Using an Epoxy Glue Analogy to Explain the Usefulness of Generative AI

By J. Anomdeplume

As to AI, here is the Epoxy Analogy. Wood-joiners have always required skill & patience. They use angled cuts & precise drilling to join wood for furniture and more. Then came epoxy glue.

Even at the private-workshop level, not in any factory, speed of production increased. It was a parallel to the Industrial Revolution. With, say, 24 hours of set time, wood-joiners now went on to other Projects, having invested only 10 percent of their “before the advent of epoxy” time on Project One. Economy of scale blossomed.

Journal, ‘Prompt’, Seeking Site Editor, Associate Production Editor

The editors of Prompt: A Journal of Academic Writing Assignments are seeking applications for two positions: Site Editor and Associate Production Editor. Review of applications will begin on April 19th. Learn more

Prompt is a scholar-run, open-access, peer-reviewed online journal. It publishes academic writing assignments, accompanied by reflective essays, from all academic disciplines. Its articles bring together theory and praxis to promote better teaching of writing as well as illuminate the complexities of teaching writing in context. The journal publishes two issues a year with an average of 4 to 6 articles per issue. More information about the journal, including recently published articles and issue archives, is available here.

2024 TAA Council Election Results Announced

TAA members Donna Battista and Tasha Egalite have been elected to the TAA Council, the association’s governing board. Their three-year terms will begin on July 1, 2024.

Battista is Managing Director of Top Hat and is responsible for the strategic vision and execution of the Learning Solutions go-to-market with a focus on growing Top Hat into a leading provider of affordable and engaging courseware in key disciplines. Egalite is a professional learning specialist and trusted collaborator to all professionals from executives to learning managers to assistants who seek solutions and a more engaged professional experience.

Writing Your Scholarly Journal Article: Advice on Getting ‘Unstuck’

Important to getting “unstuck” when you’re writing, is to know why you’re stuck, and to recognize how many different ideas or thoughts can contribute to being stuck, says Dave Harris, an editor and writing coach from Thought Clearing.

“A lot of people have little barriers here, and little barriers there, and they pile up and add up,” he said. “Analyze your ‘stuckness’ and recognize the parts that are you being afraid, and the parts that are you not defining your project right, and the parts that are entirely outside of your ability to control but have to negotiate anyway.”

The Value of Continued Connections

By John Bond

Writing, to many, is solitary work. Research, as well, can connote time by yourself spent interpreting data, not to mention the time spent on the literature review. When it comes time to submit for publication, there are numerous hours of combing over your writing for accuracy and grammar. Then checking proofs prior to publication.

All of this adds up to time alone. Many academics, by nature, are solo people. Not all, but some. They understand the heavy lifting the individual has to do. Don’t get me wrong. I have met some big personalities in writing and publishing that love to talk. But they may not be, hmm, the rule.