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League Bloggin': Diana Oblinger keynote

Now this was a League conference highlight. Diana Oblinger knows how to deliver a compelling presentation (she speaks, she does not read) on a relevant topic. She researches and presents data, references, processes, and important ideas. And she uses PowerPoint with a bit more power and point than most.

Someone give video copies of her keynote this morning to some of the other clowns that they have put on stage here.

The title was "The Agile College" and started with a compelling true or false quiz- "The US is still the world leader in higher education", and then presented an impressive string of facts and data that shows the many places we have lost of long held edge. From drops in completion rates, to dramatic differences in success from poorer students, the message as not about doom and gloom, but a wake up call to do something radically different in higher education.

She had our attention..

Oblinger presented some specific examples of efforts that are aiming to address the changes needed in teaching and learning, focusing first on games and simulations. There was "Augmented Reality", the use of GPS and PDA to create mixtures of reality and a virtual "game" or inquiry activity- the exmaple from MIT of Environmental Detective which involved students investigating a scenario of an environmental incident on campus.

She also described some fascinating examples of how this is done with technology from Interactive Communications & Simulations group at the University of Michigan (ICS). One project is an online simulation/role play based upon the Arab-Isreali conflict where students learn to deal with conflict, negotiation, and there is a closing piece of personal reflection. Another ICS simluation/roleplay called Conflix is built on domestic US policy.

Oblinger also stressed the importance of increasing scientific and technical literacy, to develop a society better able to grapple with issues such as bioterrorism, environmental impact, etc.

So the challenge was for colleges to become "agile" not static, and Oblinger suggested a feedback cycle based upon sensing -> strategiz -> decide -> communicate ->act.

Wow- this hardly captures the content and ideas. We had Diana Oblinger visit Maricopa for a Technology Visioning Forum in February 2002 and she again provided a powerful, persuassive message. She does not do canned speeched and it shows.

Again, a highlight, refreshingly so,