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Buzzwords Are Stifling Innovation In College Teaching

jyosim writes: Tech marketers brag about the world-changing impact of 'adaptive learning' and other products, but they all mean something different by the buzzword. On the other side of it, professors are notoriously skeptical of companies, and crave precise language. Richard Culatta, director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education, says the buzzwords have thus become a major obstacle to improving teaching on campuses, since these tribes (professor and ed-tech vendors) must work together.

2 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. Re:"Online" classes by i.r.id10t · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here in Florida, the term "online class" has a specific legal meaning - 80% or more of the class and class work takes place online.

    Note that it may be synchronous - ie, using Big Blue Button for a lecture session, or old IRC style chat. Or it may be asynchronous - 3am or 3pm doesn't matter.

    There are also definitions of "reduced seat time" or "hybrid" - where about 50% of the class and class work take place online or some other non-classroom environment. So the traditional Tuesday Thursday class, only meets Tuesdays and rest is done online.

    --
    Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
  2. Re:Precision by ceoyoyo · · Score: 5, Informative

    You're referring to jargon. Jargon is a set of specialized terms that people familiar with a field use to talk about it. Jargon terms have more specific meanings than regular terms. Using them with outsiders is bad.

    The article is talking about buzzwords. Buzzwords are terms that have less specific meaning than plain language. They're designed to be general, nonspecific and impressive sounding. You use them to mislead, obscure, or impress.