PREDICTIONS: E-Learning: "However, when it comes to the e-learning industry, no one can deny the important strides that were made in 2003. Advancements standards specifications and subsequent adoption have led to major increases in the extensibility, interoperability and scalability of e-learning technologies. Tools are easier to use, learning management systems (LMSs) are in place and catalog vendors have consolidated to just a few players."
Some good advice for reflection: Lessons in Time Management - Higher Education. I've tried various tools and methods of organizing my time. Most often I find that the act of organizing is more onerous than being "disorganized". Perhaps I use it as an excuse, but I value serendipity and the ability to follow interests...a tightly organized schedule doesn't allow that. For me, time management is about balancing productivity with goals and interests.
Overview of the blog project at Harvard - Creating Community, On-line and Off: "Welcome to Weblogs at Harvard Law, an experimental community where more than 350 students, faculty and staff members, and alumni have signed up to publicly express their thoughts about everything from social issues to software, from literature to love."
Media and Technology in 2004: "THE convergence of media and technology, long predicted but not yet fulfilled, is at last showing signs of happening - with high-speed Internet access making much of it possible."
Great example of a learning resource: HistoryWired "HistoryWired: A few of our favorite things is an experimental program through which you can take a virtual tour of selected objects from the vast collections of the National Museum of American History. Here you'll have an opportunity to look at hundreds of museum artifacts, most of which are not currently on exhibit."
The site utilizes the Internet...rather than simply replicating classroom learning. The interaction of timelines and concepts would be difficult to duplicate with paper/text/regular classroom.
Tools for Online Collaboration: Nice. Covers web conferencing, chat, instant messaging, file sharing, video conferencing and more.
Standards: Do We Really Need Them?...broad exploration of standards...reaching the conclusion that open standards are the healthiest. Nice list of open options to proprietary tools at the end of the article.
I'm often surprised at how weak most students are at searching for and validating information on the Internet. Two resources to help: Deep Content: Guide to Effective Searching of the Internet (via Techno-News Blog) and validating web content.
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning: "This web site serves as a community site and resource of information for practitioners (teachers), researchers and school administrators in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) field. Here you can find news and best practices from CSCL community, links to CSCL research, information about CSCL software tools and have discussions with other members of the community."
Websites for Learning: "Reflecting the importance of educational Websites as learning tools, award systems continued to promote excellence in the genre throughout 2003"...an interesting collection of various sites with an educational focus - ranging from science to farming. I personally enjoyed The Mystery of the Human Brain (a great resource for educators interested in brain-compatible learning).
Easy prediction to make: VoIP will be the big communications trend in 2004. Why Your Next Phone Call May Be Online is a basic article on the subject...and provides a series of links for common VoIP tools. Telephone companies are now in a position similar to recording and media companies: new technology rapidly alters your landscape. What do you do? Adapt, die, or regulate...:).
Excellent resource: How Cell Phones Work (Smart Mobs). Nice, visual description.
Stephen Downes summarizes an interesting discussion on the cc-education list: A Voice in The Void: "It is going to be important for those who promote open access to think of the content infrastructure as an interconnected network extending from the author directly through to the user's desktop applications..."
I'm not a huge fan of tight integration - it too quickly leads to a one way mentality...which in turn, stifles innovation. Think of how many institutions use Microsoft products simply because they are supposed to play well with other (existing) Microsoft applications. The focus is not "what's the best product", but "which product works best with what we already have". Stephen's right to suggest that open source needs to provide an alternative to Microsoft's content distribution aspirations.
If you've been following usability recommendations, this is a good reminder/review (though there's really nothing new): Top Ten Web Design Mistakes of 2003
Walmart has started a music download service...88 cents per song. In the spirit of continuing copyright conflict, concerns are being expressed about the terms of use: Walmart's Way to the Future: "The law, intended to regulate competitors, is now a tool for controlling consumers."
A common complaint used against open source software (and to explain the value of licensed software) is the (apparent) lack of support. Microsoft's recent announcement to discontinue support for Windows 98 reverses that argument...and turns it into a selling feature for open source. The End of Free Support states: "Lurking deep in the back of the entire concept of licensing software is the issue of support. This was brought to the fore when Microsoft announced it would cease supporting Windows 98 and Office 2000. Even auto makers support their cars with supplies of parts that last minimally seven years. And they will always fix even older cars with third-party parts."
Imagine a seven year old GM car...that is no longer supported...and that is somehow "closed" that no one else can support it. Insane...but a reality in the software world.
We-Learning: Social Software and E-Learning
Quote: "Like synchronous learning technologies, these new tools, which can be classified loosely as social software, connect people not only to knowledge but also to other people."
Comment: This article provides a quick overview of social software. Largely missing is the logical next-step discussion of communities and networks (easily created as a result of social tools)...and RSS as a means of content sharing/connection.
Google Print: "Google's mission is to provide access to all the world's information and make it universally useful and accessible. It turns out that not all the world's information is already on the Internet, so Google has been experimenting with a number of publishers to test their content online. During this trial, publishers' content is hosted by Google and is ranked in our search results according to the same technology we use to evaluate websites.
On Google Print pages, we provide links to some popular book sellers that may offer the full versions of these publications for sale."
The on-going, self-absorbed exploration of what blogs are/aren't: The revolution should not be eulogised : "A weblog is something fundamentally new. Something no one can quite put their finger on, not yet. And those who try to define the phenomenon in terms of current institutions are completely missing the point."
Brewing the Perfect Blend : "Two years ago people switched to e-learning because it was cool," she says. "You didn't just provide a globe, but you had to spin the globe. Now the pendulum is swinging back a little bit where we are saying, 'Do we need the globe to spin? Can we do this in a medium that isn't quite so flashy?' "
Network Learning Environments: "Narrative is the nucleus of the phenomenon we call learning; narrative is our interface with experience that leads to the evolution of our personal and collective identity. It takes us directly back to the basic question, "How did you learn the things you value most?" At first pass the question may seem simplistic, but upon further investigation it is one of the most profound questions we can ask with respect to learning.
So the idea of a network is plural and encompasses a broad range of human experience. It is also best thought of as a environment, the holistic surround of our evolving situations and circumstance in life, in which we find ourselves. Where ever you are right now, you're in it."
Universities - The New Context
Quote: "We live today in one of those periodic times, when shifts in beliefs and in communication technology drive a fundamental change in how power is defined and exercised."
Comment: Nice summary of "revolutions" impacting higher education. Societal change is out-pacing most institution's ability (or willingness) to adapt. Education is being seen as a commodity acquired to achieve a particular end (i.e. employment, promotion, etc.). Some for-profit providers understand this need (U of Phoenix). Unfortunately, competition, marketing, and responsiveness to consumer needs, are not defining traits of educators. It needs to change. I don't know exactly what colleges/universities should evolve into...but the answer certainly lies in listening to the end user (i.e. students)...and providing offerings in keeping with their needs.
Augmenting Social Interaction is a real challenge for teaching and communicating online. Connecting with learners at a distance is easier the more time I spend teaching with technology. Newcomers, however, can find the environment confusing. Tools need to exist to allow for quick connections to be formed.
On a side note, I disagree with the author's opening statement: "The best tools and services can do for real world interaction is to simply augment it. It can't be replicated nor replaced." Interaction in online learning is not about augmentation, replication or replacement. It's a redirection of the learning process based on effectiveness and access.
Teaching educators about free software (via KnowProSE): "One big barrier I foresee in teaching teachers -- and school and school district administrators -- about free software is their natural reluctance to teach students to use software that isn't "mainstream." There's no denying the fact that Windows and Windows-based proprietary software are going to be more popular on corporate desktops than Linux and free software for at least another 10 years or so, and educators feel they have an obligation to teach students skills they will be able to use in the "real world" after they graduate."
I've heard nanotechnology described as the biggest revolution in human history. Nanotech Discoveries offers a glimpse into some of the tremendous implications. Have a look at the picture at the end of the article - using nanowire to wrap a beam of light around human hair. Incredible.
PCMag has a shareware library that may be of interest. About 15 years ago, shareware seemed to be all the rage...since then it's largely dropped off the radar of general public interest as a distribution method.
Take Back the Net: "Early this decade, several new communication tools bubbled up from the far reaches of the Internet. These were tools that could at long last fulfill the Web's initial promise, nurturing a free exchange of ideas. With blogs, short for Web logs, anyone can now stream ideas onto a Web page in a matter of seconds. With wikis, named after the Hawaiian word for quick, entire groups can easily post and edit pages, freeing the users from the constraints of discussion groups. With RSS, anyone can easily syndicate material across the Web and alert readers to updated content on his or her site."
Squeezing value from KM: "Typically, in many companies, knowledge often does not get shared.
This problem is apparent in large organisations because work is often specialised and its employees are housed in different locations. This means that the flow of information is more hierarchical. Many times, knowledge acquired through experience does not get reused because there is no sharing in a formal way."
Content Packaging Report: "An in-depth introduction to Content Packaging is now available on the TeleEducation NB web site. Content packaging refers to the packaging of learning objects into interoperable, distributable packages. This report defines content packaging and surveys available content packaging specifications, with particular focus on the IMS Content Packaging Specification."
A visual vocabulary for describing information architecture and interaction design
Quote: "Diagrams are an essential tool for communicating information architecture and interaction design in Web development teams. This document discusses the considerations in development of such diagrams, outlines a basic symbology for diagramming information architecture and interaction design concepts, and provides guidelines for the use of these elements."
Comment: This interview with Jesse James Garret links to the above resource. Certainly applicable to elearning designers.
A guide to Slashdot's Moderation Scheme: "For me the most interesting aspects of the Slashdot moderation model is that it attempts to create a political structure without overt heirarchy - with a view to creating self-running communities that don't need external intervention to keep them on track. Most online communities are pretty much despotic in structure (with oligarchies or monarchically governed rural fiefdoms being other common models)."
Games gone mainstream (surprising to see that the video game industry is larger than the movie industry - 30 billion compared to 20 billion): Games, Movies Tie the Knot . Now if we can just figure out how to use games cost-effectively for learning...
Using the Internet as a learning tool requires some guidelines (especially younger students - I've observed my daughter click on pop up ads (eye candy for children) and be taken down paths I would not have her go). It's nice to see a resource like this: Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use (via Stephen): "The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use has been established to provide outreach services addressing issues of the safe and responsible use of the Internet. Our goal is to provide guidance to parents, educators, librarians, policy-makers, and others regarding effective, empowerment strategies to assist young people in gaining the knowledge, skills, motivation, and self-control to use the Internet and other information technologies in a safe and responsible manner. "
Performance software faces steep learning curve: "There are two different schools of thought about how the convergence of e-learning and performance management software is likely to play out in the marketplace. One view is the industry will fragment into hundreds of small vendors offering "exact fit" custom-made solutions. The other is the market will consolidate into a handful of big vendors offering broadly configurable packages, with economies of scale achieved by amortising their code bases across thousands of businesses. Both are probably right."
10 Hottest Wireless Applications for 2004...links to an article with a short summary of each technology.
Jay Cross has been developing and promoting workflow learning (WFL). David Tod-Carter notes similarities with Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS). At quick glance, a few attributes of WFL not found in EPSS: individualized, enterprise-level, web services. Both, however, are focused on near real-time, context sensitive learning. Much more of this to come in corporate training and learning.
How Learning Communities use learning: "The creation of virtual learning environments - and through the support for interaction, virtual learning communities - will necessarily reshape how we use learning. This is the basis for the suggestion that current course management systems are only a transitional phase."
The Second Most Important Property of the Web: "Companies aiming to cut site development costs tend to de-emphasize usability."
ebooks are a technology that haven't quite found a home yet. It's amusing to see the varying viewpoints playing out: E-book sales rise versus BN.com drops e-books. Then again, I'm reminded of a quote I read recently (very paraphrased) "hang out with those looking for truth...run from those who've found it". I'm more comfortable exploring contrasting ideas than I am embracing ideas that everyone is presenting as the new reality.
Online Learning and the ROI of Training High-Tech Wizards : "When determining the ROI of e-learning investments, "the vast majority [of businesses] measure what they can easily -- usage and completion, for instance," IDC's Michael Brennan noted. "However, a small but growing portion are [beginning to] assess if the material employees are training on is useful to their day-to-day job."
Similar to a recent post on analytics...it seems that people are speaking different languages in regards to ROI. Managers want results that can be inserted into reports...learners want to better do their work. The training/elearning challenge is to provide both, measure both (in their own way)...and sell the concepts to the appropriate funders. Fun job.
P2P Networking in Higher Education: "Educational institutions must take serious notice of the implications of the inevitable P2P network activities taking place on our computers."
Oh joy: New Microsoft goal: A computer in every car
Learning Objects Portal (via Careo): "Welcome to our Portal, a gateway to many resources about learning objects and repositories."
Collaboration changes focus. This is very important...and has many implications for elearning application developers as well (i.e. LMS): "Almost 15 years later, both user interfaces and back-end services have morphed to meet the needs of users. Integration seems to have given way to modularity. It's fair to suggest that the most drastic change in the way people work together has been the expansion of IM, which has evolved from a rogue application that small workgroups might adopt on an ad hoc basis, into one of two important load-bearing walls of the collaborative ecosystem."
LMS' shouldn't be everything. They should be specialized...and allow connection to other modularized programs and applications. I've previously used the term "connected specialization" to express this idea. The more complex learning management systems become, the less usable they will be to the average designer/learner. Integration is an over-hyped concept. It has appeal in theory, but practicalities support the value and flexibility of modularized functions.
Say Hello to the Next Phone War...anything that impacts communication will impact elearning. Another article on my ongoing fascination with voice over IP (VoIP). Revolutionary change...just around the corner.
Needs, Concerns and Practices of Online Instructors (via Ray):
Quote: "While the delivery of on-line instructional courses in higher education institutions is flourishing, it is the faculty who play the key role in its successful implementation... Limited research has shown that a number of circumstances influence whether or not faculty choose to teach via on-line. Since faculty are pivotal to the success of online instruction, this study explored their backgrounds, concerns, and their on-line teaching practices. The information that is provided will update decision-makers of the current needs and concerns of on-line instructors so an effective distance-learning program can be fostered."
Comment: Basic article, detailing hours spent online and instructor reasons for going online. I personally think the number one attribute to succeed online as a teacher is an attitude of experimentation. Formulas don't work. Steps 1 - 10 don't work. "I did it this way....so you should too" doesn't work. Experience, derived from experimentation and mistakes, works. Each situation is unique (both in design and delivery)...and the beginning of any online effort should be an understanding that the experience may be unlike any other before...but a willingness to communicate, experiment, and think critically can overcome most challlenges.
Gadgetopia links to this tremendous resource: Just Say No to Microsoft
A few 'new' edublogs: "In the spirit of widening the circle, here's a few other educational bloggers I have stumbled on to recently, and that I haven't seen mentioned widely yet"
Nice: Pssss... Have You Heard About RSS?
Training Analytics: The Next Big Wave in Learning Management Technology
Quote: "The solution is here. Training analytics is a new breed of application that gives companies a systematic, reputable way to measure the activity, efficiency, compliance and effectiveness of training. We see a trend toward an exciting new solution that will give you the ability to really measure training ROI and correlate training back to business metrics in your corporation."
Comment: I disagree. I think the next major trend in LMS and elearning will (or should) be an increased focus on the human side of learning. The direction suggested by the author of this article is what got the industry into its current over-blown, hype generated stage. Learning is not a cold, calculated process. It is a rich, unique, human process. I predict next generation LMS will move into more human processes - support for personalization, learning communities, simple collaboration, etc. The analytics may be a part of it...but not the main focus. After all, what's the point of analyzing the impact of learning that's clearly not meeting learner's needs? Get the learning right first...then evaluate the impact.
Who will build our digital future? - basic article on how the idea of "open source" is extending beyond software development and impacting education, science, etc..
Good resource: Criteria for Evaluating the Quality of Online Courses. Details evaluation criteria of online content, including accessibility, organization, layout, content, instructional activities, etc. Would be very useful if presented as a checklist (versus current bullet form).
Occasionally, "something happens" on the Internet that defines and embodies a concept that drives an entirely new direction for technology. Slashdot is an example of self-organizing community that has spawned thousands of similar sites. For the collaborative creation of content, Wikipedia is king. This article, Phantom authority, self-selective recruitment and retention of members in virtual communities: The case of Wikipedia, explores many of the issues involved in the creation and maintenance of an open, online community. Great read. Be sure to check out
this taxonomy of virtual communities.
Delivering Computerized Assessments Safely and Securely. While largely focused on tests, exams, quizzes, and surveys (the paper doesn't address more authentic evaluation techniques), this is one of the more useful explorations of online evaluations I've come across.
Collaboration & The Problem With E-mail
Quote: " New collaborative software tools offer ways to share information. But you'd rather rely on good ol' e-mail. Now there may be a halfway point. "
Comment: I've used Groove, Drupal, Sharepoint, Convea, and other collaborative spaces in an effort to create a place to brainstorm ideas and share information. Most often, these tools (while great in theory) don't get results like a simple email will. For some reason, only a small percentage of people will embrace these tools...and even then, involvement in the collaborative space is usually sporadic. The article presents the notion that the problem with these collaborative tools is that a change in habits is required in order for users to experience their potential. Email we're used to...collaborative tools we're not.
Videoconferencing: Look Again offers a basic evaluation of seven tools for videoconferencing (some free...some with a monthly charge). Like the article notes, using the Internet for this purpose isn't new, but the technology has improved dramatically over the last several years.
And now, for some criticism...Computer illogic: Despite great promise, technology is dumbing down the classroom . "This past year, as San Francisco school officials were dealing with budget cuts by laying off teachers and librarians and closing school libraries, spending on city schools was increasing in another area: classroom computers."
I'm rarely comfortable with extremes - i.e. computers are education's salvation, or computers are education's demise. The truth lies in the middle.
PRIME-ING YOUR LEARNERS FOR E-LEARNING: "The design of e-learning is ultimately about communications. Many of the skills used are equally applicable to internal marketing and employee communications." (via Training Watch)
Jay Cross has a great list of Books for the ID Team...but prefaces the list by stating "I probably wouldn't turn to books since the web has such good stuff..."
I agree. If you want to learn about elearning, technology, design, etc., the concepts that will appear in books in books two years from now are being discussed/presented by some very talented people on the Internet today. See Jay, Stephen, Maish, and various edutech bloggers
David Wiley announces that his latest project, Pitch Journal, is now open: "Pitch is a peer reviewed online journal in Instructional and Learning Technology. Articles in Pitch focus on pedagogical, technological, sociological, legal, and moral issues related to opening access to educational opportunity. Example topics include reusable media / learning objects, scalability issues, informal social networks for supporting learning, legal schemes for the sharing of open educational materials, and the right to education."
I'm excited about the concept of open content in education. I believe in the idea of collaboratively created learning resources. I'm still largely clueless about how to get it into mainstream reality.