Comments on: Innovation in Education, Harvard Style http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2009/01/01/innovation-in-education-harvard-style/ A posting every day; an interesting idea every three months... Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:28:12 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: GB http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2009/01/01/innovation-in-education-harvard-style/comment-page-1/#comment-96279 GB Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:46:26 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1176#comment-96279 As mentioned above the Extension School is trying all sorts of distance learning stuff. I believe you can now get a Certificate in IT or some such from Harvard without ever setting foot in MA. The undergraduate course Justice has been offered online to Alumni a couple of times(I don't know if they use the same video and how old it is) but there is a blog and office hours with the Prof. to go along with it. Bloated with bureaucracy- probably but there is new stuff going on. As mentioned above the Extension School is trying all sorts of distance learning stuff. I believe you can now get a Certificate in IT or some such from Harvard without ever setting foot in MA. The undergraduate course Justice has been offered online to Alumni a couple of times(I don’t know if they use the same video and how old it is) but there is a blog and office hours with the Prof. to go along with it. Bloated with bureaucracy- probably but there is new stuff going on.

]]> By: philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2009/01/01/innovation-in-education-harvard-style/comment-page-1/#comment-96209 philg Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:59:50 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1176#comment-96209 Folks: Let's not focus too much on streaming video. All of the research on pedagogy suggests that lectures are the least effective way to teach people and the lecture is the least valuable part of a university experience. Revolutionary technology in education is not putting lectures into cans, but rather tools that support collaboration among students and teachers. Folks: Let’s not focus too much on streaming video. All of the research on pedagogy suggests that lectures are the least effective way to teach people and the lecture is the least valuable part of a university experience. Revolutionary technology in education is not putting lectures into cans, but rather tools that support collaboration among students and teachers.

]]> By: Mane Man http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2009/01/01/innovation-in-education-harvard-style/comment-page-1/#comment-96202 Mane Man Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:19:23 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1176#comment-96202 Art is important. Not long ago the hype was about the demise of problem solvers & the rise of artists, the weightless economy. Maybe they should shift to subjects which can't be taught remotely, like sculture. A lot of engineering projects only exist because of art, like photo.net. Art is important. Not long ago the hype was about the demise of problem solvers & the rise of artists, the weightless economy. Maybe they should shift to subjects which can’t be taught remotely, like sculture. A lot of engineering projects only exist because of art, like photo.net.

]]> By: Eric http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2009/01/01/innovation-in-education-harvard-style/comment-page-1/#comment-96186 Eric Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:27:56 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1176#comment-96186 Online courses are available through Harvard Extension. The technology consists of of a streamed video that may or may not be linked to a Powerpoint Presentation slide. Content can be hit or miss. One guest lecturer in the climate change course maintained that the reason why China lacked refrigerators for several decades was because Americans had all the refrigerators. Online courses are available through Harvard Extension. The technology consists of of a streamed video that may or may not be linked to a Powerpoint Presentation slide. Content can be hit or miss. One guest lecturer in the climate change course maintained that the reason why China lacked refrigerators for several decades was because Americans had all the refrigerators.

]]> By: philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2009/01/01/innovation-in-education-harvard-style/comment-page-1/#comment-96177 philg Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:07:59 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1176#comment-96177 Daniel: I'm glad that Harvard has video now in some of its largest courses. That means the school is caught up to where the innovators were in the 1970s. Daniel: I’m glad that Harvard has video now in some of its largest courses. That means the school is caught up to where the innovators were in the 1970s.

]]> By: Daniel Silverman http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2009/01/01/innovation-in-education-harvard-style/comment-page-1/#comment-96156 Daniel Silverman Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:19:46 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/?p=1176#comment-96156 Many Harvard lectures are already captured on video and can be streamed by students of the course on demand throughout the semester. This functionality is not exposed to the general public, but that does not mean it doesn't exist. You are right that bottom-up innovation is probably the best (and only) way to make real pedagogical change at an institution with the sort of historical baggage that Harvard embraces. To some extent this sort of experimentation is encouraged and facilitated by the Presidential Instructional Technology Fellowship program, which pairs interested professors with technically competent students overseen by professional staff to create innovative curricular materials. Sure, it is small-scale and depends on the professors to drive the innovation, but its not nothing, and there is some neat experimentation inside and outside the classroom at Harvard. Just, again, not necessarily exposed to the general public. Many Harvard lectures are already captured on video and can be streamed by students of the course on demand throughout the semester. This functionality is not exposed to the general public, but that does not mean it doesn’t exist.

You are right that bottom-up innovation is probably the best (and only) way to make real pedagogical change at an institution with the sort of historical baggage that Harvard embraces. To some extent this sort of experimentation is encouraged and facilitated by the Presidential Instructional Technology Fellowship program, which pairs interested professors with technically competent students overseen by professional staff to create innovative curricular materials.

Sure, it is small-scale and depends on the professors to drive the innovation, but its not nothing, and there is some neat experimentation inside and outside the classroom at Harvard. Just, again, not necessarily exposed to the general public.

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