Épisodes

  • Hosts reflect with Lydia Cao, Chris Dede, Punya Mishra, Yong Zhao & Curt Bonk

    Hosts reflect with Lydia Cao, Chris Dede, Punya Mishra, Yong Zhao & Curt Bonk
    Aug 2 2025
    Hosts reflect with Lydia Cao, Chris Dede, Punya Mishra, Yong Zhao & Curt Bonk Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org
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    58 min
  • Mobile Learning & GenAI for the Less Privileged, Refugees & the Global South

    Mobile Learning & GenAI for the Less Privileged, Refugees & the Global South
    Jul 26 2025
    In Episode #239 of Silver Lining for Learning, we will have a conversation with three people who a decade or two ago were at the cutting edge of mobile learning. Fast forward to 2025 and they are all doing just like us--reflecting on how the newest wave of learning technology, notably, generative AI, can have a positive (or negative) impact on lives around the planet. Specifically, during this session, we will chat with John Traxler who is Professor of Digital Learning at the University of Wolverhampton (along with various other titles), Helen Crompton who is Professor of Instructional Technology at Old Dominion University as well as the Executive Director of the Research Institute for Digital Innovation in Learning at ODUGlobal, and Mike Sharples, an Emeritus Professor of Educational Technology in the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University. Their combined time in the field of learning technologies and resulting extensive experiences should prove to be quite engaging and will make the one hour with them seem far too short. We should mention that Mike appeared on Episode #65 of Silver Lining for Learning, "Innovative Learning at Massive Scale: Let’s nQuire about the Future of FutureLearn," exactly four years ago. Note also that Helen, John, and Mike have all authored or edited several books and they are all colleagues; in fact, in 2018, John and Helen co-edited a book on mobile learning in higher education, "Mobile Learning in Higher Education: Challenges in Context," which is a collection of fabulous cases published by Routledge Notably, each was born and raised in the UK and each has traveled extensively to many regions of the world consulting, speaking, thinking, and conducting research. Part of our conversation will be about the state of mobile learning and generative AI for the less privileged, refugees, and those in the Global South. What fun we will have chatting with them whether we discuss mobile learning and teacher professional development in southern Africa, digital learning for the next generation, online learning post pandemic, robotics in K-12 schools, innovations in AI pedagogy, learning at scale, technology-enhanced curriculum development, or something else. What an exciting show to tell your friends, students, colleagues, and relatives about. Come join us. And share this episode with your network. This is an amazing group...!Dr. Helen Crompton is the Executive Director of the Research Institute for Digital Innovation in Learning at ODUGlobal, and Professor of Instructional Technology at Old Dominion University. Dr. Crompton earned her Ph.D. in educational technology and mathematics education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Dr. Crompton is on Stanford's esteemed list of the Top 2% of Scientists in the World. She has published over 200 papers and her work in technology integration has garnered her numerous accolades, including the SCHEV award for the Outstanding Professor of Virginia. Dr. Crompton's expertise extends beyond academia to practice, as she frequently serves as a consultant for various governments, bilateral and multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank, leveraging her knowledge and experience to drive meaningful change in the field of educational technology. Her ODU email is crompton@odu.edu. Dr. Crompton’s CV and further information can be found here http://ww2.odu.edu/~crompton/John Traxler, FRSA, MBCS, AFIMA, MIET, is Professor of Digital Learning at the University of Wolverhampton, Institute of Education in the UK where he is the UNESCO Chair in Innovative Informal Digital Learning in Disadvantaged and Development Contexts. In a unique and unprecedented combination, he also holds a Chair from the Commonwealth of Learning. He is currently Academic Director of the Avallain Lab, leading research on ethical and pedagogic aspects of educational AI. His papers have been cited over 12,000 times and Stanford continues to list him in the top 2% of researchers in his discipline. He has written hundreds of papers (with an impressive h-Index of 40 and i10 Index of 95) and seven books. Dr. Traxler has consulted for a variety of international agencies including UNESCO, ITU, ILO, USAID, DFID, EU, UNRWA, British Council, and UNICEF. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Art in London, UK.Dr. Traxler was a pioneer of mobile learning in the 2000s. For example, he was a Founding Director of the International Association for Mobile Learning. He also was a co-editor of the definitive book on mobile learning, Mobile Learning: A Handbook for Educators and Trainers. Among his other books are: (1) Mobile Learning: The Next Generation, (2) Mobile Learning and Mathematics, (3) Mobile Learning and STEM: Case Studies in Practice, (4) Mobile Learning in Higher Education: Challenges in Context, (5) Critical Mobile Pedagogy, and (6) Digital Learning in Higher Education: COVID...
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    1 h et 1 min
  • Growing Evidence, Growing Impact: How EdTech Hub Connects the Local and the Global,

    Growing Evidence, Growing Impact: How EdTech Hub Connects the Local and the Global,
    Jul 19 2025
    Growing Evidence, Growing Impact: How EdTech Hub Connects the Local and Global with Amal Hayat and Asad RahmanAs education systems around the world navigate increasing challenges from climate disruptions and deepening inequality to examining the impact of emerging technologies, there is a need for clear, actionable evidence on what works in EdTech. Policymakers and decision-makers are often forced to act without contextual insights and rigorous evidence to guide their choices. This evidence gap is particularly notable in regions with limited infrastructure, rapidly evolving needs, and pressures to improve learning outcomes. EdTech Hub was created in response to this need. Launched in 2019 and funded by FCDO, the World Bank, UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, EdTech Hub is a global research partnership that bridges evidence and practice to help stakeholders make evidence-backed decisions about the use of technology in education. Through the combined expertise of its consortium partners in research, innovation, and stakeholder engagement, EdTech Hub’s work has spanned seven focus countries as well as a number of regions to address long-standing as well as emerging needs in education, locally and globally.This episode focuses on EdTech Hub’s approach through the lens of its work in one of its focus countries, Pakistan, and how local and global connections are central to its impact. In many ways the country is a great microcosm of the EdTech Hub approach - a thriving EdTech ecosystem, support of public, private and development sectors, and the complex challenges of implementation, scale and climate vulnerabilities - Pakistan offers a compelling snapshot of how local and global dynamics intersect in the education space. We will also broaden the lens and draw connections of the work in Pakistan with the Hub’s regional and global work, where the need for contextual, grounded research remains high. This is particularly pertinent as emerging technologies like AI gain rapid attention and raise questions on the effectiveness of new tools as well as concerns about their impact, while the system faces increasing threats from disruptions to education. We discuss how the Hub is contributing to the evidence base by diving into new thematic areas and engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders, including governments, researchers, implementers, and EdTech entrepreneurs. This contextually-rooted work helps bridge the gap between local realities and global research and innovation making way for more equitable, effective, and evidence-informed uses of EdTech.Readings and Resources:For support with your EdTech research, implementation, and innovation, keep updated with our publications from our evidence library.Understand “How EdTech Can Be Used to Help Address the Global Learning Crisis” in our blog.Episode GuestsAmal Hayat works across EdTech Hub’s portfolio in Asia and beyond, where her focus is on supporting EdTech initiatives by strengthening implementation, and advancing evidence-based approaches to improving learning outcomes - particularly for marginalized children, out-of-school youth, and those affected by emergencies and climate change. She holds a Master’s in Technology, Innovation, and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and brings prior experience in instructional design, educational consulting, and user research, to offer a learner-centered, evidence-informed perspective to her work in EdTech. Amal views supporting EdTech rooted in a specific context as inherently interdisciplinary - and is interested in exploring intersections with climate, equity, innovation and technology and policy systems. Her work bridges research and practice, helping governments, implementers, and partners navigate complexity and use evidence to design evidence-informed and context-sensitive EdTech implementation.Asad Rahman is the Practice Lead for Venturing at Brink where he designs funds, manages portfolios, and works side-by-side to help ideas grow and leads the EdTech Hub’s Sandbox approach, supporting teams to test and grow EdTech interventions, and share what we’re learning with the world. He’s passionate about the appropriateness and ethics of different technologies in solving the global learning crisis.Asad has many years of experience supporting growth and change in all types of organisations. Prior to this, he worked in strategy consulting and corporate strategy and innovation for a large professional services firm. He learnt that shifting how big companies work is about shifting the behaviours, incentives and mechanisms around people. So, he joined Brink as its first employee to dive deeper into how to do that. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org
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    1 h et 1 min
  • CARE Education: Living the Standard Through the Care Revolution

    CARE Education: Living the Standard Through the Care Revolution
    Jul 12 2025

    Curiosity and compassion have been central to thriving collaborative learning since the beginning of civilization. CARE Academy is a project-based learning community where compassion, curiosity, and real-world action drive education. Our 8-18 year old learners grow through mentorship, collaboration, and the freedom to turn their passions into meaningful change.At CAREducation, we live this standard, leading the way of care. At CARE Academy, we bring caring education to life in northern Virginia through creative projects and building community around collaborative rigorous learning. Rebecca Ferree and Jimmy Edwards discuss CAREducation, CARE Academy, and the Care Revolution on Wequil.app

    CARE Academy facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/people/CARE-Academy/61575858563750/

    About our guests

    Jimmy Edwards is the Director of CAREducation, an education non-profit connecting and empowering both families and educators to thrive in a future of non-traditional learning. Jimmy is passionate about leading the Care Revolution and has served as a teacher, instructional coach, and researcher in public, private, alternative, international, and adult learning settings.

    Rebecca Ferree is a passionate educator, learning coach, and homeschooling mom with over 15 years of teaching experience. After leaving traditional public schools in 2023, she began homeschooling her daughters and joined the innovative WEquil School, where they embraced self-directed, project-based learning. In 2024, she founded WEquil Academy—a part-time learning center in Northern VA—where she now collaborates with Jimmy Edwards to create real-world, project-based learning experiences that empower students to grow with confidence, curiosity, and care.

    Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org

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    1 h et 1 min
  • Beyond 8: Hyper-personalized pathways for GenZ Learners

    Beyond 8: Hyper-personalized pathways for GenZ Learners
    Jul 3 2025

    Episode 236: Beyond 8: Hyper-Personalised Pathways for Gen Z Learners

    What happens when you stop treating school buildings as the centre of learning and start treating the learner as the centre instead? In this episode we meet the founders of Beyond 8—and one of their students—to explore a high-touch, hyper-personalised model that is helping Gen Z learners design futures they’re truly excited about.

    Across much of the world, high-school “success” still hinges on rigid timetables, batch-processing classrooms, and marks that often miss what matters most to teens: purpose and agency. Beyond 8 (https://beyond8.in)—a learner-determined high-school ecosystem in Chennai and Bengaluru—flips that script. Each teenager begins with a Dream-Mapping session, then receives a dynamic timetable that blends Cambridge or NIOS academics, internships, service projects, and wellness and learning habits. An AI-driven scheduler personalises every week, while a 1:1 mentor model and 50-learner “pod” structure ensure guidance stays deeply human.

    Founded by long-time educators Naveen Mahesh and Raaji Naveen after 25 years of experimentation at HLC International School (https://hlcschool.in), Beyond 8 now counts 90 % of its graduates entering their first-choice universities and an equal share reporting higher confidence in navigating adulthood. Their approach—“Beyond Bricks” learning—has inspired micro-school start-ups and will likely get policy pilots going across the world. In this conversation we unpack the design choices, challenges, and future possibilities of hyper-personalised pathways for GenZ

    Naveen Mahesh, Co-founder, Beyond 8

    Social entrepreneur, Managing Trustee of HLC International School, and Harvard GSE alum. Naveen advises start-ups on learner agency, serves on the boards of NalandaWay (which serves over 10 million learners in Government schools), and Youth For Conservation Action Network and Gnanodaya Rehabilitation Association, which provides education to children coming from families affected by leprosy. LinkedIn

    Raaji Naveen, Co-founder, Beyond 8

    A Social Entrepreneur, Vision-to-Strategy-to-Execution Specialist for Transformative Impact and a Champion of Learner-Determined Education. Raaji is an Ambassador for the Certificate Of Advanced Educational Leadership Course at Harvard. Raaji also serves as a trustee on the board of HLC International school. LinkedIn

    Tara Srinivasan

    Alumni Beyond 8 - Cohort of 2025

    Tara Srinivasan was one of the first learners to join us—and she’s made every moment count. With a passion for Physics and Chemistry, she’s led peer sessions and designed math papers for state board students. She’s also a Bharatanatyam dancer, pianist, and composer of our school’s progression song, leading our music and dance teams for three years. Tara’s voice shines through student publications on LGBTQIA+ inclusion and cyberbullying, and she’s interned with organizations and artists to create content that inspires. A true example of learner agency in action.

    Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org

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    1 h et 5 min
  • Blended is Best: Case studies on blended learning in higher education

    Blended is Best: Case studies on blended learning in higher education
    Jun 21 2025
    Blended learning has been growing for decades. As it does, the models, frameworks, policies, and pedagogical innovations are constantly evolving. Fortunately, in this episode of Silver Lining for Learning, we will hear about various blended learning case examples in higher education and open universities. Santosh Panda, Sanjaya Mishra, and Pradeep Kumar Misra, the editors of two new books on this topic will help us grasp the landscape of blended learning in higher education and map out the various national and institutional education systems in terms of blended learning. Their holistic perspective of online and blended learning should prove quite valuable for educators, administrators, government officials, parents, and students. We will hear about case studies on policy, planning, and management as well as features of quality assurance.More on your guests and the books below the videoTwo books on Blended Learning in Higher Education and Open Universitieshttps://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-97-9388-4https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-96-0722-8Case Studies on Blended Learning in Higher Education: An Interview with Sanjaya Mishra By Stefanie Panke for AACE Review, February 18th 2025https://aace.org/review/case-studies-on-blended-learning-in-higher-education-an-interview-with-sanjaya-mishra/Dr Sanjaya Mishra is one of the leading scholars in open, distance, and online learning with extensive experience in teaching, staff development, research, policy development, innovation, and organisational development. With a multi-disciplinary background in education, information science, communication media, and learning and development, Dr Mishra has been promoting the use of educational multimedia, eLearning, open educational resources (OER), and open access to scientific information to increase access to quality education and lifelong learning for all. He has designed and developed award-winning online courses and platforms, such as the Understanding Open Educational Resources, Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action, and COLCommons.Recipient of the ISTD-Vivekanand National Award for Excellence in Human Resource Development and Training in 2007, Dr Mishra has conducted in-person and online training in over 30 countries. The Satija Research Foundation for Library and Information Science conferred Dr Mishra with the Indian Library Leaders Award 2012. Dr Mishra received the Prof G Ram Reddy Social Scientist Award 2013 from Prof G Ram Reddy Memorial Trust for his contribution to distance education and OER.He has written and edited over 300 publications in the form of books, chapters, peer-reviewed journal papers, conference presentations, book reviews, and distance learning materials. While at UNESCO, as Programme Specialist (ICT in Education, Science and Culture), he facilitated the adoption of a strategy and policy for open access to scientific information and research. Dr Mishra serves on the Editorial Board of several peer-reviewed journals in the field of distance and online learning. He served as a Board member of Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (2021-2022).Professor Santosh Panda is a National Fellow at the National Institute of Educational Planning & Administration, Government of India https://www.niepa.ac.in/National_Fellows. He recently retired as Director, Staff Training & Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE), Indira Gandhi National Open University. Started university teaching in 1984, and has above 42 years of experience in university teaching, research and administration, including 37 years for open and distance learning at IGNOU. He has been a Fulbright Scholar at UNM/Albuquerque; Chairperson of National Council for Teacher Education (national regulator), Government of India; Director of Policy & Research, Association of Indian Universities; and Director of Distance & Flexible Learning, The University of the South Pacific, Fiji.An internationally recognised leader of distance and online learning from the Global South, he has presented keynotes and workshops in above 30 countries; and has consulted for ADB, COL, DfID, Ford Foundation, GTZ, IDRC, SADC, UNESCO and the World Bank. His recent books include: Handbook of Open Universities Around the World (2025/ Routledge); Case Studies on Blended Learning in Higher Education – design, development and delivery (2025/ Springer); Case Studies on Blended Learning in Higher Education - policy, planning & quality assurance (2024/ Springer), Pedagogy in Practice (2022/ Bloomsbury), Technology Enabled Learning (2021/ COL-Canada), Planning & Management in Distance Education (2017/ Routledge), Economics of Distance and Online Learning (2008/ Routledge). He is the Chief Editor of Scopus-indexed Journal of Learning for Development, published by the Commonwealth of Learning/ Canada (https://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d).One of the global Leaders & Legends of Online Learning: https://...
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    1 h et 5 min
  • App Inventor: Transforming Tech Consumers into Community Innovators

    App Inventor: Transforming Tech Consumers into Community Innovators
    May 25 2025

    App Inventor is a free, open-source web platform that empowers people of all ages to create mobile applications and make a meaningful impact on their communities. Built on over 15 years of research and development by MIT and Google, App Inventor helps users become creators–not just consumers–of technology.

    Its foundation lies in the principles of constructionism and computational action: the belief that people learn best when actively engaged in building projects that are personally meaningful and useful to themselves and those around them. Through teacher and student education programs, along with global app challenges in partnership with local governments and nonprofits, App Inventor inspires users to develop apps that benefit their communities, fostering both digital literacy and civic engagement.

    About our guests

    Natalie Lao (photo, LinkedIn): Dr. Natalie Lao is the Executive Director of the App Inventor Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by professors and engineers at MIT and Google with the mission of empowering students to create meaningful technologies that can transform their lives and uplift their communities. She received her B.S., M.Eng., and Ph.D. in EECS from MIT CSAIL (the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory), where she developed database and AI components, and led research, curriculum development, and teacher training for MIT App Inventor initiatives across the globe. At MIT, she was Co-creator and Instructor for the undergraduate course 6.S198: Deep Learning Practicum, and led the trajectory team for the MIT Inclusive AI Literacy and Learning project. Natalie serves as Expert on Mission for UNESCO's AI & the Futures of Learning project, where she co-authored the United Nations's AI Competency Framework for School Students.

    Maura Moore-McCune (LinkedIn) is a student in Kings Hospital School and has created VIPMOD: Vision Impaired Person’s Moving Object Detector - an award-winning app which detects fast-moving objects for use by vision impaired people so that they can live safer and more independent lives. Vision Ireland will be testing VIPMOD in the WayFinding Centre – an indoor environment replicating the real-world experience of using public transport for vision impaired people.

    Tianyi (Tony) Huang (LinkedIn) is a rising senior at American High School in California and the founder and president of App-In Club, a global student-led nonprofit that empowers students of all ages to create impactful apps. Since learning about MIT App Inventor in 9th grade, Tony has created numerous apps and won the Congressional App Challenge and the World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY).

    Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org

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    1 h
  • Mi Amigo is Khanmigo: "60 Minutes" of Fame for Hobart, Indiana Schools

    Mi Amigo is Khanmigo: "60 Minutes" of Fame for Hobart, Indiana Schools
    May 18 2025
    In Episode #233 of Silver Lining for Learning we feature Khanmigo, a highly discussed AI-powered online tutor. Proponents contend that it could transform K-12 education by changing teachers job roles to be more of an ever-ready coach, counselor, and learning facilitator, instead of always directly in charge of delivering content. Experts also contend that intelligent tutoring systems like Khanmigo could also change the ways in which students learn by personalizing the learning process, providing immediate feedback and suggestion, and creating an overall less stressful environment. According to the Khan Academy, Khanmigo is being piloted in 266 school districts as of December 2024. One of those school districts is the School City of Hobart, Indiana. The school district was feature on 60 Minutes with host Anderson Cooper. During the broadcast, Cooper interviewed many students as well as the Superintendent, Dr. Peggy Buffington, about the effectiveness of Khanmigo as well as how the system might flag concerns about student interactions and activities in the system which might signal remedial forms of learning or timely interventions from a mental health counselor. During Episode #234, we will fortunately hear from Dr. Buffington as well as two School City of Hobart teachers, Alaina Richter and Melissa Higgason (see bios below). We are sure that this episode of SLL will have plenty of ideas, applications, and examples of who teachers might use AI technology in different educational settings. Given recent advances in generative forms of AI associated discussion and debate about the benefits and challenges of AI in education, ideas discussed should have immediately application.Some links to the TV episode and post episode reflection and chat with Anderson Cooper are below. They were on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper in December: Khan Academy partnership with Hobart School District in Indiana (60 Minutes feature with Anderson Cooper; December 9, 2024): https://www.hobart.k12.in.us/our-district/scoh-khan-aacademyMeet Khanmigo (60 Minutes): The student tutor AI being tested in school districts | 60 Minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia3CPhVkUtgHow Khanmigo AI can help kids in emotional distress; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ltnjJu4NMSpecial Episode - Creating Opportunities for Career Success with Anderson Cooper; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RELN9cxB_EDr. Peggy Buffington, Ph.D. is the Superintendent of School City of Hobart. Peggy Buffington served as co-chair of Ready NWI, the education arm of the One Region, One Vision leadership team to improve the quality of life in Northwest Indiana. Ready NWI meets once a month with its partner sponsors of the Center of Workforce Innovation, and Higher Education Partners, to raise the percentage of people with postsecondary degrees in the area to 60 percent. The group has grown to include 30 sister school districts. They are paving the way for students to Be Ready for College and Careers!Peggy earned two degrees from Purdue University Calumet including a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education/Reading Endorsement and a Master of Science in Instructional Design. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Technology from Purdue University. She has received several awards including the Purdue Calumet Outstanding Alumni Award, Outstanding Achievement Educator Award from the Hobart Chamber of Commerce, the Educator of the Year Award from the American Legion Post 54, Teacher of the Year for The Great Gateway Region of the United States for Technology & Learning, Indiana Teacher of the Year, One Region’s Outstanding Contribution Award, Excellence in Education from AdvancEd, District 1 Indiana Superintendent of the Year, the Indiana School Board Association Lorin A. Burt Outstanding Educator of the Year, and was inducted into Ivy Tech’s Society of Innovators. Peggy has been published in several education journals. She serves on the board of the St. Mary Medical Hospital. She believes there is no greater mission in life than to serve others, especially children. She can be reached at Dr. Peggy Buffington: peggyb@hobart.k12.in.usMelissa Higgason, M.S.Ed., is a passionate educator with over 20 years of experience in science education, curriculum development, and research development. As a Chemistry Teacher at Hobart High School, she leverages inquiry-based teaching methods and cutting-edge tools like Khanmigo, an AI platform developed by Khan Academy, to inspire curiosity and innovation in her students. Previously, Melissa served as Associate Director of the Center for Science and Technology Education at Purdue University Northwest. In this role, she developed and implemented technology-enhanced curricula for K–12 science educators, led professional development workshops, and taught alongside teachers to model best practices in STEM instruction. She also supported grant-funded initiatives to advance STEM education ...
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    1 h et 3 min