take any content of interest to them, then a TDP is the right solution for you.
If your assigned learning playlist or channel is tied specifically around that person’s job role and includes skills they need to acquire/develop/re-learn, then a TDP is a solution for you.
However,
If you are using your LMS, LXP, etc. for customer education/training, partner training, B2B/B2C a TDP is not for you.
If you are offering personal and professional development content to your employees as the key focus of your training/learning (on top of whatever proprietary content you have them taking), and that while you see the job role relevant, you also see the employee as acquiring skills beyond the job role that will never be tied to the job role, then a TDP is not for you.
If you are offering only compliance and regulatory specific content and nothing else – so the skills angle doesn’t apply, then a TDP is not for you. It would though be if your compliance content is tied specifically to a certain job role or roles and you have skills mapped to it – but generally speaking, the career development angle doesn’t typically go this route. Unless that job role is in compliance.
If you provide proprietary content to your employees tied around the job role but their acquisition of skills tied to that role isn’t relevant or needed, for example, a TDP is not for you.
Could someone offer the functionality of a TDP within an LMS or an LXP for example?
Sure, but not likely all the functionality. Just bits. Today there are plenty of LMSs and even some LXPs that offer skill gap analysis. There are many learning systems that have some level of skill development and acquisition around a job role per se, some more extensive than others – and some with none at all.
If you hear your learning system vendor say “we are in the performance support” business or learning, they are a TDP.
If the learning system vendor says their system is all about learning and training, then they are not a TDP.
If your learning system lacks 3rd party content providers (in a marketplace for you buy), uh, they are not a TDP. Remember content is essential here – especially 3rd party off-the-shelf content – simply because of more options.
I mean if you want a TDP, then you still want them to offer the right amount of learning features and functionality, including NexGen – but you also want them to have NexGen or what I refer to in my template as “Future Tech” on their roadmap or already in.
What Department/roles decision-makers are TDPs targeting?
CLOs, L&D execs, and HR. HR is big here. And since some L&D folks work under HR, you can see where this is going, and why a TDP would be of interest.
Could I have a TDP tied to my LMS or LXP or whatever?
The answer is yes, but it will depend on the other learning system vendor. That said, if you are going TDP, since it has the three components you are seeking, two of which are in other learning systems – learning and content, then there wouldn’t be much value to keeping an LMS for example. Unless your TDP doesn’t have multi-tenants and that is of interest to you, OR there are features you have in your LMS that are not in the TDP, then yes the connection would make sense.
But I cannot stress this enough a TDP is not a talent management nor performance management system, so if you are angling it to be that, recognize that it will have some features like one of those, by is no means one of those.
I mean an electric bike has features that do not exist in one that is not an electric bike. So if you want an electric bike, you will buy an electric bike. You wouldn’t buy a bike and create an electric bike by connecting it to a battery (DO NOT DO THIS). You would buy an electric bike.
Be Aware
That you will have vendors who will note in their marketing copy they are a talent development platform but will lack all three components OR will some of the #3, which is why I strongly recommend using my template which lists the feature sets both current and future that qualify under a TDP.
The Key Features of a TDP
These are all under “Talent Development”. It is up to you to decide if you want these features or not, but this is a list of what I see are needed, either now, or as noted in “future tech” for a TDP to be an actual TDP and not one that is “pseudo-TDP”.
In no particular order
Under Future Tech
What is Future Tech?
I identify it as learning technology/functionality, that I believe is necessary for the success and growth of that system, that is either not in existence today or extremely rare to find.
2025 Forecast
Based totally on early trends, so sure, it could change, but nevertheless, this is the forecast.
In the LMS segment, vendors will splinter into three groups – i.e. how their system is developed, whom they target, approach, etc.
a. Main audience – Employees, with pieces of TD in the system – not enough to go full-blown TDP
b. Main Audience – Customers, as in customer training/education, partner training, B2B/B2C, training providers, training consultants (who sell their own content, webinars, etc.), This is a growing segment today, it will continue. These vendors do not target nor focus on employees (i.e. internal)..
c. Main Audience – A combo of both – they try to get both audiences, this exists today.
The LMSs will become ecosystems and thus include what many deem as an LXP as an overlay or layer or component, depending on your spin.
The second biggest group will be Talent Development Platforms. So even with the splintering of the LMS market, it will still be the largest.
Next are learning platforms, such as upskilling platform, or micro-learning platform, or a learning platform in some other fashion. Coaching platforms slide in here as well. as does Training Management systems – whose main focus is scheduling – it is a core component with far more scheduling capabilities than in an LMS, other types of learning platforms as well.
And as early noted, there are vendors who call themselves Training Mgt systems, which are not, but they are unaware of the scheduling heavy angle. For example, the best training management system on the market is Training Orchestra. Once you see it, you will see what I mean by scheduling angle.
Lastly – any vendor who still calls themselves an LXP, and are solely an LXP.
Talent Development Platforms
There are a handful out today, but here are the three that standout
On the horizon
Biz Library will be launching a Talent Development Platform in Q3 2021 (calendar year).
What about?
SumTotal Talent Development – But not all the components of it (they are in the system, you just pay to turn certain ones on, some are included). So, Learning exists, content exists, and the other component.
However, SumTotal lists “recruiting” or “compensation” as parts of talent development. Neither of those items is part of a TDP, but anyway, in case you were wondering, why other TDPs do not have compensation or a fully blown recruiting solution.
Their performance, by the way, slides into goal management, 360 feedback, performance reviews, and some other items that qualify under the TDP functionality.
Who is on the border?
Personally, I think EdCast is. But not the Spark version, that is definitely not. I could see EdCast referring to themselves as a TDP – the bigger product, which is referred to as “EdCast” and targets the large enterprise. As we speak they have an add-on (additional cost) with career mapping.
PeopleFluent – Pretty darn close. The Instilled LXP would be the recommended add-on.
My Template for a Talent Development Platform that you can use for your search is here. For those who wonder will a vendor complete this template, if they want your business yes. Secondly, it is very detailed, because many folks end up hating their system because they didn’t ask for certain feature sets or functionality, and just assumed it was in there because of the vagueness. This eliminates it.
One Final Note, okay two
I do not consider Workday Learning to be a TDP nor Workday itself.
Workday is an HCM, so yes they will have talent development features, but that “content” piece is not the core piece here, and learning while provided is secondary as well. And for those curious, Skills Cloud is available to anyone on the HCM, you do not need Workday Learning.
On my FindAnLMS platform, as of today, Degreed and Schoox are on it, as it relates to TDP. EdCast is there as well, and PeopleFluent (you know the two on the border). SumTotal is there too, but not listing TDP features.
FAL will include TDPs in Q2 2021, and some key feature sets that you can select from, etc.
Bottom Line
Talent Development Platforms are here.
Always remember the Three, uh 3’s
All three must exist, hand in hand.
Without each one of them, you do not have a TDP,
You
Have something else.
And it isn’t an electric bike, either.
E-Learning 24/7
Cuando caminamos por las calles, vemos por un lado a mucha gente cansada, abatida, con el rostro algo aburrido y posiblemente, atascadas en el dolor. Sin embargo, por otro lado (aunque son menos), también vemos gente con otra actitud y presencia, con potenciales triunfos al mirar hacia el horizonte, confiados de sí mismos.
Probablemente los del segundo grupo están en el camino hacia el éxito. Confiadamente diremos que, si tienes un sueño (esperemos que así sea), debes intentar convertirlo en realidad y ser un triunfador, siguiendo los consejos que a continuación te ofrecemos.
Pero primero… ¿Qué es un Sueño?
Muchos dicen que los sueños son el combustible de la vida. “Un sueño, una visión, una meta, un deseo” estas son todas las cosas que la mayoría de nosotros sabemos que necesitamos cuando estamos trabajando hacia el éxito, pero a lo largo de la ejecución olvidamos por qué es tan importante que los sigamos y los mantengamos.
¿Pueden los sueños dividirse en pasos?
No siempre es tan fácil, pero los que logran grandes cosas suelen dar pasos y atravesar etapas para lograr cumplir sus sueños. Esos pasos podrían ser los siguientes:
Suéñalo
Todo comienza en el corazón y la mente. Cada gran logro comenzó en la mente de una persona que se atrevió a soñar y a creer que lo que soñaba era posible. Tómate tu tiempo para permitirte soñar y pregúntate “¿Qué pasaría si…?” Atrévete a pensar en grande. Aviva las llamas de ese sueño y recuerda siempre que la vida es demasiado corta como para dejarlo ir.
Créelo
Tu sueño tiene que ser grande, tiene que ser algo que va más allá de tus capacidades, pero también debe ser creíble. Debes ser capaz de creer en que si ciertas cosas suceden, si otros ayudan y si trabajas lo suficiente, por más grande que sea el sueño, igualmente es posible.
Visualízalo
Los grandes triunfadores tienen esa costumbre, ellos “ven” las cosas, ellos se imaginan a sí mismos caminando alrededor de su oficina de director general en su nueva sede corporativa, incluso mientras están sentados en una silla plegable en su garaje. Todo esto prepara a la mente para controlar el cuerpo para llevar a cabo el sueño.
Compártelo
Una razón por la que muchos sueños no se materializan en parte se debe a que, el soñador mantiene todo para sí mismo. Si es un sueño callado que sólo vive dentro de tu mente, y no lo comentas con otras personas, es más difícil encaminarse a cumplirlo. Compartirlo con alguien más hará empecemos a creer más y más que ese es nuestro sueño y haremos lo posible para lograrlo.
Planifícalo
Cada sueño debe tomar la forma de un plan. El viejo dicho de que “conseguirás lo que tú piensas” es muy cierto. Tu sueño no sucederá sin poner manos a la obra, tienes que sentarte y planificar tu estrategia y acciones para lograrlo.
Trabájalo
La vida sería grandiosa si pudiéramos dejar de fumar con solo decirlo, por desgracia el éxito suele requerir más trabajo. Mientras que el resto del mundo está sentado en sus sofás viendo televisión, los triunfadores están trabajando en su meta y el logro de sus sueños. Tengo una ecuación de trabajo para ti: tus tareas a corto plazo, multiplicadas por el tiempo que inviertas, serán iguales a tus logros a largo plazo (tareas x tiempo = logros).
Disfrútalo
Cuando hayas alcanzado tu meta y estés viviendo tu sueño, asegúrate de disfrutarlo. De hecho, recuerda disfrutar del viaje que te llevó a lograrlo. Ayuda a los demás y utiliza tu sueño para motivar a otros, luego regresa al paso número uno y sueña un poco más grande esta vez.
The reality is that every job is becoming a tech job nowadays. Even non-technical industries, like financial services, higher education, or government, are integrating technology and algorithms into their work.
Whether you manage marketers, analysts, salespeople, product managers, or other non-technical specialists, technical skills can help prepare your team for the future. Here are a few benefits of having your non-technical employees learn to code.
Technology is advancing so fast that linear career paths are a thing of the past. Employees today are constantly trying new roles and learning new skills. The career ladder has been replaced with a desire for career experiences.
By providing your non-technical employees with a way to learn code, you give them the opportunity to advance in their current roles or uncover new areas they may have an interest in or aptitude for. This makes it more likely they’ll stay with your company as their professional goals evolve.
Even if your non-technical team members don’t move into technical positions, coding skills can greatly enhance their current roles — especially when it comes to communication.
When roles like product managers or marketers have coding knowledge, they’re able to speak the same language as the engineers, developers, or customers they’re working with. Take it from Jessica, a product director at Paradox:
“I am in a very strategic and product-heavy role, and through learning with Codecademy (SQL in particular), I can now better communicate with clients on their reporting requests, speaking to what’s realistic technically and map those reporting needs to engineering.”
By understanding what developers, engineers, and data scientists do, non-technical roles are in a better position to work with them to co-create solutions or products, ultimately benefiting the business. They can think through requirements more easily and better gauge what’s possible — and what’s not. This was a big benefit of learning to code for Calli, a product manager at Paradox:
“By learning to code, you’re able to ship higher-quality products. I’m able to think through problems in a different way than if I didn’t know how to pull data from SQL or know which language we’re using to make an animation display on a screen. You can think through requirements. If a client request comes in, I have a better understanding of whether or not we can do it. And if we can, how complicated is it?”
For non-technical employees working alongside their technically-trained counterparts, it’s possible for a bit of imposter syndrome to creep in. This was the case for Calli. She started out having no idea how code actually worked, but that eventually changed.
“Learning through Codecademy has strengthened my connections with other team members, clients’ technical specialists, and even leadership. [Working together] feels much more natural. I don’t feel like I’m faking it, I understand what they’re saying and what they’re asking.”
According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report, one of the top skills for 2025 will be problem solving. You might think of problem solving as a soft skill. Even so, it’s one that’s best practiced through learning to code. That’s because part of learning to code is learning how to think like a programmer: defining a problem, breaking it down into smaller pieces, and exploring various possible solutions.
Check out the following video with Stephanie, a software developer based in Baltimore, for more insight into what it means to “think like a programmer.”
In the near future, it’s likely that the types of jobs your organization will need to fill will drastically change. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2025, the time spent on current tasks at work by humans and machines will be equal. They also predict that this change will result in 97 million new roles globally — roles that will certainly benefit from knowledge of code.
Equipping your employees with coding skills prepares them for the future of work and gives leadership a greater opportunity to fill future talent gaps internally. Everyone wins!
As our world grows more digital, learning to code isn’t just beneficial for programmers. It can empower non-technical teams to advance in their roles while paying off for the business at large.
Here at Codecademy, our online learning platform teaches coding skills in an accessible, flexible, and engaging way. Our interactive courses span dozens of languages and topics, ranging from data science to web development. And now, our new Codecademy for Teams offering lets you provide technical training and education to your employees. Have them try it out for free. Complete the form below to request a 2-week trial.
References:
(1) Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2010). Class differences: Online education in the United States. Sloan Consortium (NJ1).
(2) Xu, D., & Jaggars, S. (2013). Adaptability to online learning: Differences across types of students and academic subject areas. Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. Retrieved from https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D82N59NB.
(3) Bambara, C. S., Harbour, C. P., Davies, T. G., & Athey, S. (2009). Delicate engagement: The lived experience of community college students enrolled in high-risk online courses. Community College Review, 36(3), 219-238.
(4) Rasheed, R. A., Kamsin, A., & Abdullah, N. A. (2020). Challenges in the online component of blended learning: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 144, 103701.
(5) Kebritchi, M., Lipschuetz, A., & Santiague, L. (2017). Issues and Challenges for Teaching Successful Online Courses in Higher Education: A Literature Review. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 46(1), 4–29..
(6) Lee, J. (2020). A Psychological Exploration of Zoom Fatigue. Psychiatric Times. Online publication retrieved from https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/psychological-exploration-zoom-fatigue.
(7) Bolliger, D. U., & Halupa, C. (2018). Online student perceptions of engagement, transactional distance, and outcomes. Distance Education, 39(3), 299-316.
(8) Figlio, D. N., Rush, M., & Yin, L. (2010). Is it live or is it internet? Experimental Estimates of the Effects of Online Instruction on Student Learning. Journal of Labour Economics, 31(16089).
(9) Cavanaugh, J. K., & Jacquemin, S. J. (2015). A large sample comparison of grade based student learning outcomes in online vs. face-to-face courses. Online Learning, 19(2).
Kids, like me, have become attached to their electronics, and it is hard to go a long time without them. There are many harmful effects due to screen time, as many kids are addicted now. Staring at the screen excessively can cause major eye problems, headaches, and a loss of concentration, and productivity. It could also cause kids to be isolated from their family/friends, and to be disengaged from the outside world. Personally, along with many kids, I had to get blue light glasses as an attempt to block out the light as my head began to hurt from the screen.
— Tatia Goldberg, United States
I think that we should be worried about screen time after the pandemic rather than screen time during, the screen time is one of the only safe ways for people to get human interaction. There should be some concerns for screen time after the pandemic however, because then it would be safe for interaction off of the screen which is overall better anyway but, if people get too attached to the online interaction and activities it could become a big problem.
I do agree that screen time can be addictive and have negative effects but they are a better alternative to going out and doing things with friends during the pandemic and the off chance of getting COVID. While not everything of the screen time is a downside, people are becoming more technologically fluent and that can be great for future endeavors and could even become a career path for some. Overall I think that the screen time has its pros and cons but there isn’t really a better alternative right now.
While I agree spending time on our screens for an excessive amount of time can be detrimental to our health, I don’t think it’s something we can avoid especially during this past year. I understand during discussions like these why there is a much larger concern placed on kids/teens (our brains being considered “plastic” and therefore more “malleable”), but I think to a degree, everyone, no matter their age, has been affected by social media. Many of us have probably fallen into the trap of scrolling for just a bit longer when it’s way past our normal bed time.
Likewise, there’s nothing you CAN’T do without technology now. Want to start a new hobby that involves arts and crafts? Search up an Instagram profile for inspiration or watch YouTube videos that give you tutorials on how to do it. Want to learn how to code? Search up YouTube videos, partake in forums, or maybe even look at how code works in various types of video games. Given how the internet and our brains work, it’s difficult NOT to get carried away when doing these things. Once you find something that intrigues you on the internet, you’re almost bound to fall into the rabbit hole. In the end, quarantine really hasn’t done much, but show the world how true this is, and what it looks like in its worst/best forms.
The points in this article are beyond exaggerated, in my perspective. I think screen time, at least during the pandemic, is super important. It is the only way to connect to the outside world while we are separated from it. For me, I spent much of my quarantine on devices, whether it was my laptop or my phone. Sure, excessive use can be damaging, but not every child uses it the same. Interaction with others or social skills is highly important in the 21st century. For me, I used “screen time” to educate myself more on current events such as BLM and the upcoming election.
The increased screen time shouldn’t be regarded as an issue in my opinion because there are very few activities and events to look forward to outside at this time; the world is already getting closer to technology being the main focus as the future nears closer. My screen time has increased a fair amount, but that is an inevitable effect of new technology advancements that continue to introduce themselves. I spend about 10 hours on some kind of screen, and that includes school hours online (5 hrs), video games (2-3 hrs), and entertainment on YouTube or something (2-3 hrs). I don’t feel that excessive screen time is an issue though as most people are on their screen for longer than me a day for their jobs.
Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.
These graphs show the percentage of players, along with coaches and managers, who are people of color for five professional sports leagues.
After looking closely at the graphs above, answer these four questions:
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
The questions are intended to build on one another, so try to answer them in order.
2. Next, join the conversation online by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box. (Teachers of students younger than 13 are welcome to post their students’ responses.)
3. Below the response box, there is an option for students to click on “Email me when my comment is published.” This sends the link to their response which they can share with their teacher.
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, Feb. 3, 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, Feb. 5, we will reveal more information about the graph, including a free link to the article that included 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 a slide show of 60 of our favorite graphs.
• 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 and how and why other teachers are using this feature 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, professional development opportunities, and more.
Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, 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.
Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.
What story does this image inspire for you?
Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this illustration — or tell us about a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.
About Picture Prompts
• Find all our Picture Prompts in this column.
• Have an idea for a Picture Prompt? Tell us about it.
• Teachers, discover more ways to teach with our Picture Prompts and learn how to use our free daily writing prompts for remote learning.
Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, 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.
Then, choose one of your questions and consider how you might find out the answer. Make a list of the types of publications you could consult, experts you might interview or experiments you could conduct to find out more about your topic.
If you have more time …
Want an additional challenge? Use your question as the basis for an entry to our Second Annual STEM Writing Contest, in which we challenge students to choose an issue or question in science, technology, engineering, math or health, and then write an engaging 500-word explanation of it. The contest runs from Jan. 19 to March 2.
To help inspire you, read the excerpt below from a winning essay in the 2020 student contest, “In the Blink of an Eye” by Rivka Shields:
Imagine walking into a theater to watch a movie. While it is playing, the screen goes blank every ten seconds. Wouldn’t it ruin the movie? Humans blink about six times per minute, a blink every 10 seconds. Why do we not notice the world going black every time our eyelids close?
Blinking, also known as the cornea reflex, is our brains’ automatic response when anything comes too near our eyes that could potentially be damaging. Our eyelids have tear film, made from fluids and oils, on them. Blinking spreads those over the outer eye, cleaning and moisturizing it. This is essential, or the eyes will dry out. In fact, it is so important that for patients with nerve damage that prevents them from closing their eyelids, doctors are sewing small gold weights into their eyelids so they will close easier to lubricate the eye. The question still remains, though. Why don’t we notice that the world is going black for about 400 milliseconds, the average blinking time?
What do you notice about the essay? How does the writer explain the science of blinking in a clear and engaging way? What kind of language does she use to draw us in as readers? What details make the complex process of blinking visual, tactile or understandable? How does she use questions to draw us in further? How does the essay make the familiar process of blinking seem unfamiliar and fresh?
Now it’s your turn! Research one of the questions you brainstormed above and write your own 500-word essay explaining it to readers. For more inspiration, you can find essays from all of the winners of the 2020 contest here that explore topics including jalapeños, chewing gum, cancer treatments and black holes.
By Anubhav Chopra, Lead Product Manager
Coursera is privileged to support the learning journeys of more than 10 million learners in India, and today, we’re excited to announce new learning opportunities and services for this unstoppable learning community!
We know that having a wider array of payment options is critical for Coursera learners in India, and we have now introduced expanded local payment options that enable you to sign up for courses, Guided Projects, Specializations, and Professional Certificates programs on Coursera using UPI, popular debit and credit cards, EMI, Netbanking, and digital wallets.
Along with these new financial options, we are also introducing special pricing for several of our high-impact Professional Certificate programs! On completion of these Certificates you can access resources for developing your resume, interviewing, networking, exclusive tools like resume builder and mock interviews, and hear from professionals working in the field.
The Google IT Support and Google IT Automation with Python Certificate programs are now available at a special price of about ₹ 1,100/month.
Facebook’s Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate is now available at a special price of ~ ₹2,100 per month. You will build job-ready skills in approximately five months. After completing the program, you will have free access to Facebook’s certification exam.
IBM’s Data Science Professional Certificate is now available for about ₹ 2800/month. In this program, you will gain hands-on experience in the IBM cloud, build a portfolio of data science projects, and earn a digital badge from IBM recognizing their proficiency in data science.
Please visit Coursera today and explore topics ranging from machine learning, data science, and business, to mathematics, personal growth, and English speaking. Start your 2021 learning journey today!
