In the year that George Ritzer publishes the ninth edition of "The McDonaldization of Society," moving his famous theory firmly "Into the Digital Age," critical educator Petar Jandric and sociologist Sarah Hayes invited George to a dialogue on the digital transformation of McDonaldization and its critical application to Higher…

Many medical schools offer pre-professional programs to undergraduate students. The main purpose of the university pre-professional program (UPPP) is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills required to successfully cope with the academic demands of further education provided by professional colleges. The aim of this commentary…

Creativity emerges in all walks of life and disciplines, requiring diverse approaches and ways of thinking. This article series has taken a wide view to exploring creativity through interviews with experts in different fields (Keenan-Lechel and Henriksen 2019). Beyond disciplinary diversity, it is valuable to think broadly about the types of…

This article responds to commentaries on the author's opening article in this issue, "Disruptive Innovation and Technology Enhanced Learning" (EJ1288163). Herein, Michael Flavin begins by discussing arguments for and against Uber and Wikipedia as disruptive innovations. He addresses commentaries in this issue by Michael Raynor, Terry…

Besides a lack of focus on the context in which the innovation thrives or dies, the author takes issue with some of Dr. Flavin's choice of examples. Flavin argues that Wikipedia has disrupted higher education. The author is a supporter of Wikipedia (both through donation and article edits) and uses it regularly, but does not believe it has had…

The American dream--the belief that anyone is capable of upward mobility and a better life than the one in which they were born--is in jeopardy. According to Harvard economist Raj Chetty, American families are experiencing reduced upward mobility across generations. Education is the key to reversing the trajectory of upward mobility, imparting…

In "Media Revolution: Its Educational Implications," Richard Pratte argues that in order to stay relevant, American education needs to be concerned with how technology and media affect society. In this brief theoretical article, Pratte provides a prescient view of a landscape that has become ever more complex in the intervening fifty…

In this interview, ICT consultant Kish Gué shares his thoughts on how teachers can integrate technology in the classroom. In view of ever-changing technological advances, he believes that teachers should switch to learning at the same time as their students as opposed to teaching them about technology. He provides examples of projects that have…

Podcasting targets student engagement through technology-based blended learning and application of the four perspectives previously discussed. Podcast-based walking programs, based off of the Walking Classroom, promote exercise and learning without reducing educational time. The purpose of this commentary is to explain a teaching method that…

This Forum explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Higher Education (HE) sector through the experiences and perspectives in China, Malaysia and the UK, with schools and universities closed and teaching moved online with very short notice. Authors were given an open brief as to the nature of their contribution, reflecting the still…

Sharon Nelson-Barber, a sociolinguist, directs Culture & Language in STEM Education within WestEd's Science and Engineering content area. She is co-founder of POLARIS--Pacific/Polar Opportunities to Learn, Advance and Research Indigenous Systems--a research and development network that supports healthy communities by integrating Indigenous…

Marcia Rock is one of the preeminent researchers on bug-in-ear coaching. In this method, an instructional coach watches a live video feed of a teacher's classroom and provides in-the-moment feedback via a wireless earpiece. The process, which is sometimes compared to a football coach communicating with a quarterback, is become increasingly…

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the digital divide and inequalities among learners and compelled the need to reimagine how teachers and educators teach and support student learning no matter where they live or to what tools they have access. This essay addresses the disruption in online education caused by the global health crisis, exploring…

The literature base is clear that when teachers reflect on their practice, they can identify areas of strength and areas of growth--both of which can improve the quality of their teaching (Jaeger, 2013). However, the realities of teaching today often mean teachers have many competing responsibilities and very little time between classes and after…

In his article "Expanding Access to Learning with Mobile Digital Devices" (EJ1150752), Jeff Carter recommended a balanced perspective when measuring the potential of mobile learning to redefine teaching and learning for adults with basic skills needs. In response to Carter's article, the author makes some recommendations that she thinks…