Ten With Ken (audio)

Ken Steele interviews 12 university presidents and senior administrators about the innovations most likely to transform higher education over the coming decade, for a series called "Towards 2028." In this episode, we discuss active learning pedagogies and classrooms, online and blended delivery, immersive telepresence, virtual reality and augmented reality, and the centrality of libraries to an institution-wide strategic approach to IT planning. We hear about pilot projects at the University of Waterloo testing Labster, a VR simulation of a chemistry lab, and Riipen, an online clearinghouse of work experience opportunities for students. 

The annual Ten with Ken Holiday Special “wraps up” its survey of more than 200 college and university holiday greeting videos from around the world, with examples from Austria to Australia, New Zealand to New England!   This week in Part 3, we look at dramatic presentations for comic or heartwarming effect, from parodies of classic movies to political satire, feel-good messages about community, gifts of cheer, and acts of charity. To overcome the weaknesses of amateur acting ability, we see holiday mannequin challenges, mascots and puppies, and the self-deprecation of ugly holiday sweaters.   In particular, we acknowledge some "best in class" videos from last Christmas:   Situation Comedy: The Stockton University (New Jersey) “ITS Holiday Card” stages a tongue-in-cheek sit-com featuring the evil genius behind “elf on the shelf.” https://youtu.be/PlpcOcFtOu8   Holiday Mannequin Challenges: The University of Glasgow (Scotland) stages an elaborate mannequin challenge across several floors and several buildings,

The annual Ten with Ken Holiday Special continues its survey of more than 200 college and university holiday greeting videos from around the world, with examples from Austria to Australia, New Zealand to New England!  This week in Part 2 (of 3), we look at Holiday Shout-Outs, Cute Kids, Parody Carols, Singalongs, Carpool Karaoke, and the talented student choirs and bands that contribute to some beautiful, peaceful greetings. In particular, we acknowledge some "best in class" videos from last Christmas: Multicultural Shout-Outs: The University of La Verne (in California) encourages us all to “Celebrate Together” despite our superficial differences in a moving message of peace. https://youtu.be/runZqiJrr8I Holiday Games: Pueblo Community College (in Colorado) asked pairs of staff to play the “Naughty or Nice” game, in which they are surprised by sweet or decidedly sour jelly beans. Part 1 - https://youtu.be/cnUznSZ7F-Q Part 2 - https://youtu.be/gclNjAaxKvw ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Western Kentucky Univ

The annual Ten with Ken Holiday Special begins its survey of more than 200 college and university holiday greeting videos from around the world, with examples from Austria to Australia, New Zealand to New England! This week in Part 1 (of 3), Ken looks at examples ranging from snowy campuses to snowball fights, decorating students to decorated students, lights on campus to majestic feasts, gingerbread doctors to gingerbread campuses, and more! In particular, he acknowledges some "best in class" videos from last Christmas: Holiday Lights on Campus: Loyola University (Chicago) “Merry Christmas” portrays a beautiful campus at night. https://youtu.be/8fgj2oOtwDc Decorating: Humber College (Ontario), “Interior Decorating at Winter Festival of Lights” combines student talents, work placements and even employer testimonials! https://youtu.be/quRG7gmCES8 Showcasing Talents: Southeast Missouri State University, “Happy Holidays” shows us a group of academic deans deciding to make a holiday video based on “So You Think Y

“Ten with Ken” continues from the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair. In part 3 of a 3-part series, Ken Steele talks to a dozen Ontario university leaders about creating the environment on-campus in which creative thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation mindset can flourish. In discussion, these senior administrators identified 10 key ways to help foster an environment more amenable to innovation, including ideas about people, special initiatives, organizational values and culture. Part 1 explored ways to foster meaningful dialogue on campus, and to listen to campus stakeholders, including front-line staff and particularly students. (See part 1 at https://youtu.be/Ttb-6rj_fb0 ) “Ten with Ken” continues from the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair. In part 3 of a 3-part series, Ken Steele talks to a dozen Ontario university leaders about creating the environment on-campus in which creative thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation mindset can flourish. In discussion, these senior administrators identified 10 key wa

“Ten with Ken” continues from the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair. In part 2 of a 3-part series, Ken Steele talks to a dozen Ontario university leaders about creating the environment on-campus in which creative thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation mindset can flourish. In discussion, these senior administrators identified 10 key ways to help foster an environment more amenable to innovation, including ideas about people, special initiatives, organizational values and culture. Part 1 explored ways to foster meaningful dialogue on campus, and to listen to campus stakeholders, including front-line staff and particularly students. (See part 1 at https://youtu.be/Ttb-6rj_fb0 ) In this episode, we hear the next 4 recommendations: 3) Seek diverse global perspectives. Many leaders emphasize that diverse perspectives, and international experiences, help to prompt new ideas and out-of-the-box thinking. We should be “militant proponents of diversity”, and should encourage staff, faculty and students to travel abroa

Ten with Ken hits the road again to attend the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, the largest PSE consumer show in North America. This year we spoke with a dozen university presidents and their designates about the latest innovations on their campuses, trends they see emerging over the next decade, and in particular, about how college or university leaders can nurture a culture of innovation on campus.   In part 1 of a 3-part series, Ken Steele talks to a dozen Ontario university leaders about creating the environment on-campus in which creative thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation mindset can flourish. Higher ed has a thousand-year tradition of being thoughtful, cautious, and somewhat perfectionist in its pursuit of excellence. As a result, universities in particular have minimal tolerance for risk, financial or otherwise. In discussion, these senior administrators identified 10 key ways to help foster an environment more amenable to innovation, including ideas about people, special initiatives, organizat

In a 12-minute episode that sums up 7,000 slides and 20 years of research, Ken provides a fast-paced overview of the full spectrum of innovation occurring in higher education around the world. In response to the 9 key forces for change, institutions are seeking efficiencies and new markets, including online and international students. They are collaborating and seeking alternative revenue streams. They have reinforced student services and mental health supports. Built new campus facilities to support new approaches to teaching and learning. Partnered with industry and explored the possibility of new evaluation systems and credentials. And academic programs have evolved, been launched, and been retired. Ten with Ken continues to explore some of the more interesting and thought-provoking experiments and findings across this whole spectrum. Check out scores of episodes on our YouTube channel, or at www.TenWithKen.com Ken Steele's conference keynotes, campus presentations, retreats and workshops help institutions

Ken Steele returns for season 3 of “Ten with Ken”. He has analyzed almost 7,000 data points over 20 years of trends and experiments, and consolidated them into a single graphic that sums up the whole spectrum of higher ed innovation. This week, we take a quick look at the 9 forces for change affecting colleges and universities worldwide. Politics, Funding, and declining Demographics are forcing institutions to adapt, and making them more alert to evolving needs and expectations among traditional students. Students are becoming more Digital, Social, and Anxious, and are particularly Careerist. Industry and employers are increasingly helping to shape programs, curriculum and credentials at colleges and universities alike. And to a lesser extent, breakthroughs of Science are starting to inform new approaches to teaching and learning on campus.   Clips this episode:   Simon Fraser University, “SFU Launches New Texting-Free Walking Zones” https://youtu.be/U0UqHM6qOFg   SAIT Polytechnic, “Walk-a-bot” [Video removed

  Ken Steele completes his review of 12 higher ed rebrands in the past 2 years that sparked a backlash from campus stakeholders and alumni.   In part 1, we looked at half a dozen new visual identities that caused outrage, either because they were too crazy creative or deadly dull. https://youtu.be/khrMeE_hngs But there were also some competent rebrands that nonetheless met remarkable opposition, often because stakeholders were too emotionally attached to what they had before:   Western Sydney University (Australia): When its name changed from “The University of Western Sydney” in 2015, WSU also abandoned its 13-year-old logo, which featured a “bluebird” icon. Although the former logo felt pretty cool and corporate, students nonetheless had become emotionally attached to the bluebird, and launched a #SaveTheBlueBird campaign on Twitter. The new identity was more contemporary, and pretty conventional: a deep red shield with the letter “W”. Comedian Aamer Rahman mocked the expenditure for student audiences, but

Ken Steele starts reviewing the 12 higher ed rebrands of the past 2 years that caused outrage and opposition among faculty, students and alumni. Odds of a backlash are 10% overall, 20% at universities (4-year colleges), 0% at community colleges -- and 50% at arts institutes! This week, 5 disastrous rebrands that pretty much deserved what they got. 3 of them were overly ambitious, taking bold and daring approaches: Loughborough University (UK): A well-ranked public research university founded in 1909, that launched a hot pink octagon "LU" logo in 2015. (Yikes!) A protest petition gathered 13,000 signatures -- 76% of the school's enrolment! The administration backed down and 5 months later unveiled a much more conventional coat of arms approach. Loughborough U Year in Review - https://youtu.be/TDfVHTtcl7g How to Make the LU Logo on Photoshop - https://youtu.be/4IZSAl4giQ4 Emerson College (MA): This liberal arts college focuses on communications, media and arts programs. In April 2016 Emerson proudly unveiled a

Based on our recent global survey of more than 100 higher ed brand identity redesigns over the past 2 years, Ken Steele counts down the 10 best rebrandings – those that are professional, memorable, balanced and well-designed, AND that didn’t spark a backlash from faculty, students or alumni. In Part 1 last week, we looked at #10-6 - https://youtu.be/bkrxAD0AbbE Now, the countdown continues: #5: East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania Plenty of higher ed brand identities feature mountains, but ESU pulled off a slick rebrand that continues to emphasize its location near the Delaware Water Gap in the Pocono mountains. In 2017, ESU replaced a 24-year-old logo with a new one using a ceremonial banner shape. The ESU Warriors finally got a polished new mascot too, a Spartanesque warrior in the same banner shape. The New ESU - https://youtu.be/kzpNCsaSsYE #4: Colorado College Colorado College, ranked the best private college in the state by Forbes magazine, is particularly notable for its setting near the base of

Based on our recent global survey of more than 100 higher ed brand identity redesigns over the past 2 years, Ken Steele counts down the 10 best rebrandings – those that are professional, memorable, balanced and well-designed, AND that didn’t spark a backlash from faculty, students or alumni.   #10: Saint Louis University, Missouri Design firm Olson of Minneapolis created a streamlined new logo using a vastly simplified coat of arms and an “ownable” fleur de lis. The branding system includes specs for consistent iconography, a variety of wallpapers, and a wide range of subbrands – including a new logo for Billken Athletics. This is SLU - https://youtu.be/CYMBLYkEsPQ About SLU’s New Logos - https://youtu.be/oc1tCyzm0_c What is a Billiken? - https://youtu.be/xmaxVk8lakY   #9: Belmont Abbey College, North Carolina Another Catholic college redesigned their steeple-focused identity with the help of Rickabaugh Graphics in Ohio. The result is a dynamic shield emblem with fresher typography and a slightly brighter cri

Based on his global study of more than 100 higher education brand identity redesigns over the past 24 months, Ken Steele offers up these tongue-in-cheek samples of utterly conventional, unobjectionable logo designs following the latest trends. If your new identity had to be approved by 100 branding committees, this is what it would look like, for each of 4 categories of institution: Community College Religious College Public University Arts Institute Check out the top ten trends in brand identities in this 13-minute summary: https://youtu.be/8lD3PUQLBnw

Brand strategist Ken Steele sums up the results of his global survey of 105 higher ed brand identity redesigns completed over the past 24 months, from May 2015 until May 2017. Examples from the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia -- and ultimately, there are 10 clear trends. We identify the most popular recent colours, shapes, and imagery for universities, community colleges, religious colleges, and arts institutes, and we look more closely at several examples: Emily Carr University of Art + Design University of Georgia Oregon State University University of Nebraska SUNY Buffalo University of Kentucky University of New Mexico Bradley University University of Detroit Mercy Tennessee Tech Upper Iowa University Michigan Technological University Maricopa Community College System Tel Aviv University University of Findlay Winston-Salem State University Augusta University Otis College of Art and Design Manor College Emmanuel College Wycliffe College The King's University Calvin College Whitworth

While the "Ten with Ken" team was at the University of Waterloo to profile the Velocity incubator, we sat down with President & Vice-Chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur to discuss the overall innovation ecosystem at what has been ranked Canada's #1 most innovative university for the past 25 years. UWaterloo started off in the 1950s as a revolutionary idea - an Engineering-focused university created by local industrialists. From the beginning it focused on co-operative work-integrated learning, and to this day co-op experiences prepare UW students and faculty to think more innovatively. The institution has been building momentum for decades, attracting more and more innovative faculty and students. Dr Hamdullahpur emphasizes the importance of outward connections with the world -- international, applied research, industry connections, co-op, research commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Innovation doesn't come from turning inward, retreating into the library or the lab, but from interacting with the world o

Ten with Ken recently went onsite at the University of Waterloo, to learn more about the world's largest free business incubator, Velocity. For the episode, we spoke to 4 young entrepreneurs, including Ian Tao, Founder and CEO of Sesame. This is our complete interview with him. Sesame provides competency-based assessment software to primary, secondary and tertiary educators (licensed on a per-student basis). It allows instructors to upload visual, video and text records of a student's acquired skills and competencies, such as in nursing labs or performing arts courses where narrative text and a summative grade are insufficient. As more and more college and university programs gravitate towards competency-based assessment, tools like Sesame will be required. For more information about Sesame, visit: https://sesamehq.com

Ten with Ken recently went onsite at the University of Waterloo, to learn more about the world's largest free business incubator, Velocity. For the episode, we spoke to 4 young entrepreneurs, including Rachel Thompson, Founder of Marlena Books. This is our complete interview with her. Marlena Books is a social company producing reading material for individuals with Alzheimer's and Dementia, to improve their quality of life and their dignity. Currently they have 5 hardcover print books, but they are also developing e-books and hope to add 5 more titles each year. For more information about Marlena Books, visit: http://www.marlenabooks.com

Ten with Ken recently went onsite at the University of Waterloo, to learn more about the world's largest free business incubator, Velocity. For the episode, we spoke to 4 young entrepreneurs, including Steven ten Holder, CEO of Acorn Cryotech. This is our complete interview with him. Acorn Cryo sends collection kits to individuals who want to cryogenically preserve their own young cells, for use in medical breakthroughs in the future. Young cells will be much more resilient for use in various stem cell therapies, or even to grow new organs for implantation. For more information about Acorn Cryotech, please visit: http://acorncryotech.com

Ten with Ken recently went onsite at the University of Waterloo, to learn more about the world's largest free business incubator, Velocity. For the episode, we spoke to 4 young entrepreneurs, including Daniel MacKenzie, the Chief Technology Officer at HealthIM. This is our complete interview with him. HealthIM has built upon PhD research to create a software tool for front-line police officers to record details of a mental health crisis and share that information quickly with other community partners, such as hospitals and mental health professionals. The company is in field with full-paying customers, police forces in Southern Ontario. For more information about HealthIM, please visit: https://healthim.com