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A college degree is usually thought of as a ticket to a great job and a secure future. Yet, the job market over the past few years has not been kind to graduates. Rapid changes in technology and uncertainty about the influence of AI on the economy have made it harder for companies to know what their new employees need to know to be successful. I have argued in the past that this uncertainty actually makes college degrees more useful than ever, but higher education is doing a poor job of helping students navigate this uncertainty. Sadly, universities arent going to fix this problem by hiring more career counselors. Instead, theyre going to have to do the hard work of restructuring their teaching mission for the 21st century. As it turns out, there is a straightforward (if labor-intensive) way for higher ed to make graduates (and continuing education students) more future-proof: focusing on teaching students durable skills, that will see them through the future; tying assessments to outcomes; and tracking competencies rather than courses. I believe so deeply that this change must be made, that I have left my role as a university professor and administrator after 27 years to work for Minerva Project, a company that built Minerva University, a private university, from the ground up using this approach and now brings it to schools around the world interested in reform. Here’s what this looks like: 1. Focus on durable skills Most college graduates credit their degree programs with helping them to become better learners, communicators, and thinkers regardless of their major. Indeed, liberal arts degree holders may struggle to get jobs initially, but they are quite successful in the long run. These degree programs provide value, because they ultimately teach durable skills. A skill is durable when it can be applied usefully in many different settings. Someone who learns to use a particular computer programming language has a potentially valuable skill. But, if the industry changes the standard for the language being used, or if AI can do a lot of the coding that companies need, then this skill loses value. Someone who learns the more durable skill of characterizing a problem and framing the path to a solution can continue to play a role even if much of the work to implement that solution can be automated. Universities are in the business of teaching these durable skills. Students learn key competencies like characterizing a problem, engaging in systems thinking, and communicating that problem and solution to others. Unfortunately, this teaching is done unsystematically in a way that can make it hard for some students to truly achieve competence in these deep skills and makes it difficult for graduates to articulate what they have learned. The solution is for institutions to align on a framework to characterize the core set of skills they deliver. This framework benefits employers, faculty, and students. Employers get a clear statement of what graduates have learned. Faculty get a common language for talking about these skills so that they can call them out explicitly to students in classes. Students then have a better understanding of the skills they are learning. That enables them to be strategic about selecting classes that will help them to solidify key abilities and provides them with a vocabulary for talking to employers about what they will bring to their work. In order for this approach to be successful, though, faculty need to provide students with authentic assessments and students need some kind of record to track their expertise. 2. Authentic assessment Just talking about the skills that are (somehow) being taught in higher education is not enough. Students need evidence of their progress toward gaining competence in these durable skills. Unfortunately, when students take an exam or do an assignment, the most visible result of that work is a grade. A professor (or teaching assistant) may write comments on the work, but the student tends to focus on whether they got an A. Authentic assessment happens when each assignment is related directly to outcomes that the course is designed to develop. Students should be aware of the relationship between these assignments and the outcomes. More importantly, assignments need to be evaluated by using a measure (a rubric) that relates the students work to the skill being practiced. In this way, the feedback students get on their work is focused on what the exam or assignment says about their current proficiency rather than on the number or letter at the top of the page. While this wont get rid of grades altogether, it does provide prospective employers with a way to emphasize the skills they believe signal success, which is a recipe for changing the focus of students from grades to competency. While it might seem obvious that authentic assessment is crucial to good education, most college faculty are not trained as educators, and so their assignments (and bases for grading) are often disconnected from the desired learning outcomes for students. Universities need to provide more support for faculty to improve the quality of their assignments and grading rubrics. Authentic assessments change the focus of a students work from achieving a grade to developing competence. That focus can motivate students to put in the effort to improve. As a result, students are not trying to game the system to get a good grade. Instead, they are looking for opportunities to expand their skills. This approach also provides a guard against academic misconduct. After all, what is the point of cheating on an assignment if the sole purpose of the work is to help you get better and understand your skills? 3. A competency tracker, not a transcript Part of what obscures the value of a degree for students and employers is that the primary record a student gets of their time in college is a transcript. Transcripts are just lists of courses (whose names dont provide much information about their content) and grades (that provide a blunt assessment of how students performed). Indeed, few people ever look at a graduates transcript, because the entries on it dont say much about what that person can do. The alternative is to build a record of student performance around the institutions framework for durable skills that accumulates the evidence from the many assignments students have done that teach and assess these skills. This tracker provides students with a current snapshot of what they do (and do not) do well. The record itself links back to past assignments. This tracker enables students to look back at past work to see the growing complexity of their thinking. Anyone who has looked back with some horror at a paper they wrote in their first year of college can recognize the improvements in their communication ability and complexity of thought. This record systematizes that experience. It also enables students to clearly articulatetheir skills to employers. In addition, over the course of a career, maintaining a competence tracker can signal to someone that it is time to get some more education to stay a step ahead of economic and technological changes. Higher education must make these changes . . . now in order to equip students for the future. It is up to all of us who care about colleges and universities to push them to do so.
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E-Commerce
February is here. The “New Year, New Me” energy has officially worn off, replaced by a much more realistic “New Year, Same Me, But Freezing” thanks to a very disrespectful wind chill a heating bill thats starting to look like a phone number. But we live in the future! We have technology! Here are six actually useful gadgets thatll keep you toasty without burning up a ton of cash. Rechargeable Hand Warmers (~$20) Disposable hand warmers are fine, but theyre wasteful and, frankly, kind of gross after a while. These rechargeable ones, on the other hand (pun intended), are basically big batteries that get hot. They charge via USB-C, include one cord that charges both at the same time, and offer three heat settings. They can be snapped together magnetically to form one mega-warmer or split apart to keep both pockets toasty. Coffee Mug Warmer (~$18) You made coffee. You got distracted by a Slack notification. Now you have sad, cold coffee. This coffee mug warmer isn’t new tech: in fact, its barely tech at all. Its a tiny hot plate for your desk that keeps your drink at a steady, drinkable temperature for hours. Is it fancy? No. Does it have an app? Thankfully, no. It just does one thingfight the laws of coolingand it does it well. No need to microwave your coffee like a savage. Bluetooth Beanie (~$16) You want to listen to a podcast while walking the dog, but your earbuds hurt your cold ears and your headphones won’t fit over your hat. The fix? A hat that sings to you. It solves the “earbuds vs. frostbite” dilemma nicely since the speakers are sewn right into the fabric, connecting to your phone via Bluetooth so you can listen to your favorite playlist while shoveling the driveway. The audio quality wont win any Grammys, but for 20 bucks, it keeps your noggin warm and your audio playing. It’s washable, too, provided you take the electronic bits out first. Smart Plug (~$9) The floor is freezing, and you have to get out of bed to turn on the space heater. Thats a problem. The solution is a smart plug that lets you control your “dumb” heater from your phone or smart speaker. “Alexa, turn on the Heater.” Thats it. You can also set a schedule so your drafty home office warms up 15 minutes before you sit down. Just make sure your heater has a mechanical switch (the clicky kind) so it really does turn on when the power cuts in. Heated Insoles (~$30) When youre standing outside, the ground is actively sucking the life force out of your feet. These insoles are literally tiny electric blankets for your shoes. Theres an app you can use to finesse the temperature, and full disclosure: each insole has its own battery pack that you wear around your ankle like a house-arrest monitor. But, hey: Its winter. Long pants season. And theyre “cut-to-fit,” meaning you just trim them with scissors to match your shoe size. Simple. Effective. Warm. Electric Plasma Lighter (~$10) Lighting a roaring fire for warmth and ambiance is annoying when the matches break or the lighter runs out of fluid. Enter the rechargeable lighter, which uses electricity to create a plasma arc. Its windproof, splash-proof, and makes a cool, crackle-y sci-fi noise. You plug it in to charge it, then press a button to create a tiny lightning bolt that sets things on fire. Its quite a conversation starter, and hopefully the last lighter youll ever need to buy.
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E-Commerce
You are going to want to turn up the volume on your television sets. Its time for the 68th Grammy Awards, which take place on Sunday, February 1. The movers, shakers, and singers of the Recording Academy are primed to put on one heck of a concert at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Lets take a look at the host, nominations, and upcoming changes before we dive into how to tune in and jam. Who is hosting the 2026 Grammy Awards? Trevor Noah is back for his sixth consecutive year as the master of ceremonies. This is going to be his last hurrah, though. In fact, he almost didnt do the honors this year. Executive producer Ben Winston told the Los Angeles Times that he had to creatively implore Noah to do one more show. I went back and beggedlike, literally sent him a video where I was on my knees, Winston recalled. The theatrics worked. Noah will be backed up by an impressive group of presenters, such as Carole King, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Doechii, Harry Styles, Jeff Goldblum, Karol G, Lainey Wilson, Marcello Hernández, Nikki Glaser, Q-Tip, Queen Latifah, and Teyana Taylor. We’re told there will also be a surprise or two. Who is nominated for a 2026 Grammy Award? While there are 95 different categories in the Grammy Awards, dont fret. Only about 10 of them will be televised. Leading the pack with the most nominations is Kendrick Lamar. Among his nine nods are album of the year for GNX and song of the year for “Luther,” a duet with SZA. Coming in second are Lady Gaga, Cirkut, and Jack Antonoff, with seven nominations each. Leon Thomas, Serban Ghenea, Sabrina Carpenter, and Bad Bunny all got six nods. Who is performing at the 2026 Grammy Awards? The Grammys are all about the live performances. Following last years precedent, all eight nominees for best new artist will sing their hearts out for the telecast. Thomas, Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Katseye, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, Sombr, and the Marías are scheduled to sing. These new kids on the block are not the only ones who’ll be having fun. Veteran performers such as Carpenter, Gaga, Clipse, and Pharrell Williams will also give it their all. And Beliebers can rejoice as Justin Bieber takes the Grammy stage after a four-year hiatus. Reba McEntire, Lauryn Hill, and Post Malone will help the audience remember those we lost this year during the In Memoriam segment. Tributes will be paid to Roberta Flack, Ozzy Osbourne, DAngelo, and more. What’s notable at the Grammys this year? In addition to this being Noahs last telecast, 2026 will be the final year that the Grammy Awards are broadcast on CBS. Beginning in 2027, ABC will have the honors. According to The Wall Street Journal, this 10-year deal cost the Walt Disney Co., ABC’s parent company, more than $500 million. And 2026 marks the first time that one of the top country music categories has been expanded. There are now two album categories: traditional country album and contemporary country album. So technically, 2025’s best country album (and best overall album) winner, Beyoncés Cowboy Carter, would now fall into the latter category if it had dropped a year later. It’s also interesting to note that Morgan Wallen opted not to submit his latest album, Im the Problem, for consideration. Wallen has not publicly addressed his decision-making process. An album cover category was added this year as well, giving visual artists some much-deserved recognition. The Recording Academy made efforts to expand its voting bloc leading up to the music industry’s big night. According to the Los Angeles Times, 3,800 new members joined the ranks in November. This diverse group included 58% people of color and 35% who identify as women. Many of these members were invited to join because they were part of the Latin Recording Academy. How can I watch or stream the Grammy Awards? To cheer on your favorite artist, all you have to do is tune into CBS at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). If you have a traditional cable subscription or an over-the-air (OTA) antenna with reception, you are covered. Watching with an OTA antenna is free. If streaming is more your style, Paramount+ is the answer. You will need the Showtime add-on to watch in real time. Those with the Paramount+ Essential subscription can catch the action the next day. If Paramount+ is not in your streaming arsenal, utilize a live-TV streaming service such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or Fubo. Be sure to double-check regional differences before committing to a new service, as CBS coverage will vary.
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E-Commerce
A new dating app called Known, which went live earlier today in San Francisco, wants to offer users a dating experience that is far less gamifiedand far more enabled by artificial intelligence. The app, which uses voice-based conversations with an AI to match people to prospective romantic partners, is the latest evidence that the next generation of dating apps isnt looking to maximize matches. In other words, theres no swiping. Known, founded by former Stanford University students Celeste Amadon and Asher Allen, uses an AI-based chat interface that interviews prospective daters and gauges their interests and values. Then, the app uses a modelwhich the company says was designed in-house and based on compatibility and chemistry researchto pair them with one person (and only one person) for a potential date. Known also takes care of personalized introductions and assists with restaurant bookings. We’re able to view people on their entire nuanced selves and find people that are most likely to get along and enjoy each other. And that doesn’t have to come from strict principles, Amadon tells Fast Company. There are standard things that we need to know to be able to do good matching, like your age, or Do you live in San Francisco or New York? But from there, a lot of it is kind of user-guided.” She adds: The real core difference between us and a large dating app is that we are incentivized and built to try and get people on dates. Other dating apps are incentivized to try and lengthen their retention because they’re subscription-based businesses. Knowns model, Amadon says, charges people to actually set up a date with their matches, as opposed to subscription tiers of an app like Tinder, where users might pay extra to access certain features and the ability to send an unlimited number of “likes” to other people. (Of course, all dating apps need to focus, in part, on identifying new customers, since some share of their users will, eventually, find love and no longer need a dating app.) The apps release comes as both newcomer and veteran dating platforms embrace artificial intelligence-based features. Justin McLeod, the founder of Hinge, is planning to launch Overtone, which was initially built from a small team at Hinge, and he says it aims to combine cutting-edge AI capabilities with deep respect for the messy, human journey of connection. Theres also the relatively new Rizz app, an AI dating assistant that was designed to coach people through awkward digital small talk. Last fall, another platform, called Three Day Rule, introduced Tai, an AI matchmaker thats supposed to be trained on compatibility data coalesced by human matchmakers. The big companies are also leaning into artificial intelligence-based features. The Match Groupwhich owns Tinder, OkCupid, and Hingehas a whole page dedicated to its principles for using the technology. The company says that when it comes to AI, it prioritizes “explainability” and authenticity” among its core values to foster trust, safety, and meaningful connections. Matchs hiring page shows that it’s looking to fill plenty of machine-learning roles, too. Last December, Hinge released a new AI feature thats supposed to help move conversations forward by using generative AI to guide people in crafting their initial messages to others. Tinder has also said it’s using AI-powered matching, which factors in data that can include your app activity, your answers to questions, and the way youve tagged photos on the app. Even Facebook Dating is offering AI-powered advice for users. The idea is to aim for quality (rather than quantity) of matches, especially as interest in (and the appeal to pay for) swiping through profiles falls. Bumble has lost 9% of subscribers in the past year, The New York Times reported in November, and the Match Group has lost 5%. The rise of the AI dating interview A smaller number of these companies, including Known, are embracing voice-powered AI, too. Tinder partnered with OpenAI last year to offer a voice-based game meant to evaluate people’s flirting skills. Hinge added audio features and voice notes back in 2021, and the lesser-known Switch dating app encourages users to connect first through audio conversations. At least in Knowns case, people communicate with the app by talking to it. For instance, the app might ask you where you grew up and how you ended up in your current city, and users might end up sharing details about childhood experiences. From there, the system is supposed to pick up preferences that a prospective dater might have, based on what’s said in the conversation, as well as factors like tone and intonation. That information is later fed into the companys matching model. (Known says that recordings of the calls themselves are not saved.) The app doesnt currently pick up on the way people’s voices sound, but the company says its interested in exploring and analyzing the complexity of people’s speech in the future. Its still early days for Known, but the model has some traction. Seven thousand people participated in a beta testing round last year, and Amadon says that she and cofounder Allen have heard from several couples that connected and are still together. The company recently raised nearly $10 million, with support from the venture capital firm Forerunner. After the dates, we actually debrief with users to find out how it wentwhich means that we’re able to understand more about who you’re looking for and get better at finding that person over time, emphasizes Amadon.
Category:
E-Commerce
The worlds biggest tech companies are facing a legal showdown that could fundamentally change the way that social media is designed. The trial is taking place in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, where jury selection started on January 27. Its testing out a new legal theory intended to spur greater regulation of social media platforms like TikTok, Snap, YouTube, and Metas Facebook and Instagram: Lawyers are gearing up to argue that the companies behind these platforms are designing their sites to be deliberately addictive, resulting in direct personal injury to users, especially children. Overall, the trial is expected to consist of nine cases, which have been compiled by judges across the nation as some of the strongest bellwethers for this new argument. First on the docket is a case brought by a 20-year-old plaintiff identified as K.G.M., who says that a lack of sufficient guardrails on social media sites during her youth led to compulsive use and mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, self-harm, and risk of suicide. The defendants named in K.G.M.s initial suit were Bytedance, the former majority owner of TikTok; Snap, which owns Snapchat; Google, the owner of YouTube; and Meta. However, both Snap and TikTok settled the suit in the days leading up to jury selection for undisclosed sums, leaving just Meta and Google. The results of these initial decisions are expected to serve as a testing ground for a second set of federal cases, scheduled for trial this summer, wherein several school districts, states, and attorneys general plan to argue that social media is a public nuisance and addictive to children. At the crux of all of these suits lies a design-based claim: These tech companies are using intentionally engineered tricks to foster addictive behaviors among young users. Court documents point out several specific user experience (UX) choices as evidence of this pattern. Here are a few of the key examples in question. [Illustration: FC] Endless scroll “Endless (or infinite) scroll” is a chief concern across almost all of the cases that have been filed. It refers to any feature that allows users to continuously scroll through video content without disruptions. One court document, filed by the Florida attorney generals office against Meta, claims that infinite scroll makes it difficult for young users to disengage [from the content] because there is no natural end point for the display of new information. In a court filing before Bytedances settlement, K.G.M. testified that TikToks endless scroll feature disrupted her sleep and caused her to become addicted to the app. According to confidential internal messages obtained by NPR back in October, TikTok is aware of the addictive nature of its central endless scroll Explore page, and even calculated the number of videos required to become hooked to the app to be 260. [Illustration: FC] Ephemeral content Another pattern of social media design thats frequently cited in these legal documents is ephemeral content. This refers to any kind of post that can only be viewed under certain time parameters, like a once-viewable snap on Snapchat or an 24-hour Instagram story. The Florida attorney generals office specifically called out Metas visual design cues on Instagram Stories indicating that the content would soon disappear forever,” noting that this tactic made young users feel more compelled to keep clicking on new content to avoid potential social consequences. Meta designed such ephemeral content features to induce a sense of FOMO in young users, that is, a fear of missing out, which would drive teen engagement, the filing reads. [Illustration: FC] Algorithmic recommendations One of the most concerning details in K.G.M.s testimony regards the algorithmic recommendations that shes encountered on social media, which she says have repeatedly directed her to content with disturbing or damaging themes. I have gotten a lot of content promoting that kind of stuffjust like body checking, posts [of] what I eat in a dayjust a cucumbermaking people feel bad if they dont eat like that, she said in her deposition. Per the Florida attorney generals filing, Metas algorithms direct users to concerning content like this by design. Its platforms, the document reads, periodically [present] users with emotionally gripping content to provoke intense reactions’ (e.g., relating to eating disorders, self-har, suicide, violence, body-image issues, and more), a result of what Meta purportedly refers to as the algorithms’ preference amplification. Despite Meta’s representations to the contrary, this design results in harm to young users. For their part, K.G.M.s lawyers are grounding their arguments in past precedents established by cases ruling that products with purposefully addictive designs should be off-limits to kids. “Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, [d]efendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the lawsuit alleges. It adds: “Like the cigarette industry a generation earlier, [d]efendants understand that a child user today becomes an adult user tomorrow.
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E-Commerce