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Coursera and Uniandes Announce Software Engineering Master: the First MOOC-Based Degree Taught in Spanish

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Coursera and Uniandes Announce Software Engineering Master: the First MOOC-Based Degree Taught in Spanish

University of Los Andes with students
Uniandes Campus (Bogota, Colombia)

Coursera is working with the University of Los Andes (Colombia), or Uniandes for short, to develop an online master’s degree in software engineering. Applications are set to open in Summer 2020, and the program is set to start the following year.

Uniandes is a top-10 ranked university in Latin America, according to THE and QS. The institution already offers 29 courses and 3 specializations on Coursera. All are taught in Spanish, and so will the university’s upcoming online degree.

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world in terms of native speakers:

LanguageNative Speakers
Mandarin918 million
Spanish460 million
English379 million

 

It’s also the second most spoken language in the US. Over 41 million people speak Spanish at home in the US — close to 13% of the country’s population.

Coursera currently offers over 350 courses in Spanish. However, this offering is limited to unaccredited qualifications. All of Coursera’s online degrees are taught in English, and so are those of its closest competitors, edX and FutureLearn.

Coursera and Uniandes upcoming master’s degree will break this pattern. The degree will be taught entirely in Spanish, making a credit-bearing, MOOC-based qualification accessible for the first time beyond the English-speaking world.

The online degree program has courses and a structure similar to Uniandes’ on-campus master’s degree in software engineering. The curriculum explores three knowledge areas:

  • Basics — which include the fundamentals of software engineering, web development, and mobile app development.
  • Agile — which includes the agile development process, software architecture, and cloud computing.
  • DevOps — which includes software project management, user experience design, and software product line development.

In addition, students can pick courses among a series of electives to deepen their knowledge in specific areas. These electives include software development automation, data analysis and visualization, and machine learning.

In terms of specific technologies, students develop in languages such as Python, Java, and Javascript, and use frameworks such as Angular and React. The program promises to embrace a hands-on approach where students are asked to contribute to real-world software projects.

Students have to take 18 courses in total to graduate. Each course has a duration of eight weeks. So the degree should take between 1.5 and 3 years to complete, depending on how many courses a student takes simultaneously.

Although some programming experience is preferred, the program welcomes students that don’t have a computer science background. Uniandes is developing a series of introductory MOOCs to allow prospective students to remediate potential knowledge gaps.

The cost of the online degree hasn’t been announced yet. However, the equivalent on-campus degree costs close to 48,000,000 Colombian pesos ($14,000 US dollars). And in an article about the degree, Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera’s CEO, stated that:

“the good thing about these online programs is that they’re not as expensive [as on-campus programs]” 

So the upcoming degree should cost less than $14,000.

Coursera and Uniandes plan to begin accepting applications in August 2020. And the program is planned to debut in 2021.

Music Therapy

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Music Therapy

What is your favorite song to listen to when you’re in a bad mood? Do you have a go-to playlist or preferred genre? Is it a specific artist, a song’s tempo, resonant lyrics, or some other element that helps soothes the soul?

Tell us in the comments, then read the related article about the benefits that music can bring to cancer patients.

Find many more ways to use our Picture Prompt feature in this lesson plan. You can find all our Picture Prompts in this column.

Word + Quiz: ad hominem

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Word + Quiz: ad hominem

: appealing to personal considerations (rather than to fact or reason)

_________

The term ad hominem has appeared in 18 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Aug. 23 in “Google Tries to Corral Its Staff After Ugly Internal Debates” by Jack Nicas:

The public got its first view of the internal rancor at Google after the leak of an employee’s memo that suggested women were less biologically suited to be engineers than men. The memo provoked an internal firestorm, and Google fired the engineer who wrote it, setting off political backlash from conservatives and fueling more news coverage.

That incident prompted Google to update its workplace rules to order employees to keep Google “a safe, productive, and inclusive environment for everyone.” The company explicitly banned “trolling, name calling, and ad hominem attacks.”

_________

5 facts that will surprise you about the future of work

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5 facts that will surprise you about the future of work

An era of change in the workforce is well and truly upon us. The arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution means that the careers we once worked towards, or are working towards, are undergoing rapid change. 

But don’t panic just yet. Despite the influx of intelligent tech, The Definitive Guide to Future-Proofing Your Career, developed by Open Universities Australia (OUA) has revealed that robots are not going to take over completely.  

However, it is a time to empower ourselves with the facts. The report, an essential tool for every career-conscious Australian, does just that. 

Here are just some of the findings the report has revealed: 

1. Unexpected industries will boom 

Sure, it’s predicted that IT based industries are set to grow. Especially given that technology is doubling in capacity every 18 months. But the report has found that there are other, unexpected, industries set to boom.

Healthcare, social assistance, IT, engineering and surprisingly geology and history are just some of them. 

2. Human-centric skills will be in high-demand 

Sometimes known as soft skills, human-centric skills include empathy, communication, storytelling, emotional intelligence, creativity, having a growth mindset — the list goes on.   

The report reveals that these skills will be increasingly needed in the future.   

Why? Well, bots will take care of the administrative tasks people no longer want to spend time on. Therefore, human centric skills will be key for job security.  

3. Personal branding will be big 

A personal brand is so much more than your LinkedIn profile picture. How you interact with key stakeholders, clients, agencies, and how you come across as a client yourself all counts.  

In the future, there’ll be a need to carve ourselves out as thought-leaders, 
demonstrating human-centric skills to fill the roles automated technology can’t. 

Those with the strongest personal brands will fare well.  

4. Skilled humans will be in shortage 

According to the same report, skilled human workers are set to be in shortage of around 1.5 million by 2022. 

People will be needed to work in tandem with new technology – supporting automation with the critical and creative thinking that only the human brain can muster.  
 
Those who are well prepared for the future will hone their human-centric skills to fill these positions. 
 

5. Micro-credentials will be a must 

The report also reveals that in the new era of work, some industries are predicted to replace as much as 44% of some roles with automation. As a result, bite-sized learning has become essential in remaining relevant and progressing in the workforce. 

Bite-sized study covers a range of snackable learning options including micro-credentials, undergraduate single subjects and postgraduate single subjects.  

These can help to hone a specific skill with just a few hours of study a week. They’re also a strong tool for signaling motivation to current and future employers, and remaining relevant in the digital age. 

When it comes to the workforce of tomorrow, there’s a lot for us all to learn. Luckily, the Definitive Guide to Future-Proofing Your Career has the facts covered.  

To find out more about the industries and skills that will be in demand, get your free copy now. 

To learn more about how to study through OUA – fill out the form on this page, and a friendly student advisor will get in contact. You can also chat to them on Live Chat, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or SMS.  They’ll help you find the right course for your future.

200 universities just launched 620+ free online courses. Here’s the full list.

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200 universities just launched 620+ free online courses. Here’s the full list.

Class Central is a search engine, discovery platform, and review site for massive open online courses (MOOCs). We aggregate courses from many providers to help you find the best courses on almost any subject, wherever they exist. Through Class Central, you can find courses; review courses you’ve taken (and read other people’s reviews); follow universities, subjects and courses to receive personalized updates; and also plan and track your learning. More than 18 million people have used Class Central to find their next course.

MOOC Report is where we publish news, trends, analysis, and opinions related to MOOCs and online education.

Top 85 Learning Systems for 2020

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Top 85 Learning Systems for 2020

85. That sounds about right.  Initially the list was 100, but culling has begun and for some, that meant, well, why be an “in the box” kind of the person, when being a bit “outside” of the box is so much more fun.

85.  It does seem like such a large number, but when you realize that there are over 1,300 learning systems around the world, 85 isn’t such a big number.  Though, if you know only say five, then yeah, 85 is a big number.

Each year, I publish or in some aspect of publish, the Top 50 for the following year, and this will be no different, but unlike in the past, I decided to present the 85 who are under consideration for the 50 spots.   There are no rankings in this post, so please do not get irked and be like, “Where are the rankings?” – this post is a listing of the 85, not a ranking of #1 to #85.  

People always inquire why I like one system over the next, and how their system (if they are a vendor) is not on the list or if a customer, how the system they purchased is not on the list.  I always say there are a lot of factors and criteria involved in a- my Top 50 rankings and b- in seeing so many systems, you – okay, I, can quickly say, “there is something here, or this is good, or, yowsa – someone bought this?”

People – consumers – pick systems for a variety of reasons – yes use case is the key, but then, many systems can achieve the same results with that specific use case you think is unique.  So then it comes down to functionality, but again, nowadays about 80% is the same functionality – depending on the markets themselves – LMS to LMS,  LXP to LXP, and so on.   

Support plays a huge role.  And is one that is often overlooked when folks are considering a vendor. I hear the “they never called us back,” “they promised and never delivered,” and the “they ignore us”, and yet, I equally have heard folks say that, then renew with the same vendor.  Why? Because, they do not want to go thru the experience of looking again.

Data migration is not a factor, I mean if that is what is keeping you from jumping from one system to the next, it shouldn’t be.  You can always negotiate with your new vendor to migrate the data (and content if need be) from your old vendor and they work together to get it done – leaving you to concentrate on everything else.  

A built-in authoring tool is listed as an inquiry with any learning system vendor, but it a vendor doesn’t have one, they are not eliminated as a result.  A built-in authoring tool is basic. The learning system vendor is not an expert in authoring tools (99% of the time), and thus the terminology, and approach is all over the place. 

Plus, I always recommend going 3rd party authoring tool, even if your system comes with one.  I base this on experience, and with SaaS tools today, it makes even more sense to go this route.  

Multi-Tenant is relevant to me though, speaking of features, especially if the system is B2B, regardless if it is association, client partners or customer training.   If you charge extra for tenants, it is a ding in my book. They should be free. 

There are vendors who give you the parent (main system), then a child or two for free (the sub-tenants), then charge in bundles for more.  Here is an amazing hint – it is a ripoff. 

If you employee-based only system, then not having e-commerce isn’t a factor that hurts you.

But I do expect them to have some functionality that I wouldn’t expect to see in say a system that is 100% customer training only, and vice versa.

The Process and Criteria

I’ll hold off on this area until the Top 50 rankings comes out, in terms of the details, and what not, although I did give some initial pieces in the previous section.

What I can say is that my approach and processes are different than many of my contemporaries, which is why, when folks say, blah blah is on SuperWidget rankings, but not yours, I respond, that my methodology is different, just as theirs is too.

For this year’s Top 50 for 2020, every system in the rankings can be in the center of  your hub.

Each of the vendors listed below received (and they can attest to this) an extensive packet to complete.  It contained

  • A functionality template containing over 400 features with details requested
  • Support and training sections
  • Mobile functionality – what (if the vendor has an app) can the app do and provide to the learner, admin (if applicable),  etc.  
  • Who are the content providers in your marketplace (granted, not every vendor has a marketplace, but honestly they should, even if it is still by phone. I never understand vendors who spin, we are not in the content business – really? Then what do you plan on having sit on your system? Legos?)
  • Questions covering implementation, product roadmaps and client influence are listed too.  I totally understand listening to your customers, but you cannot rely on them to know what new functionality is needed, if they themselves do not know; nor should they drive your roadmap.

Yet too many vendors do, and off down the rabbit hole they go, ignorant of the fact, this will not end up well.  Some vendors rely too heavily on the larger size clients, then the others, and I have seen it time and time again, it is very obvious when you look at the system over a period of a year, what is transpiring.  Which is why I always inquire when I suspect an influence, with a vendor. 

The Packet included numerous questions (mostly open essay) for each vendor to complete.  There were a few financial questions (that are not made public).  A demo plays a role, as it should and from there, I’m jotting down a lot of information.  I always say to a vendor, if I ask a lot of questions or seem piercing in my inquiries do not look at it as a bad thing, rather, look at it, in terms of my level of interest (high) and trying to see how you respond.   On the other hand, if I say nothing, then uh, that is definitely not a plus. 

Each vendor must also produce various screen shots in the packet too and for 2020, include a video demo of their system or some part of their system (limited to a few minutes) which is a requirement.   The Top 50 will have their demo videos on my Findanlms.com site’s “vendor video platform” as playlists (in Jan. 2020).  Those vendors who can be found in FindAnLMS, the learning system search engine platform, will be referenced via a digital badging and my analysis in each Vendor listing. 

Machine Learning is all the Rage

When I examine functionality, I want to know to everything there is to know about that function.  Thus, with machine learning, or spun by some vendors as AI, saying it is one thing, what it can actually do is another, and how it was trained is important as well.

It is easy to get caught up in the marketing spin, and be driven by that spin as the reason to buy a system.  But as an analyst, you have to make sure it isn’t about spin, rather it is about the system itself.

Under machine learning, nine statements are presented to each vendor.  Playlists or channels depending on the vendor’s vernacular, 12, and the same with skills management – also 12.

What this means to you is that the analysis is very in-depth, with some categories weighed higher than others, clearly for example, administration functionality should be weighted more than say instructor functionality.

What you won’t find

The 85 vendors below did not pay a fee for their application, nor any fee frankly.  They were contacted by me after an analysis for the past several months.  So to be clear, no monies exchange hands or e-mails or anything.

Before the List, a few additional points

As I have done the past few years, the vendors in the Top 50 rankings (those that make it) are placed in comparison, which means, that if you are targeting small business, you are not compared to someone who targets 10,000 plus employees; nor if you are B2B customer training compared to an employee-only system.

If you are an LXP (rename to Digital Learning Platform please) then you are compared to other LXPs, and so on.

The challenge this year though was “Enterprise”, which nowadays is all over the place in terms of number of minimum end users.  If a vendor pushes Enterprise, and they see Enterprise as 1,000 or more people, and another vendor sees Enterprise at 5,000 or more end users (Enterprise is referring to employees), then both vendors slide into that one category of Enterprise. And from there, the subsets begin, with the first being the verticals each vendor is in. 

If they have multiple verticals, then I look at the top three, with the first being the initial break.  Some vendors will take you if you can tie your shoes, but even a vendor such as that, will have one dominant vertical share of whatever, maybe the tie shoe and chew gum segment. 

I mention this because there are some vendors on the list below, that I am sure will get some eyebrows raised.  But I can tell you that every vendor presented below has earned their right to be in the 85.

Added Bonus

What the 85 do not know yet, until just now, is that those who make it to the top 20, will be presented with five use cases – common use cases that many folks ask (each time thinking they are the only ones with that said use case). 

They then will need to respond to the use cases.  This is brand new to the criteria, and something I am quite excited about, because you – when the report is published – will be able to see their responses in the FindAnLMS Platform with their catalog detailed listing (as a PDF you can download).

Now you can stop going, “I wonder if they can meet my use case,” and instead go, “hey, they can meet it, and they just told me how.”

Oh, there are not any EdTech systems in this year’s rankings.  I am a firm believer that nearly every corporate system can work in EdTech – specifically Higher Ed.  K-12? Ehh, not so much.  There are a few systems whose markets include EdTech too, but in general these are systems focused on corporate – who again, many will take EdTech customers.

Moodle.  I always get inquiries on why Moodle or any other free open source is not in my rankings.  The simple response is that it is free code, that you, me, some firm who makes cocktails and computers, my dog Voodoo on a day he gets hands, can create a system.  Sure it can be heavily customized and in all honesty, you actually paying for the resources in the end, but the code is free. If you are into free open source code, the key is finding an active community that will add new plugins for you to add.   Just an fyi.

Who else is missing – that you will recognize?

A short list, and for some folks, they already know – just because fan favs are here

  • SuccessFactors – Last year in my Turkey Awards for 2018, I think they won.  I have to take a look to verify that, yep – repeat champs no less.   Anyway, this is not a good system.  Do not let SAP tell you that if you are large enterprise this is the system you want and not SAP Litmos.  Litmos can handle large enterprise and is a far better system.  This would be like you comparing the amusement park set up  for a weekend on the fairground with Disneyland. 
  • Oracle –  No. Just no. 
  • Coursera –  Someday I will ponder on why people just love this system so much. And then, I will look out my window at a squirrel that looks like she just ate a cat, and ponder that.
  • Most TM systems that added learning as a component. Many of them are very good at the TM side of the house, learning is another matter. 

Countries!!

As in year’s past, the analysis is based on worldwide. The reason you see more from the states, is well, there are more systems based in the U.S., then anywhere else in the world.

And this year’s list represent

  • United States
  • UK (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland)
  • Ireland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Netherlands
  • Denmark
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Italy
  • Canada
  • India
  • Australia
  • Israel

Drum Roll – PLEASE

“Here they are, the magic 85…”

I have them by chunking (think micro-style), for no other reason, then stopping you from having eye glaze. 

The Listings 

Those noted with an * (asterisk) can be found in the FindAnLMS Platform, so register today, 100% free, login and start doing a deeper dive. I strongly recommend your initial research starts with my FindAnLMS platform, where pricing, implementation time frame, user base, pdfs, videos, can be found, along with functionality filters too, and verticals were applicable.

Vendors are in no particular order.  None, nada, not even alphabetical.   I know, I failed that class.

In the LMS Category (sounds so official)

  • D2L (*)
  • Absorb LMS
  • SAP Litmos (*)
  • CrossKnowledge (*)
  • Unboxed Technology Spoke (*)
  • SumTotal Learning Management (*)
  • Unicorn LMS (*)
  • Thought Industries (*)
  • Talent LMS (*)
  • Saba Cloud (*)
  • Cornerstone Learning Suite (*)
  • Fuse Universal (*)
  • LearnUpon (*)
  • GyrusAim Learning Cloud (*)
  • PeopleFluent LMS (*)
  • Biz Library (*)

  Take a Break – Eye Glaze Ending NOW

  • Knowledge Anywhere (*)
  • Platcore
  • UpsideLMS (*)
  • Instancy On-Demand (*)
  • JLMS (*)
  • Schoox (*)
  • IMC Learning Suite (*)
  • Asentia LMS (*)
  • EthosCE (*)
  • Skilljar
  • Topclass WBT

Glazed donuts..yummy, break time is over

  • Brainier LMS (*)
  • SkyPrep (*)
  • MATRIX (*)
  • Docebo (*)
  • Workday Learning (*)
  • Paradiso (*)
  • Learning Pool
  • Firmwater
  • Academy of Mine
  • BrainCert
  • Learnbrite VR LMS

Break Time – Hammer Time too!

  • Area9 Rhapsode (*)
  • Abara LMS (*)
  • G-Cube (*)
  • Axonify
  • Blackboard
  • Administrate (*)
  • Edapp (*)
  • Eurekos (*)
  • glo Learn (*)
  • Agylia (*)
  • HALIGHT
  • SmarterU
  • Studytube
  • ELMO

Somewhere over the rainbow, it is no longer raining 

  • DialogEDU (*)
  • LMS365 (*)
  • Growth Engineering (*)
  • Uduutu (*)
  • Kokm (*)
  • ePath Learning (*)
  • Kallidus Learn (*)
  • Workjam
  • Learning Cart
  • Meridian KSI
  • Exceed LMS
  • KMI Learning
  • Tessello (*)
  • Wisetail
  • Raven360

LXP Category aka Digital Learning Platforms

  • Learn Amp (*)
  • Absorb Inspire
  • EdCast (*)
  • Instilled LXP (*)
  • Coorpacademy (*)
  • 360Learning (*)
  • Juno Journey
  • Degreed (*)
  • Headstream LXP (*)
  • THRIVE (*)
  • Filtered (*)
  • Looop (*)
  • Linkedin Learning
  • GO1
  • Udemy

Sales Enablement Platforms – Brand new for 2020

Bottom Line

There they are.

85.

of the Best learning systems in the world.

E-Learning 24/7

Note:  I did not add URL links to go to each individual system’s site. However, every vendor with an (*) next to their name, can be found in FindAnLMS and within their own category listing, you will find their contact information, including e-mail address and web site, along with all their particulars.  Again, I strongly recommend using the platform, it is 100% FREE forever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FameLab – my journey with the global science communication competition

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FameLab – my journey with the global science communication competition

Author: Christina Melidou, Partnership Manager at FutureLearn

Access to education and scientific knowledge is easier than ever, so why do so many pseudoscientific conspiracy theories circulate online and, more importantly, why do so many people believe them? There may be many explanations but one thing is for sure: scientists need to improve their communication skills. And this is what FameLab hall of famelab is all about.

FameLab is a global science communication competition which was first held by Cheltenham Festivals back in 2005. In 2007, thanks to a partnership with the British Council, the competition became international and, to this day, 10,000 engineers and scientists have taken part. In 2019, national competitions were held in 25 countries from the UK to Kazakhstan and from Mauritius to Australia and Qatar and every year, those national winners met at Cheltenham Science Festival for the international final.

I took part in FameLab Greece back in 2008 and returned as a judge for Hall of FameLab 2019, where participants from different cohorts and countries took to the stage during European Researchers’ Night at the Natural History Museum on 27 September. For me, it was an opportunity to reflect on the many opportunities this competition sent my way: media training from Quentin Cooper, talks at schools and science festivals, a slot in a science programme on television, and public speaking skills that I used to coach TEDx speakers. But more importantly, access to a network of amazing people who love talking about science. 

So, what does it take to communicate science well? In FameLab, participants only get 3 minutes, no slides and only props which they themselves can carry on stage. Why? Because when a news story breaks, you will rarely get time to prepare and the news anchor will only give you a couple of minutes before moving on to the next story.

Here are some tips that FameLabbers, and indeed any speakers, need to keep in mind: 

–       To the point: Decide what your main point is and explain it succinctly. Avoid expanding sideways unless you know you’ll have time to conclude.

–       No assumptions: Ask the host about the type of audience they expect and approach them with an open mind. Avoid jargon and assumptions about what they may or may not know.

–       Use your props wisely: When you explain a difficult concept, try metaphors or simple props that will convey your point. This year’s Hall of Famelab winner used a pineapple to discuss the impact AI has on phylogenetic research and the audience loved it.

–       Tell a story: People love stories so make sure there’s a clear narrative. Think of yourself as a tour guide talking people through your topic.

I was thrilled to be part of Famelab, then and now, and I can’t wait to see the communication skills of tomorrow’s scientists.

 

Category
Research insights

Lesson of the Day: ‘Discussing Blackness on Reddit? Photograph Your Forearm First’

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Lesson of the Day: ‘Discussing Blackness on Reddit? Photograph Your Forearm First’

Find all our Lessons of the Day here.

Note: Teachers, the issues raised by today’s article can be provocative and challenging. For tips on facilitating difficult conversations, see this resource from Facing History.

Featured Article: “Discussing Blackness on Reddit? Photograph Your Forearm First”

With nearly four million subscribers, Black People Twitter, on the popular website Reddit, is one of the few large public online discussion forums about black American life. Moderators of the Reddit forum caused an uproar by requiring participants to submit a photograph proving they were not white.

In this lesson, students will examine the evolving debate — how the forum originated, why the moderation policy began — and reflect on their own need for and access to safe spaces.

Do you have spaces where you feel safe to share your ideas, thoughts and experiences — at home, at school, online — without threat of being attacked or disrespected?

How does your identity — race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, background or other factors — affect how you share and express who you are? Do you ever feel more comfortable with people with similar identities and experiences?

Make two lists: What kinds of qualities make a space feel safe for you? What kinds of qualities make it difficult for you to let your guard down and be yourself?

Now, reflect upon your lists: What is the importance of safe spaces for you?

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. What was the initial goal of the Black People Twitter forum on Reddit, according to the article? What kinds of comments are typically posted there?

2. The author writes that “a discussion meant to be a respite from the racial tensions out in the world began to mirror them.” What examples from the article illustrate this statement?

3. Why is it difficult to tell a person’s race on Reddit? How could not knowing a user’s race be a “boon to free speech” (according to proponents of that policy) or something that “encourages hate speech” to detractors)?

4. What does Wesley Moreno, a former moderator, mean when he says that white users pretending to be black were “like a constant form of gaslighting?” (If you don’t know what gaslighting means, look it up.)

5. What are the roles and responsibilities of Reddit moderators? What challenges have they faced in moderating the Black People Twitter forum? What early steps were taken by moderators to address the “weight of unseen white opinion?” Why did moderators believe these initial steps were unsuccessful?

6. What are the forum’s current rules for participation? How have moderators justified their new policy? Why have some forum members celebrated the move? Why have some Reddit users criticized it?

Choose one or more of the following questions to respond to in writing or in a discussion with your classmates:

  • What is your reaction to the article? What was most surprising, thought-provoking or impactful? What aspects of the article resonate with you?

  • Have you ever participated in an online discussion forum? If yes, what has been your experience? Do you find these forums to be safe spaces? Or do you feel the conversations are dominated by “provocateurs,” “trolls” and people “gaslighting” other participants?

  • A black moderator whose user name is Nasjere said of the new guidelines: “People are complaining, but I have yet to figure out a better way to do it.” Do you think the new moderating policy of the Black Twitter Forum was necessary and justified? Why or why not? If not, what would you propose to better address the concerns of black users and moderators raised in the article?

  • What changes would you recommend to make online forums, in general, more safe and equitable spaces?

What Rules, if Any, Should There Be About Phone Use During Live Performances?

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What Rules, if Any, Should There Be About Phone Use During Live Performances?

What was the last live performance you saw? Did you or others in the audience use your phones during the show? Were you allowed to?

Watch the short video above about what happened during a recent performance of the Off Broadway musical “The Wrong Man.”

What’s your reaction to the video? Do you think it’s acceptable to use your phone during a live performance? Why or why not?

Joshua Henry, the star of a new Off Broadway musical called “The Wrong Man,” had tried repeatedly to signal his disapproval to the man in the onstage seating who was using his smartphone to capture his performance, but he wasn’t getting through.

By the third song, Mr. Henry had had enough. So he reached into the seats, deftly grabbed the phone out of the man’s hand, wagged it disapprovingly, and tossed it under a riser — all mid-song, without skipping a beat. “I knew I had to do something,” he explained later.

Just a few nights earlier, in Ohio, the renowned violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter had stopped playing Beethoven mid-concerto to ask a woman in the front row to quit making a video of her. After the woman rose to reply, she was escorted out of the hall by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s president, and the music resumed.

Both artists were cheered — first in person, later on social media — for taking a stand against the growing ranks of smartphone addicts who cannot resist snapping pictures and making recordings that are often prohibited by rule or by law, that are distracting to performers and patrons, and that can constitute a form of intellectual property theft.

But such confrontations are fueling a new debate about digital-era etiquette. No one likes a ringing cellphone to interrupt a cathartic moment. But both theater and classical music have aging fan bases and a desire to attract younger and more diverse audiences, and some suggest that an emphasis on behavioral restrictions is a form of off-putting elitism.

“It’s turned into a battle over who belongs, and who gets to set the rules,” said Kirsty Sedgman, a lecturer in theater at the University of Bristol and the author of “The Reasonable Audience,” a book about contemporary debates over theater etiquette.

“Everyone goes into the theater thinking their own personal vision of what theater should be like is clearly the right one,” said Dr. Sedgman, who noted that expectations that audiences will be reverential date only to the 19th century, and that in Shakespeare’s time patrons were famously rowdy.

On the night a few weeks ago when Rihanna visited Broadway to see the edgy “Slave Play,” she texted the playwright, Jeremy O. Harris, during the intermission-free show. Instead of chastising her, he celebrated the exchange on Twitter, saying, “When my idol texts me during a play I’ve written, I respond.”

Predictably, his tolerance of her texting prompted a backlash. But he was unapologetic.

“I’m not interested in policing anyone’s relationship to watching a play ESPECIALLY someone who isn’t a part of the regular theatergoing crowd,” he said on Twitter.

Students 13 and older 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.

Make yourself in-demand in tech

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Make yourself in-demand in tech

In 2012, the Harvard Business Review named the humble data scientist as the sexiest job of the 21st century.

7 years on and reports on data science roles have shown, on average, around a 30% increase in demand for data scientists year on year.

So, what’s so sexy about data?

For companies, a data scientist’s appeal lies in their elusive nature. A good one is hard to pin down and difficult to hold on to.

To be a tech expert, you require a rare combination of skills, like analytical ability, programming knowledge, statistics know-how, and the dreaded soft skill: strong communication.

With Unlimited, you can earn certificates in as many emerging and established areas of tech and coding as you like, so you can build skills for the in-demand tech roles of tomorrow.

Reap the benefits of going Unlimited with five of our top tech and coding courses, and boost your employability in tech today ➡️

We live in a data driven world and it’s important we learn how to make the most of it.

Learn how to use the R platform to manage data and get an introduction to the R software. 

You can use this course to lay the foundations for studying or working in data science or prepare for more advanced courses using data, like machine learning and computational statistics.

Join this course if: you want to learn how to make data-driven decisions. 

Learn how computers work at a fundamental level by exploring system architecture, along with how computers use binary and logic. 

You’ll look at the von Neumann model of computer architecture and the Fetch-Execute cycle, and learn how to build a range of simple circuits for maths, and simulate various logic gates.

Join this course if: you want to understand the processes behind modern computers (from supercomputers to smartphones).

Environmental and climate change evidently impacts our lives, but what role does data play in informing us about these changes to our world?

Explore the use of statistics and data science for better understanding the environment we live in.

You’ll develop data science skills as you complete hands-on modelling activities using real-world environmental data and the powerful programming language R.

Join this course if: you want to understand environmental change through data.

Today’s supercomputers are the most powerful calculating machines ever invented and have given scientists and engineers a powerful new tool to study the natural world–computer simulation.

Using supercomputers, we can now conduct virtual experiments that are impossible in the real world, from looking deep inside individual atoms, to studying the future climate of the earth.

You’ll learn what supercomputers are, how they’re used and how we can exploit their full computational potential to make scientific breakthroughs.

Join this course if: you want to know how we can perform virtual experiments to make real-life predictions.

Big data analytics helps us to understand the huge volume of information our world now generates, as we use analytics to uncover hidden patterns, predict trends, gauge customer opinions and more.

Learn how to evaluate data from different sources with Professor Bela Stantic and Griffith University’s Big Data and Smart Analytics Lab, and explore how big data is being used in various industries to solve problems and shape our future.

Join this course if: you want to identify the challenges of big data analytics and how it can impact you. 

If these courses aren’t exactly right for you, take a look at all of the courses in our tech and coding category.

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