FeedbackFruits Higher Ed Weekly Digest 20/07

We keep our promise and continue to hunt for the most popular content of the higher education community for the past week.

If you stumble into any exciting content that everyone else needs to know about, you can send your suggestions to Keo. Enjoy!

Must-Read Articles

Tune in for the last week’s most popular content in the higher education community worldwide!

1 - Moving a summer program to the virtual world while closing the digital divide

The digital divide is a term used to describe the gap present in society between those who have access to the internet and tech and those who don't. Because of this, some are prepared for remote learning and some are not. Amid COVID-19, this issue has been highlighted to make sure these communities have access to technology and succeed. This article highlights how the digital divide has been tackled allowing impoverished communities access to online technology.

We recommend this article to: Teachers, educational management

Why: This article sheds light on mechanisms that can be utilized to tackle the digital divide.

“We had to evolve to stay true to our mission while, at the same time, deliver a program that worked for our learners.“

Aren’t you curious yet about the impact of this innovative educational tool? Find out more in the article.

2 - For First Generation Students, a disappearing College experience could have grave consequences

As the COVID-19 virus globally whittles away all signs of normalcy on campuses, first generation students say their education might be endangered. Adrianna Kezar, professor at the University of Southern California says the barriers facing first generation students prior to the pandemic are amplified versions of what they’ve always faced in higher education.

We recommend this article to: teachers, educational management

Why: This article highlights the issues first generation students will face coming into the Fall semester as well as the issues that have always existed, which are worsened amid the COVID - 19 crisis.

“When you've made a selection to go to a traditional institution, you're looking for an experience that's hard to replicate.”

3 - Putting Actions Behind Words

Our third hand picked article for the week elaborates on ways college leaders are making good to address racial inequalities at their institutions, with more diverse staffing,socially relevant curricula and targeted fundraising to help minority students.

We recommend this article to: Teachers, instructional designers, educational management

Why: This article highlights the ways that colleges can end systemic oppression and assist minority groups.

“It’s a lot easier to make symbolic gestures, but if you really want to make change, you have to invest money to make that happen.”

Must-Listen Podcasts 

Who does not love a good podcast? See our top picks below.

1 - The Alchemy of Us

In this podcast Ainnisa Ramirez highlights the major impact that professors and teachers have on students' lives. Ramirez highlights how we can learn from the past and how we can make decisions about the present and make better decisions about the future in the classroom

We recommend this podcast to: Teachers.

Why: An opportunity to learn about the profound impact that professors and teachers have on a students life.

2 - Lessons from Home Learning

This podcast involves a conversation with school leaders, editors and EdTech companies. In this podcast insights will be shared on how the UK schools had adjusted to schools re-opening. As well as sheds some light on how the educational industry might prepare and improve as the Autumn term approaches.

We recommend this podcast to: Teachers, instructional designers, school leaders

Why: An opportunity to learn best practices from the UK context.

Events to Attend 

Continue learning about higher education through engaging events and conferences, for now in an online format.

1 - Microsoft Teams Meets Pedagogy with FeedbackFruits Tool Suite | 13th August 2020

Microsoft and FeedbackFruits join forces for better online education. Thanks to this new partnership with Microsoft, FeedbackFruits pedagogical tools can be now used directly in the Microsoft Teams environment! In this webinar you can learn how to create engaging online courses with FeedbackFruits tools in Microsoft Teams and be inspired by the most impactful use cases. 

We recommend this event to: Teachers, instructional designers, school leaders

Why: This webinar will teach educational professionals how to create engaging online courses with FeedbackFruits tools in Microsoft Teams.

2 - BbWorld 2020 | 21st-22nd July 2020

This event comprises two day live sessions on topics that are top of the mind for Fall such as new models of teaching and learning, accessibility and inclusivity, student engagement, and the impact of COVID - 19 on education. This event will allow you to virtually mingle with thought leaders, instructors, techies, leaders and more.

We recommend this event to: Teachers, instructional designers and leaders.

Why: This event will focus on topics that are top of mind for fall.

Must-Watch Video

We finish our weekly hunt with this deeply engaging webinar video.

1 - The Power of Peer Learning in Business Schools

If you missed our webinar in collaboration with Wharton School of Business, we have some good news for you, you still have a chance to watch the recording of the webinar! In this webinar Linda Lee, Director  of Instructional Design and Dylan Fenton, Instructional Technology Project Leader at The Wharton School of Business shared some insight on how they are using peer learning to drive student engagement and group work. This was an opportunity for like minded educational professionals to connect and learn from the experts as well as discover how students can give feedback on peer deliverables individually, among as well as between groups. 

We recommend this article to: Teachers, Instructional Designers, Management

Why: An opportunity to learn from instructional design and technology experts.

Final Words

As a lot is changing in the higher education community right now, we will try our best to keep you posted with some of the most popular content that we find helpful for the community. You can subscribe to our newsletter for more exclusive content. See you next week with even more exciting findings!