I've played around with this a bit - looks very promising - Google Print: "Google's mission is to organize the world's information, but much of that information isn't yet online. Google Print aims to get it there by putting book content where you can find it most easily – right in your Google search results."
This looks like a really useful resource as I continue my obsession with networked learning: Introduction to Social Network Methods "Our goal in preparing this book is to provide a very basic introduction to the core ideas of social network analysis, and how these ideas are implemented in the methodologies that many social network analysts use".
ABCs of RSS: "Just what is RSS and how can it be used in education? Depending on who you talk to, RSS stands for Rich Site Summary or Real Simple Syndication. Either way, RSS is an important technology that information specialists and educators would be wise to harness."
Stephen Downes' presentation (.ppt) on what it means to be an effective learner: Interaction – participation in a learning community (aka a community of practice), usability – simplicity and consistency, relevance – aka salience, that is, learning that is relevant to you, now
The presentation provides some great advice on managing informal learning through a variety of tools and techniques ("filter ruthlessly). Nice mixture of technology and practice.
Coffee shop turns off wi-fi - this is really a non-event - coffee shop turns off wireless and sales increase, people start talking again. I link to it because it speaks to a growing sentiment (a backlash?) of technology's role in our lives. The encroachment has only just begun - wireless is only beginning to make its impact. I think we'll start to see more stories like this, where people refocus and simplify in order to "feel human" again. Some would have technology be a thread that runs through all aspects of our lives. Others would like to treat technology as a coat - to wear when appropriate, and to remove when it's uncomfortable.
Maish recently linked to a video (1 hour, 15 min) presentation by Thomas Friedman (author of The World is Flat). People who have been following trends in technology and education won't find much new in the presentation (though it is a testament to the value of blogs as a medium that has 3 - 6 month awareness time ahead of mainstream media and traditional information sources). Friedman's main argument is that technology has flattened the world, and we are now in a global economy that brings countries like China and India to our doorstep as competitors. If an individual has a computer and an internet connection, they can participate in the global economy. How does that impact educators?
Here's a few articles for reflection: Outsourcing Teaching, Need a tutor? Call India, and as a background article - Why the World is Flat. Like most new trends in education, outsourcing will be result in over-reaction or outright dismissal. Both are wrong approaches to take. The next decade will redefine what it means to work and learn...and it will take place against a global backdrop. Distance won't matter.
This trend provides many opportunities for educators, especially those with an understanding of collaborative technology. Globalization will flow through the conduit of collaborative tools and new ways of communicating (as in new theories of communication) - both domains in which many educators have already accumulated five plus years experience. Perhaps it is also time to rethink what it means to educate? Maybe educators should be more like connection-makers, and less like content deliverers.
I'm getting this feeling that we are on the verge of a huge adjustment in how we relate to digital content. Blogging, podcasting, and vlogging have made it possible for anyone to create content. Delivering content in a context appropriate state remains a challenge. Developments in mobile technology are rapidly improving the delivery of anytime/anywhere content. Google SMS raises the bar by being able to provide information in appropriate context for end users. All of these developments present many opportunities for educators and trainers who are willing to re-think a course-based approach to learning. Learning - when it's needed, in the manner needed - is available in various forms already. Choosing to "get on board" is really the only question for educators (it's no longer a matter of "can it be done"...it's now a matter of "do we want to do this").
One of the unique benefits of reading a wide variety of educational blogs is the ability to experience a sudden rise in volume on subjects that fill long-standing voids (almost as if a solution was suddenly discovered to a nagging, back-of-our-mind problem). Eportfolios are the current blog-volume trend. Scott Wilson provides an excellent overview, Stephen Downes links to an extensive report and also provides his own views on the future of online learning (.ppt)...and I just came across this link to a facilitator's guide to portfolio development
The College Dropout Boom: "There is certainly much to celebrate about higher education today. Many more students from all classes are getting four-year degrees and reaping their benefits. But those broad gains mask the fact that poor and working-class students have nevertheless been falling behind; for them, not having a degree remains the norm."
Recently, I encountered the Beatty-Guenter student retention model. It classifies five major areas of focus in achieving a balanced organization-wide approach to anchoring students to the learning institution. Online learning has a reputation of high dropout rates, but I haven't come across any models to that seek to address this concern. The Beatty-Guenter approach seems to be applicable, but will require some modification for exclusively online (versus blended) programs.
Think of this as an indication of trends in learning: Collaborative Journalism - "It's called collaborative citizen journalism (CCJ), where ordinary citizens band together on the Web to write original stories and critique mainstream media stories, using the Internet to connect with each other and to make sure their thoughts reach the public."
Five Instructional Design Principles Worth Revisiting: "The work of instructional designers has changed considerably in the past decade. Gone are the days when our biggest challenges were getting enough time from subject matter experts for task analysis or building interactivity into computer-based training materials...The more instructional designers know about the cognitive processes involved in learning and motivation, the more competent and confident they are in designing effective learning resources. An awareness of performance improvement theories and practices ensures that learning resources are not developed for the wrong reason (for example, to solve a performance problem that is not caused by a competency deficiency), and that other conditions are in place (in the individual and the environment) to maximize the impact of a learning opportunity."
Skills for Access - case studies, articles, "how-to's", and general resources for "creating accessible multimedia for elearning".
I've uploaded a new presentation: Introduction to elearning - Part 1. It was developed in a new tool (Articulate Presenter) I've recently been using. It's a simple, easy-to-use tool for converting PowerPoint presentations to Flash.
Classification systems are confusing, providing a side-topic interest for most people. It's not exactly fascinating stuff. Ontology is Overrated: Categories, Links, and Tags, however, presents a very readable overview of the limits of classification by categories and hierarchies. The challenge is similar to organizing a folder structure on a computer. Which files go into which folders? How do we handle overlap? What if I forget which folder I put the file into? What if someone else is using my computer to find the file? Alternative classification schemes (like tags or "folksonomies") give greater control to the end user. Google, as an example, has done a great job of "throwing content into a bin" and giving users a simple interface to find information. Intelligence is applied to content by the person at the time of search. Tags take it one step further and allow groups of users to tag and reclassify information in a manner that makes sense to them.
This may only apply to a small group of readers, but this resource (via cider) is worth considering: Conceptual Framework. It explores the process of developing the construct of a thesis or major project (including planning research questions).
Fearless Learners, Fearful Schools..."we have to give our students the tools and the skills to find relevant information and use it well on their own. That we need to teach them to literally revel in the learning process and the collaborative, social construction of knowledge that it creates."
I posted an article by a colleague several years ago relating to this subject: Learning With Confidence:
Encouraging Risk and Failure in Learning. Learning as a life process (instead of an isolated task or walled-in activity) requires an exploratory mindset. Learning as a journey is a more accurate metaphor than the implied notion in many schools of learning as content-filling.
The Amazing Rise of the Do-It-Yourself Economy: "But a number of factors are coming together to empower amateurs in a way never before possible, blurring the lines between those who make and those who take...Bloggers, those do-it-yourself journalists, showed big media that the barriers to entry (like owning a printing press, say) didn’t much matter. Podcasters took radio into their own hands, creating audio shows and putting them online. Amateur music producers, using software that was once the province only of major labels, invented mash-ups: combining songs into totally new ones, then giving them away or selling them."
Greasemonkey is a neat tool that places (near) complete web display control in the hands of end-users. Users can create customized scripts that determine how (or what types of) content will be displayed. It's only a matter of time before content producers begin condemning the tool. Until then, enjoy the freedom :). Firefox Users Monkey With the Web provides a quick introduction to Greasemonkey.
Appropriate Leadership for the Learning Organization: "As learning organizations seek to expand their distance programs (online and mobile technologies), and to find the best and most appropriate use of technology, there is an increasing awareness that the strategic planning methods of the past are often inadequate. Leadership theories that focus on managing change do not address the issues of long-term constituencies who have unchanging long-term goals, although the methods of achieving the goals are constantly problematized by situational, financial and technological barriers and change."
Formalizing Informal Learning: "Today, learning is viewed as a continuous cycle that includes both formal experiences (classroom and online courses) and informal experiences, such as collaboration, coaching, feedback and knowledge access. Informal learning takes place continually throughout every organization. The key to supporting performance demands is to capture, share and leverage this informal education."
The Future of News: "It's mobile, immediate, visual, interactive, participative, and trusted."
Comment: I see very little difference between this statement about the future of news and the future of education and learning. Of the "big" institutions impacted by the internet (recording and movie industries, main stream media), education seems to be next in line.
Mobile Learning: "The mobile revolution is finally here. Wherever one looks, the evidence of mobile penetration and adoption is irrefutable: cell phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), MP3 players, portable game devices, handhelds, tablets, and laptops abound. No demographic is immune from this phenomenon. From toddlers to seniors, people are increasingly connected and are digitally communicating with each other in ways that would have been impossible to imagine only a few years ago."
Comment: Learning designers (and institutions as a whole) need to pay close attention to the mobile learning trend. Content is increasingly being accessed with mobile devices. Designing only for a browser limits many learning opportunities. Bill Gates has thoughts on mobile content access as well.
See also: Put Some Wisdom in Your Pocket.
Finally, Mobile Technologies and Learning (.pdf) provides a good overview of trends in Europe.
Professorial trend spotter predicts end of written word - don't think I disagree...but it certainly isn't reflected in education yet. Most course I take are almost exculsively text (with the occasional audio file or graphic). One of the biggest challenges, however, that audio and video have to overcome is the lack of "surveyability". Text gives the end user complete control for pacing and sequencing. Audio and video put that control in the hands of the content creator - a big limitation.
Faculty Development Resources - broad range of topics - emotional intelligence, learning styles, blended learning, plagiarism detection, etc.
Stephen Downes has written a few articles on a subject that most of us rarely think about...but which will impact us all: Authentication and Indentification mIDm - Self-Identification the World Wide Web. The intent is "...to establish a regime where a person's own declaration is the primary source of their identity, their own identity server; they do not need to depend on a proxy (such as a university registration, employment in a corporation, subscription to an internet service provider, or whatever)." As more and more websites move to user-registration (currently a major trend with newsites), an approach is needed that allows the website to access some of the information they want...and give the end user the ability to identify themselves (and minimize the headaches of authenticating at each new site).
I highly recommend taking 30 minutes to review this presentation: Grassroots Real-Time Collaboration Tools And Their Differences With Enterprise Conferencing Solutions. Mentions many excellent tools for web conferencing, file sharing, live presentations, application sharing, etc.
e-toolbox (via EdTechUK) - good starting resource for designers and instructors focusing on technology tools to assist instruction. Categories include: LMS, mobile learning, media, assessment, etc.
Course Management: Ready for Prime Time: "There's little argument about the proposition that course management systems, or learning management systems, have become mandatory applications at institutions of higher education these days."
Comment: I have my issues with learning management systems...not because the concept isn't valuable, but because the implementation is typically instructor/institution focused. The ways in which learners learn today are often not reflected in these systems. Due to that deficiency, I've advocated a more ad hoc approach of "connected specialization" (i.e. using specific task-based tools to create learning networks as compared to learning silos). With that said, this article does provide an accurate reflection of what exists in the LMS world today. WebCT, Blackboard, Sakai, and Jenzabar are presented. For an alternative view on the centrality of LMS' in learning: From Course Management to Curricular Capabilities: "The genetic weakness of the contemporary CMS stems from its uncritical acceptance of the traditional features of the classroom model."
GATES VS. GOOGLE - a great article on a seismic battle taking shape. The heart of the issue is how people interact with content and software. I've heard many proclamations suggesting that Microsoft can't compete at internet speed (i.e. Google can patch a problem without any need by the end user to download plugins/fixes). I'm a bit torn on this. I value the decentralized nature of Microsoft (end-user control), yet the centralized approach Google has taken seems much more effective on many fronts. This article provides valuable insight into two very differing views of technology and social use.
Social Networks Are Smarter Than Org Charts: "In a recent study at Hewlett Packard (HP), we have additional proof that bottom-up, self-selected groups may be the powerhouses of modern corporations: where actual work gets done."
The New Digital Divide - The arrogance expressed by this author exhibits everything that is wrong with "the digerati" (i.e. technically-skilled elite). "We have found the promised land"..."You must become as we are in order to be truly cool"...blah, blah, blah. Commentators on (or designers of) technology can take two tracks: 1) embrace and usher in technology neophytes 2) spend most of your time telling your peers how cool we all are...and how unhip everyone else is. Grow up. It smacks of "high school coolism". There is room for diversity of approach and perspective. Why take the conflict tone and high road?
Study shows some teens not as Web-savvy as parents - I've addressed this subject previously, and it certainly has implications for design and delivery of online content. An unexamined perspective exists that all teenagers are naturally able to work with digital tools and content. As an instructor in a laptop program, I've come to see technical competencies as less a function of age, and more a function of an attitude of experimentation. People who are competent in using technology try and explore new tools and new approaches (as compared to being afraid of "breaking it"). I have not encountered a single technically competent person who doesn't possess a willingness to try new approaches.
"There is this notion out there that these amazing multitasking, multigadget kids are running circles around their parents," says Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project. "And some of them are. But the out-of-it addled parent is now a pretty Internet-savvy person, by and large.""
How to Recognize Plagiarism (via Weblogs in Higher Education) is a nice resource for educators confronting this growing trend. Many students today have grown up downloading music, videos, and utilizing free online content. They've downloaded open source tools. Our traditional concept of ownership has not been transferred to this generation (and some would argue that it shouldn't be - the digital era affords new value propositions that need to be reflective of the abundance of content and low cost of content duplication). Regardless of one's stance, academic integrity states that what I say I've done is what I've actually done. If I use sources, I need to provide credit. Our free/open culture cuts a broader swath than most admit. We like to talk of the values of open source...but we need to give thought to some of the "unintended consequences". Blurring lines of what is "my work" and what is plagiarized should be top on the list for educators.
Much of our discussion of online learning centres on technology and teaching. On the periphery, we periodically talk about the learner. This is changing, of course, as concepts of "learner-centered" gain momentum. Yet even this development assumes that our main task is one of giving learners control. It's not. Learner-centered is about designing from the learner's perspective; ensuring the course/content is reflective of the needs of the profiled end-user. Part of that process involves the creation of a well-designed learner support program. 10 Steps to Develop Learner Support (.pdf via e-learning centre) is a useful starting point.
Using Bloglines (or How to keep up with dozens of blogs everyday) (via Weblogs in Higher Education). If you're new to RSS (a way to aggregate different blogs (or many other forms of digital content), Bloglines is a great tool. This tutorial explains how bloglines works and how to add new sites to your account.
The LMS selection process in a nutshell: "In working on learning strategies, I am sometimes asked to help a company decide which Learning Management System they should use. Here's the general approach that I recommend."
Globalization and Democratization as Works in Progress: "Tools like blogging, wikis and cell phone publishing are still nascent, but their potential is tremendous. Those willing to engage the political process have more channels to make their voices heard outside of official or corporate channels. More than having a vote, they can be heard. Otherwise illegitimate voices can be made legitimate. Government and large corporations can be made to listen."
Comment: I'm in agreement with the utopian views expressed by this speaker. Many of the new tools for information flow are geared towards the individual - journalism (blogging), broadcasting (podcasting), video (vlogging), and music (GarageBand). As is desired, the medium itself is "dumb". People can use these tools for whatever end they desire. True democracy is evidenced by the presence of voices with which we disagree. In theory, if everyone has an equal opportunity to express their ideas, the best idea will win. In reality, I'm sure it won't be long before we discover that the new utopia has its own warts. Many of the same challenges confronting mainstream media will be present in this "new realm". But in theory, we'll all have a voice.