Scaling the Instructors Program

Ok, I can see an automation of payment. Makes sense. Less paper work.

I am concerned though, about any regimentation of topics or topic titles.

Regimentation squashes creativity. Period.

Topic titles such as Scripting 101 are non-descript and unless it follows a programmed approach, will soon be non-useful.

Having taught programmed as well as instructor-developed classes in a university, I well know the pitfalls that can occur.

There is a value in having people apply for their OWN classes. If there are certain ingredients expected in the application, they must think more deeply about what they will cover, their materials, and their target audience than teaching an ascribed class.

There are many teaching styles and learning styles. How will they approach that with ascribed topics?
Will workshops no longer be considered education? Discussions? Panel discussions? Question and Answer sessions?

I think there is a move toward accountability, and that is good. However, accountability is not easily tested without manpower.
Will groups self-police?
Will there be Lindens who periodically sit in?
Will there be a rating system? (bad idea in my thinking)
Will that rating system be based on whether you liked the class?
What happens if the teaching-learning paradigms do not mesh?
What if the student just doesn't like the teacher?
In RL, many students just rank things average just because they don't want the
teacher to get into trouble regardless of quality.
Will rating take the form of questionnaires?
Some fair questions could be formed but this again induces a flood of paperwork.
(which I believe is part of the reason for changing the system?)
If ratings are the basis for payment, this could become extremely unfair and I would think
they could put the Lindens in the same spot they were in when they used to have
personal quality ratings for avs.

Education, whether in RL or SL, is something important to me, so I sure hope the cure is not worse than the disease. I also sincerely hope, that with the influx of RL Education into SL that the RL educational institutions do not take the fore-front in devising SL policies.

SL has a lot of professors in its in-world ranks. Comments by them to me over my SL lifetime, as well as my own experiences, suggest that there is a different approach needed in SL than RL.

If universities wish to use RL techniques within their SL university/college/coursework set-ups, that is fine by me. Some of their techniques will probably be assimilated into SL. And, hopefully, some of the SL approaches will filter into their RL thinking. But, PLEASE, do not make SL Education an RL clone or experiment.

Hi All,

Some excellent points in this thread though, along with Tom (Yedwab), I wish it had a different (more accurate) title. This is an effort by Linden Lab to scale the educational events support system to handle to explosive population growth we've experienced. The current system was devised to handle 30 or so instructors, not 300 or 3000. As it stands today, its very difficult to keep up with new classes and instructor approval and payments. At the bare minimum we are hoping to implement an automated accounting system and cut down on our internal paperwork and processing.

However, why stop there? We (Linden Lab and you, the Community) have the chance to take advantage of SL's tremendous educator and development community to build a bigger and better system to the benefit of everyone. This includes everything from providing increased exposure to great classes to coming up with a 'core curriculum' of LL-sponsored coursework. There are a ton of ways to go about this and I promise we will be working with you (the Residents) to see them into fruition.

In order to provide clarity and hopefully end some the speculation:

1) I am the 'project lead' for this. If you have specific concerns, direct them to me via inworld messaging or email at [email]jesse@lindenlab.com[/email]. Lucy, Yedwab, and the other Lindens involved are passionate about the subject and are here to help. If you need to appeal to a 'responsible party', come to me.

2) Nothing has been set in stone. This project is very much in the planning stages and no changes are imminent. The accounting mechanisms are the most immediately needed components of this project and will likely be done first. I will try and get some specs on that out to the educators by the end of the week. If you have any suggestions or concerns regarding this, again, feel free to email me.

I hope this helps and I promise to keep everyone updated.
- Jesse

That helped.

Thank you jesse!

Wait so, Jesse, we are gettin' vending machines in the teacher's lounge or what?


(j/k thanks Jesse)

[edited out private email between Lucy Linden and jefferey Heart--please don't post these without getting permission first, otherwise it's Disclosure!]

I'll be contacting Torley to have this Post's name changed tomorrow so please NOTE the Name I will be requesting. "Scaling the Instructor Program"

Jeff

Noted. Jesse Linden changed it.

Thanks!!

Well we can see that the Lindens are present in this thread!! So THIS is a GODD and constructive place to discuss what we think and see as are problems with the current system or like and would like to see stay in place.

Personally I've seen alot of Chaos recently regarding the overhaul of the system. Much about how the larger Schools or Universities are going to be able to operate.

Is this overhaul or plan, something that is intended to shrink these schools? Or make them profit centers? If the latter is the case, I'm concerned with this as I like the idea of FREE Learning. Granted in RL Education costs at the Higher level such as colleges, but everyone is given FREE public education and FREE access to the Libraries. I'm the type of learner that works best being lead trough something whether that be in a group or one on one.

Some institutions have had to consider making instructor's pay to teach there just to be able to keep the doors open. If this is the case, I'm not for any kind of that change.

Should univeristies be allowed to sell items and their instructors be allowed to be paid as well by the Lindens?

These are all questions I have yet to found answers to with ANY model I've see or heard out there.

First, I would like to see the Linden program of supporting education continue. (Disclosure: I am an Instructor and receive money from this program.)

I believe that all Linden-supported classes should be free for all attendees, including any materials that are needed to participate in the class.

However, I believe there is a place in the world for classes that charge a fee to attendees. These classes would be supported by those fees and/or sale of class materials, not by support from the Lindens. They could include (but are not necessarily limited to):

1. Multi-session classes, such as the ones that Second Life Community College offers.
2. Classes on Mature subjects.
3. Classes about topics that are not related to Second Life.

So what I'm seeing here is 2 differing levels of Schooling Developing. One that would be like High School and one that would be like a University. Hmmm... Interesting thoughts developing, The Univeristy/College style courses would not be supported by the lindens but be purchased by the students is what your suggesting?

The High School type courses would still continue to be supported by Instructor payments.

Hi Shirley!
One comment on the "Topics outside of SL," since my activities never seem to fit the norm... Are you talking about real life areas brought into SL as a class/discussion or RL programs being conducted in SL?

For example, would a class in photoshop be inside or outside of SL if it was not directed solely as SL (clothing, plants, etc) related?
Would my sessions on Stroke be not included even though my group is here in SL as stroke survivors and is trying to reach out to the SL community regarding stroke.

I suspect you were talking about classes generated by a RL organization using SL as a platform for teaching and/or classes for profit?

I am trying to clarify definitions and intentions in my own mind..so that is why I ask.

Yes, I was mostly thinking about your last category. Classes like that could be worthwhile, but they're not something that LL should be supporting with instructor payments.

I hadn't thought about things like your stroke classes; I'm certainly happy to see support of those continue. I think you added an additional category of things that SHOULD be supported; classes that address special needs communities. There is an SL connection, because SL can give opportunities to people who have difficulty doing things in RL, and because educating the SL community about these needs is important.

Sorting out the boundaries between RL and SL could be tricky anyway. I was trying to think of classes that would have NO connection to SL, and one of my thought experiments was "understanding the Boston Red Sox" (a task which could take a lifetime LOL). But then what if somebody started the SL Fantasy Baseball League?

People can already charge for classes, if they want to do that.

I wouldn't charge for a class paid for by Linden Labs; I've refunded donations made for such classes.

I'd love for everything to be free, but until the Lindens give me some free land, I'll have to find a way to pay for it.