elearnspace » Technology

Online Video Industry Index

gsiemens — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:22:42 +0000

Online Video Industry Index – an excellent resource of roughly everything you need to know about online video – from sites for sharing, editing, search, and more.

Widgets

gsiemens — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:54:28 +0000

Widgets are small, add on programs that allow users to do basic tasks from finding stock quotes, weather information, serving as a calculator, etc. Apple calls their widget collection a “dashboard” (you can add dictionary widgets, business updates, myspace search, and more). Yahoo offers a gallery of thousands of widgets.

Widgets generally serve single tasks – providing some time of information selected by the user. Pageflakes embeds the widgets in a web page (and calls them flakes…but the functionality is very similar to widgets). Blog software – like WordPress and MovableType – offer widgets to extend the functionality of their services. Google calls their widgets “gadgets”…Firefox has add ons and extensions…Dave Lee links to blidgets (blogging widgets – yikes, we need a language purification session for technology) fromWidgebox, and on and on. All intended, of course, to help us make sense (and function within) the deluge of information washing over our computer (and increasingly, mobile) screens on a daily basis.
Of course there are concerns with widgets…and Scott Karp asks
Will Widgets Hit A Mainstream Wall Just Like RSS?

When we move too slow…

gsiemens — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 05:34:34 +0000

A critical example of what happens when organizations move too slow – at a pace in line with “the way it was” rather than “the way it is” Fake sells better than originals (time to market): ” LG took so long to get a Chinese version [of its Chocolate phone] ready, that by the time they launched theirs into the market, the copied Chinese version had been on sale for so long that LG’s phone was seen as the fake item copying the ‘original”

Future of Learning

gsiemens — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 16:10:09 +0000

As Elliot Masie’s conference approaches, he is once again putting out some great interviews and resources for learning professionals (he has the “give it away to get them” aspect of internet-age marketing down pat). He recently posted a recording of learning trends …using Articulate’s new tool Engage (I’ve been using it for some personal courses…and will post a few modules over the next week or so). I don’t agree with everything Elliot states in his presentation. We are socially trailing behind technological possibilities (most people use MS Word to type letters/essay/reports…and use a fraction of what the tool is capable of doing – the technology runs ahead of what we are willing to invest to learn it, and to integrate with our lives). So while it may be possible to have advanced performance support, or context-aware resources, I think we are close to a “I’ve had enough” stage. Over the next few years, we’ll see a progressive rise in those who counsel others to not do more…but to do less and stay human in the process. My other small crticism – the internet is visual. A text-based, long lecture approach used is not as effective as more visuals…or shorter slides with more rapid transitions (I get called on that everytime I post a presentation with Articulate…it’s different when you’re the listener vs. speaker ).

Mobile Phones

gsiemens — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:27:01 +0000

It’s all about the mobile…as this has been the year of video (youtube, googlevideo, etc), people are now declaring (accurately, I think) next year as the year of mobile access to content/dialogue: 2 Billion people onw mobile phones “…as of today, more than 80% of the world’s population is covered by GSM, and more than 2 billions of people own a mobile phone (source: World Bank).”

Collaborative Technologies – Enterprise wide

gsiemens — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:21:21 +0000

Resistance to collaborative tools is usually less about the technology, and more about the context/environment of use…and the mindset of individuals involved – Collaborative Technologies: “Successful collaboration tool introduction is based less on the characteristics of the tool itself than on the motivation users have to use the tool, plus a heavy helping of Ease of Use. People who are already open to and involved in collaboration are more likely to adopt technological tools that support collaboration than people who aren’t already open to or involved with collaboration.”

15 year history of the web…

gsiemens — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 12:58:35 +0000

A short review of the history of the web: 15 years. It really seems like the web has existed much longer – like it’s always been there.

Educational Technology Conference Listings

gsiemens — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 19:42:53 +0000

Great listing of educational technology conferences.

Online Video

gsiemens — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:12:46 +0000

Four years ago, blogs were gaining much attention and hype. Three years ago, it was wikis and wikipedia. Over the last two years, RSS has ruled the hype space. Today, it’s online video providers (like YouTube) and vloggers. Wharton offers a thorough review of the state of online video: “However, questions about the online video market remain. What will ultimately become of all the wheeling and dealing in the online video market? What are the most important technologies needed to expand online video? Can online video startups find viable business models? And aren’t all parties simply hedging their bets since it’s unclear which online video distribution models will win out?”

A new wave of innovation for teaching and learning?

gsiemens — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 03:45:54 +0000

Web 2.0: a new wave of innovation for teaching and learning sums up activity that many bloggers have been discussing for the last year. Quite simply: new, social tools are enabling users to rapidly connect with each other…and form content in a “end user in control” model. It has the potential to rewire our educational structures.