Reinventing R&D Through Open Innovation
Quote: "Old-school R&D was strictly in-house. The new model for success requires collaboration with many innovators... In short, R&D labs once prized for their independence and proprietary research find they're having a terrible time extracting value from their own work."
Comment: To me, innovation is about smashing together various ideas...some work, some don't. Diversity in idea expression is critical. As ideas come in contact with each other...the greater possibility for unique combinations. Innovation today often seems to be about unique combinations of existing concepts...as compared to entirely new concepts.
Open Education: Concept to Reality
Link to the presentation Stephen Downes and I delivered this afternoon relating to Open Education. Unfortunately, not all of the session was archived...but the text chat was...some great questions...and interest...only problem...you don't get to hear the audio responses...:(
Neat, Fun, Useful, and Easy RSS Tools
Introduction to RSS (for the uninitiated).
Build and Teach a Successful Online Course
Quote: "There's a lot involved in being an online course designer and educator, from creating compelling, Web-friendly content to fostering meaningful interactions among people who in many cases have never laid eyes on each other. While many different models for online education exist, most share a common thread: at-home, round-the-clock availability; the inclusion of students from varied and remote locations; and increased opportunities for reflective thinking and group participation."
University, Library, and Museum Content Meets XML, Webservices and P2P (.pdf)
Quote: "How do we get content and ideas to flow freely among sources, tools, and destinations?"
Comment:Raymond Yee's presentation at ETech conference...and as he notes, there is nothing currently available that does all we need for free content/idea flow...but promising developments are listed in slide 27 (slide 26 has a nice wish list).
Semantic Blogging Demonstrator via Dave Beckett
I can relate to what Will says about blogging: The potential is amazing. Using RSS/trackback, aggregators, etc. extends blogging greatly...concepts like semantic blogging adds even greater value...I found the process for handling metadata for each item interesting: "In particular, if you click on the N3, RDFXML or Brownsauce links on any item (or the links at the bottom of the page for the whole category) you can see the metadata for each item. This metadata is 'bootstrapped' automatically, I have done no manual work to create this."
Hot on the Trail of an E-Learning Career
Quote: "Take heart. E-learning is here to stay. What we're seeing right now is the flip side of over-hype. Many ill-conceived e-learning ventures failed to survive the economic downturn, and the survivors are keeping spending to a bare minimum right now."
Comment:Article presents career options in elearning. No big surprises: instructional designers, elearning instructors, account managers...I was surprised graphic artists, interactivity programmers, learning object specialists, etc. were excluded. As we move towards more interactive elearning...and the long proclaimed learning object economy, all of these positions will be in much demand.
hierarchy versus network
Quote: "We now do most of our work through networking technology. This technology and its tools are shaping the way we work and relate to people around us. There is no doubt that the tools in turn are having a huge impact on the way organizations function. Yet, I have come to believe that the hierarchical form of org structure is alive and well, and not about to give way to the "so-called" networked organization."
Comment: Interesting thought -many organizations embrace the networked model by employing it in a hierarchy. Some hierarchy is important...but only to the degree that it fosters network functioning...too often, it's about taking a good idea...and squeezing it into an existing bad idea.
KM Standards and the like
Quote: "I recently received an e-mail from someone wanting to know what knowledge management standards there are. Now, that should be an easy question to answer, but for the life of me, I couldn't find a simple list anywhere on the web.
So, here are the standards, or equivalent, that I'm aware of:"
Comment: My first response to KM standards: might work for explicit knowledge...don't see it working well for tacit. How could that possibly be standardized? To me, it seems that the intent of KM (sharing knowledge) is at odds with standardization (structure)...need to think on this more...
Innovation community ecosystem
Details the basic ingredients of innovation in a community of practice: context, sharing, diversity, debate.
The Longer Term Future for eLearning
Jay Cross summarizes a forum on the future of elearning. Quick point form. This quote stuck out for me: "Standards are a long haul but an important one
Progress is being made. XML, XMS derivatives, RSS, SOAP...
MOTO = metadata, objects, taxonomies, ontologies"
When things change rapidly, people who are the current "in crowd" are the last to realize what happened - largely due to lack of fair assessment of what the changes mean.
I say this because I've noticed a change in how I determine the type of people I like to dialogue with and learn from. Previously, power/position was an important determinant of the worth of a person. If they were very knowledgeable, intelligent, well-known, etc, I appraised their opinion as being somewhat more important. That was before the Internet...and the information overload. That was a time where "what you knew" is what made you valuable. How things have changed!
Now, it's about working and thinking together. No one can know everything about anything...the new model is about connected specialization. The pipe (connections we make) is more important than what's in the pipe (what we know now). The previous "in crowd" doesn't get this yet. When knowledge is scarce and controllable, the gate keepers are the most critical. When knowledge is abundant, the ones who share the most are the most important.
All of this self-indulgent rambling is really to make two points about how I now attach personal importance to people I meet: 1. Their willingness to listen to new ideas, 2. Their willingness to engage in dialogue. I hope educators catch this concept soon...I'm afraid it's not yet making a significant impact in most traditional institutions.
Working alone, toiling away in isolation, and expecting to be applauded for your sacrifices when you emerge doesn't work. Do it with me...or I may not be interested when you're done.
Thoughts by David Carter-Tod:
Quotes: "It's becoming clear to me that queries that return RSS (or any kind of XML) are a new category of RSS that are just as useful as the chronological type you get from weblogs."
"I'm becoming more convinced that our ultimate content management solution at my work will include a significant weblog component with integration performed by aggregators and rss."
Comments: I agree...and I think beyond content management, the trio of blogs, RSS/Trackback, and aggregators can be used as effective content creation tools.
Future: Is there life after the browser?
Quote: "It's beginning to look like people have finally figured out the browser ought to be a browser, and if you need other tools, you can build other tools," ... "Instead of trying to make the browser a Swiss Army knife, why not get a screwdriver and a wrench and other tools designed for the job?"
Comments: The thoughts expressed in this article transfer nicely to the notion of an LMS as the center of elearning...sure it's nice, but the tool must fit the task...and just as a browser will never be everything to everyone - neither will an LMS be the everything of elearning.
High Score Education
Quote: "After school, kids are devouring new information, concepts, and skills every day, and, like it or not, they're doing it controller in hand, plastered to the TV. The fact is, when kids play videogames they can experience a much more powerful form of learning than when they're in the classroom...Designers respond by making harder and more complex games that require mastery of sophisticated worlds and as many as 50 to 100 hours to complete. Schools, meanwhile, respond with more tests, more drills, and more rigidity. They're in the cognitive-science dark ages."
New blog Many-to-Many
Quote: "The emphasis on communication and collaboration inherent in social software led us to the idea of a group-authored weblog on the topic. Each of us brings a long history of participation in social software environments, and an interest in both the development of tools and the understanding of their uses."
Comment: I'm very intrigued by the social nature of technology...if you consider major adoption of technology, it seems to center around simple, social tools (email, IM, blogging). I'm looking forward to this forum...great bloggers! (only problem is an RSS feed is not available...but they promise one shortly.)
Smarter, Simpler, Social
Quote: "In some respects, this first wave of online communication technology adoption is coming to an end and the key issues now are about uptake, usage and assimilation - in other words: making it work. In most cases, the answer is not necessarily to continue building bigger and more centralised software systems, but to support smaller, simpler distributed networks of people, content and services that are more adaptable and responsive to changing needs and goals."
Comment: Very nice article...making the same points I've made in this forum in the past: we need simple, social tools. Large and centralized needs to be replaced with small and decentralized (but connected). The decentralized (and as a result, less formal) approach is more in keeping with how we function as people. Life (and our relationships/interactions with others) is not as structured as the processes and systems organizations try to create. The problem is not with people...it's with processes and systems that are not aligned with how we do things. This articles expresses this well. The conclusion sums it up nicely.
Charlie has the RSS feed set up for Open Education. For more info on RSS see: Extending Blogs: Aggregating
...and now, for some comic relief for cynics: Elearning Business Translator (via Greg)
First Release of Chandler, release 0.1
Quote: Chandler "will be used to manage email, appointments, contacts, and tasks and easily allow information to be shared with friends, family, and colleagues. It will be free and will run on the Windows, Macintosh and Linux platforms. It will not require a server or complex administration."
TypePad - a new hosted service for Movable Type blogs. Now you have no excuse not to blog!
Seb makes an excellent suggestion about the edu-bloggers list I recently posted: "This kind of thing should really go into a wiki or something of the sort...". Any thoughts from eBN members?
Several weeks ago, I posted several articles relating to open source...and the need for a model that encourages sharing of educational content: Part 1 and Part 2.
Since then, a small (but committed!) group of bloggers/thinkers/educators have joined forces to create Open Education...and the Open Education Mailing list. I strongly encourage you to join both. We are still in the process of organizing...but are making rapid progress. This is an exciting project that has potential to make a real impact in how knowledge is shared at an educational level. Join in and let your voice be heard. Much, much more to come!
If you blog, we'd appreciate links/awareness to the site and the mailing list!
IDEAFLOW: creativity & innovation Part 1, Part 2, Part 3: "Closed Innovation is fundamentally about scarcity of useful knowledge. In order to do anything, you have to do everything. It is inwardly focused, and deeply vertically integrated. It takes little or no notice of external knowledge and resources. Open Innovation is fundamentally about operating in a world of abundant knowledge, where "not all the smart people work for you", so you better go find them, connect to them, and build upon what they can do."
Sebastian Fiedler: "Individuals and groups should be "empowered" to collaborate, create, design, share, communicate, and learn together. The Web wasn't meant to be a sleek, quick, and cheap distribution mechanism for "professionally" produced content that gets piped to the consuming masses."
Randy Brown: "...it really has always been about connecting to the person that did the research or was able to help answer a question. The information has always been secondary to the personal connections."
Trust Unlimited via EdTechPost
This article details affero, a company trying to create a standard for reputation management. This is moving us closer to the concept of a learning portfolio. As learners, we need to own our portfolio - courses taken, upgrading, informal learning experiences, etc. In most cases, corporations own it. Doesn't make sense. College/university transcripts just don't fit well into a life-long learning climate.
Jay Cross (two years ago), says it well: "I envision a future for shared content. If Linus Torwalds can line up an army of programmers to add functionality to the Linux kernel, why couldn't we (you and me) enlist a core group of organizations and individuals to share learning objects?"
Obviously, I agree completely! The focus must be on the end-user level. Who creates the content? Who benefits from sharing? It's the instructors/teachers (though some organizations claim IP as theirs - not the instructor). It's really interesting watching bloggers in motion...and reflecting on the open source software movement...and then wandering off into idealism and imagining the tremendous potential of educators matching the informal nature of building knowledge (blogging) with the practice of sharing (open source). I'm convinced that learning object sharing will work much sooner on informal (blogging-like) model than it will in formal initiatives.
WebCT and the Web
Quotes: "It seems to me that WebCT is not building the web, but preying upon it. It feeds on the web, but gives nothing back. WebCT makes it possible for instructors to link and link and link to other people's websites, while contributing nothing back to the web for others to link to, for others to use...
Comment: Short article...but I strongly encourage you to read it. This is the reality of the Internet that proprietary LMS are trying to create...locked down, for-profit education. If an LMS is promoted as the heart of online learning, the keeper of the gate can include/exclude those who pass through...and create the environment they desire to charge for "education". This is just the beginning...and the reason for initiatives like Open Education
Not sure if I've posted this before (it's a great resource if you come across sites that don't have an RSS feed): myRSS: "myRSS enables anyone to build custom RSS channels for virtually any news site they desire. myRSS requires no programming experience, is completely automated and all channels are available for free."
The Wisdom of Wikis: "While dot-coms and blogs have hogged the spotlight, an intriguing bit of software called Wiki actually deserves the gold medal for best trust-building tool"...I don't know about trust building, but certainly the best tool I've come across for collaboration (once you can get past the fact that it is VERY open (first question I always hear: "Anyone can edit? What if people put up garbage (profanity/delete posts/vandalize, etc."))
"Wi-Fi Is Like the Internet Itself"
As I've stated previously, wireless is the Internet at full potential...and as Nicholas Negroponte says: "Wi-Fi is like the Internet itself, reenacting the bottoms-up process that surprised people so much."
mamamusings reports on: Social Software Alliance. Networks and social software have been gaining momentum over the last 6 months.
Good article on Writing Blurbs ("On the web, a blurb is a line or short paragraph (20-50 words) that evaluates (or at least summarizes) what the reader will find at the other end of a link.")...think I should practice writing blurbs...:)
David Wiley expresses some interesting thoughts (which I'm sure will result in discussion): Will the "real" community please stand up?
This has been the busiest week I've seen in the field of edu-tech bloggers. To get a better grip on who is out there blogging, I've compiled a list. I'm sure I've missed some important people...please add them via comments. I'll eventually compile it in a list it as a resource page on elearnspace
Scott Adams
Position:Assistant Professor in Instructional Technology at Arkansas Tech University
Blog: Handheld Instructional Technology
Bill Brandon
Position: Editor, The eLearning Developers' Journal
Blog: Elearning
Randy Brown
Position: Assistant Professor Computer Information Systems Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio
Blog: Carving Code
David Carter-Tod
Position: Instructional Technologist for Wytheville Community College
Blog: Serious Instructional Technology
Jay Cross
Position: CEO - Internet Time Group
Blog: Internet Time Blog...Learning Circuits Blog
Anne Davis
Position: Georgia State University - Instructional Technology Center in the College of Education.
Blog: EduBlog Insights
David Davies
Position: Senior Lecturer in medical education at the University of Birmingham UK
Blog: Edtech
Pat Delaney
Position: K12 teacher/librarian in San Francisco
Blog: homoLudens III
Albert Delgado
Position: Techology Liaison: Chicago Area Writing Project, Electronic Design Team: National Writing Project
Blog: Blogging from the Barrio
Stephen Downes
Position: Senior research officer with the National Research Council of Canada
Blog: Stephen's Web...OLDaily
Lilia Efimova
Position: Member of scientific staff Telematica Instituut
Blog: Mathemagenic
James Farmer
Position: Lecturer in education design at Deakin University, Victoria, Australia.
Blog: James Farmer's Radio Weblog
Sebastian Fiedler
Position: Founder: Cognitive Architects
Blog: Seblogging
Spike Hall
Position: Assoc Prof, Education & Special Education, Drake University
Blog: Connectivity, see also EdSped
Dennis G. Jerz
Position: New Media Journalism at Seton Hill University
Blog: Literacy Weblog
Brian Lamb
Position:Learning Object Discoordinator - UBC
Blog: Object Learning
elizabeth lane lawley
Position: Assistant Professor Department of Information Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology
Blog: mamamusings
Scott Leslie
Position:Research Coordinator for Educational Technology at Centre for Curriculum, Transfer and Technology
Blog: EdTechPost
Alan Levine
Position: Developing the Maricopa Learning Exchange (MLX)
Blog: cogdogblog
Jenny Levine
Position: I'm going to guess: a librarian...but more info would be nice
Blog: The Shifted Librarian
Sarah Lohnes
Position: Technical Instruction and Support Specialist, Center for Educational Technology, Middlebury College
Blog: [alterego]
Charlie Lowe
Position:PhD student and teaching assistant at Florida State University
Blog: Kairosnews
Jim McGee
Position:Adjunct Professor of Technology Industry Management - Kellog School of Management
Blog: McGee's Musings
Dave Mulders (and Maggie and Glenn)
Blog: SideBars
D'Arcy Norman
Position: Developer, Learning Commons, University of Calgary
Blog: Learning Commons Weblog
Sébastien Paquet
Position: Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science Université de Montréal
Blog: Seb's Open Research
Dale Pike
Position: Director of Instructional Technology for the College of Arts & Sciences at UNC Charlotte
Blog: Stand Up Eight
Will Richardson
Position: Supervisor of Instructional Technology at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ.
Blog: Weblogg-ed
Greg Ritter
Position: Business Development Manager: BlackBoard
Blog: Ten Reasons Why
George Siemens
Position: Instructor: Red River College
Blog: elearnspace...elearnspace blog
Ray Schroeder
Position: Professor of Communication - Director of OTEL
Blogs: Online Learning Update, Techno News, Educational Tech
David Wiley
Position: Assistant Professor - USU
Blog: autounfocus
Raymond Yee
Position:Technology Architect - UC Berkeley
Blog: Technology Architecture
Additional:
EduBloggers Network
XPLANA: - Rob Reynolds, Laura Gibbs
elearningpost - Maish R Nichani
Seblogging blogger list
visone
Quote: "part of visone is the design and implementation of a software tool intended for research and teaching in social network analysis. it is specifically designed to allow experts and novices alike to apply innovative and advanced visual methods with ease and accuracy."
Comment: Tool is a free download (for academic/research purposes)...unfortunately, I couldn't find much documentation of using it.
Connecting Interested People to New Web Content With Syndication and Aggregation
Comment: Good overview of syndication/aggregation. If you've heard about it...but haven't taken the plunge, this is a good start.
Integrating Learning Objects, RSS, and Trackback
David links to posts/information from Brian, D'Arcy, Alan Levine. A very significant concept.
Will patents pillage open source?
Quote: "Is open-source software just one patent away from annihilation?
Many people think so and point to the ominous convergence of two trends: the widening availability of software patents and the willingness of intellectual-property owners to challenge distributors of open-source software. If someone can obtain a patent to key features of the Linux kernel, couldn't that person bring the entire open-source community to its knees by threatening industrywide legal action? At that point, shouldn't CIOs flee open source for the safety of Microsoft and Sun Microsystems?"
Comment: The author says "no", citing the expense of patent litigation...and the ability of the open source movement to create a "noninfringing work-around". I think this is largely true...but I think (and I've heard it stated elsewhere - just don't remember where) that patents are a larger threat to digital freedom than copyright.
Semantic World
Quote: "Semantic World is a web community dedicated to the use of semantic information management methods in industry. Semantic World will include relevant news and analysis, a comprehensive resource center, and interactive forums for practitioners of semantic methodologies to share experiences, problems, and initiatives. Semantic World aims to support and influence developing standards for ontology modeling, semantic mapping, and the use of semantic information management methods in IT."
Comment: See also: Semantic Glossary
.LRN - Open Source Elearning Platform via David Wiley
Quote: "What is .LRN?:
Learn more about topic maps via Semantic Web Blog
Quote: "This page contains pointers to papers that explore various aspects of topic maps. Other pages provide links to introductory material, specifications and news from the topic map community."
Comment: Lots of resources on topic maps...see also Topic Map Starter kit
The teachers teach the techies
Quote: "The launch of the new CETIS Pedagogy Forum yesterday is a strong indication of a shift in the way e-learning (content) interoperability standards are developed. The techies got the standards out there, but now it's the teachers' turn to drive the agenda and get their concerns heard. And people sit up and take notice; both the DfES and ADL had representatives eager to learn what educators might bring to their organisations' plans."
Be afraid...be very afraid: Testing Microsoft and the DMCA
Quote: "The real critical issue is if it turns out that Microsoft can put a ban on people running their own code on a piece of hardware. That'd enable people to develop monopolies over hardware by simply securing the hardware to something cryptographic in the software base. Microsoft could start offering incentives to hardware makers to install a Palladium chip that only runs Windows on it, and people who remove it are guilty under the law. Eventually, you just lock up the whole world."
Comment: Disturbing story about the control being exerted via DMCA...(Terry Frazier states: "The DMCA may well be the most economically damaging piece of legislation of the last century, and only now are we beginning to see the unintended consequences of letting media conglomerates write laws for their own benefit."
Greg Ritter responds: The Pain of Multiplicity
Below, I offer a different perspective on some of Greg's thoughts. An important note: The intended use of standards will largely shape perspective. I'm concerned about standards as an end-user. I care more about what a standard does...rather than how it does it. As such, simplicity, ease of use, concrete benefits, etc. are important to me. Greg may have an entirely different perspective based on his needs for standards.
Greg: I don't believe you can create standards like you build software. "Release early, release often" doesn't work for standards. Standards, by definition have to be . . . well, standard!
Standards should be like software development...they should reflect the needs of the end user...and they should reflect constant change. The end user should drive their development. Standards do change frequently...but it is important that the new versions are backward compatible. At best, a standard is a guideline that is relevant at a point in time...but created with the realization that users will outgrow its usefulness.
Greg: Everyone in the instructional technology community is feeling frustration over this standards stuff. But I don't think the issue is the complexity of the standards, nor do I think the issue is a disconnect between the standards and the functional needs/desires of users.
Ok...I'll bite...if not either of these two, what is the source of frustration then? I can only speak for myself...the frustration is two-fold: complex standards that seek to do too much...which directly relates to the disconnect that I feel as an end user between my needs and current standards. As stated earlier, the end product can be simple to use, but if it doesn't meet my needs, I won't use it.
Greg: We are at -- and have been for a decade or more -- the "Beta/VHS" stage of instructional technology standards. There are multiple standards that don't mesh together well.
First: the Beta/VHS standard was one of physical limitations. They literally cannot exist together in the same machine. Standards, however, can. With standards, we can loosely agree...and still connect.
The other part of the Beta/VHS analogy supports my earlier point: a standard is a "point in time"...destined to be obsolete. DVD has since replaced VHS. Why? Consumer needs/convenience/price...etc. - technology changed...so did the "standard".
Second: I agree with Greg that we have standards that don't mesh...but I think we differ on the solution. I say standards must be focused and driven by user needs (with a simple user-level interface)...whereas he finds fault with the nature of multiplicity itself.
Greg: George said "the greatest enemy is complexity." I disagree. Complexity in standards is fine; multiplicity is the enemy of standardization.
I don't think multiplicity is bad. I think multiplicity (as expressed in diversity) is very healthy. It is the touch point of innovation...and it is difficult to picture one standard that "does it all". We need options. HTML, Javascript, Flash...are all different tools used for different reasons (but they work together). Does that make multiplicity bad? Multiplicity is needed for choice.
...and to place context on my statement of complexity...I said: "I think a similar focus needs to be brought to learning and technology adoption. Our greatest enemy is complexity." When it comes to adoption...complexity IS the enemy. Multiplicity exists in the field of blogging: Blogger, Movable Type, Radio, etc...and it seems to work fine...but making things too complex would kill the adoption. Blogging has succeeded because of simplicity.
Perhaps, some of our differences relate to larger issues of how we like to organize our world (and how we think the world should be organized). I prefer chaotic and unstructured...but linked. On the opposite end of the continuum (and I'm not trying to place Greg anywhere on it...I don't know enough of his opinions) is formal and structured. To me, the debate is largely about Internet-style versus traditional, fostering versus controlling, knowledge economy versus manufacturing.
In this context, I believe chaos holds pattern...things change too quickly to be built permanently...and effectiveness is in flexibility (i.e. creating to allow for growth and various application...all driven by the end user).
Two things:
Greg Ritter is blogging again! I used to follow his previous blog...but he "dropped out" one day with a cryptic message along the lines of: "I'm done blogging, might be back"...so it's good to see him back!
Second: Greg takes issue with my post on bloggerizing (butchering the English language) elearning. He makes some great points:
"One purpose of software is to abstract interactions so end users don't have to understand protocols and standards."
"Dumbing down the standard won't make a difference, except to potentially rob the teaching and learning community of potential functionality. It's not the standards that need to be "bloggerized." Blogger is a tool that makes use of common web publishing standards (HTTP, HTML, FTP, etc.). It's powerful becuase it greatly abstracts those standards (and the processes of using them) to "push-button" simplicity. That level of simplicity is important in the tools that make use of the standards, but it's not necessarily required in the standards themselves."
In some ways, he sums up what I was trying to say (i.e. make it easy for the end user)...but he draws an important distinction: standards development and use are two different things. Simplicity is primarily important at the user level. In this area, I completely agree.
The second aspect of my argument still stands: the standards are being built ahead of use...."we build it...you move in".
Standards should be created to allow for the injection of experience. The open source community has something to offer in this area: build functionality and features as users define them to be important...release early, release often - let the users needs speak to the standards development. It doesn't matter how simple you make the end user process...if the standards haven't reflected their wants and needs - you may have a simple process...but one that's not useful.
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Larry Ellison was quoted lamenting the state of complexity of software/technology implementations. He basically stated that in order to fly, people do not need to build an airplane, create runways, map out navigation, etc. Flying works because it's usable/simple.
I think a similar focus needs to be brought to learning and technology adoption. Our greatest enemy is complexity. We still suffer from a perspective that says something has to be "done" before it can be used. This is a problem - for example, in the area of standards, there is limited agreement. So, until standards emerge, we wait...and keep saying things like "once they are adopted, content sharing will happen"..."when this standard is developed, you won't be forced into one LMS"...and on...and on...and on. It seems like we are collectively, hypnotically following the mantra of reusability and standards.
Here's the deal: We'll never get it perfect. It will always be a moving target. We need a simple standard...something that people can actually understand. If instructional technologists have trouble grasping the complexity of standards (here's a test: ask the ID person at your college/university to concretely explain SCORM, IMS, learning objects, repositories, etc. - some may be able to...but I'm guessing most would have to rely on "vague speak" to explain the concepts), the average instructor will NEVER adopt or use them.
The current gap between those setting standards and those who are supposed to be using them seems to be growing. There is a simple solution. We need to "Bloggerize" elearning. The act of using and posting a learning object should be as simple as setting up an account with Blogger (5 minutes). Make it easy to start...and add complexity as the users request it. Right now, we have the architects building a house...assuming that people will move in once it's complete. Unless they (architects) start exploring the needs of the "tenant"...the tenants will end up building their own.
Three Objections to Learning Objects via Stephen Downes
Quote: "Objection 1: What's a learning object, anyway?...Objection 2: Where is the Learning in E-Learning Standards?...Objection 3: Education in a Militarized Zone? [impact on learning object definition due to US Department of Defense prominence in this area]."
Knowledge Management in Education: Defining the Landscape
Comment: Knowledge management and education seem like fields that ought to be linked. For some reason, they generally aren't. This article, by the new Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education takes a utilitarian approach to KM in education, its essential premise being: life's complex, quantity of information is overwhelming, taxpayers expect improvements, demands on educator's time is increasing...and the solution is KM. I agree...as long as KM is not viewed as the bandage intended to stop the flow of critical wound (which the paper acknowledges in the conclusions: "...knowledge management is not an end in itself or an all-encompassing system that will bring about change.")
In this blog, I frequently comment on how the fundamental underpinnings of society's need for education has changed. Organizations must innovate (abused word) themselves in order to stay relevant. Trying harder (or being more efficient) at more of the "wrong" approach isn't the solution. Aligning activities and initiatives with the real needs of society is the solution. With that said, KM is useful when used in the right format, to support the right activities in education.
Andy Grove on the Confident Leader
Quote: "According to Andrew S. Grove, chairman and co-founder of Intel, when a company's understanding of itself shifts, when it changes its strategic paradigm, it sets out on a journey akin to moving from one mountain peak to another through what he calls a "valley of death." How do leaders sort through the confusion to identify the next peak that the company should be moving toward? When they're not sure where they're going, how can they guide and inspire others?"
Comment: This article explores an important struggle facing many industries...notably - education and content developers. Unfortunately, it doesn't go into much detail on presenting how leaders should make the "trip through the valley" easier...the focus is more on presenting, rather than solving the problem.
The Wi-Fi Revolution
Quote: "We stand at the brink of a transformation...Over the past three years, a wireless technology has arrived with the power to totally change the game. It's a way to give the Internet wing without licenses, permission, or even fees. In a world where we've been conditioned to wait for cell phone carriers to bring us the future, this anarchy of the airwaves is as liberating as the first PCs - a street-level uprising with the power to change everything."
Comment: Two aspects of the wireless revolution that I've commented on before: 1. (obviously) it will be huge 2. It's adoption will be so fast, it will surprise even proponents of the technology. Wireless brings the Internet to it's full potential: accessible everywhere...and like the article states, it's becoming very affordable (in many cases, wi-fi is being built into new generation of computers).
The article ends with an exploration of wi-fi standards (802.11a, b, g) and people to watch.
Hire Seb: "I'd also be very happy to help out in the design and implementation of social software / knowledge management / e-learning / multiplayer gaming / online community systems. And if you need someone to perform and publish research on such, I'm your guy."
Seb provides a constant source of links and ideas - one of my favorite blogs. I wish him well in his exploration...
Seb's "weblogs and knowledge sharing" survey: Results
Quote: "Long-time readers of this blog will recall that I have been conducting a survey of weblog use for knowledge sharing. 176 people have heeded my call..."
Comment: Just reviewed Seb's survey. Nice. I think it gives insight to how blogs are changing how people meet others, find answers, and dialogue with other professionals...and it's just the beginning.
I came across some excellent links for groupware/collaborative tools on the Evaluating Elearning group:
Groupware Links - extensive listing of journals, types, features, etc. Great resource!
Virtual Teams - good list of resources, tools, wikis.
Virtual Team Articles - links to articles on virtual teams.
Learning theories are sometimes so "out there" that, while they sound great, are extremely difficult to implement in a classroom/online. One of the more valuable explorations of learning is in the field of brain-compatible classrooms (or online). The theory is simple: our brain is an organ...it functions best under certain types of conditions. When these required conditions are reflected in the learning process (which should be incorporated during design, development, and teaching stages), the brain is much more efficient...and as a result, we learn more. Here are some conditions for brain-compatible environment:
All of these principles can be incorporated in a classroom or online. Some, however, seem particularly suited for online: immediate feedback, collaboration, choices, enriched environment...for more info see: Glen Hammond and elearnspace: Brain-based learning
An Introduction to Open Source Communities
Quote: "Open source software communities are one of the most successful-and least understood-examples of high-performance collaboration and community-building on the Internet today. Other types of communities could benefit enormously from understanding how open source communities work.
This report describes what open source communities are and how they work."
Comment: 20 page .pdf report on open source communities. I've heard varying opinions expressed about the effeciency of open source (some say software development is faster, others (see: A Second Look at the Cathedral and the Bazaar - note the discussion of Brook's law). While efficiency/quality comparisons between proprietary/open source development models will continue, this paper adequately focuses on: the landscape of open source, demographics of participants (why do they join?? Biggest reason: to learn and develop new skills) , and how these communities work.
John Abbe posted this resource in the elearnspaceblog comments: RSS readers wiki.
Introduction to the ADL Initiative and the SCORM
Comment: Free registration... introduction to SCORM...via a collection of shareable content objects (SCO's)
RSS Feed Reader / News Aggregators Directory via Shifted Librarian
Comment: Detailed listing of various RSS readers...listed by platform
David Carter-Tod links to a series of learning object resources. (off topic: for some reason, on my computer at home, I'm stuck on March 7 when I visit David's site...a dozen refreshes, after going through the usual delete temp files etc., still no luck...what's up with that?)
Wiki Weblogs
Comment: Found this link via Online Facilitation...it lists a series of software resources that combine wikis and blogs. To me, the combination makes sense. Most wiki software that I've seen is basic...and looks disorganized/unappealing (whenever I see a wiki page, it seems like I've encountered hyperlink mania - too much info...it immobilizes). With that said, this is a nice resource page. I have little doubt that the "personal" nature of blogs combined with the "together" nature of wikis will continue to drive utilization of both.
Social Capital of Blogspace
Quote: "Perhaps we are in the Network Age [Ming], following modernism and post-modernism. After obsessing about construction, then deconstruction, we now value the links between deconstructed bits. When those links are between people, they can be valued as social capital."
Comment: Again, from Ross Mayfield (seems like whenever I see the words "social" or "network" his name shows up)...while you're at it, also check out Blogs, Scopes, Human Routers.
Good summary of an interesting discussion between Jim McGee, Sebastian Fiedler, Lilia Efimova, Denham Grey on Blogs, dialogue and identity building. I'm attracted to concepts expressed of how we share who we are through our public thought processes. For me, blogging very much falls into "thinking in public"...and indirectly "thinking together"...for example, as a result of reading these posts, I've "thought together" with these bloggers, though they may not be aware of it.
Perhaps a better description might be we think publicly, and our public excercise ripples into a common thought process happening individually with similar-minded people. Most people who read blogs, after all, do not comment and interact directly with the bloggers. They read, take a piece of what the blogger offered, and continue, perhaps changed slightly in thought. The change initiated may result in slightly more diverse understanding, which may then "repackaged" as posts by the reader down the road (if they blog). The process is very chaotic...but with a constant thread of dialogue and understanding being shaped in the process. Social network analysis and chaos theory have much insight to offer in this aspect of blogging...
Web Conferencing Access Kit
Quote: "Robin Good's Web Conferencing Access Kit is a gateway to more than 174 days of free Web conferencing. It provides access to free trials of 16 Web conferencing and live presentation tools."
Comment: Links to various conferencing/presentation tools (Groove, NetMeeting, Voxwire, Centra, WebEx, etc.)...and free trials.
Enterprise Software Redux
Comment: Enterprise application integration (EAI) is the noble pursuit of many companies...in an effort to simplify (through complexity :)) the way in which various aspects of an organization communicate with each other. The goal is to have the acronyms talking to each other (CRM, HRM, ERP, and now LMS). In this article, Kevin Kruse refutes the claims of Kevin Oakes that enterprise platforms will not necessarily overtake LMS...citing the organizational pressure that HR, sales, IT departments place on training departments planning to deploy an LMS. Training is hardly an isolated activity...and, unfortunately (y/n?), if a company already has an existing relationship with a CRM vendor, it'll be much easier to simply adopt the LMS features being built into their platform...rather than pursuing a "pure" LMS. In some ways, it's a choice between functionality and convenience...and it seems like convenience usually wins out.
CMS Review
Quote: "The mission of CMS REVIEW is to give you the resources you need to choose the best content management system for your organization. We will cover proprietary and open-source products, application development frameworks and finished out-of-the-box solutions. We will point you to online demonstrations and trial download software where these are available."
Comment: New site...limited information so far, but it looks promising.
Knowledge Management in Practice in Canada
Comment: Analyzes knowledge management (KM) activities in a variety of sectors...and presents 6 broad categories: policies and strategies, leadership, incentives, knowledge capture and acquisition, training and mentoring, communications. The detailed tables in the second half are the most valuable aspect of the report, providing a detailed breakdown of KM components and practices.
E-mail reveals real leaders
Quote: "Want to know how your organization really works - who speaks to whom, who holds the power? Then study the flow of internal e-mail, say scientists at global technology firm Hewlett-Packard."
Comment: I've come across this article several times over the last week...finally decided to post it...
A Quick Introduction to OWL
Quote: "A key problem to achieving interoperabiltiy is to be able to recognize that two pieces of data are talking about the same thing, even though different terminology is being used."
Comment: Basic introduction to OWL (Web Ontology Language)...even if you've never come across the term before, the presentation is easy to understand.
Migrating to Linux not easy for Windows users
Quote: " assumed I could boot the well-known Linux distributions from a CD-ROM drive, make some on-screen selections, let the distribution know what hardware to use, twiddle my thumbs for a while as it loaded software and configured itself, and then have a working system. Was I ever wrong."
Comment: Article is generally critical of Linux installations, but does present a helpful chart comparing problems with various distributions. From a usability end, I agree with most of what the author writes. My experience with Linux, however, is not as negative. I run Linux on a server, desktop, and recently, due to Charlie Lowe's endorsement, started playing with Knoppix - a Linux distribution bootable from CD ROM. I've used it on several computers (including a laptop) and results have been great.
Enabling Open Source Projects in Government
Comment: I've often stated that open source and education are natural partners. It just makes sense...both are built on foundations of openness and sharing. This link leads to Phil Windley's excellent presentation of building open source initiatives into government projects. Very applicable for educators:
The Weblog Revolution via mamamusings
Comment: 28 slide presentation on weblogs...starts by offering definitions, moves to "revolution", an interesting perspective on how reading is way behind writing, looks at the future, and ends by providing starting points for new bloggers.
Extensive listing of RSS resources: Processing RSS with PHP, Python, Java, Perl, and XSLT
A nice Social Software wiki by Sébastien Paquet
Weblogs, Journals, and RSS via Seb
Comment: Resource page for searching blogs, RSS feeds, metadata collectors, etc.
Learning objects: difficulties and opportunities
Quote: "Learning objects: difficulties and opportunities is an eight page piece cataloging what I believe to be some of the largest obstacles to the successful use of learning object and some of the biggest opportunities for educational innovation using learning objects."
Comment: I'm not a huge fan of the reusability argument for learning objects (because that focuses on the benefit to organizations...not learners - I know, idealism run rampant...:)). I am, however, very intrigued by the potential of learning objects to transform education (or "educational innovation" as David describes it). Personalized, timely learning, increased sharing, increased openness, more effective learning, etc. These are the true values of learning objects. Unfortunately, these aren't as saleable to administration as "reusability" (and the assumption of reduced costs).
Eulogy for ElearningAudio presentation by Jay Cross done with Breeze (a Macromedia elearing product)...focuses on the death of elearning...and promises a "replacement" shortly...
OGG-S
Quote: "OGG-S is an open-source development project that aims to create an open Digital Rights interface for the creation, playback, and management of multimedia files."
Free Content: Why Not? via Stephen Downes
Quote: "While the battle rages on, piling up legal fees and taking the joy out of music, a simpler solution is on the horizon. The best way to stem this tidal wave of thievery is to give the music away.
Free content, by itself, is not at all that unusual. Broadcast television is "free"--at least to the viewer--courtesy of ad-supported subsidies, as are radio, many concerts and sporting events. But even those services commanding a fee today should become free tomorrow as the economics of music distribution take radical new shape."
Comment: Interesting article on how music should be distributed...and Stephen extends it to represent a model for distribution of educational content. I'm not sure exactly how things will unfold for content (music, video, education)...but I'm quite sure it will be dramatically different from what we are seeing now. I think (hope) it will place control in the hands of the content user...and service provision (or value-added distribution) as the revenue model for the content creator...
HelloWorld
Comment: Part of my current fascination with social networking tools...a product that displays "messages, people, transfers and nodes geo-contextually."
cogniSource
Comment: Nice to see Plone/Zope continuing to grow in popularity. This site is set up as a knowledge management initiative for EduSource. At RRC, I'm still waiting to see the outcome of a proposal we put in to use Plone to manage content at the college...
Making an RSS Feed
Quote: "RSS is a method of distributing links to content in your web site that you'd like others to use. In other words, it's a mechanism to "syndicate" your content."
University of Alberta: eLearning: From Grass Roots to Mission-Critical
Quote: "eLearning began at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with a few brave faculty members who decided to try something new. They started small: making their course syllabi, lecture notes, or class assignments available to students via the Web. Students responded positively-even seeking out particular instructors or courses that featured online components."
Comment: While the model followed by U of A may be largely a luxury of early adopters (it seems that once things hit mainstream, initiatives are often structured and formal), I think it embodies an a important concept: an elearning strategy needs to be grown...rather than built. If it grows and evolves, it will incorporate the nuances and unique needs of an organization...i.e. it'll will be more responsive to conditions present at implementation.
The Secret Guide to Computers
Comment: Describes itself as "the world's only complete computer tutorial." Available free online...
Are we doomed yet?
Quote: "The computer-networked, digital world poses enormous threats to humanity that no government, no matter how totalitarian, can stop. A fully open society is our best chance for survival...We aren't choosing whether or not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. We are deciding whether to put a fence around it and ration the fruit. The choice is not between a perilous freedom and a secure tyranny, but rather between fear and trust. "
Comment: Must read...somewhat based in "what-if's" and "could be's"...but for me, at least, communicates why there is a need for open education.
Quickiwiki, Swiki, Twiki, Zwiki and the Plone Wars via EdTechPost
Comment: Wide-ranging article (with tons of links - almost too much) detailing wikis, Zope, Plone and other collaborative content software.