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Learning System Relationships – Renew or Break Free

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Learning System Relationships – Renew or Break Free

If you have never experienced what I am about to cover, and you currently have a LMS, LXP, Learning Platform or any other type of learning system, heck even a talent management system with learning as a component, this little ditty will at some point come into play.

For those of us, who have gone through this, not one, but multiple times, you know how it works and feels. There isn’t a lot of joy here – well, if you love your system, then yes, joy to renew – but for those who complain about the system, how much they hate it or they are in a conglomerate where the King decides to keep the one you hate, because they do not want to go thru the process again or have some other reason they espouse – this exercise can be exhilarating (okay, and grossly exaggerating) or nail biting, back and forth in your brain, decisions.

If you are about to purchase a system, at some point, whether you renew, or break will be upon you. When you buy a learning system, it should only be for three years, and then you either renew or break up. I’ve seen five-year deals, and that is not the route to go, for a couple (okay, more than that) reasons. Drum roll, please:

  • The purchaser may have left the company, and whoever now is running the show is stuck with it (and hates it)
  • The L&D or Training department gets gutted or reduced (resource restructure), and it falls upon another department, who has no idea on what or how to use it.
  • The vendor whom you bought it from, gets acquired by another vendor (who you dislike or decided is not a fit) and now you are stuck for all those five years.
  • The vendor is privately on the market, and may be in such a financial crunch, there are possibilities of all types of disorganization within it
  • The vendor increases the price (always read everything in the contract, because plenty of vendors do not actually “lock” in the pricing. You want those words in the contract) at some point, under the guise of inflation (huh?), cost of doing business or some other excuse.
  • Your use case has changed, and the system to which you purchased based on that use case, no longer applies – and you are stuck in that five-year agreement.

It takes three-years to build mass. If everyone is required to go into the system for assigned learning – than the mass angle is highly misleading. Sure, you are forced in, but I bet those folks never return – on their own – except to take the assigned learning courses/content, or regulatory/compliance content.

If you are doing external training, three-years to build mass, enough to generate sustainable revenue is the way to go here. Even if it is free, it still takes three-years, because this isn’t a build it, and think everyone is going to use it approach. You have to do far more on your side (ditto if you are offering content that isn’t just job role/skills required-assigned).

Vendors always want you to sign for more than three-years. It ties into something referred to in the industry as ARR. Annual Recurring Revenue. It exists in three-year deals too, but the longer you are in that contract, the ARR works fare better for the vendor.

It also works well in their marketing and sales approach. Who hasn’t heard the 90% plus customer renewal rate? No vendor will ever say, “Hey our renewal rate is 55%.” If that is the case, you are not going to renew.

In case you are curious on whether any vendor in our industry, has tried the Enron game plan, the answer is no. However, there was one vendor, whereas the numbers, well let’s just say the audit didn’t turn out so well for them.

Renewal – The vendor wants you as a client and you want to stay

Reasons for renewal. Never assume is my rule. It should be yours too. Oh, the vendor always wants you to stay as a client. Regardless, if privately, they roll their eyes when you call them.

  • You love the system. Pretty simple.
  • You may have had some issues or challenges, but the vendor responded quickly, helped quickly, and everything got resolved. You liked it. You renew.
  • The price is far too good for you to depart. The renewal rate is really good, and even if the vendor’s system is dated, the price is really cheap.
  • You do not want to go through the process again. It took a lot of your time. It seemed like it would never end. Regardless of if the system is really a fit or not, or even if you dislike it, you stay. This one, BTW, is very common. Which really hurts the learner more so, and even the client – especially if someone new comes in and can’t figure out why you choose to renew.
  • The price to renew – similar to above, is awesome – the vendor has cut you a new deal – or at least you think they have.
  • You did some research, and in the end, just stayed. Likely your research was based on a small selection of vendors, rather than exploring the market. You believe that the vendor you initially selected, continue to deliver what you want – even if they haven’t in the past.
  • The Conglomerate – says you have to stay, because they are renewing with the vendor, and you, as a separate company or LOB, who hear from their learners, on how they hate the system, fails to change the mind of the person overseeing the system at the highest level. This happens quite a bit too.
  • Procurement who has zero clue about the system, just bases it on price. You are stuck. But hey, you have a lower priced system, because procurement thinks it is a steal, when a better system out there, would offer a better deal.
  • The system comes with 3rd party content you can’t find elsewhere, and thus you renew. I have seen this, and folks do not realize that the vendor often will sell the content to you, to place into a new system. They fail to mention this, and you are now stuck. There is one vendor, well-known in the healthcare space that does this. And they are expensive to begin with.
  • Pressure – from the vendor. I mean there are people who just do not want to get engaged in the whole process and renew. There are some vendors out there, who I have seen, questionable behavior to get a client to renew. Always remember that your buddy, the salesperson, their goal is to get you to renew. If you have had issues that haven’t been resolved or take several months and still haven’t been resolved – they promise to get them resolved for you -even if their track record is poor.
  • You can’t make up your mind. I see this quite often. Back and Forth. Back and Forth. Oh, look a new system has come out – should I go with them or should I renew? Make a decision. Either renew or break up. If you renew – there has to be reasons why – and not just because you can’t make a decision.

I always renewed with the vendors I selected. And yes, I always stuck the clause into my contract, “option to opt-out without any financial penalty at any time in the contract.” But, as noted, I always renewed – it comes back on whether you did your due diligence to begin with, really dove into this, and loved your system. And whether you still love them now. It’s really that simple.

If you decided to renew for any other reason, than you will never be satisfied. If the vendor charges low, they still can be very forward-thinking. I know of two vendors that really fit that bill. Just as I know of expensive vendors, who cannot seem to get out of their own way – mismanagement 101 – and even if they are forward thinking, they are discombobulated. Or, they are not forward-thinking, well, not in reality – just in their own mind, but hey they are cheap. If your system looks like Geocities from the 90’s it is time to move on.

Break-Up

What is the wording you hear with country music – it is hard to do.

Actually, it isn’t.

You can choose either the cloak and dagger approach (secretly) or just be honest (or spin it that way) with the vendor and tell them you are leaving – regardless of what they offer or promise. Because trust me, if you go open, they will wine and dine you, and offer all types of amazing to get you stay. If you wish to break-up, do it. Never go back and forth. Go with your gut. It is never wrong – which is why it wasn’t such a great idea to try the chimichurri grasshopper sauce on your steak, right after you ate six crab legs. Even if you thought “Why not!”

Cloak and Dagger – Secretly

You switch into your spy clothes. You say nothing to the vendor. In your search with other vendors, you tell them, that you cannot disclose the system you are using, because they do not know you are looking. Maybe you have the potential vendor sign an NDA, before disclosure.

There are folks who just blurt it out. The industry is really small from a sharing perspective. You never know – if that salesperson – won’t say anything to anyone else – or put it into that salesforce or whatever CRM they use, so others can see it. And who knows if while you are in due diligence mode and scheduling demos far out, that the salesperson doesn’t leave and goes directly to the vendor you are leaving? It has happened.

I’ve gone both ways for clients – some are just open about it, and say you can tell others, some are not, until the vendor is in the final three – and then they will tell them. And yes, some will want the vendor to sign the NDA. If you are truly in cloak and dagger mode, make sure the higher up is involved, before blurting out, who you are with.

Always add a layer of security if you will. The higher-up person won’t or at least shouldn’t share – unless you allow them to do so. I’ve been involved in some cloak and dagger approaches with clients wanting to buy another learning system, and leave their current, which seriously, get to a new level of secrecy, as though the client is about to spill the beans on the mission to the middle of the earth – to meet the Lizard people. And guess what? I’m fine with that.

Breaking up

I’ve already covered the cloak and dagger approach, here is the “I’m going to be honest with you,” or at least the try to be nice reasoning.

This is where the high pressure as though you are debating on a timeshare, after that free breakfast, will roll in. If you can handle that, and go “I’m out of here,” good for you. Never waver.

Vendor Retorts once they are aware of the break-up

Even if cloak and dagger at some point you will need to notify the vendor – my recommendation is 60 days out, prior to renewal. And never waver.

On the “we are going to be honest,” sure – 60 days out. I mean you should have already found another vendor by then. Never waver.

I have seen where the vendor you currently have is still with you, at the same time, you have signed on with the new vendor. That is not ideal – because a) it is expensive to have both running, since you are leaving one, b) it isn’t that difficult to move over your learners into the new system, despite what your original tells you (and some do).

Vendor Retorts when the break-up is announced

It will either be easy, or it will be challenging.

Before diving into what I have heard some vendors do on the challenging part, if you are breaking-up and need to move your content over, (your stuff), your 3rd party provider’s content – if the new vendor doesn’t have them, your learners and anything else – have your new vendor work directly with your current vendor.

Never become the middleperson. It is a pain, and seriously, the new vendor can handle all of this. Get it in the contract. Ignore the verbal, yes, we will do it – great, let’s get it in the contract. Ignore the SLA when it comes to this. There are vendors who will charge. It should be reasonable based on the number of users – and data migration as for the other stuff – they shouldn’t charge. Some do. You can negotiate this into your deal.

Vendor pulls a Challenge Angle – Remember they want you to stay

I’ve seen it all. Here are the top ones – and yes, I’ve heard from companies of all sizes, who hear the same thing.

  • It will be very difficult for you to move over – your learner information (data migration) and your content.
  • Silence. You reach out thereafter, and this is after you decide to leave – they help you in zero way. It is pretty much the worst thing you would think a business in this industry would do – and yet some do.
  • To get your content from our system, you will need to download it yourself. We can’t help you. OR the need to download yourself and they won’t work with the other vendor (your new one) to move it over.
  • We are unable to move your learner information – aka data migration to a new system. You can download it, if you choose.
  • Your former best buddy – salesperson starts to ghost you. You can’t reach them, you e-mail them.
  • They won’t work your new vendor in any manner or way. They ghost them.
  • The push the renewal angle because by switching it is going to take you a long time, and it is such a hard process, why would you want to do it?

Bottom Line

When it comes time, you will need to make a decision. I’ve seen the back and forth, the wavering, even the trepidation of leaving to such an extent, you stay.

It’s okay to break-up.

Heck, it’s even okay to renew.

As long of you do it for the right reasons.

Renew should make you happy,

Breaking up, might make you even happier,

Relationships are tough.

Tough in life.

And tough in this industry.

That is why, it is never an easy decision to make,

However, if your gut says it is time to go,

Then go.

I mean, grasshoppers mashed up in a chimichurri sauce.

Seriously?

E-Learning 24/7

What Students Are Saying About Racist Jokes at School

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What Students Are Saying About Racist Jokes at School

In my opinion, I think schools should strongly punish racist jokes because many students use it and think it’s not a bad thing. I have seen many students use racist jokes such as the N word or Ching Chang Chong. I’ve also noticed that they think it is a normal thing. However, if it continues, racist will keep going on and it won’t be able to stop racism issues. Schools should punish it strongly to prevent further issues that might happen and they should teach the students why they shouldn’t use it and what might happen if they continue to use racist jokes.

— Mingun, Seoul

The problem with students still making these jokes is that the kids who say them sometimes do not understand the danger, violations, and history behind these jokes. This is especially true about younger kids who make racist jokes. In the past teachers have not done much, in regards to responding to these kids’ jokes. At the most, teachers will tell them to stop, they will tell them how unkind it is to say those jokes, but that is the extent of it. Teachers many times do not see these jokes being made and do not believe that it is in their job to educate their students on how terrible it is to say these jokes and continuously spread racist, hurtful rhetoric. I would handle these incidents differently because I would not only explain the situation to the student and explain why the joke is so hurtful, but I would also contact their parents because the parents need to know the behaviors of their children, and the type of language and phrases they spread at school.

— Katalina, New Rochelle High School

I believe schools should educate students who are caught making racist jokes on the impact they have and what they perpetuate. I believe in most cases, administering direct punishment doesn’t solve the problem from the root. School administration should require guilty students to attend a lesson that teaches in detail how making racist jokes perpetuates racism. Additionally, the students should learn what the implications of perpetuating verbal racism are and, in a historical context, what the adverse effects of racist language are. This class is necessary to cultivate a safe environment of inclusivity and understanding. Moreover, if students attend reformative classes and don’t change or decline to take the class, the administration should consider terminating the student from the school. I believe schools should add this enforcement to some degree after trying to educate students because staff shouldn’t force other kids into racist environments.

— caio, high tech high

There are countless times when students use racist language not to offend someone but rather, jokingly with their friends. This being said, I think all racist language is inappropriate. Even if joking, people shouldn’t be made to feel inferior. To “fix” this problem, I don’t think schools can do much differently but rather, go to the root of the problem: a child’s environment at home. If schools want to make a true difference, they should be reaching out to students’ parents and sharing their concerns.

— EK, Gaithersburg, MD

I have never tolerated a racist joke or comment at any school I’ve attended. Such behavior is unacceptable and extremely offensive. If you ever encounter such a situation, it’s crucial to speak up and make it clear that such behavior will not be tolerated. If you don’t feel comfortable confronting the person directly, remove yourself from the situation and report it to an adult … It is our responsibility to take a stand against racism and create a safe and inclusive environment for all.

— Caity, San Antonio, Texas

Film Club: ‘Things Fall Apart: How the Middle Ground on Immigration Collapsed’

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Film Club: ‘Things Fall Apart: How the Middle Ground on Immigration Collapsed’

We’re kind of obsessed with this graph. It shows the percentage of Americans who say immigrants strengthen the United States. We’re all familiar with this end. Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on anything. But what was happening down at this end? How did we start so close and get to: “Build that wall. Build that wall.” Well, that’s what this video is about: the path to political polarization. This dramatic split has left the American immigration system in disarray. And understanding how we got into this mess might just help us find a way out. To start, let’s go back to a moment that might seem totally unimaginable today. “Y2K.” “Hello.” “These are good people, strong people.” It’s 1980, and the two Republican front-runners are having a debate. “Rather than talking about putting up a fence, why don’t we work out some recognition of our mutual problems?” “We’re creating a whole society of really honorable, decent, family-loving people.” Wait. What? Yeah. The top two Republicans are basically having an empathy competition — empathy for immigrants, that is. “I think the time has come that the United States and our neighbors should have a better understanding and a better relationship than we’ve ever had.” And this was pretty normal at the time. Many Republicans welcomed immigration, especially the legal kind, and viewed immigrants as a source of cheap labor. And on the left: “Illegal aliens don’t have the right to be here. They broke the law to get here. They never intended to become a part of our social community, and they are not entitled to benefits.” Might be hard to believe, but that was a former Democratic congresswoman. Democrats often said things that might sound totally bizarre today. “They have no intention to integrate.” “The jobs they hold might otherwise be held by citizens or legal immigrants. The public service they use impose burdens on our taxpayers.” “Who compete for housing, who compete for classroom space.” Sure, there were some sharp divisions within each party. But time and again, the winner was bipartisanship. “This bill says simply, those wishing to immigrate to America shall be admitted on the basis of their skills.” “This bill is the most comprehensive.” “It is the most comprehensive reform of our immigration laws in 66 years.” So for the last part of the 20th century, both parties and their voters were largely in lock step. It helped that immigration wasn’t such a big deal yet. But then look what happened. So what caused this split? Yeah, 9/11 was a factor. But more important was the fast-changing nature of immigration itself. “The number of foreign-born people in America has quadrupled since the 1960s.” The immigrant population was booming, and it was looking less like this and more like this. But it wasn’t just who was coming. It was where they went. For years, immigrants were concentrated in just a handful of states. But from the 1990s through the 2000s, immigration went from being a regional issue to a national issue. In these states, the immigrant population at least doubled. Americans were walking into their grocery stores and, for the first time, hearing Spanish, Hindi, Cantonese, Tagalog. Some felt under siege. “I am tired of people coming across with impunity. We don’t know who’s here. We don’t know what diseases they have.” “There’s 360 million Americans that need to start standing up for their country before we give it away.” Republican politicians increasingly played on those fears. “Some aggravated felons who have sexually abused a minor are eligible for amnesty under this bill.” And they were rewarded with a larger share of the white vote, propelling the party further away from the center. Voters found themselves at a fork in the road. For Republicans, immigration was increasingly a law enforcement and national security issue. And for Democrats, it became more of a humanitarian and human rights issue. “Equal rights for everybody, an opportunity for them to be able to be here legally.” Immigration was becoming a hyperpolarizing issue. “We have a comprehensive strategy to reform our immigration system.” President George W. Bush spent years trying to forge bipartisan consensus. “And we’ve got to continue to work together to get that done, and I’m optimistic that Congress will rise to the occasion.” But he was stymied by members of his own party who opposed giving undocumented immigrants a path to legal status. “The motion is not agreed to.” “The American people understand the status quo is unacceptable when it comes to our immigration laws. A lot of us worked hard to see if we couldn’t find common ground, and it didn’t work.” This was a big turning point for the immigration debate. The moderate middle was becoming a very lonely place. It’s not that politicians didn’t keep trying to meet in the center and fix things. This guy certainly did. “What I can guarantee is that we will have, in the first year, an immigration bill that I strongly —” But he failed, too. And we’re all familiar with what happened next. “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. We have become a dumping ground for the entire world. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. Build that wall. Build that wall.” Trump inspired a wave of copycats. “It’s time to militarize this border.” Once fringe ideas were now certifiably mainstream. “Finish President Trump’s wall, blow up the cartel’s drug tunnels and surveillance drones and deploy the Arizona National Guard to stop illegals from entering.” But guess what? It’s not just conservatives. Democrats have aggressively moved away from the center even more than Republicans. “Immigrants and refugees are an enormous blessing.” “Talking about deporting 11 million people is so outrageous.” “If you’d be so kind, raise your hand if you think it should be a civil offense rather than a crime to cross the border without documentation?” “Top officials in the Biden administration have gone to absurd lengths to avoid calling a spade a spade.” “Is there a crisis at our southern border? Senator?” “There is a very —” “That’s a yes or no question. Is there a crisis?” “There is a very significant challenge that we are facing.” “Yes or no? Is there a crisis?” “I believe I’ve addressed that question.” “So you’re refusing to answer?” Not to give Ted Cruz too much credit here, but it’s a fair question. The answer, of course, is, yes, it’s a crisis. Here’s our opinion. Immigrants bring energy and new ideas. America faces a population slowdown, and immigration can help maintain a robust labor force. “We build new buildings. We do your roofing. We clean your ditches.” But we also need to strengthen the border, in part, by overhauling an asylum system on the verge of collapse. The immigration system is broken. But we can fix it if there was only the political will. “Why don’t we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit?” “And nearly all Americans have ancestors who braved the oceans, liberty-loving risk takers in search of an ideal.” “We love America. We love our people. And we love people coming here legally.” Most Americans support the key elements of sensible immigration reform, including a stronger border and providing undocumented immigrants with a path to citizenship. But as long as politics and emotion continue to eclipse reason, bipartisanship, sadly, will remain a thing of the past. “Build that wall. Build that wall. Build that wall. Build that wall. Build that wall.”

What’s Going On in This Graph? | Feb. 28, 2024

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What’s Going On in This Graph? | Feb. 28, 2024

On Wednesday, Feb. 28, 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, March 1, 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 the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 29. Stay tuned!

More?

• See all graphs in this series or collections of 75 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.

GUEST POST: The Benefits and Risks of ChatGPT for Education

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GUEST POST: The Benefits and Risks of ChatGPT for Education

References:

(1) Council of the European Union, Analysis and Research Team. ChatGPT in the Public Sector – overhyped or overlooked? (2023). In Council of the European Union. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/63818/art-paper-chatgpt-in-the-public-sector-overhyped-or-overlooked-24-april-2023_ext.pdf 

(2) Deng, J., & Lin, Y. (2023). The Benefits and Challenges of ChatGPT: An Overview. Frontiers in Computing and Intelligent Systems, 2(2), 81–83. https://doi.org/10.54097/fcis.v2i2.4465 

(3) Tate, T., Doroudi, S., Ritchie, D., Xu, Y., & Warschauer, M. (2023). Educational Research and AI-Generated Writing: Confronting the Coming Tsunami. EdarXiv Preprints. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/4mec3 

(4) Williams, C. (2023). Hype, or the future of learning and teaching? 3 Limits to AI’s ability to write student essays  – Kent Academic Repository. The London School of Economics and Political Sciences internet blog. Retrieved October 9, 2023, from https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/99505 

(5) Forman, N., Udvaros, J., & Avornicului, M. S. (2023). ChatGPT: A new study tool shaping the future for high school students. International Journal of Advanced Natural Sciences and Engineering Researches, 7(4), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.59287/ijanser.562 

(6) Baidoo-Anu, D., & Ansah, L. O. (2023). Education in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI): Understanding the potential benefits of ChatGPT in promoting teaching and learning. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4337484 

(7) Sullivan, M., Kelly, A., & McLaughlan, P. (2023). ChatGPT in higher education: Considerations for academic integrity and student learning. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.17 

(8) Elsen-Rooney, M. (2023, January 3). NYC education department blocks ChatGPT on school devices, networks. Chalkbeat New York. Retrieved October 11, 2023, from https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2023/1/3/23537987/nyc-schools-ban-chatgpt-writing-artificial-intelligence 

(9) Opara, E., Theresa, A., & Aduke, T. C. (2023). ChatGPT for Teaching, Learning and Research: Prospects and Challenges. Glob Acad J Humanit Soc Sci, 5(2), 33–40. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4375470 

(10) Kasneci, E., Seßler, K., Küchemann, S., Bannert, M., Dementieva, D., Fischer, F., Gasser, U., Groh, G., Günnemann, S., Hüllermeier, E., Krusche, S., Kutyniok, G., Michaeli, T., & Nerdel, C. (2023). ChatGPT for Good? On Opportunities and Challenges of Large Language Models for Education. EdArXiv Preprints. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/5er8f 

(11) Liang, G., On, B., Jeong, D., Kim, H., & Choi, G. S. (2018). Automated essay scoring: A Siamese bidirectional LSTM neural network architecture. Symmetry, 10(12), 682. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym10120682 

(12) Lu, C., & Cutumisu, M. (2021). Integrating Deep Learning into An Automated Feedback Generation System for Automated Essay Scoring. International Educational Data Mining Society. Retrieved October 15, 2023, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED615567.pdf 

(13) Zhai, X. (2023). ChatGPT for next generation Science Learning. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4331313 

(14) Cai, W., Grossman, J., Lin, Z., Sheng, H., Wei, J. T., Williams, J. J., & Goel, S. (2021). Bandit algorithms to personalize educational chatbots. Machine Learning, 110(9), 2389–2418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10994-021-05983-y 

(15) Mhlanga, D. (2023). Open AI in Education, The responsible and ethical use of ChaTGPT towards lifelong Learning. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4354422 

(16) Qadir, J. (2022). Engineering Education in the Era of ChatGPT: Promise and Pitfalls of Generative AI for Education. TechRxiv. https://doi.org/10.36227/techrxiv.21789434.v1 

(17) Atlas, S. (2023). ChatGPT for Higher Education and Professional Development: A Guide to Conversational AI. Digital Commons, University of Rhode Islans. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1547&context=cba_facpubs 

(18) Herft Educator. (2023). A Teacher’s Prompt Guide to ChatGPT aligned with “What Works Best” Guide. User Generated Education. https://usergeneratededucation.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/a-teachers-prompt-guide-to-chatgpt-aligned-with-what-works-best.pdf 

(19) Rudolph, T., Tan, S., & Tan, S. (2023). ChatGPT: Bullshit spewer or the end of traditional assessments in higher education? Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.9 

(20) Kleebayoon, A., & Wiwanitkit, V. (2023). Artificial intelligence, chatbots, plagiarism and basic honesty: comment. Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, 16(2), 173–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12195-023-00759-x 

(21) Thurzo, A., Strunga, M., Urban, R., Surovková, J., & Afrashtehfar, K. I. (2023). Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Dental Education: A Review and Guide for curriculum update. Education Sciences, 13(2), 150. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13020150 

(22) Khalil, M., & Er, E. (2023). Will ChatGPT get you caught? Rethinking of Plagiarism Detection. arXiv (Cornell University). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2302.04335 

(23) Basic, Z., Banovac, A., Kruzic, I., & Jerkovic, I. (2023). Better by you, better than me, ChatGPT-3.5 as writing assistance in students’ essays. arXiv, 2. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2302.04536 

(24) Grassini, S. (2023). Shaping the Future of Education: Exploring the potential and consequences of AI and ChatGPT in educational settings. Education Sciences, 13(7), 692. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070692 

(25) Sok, S., & Heng, K. (2023). ChaTGPT for Education and Research: A Review of Benefits and Risks. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4378735 

(26) Rahimi, F., & Abadi, A. T. B. (2023). ChatGPT and publication ethics. Archives of Medical Research, 54(3), 272–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcmed.2023.03.004 

(27) Sallam, M. (2023). ChatGPT Utility in Healthcare Education, Research, and Practice: Systematic Review on the promising perspectives and valid concerns. Healthcare, 11(6), 887. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060887 

(28) Mbakwe, A. B., Lourentzou, I., Celi, L. A., Mechanic, O. J., & Dagan, A. (2023). ChatGPT passing USMLE shines a spotlight on the flaws of medical education. PLOS Digital Health, 2(2), e0000205. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000205 

(29) Lucy, L., & Bamman, D. (2021). Gender and Representation Bias in GPT-3 Generated Stories. Proceedings of the Third Workshop on Narrative Understanding, 48–55. https://doi.org/10.18653/v1/2021.nuse-1.5 

(30) Gordijn, B., & Have, H. T. (2023). ChatGPT: evolution or revolution? Medicine Health Care and Philosophy, 26(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-023-10136-0 

(31) Hassani, H., & Silva, E. S. (2023). The role of ChatGPT in Data Science: How AI-Assisted conversational Interfaces are revolutionizing the field. Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 7(2), 62. https://doi.org/10.3390/bdcc7020062 

(32) Lo, C. K. (2023). What is the impact of CHATGPT on education? A rapid review of the literature. Education Sciences, 13(4), 410. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13040410 

(33) Cotton, D., Cotton, P. A., & Shipway, J. R. (2023). Chatting and cheating: Ensuring academic integrity in the era of ChatGPT. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2190148 

(34) Huang, Y. (2023). Reflection on whether Chat GPT should be banned by academia from the perspective of education and teaching. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1181712

How Does Your School Address Students’ Mental Health Needs?

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How Does Your School Address Students’ Mental Health Needs?

During this school year or any point in your school career, have you had classes or special programs that have taught you how to deal with emotions, manage stress, know when to seek help from an adult and recognize when a friend is struggling?

At your school, have any students formed groups or clubs intended to boost happiness, ease stress, encourage wellness or offer help with mental health issues? Would you be interested in joining such a program?

In “When the Biggest Student Mental Health Advocates Are the Students,” Jennifer Miller writes about student-led initiatives that have popped up in some schools. The article begins:

Last October, to commemorate Mental Health Awareness Week, a group of students at Sacopee Valley High School in Hiram, Maine, created the annual Hope Board. Shaped like an enormous tulip and displayed in the lobby, the board was covered with anonymous teenage aspirations. Some students hoped to pass driver’s education or have a successful playoff season. Others expressed more complicated desires. “To be more happy than angry,” wrote one student. Another wrote, “I hope people are kinder and more mature.”

Camryn Baron, 17, created the board as a founder of Sacopee’s Yellow Tulip Team, a student group devoted to mental health. “It’s an outlet for some kids to be able to outwardly express and vocalize something that’s bothering them,” she said.

Ms. Baron has struggled with an eating disorder, anxiety and depression; she is bisexual and has not always felt supported. “The things that a lot of us dismiss or struggle with here — to be able to share them with other people is validating,” she said.

Sacopee’s Yellow Tulip Team is one of roughly 150 such clubs supported by the Yellow Tulip Project, a mental health education and advocacy nonprofit. Co-founded in 2016 by Julia Hansen, a high schooler in Maine who had lost her two best friends to suicide, the nonprofit works to destigmatize mental illness and help students prioritize their emotional well-being.

At Sacopee Valley, the club plays upbeat music to welcome students each Monday and shares mental health information through morning announcements. Each fall, it plants a Hope Garden — 500 tulip bulbs this year — and will celebrate the flowers’ resilience in the spring with a youth wellness day of workshops and activities. At the group’s regular meetings, students might discuss stress reduction strategies, as well as the homophobia, socio-economic inequality and various stigma that many teenagers experience in their conservative-leaning, rural community.

In recent years, nonprofits that support school-based mental health clubs have found their programs in demand. The increase is the result of two phenomena: the rising number of adolescents struggling with mental health and the dearth of resources to help them. As schools search for solutions, often it’s the students who are leading the effort.

“When we think about mental health, it’s not just about crisis intervention,” said Lisa Padilla, senior behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation, who has studied mental health clubs. “The peer-based organizations are creating an environment in the school that says, ‘We value your well-being, and we know that’s part of who you are as a whole person.’ That message goes a long way to make students feel safe and empowered to speak up about their own needs.”

Students, read the entire article and then tell us:

  • Before reading the article, had you heard of the Yellow Tulip Project? Does your school have a Yellow Tulip Team or something similar that is run by students who offer support to their peers? If so, what does the group do?

  • Do you feel that your school has adequate resources for students who are struggling with their mental health? Are there groups, safe spaces or adults, such as counselors, available to help?

  • The article discusses efforts to destigmatize mental health issues, or to make people feel more comfortable talking about their struggles. Do you still see a stigma associated with mental health and with getting help for it? Which of the efforts mentioned in the article do you think would be most helpful in reducing discomfort around these issues? Why?

  • The article quotes a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that found that, in 2021, 44 percent of high school students claimed they “persistently felt sad or hopeless,” up 7.3 percent from a study conducted in 2019. Do these statistics reflect your own observations? Do you think that your peers struggle more now than they did before the Covid-19 pandemic?

  • If you were asked to contribute ideas to what schools could do, or do differently, to help foster mental well-being, what would you suggest? Why?

  • Finally, now that you’ve read about the shortage of mental health resources for students, are you interested in pursuing a career in a related field, such as a school psychologist or a counselor? What qualities do you think a person who works with young people in this capacity should have?

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 and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Celebrity Feuds

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Celebrity Feuds

Did you know that Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj are in a feud? The two rappers recently ratcheted up hostilities with a pair of blustery, acid-dipped singles, each aiming to hit the other where it hurts.

Have you been paying attention to this “hip-hop beef du jour,” as The Times called it? What do you think?

In general, how much attention do you pay to feuds between the famous? Why do you find yourself caring? Why do you think they blow up on social media and capture so much interest?

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

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 and may appear in print.

Find more Picture Prompts here.

Word of the Day: frenetic

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Word of the Day: frenetic

The word frenetic has appeared in 155 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Dec. 31 in the Opinion essay “I Was Transformed by the Best Cult Ever: Michigan Football” by Jaime Lowe:

I was still skeptical when I entered the Big House, but it was stunning. Something — some kind of mystical energy that can come only from 110,000 people chanting in unison — washed over me. I stood on the bleachers and yelled and cheered and mumbled the fight song (I didn’t know the words yet). I worried that the students pounding Fireballs would tip over and turn into human dominoes.

… Football wasn’t an immediate salve. I was still feeling lost and displaced and confused ahead of the third home game. I knew that I needed to get out of the house, and so I walked to the game. From blocks away, I could hear the fans screaming and feel the earth move.

I entered the Big House again and again, for the rest of the season. For seven home games, I understood more about why I gravitated to the stadium. Something clicked. My mood, upon entering, changed immediately. I was swept up in frenetic joy. It was as if we, the fans, were a superorganism.

Can you correctly use the word frenetic 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.

If you want a better idea of how frenetic can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.

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.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

Creating Photo Essays About Community: A Guide to Our Where We Are Contest

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Creating Photo Essays About Community: A Guide to Our Where We Are Contest

But you can use the first few paragraphs of each essay — what appears before the first photos — as mentor texts for your own introductions, and we’ll show you how, below.

First though, let’s remember your broader goals. As we wrote at the top of this post, together, your introduction, photo essay and captions should answer these questions:

  • What is this community?

  • Who is in it?

  • Where and when does it meet?

  • How did the community come to be? How does it operate?

  • Why does it matter to its participants? Why should it matter to viewers?

Take a look at “In This Nigerian Market, Young Women Find a Place of Their Own” as an example. Here is the introduction, the first 200 or so words before the photo essay begins to scroll:

At the bustling Yaba Market in Lagos, Nigeria, there is something for everyone.

Chatter rises from the traders, whose stalls sprawl over miles of cracked gray concrete and packed earth. They might be selling baskets of fresh fruit, wheelbarrows stuffed with phone cases, piles of sequined fabrics or racks of second-hand clothes.

If you’re lucky, you might find a vintage jacket you’ve been searching for, or a pair of long-lasting Levi’s jeans. But you’re never going to be as lucky as Dencity: the coolest of the cool kids of Lagos. These skaters, often clad in a uniform of baggy pants and crop tops, head to the market to go thrifting each week. They’re armed with fashion knowledge only the young, fun and determined can possess and seek out the best streetwear they can find.

Founded by 26-year-old Blessing Ewona in 2020 in response to the dearth of spaces for young queer people and female skaters in Nigeria, Dencity skate, dream and thrift together. From their trips to the market to regular skate meet-ups at the dilapidated National Stadium or Tarkwa Bay beach, they have traced their own map of the city.

How many of the questions we listed above do these paragraphs answer? How do they work with the top image, which we’ve embedded above this section? What descriptions stand out? What context and background does it provide?

Now let’s break your task down.

Much of the writing in these essays is just as interesting as the photos, as the example above shows. Here is another, the opening of “At This Wrestling Academy, Indian Girls Are ‘Set Free’”:

As the winter sun ascends over a mustard farm, pale orange bleeding into sharp yellow, a line of 36 girls all dressed alike — T-shirts, track pants, crew cuts — emerges into an open field, rubbing sleep from their eyes. Under a tin shed, they sit on their haunches, bent over stone mortars. For the next 20 minutes, they crush raw almonds into a fine paste, straining out a bottle of nut milk. They will need it to regain their strength.

And here is how “On a Caribbean Island, Young People Find Freedom in ‘Bike Life’” begins:

On a warm evening in October 2021, Enzo Crispin mounted his cobalt motorcycle and set off into the night. Hundreds of others joined his caravan, the rumbles of their engines filling the air of Fort-de-France, the capital of the French Caribbean island territory of Martinique. The riders popped up on one wheel, stood up on their bikes, brushed their hands along the ground — all while zooming along at top speed.

Completely exhilarating. Potentially illegal, at least on public streets. This is “cabrage,” which roughly translates from French as a rodeo on wheels.

How do these introductions both “zoom out” and “zoom in”? How do they play on your senses, helping you see, hear, taste, touch and smell this place and what happens in it? How could you do those things in your introduction?

What Communities Are You a Part Of? What Communities Would You Like to Explore?

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What Communities Are You a Part Of? What Communities Would You Like to Explore?

Choose one or more photo essays from the series, scroll through and then answer any of the questions below that you like.

1. The Magic of Your First Car
2. At This Mexican Restaurant, Everyone Is Family
3. Where the Band Kids Are
4. In This Nigerian Market, Young Women Find a Place of Their Own
5. At Camp Naru, Nobody Is ‘an Outlier’
6. For Black Debutantes in Detroit, Cotillion Is More Than a Ball
7. At This Wrestling Academy, Indian Girls Are ‘Set Free’
8. In Seville, Spain, These Young Rappers Come Together to Turn ‘Tears Into Rhymes’
9. For a Queer Community in Los Angeles, This Public Park Is a Lifeline
10. In Guatemala, A Collective of Young Artists Finds Family Through Film
11. On a Caribbean Island, Young People Find Freedom in ‘Bike Life’
12. At This Texas Campus Ministry, ‘Inclusive Love’ Is the Mission
13. For Young Arab Americans in Michigan, the Hookah Lounge Feels like Home

Students, first react to the photo essays:

  • Which of the “Where We Are” pieces stood out to you? What about them grabbed your attention?

  • Which of these communities could you most relate to? How do they connect to your life and experiences?

  • Which of them introduced you to something new? What did you learn?

Next, reflect on the role of community in your life:

  • What communities are you a part of? Which of them are most meaningful?

  • Choose one community to focus on. How does it affect your understanding of who you are? How does it support you?

  • Both the “Where We Are” series and our contest focus on offline communities grounded in specific places. Are online and offline communities different? Do you prefer one over the other? Is one better, in your opinion?

  • What communities have you been a part of in the past that have helped shape who you are today? For example, in “Where the Band Kids Are,” Ashley Markle chose to photograph the marching band at Ravenna High School because she was once a member. Is there a community you remember fondly?

Then, brainstorm some interesting local communities that you are NOT a part of:

  • What comes to mind right away when we ask about communities in your area that you are not a part of, but that you might be curious about? (Keep in mind that the people in them don’t have to be teenagers — it could be your grandma’s Mah Jong group, your little brother’s Boy Scout troop or that adult cricket team you see playing every Saturday morning.)

Using the “Where We Are” series as inspiration, consider:

  • Who gathers in your local parks?

  • What businesses — whether restaurants, cafes, gyms, salons, stores, museums or libraries — are popular in your area? Do groups meet regularly in any of those places?

  • What are the different communities that make up your school? Think about clubs and sports, about the various physical places where people gather, and about groups that meet before, during and after the school day. Consider, too, groups whose members are both older and younger than you. Which of them especially interest you? Why?

  • What religious or spiritual groups are in your local area? How do they create a feeling of belonging for their members?

  • What cultural, racial or ethnic identity communities — like the summer camp for Korean American youth or the debutante balls for young Black men and women in Detroit — are a part of your neighborhood or school?

  • What local work-related communities are you aware of, whether the work is paid or volunteer? For instance, at a hospital you might find many communities, whether emergency room nurses or volunteers who bring animals to visit sick children.

  • Are you aware of any hobbyist groups who meet in person nearby? Whether it’s Dungeons and Dragons players, bird-watchers, knitters, skateboarders, dancers or muralists, these kinds of groups might be invisible to you until you look for them.

  • What local or national political candidates, parties or interest groups have an office or a meeting spot near you? Who is a part of those communities?

  • What fan communities do you know about, whether they follow a sports team or a local musician?

  • Are there odd or overlooked places in your neighborhood that have become gathering places? For instance, some communities have a “swap shack” at the local dump where people meet to give and get items for free. In other communities, a parking lot becomes a hangout on warm nights.

Finally, choose a group you are not a part of, and answer these questions:

If these questions got you excited, consider entering our contest, which is open through March 20. Our forthcoming how-to guide can help you take your answers to these questions and create a photo essay. Learn more here.

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 and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

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