George Veletsianos, PhD

NIDL’s Top 10 Good Reads from 2022

On January 17, 2023

For the past seven years the good folks from the National Institute of Digital Learning have been selecting 10 open access journal articles to share as their “good reads” of the year. It’s quite a feat to find, read, and reflect on more than 100 articles to come up with any list, let alone a list that goes beyond typical metrics like citation counts, and takes into account issues like diversity and representation. I am grateful to see one of our papers on the list, but I am more excited to see a few paper that I haven’t read yet! I am listing the papers below, but please read the original post as our colleagues’ reflection on the process is part of what makes this project great!

Fawns, T. (2022). An entangled pedagogy: Looking beyond the pedagogy—technology dichotomy. Postdigital Science and Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00302-7

Johnson, N., Seaman, J., & Poulin, R. (2022). Defining different modes of learning: Resolving confusion and contention through consensus. Online Learning Journal, 26(3), 91-110. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24059/olj.v26i3.3565

Passey, D. (2022). Theories, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, models and constructs: Limiting research outcomes through misconceptions and misunderstanding. Studies in Technology Enhanced Learning, 1(1), 95-114. https://doi.org/ 10.21428/8c225f6e.56810a1a

Atenas, J., Beetham, H., Bell, F., Cronin, C., Vu Henry, J., & Walji, S. (2022). Feminisms, technologies and learning: Continuities and contestations. Learning, Media and Technology, 47(1), 1-10, DOI: 10.1080/17439884.2022.2041830

Downes, S. (2022). Connectivism. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 17(1), 58-87. http://www.asianjde.com/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/623

Saçak, B., Bozkurt, A., & Wagner, E. (2022). Learning design versus instructional design: A bibliometric study through data visualization approaches. Education Sciences, 12, 752, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12110752

Houlden, S., & Veletsianos, G. (2022). Impossible dreaming: On speculative education fiction and hopeful learning futures. Postdigital Science and Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00348-7

Holmes, W., & Tuomi, I. (2022). State of the art and practice in AI in education, European Journal of Education, 57(4),542–570. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12533

Celik, I., Dindar, M., Muukkonen, H., & Järvelä, S. (2022). The promises and challenges of artificial intelligence for teachers: A systematic review of research. TechTrends, 66, 616–630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-022-00715-y

Tlili, A., et al. (2022). Is Metaverse in education a blessing or a curse: a combined content and bibliometric analysis. Smart Learning Environments, 9(24), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00205-x

EdTech, magic mushrooms, and magic bullets

By George Veletsianos

On January 16, 2023

In my research, online learning, scholarship, short reflections

In my inbox, an email says:

Alberta’s new regulations on psychedelics to treat mental health issues come into effect today, making it the first province to regulate the use of hallucinogens in therapy.

Today in The Conversation Canada, Erika Dyck of the University of Saskatchewan walks readers through the new regulations, as well as the history, potential and pitfalls of hallucinogens both inside and outside clinical settings.

Psychedelics — from magic mushrooms and ayahuasca to LSD — are having a moment in the spotlight, with celebrity endorsements and a new generation of research on potential clinical uses. There is certainly a need for therapeutics to treat mental health issues, the growing prevalence of which could place a strain on the health-care system.

“Psychedelics are being held up as a potential solution,” Dyck writes. “But, magic mushrooms are not magic bullets.”

That last line captures so much of what is happening in our field, and education more broadly, that it is worth repeating.

AI is being held up as a potential solution, but it is not a magic bullet.
A return to in-person learning is being held up as a potential solution, but it is not a magic bullet.
Online learning is being held up as a potential solution, but it is not a magic bullet.
Microcredentials are being held up as a potential solution, but they are not a magic bullet.
… and so on

These things – and others – can be solutions to some problems, but they consider them to be part of a Swiss army knife, part of a toolkit. And while sometimes your Swiss army knife will work, this isn’t always going to be the case, especially when we’re considering some of the most major challenges facing higher ed, the kinds of things that we’re not talking about (e.g., precarious employment and and external regulations that encourage and foster conservatism, etc).

And perhaps, that’s the crux of the issue: That these solutions are used to respond to the symptoms of larger problems, of the things we’re not talking about, rather than the root causes of them.

Image credit: Wall-e output in response to the prompt “a magic bullet in the style of salvador dali”

AI use in class policy

By George Veletsianos

On January 12, 2023

In short reflections

Ryan Baker shares his class policy on foundation models, and asks for input:

Within this class, you are welcome to use foundation models (ChatGPT, GPT, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, GitHub Copilot, and anything after) in a totally unrestricted fashion, for any purpose, at no penalty. However, you should note that all large language models still have a tendency to make up incorrect facts and fake citations, code generation models have a tendency to produce inaccurate outputs, and image generation models can occasionally come up with highly offensive products. You will be responsible for any inaccurate, biased, offensive, or otherwise unethical content you submit regardless of whether it originally comes from you or a foundation model. If you use a foundation model, its contribution must be acknowledged in the handin; you will be penalized for using a foundation model without acknowledgement. Having said all these disclaimers, the use of foundation models is encouraged, as it may make it possible for you to submit assignments with higher quality, in less time. The university’s policy on plagiarism still applies to any uncited or improperly cited use of work by other human beings, or submission of work by other human beings as your own.

As far as policies go, I like what Ryan created because

It functions as a policy as well as a pedagogical tool (“you should know that these models do X”) that draws students’ attention to specific issues that are important (e.g., ethics and equity).
It encourages use of foundation models. It recognizes that they are available and they can have benefits, unlike head in the sand efforts that ban their use
It invites students to engage with the output of foundation models in meaningful ways

In the LinkedIn thread, Jason D. Baker has a great comment that speaks to this, when he asks whether students solely need to state whether they used a model or whether they will need to explain in detail how they used model outputs. What would an explanation accompanying a submission look like? I’m not quite sure, but here’s an example of an article demonstrating the ways the human was involved and the ways the AI contributed to an article.

A pan-Canadian certification program for higher education instructors?

By George Veletsianos

On January 12, 2023

In courses, future education, online learning

Tony Bates wrote his five wishes for online learning in 2023, along with reasons why he’s somewhat pessimistic about them being fulfilled. I wanted to spend a few minutes here discussing alternatives to Tony’s second wish: “A national certification program for higher education instructors.” If this wish has a “5% odds of happening” (and I agree with Tony here), what kinds of alternatives might have greater chances of success?

Provincial responsibility for higher education means that (at present) this is the kind of wish that is dead in the water. Some alternatives that might go towards addressing the problems of teaching competence might be the following:

Provincial certification programs for higher education instructors. The BC government has developed a digital learning strategy, which includes a variety of steps, resources, actions, recommendations, and tools to support and expand the effective and equitable use of digital learning in the province. With a strategy in place, developing a provincial certification program makes good sense. Some of the challenges that Tony identifies a federal program facing will still be present in the provincial context (e.g., research-teaching hierarchies, cost, academic freedom issues), but the odds of this are greater than 5%. My guesstimate? 10%. Still poor. And smaller-scale. On the other hand, a provincial program, say in BC, might become a proof of concept for other provinces, especially, if it is openly licensed, is cross-disciplinary, and is flexible enough in its design and assessment.
Institutional and cross-institutional certification programs, such as BCIT’s Polytechnic Academy proposal, which I understand to be similar to the work that Centers of Teaching and Learning at multiple institutions do, such as, for example, the Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) offerings, that are offered by a number of institutions/organizations in the province. There’s a slew of benefits that can come from multi-institutional collaboration on such efforts, like Tony describes. I’m more optimistic on this, especially because there was quite a lot of collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic that might provide the impetus and support for this, and also because I see collaborative-minded institutions coming together for other initiatives (like the new campus that four island institutions are opening in the Westshore).
Institutional certification programs for future faculty. This is close to my heart. Preparing current doctoral students for online/hybrid teaching – and preparing them for teaching in general – is necessary (which, I might add, also prepares them with skills that are relevant outside of the academy, like leading teams in collaborative groupwork). There’s other challenges here to be sure (such as academic departments agreeing that this is topic that is significant enough to warrant a course/certificate/microcredential/something), but this might be an area where the office/school/college of graduate studies plays a pivotal role. Another challenge: this kind of initiative addresses the current problem, but in the future, while remaining unresponsive to the status quo. It’s not a solution, but it’s part of a package for a solution.

If you would like to add more to this, the comments are open!

Η ξενιθκιά τζιαι οι ανθοί

By George Veletsianos

On January 3, 2023

In cyprus

There’s been a recent movement in Cyprus to accept and recognize the beauty, richness, and significance of the Cypriot language. Typically understood as a dialect, Greekcypriot (and Turkishcypriot for that matter, i believe) are oral, not written languages: There’s no courses in “Cypriot” in K-12 schools. The courses are Modern Greek (Turkish), and the language spoken in professional contexts is Greek. There’s all sorts of issues wrapped up in this around people’s concepts of what is and isn’t proper, and around what ought to be or not be taught in schools. As part of the movement to use Cypriot in written contexts, a local newspaper has started publishing op eds written in Cypriot on any topic, and I wrote the following story around my grandmother’s cooking of stuffed zucchini flowers.

Η ξενιθκιά τζιαι οι ανθοί

Έσιει πάνω που είκοσι χρόννια που έφυα που την Κύπρο. Πρώτα Αμερική. Ύστερα Αγγλία. Πίσω Αμερική. Τώρα Καναδά. Τζιαι όι Τορόντο, που τουλάχιστον εν’ 10 ώρες απευθείας πτήση προς την Αθήνα τζιαι ύστερα ανάμιση ώρα που τζιαμαί. Όι! Στην άλλη πλευρά του Καναδά. Στην πλευρά του Ειρηνικού ωκεανού. Στη Βικτώρια, που εν’ στο νησί Βανκούβερ, που πολλοί συγχύζουν με την πόλη του Βανκούβερ. Στην πλευρά που θέλει τουλάχιστον τρεις πτήσεις τζιαι 24 ώρες για να έρτω πίσω. «Στα τριβίλλουρα», λαλεί ο φίλος μου ο Φόττας που το γυμνάσιο. Να μεν τα πολυλογώ, Αγγλία, Αμερική ή Καναδάς εν είσιεν σημμασία για την μακαρίτισσα τη γιαγιά μου την Ελένη που την Τρεμιθούσα. «Ζάβαλλε μου, τζιαι εννά σε φάει η ξενιθκιά γιε μου» ελάλεν μου κάθε φορά που επήαιννα να την δω.

Εν ηξέρω ακριβώς ίνταμπου εννόαν με την έκφραση «εννά σε φάει η ξενιθκιά». Εχαμογέλουν τζιαι εκαθησύχαζα την, αλλά θαρκούμαι εσκέφτετουν ότι τα πράματα εν’ δύσκολα στο εξωτερικό. Ότι εν θα έχω συγγενείς, γνωστούς, τζιαι φίλους σε ώρα ανάγκης. Ότι ο κοσμος εν’ άλλωσπως. Αξινόστραφος, σε σύγκριση με τους Κυπραίους; Χωρίς εμπιστοσύνη; Ότι σαν την Κύπρο εν έσιει; Εν ηξέρω. Έπρεπε να την ρωτήσω, αλλά πού να το κόψει ο νους μου! Ένα πράμα όμως έξερα το: Ότι στη ξενιθκιά σίουρα εν θα έβρισκα μια πιατέλλα γεμάτη με ανθούς έτοιμους πας στο τραπέζι, έτσι όπως τους έκαμνεν κάθε φορά που επήαιννα να την δω.

Η κοτζιάκαρη η μακαρίτισσα ήταν αγράμματη αλλά, τελικά, γνωστική. Ως ένα σημείο έντζιαι είσιεν άδικο. «Εξίασες τα ελληνικά σου, ρε» είπε μου η αρφή μου πας στην κουβέντα τον Ιούνη που ήρτα να δω τους δικούς μου, ύστερα που δκυόμισι χρόννια πανδημίας. Τζιαι όταν έγραψα της άλλης μου της αρφής στο φέισμπουκ «Πολλά ωρεο! Πίος το εκαμε;» για ένα γλύκισμα, απάντησε μου: «Re, me polli agapi einai *ωραίο και *ποιος». Ορθογράφος η ροκόλα, που ήταν δέκα χρονών όταν έφυα, τζιαι τωρά εν’ τριάντα. Τέλος πάντων, έχουν τζιαι τούτες δίκαιο. Η ξενιθκιά εμισοέφαεν μου την γλώσσα μου την μητρική. Τούντο άρθρο εννά το έγραφα σε καμμιάν ώρα στα αγγλικά αλλά επήρεν μου τρεις τζιαι κάτι στα κυπριακά. Τζιαι επειδή λυσσιώ της πείνας, εν ημπόρω να περιγράψω τωρά πως η ξενιθκιά εν’ όπως την Ιθάκη, τζιαι εννά σταματήσω να γράφω.

Μια πιατέλλα γεμάτη με ανθούς έτοιμους πας στο τραπέζι, έτσι όπως τους έκαμνεν κάθε φορά που επήαιννα να την δω, όμως γιοκ.

Assistant Professor positions at Royal Roads University to join the Emerging Indigenous Scholar Circle

By George Veletsianos

On December 19, 2022

In Royal Roads University

RRU has two faculty positions available for Indigenous scholars. The appointments are flexible as to the discipline of focus, and so this is open to Indigenous colleagues studying topics related to education, educational technology, learning design, critical pedagogy, education futures, online learning, etc etc, who may be situated in the same field as I am. A short summary appears below, but see the full posting (link above) for full details.

In collaboration with local First Nations, and with guidance from the Heron People Circle, Royal Roads University is committed to establishing an Emerging Indigenous Scholars Circle. The Circle is a community that provides connection, mentorship and support as emerging Indigenous scholars begin or are looking to augment their academic career.

Royal Roads is seeking two Emerging Indigenous Scholars to join our Circle. These three-year limited term faculty appointments will be at the assistant professor level. Indigenous applicants are First Nations, Metis and/or Inuit individuals who maintain ties to their nations, ancestors and families. Emerging Indigenous scholars are early in their academic careers (ABD, or within the first five years of graduating with a doctorate, including those who have pursued non-academic work). We are seeking applicants from diverse academic backgrounds, areas of expertise and research interests who can contribute to our existing programs.

The successful applicant will be a faculty member based in the Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences or the College of Interdisciplinary Studies or the Faculty of Management, with the flexibility to teach, assist Indigenous Education initiatives and to conduct research in any area. They will have the opportunity to contribute to positive change in the world through course development, teaching, and continuing to build upon their research interests. RRU’s academic culture values research applied to real world issues, creativity, and the timely dissemination of knowledge that meets the needs of our communities.

The Emerging Indigenous Scholars Circle initiative to recruit a small group of recent or pending Indigenous doctoral graduates to three-year limited terms with the intention of providing these new academics with supported opportunities to teach, conduct research and participate in service to the academy and community to help prepare them for regular full-time roles at Royal Roads or at other institutions, or opportunities such as Canada Research Chairs. Recognizing that these scholars will be at the beginning of their academic careers, the Chair of the Circle will provide a robust support program that will include mentorship, training, and programming to augment skill development in areas such as learning and teaching, gaining research funding, Indigenous research methodologies, information literacy, understanding student support services and more. These scholars will also benefit from intentional activities designed to support them to learn and be in relation to local Lands, communities and teachings while also staying connected to their own communities. Peer support will be cultivated amongst the group, and networking opportunities would be sought for them as well. This work will rely on building strong relationships with our Heron People Circle and other local Indigenous Knowledge Keepers.

Since this is a special opportunity for Indigenous scholars, in accordance with Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, this opportunity is limited to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. Applicants will be asked to complete self-identification information for the purposes of screening and consideration. Please note that this information will be securely accessed only by members of the selection committee on a need-to-know basis and will otherwise be kept confidential.

Job Requirements

This opportunity is open to Indigenous scholars who maintain ties to their nations, ancestors and families through regular connection to their traditional culture(s). Arrangements will be considered to help successful candidates maintain close ties to traditional territories, sources of culture and research interests.

RRU recognizes that alternative career paths and/or career interruptions can impact an early academic career. We encourage applicants to highlight in their cover letter how interruptions may have impacted them. RRU also recognizes the value of community service, professional service, and non-traditional areas of research and applicants are encouraged to describe these as well.

Ideally, RRU is looking for an individual who:

Is ABD within one year of degree completion, or has an earned PhD or other doctoral degree
Demonstrated commitment to continued practice of their culture(s), with evidence of strong ties to their nations, ancestors, families, and/or traditional Knowledge Keepers
Demonstrated experience building strong, positive relationships with a wide range of people, including Old Ones/Elders, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and community leaders, Indigenous people living in urban settings, Indigenous and other scholars, and university community members
Demonstrated commitment toward advancing Indigenous knowledges, pedagogies and research traditions
Has exceptional oral and written communication and interpersonal skills
Is comfortable working in a team-based, collaborative environment