A post I have had in my “drafts” pile for some time… based on my readings of Stephen Jay Gould’s The Mismeasure of Man For centuries, there has been a recurring, politically expedient project in Western thought: the attempt to measure the immeasurable complexities of human ability, distill them into a single, quantifiable number, and Read More
A post for students in my database design and management course In the journey from raw data to actionable insights, a critical, often unseen, foundation is the database schema. Think of it as the architectural blueprint that defines how data is organized, stored, and related within a database. Without a well-designed schema, even the richest Read More
Metadata, often dubbed “data about data,” is a concept frequently encountered but sometimes underappreciated in the world of information management. For those of you delving into introductory database design and management, understanding metadata isn’t just a bonus – it’s fundamental to building robust, usable, and future-proof databases. Let’s unpack why this seemingly abstract concept is Read More
In our increasingly digital world, terms like “data,” “information,” and “database” are thrown around with such frequency that they often become interchangeable. However, for anyone working with or seeking to understand the foundational elements of modern technology, differentiating these concepts is not just an academic exercise – it’s crucial for effective communication, sound decision-making, and Read More
Education demands data. This isn’t just about lively debate; it requires educators to act as educational researchers, asking clear questions, designing robust data collection methods, and analyzing findings to draw reasonable conclusions. At the heart of this process lies the critical twin pillars of ethical data gathering and rigorous data validation. Only through these can Read More
Three Dimensions of Learning: Imagine the data we would get is we designed school assessment system to focus on three areas: Habits of Effective Learners: Measured using traditional Course Grades, capturing content knowledge, task completion, compliance, and participation. Comparison to Other Populations: Measured using Standardized Tests like SBAC, SAT, and PSAT, providing a benchmark against Read More
Blog Data. Information. Knowledge. Wisdom. This is a familiar continuum. The question for those of us who value wise decisions both in our personal lives and amongst those with whom we share society and climate is “How do we promote the movement towards wisdom?” In this post, I will provide an answer. Yes, it is Read More
Data can become evidence only if it is reliable. Reliability is based on the degree to which the same observations can be made under similar circumstances but at different times, and also one the degree to which different measures of the same effect agree. Theory allows managers and leaders to make predictions about what they Read More
I posted a tweet recently that seemed to motivate folks to engage. I posted: What if students learn, but can't perform on assessments? — Dr. Gary Ackerman (@GaryAckermanPhD) November 23, 2023 The responses to my tweet suggest there are some educators have not yet abandoned the platform, and those who remain are thoughtful about the Read More
A colleague asked for an appointment this morning. She wanted to be sure she was properly reading the logs from the LMS. If you did not know, your LMS tracks everything that you do. What you clicked, when you clicked it, and from where you clicked it are all recorded by the LMS. I have Read More