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Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

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Re: Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

#101

Post by rahimnathwani »

ivansavz wrote: post #36
rahimnathwani wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"1:1 tutoring is the gold standard for educational outcomes." Is it? I'd be interested to see some data to support or refute this. I'd always assumed that students benefit somewhat from other students being around (due to observing how others learn, being pushed to be better etc.), so perhaps the ideal ratio would be in the 1:2 to 1:4 range. If people have really figured out that 1:1 is better than 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4,…

This seems relevant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_2_Sigma_Problem I haven't read the paper myself and don't vouch for it, but I've heard two-sigma mentioned a lot.

The paper's here: http://web.mit.edu/5.95/readings/bloom-two-sigma.pdf

It's not relevant to my specific question, as the three groups in the test had student:teacher ratios of (1) 30:1, (2) 30:1, (3) between 1:1 and 3:1

I'm interested in variation between the students within group 3, not the difference between the three groups.

Re: Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

#102

Post by bambax »

japhyr wrote: post #84
bambax wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I absolutely love OpenSCAD! (for me, not for my kids yet; in my son's class they're taught 3D modeling with SketchUp -- don't know if it's good or bad but it certainly is more immediately rewarding as one can apply textures, etc.) The limiting thing about OpenSCAD is its inability to import svg; for complex shapes it makes much more sense to draw them in a graphic software, import into modeling software and extrude t…

For the modeling I've wanted to do, I haven't run into any limitations through openscad. As a programmer and not much of an artist, it's perfect for me. I also love that I can use it as a core part of my math curriculum, which I couldn't do as easily with most other modeling software. Students are learning measurement, geometry, and most importantly relationships through the use of parameters. It also makes for a gre…

> Could you convert svg data to a polygon and then extrude it?

Yes, there are some tools that do this, but they're a hassle to use and usually only support a subset of svg, so many times I use FreeCAD instead...

Re: Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

#103

Post by rahimnathwani »

2020-3030 wrote: post #72
rahimnathwani wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"1:1 tutoring is the gold standard for educational outcomes." Is it? I'd be interested to see some data to support or refute this. I'd always assumed that students benefit somewhat from other students being around (due to observing how others learn, being pushed to be better etc.), so perhaps the ideal ratio would be in the 1:2 to 1:4 range. If people have really figured out that 1:1 is better than 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4,…

You are correct that course sizes matter to educational outcomes for a variety of reasons. If the groups are too small, it is possible that nobody has enough of what is needed for the class and everybody flounders, requiring intensive instructor led tutoring and learning. This brings us back to the 1:1 situation. If we are interested in how many students are required to support peer to peer learning, you might enjoy…

Thanks for these links. They are exactly the types of things I had hoped someone would post! And they'll be helpful to me as a newish parent.

Re: Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

#104

Post by Chris2048 »

Symbiote wrote: post #91
analog31 wrote: post #53

I've told this story before: Back when I was in college, I had a summer internship at a place that was a service center for the K-12 schools in a large county. Microcomputers were the big new thing. We had a facility with one of each kind of computer (Commodore, Apple, Radio Shack, etc.) and all the software we could lay their hands on. Teachers could come in and try things out. My impression was that the "educationa…

Britain funded computing in schools very well from some point in the 1980s until the early 1990s. Lots of good software was produced. Schools had computers, and parents were encouraged to buy them for education at home. My favourite software was The Crystal Rainforest. I think this was for 6-8 year olds. There was a long story (4 floppy discs in 1992!) leading through a rainforest, solving puzzles using increasingly…

What year was that?

When it was my turn to play on the computer at school, it was a BBC micro, and the game "grannies garden".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3_6r6_1D3M

Re: Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

#105

Post by kochthesecond »

geebee wrote: post #58
analog31 wrote: post #53

I've told this story before: Back when I was in college, I had a summer internship at a place that was a service center for the K-12 schools in a large county. Microcomputers were the big new thing. We had a facility with one of each kind of computer (Commodore, Apple, Radio Shack, etc.) and all the software we could lay their hands on. Teachers could come in and try things out. My impression was that the "educationa…

Part of the problem is that programming is supposed to be "fun", as in "fun and games", not as in a serious topic that you enjoy so much you call it fun. This is why a lot of programming is taught through graphical games. I'm not knocking Minecraft style programming lessons, they can be very motivational and build up programming skills and thought processes. Unfortunately, I'm not that kind of programmer. I'm more th…

I believe neither is necessary, and writing a program in an actual programming language should probably remain a special interest kind of thing.

They should however teach the basics as they do teach math.

I'm thinking the very basics of discrete mathematics. Like, we can make lists of things, then we can do things with lists, like adding, intersecting, indexing, traversing...

Re: Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

#106

Post by zxcmx »

japhyr wrote: post #84
bambax wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I absolutely love OpenSCAD! (for me, not for my kids yet; in my son's class they're taught 3D modeling with SketchUp -- don't know if it's good or bad but it certainly is more immediately rewarding as one can apply textures, etc.) The limiting thing about OpenSCAD is its inability to import svg; for complex shapes it makes much more sense to draw them in a graphic software, import into modeling software and extrude t…

For the modeling I've wanted to do, I haven't run into any limitations through openscad. As a programmer and not much of an artist, it's perfect for me. I also love that I can use it as a core part of my math curriculum, which I couldn't do as easily with most other modeling software. Students are learning measurement, geometry, and most importantly relationships through the use of parameters. It also makes for a gre…

So I invested weeks in openscad but as a fusion 360 user now I have to shamefully admit that I choose fusion every time I want to make real parts.

I switch accounts regularly here to not tie to my real life identity but hopefully I hve enough unrelated crap not to seem like a shill.

Just silly stuff like I want to print part of it but laser cut other parts of it and I can't find an easy way to get the surfaces out, or I have to go back and remodel because my fabrication approach has changed.

It's probably me. But I feel like I'm fighting the software sometimes more than using it. Also no fit or mechanical (altho those features are often crap).

I want to like openscad but I can't efficiently use it to make stuff.

Re: Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

#107

Post by Spooky23 »

jeffmaxim wrote: post #10
Spooky23 wrote: post #5

This is interesting but not well structured. Basically consumer facing spending is about delivering cheap services, whether that be babysitting style tutoring, textbooks or slinging a minimally viable educational experience that aligns with government programs. Targeting schools is an enterprise play. You either have the ability to survive the public school sales cycle, or the connections to get the money people behi…

“Targeting poor people is dumb because poor folk give zero shits about education.” Don’t even know where to start on this...

How many low income households are spending money on Kaplan courses?

You may find that harsh, but it’s reality. Doing what the author suggested (producing low quality cheap crap) may sound more sensitive, but in my mind is unethical.

Things like Khan academy have traction because third parties pay the bill. Online degree mills have traction because an uncritical third party (ie the government) loans the cash to students.

Re: Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

#109

Post by Confiks »

japhyr wrote: post #60
analog31 wrote: post #53

I've told this story before: Back when I was in college, I had a summer internship at a place that was a service center for the K-12 schools in a large county. Microcomputers were the big new thing. We had a facility with one of each kind of computer (Commodore, Apple, Radio Shack, etc.) and all the software we could lay their hands on. Teachers could come in and try things out. My impression was that the "educationa…

> We've played with Jupyter/Python. My son is learning solid modeling using some free app. Have you seen OpenSCAD? It's open source constructive solid geometry modeling software, and I use it in my math classes. If your son enjoys Python, he might really enjoy this approach to modeling. http://www.openscad.org/

Thanks for linking to OpenSCAD. I'm very interested in how you're using this in your math classes. What level are you teaching? Could you offer an example on how you're using this in your classes?

Re: Why Education Startups Do Not Succeed (2011)

#110

Post by neillyons »

mikekchar wrote: post #55
rahimnathwani wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"1:1 tutoring is the gold standard for educational outcomes." Is it? I'd be interested to see some data to support or refute this. I'd always assumed that students benefit somewhat from other students being around (due to observing how others learn, being pushed to be better etc.), so perhaps the ideal ratio would be in the 1:2 to 1:4 range. If people have really figured out that 1:1 is better than 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4,…

I worked in a high school for 5 years teaching English as a foreign language. I was not a great teacher because being a teacher is really hard, but I learned a lot in those 5 years. I will let you in on a secret. Education is not what the teacher does: it's what the student does. Most people think that the job of a teacher is to organise information and explain it to students to make it "easy to understand". This is…

This is really insightful. Thanks.
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