Education

500 students share one computer in Niger. Yet they're conducting advanced physics experiments that students at elite schools can't access. The secret? WebAR turning basic smartphones into portable STEM labs. Think about that. In Sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than 10% of schools have internet. Student-to-computer ratios hit 500:1. Yet mobile subscriptions jumped from single digits to 80% in a decade. Students already carry the infrastructure—we just weren't using it right. Traditional EdTech Reality: ↳ VR headsets: $300+ per student ↳ Heavy apps requiring 5G speeds ↳ Labs costing millions to build ↳ Rural schools: permanently excluded The WebAR Revolution: ↳ Runs in any browser, optimized for 3G ↳ No app store, minimal storage ↳ Science scores improving 10-15% ↳ Every smartphone becomes a laboratory But here's what grabbed me: A physics teacher in rural South Africa has one broken oscilloscope. No budget. Her students scan printed markers, and electromagnetic fields pulse across their desks. They run experiments infinitely—no equipment damaged, no reagents consumed. One student told her: "Engineering is for people like me now. The lab fits in my pocket." What changes everything: ↳ Mobile-first matches actual connectivity ↳ Browser-based works offline ↳ Teachers need training, not new buildings ↳ Inequality becomes irrelevant The Multiplication Effect: 1 teacher with markers = 30 students experimenting 10 schools sharing content = communities transformed 100 districts adopting = educational equality emerging At scale = STEM education without infrastructure gaps We spent decades waiting for labs that won't arrive. Now any browser becomes one. Because when a student in rural Africa explores the same 3D molecules as someone at MIT—using the phone already in their pocket—you realize: WebAR isn't shiny technology. It's a quiet equaliser making world-class STEM education fit into 3G connections and $50 phones. Follow me, Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld for innovations where accessibility drives transformation. ♻️ Share if you believe quality education shouldn't require perfect infrastructure.

Louder for the people at the back 🎤 Many organisations today seem to have shifted from being institutions that develop great talent to those that primarily seek ready-made talent. This trend overlooks the immense value of individuals who, despite lacking experience, possess a great attitude, commitment, and a team-oriented mindset. These qualities often outweigh the drawbacks of hiring experienced individuals with a fixed and toxic mindset. The best organisations attract talent with their best years ahead of them, focusing on potential rather than past achievements. Let’s be clear this is more about mindset and willingness to learn and unlearn as apposed to age. To realise the incredible potential return, organisations must commit to creating an environment where continuous development is possible. This requires a multi-faceted approach: 1. Robust Training Programmes: Employers should invest in comprehensive training programmes that equip employees with the necessary skills for their roles. This includes on-the-job training, mentorship programmes, online courses, and workshops. 2. Redefining Hiring Criteria: Organisations should revise their hiring criteria to focus more on candidates’ potential and willingness to learn rather than solely on prior experience or formal qualifications. Behavioural interviews, aptitude tests, and probationary periods can help assess a candidate's ability to learn and adapt. 3. Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Companies can collaborate with educational institutions to design curricula that align with industry needs. Apprenticeship programmes, internships, and cooperative education can bridge the gap between academic learning and practical job skills. 4. Lifelong Learning Culture: Encouraging a culture of lifelong learning within organisations is crucial. Employers should provide ongoing education opportunities and support for professional development. This includes continuous skills assessment and access to resources for upskilling and reskilling. 5. Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Employers should implement inclusive recruitment practices that remove biases and barriers. Blind recruitment, diversity quotas, and targeted outreach programmes can help ensure that diverse candidates are given a fair chance. By implementing these measures, organisations can develop a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and resilient, ensuring sustainable success and growth.

𝗔𝟮𝗔 (𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁-𝘁𝗼-𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗖𝗣 (𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹) are two emerging protocols designed to facilitate advanced AI agent systems, but they serve distinct roles and are often used together in modern agentic architectures. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 Rather than being competitors, 𝗔𝟮𝗔 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗖𝗣 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘀 that address different layers of the agent ecosystem: • 𝗔𝟮𝗔 is about agents collaborating, delegating tasks, and sharing results across a distributed network. For example, an orchestrating agent might delegate subtasks to specialized agents (analytics, HR, finance) via A2A25. • 𝗠𝗖𝗣 is about giving an agent (often an LLM) structured access to external tools and data. Within an agent, MCP is used to invoke functions, fetch documents, or perform computations as needed.    𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: • A user submits a complex request. • The orchestrating agent uses 𝗔𝟮𝗔 to delegate subtasks to other agents. • One of those agents uses 𝗠𝗖𝗣 internally to access tools or data. • Results are returned via A2A, enabling end-to-end collaboration25.    𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀 • 𝗔𝟮𝗔 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝘁:   Multi-agent collaboration and orchestration   Handling complex, multi-domain workflows   Allowing independent scaling and updating of agents   Supporting long-running, asynchronous tasks54 • 𝗠𝗖𝗣 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝘁:   Structured tool and data integration for LLMs   Standardizing access to diverse resources   Transparent, auditable execution steps   Single-agent scenarios needing a precise tool    𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 • 𝗠𝗖𝗣 is like a 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 (USB-C port) between an agent and its tools/data. • 𝗔𝟮𝗔 is like a 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 connecting multiple agents, enabling them to form a collaborative team.    𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 • 𝗔𝟮𝗔 introduces many endpoints and requires robust authentication and authorization (OAuth2.0, API keys). • 𝗠𝗖𝗣 needs careful sandboxing of tool calls to prevent prompt injection or tool poisoning. Both are built with enterprise security in mind.    𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 • 𝗔𝟮𝗔: Google, Salesforce, SAP, LangChain, Atlassian, Cohere, and others are building A2A-enabled agents. • 𝗠𝗖𝗣: Anthropic (Claude Desktop), Zed, Cursor AI, and tool-based LLM UIs.   Modern agentic systems often combine both: 𝗔𝟮𝗔 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗠𝗖𝗣 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮-𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. This layered approach supports scalable, composable, and secure AI applications.

I have a DEI secret… And it’s a big one. Ready? The accommodations I make for my neurodivergent team members… Also benefit my neurotypical team members. Ground breaking, right? 😏 I hear a lot about companies pushing back on accommodations, but I thought I’d show you just a few of the simple things we do here. I’ll use myself as the example, and let you see how it helps everyone. 👉 I like to sit on my legs and fidget in my chair. ✨ So we’ve got comfy chairs, wider than your standard office ones, for everyone. 👉 I regularly forget my breakfast or lunch. ✨ So we keep a fully stocked drinks fridge and snack cupboard. Open to everyone. 👉 Sometimes I find the main office overwhelming when I’m trying to focus. ✨ So we created two quiet workspaces in different rooms. Everyone can use them when it all gets a bit much. 👉 I used to get anxious about calling in sick and having to justify it to my old manager. ✨ Now? Just send a text. No explanations needed. If you say you’re ill, that’s enough. Applies to everyone. 👉 I had a habit of staying too late, sometimes working 3 or 4 hours longer than I should. ✨ So we finish at 4pm. And we mean it. Everyone is made to down tools and heads off. No late-night badge of honour here. I could go on, but you get the idea. There’s really no excuse not to make accommodations for your ND teammates. Because when you do… It makes things better for everyone.

On the best teams, people don’t feel pressure to fit in. They feel valued for what makes them stand out. Here are a few ways to create a culture where diverse perspectives are encouraged and celebrated. 🤝 To prevent groupthink and make it easier for everyone to chime in, split into duos for discussions and then do share outs with the larger group. 💬 If you see someone get interrupted, jump in and ask them to continue sharing. This sets a norm of letting people finish their full trains of thought. ✅ Make an “It’s okay to…” list. As a group, write down things teammates should not hesitate to do. Think, "Ask why, and why not" or "Flag a potential problem." And remember: If everyone on your team agrees on everything, all the time, you're probably not coming up with innovative, broadly accessible solutions.

As Chairman of Student Freedom Initiative (SFI), I’ve seen how limited internet access continues to hold back too many students at our nation’s colleges and universities. This is especially true at our HBCUs — 82% of them reside in broadband deserts, which limits access to opportunity, education and economic mobility. That is why we’ve made closing the digital divide a central pillar of our work. In a recent interview with CNET, Keith S., SFI’s CEO and President and Yvette Thomas, Program Director of Institutional Transformation, spoke with Trisha Jandoc about our work to bring affordable, high-speed broadband to HBCUs and their students. We’re already seeing how real students are benefiting from this work. At Claflin University, students now have access to upgraded infrastructure that supports everything from online coursework to searching for their next job and internship opportunity. Having reliable access to the internet is critical to take part in today’s digital economy and this is so much bigger than any one institution. In addition to providing students with more opportunities, closing the digital divide at HBCUs will drive upwards of $500 billion in U.S. GDP growth. This work will take all of us, and I encourage you all to learn how you can work with SFI to bridge this gap. https://lnkd.in/ewnH_KaK

I paid $200K for my MBA at Wharton. My biggest takeaway was also the most obvious one. It's called business school. Not "get a better job" school. Not "higher salary" school. So much of what you learn is about people who started businesses. Founders. Entrepreneurs. People who built something. You study how they did it, why it worked, what they got wrong. Here's the irony: the vast majority of people graduate and go right back to working for a salary. Consulting. Finance. Big tech. We spend two years studying how businesses are built, then immediately go work for someone else's. A Princeton study recently published in the WSJ found that 43% of income for the top 0.1% comes from owning businesses, not salaries. At Wharton, I took a class called Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. I still have the book. It taught me that "starting a business" doesn't mean raising VC money or applying to accelerators. You don't even need to start one yourself. There are so many other paths: - Search funds and acquisitions - Bootstrapping a small software business on the side - Joining a startup early for equity - A personal brand or "contentpreneurship" - A newsletter - A fast food franchise - Rental properties ...what would you add?? I work full-time at a startup to get equity, but I'm also building leverage on the side through content, through my own brand, through things I own. Trading time for money only gets you so far. At some point, you have to build something that compounds whether you're working or not. Took me too long (and too much money!) to *really* learn this. Jobs are how you learn and earn. Use the skills and capital for ownership. (wrote more about this in my weekly newsletter!)

Common Sense Media recently released a comprehensive risk assessment of AI teacher assistants/lesson planning tools. Their findings reveal that while these tools promise increased productivity and creative support, they're also creating "invisible influencers" that could fundamentally undermine educational quality. Unlike GenAI foundation model chatbots, these tools are specifically designed for instructional planning and classroom use and are rapidly being adopted across districts. Key Concerns from their report: • "Invisible Influencers" in Student Learning: AI-generated content directly shapes what students learn through potentially biased perspectives and historical inaccuracies that teachers may miss; evidence also shows these tools suggest different approaches and responses based on student race/gender • “Outsourced Thinking" Problem: Tools make it dangerously easy to push unreviewed AI instructional content straight to classrooms, while novice teachers lack experience to spot subtle errors and biasses • High-Stakes Outputs: IEP and behavior plan generators create official-looking documents that could impact student educational trajectories even though these plans should be human-generated (and in the case of IEP goals are mandated to be human generated) • Undermining High-Quality Instructional Materials: Without proper integration, these tools fragment learning and can undermine coherent, research-backed curricula Recommendations from the report: • Experienced educator oversight required for all AI-generated educational content • Clear district policies and guidelines for AI teacher assistant implementation • Integration with existing high-quality curricula rather than replacement of established materials • Robust teacher training on identifying bias and evaluating AI outputs • Careful oversight of real-time AI feedback tools that interact directly with students We'd also recommend foundational AI literacy for teachers before they begin using GenAI teacher assistants, so that they are aware of the potential limitations. While AI teacher assistants aren't inherently problematic, they require the same careful implementation and oversight we'd expect for any tool that directly impacts student learning. The potential for enhanced productivity is real, but so are the risks to educational equity and quality. This report underscores the urgent need for GenAI EdTech tool makers to provide evidence of how their tools mitigate these issues along with evidence-based policies and professional development to help educators navigate AI tools responsibly. All of which underline how important AI Literacy is for the 2025-2026 school year. Link in the comments to check out the full report. Also check out our 5 Questions to Ask GenAI EdTech Providers resource in the comments if you are planning to implement any of these tools in your school or district. #AIinEducation #ailiteracy #Education #K12 AI for Education

Ten years of NIRF data as analysed by KPMG India now offers a rare longitudinal view of how Indian higher educational institutions are performing. Keeping aside the integrity issues, this is indeed a positive trend for higher education. The next ten years can be transformative, if the government is willing to make some bold reforms in higher education. ▪️ Participation in NIRF grew from 2,426 institutions in 2016 to 7,692 in 2025. The college category alone expanded from 803 to 4,030 institutions. Law and medical categories saw triple-digit growth. ▪️ PhD-qualified faculty in engineering institutions increased from 28 percent in 2017 to 48 percent in 2025. Top-ranked institutions now report over 73 percent PhD faculty across most categories. Management institutes exceed 90 percent. ▪️ PhD student enrolments in universities rose from 97,947 in 2019 to 118,556 in 2025. Completions increased from 16,403 to 24,481 in the same period. Institutions ranked 76 to 100 showed the fastest growth in enrolments, while top-ranked institutions led in completions. ▪️ Research publications increased by 150 percent in engineering and universities. Pharmacy and management categories recorded a 300 percent rise. India’s share of global publications moved from 3.5 percent in 2017 to 5.2 percent in 2024. ▪️ Patent filings by educational institutions tripled between 2022 and 2024. India is now among the top six countries globally in patent activity. ▪️ Median salaries of graduating students across institutions nearly doubled over five years. This reflects improved graduate outcomes and stronger employer confidence. ▪️ In the QS World University Rankings 2026, India is the fourth most represented country with 54 institutions. This is a fivefold increase since 2015.

What it really takes to run a volunteer organization in games People often ask how to start and sustain a volunteer initiative in our industry. I love seeing new community projects emerge, especially from folks inspired to help others in games. If you are thinking about doing this, here is the honest version of what it takes. 1. Time and persistence This work does not fit neatly into spare moments. I still spend 10 to 20 hours a week on ASGC, mostly nights and weekends, with full support from my family. If your job and loved ones come first, your free time becomes your building time. 2. Writing and organization High volume communication requires structure. Dozens of posts, updates, and resources each month only happen with systems and practice. Clarity is a skill you build over time. 3. Communication at scale When messages number in the thousands each week, you need processes to keep up while staying human. Relationships with other organizations matter just as much as one on one conversations. 4. Protecting your values and brand Set boundaries early. Decide what you will and will not allow. As you grow, people will approach you with mixed motives. Stay open hearted but firm. 5. Strength of character Not everyone will understand or support what you are building. Some criticism will be unfair or personal. As long as your family, employer, and community understand your intent, stay focused on the mission. 6. Showing up in person Online work is powerful, but in person presence builds trust in a different way. When people are excited to meet you, that moment matters. Consistency builds credibility. 7. Continuous iteration There will always be more ideas than capacity. Create, measure, refine, and sometimes remove. If you cannot explain the impact, reconsider the effort. 8. Clear and memorable identity Branding is not vanity. It helps people recognize, remember, and trust what you stand for. A consistent voice and look make a volunteer effort feel real and reliable. 9. Trusting others You cannot scale alone. Empowering volunteers can feel uncomfortable at first, but it is the only way to grow beyond a one person project. 10. Taking thoughtful risks At some point you must stand for something. Playing it completely safe limits impact. A clear voice attracts the right people. 11. Measuring what matters Good intentions are not enough. Track outcomes, share results, and be transparent. Data builds trust and helps you improve. 12. Caring about how people feel Metrics tell you what is happening. Listening tells you how it feels. A healthy community needs both performance and empathy. 13. Balancing openness and safety Let people express hard truths while protecting others from harm. Clear guidelines and consistent moderation are essential. 14. Service first The work is not about recognition. It is about helping people in games have better careers and better lives. When you lose sight of that, it shows.