Learning Heresies

Primary Presenter: David Thomas

Organization: University of Colorado Denver

Role: Manager of academic technology

Track: Discussion

Level: Cutting Edge

Abstract: With new technology comes the chance to rethink our deeply held ideas about learning. This session challenges a herd of sacred cows including:

* Grading is a Conflict of Interest

* Mobile is the CD-ROM of our era

* Learning is regressive

* Learning objectives destroy learning

* The LMS makes us stupid: In the end, rethinking what we do points to better ways of teaching in the 21st Century!

Bio: David Thomas, PhD, is the manager of academic technology at the University of Colorado Denver where he oversees faculty support, program development and the academic technology product portfolio for both the downtown and Anschutz Medical campuses. David teaches the school of education and college of arts and media, both online and in the classroom. He is also a widely published game journalist and the co-author of the Videogame Journalism Style Guide and Reference Manual.

Description: This presentation is framed in a series of deliberately challenging propositions and arguments meant to jostle the audience. Using online polling tools, the presenter will track, in real time, how the audience feels about the various propositions. By the end of the session, the group will propose their own "learning heresies" and propose solutions to the challenges raised during the session. Of particular note, not everything in this session is focused on technology. Rather, this session will present a meta-argument that better understanding how we approach learning in higher education will better guide our selection and use of tools.