Off the Rails Episode 71: Even if what this cat said is true…

Recorded August 25, 2022

Did you know esports is dead?  Neither did we, but here’s an article about it and while it may not be filling stadiums, the reports of its death are greatly exaggerated.

Then we’re joined by Don Merritt from the University of Central Florida to discuss learning spaces without focusing on “the stuff.”  As technologists, it’s tempting to talk about features without activities and Brand A vs Brand B, losing sight of the nature of what we’re doing.  After all, if the students and faculty don’t care what model projector, display, DSP, or control surface is in learning spaces, should we?  

Finally, Dante AV is here. And there’s just way too many flavors.

Connect with our guest:

• Don Merritt, Director of Instructional Resources at University of Central Florida

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donmerrittphd/

• UCF Office of Instructional Resources - https://oir.ucf.edu

Article discussed: https://sambarberie.substack.com/p/esports-is-unraveling

Dante AV: https://www.audinate.com/products/manufacturer-products/dante-av-video

More suggested links from Don Merritt:

• National Center of Education Statistics - https://nces.ed.gov/

• FICM - 4.3.1 Space Use Codes: Definitions, Descriptions, and Limitations (ed.gov)

• This is the National Center for Education Statistics' page for space use codes - national definitions of classrooms, labs, etc.

• The UK Higher Education Learning Space Toolkit - UCISA

• Journal of Technology and Teacher Education - Learning & Technology Library (LearnTechLib)

• Journal of Learning Spaces (uncg.edu)

• SCUP Fellow Research Project Final Report Contents

• Designing Spaces to Serve Communities | Learning Spaces Collaboratory (pkallsc.org)

• Learning Environments Research | Home (springer.com)

• Equal Access: Universal Design of Physical Spaces | DO-IT (washington.edu)

• Research on Active Learning at Duke - Duke Learning Innovation

• Teaching in an Active Learning Classroom (ALC) | Center for Educational Innovation (umn.edu)

• Teaching my first gaming in education seminar | Bryan Alexander

Alternate show titles:

• Students Learn Less

• It’s not about the technology

• We are not supporting faculty as well as we should

• There is still value in the sage on the stage

• There’s more on their plate than you think there is

• Keep it as simple as possible

• We’re all not using the same definition

• We’re in danger of using the local definitions

• Learning Campuses, not Learning Spaces

• Wifi in stairwells

• Watching them in their natural habitat

• Gravy on top of it all

• I was terrified the cornole league was going to fold

• We can make online hotdogs