Looking Back and Moving Forward
At the start of ETEC*565, I had three overall learning goals:
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1. gain hands-on experience with a variety of technologies;
2. build technology selection decision-making and problem-solving skills; and
3. become familiar with appropriate assessment methods for digital activities.
Through our LMS, digital story and e-portfolio activities, I was able to gain hands-on experience with using several different types of technologies. By reviewing and applying the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Teachers, the SECTIONS model by Bates and Poole (2003), and the best practices presented by Chickering and Ehrmann (1996), I now have a solid understanding of how to assess technology for learning. Through the LMS quiz activity, my e-portfolio and the various case studies presented in the class discussions; I was exposed to several possible assessment methods for digital activities. Ultimately I believe through the course content, discussion activities, group work, LMS activities, E-Learning Toolkit and e-portfolio activities, I was able to achieve all of my learning goals by the end of the semester. Additionally, I also gained an appreciation for blogs as an educational tool.
Moving forward, the skills I have acquired through this course have already had a direct impact on my practice as an instructional designer. I am regularly tasked to advise on appropriate technologies for learning, so I have already found the SECTIONS model to be of great value. Surprisingly the WebCT skills I have developed have been transferable in many ways to Desire2Learn, the LMS used at my workplace. Learning technologies are of great interest to me and this course only worked to solidified this. In the future, I will be looking at furthering my skills in educational technology beyond the MET program, through continuing education courses, another masters program or perhaps a PhD. I still have two more courses to complete the MET program so I won’t get ahead of my self just yet!
Thank you John and Roselynn for a great course and thank you to my peers for making my learning experience great one!
References
Bates, A.W., & Poole, G. (2003). A framework for selecting and using technology. In A.W. Bates & G. Poole, Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success (pp. 75-108). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved May 4, 2009, from http://www.batesandpoole.ubc.ca/chapter-4.html
Chickering, A.W., & Ehrmann, S.C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as a lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49 (2), 3-6. Retrieved May 4, 2009, from http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm
International Society for Technology in Education (2008). National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Teachers. Retrieved May 4, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
Nets_for_Teachers.htm
August 1, 2009 No Comments
Synthesis Reflection
Flight Path Précis
At the beginning of my ETEC*565 learning journey I was asked to write a Flight Path outlining what I hoped to learn throughout the course. Though I came into the course relatively competent using a variety of learning technologies, I was excited about engaging in a formal learning opportunity that would allow me to build competencies around using technologies in creative and innovative ways. With the prospect of experimenting with new tools, I considered the SECTIONS model by Bates and Poole (2003), particularly the notion of the “ease of use and reliability” of technology, as an essential concept to the hands-on work that I expected would be required to complete our e-portfolios.
I viewed ETEC*565 as an opportunity to extend the learning technologies toolbox I had been building on since my fine arts undergraduate in video and photography and in my new career as an instructional designer. As technologies are constantly changing, I hoped that this course would expose me to new and current tools and provide opportunities for me to hone my skills using these. Furthermore I wanted to learn how to make informed decisions when selecting technology as well as what assessment methods could be used when incorporating technologies into my practice in online distance education. Additionally I as part of my learning experience I saw peer support, feedback and discussion as key components to my growth as a student and as an educational professional.
E-Learning Toolkit Reflection
The E-Learning Toolkit was an excellent supplement to the course. For me the information and tools presented here worked to support the main concepts presented the learning modules. The Toolkit was an active part of the hands-on experience I was hoping for in this semester. Though I did not complete all of the activities, I have made sure to take stock of all of the materials and resources presented in all the pages for future reference. As components are added to this tool, it would be great if the Toolkit was a resource available after the course has finished or was resource available to other MET courses.
In my opinion, the WebCT/Vista Activity was one of the most useful activities as the easy-to-follow directions helped me to get my course up and running quickly. Others such as the Web Design and HTML Activity were much more challenging and frustrating! For me the principles of HTML and Cascading Style Sheets cannot be learned in an afternoon but take some time to absorb – especially if you are not overly technical.
Housing the Toolkit link in the left-hand navigation bar of our course proved to be really handy. Additional resources and help was always just a click away. Overall I believe that by engaging with the Toolkit Activities, I was able to achieve my goals of taking a “hands-on approach” to using technology in this course and to exploring new tools.
SECTIONS and My E-Portfolio Experience
According to Chickering and Ehrmann (1996) it is “better to turn a screw with a screwdriver than hammer” (p.3). The Bates and Poole (2003) SECTIONS model supports educators to find the right tool for the job. It works to provide sound guiding questions, which provide an effective framework for analysis. In relation to my learning experience, the process of creating my e-portfolio can be evaluated using the SECTIONS model.
S Students
The iterative activities associated with my WordPress blog kept me, as a student, engaged. It allowed me to explore areas of learning technologies that were relevant to my interests and practice. As an aspiring educational technologist the blog is evidence of my learning progress over the course of the semester.
E Ease of Use and Reliability
At first setting up the blog was challenging as some of the tools were limited in the UBC environment. However once I got past the limitations of the templates and tools, WordPress has been easy to use in terms of posting, adding pages, adding media and graphics, RSS feeds and web links. My peers have also been able to comment on my posts. In turn I have been able to interact with the blogs of my classmates with ease no matter what template they utilized. In terms of reliability I found that WordPress often does not update immediately. Logging out and logging back in usually resolved this issue.
C Cost
WordPress is a free application so there is no cost involved to setting up a personalized blog. At UBC it appears that the institution has paid for a subscription, allowing the university to customize the look and feel of the login page and the URLs of UBC WordPress blogs. Additionally, engaging with social media and creating a digital story using Web 2.0 tools made it clear to me the how free online tools could be used to support learning and work seamlessly together to create a professional looking product to be proud of.
T Teaching and Learning
Through building a WordPress blog and engaging with the blogs of my peers, I have experienced how valuable blogs can be for learning and reflection. Setting up my WordPress blog was challenging at first; however, the more time I spent posting and exploring the tools, the more I began to feel a sense of ownership.
My blog was used as a place to house my reflections about the various authentic tasks related to learning technologies during the semester. As I had my own blog, I could personalize it and present my reflections in a manner that was relevant to me (e.g. adding pictures, text formatting, placement, etc.). Overall the e-portfolio activity allowed for discovery using the blog itself and through the activities associated with it.
I Interactivity
By constantly contributing to my blog I found that several of my peers would often comment on my posts, even though it was often not a requirement of the course. This type of interaction was invaluable as it went beyond the scope of the course and illustrated how learning can occur outside of the ‘virtual’ walls of the classroom.
O Organizational Issues
For ETEC*565 we needed to create a new blog strictly for our course. The downside to this was that many in the class had already set up blogs for previous ETEC courses. So the blog for this course became yet another one to keep track of. However I think separating my learning experience in ETEC*565 from that of other courses was beneficial. Now I have a coherent package that reflects my learning and speaks specifically to my abilities related to learning technologies.
N Novelty
Before starting this course I did not see the relevance of having my own blog. After creating one of my own and actively using it for a semester, I can now see the potential. For me blogs are not a novelty and I can see myself continuing to blog about education into the future.
S Speed
WordPress is quick to set up. For me the selection of a template is the most time consuming task. In terms of updating content, WordPress is relatively quick and efficient.
Moving Forward …The Next Steps
Moving forward into the future I feel confident in the skills I have learned in this course. I feel I am coming away with a whole host of new tools that now can been added to my toolbox as well as a set of core skills that will help me make more informed technology selections in my practice. The cases presented in the course were worthwhile activities and I believe strengthened both my decision-making and problem solving skills – skills directly transferable to my workplace.
As an instructional designer I have already had the benefit to put what I have learned into practice. Recently I was tasked with selecting a whiteboard application for an online math course; however, after implementing the SECTIONS model and discussing it with the instructor, we were able to determine that a chat tool actually served the learning of students more effectively. Additionally, I am now involved in the selection of synchronous technology for an online graduate program. With the knowledge I have gained from this course I have been able provide examples of potential tools along with an analysis of the associated pros and cons.
Building an e-portfolio using a blog was a positive experience for me. In the upcoming semesters I anticipate building a personal blog where I will reflect on my practice in online distance education. The next steps in my immediate future though are to attend the Distance Teaching and Learning Conference in Madison Wisconsin next week. I am particularly excited about attending the information sessions on social media, technology and tools, and design and development. I think it will be an excellent learning and networking opportunity.
In terms of the MET program I am taking ETEC*540 in the fall and as my last class, ETEC*590 in winter 2010. The skills and feedback I have received through creating my e-portfolio will surely support my final cumulative reflection of learning as I move to graduate – completing the tools and skills in my MET toolbox.
References
Bates, A.W., & Poole, G. (2003). A Framework for selecting and using technology. In Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success (pp. 77-105). San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers.
Chickering, A.W., & Ehrmann, S.C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as a lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49 (2), 3-6. Retrieved May 4, 2009, from http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm
July 31, 2009 No Comments
EDU*101: Designing an Online Course – Mock Up of My First WebCT Course
After working through the various activities required to build my WebCT course, I can now say that I am comfortable working with the basic tools of this LMS. As an instructional designer, I work with instructors on daily basis to build courses, so I actually found the activity of building a framework for a mock course challenging, yet fun. I really appreciated having an opportunity to learn how to use this LMS.
My WebCT course EDU*101: Designing an Online Course is targeted at faculty new to online learning. It seeks to teach these ‘newbies’ the best practices of developing online courses. To do this I organized the learning into Modules and Units. Module 1 entitled Planning and Design is made up of two units: 1) Unit 1: Planning and Analysis and 2) Unit 2: Developing Goals and Learning Objectives. I mocked both these units up with HTML pages and graphics. Additionally, I developed a Course Outline, which serves to provide an overview of the course, the evaluation and the expectations.
EDU*101 Course Outline Screen Capture
EDU*101 Table of Contents Screen Capture
In each of these units I created mock content pages in order to provide a visual on how the course might look if fully developed. On some pages I actually developed the activity or content to illustrate the direction I was taking. For instance, I developed a Designing an Online Module assignment, where students will work to create their own online learning module. This authentic task is supposed to give students an opportunity to have a hands-on experience developing a module of learning. The intent is that this assignment will scaffold students into the real life job of developing an entire online course.
EDU*101 Online Module Assignment Screen Capture
Discussions were easy to set so I went ahead and set up a good example of what threads might be available.
EDU*101 Discussion Threads Screen Capture
Creating the Splash page took a few tries. The basic tools for setting up a WebCT splash page are limiting but I suspect more advanced users would be able to create a more elaborate set up.
EDU*101 Splash Page Screen Capture
The most difficult lesson I learned from building this site is that WebCT keeps any pages you upload into the system. So as I re-uploaded updated pages, the old ones still remained. This meant I ran into a versioning issue. To make matters worse my naming conventions for files were not clear. This only worked to confuse matters more! All I can say is “lesson learned” – unfortunately the hard way!
EDU*101 WebCT File Manager Screen Capture
Ultimately experimenting with building my own course was an invaluable activity. Like many others skills I have learned in this course, I have already been able to apply my new knowledge to my practice.
July 31, 2009 No Comments
Multimedia: An Hands-On Approach to Education
Reflections on Multimedia Use in the MET Program
Though I have interacted with various types of multimedia throughout the MET program, this semester has been the most interactive. Through ETEC*565 and ETEC*531 I have had the opportunity to engage with video and image making tools to make instructional objects. I entered both of these courses with great enthusiasm as I was finally going to get to “make” something. The lesson I had forgotten from my undergraduate years though was that these types of projects take organization, time and technical know-how. Although in ETEC*565, we did learn the how easy Web 2.0 tools are to work with and how they can allow anyone, regardless of technical competency, to make engaging presentations.
For ETEC*531 our media productions have taken just as long as or longer than writing a formal essay. What I have found is that although media productions do not necessarily involve a tremendous amount of writing they require research, a solid concept, a script, a storyboard, images, video, audio and the ability to piece it all together technically and thoughtfully. This type of interactive assignment engages kinesthetic, aural, textual and visual learning styles and ignites both declarative knowledge (know about) as well as procedural knowledge (know how).
In same course, the instructor uses media productions completed by previous classes as exemplars and as guidance on how to proceed with our own projects. This gives our class a view as to what our peers have done in the past – and not professionals – which puts a more realistic scope on the projects. As well, by engaging in more than one media production we are gaining practice using different technologies. The learning is occurring on many different levels.
Beyond the hands-on experience of creating media productions, throughout the MET program we have engaged in viewing online multimedia presentations such as that of Michael Wesch – The Machine is Us/ing Us and A Vision of Students Today. These interactions have provided a professional and academic perspective on education and technology – bridging our learning into the real world. Through the process of viewing and creating multimedia objects for learning I have come to recognize just how powerful combining textual, aural and visual components can be.
July 26, 2009 No Comments
Multimedia Inventory
After engaging in group discussion on what items should be included in a multimedia inventory, it seemed to me that a clearer definition of multimedia was needed. What I found is that multimedia is difficult to define. I started by reviewing Siemens’ (2003) list of media formats, which could be used individually or in combination.
Media Formats:
- Video – digital (CD, DVD), VHS, streaming
- Audio – MP3’s, cassettes, CD’s
- Text – webpages, text books, handouts
- Visuals – pictures, diagrams, simple animations
- Live/F2F – classroom, synchronous online
- Software – simulations, complex interactive animations
- Collaborative – shared digital spaces
- Integrated – Using combinations (possibly in a single interface)
(Siemens, 2003)
According to Vaughan (2006) “multimedia is…a woven combination of digitally manipulated text, photographs, graphic art, sound, animation, and video elements” (p. 1). Interactive media is when the end-user can control what elements of media and when these elements are delivered (Vaughan, 2006).
According to TechFaq (2009) “multimedia is simply multiple forms of media integrated together. Media can be text, graphics, audio, animation, video, data, etc.” (What is Multimedia? para. 1). TechFaq (2009) explains that a web page on the topic of Mozart for instance, “that has text regarding the composer along with an audio file of some of his music” and perhaps a video of his music being played in a hall can be considered multimedia (What is Multimedia? para. 1).
None of these definitions seem truly clear to me. Within my WebCT course I use some images, video, slides and HTML links to readings, in combination, on the HTML pages that are housed in the LMS. As these elements are experienced in together, perhaps the entire WebCT course could be considered “multimedia”? As the individual pieces of text, video, audio and images function together they create an interactive experience for the learner. So again does this not fit the definition of multimedia?
In end I have stuck with my gut feeling and inventoried images, video and audio components that are currently programmed into my course as well as those that would need to be programmed in the future. I have organized these into two charts for clarity.
My course is organized by modules and within these modules are units. To view the multimedia inventory for the first 2 units of my WebCT course click on the following link:
EDU*101 Designing an Online Course Multimedia Inventory Mod 1 (Word)
To view the multimedia inventory for Modules 2-7 for my WebCT course (items to be programmed in the future) click on the following link:
EDU*101 Designing an Online Course Multimedia Inventory Mod 2-7 (Word)
To view all the media components in my WebCT course click on the following link:
EDU*101 Designing an Online Course Multimedia Inventory Full (Word)
References
Siemens, G. (2003). Evaluating media characteristics: Using multimedia to achieve learning outcomes. Retrieved July 26, 2009, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/mediacharacteristics.htm
TechFaqs. (2009). What is multimedia? Retrieved July 25, 2009, from http://www.tech-faq.com/multimedia.shtml
Vaughan, T. (2006). Multimedia: Making it work. (7th ed.). Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill.
July 26, 2009 No Comments
Digital Storytelling Can Be a Powerful Instructional Tool
The best way to know that you have learned something is teach someone else. Digital storytelling is one technique that can be used as a rich instructional tool. In my practice I often use the theatre stage as a reference to describe how online facilitation works. Using a digital storytelling approach for this scenario helped me to bring the story alive with images; making it more interesting, memorable and accessible than if I simply relayed it verbally.
As an instructional designer my role is to work with faculty on the pedagogical and instructional elements of an online course. When considering the theatre stage scenario, if the instructor is the director of an online course and the students are the actors, then I am more like the stage manager. I work behind the scenes to ensure that the curtain raises and lowers, that the props are in order and that all of the stage crew knows what to do to keep the show going. The process of creating my own digital story and describing some of the top tips for facilitation really put into perspective my everyday practice. Though I play the role of the stage manager while a course is running, in the early planning stages of course development I often step into the role of director, guiding faculty on the best practices of online learning. In my experience digital storytelling is a powerful tool that enables anyone to become an instructor or expert. In a course situation this fosters students to become responsible for their own learning as well as empowers them to become teachers to their peers.
Much like constructing a lesson plan, the process of constructing a narrative and communicating it effectively requires the storyteller to consider not only their topic but their audience (Educause Learning Initiative, 2007). When considering your viewers, selecting the right tool to convey your digital story is essential. The 50 Web 2.0 applications listed on the CogDogRoo website is a good sample of the multitude of tools available to create digital projects. For my digital story I experimented with social media applications such as Slideroll, JayCut, Animoto, Empressr, and SlideRocket. In the end I choose Slideshare for its ease of use, reliability and effective presentation of content. Slideshare easily converts PowerPoints, PDFs or Word documents to online Flash presentations. It allows for simple and quick uploading of documents and once posted, allows the viewer to control the pace of the slides. As slide shows are often long, this function allows the viewer to click through lengthier presentations at a faster pace or go back and review points they may have missed. Many applications rasterize images and text, so I was surprised how crisp the images and texts were in my final presentation. Additionally a professional look was easily attainable with little effort. Finally, Slideshare considers accessibility by conveniently creating a transcript of all of the slides and displaying this below the presentation.
Digital storytelling can be used to improve online faculty development. In my practice, I can see myself creating digital stories for faculty on various topics related to online learning or instructional design. Digital stories would permit me to communicate key information to faculty in a quick and engaging way. As the stories are digital, faculty could easily link to the information and be able to reference the stories over and over again. This would be invaluable as faculty could engage with the stories in their own time and be able to reflect and apply what they’ve learned to their own courses.
In the context of my WebCT course for faculty, Designing an Online Course, creating a digital story would be a very relevant assignment. I suspect faculty would find an application like Slideshare easy to integrate into their practice. I find many instructors are already very familiar with PowerPoint from presentations they have created for their face-to-face courses. For those newbies to Web 2.0 technologies, Slideshare is great application to build the preliminary digital skills needed to transition to more sophisticated tools. Creating a digital story in the safe environment of an online class is a great opportunity for faculty to build confidence using digital tools – skills they can later incorporate into their own practice. As well a storytelling approach may assist faculty to reflect on their own learning processes and teaching methods. Finally, using a storytelling approach would allow faculty to share their ideas with a larger audience, obtain feedback, as well as have an artifact that could reside in a professional development e-portfolio or CV.
Digital storytelling can be a powerful instructional tool. According to Chickering and Ehrmann (1996) students must “talk about what they are learning, write reflectively about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn apart of themselves” (Good Practice Use Active Learning techniques, para. 1). For faculty digital storytelling is a well suited exercise that allows for a unique way to integrate subject matter expertise and teaching experience, while incorporating aspects of their personality and daily life. By bringing some of their own personal experiences into their teaching, faculty may be able to engage their own classes in a new ways.
There are many ways in which people learn and “students need opportunities to show their talents and learn in a way that works for them” (Chickering and Ehrmann, 1996, Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning, para. 1). Digital storytelling permits faculty to learn about themselves as well as learn to present content to suit a variety of learning styles. Digital storytelling takes an interdisciplinary approach to learning by combining technology, writing, arts with virtually any topic, providing an outlet for experimentation and creativity. Furthermore, inquiry based exploration and a hands-on constructivist approach to learning is fostered. Digital storytelling would get faculty actively using Web 2.0 technologies and exploring what works and what doesn’t. With the confidence they build creating their own stories, they can transmit this enthusiasm to build digital storytelling into their own practice.
Everyone has a story tell: a connection to make with the real world. By using digital storytelling to interweave what Brown (2005) calls the “learning-about” and “learning-to-be” skills, faculty can become lifelong learners and develop and maintain the skills needed to teach twenty first century students and in turn foster the next generation of lifelong learners (in Jenkins and Lonsdale, 2007, p. 443).
References
Chickering, A.W., & Ehrmann, S.C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as a lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49 (2), 3-6. Retrieved May 4, 2009, from http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm
Educause Learning Initiative. (2007). Seven things you should know about digital storytelling. Retrieved July 18, 2009, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7021.pdf
Jenkins, M., & Lonsdale, J. (2007). Evaluating the effectiveness of digital storytelling for student reflection. Paper presented at Ascilite Singapore 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2009, from
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/jenkins
July 18, 2009 1 Comment
Slideshare – Moving in on Academia
The thing about learning is that you are always in a continual state of processing information, applying what you have learned and then reflecting about your experiences. I have just gone through the process of learning about digital storytelling, how to use web 2.0 tools to tell my story and then reflecting on my weblog about my journey. No sooner had I finished up my assignment did I come across Martin Weller’s blog post, on his blog “The Ed Techie”, about using Slideshare for academic purposes. Since I had just finished converting my PPT to Slideshare I was interested in what Martin had to say about it.
Martin has come up with 5 key points about how Slideshare is beneficial to academia:
1. Sharing improves your practice
2. A new form of artifact is created
3. Presentations are social objects
4. The audience is distributed
5. It’s a learning object/OER
Martin basically identifies Slideshare as an application supporting the open education movement. By sharing knowledge via Slideshare faculty, improve their practice, get their thoughts out in the world to much wider audience than the scope of their campus, create an artifact that goes beyond the traditional PPT presentation, share ideas and stimulate discussion and create learning materials that are of low or no cost. I tend to agree with Martin that Slideshare presentations are impacting academic practice. As Slideshare is a simple extension of PPT, is it an easy way for faculty to become part of the larger network of educators online.
Martin mentions that when creating slides, design and visual impact play an important role in engaging the viewer. I liked Slideshare as a tool for my digital story as I could make use of the image editing and layout capabilities of PPT to create visually appealing slides. Martin mentions that slides should be clear and not require a lot of explanation. As a fine arts graduate I already had this tip in the back of my mind. Though my script is only around two pages I ended up with around 60 slides – keeping each slide to a short and clear message.
As John Seely-Brown purports (see: The Future of Learning) learning on-demand is becoming essential to how to we function in the work world. Presenting information via web 2.0 tools encourages, to the point messages, facilitating the need for quick information and knowledge.
To read Martin Weller’s thoughts on Slideshares see The Ed Techie
July 18, 2009 No Comments
Future of Learning – Comments from John Seely Brown
During my research on digital storytelling I came across scholar, teacher, writer, John Seely Brown’s website. I instantly became engaged with the amount of information, articles, videos and resources – many relevant to social and digital learning. One video posted that was particularly interesting was a conversation between Ulrike Reinhard and John Seely Brown at SCoPE 2008 about the Future of Learning.
In the interview Seely Brown comments on changing workplaces and the need for constructing new skills “on-the-fly”. He sees learning on-demand as essential to work life and those who enjoy and pick up new skills easily, as those who will excel. In the future he sees that there will be some need for formal learning but most learning will occur informally. I wonder what this will mean for universities and colleges in the future?
Seely Brown also discusses one’s ability to form study groups. He believes that this skill is important to develop not only for formal learning situations but as a skill that can be transferred to the informal learning spaces of the work world. The ability to create social spaces and coach others, he believes will be important to successfully function in the workplace.
After listening to Seely Brown’s thoughts, I reflected on my own skills. I consider myself a lifelong learner but question if I have successfully learned to use social media, engage in networks or have the ability to form “study” groups in my workplace. Will I be valuable to my workplace in the future? I would like to think yes. Over the past three years, studying in the MET program has pushed me beyond the curriculum. A considerable amount of what I have learned has come from my ability to explore and engage with content and with people. This notion of connection reminds of me Terry Anderson’s model of online learning and the varying ways in which connection occurs in online learning situations (e.g. student to student; student to content; content to content, etc.). These type of connections have expanded to my experiences outside of the “classroom”. In fact in the last few years their has been a blurring of boundaries between learning and work. The two have really become one.
Do I have the skills the future will need? I guess the future only knows.
July 18, 2009 1 Comment
RiP: A Remix Manifesto
I have been researching copyright issues and implications for online course design for ETEC*531 and came across a mashup called RiP: A Remix Manifesto. As we are touching on copyright in ETEC*565, I shared this video with our class. The question I posed in the discussion area was “as remixers often do not get permission to take clips from various sources, how can they put their work in the Creative Commons when technically they didn’t get permission to use half the stuff in the first place?” I don’t think the copyright experts have necessarily sorted through all these issues as of yet. Until Canadian copyright law catches up with the digital age, people will continue to rip, mix and mashup.
July 10, 2009 2 Comments
Which Wiki is Which?
At the beginning of ETEC*565 we used the edutools LMS selection tool. Similar to this is the Wiki Choice Wizard. The wizard takes you through a series of questions and then gives you a list of wikis that meet the needs you have identified. Then you can compare the functions of the various wikis on your shortlist in the Wiki Matrix. Kinda cool!
July 10, 2009 1 Comment
Natalie Giesbrecht