Another look at learning: Jay Cross, in his usual visual style, posits a notion of learning as "optimizing one's network".
ROI of Usability: A Collection of Links:
Quote: "It is hard to directly estimate the economic impact of usability. However, it is important to do so, both at the macro and the micro level. Products with bad usability can have impact in terms of wasted time, erros, unfinished tasks, frustration, and even medical problems such as RSI. A concrete calculation of usability impact is difficult, but is often needed by usability advocates within companies, independent consultants etc."
Comment: Usability and accessibility are worth paying attention to...ROI is often a consideration in usability...but accessibility will have its adoption determined more in legal terms - i.e. human rights issues. For example, someone building a retail store today has to meet certain design requirements that ensure all customers (including those with disabilities) are able to enter. Accessibility is a part of the design process. The same consideration should exist in elearning development.
100 Words That All High School Graduates Should Know (Webword): "The words we suggest," says senior editor Steven Kleinedler, "are not meant to be exhaustive but are a benchmark against which graduates and their parents can measure themselves. If you are able to use these words correctly, you are likely to have a superior command of the language."
Just Like Being There
Quote: "Will a videoconference ever feel as natural as a phone call? If the latency is reduced enough, yes."
Comment: Last spring, I ran a class using streaming video...it has potential - especially with geographically dispersed audiences. Learners in the course commented on how the streaming video component enriched the course...creating connections that were not possible in a regular online course. The big concern during the pilot was the technology. Lag time and bandwidth limitations put a damper on the experience (for example, in some situations, the learners were receiving the video feed upto 1 minute after it was sent. We were using IM to provide real time conversation...so basically learners asked questions in what they thought was real time...but the video stream was actually upto 1 minute "old". As a presenter, I had to keep retracing steps to answer questions asked "in the past". More sophisticated solutions will have less lag time (this was simply a pilot to experiment with the role of real time video in instruction)...but our experience revealed a technology with potential...but too far ahead of its time for most users.
Future Tech: 20 Hot Technologies to Watch: An intriguing walk through some of the most interesting developments in technology. Definitely worth a skim...
E-Portfolios: Links to Power Point notes and presentation on the use of electronic portfolios as an assessment tool, issues and concerns, etc. E-portfolios have value well beyond assessment and evaluation in learning...they are an excellent tool to help learners find work and demonstrate competency. An up-to-date eportfolio is far superior to a resume.
If you're losing sleep over learning content management systems, here's a resource that may help: LCMS Resource. I have some mixed feelings on the role of LCMS' in elearning. If deployed within an organization, it makes sense...but learning objects (the things that LCMS' manage) are apparently valuable because they are shareable and reusable. In that sense, an LCMS is too closed (i.e. inter-organizational sharing). Open repository models are much more attractive (and more web-like).
Wireless in Third World Countries?: "The UN leader thinks that developing countries can dispense with the cost of high-tech infrastructure by developing the wireless technology known as Wi-Fi ."
Echo Wiki...if you've been following RSS, you're aware that there are two main versions of RSS. In theory, the concept of RSS is too dry to really evoke great passions...but reality brings a different perspective. Discussion lists devoted to syndication can get quite heated. Just to add more spice to the fragmented world of content syndication, a new group has formed to promote Echo (see their motivation). Their goal "develop a common syntax for syndication, archiving and an publishing API."
It's apparently a clean slate...but the history of bad blood between players in the content syndication circus don't offer much hope. I'm afraid that as they move forward, previous battles will surface...rendering the entire concept impotent...and then allowing Microsoft or IBM to create and drive their own standards.
Final thought: RSS works because it's simple. It's like email - it doesn't take long to figure out how it works...it's not perfect, but it meets the needs of a large number of people. Sure, email can be made more complex, more advanced...but then who would use the new tool? Basically, technologists...the other 95% of the world would stick with regular email...for more thoughts on this, see Scoble
The End of End-to-End?
Quote: "One of the fundamental design principles of today's Internet is so basic and so important that few users have ever heard its name; they just assume its existence. It's called "end-to-end," and some disturbing new developments are putting it in jeopardy. The end-to-end principle asserts that information pushed into one end of the Internet should come out the other without modification: the Net should act like a big, fat, dumb, digital pipe."
Communities of Practice
Quote: "Communities of Practice are formed by groups of people who come together to learn from one another face-to-face and virtually. This article explores how to design and sustain these communities effectively within organizations."
Comment: I don't think anything is more important than communities of practice for facilitating knowledge creation and sharing. This is a central premise to the Open Education concept. Knowledge is moving too quickly to expect a person working largely in isolation to stay current (in terms of the knowledge, the impact, and the implications). CoPs must really reach beyond organizational walls and include people with broad areas of expertise and interest. Information is abundant...knowing what it means is a difficult process that can be effectively filtered via CoPs.
Copy Rights and Wrongs
Quote: "This site will help you decide whether or not you need a license to use specific online content, particularly at an educational institution."
Comment: Aside from a great resource, I want to nominate EduSource for the award for the biggest header/banner...what's up with that? 1/3 of the screen...
Convea:
Quote: "Convea (pronounced Conveyor) has been designed to improve business communication, collaboration and coordination."
Comment: I spent the evening playing with this new software tool. Looks great (similar to Groove, but it's not peer-to-peer). It recently went open source, even though, it currently only works with Windows. With that said, I think it has great potential. I've stated previously that the best teaching/learning tool I've come across is Groove. I used it several years ago during a pilot with several classes (we still use it in our department for collaboration). The comments and results were better than anything I've since experienced with an LMS. I think this is due to the difference in intent between an LMS (like Blackboard or WebCT) and collaborative software (like Groove or Conveya). An LMS is a teaching tool. Collaborative software is a communications/sharing tool. That difference has a huge impact on the learning process.
If you want to explore, the Conveya site allows you to setup a demo account to test it out before downloading...my reaction is that this is a valuable tool that has great potential for learning. I'll throw it out to the Open Education group as a platform for collaborating...
The Next Big Thing...The Cell Phone
Quote: "You say you want a revolution? The wireless revolution is here, right now. It's presenting untold new opportunities for fortune and glory. But forget the hype and hysteria over Wi-Fi...the great engine powering us into the new wireless age is, of all things, the good old cell phone."
Comment: Other than usual "next big thingism", this article is worth reading. The potential of cell phones as a means of web surfing, text messaging, content delivery, etc. is still emerging...but it is worth noting that there are currently more than 1 billion cell phones users (expected to hit 2 billion by 2006)...much of this market is still underserved in terms of hardware, software (no Microsoft dominance yet), entertainment, communications, and service providers. The article also presents a neat device called a personal server - a pocket sized computer for storing and processing data.
Last fall, I made an attempt to start blogging at RRC as a knowledge management initiative...an effort that has been very slow in getting adopted. One of the first questions posed by administration related to concerns of proper use...these resources would have been nice to use as a starting point: Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Continuous Media Web (slashdot)
Quote: "While Web search engines are solving the problem of wading through large sets of textual documents for finding a bit of required information, there is currently no standardised way on the Web for finding clips in time-continuous documents such as audio and video...The CMWeb project is enabling the searching and surfing of clips of audio and video, providing solutions both to the consumer market and the professional market."
Charlie Lowe sent me a link to Coccinella recently. It's a whiteboard, text chat tool. It runs on either Jabber or peer-to-peer. I used it as P2P with a colleague yesterday...works well. Simple download and install process. Good tool to keep in the "educator's toolkit" for online instruction...not all learning has to be monolithic and house in an LMS. Sometimes, simple tools like instant messaging, whiteboard, discussion forums, email...will suffice. It's like Randy's motto on carvingCode: "simple, but not simpler"
Will Web Services Click?: A special report by BusinessWeek on the state of web services (five articles in total). Basic points made: web services are moving forward...but not at the explosive pace originally predicted, the potential for anytime, anywhere, always connected computing is still huge, those who are doing it well are seeing big results.
Innovative Uses for a Computer Classroom?...this meandering Slashdot discussion is an interesting read. One statement in particular caught my eye: " Computers are best left to technical fields. Plus you have the problem of the learning curve - how much will it take people to figure out how to properly use whatever technology you require of them? Remember, it doesn't matter if you think it's easy - if it gives them any kind of trouble, you're going to have to take time away from what you're supposed to be teaching to help with with the technology."
I disagree. I teach in the Hospitality program at Red River College...it's laptop...has been for years...we use streaming media, video, interactive activities, online testing, etc. to enrich the learning process. I think it helps (not hinders) the quality of learning. As an additional bonus...when students graduate...they are generally capable with computers - a skill that is as essential in our society today as being able to read and write.
BlogComp (via Emergic): If you are thinking about starting a blog...or switching to a different blog service, this resource will help...allows you to compare up 5 different blog tools (from a list of 27) side by side.
THE WIRED 40
Quote: "This remarkable roster has demonstrated mastery of today's business essentials: innovation, technology, strategic vision, global reach, and networked communication. We've ranked them accordingly."
Comment: Neat listing of the most innovative companies in the world. Worth a skim...presents a brief summary of what to expect from each of these influential companies. Who's #1? Google, of course.
Self-Organizing Systems. An older, but still interesting, overview of self-organization in systems.
Big Sites Hoard Links
Quote: "Large, well-connected nodes have more links to each other than to smaller nodes, and smaller nodes have more links to the larger nodes than to each other."
Mind and Machine:
Quote: "A few weeks ago when I visited AT&T Labs, I sat through a presentation on data visualization. I realized during that discussion that too often computers are used to replace human thinking, instead of trying to enhance it."
Comment: I certainly see a similar concern in learning/education. Too often technology is viewed as a replacement to traditional learning and education...instead of seeking to enhance and extend it. What is it about computers and technology that makes us view it as an "other than"...rather than a part of?
Building Better Communities...short post linking to a variety of resources on communities. The buzz around communities, social software, communities of practice, etc. continues to grow. It's just a matter of time now before someone declares it the "next big thing"...:).
Not that anyone would be surprised: MSN challenging Google?
Collaborative Spaces - Transforming Innovation Capital: "It is primarily social and these new tools are helping us to uncover the wealth that was always there, always undisclosed, tacit unless tapped, and too infrequently accessed. Even a small start would include employee who's thoughts or interests you never before knew, to teams doing collaborative manual building, and spontaneous connections enabled through who we know in trusted networks."
Resource worth bookmarking: Knowledge Management glossary, primer and bibliography
RSS: Promise or Peril:
Quote: "The smart people already knew this, but I'm still just picking up on it: RSS has huge business potential. Here is a laundry list of a few things you could (and I think should) use it for. There are big-money implications. But there's at least one big obstacle too."
Comment: Applications for RSS are just being explored...but in reality, anything that's digital is a candidate for sharing via RSS...I'm sure we'll continue to see many new applications and uses.
Bullfighter. MUST HAVE TOOL. I've come across this several times over the last week...and finally decided to download it and check it out. Bullfighter alerts you to BS in your own (and others) writing. It functions as a toolbar in Word and PowerPoint. I copied and tested a few of my blog posts...and I faired ok...but I was borderline on a few.
Knowledge Dissemination: "Scholarly research makes a profound contribution to the social, cultural and economic wealth of a country. The results of research, referred to here as "scholarly knowledge", is created, organized, preserved and disseminated within the scholarly communication system...In order to optimize the dissemination of scholarly knowledge, it is critical that Canada develop a comprehensive research strategy to examine the future of scholarly communication in this country."
Comment: If they would just add an RSS feed...it would be so easy to follow the developments of their project...now, unfortunately, I'll lose track of it...and probably won't encounter it again until the project is complete...
Valuable site: Rubrics, Scoring, and Grading: "Rubrics are used in measuring student learning. Rubrics are systematic scoring methods that use pre-determined criteria. Rubrics help instructors assess student work more objectively and consistently." (via Use and Abuse of ET). On a side note: I think everyone should have an "About Me" link on their website/blog...it's like a digital introduction. Mine is here.
Scott links to Elearning Policies: "This site focuses on the unique policy issues that are created by the e-delivery of higher education courses and programs."
Marc Canter (founded MacroMind, became Macromedia) discusses media: "We've barely moved forward since those days of word processors and spreadsheets. Since 1988, the only major new software categories that have been created are email, IM, browsers and blogging tools. For all the flack, noise and supposed development - we have barely innovated the initial concept of what a tool is.
And we've lost track of what some of the potential of digital media is."
Part promotion, part history, part rallying cry.
Coping With Digital Rights Management (.ppt). Details issues, principles, and elements relating to Digital Rights Management (slide 26 is a "big picture" view of EduSource DRM Model). It really is an issue of common sense and balance - content creators have a right to earn an income...content purchasers have a right to fair use. The issue is that simple. Unfortunately, the debate has moved well beyond content creation and use rights...and into an "us versus them" mentality (particularly in the digital media industry - a trend that is being felt in education) based on an industrial revenue model (scarcity of resources and costs in distribution consisting of a large part of the cost of a product).
Give consummers/content users what they want. Don't confine them to options that you as a content creator define as important. Create a revenue model that reflects very low distribution and duplication costs. Jenny links to a good quote on this: "When your product is stolen by thieves, you have a police problem. When it is stolen by millions of honest customers, you have a marketing problem."
RSS: The Next Killer App For Education...I'm not sure why new technologies are always labeled as "next killer applications" - in particular in a case were RSS isn't really an application - it's a protocol...an XML format. Aggregators, on the other hand, are applications. Still, if you are new to RSS and it's features, this article details it well from an educational perspective - including benefits and applications.
IM's bursting--say goodbye to e-mail: "The number of people using instant messaging (IM) software at work is set soar over the next few years, as part of a wider boom that will see more than a trillion IMs sent worldwide each day by 2006..."
One of the more complete accessibility resources I've come across: Web Accessibility Learning Modules via Stephen Downes
Jay Cross summarizes an Elearning Forum on enterprise learning. Some notables:
I think trainers need to be aware of the what and not the how of technology. A trainer should know what the main tools will do, understand standards, concepts of integration, learning objects, etc. But the trainer should not have to become a technologist in order to use and manage elearning. "Every trainer as a technologist" gives technology too much control in the elearning process. Training needs and strategic focuses should be defined first...and then technology should be selected based on the degree to which it fulfills requirements.
The language we use shapes the conversation. In elearning (at least my experience when I first started with it), the language used is very technical. As a result, the conversations too often hinge on death by acronyms...and concepts of technology, not learning. Rather than talking about learning theories...we talk about integration. Rather than talking about learning design...we talk about technical standards. Rather than creating a robust brain-compatible learning environment...we talk LMS.
Scott Leslie has this commentary on Edutools - a valuable resource for selecting course management systems.
There's a gap between what people say is important in education and learning today...and between what is formally acknowledged as important. For example, informal learning is generally not recognized by corporations and education institutions, even though it comprises as much as 80% of what we learn in order to do our work. Our work environments no longer allow for separation of learning and work (i.e. go to college for 4 years, get a job). Now, learning is a vital skill to staying competent in our careers (I believe it's called "seamless" or "embedded" learning - where we learn what we need to do while we are in the circumstance in which we need to do it).
The lines between work and learning are blurred to the point where they are no longer separate activities, but activities with vital connections that feed into and direct each other. The problem, as stated, is the gap between what we know is happening in work environments and what is happening in education. Fortunately, a promising development appears to be addressing this concern - Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR).
PLAR has been defined as: "the process of identifying, assessing and recognizing skills, knowledge, or competencies that have been acquired through work experience, unrecognized training, independent study, volunteer activities, and hobbies. PLA may be applied toward academic credit, toward requirement of a training program, or for occupational certification." The concept just makes sense...and I'm really surprised that elearning companies have not taken a greater interest in this. It's a perfect fit with the concerns of this market - recognizing prior learning.
In the PLAR model, learners follow a structured process of "proving" their learning based on clearly defined program wide/curriculum wide learning outcomes. A well designed online course, for example, would be fairly easy to open up to the PLAR process...while a poorly designed course would be frustrating for both learner and evaluator.
In many ways, PLAR and elearning have much to offer each other. PLAR provides a means of evaluating informal learning...and well designed elearning provides a way to fill gaps revealed (for example - the gap between informal learning and outcomes of a course/program) through PLAR. Elearning and PLAR need each other...
Here's a few resources if you are interested in exploring more on PLAR:
PLAR Overview
The PLAR Process (for the learner)
PLAR Value Statements
PLAR Foundation Training Course
PLAR Abroad
Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment
Web-based Resources for PLAR
Developing Benchmarks for PLAR
After seeing this article listed on elearningpost, I spent some time exploring TRIZ - a structured (algorithmic - as one site described it) approach to problem solving (technical and technological) and innovation. It's a fascinating concept. I've always held (and still do) that innovation is a by-product of an environment that encourages experimentation and unusual thinking. TRIZ does not exclude experimentation...instead, it takes an approach that innovation follows set patterns. Innovation is best achieved by focusing on how others have innovated in the past. If this is true, then there is a strong similarity to what people in network analysis and chaos theory preach: there is meaning and structure in the chaos...it's all linked - in fact the connections are what creates the order. The appearance of disorder is merely a guise that needs to be probed to reveal a clear, finite structure.
Data Mining
Quote: "...it's that authorities know more than they think they know about potential criminals-but they don't always know how to put the pieces together."
Comment: Most organizations have more information than they think they do...the challenge is to make it useful, know it exists, and know how it relates. The article discusses how Microsoft uses data mining to observe habits of visitors to its Xbox site...and then creates personalized marketing for the visitor. Very effective. Very scary.
Learning Objects in Wider Context This presentation by Stephen Downes incorporates recent comments by David Wiley (.pdf) and the RCLT (narrowly defined objects cannot be reused, broadly defined cannot be strung together)...and takes the discussion in new directions by questioning/discussing:
Waste is "a program for setting up relatively small, private, encrypted networks, where chatting is the main method of communication." It has been receiving a fair amount of attention...partly because of the creator (Justin Frankel - creator of Gnutella and WinAmp), partly because it was pulled from the Nullsoft site (an AOL company) shortly after it was posted by Justin, and partly because it looks promising as an open source Groove.
Open Source Comes of Age: Nice intro to open source software...and its ability to co-exist with proprietary solutions.
Don't try to innovate socially, technically and comerically at once"Then there's another point: don't try to innovate socially, technically and commercially all at once.
Build the mindset first (or start with groups of people who already have the right mindset, who share ideas in a grassroots fashion across organizational boundaries), then introduce new communications technologies if you're going to do that, then when the group is reasonably comfortable with the technology they can start on product innovation."
Social Web
Quote: "LINKING UP. Call it the Social Web. Through the dot-com bubble and bust, one trend has never wavered. Every year, millions more people around the world are using the Internet to interact in more ways than ever before -- to date, find old classmates, check on medical ailments and cures, to read and express alternative views of the news, and even to get live sales help online."
Comment: While I'm fascinated by social networks and social software, I'm not sure it is something that is distinct from (or an addition to) the Internet itself. It's ALL about connections - information, people, ideas...
Phonecam Nation: "But in the past few months, a global phonecam revolution has begun to emerge. Take the device's portability, add its ability to post images online, multiply by its growing ubiquity, and what do you get? A cheap, fast strain of DIY publishing in which everyone is an embedded reporter."
Today was one of those days where I had a correction in my somewhat idealistic/optimistic view of elearning. I just concluded delivering an online course and reviewed the comments from learners. As usual, it's a mixed bag. Some learners love the online experience. Others hate it.
First, a bit of background. The course is delivered online using The Learning Manager (all of the courses in our department are delivered with this system, though most of the courses are classroom-based and a few are moving to blended delivery). The students receive a CD at the start of the course which includes the learning resources - 35 video clips, 12 interactive activities (Authorware), 15 quizzes (hot potatoes), audio files, in addition to about 150 pages of text/graphics. We opted to go with a CD so the course could be stand alone (for the student without Internet access at home), and to the accommodate video that wouldn't work well online due to bandwidth limitations.
Evaluation for the course is done through several tests, involvement in 7 discussion questions, group project, and a reflective journal. The course was designed for high interaction...and to be a media-rich course...incorporating all the lovely concepts of brain-compatible learning, multiple intelligence, and learning styles. At the start of each week, I would send an email to students detailing important dates, suggestions, compliments, etc.
Basically, I think it's a well-designed course. Still, here is a quick overview of the "constructive feedback" from the students this last term:
Why Self Awareness/Emotional Intelligence is so important:
Quote: "I simply call it, "the art of waking up". Of realising who you really are and why you do the things you do, in the way you do them...Increasing our own levels of self awareness therefore, empowers us to make different choices."
Comment: Short article on emotional intelligence. Discusses the enneagram (see 9types as well)...a tool for personality analysis. I was introduced to it years ago by a Jesuit priest. Interesting.
Interesting: wearing your computer on your sleeve.
Sebastien Paquet has joined with NRC . He'll be working with Stephen Downes.
Dealing With Information Overload:
Quote: "...new software that can help decision-making teams in combat situations or homeland security handle information overload by inferring teams' information needs and delivering relevant data from computer-generated reports."
Comment: As I've stated before, finding ways to reduce information intake is not the answer to information overload. It's finding ways to quickly decide what's important...and what's not. Reducing information intake is not the long term answer..we need simplicity in how we manage information, not simplicity by turning off information.
This account of Mitch Kapor (creator of Lotus 1-2-3 and founder of EFF ) switching from Internet Explorer to Mozilla is a perfect illustration of the greatest hurdle facing open source. Until open source software becomes VERY user friendly...it will remain in the domain of 5% of society who like to tinker, play, and tweak.
The diagrams at the end of this article provide an effective argument for the value of "self-archiving" in order to extend the impact of research. The "closed" model of research follows an elitist path - journal submission, peer review, changes made based on review, published in journal, access only if facility has a subscription to the journal. While the process is healthy, it is closed...and knowledge is kept behind closed doors (doors closed as a result of high subscription pricing). The author proposes an extension to this model by using self-archiving...making the research available to a much larger audience for feedback...and increasing the potential that the work will have greater impact as a result of greater access.
I'm preparing for a workshop on Teaching Online. My segment is on the role of facilitation online. I've been spending the last few days digging through old/new resources. Here are a few you might find interesting:
It's All About Who You Know introduces a networking/social connection product called LinkedIn.
Very amusing license agreement (via Trademark Blog)
Packet tracking promises ultrafast internet
Quote: "Imagine an internet connection so fast it will let you download a whole movie in just five seconds, or access TV-quality video servers in real time. That is the promise from a team at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, who have developed a system called Fast TCP."
Comment: Good example of innovation that doesn't require a reworking of the system - only tweaking. Traditional TCP has a sending/acknowledgement process that can significantly slow down transmission (after a packet is sent, the sending computer waits for acknowledgement before sending the next packet...if the acknowledge receipt is not received by the sending computer, the packet is transmitted again - at half speed). Fast TCP can run on existing infrastructure, as it is mainly a modification in how messaging is handled. In Fast TCP, when the receiver sends a receipt stating delays are low, the sender can ramp up transmission. Based on the article (it's a bit limited in details) it appears that the initial acknowledge receipt from the receiver verifies line quality (i.e. the maximum transfer rate the line can support without packet loss), versus acknowledgement of each packet (as in regular TCP).
Do Online Schools Provide A Quality Education?: "BUT, after just one semester, I am starting to have my doubts ? I am sure this is the way to go in the future, but I'm not so sure that the schools has got all the kinks worked out and I am beginning to believe that the professors, and possible even the schools, see this as a way for them to teach a class with a minimal amount of effort and cost."
Short, basic article on Getting More From Google .
The current issue of Technological Innovation and Intellectual Property is out...including this comment: "However, they go on to point out an often overlooked feature of copyrights and patents: these systems do not simply confer rights to own and sell intellectual property; they also confer rights to control the subsequent use of that property. "When you buy a potato you can eat it, throw it away, plant it, or make it into a sculpture. Current law allows producers of CDs and books to take this freedom away from you. When you buy a potato you can use the 'idea' of a potato embodied in it to make better potatoes or to invent French fries. Current law allows producers of computer software or medical drugs to take this freedom away from you." The authors consider this discrepancy a distortion of basic property rights, a kind of "intellectual monopoly.""
This excellent resource was listed on brandon-hall list as part of a discussion on roles and responsibilities in elearning design. The resource itself is not focused on elearning...but it transfers very nicely. It covers the spectrum, including process review, stakeholder analysis, building a team, implemenation, evaluation...and much more.
Learner Support Services for Online Students: Scaffolding for Success via Online Learning Update
Quote: "A critical component of an effective retention program for online students is a learner support services program. While many factors contribute to attrition, at the top of the list are level of interaction and support. To this end, some students in distance learning programs and courses report feelings of isolation, lack of self-direction and management, and eventual decrease in motivation levels."
Comment: What we focus on is what we do well. Learner support hasn't been a focus in the elearning/distance education industry as a whole (as evidenced by few articles, limited discussion). Initially, elearning was about technology. Then over the last several years, discussion moved to facilitation. Now it will hopefully move to the learner (though I'm a cynic here - classroom education still doesn't have a learner focus).
Commoditization: "All the talk about "open source" and "intellectual property" is really an attempt to use law in order to prevent software from becoming a commodity. And it won't work, at least it won't work in operating systems."
Nice resource page: Mobile & Wireless Technologies. I recently setup a wireless Linksys network at home (802.11g). Install was simple (took about an hour), and the convenience is great. Like any new technology, wireless has been hyped as the next big thing. In this case I'm inclined to believe it...after a few months of wireless, I'd hate to do without.
The Phonaesthetics of "Blog" links to various discussions "about whether the term "blog" carries an air of disreputability". Personally, I think 'blog' is an ugly word. No idea why. When I say it to the uninitiated, I feel like I'm reading from a kids story book (again, no idea why). After I first heard of blogs, it took me months to say it without mumbling.
Wireless projectors would be a welcomed addition at RRC. As a laptop program, all of our students/instructors use laptops. All course resources are available online (including testing). While some classes are delivered online (i.e. without scheduled classtime), most are blended. So, when an instructor is finished with a class, he/she unplugs the laptop, packs up and leaves. Another instructor comes in...plugs into the network, the projector...and boots up. Sounds simple, but the process actually takes 5+ minutes. Being completely wireless (network and projector) would be very convenient.
This article makes a very important point - teachers should not have to become technologists in order to move resources online. The process should be so simple for the end user that it's a matter of click and enter. That's why blogger is so big - simple, easy...anyone can do it. When it comes to technology, this important fact is often overlooked by planners/designers.