Video is not a new media form, but its use as a standard media type used in non-media companies is expanding rapidly. Technology trends in digital photography, consumer electronics, the web, social software, unified communications, digital and Internet-based television and mobile computing are all reaching critical tipping points that bring video into the mainstream. Over […]
Continue reading Digital Video Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll An open-ended student response system is an electronic service or application that lets students enter text responses during a lecture or class discussion. Open-ended systems give faculty the option of collecting such free-form contributions from students, in addition to asking the true/false or multiple-choice questions that conventional clicker systems allow. Such tools open a channel […]
Continue reading Open-Ended Response Systems Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
Our sets of clicker systems are the most used tool in our secondary schools bar none due to the ability to immediately assess progress, find misconceptions and most of all, motivate the students quickly…well worth the investment!
I would prefer to simply use a Socratic method and talk with students, but I see value in the response systems after watching a video about Eric Mazur who uses them in large physics classes as part of a combination of lecturing and cooperative learning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBYrKPoVFwg
I’m not a fan of clickers or cooperative learning but having watched the video, I believe he’s using them in a much more effective way than I have experienced myself.
I think the use of these systems can help to promote the engagement of students who aren’t always comfortable speaking up in class. They also are a good way of “taking the temperature” of the classroom to see what the level of understanding is currently at.
The video David brought forward is a great example of this technology being coupled with many of the principles in adult education such as active learning, student engagment and dailogical approach to learning; stepping away from the teacher as a “sage on the stage” to a “guide on the side” questioning rather than just filling learners information (a top down approach).
The ability to not only reveal and treat misconceptions, as in Mazur’s Peer Instruction, open-ended response systems allow for greater flexibility and dialogue while tracking information and data that can later be used formatively, for research, or for justification on larger policy decisions.
Applications designed for the iPad offer interactive content that takes advantage of touch-screen navigation. The iPad combines robust computational functionality with a screen large enough to serve as a legitimate replacement for printed textbooks and other course materials. Where the iPad applications have led, other tablets and their attendant applications can be expected to follow, […]
Continue reading iPad Apps Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
I find the iPad particularly interesting as it defined its own niche. In terms of mobile computing and meaningful learning, I believe this is an excellent avenue for engagement.
I like the iPad far more than I expected. The accelerometer, the location-based Google maps, the touch interface all provide a different feel for me when using a “computer”. I’ve been using my iPad to try to push myself to be more visual and tactile than I am with a PC with a keyboard.
iPads are becoming more attractive to students. But I am thinking specially on students of Higher Education (considering that students of k-12 institutions might not have access to this technologies, at least here in Chile). The intuitive character of MAC softwares and Apps can provide huge opportunities for teaching and learning, for collaborative work and sharing knowledge.
At one of our tertiary hospitals, we trialed an ipad for Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) where the physician enters patient orders at the bedside using their own ipad. Research suggests that ‘immediate’ information provides better patient care – ie: going to the desk and logging into the computer and being interrupted often allows for errors or omissions to occur. This trial has been quite successful.
We are also looking at ipod touches to be used at point-of-care: that is, each nurse would carry an ipod touch, scan the barcode on the medication, scan their id tag and the patient’s id bracelet, ensuring the right medication goes to the right patient at the right time. The time and date of the administration is automatically documented, along with the nurse’s name/identification, thus improving documentation and administration and reducing errors.
Great technology in the advancement of health care.
ipads have their place and while I am not convinced this is in the ‘classroom’ itself it definitly has potential in other areas such as health care, as Deb suggested.
The open educational resources model, including textbooks, has emerged as a response to rising text prices, a need for greater access to high-quality learning materials, the proliferation of e-reader devices, and a trend in publishing toward electronic media. Many contend that educational resources should be open and that instructional models increasingly depend on open content. […]
Continue reading Open Textbook Publishing Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
Our program relies largely on this emerging technology, as a teacher this is a wonderful way to use different kinds of technologies to learn, as well as save on the rising text prices.
This is a fantastic idea. It levels the playing field somewhat between that haves and have not students. My one concern would be the quality of the texts (but I have the same concern for wikipedia), however I believe that this one negative does not take away from the positive benefits of this technology.
Again, my concern is about editorial control. Wikipedia works as well as it does because of the editorial control of its members. I also question how contributors are compensated. For those of us who make money as writers and designers, I’m not sure how we can justify taking things from people and not paying for them.
The learning commons, sometimes called an “information commons,” has evolved from a combination library and computer lab into a full-service learning, research, and project space. As a place where students can meet, talk, study, and use “borrowed” equipment, the learning commons brings together the functions of libraries, labs, lounges, and seminar areas in a single […]
Continue reading Modern Learning Commons Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
In a climate of budget cuts, we can no longer afford large, infrequently used school libraries filled with outdated, expensive and unused books when the students could have access to an unending supply of current knowledge through technology. Time for an update!
The reason I chose Concordia (rather than Athabasca or UBC) for my program was I wanted the in-person social component, the bump-into-people in the hallway component for talking and networking. I don’t think the concept requires a lot of expensive technology or books sitting on shelves. To me the value is creating an area where people come to do something and bump into each other and chat and discover from each other shortcuts, resources, new ways of thinking, etc.
I think that creating a space where students *want* to be in a library setting is so important to foster learning; I’m remembering my own experiences as a female undergrad at UBC where I felt very uncomfortable going into certain parts of the Main library stacks alone (they were very dark, with crowded stacks, and felt labyrinthine). That being said, I find the last two sentences make claims for the commons that, like David, I don’t think are specific to learning commons. I would be curious to learn whether learning commons’ (what would the plural be…) have had measurable benefits on student learning.
I also enjoy the social component of learning and after taking one semester entirely online learned that I require this in my own learning. As technology pushes towards a more individualistic approach to learning, common areas help foster a learning environment that is more parrallel to day to day life where we are in constant social interactions may it be in the workplace or other and need to be able to collaborate with others and share ideas/knowledge in a face-face environment. They then allow for people to engage learning technologies together, those with stronger skills guiding and aiding those that may not be as versed in or aware the opportunities through technology that may be used in learning commons.
At many institutions, the current LMS is five or more years old. In that time, the teaching and learning context might have changed considerably, and other products, including open-source options, have emerged, raising the question of whether an institution should conduct a complete evaluation of its LMS strategy. The LMS serves as the linchpin of […]
Continue reading LMS Evaluation Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
Our organization is currently researching LM systems, which really will become our strategy for entering the blended learning/distance markets.
I’d really prefer a system that encourages interaction between people rather than providing pre-fab content, recording learning credits and applying them towards possible promotions.
We have a Learning Management System at work – Learnflex – which we very recently used extensively to train staff on the recent software upgrade we performed. It was invaluable to the organization and to my personal learning. In today’s economy, resources are particularly valuable and in short supply. So alternative learning methods, that involve less human resources than face-to-face learning, are essential in the growth and development of any organization. The upfront costs maybe more in acquiring the software and developing the programs, however, in the long run the cost-benefit ratio should favor both the employer and employee respectively.
As different instructional models are brought forward, online learning and blended learning will continue to grow along with cloud based information trading posts (blogs, wikis, etc), and the choice of LMS will be extremely important both financially and pedagogically.
File storage and management has become a potentially limiting factor in the usefulness of new technologies, and cloud-based file services such as Dropbox, SugarSync, AeroFS, and Box.net attempt to fill that need. With these services, files are stored “in the cloud,” and each time the user accesses the service, the files are synced with whatever […]
Continue reading Files in the Cloud Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
For students with ADHD, one of the difficulties they have is keeping track of their paper homework and assignments. They find it hard to keep everything organized and are susceptible to misplacing materials before they are able to submit their work. The cloud eliminates the risk, as students are able to access their homework and assignments from any computer or device. It also reduces the time required between printing the assignment and handling it as they can share their files directly with their teacher online.
I think the only thing holding back cloud computing is bandwidth. If upload/download speeds were never an issue, then everyone would be doing this. It’s only a matter of time before the bandwidth issue is solved. Other issues like privacy and equitable access are also a factor.
The cloud has really simplified things for me. I’ve done group assignments in real-time using Google docs, I share a dropbox with my adviser for work I do for him, and I will be able to access journal articles I download from classes on any device. This is huge for me.
Although I’m kind-of breaking the rules here in that this is the fourth area I’m commenting on, I just wanted to chime in that online files have proved an easy solution for me in school and in this program. Student file space at school gets freed up, and allows them to work on things away from school as well. Some programs also make collaboration possible, if needed, whether it be synchronously, asynchronously, or both.
“Files in the cloud” has made my life easier. This technology has offered me efficient and safe ways for moving, sharing and backing up my files. I can put away my jump drive and stop emailing myself.
I have found “Files in the cloud” to a convenient way receiving assignments from students. I think it has potential to provide interactions between educators from different institutions across Jamaica since they will offers educators with more efficient and safe ways for sharing and storing up my files.
Applications like Flipboard, Zite, RSS5000, and Taptu aggregate content from personal social media networks and other sources, presenting the information in a snappy magazine-style format complete with headlines, images, column formatting, and multimedia. Users set up sections, like those in a newspaper, and each section provides content from Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, or other social media […]
Continue reading Personalized Magazines Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
Again my concern is people who set up niche worlds to avoid consuming information they are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with. It seems to me people already do this and I am dismayed that we have “right wing” and “left wing” leaning newspapers and news channels. I use Google News and I tend to read different viewpoints on the same article, as well as all the fiery objectionable comments people make to criticize each other.
I agree with David in that this may strengthen the boundaries of comfort and lead to people being less likely to stepping outside their box and exploring different kinds of information. Personalizing media may end up excluding something that someone may have actually have taken an interest in or at the least explored had it been presented to them.
Learning analytics promises to harness the power of advances in data mining, interpretation, and modeling to improve understandings of teaching and learning, and to tailor education to individual students more effectively. Still in its early stages, learning analytics responds to calls for accountability on campuses across the country, and leverages the vast amount of data […]
Continue reading Learning Analytics Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
I imagine Learning analytic as a computer “psychologist”. It examines the behavior, pattern, students’ performance, etc … It should also take into consideration the learner’s background (culture, country of origin, age, etc) … It then provides suggestions on which materials would be suitable for the learner for a particular topic. Learning Analytic should provide information to the instructor on the effectiveness of their materials, what’s missing, etc …
I think this fits in with Sal Khan’s backend for the Khan Academy where you can see which questions students answer right/wrong, how long it takes them to answer them, etc. to allow you to focus in on the problem. On the one hand this sounds very helpful. I think though that this data may be of more use to question the design used to teach a course and re-tool that design to fix the problem spots. In that sense, it can be as simple as an instructor facing the “black holes” in his/her course instead of glossing over them and focusing on the fun parts of teaching.
The story of the “School of One” (http://www.schoolofone.org) looks at the best this has to offer – a way of offering personalized learning solutions based on how students interact with the system – and offers huge possibilities for e-learning systems.
I’ve been doing business analytics for years now so I would really be interested in exploring more about learning analytics. I think it has a lot of potential. The key is well thought out design and investigating the right questions. I completely understand what the report is saying about disparate data sources. Data quality would be key and the privacy issues complex.
Thanks in part to the Nintendo Wii, the Apple iPhone and the iPad, many people now have some immediate experience with gesture-based computing as a means for interacting with a computer. The proliferation of games and devices that incorporate easy and intuitive gestural interactions will certainly continue, bringing with it a new era of user […]
Continue reading Gesture-Based Computing Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
With the ipad, I really feel like I’ve started to take advantage of this. My husband reads graphic novels on it, and there is software built in that allows you to tap, use your finger positions, and swipe to zoom in, change layout, and generally interact meaningfully with the content. My standards for layout have quickly evolved – I’m really getting the message about interface design now. Also, just thinking about the possibilities for young children, those with mobility impairments, attention issues, and everyone else. Interacting with content in a way that is closer to ‘real-life’ interactions just makes sense.
I switched to a Mac this year and got an iPad specifically for the touch interfaces. The new Mac OS Lion allows for many kinds of touch to operate the computer.
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David William Price 7:17 am on September 8, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Video is expensive to do well. I find myself in the cynical camp on this one as well. Bad video, bad blogs… what’s the point of generating so much “content” with such poor values in organization, communication and production? I suppose I hate to focus on a medium without first having in place the skills to develop useful and usable content.
Everton Walker 7:40 pm on September 12, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I too believe that videos are on the verge of taking off. After all, seeing is believing and we tend to retain what we have seen better than what we have merely heard.