A few thoughts on the current phase of online learning

In this article from A16z, the author discussed the 3 phases in online learning in the US.

Here’s  a quick recap of the 3 phases, according to the authors:

Phase 1: MOOCs (Massive Online Open courses): referring to university-style courses such as those offered by Coursera, MIT Open courses, etc.

Phase 2: Built tools & resources that support in-person tutoring.
This phase includes softwares in 3 sub categories:

  • Learning management systems (LMS): for admin-related work
  • Pre-recorded content: such as YouTube, Khan Academy, Duolingo, etc.
    • In my opinions, we should have a new category to include self-study learning software such as Duolingo, ABC Mouse, etc. b/c their content are way more dynamic and customized than pre-recorded videos.
  • Tutoring & tutor-matching platforms: facilitating online tutoring & students-tutors matching. Exs include PhotoMath, Brainly, etc.

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Interesting points from “The best way to learn Math facts”

I recently happened to come across an article on the topic of learning Math facts, titled “Fluency Without Fear: Research Evidence on the Best Ways to Learn Math Facts” by Jo Boaler.

The topic of making Math cool again is, in my opinions, very critical b/c it’s the foundation of all sciences and it should have been cool. The way it’s currently taught and approached makes it uninteresting and scary.

Below are a couple of interesting points I gathered from the above article:

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2 interesting points from Andrew Ng’s interview with Geoffrey Hinton

In this interview in a Coursera course by Andrew Ng with Geoffrey Hinton, who according to Ng is one of the “Godfathers of Deep learning”, I found 2 points that were quite interesting and thought-provoking.

On research direction

When asked about his advice for grad students doing research, Hinton said, at about 30 mins in:

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“Yes, I have”: a story about an encounter with Itzhak Perlman

This is a story about an encounter of a guest with Itzhak Perlman, as told by Matthew Kelly in his book The Rhythm of Life.

The story begins:

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A few ideas on EdTech, from A16z’s podcast

A16z just had a podcast on EdTech, which I think is quite helpful to those of us who are interested in this space.

Here’s the link to the audio.
(Below the audio, you’d also see the transcript, if you’d rather read than listening.)

Below are some interesting points I found from the podcast that can be the seeds for startups ideas:

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Lessons from “Multipliers” – How the best leaders make everyone smarter

Below are some of my learning points from the book “Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter” by Lize Wiseman.

In the book Wiseman introduces 2 types of leaders: Multipliers and Diminishers. As the names suggest, Multipliers are leaders who can “multiply” the smartness of the organization they manage, while Diminishers do the reverse.

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