Friday Fragments, September 17th
News from Blackboard, and the latest salvos in the hotly-debated topic of "trigger warnings"
What I’m reading…
Those of you on Blackboard campuses might be interested to read Blackboard, Anthology to Merge, Creating Ed-Tech Behemoth, announcing the proposed merger of Anthology (a collection of applications focused on admissions & enrollment management, student success, engagement & retention, and institution & learning effectiveness) with Blackboard (most well-known as a long-running LMS for K12 and higher ed)
"We believe that combining our companies will enable us to break down data silos across the institution and surface deeper insights about the learner so that we can deliver unmatched personalized experiences across the full learner lifecycle."
-Bill Ballhaus, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Blackboard
In a recent opinion essay on trigger warnings, Amna Khalid and Jeffrey Aaron Snyder, argue that research shows trigger warnings do more harm than good for students with post-trauma stress:
The consensus, based on 17 studies using a range of media, including literature passages, photographs, and film clips: Trigger warnings do not alleviate emotional distress. They do not significantly reduce negative affect or minimize intrusive thoughts, two hallmarks of PTSD. Notably, these findings hold for individuals with and without a history of trauma…In our view, the problems with trigger warnings extend well beyond mental-health concerns. By contributing to a misguided safety-and-security model of education, trigger warnings ultimately deprive all students of the most powerful learning opportunities.
And, in counterpoint, Kevin Gannon’s reaction/rebuttal: The data ss in: Performative hardassery is not good teaching.
An instructor who takes the time and effort to include thoughtful trigger warnings in the service of all students’ opportunity to learn is showing their students the depth of care and intention they bring to the craft of teaching and learning. The inclusion of appropriately-used content/trigger warnings is a signpost for students that the instructor wants to earn their trust, and to create a climate in which learning at its most challenging can occur because all students feel seen and secure.
I encourage you to read his entire piece - both pieces, truly - to help think through providing content or topic descriptions to students.