Looking at the new common core standards, it’s apparent that there will be a significantly increased focus on conceptual learning. While our curricula in the States have traditionally been wide and shallow, covering many topics poorly, we are moving towards much deeper, conceptual explorations of a smaller number of topics. Source: ZDnet
Continue reading Conceptual Learning Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll 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In a climate of budget cuts, we can no longer afford large, infrequently used school libraries filled with outdated, expensive and unused books when the students could have access to an unending supply of current knowledge through technology.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.
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
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.
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.
Context-aware computing centers on the concept of using information about an end user or object’s environment, activities connections and preferences to improve the quality of interaction with that end user. The end user may be a customer, business partner or employee. A contextually aware system anticipates the user’s needs and proactively serves up the most […]
Continue reading Context-Aware Computing Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
• I believe that context-aware computing could provide the ultimate expression of personalized online learning. By interacting with a Web 3.0 browser, students could develop unique Internet profiles and personal learning environments (PLN) that were based on their browsing history. tailored to match their needs and learning preferences. As well, learners with common interests could congregate into online communities for different types of
collaboration.
This could be interesting…. but I think of the user interfaces that try to do this and I often find they really get in my way. I hate it when the computer software thinks it’s more intelligent than I am and I end up wasting time trying to get around it. I think part of the problem is that people who do training often focus on features and decision trees instead of simply providing straight-forward tutorials based on common use cases. Give me an example and I will be able to quickly analogize it to my problem.
I love the opportunities of context-aware computing for an ESL class. In a situation where students are not able, due to lack of language and/or language skills context-aware computing can be the solution to that problem. It eliminates the need for one-on-one learning with person-to-person (which I find great in theory but unrealistic in reality).
Social analytics describes the process of measuring, analyzing and interpreting the results of interactions and associations among people, topics and ideas. These interactions may occur on social software applications used in the workplace, in internally or externally facing communities or on the social web. Social analytics is an umbrella term that includes a number of […]
Continue reading Social Analytics Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
Although I do think that there can be beneficial uses in using Social Analytics, I question the privacy issues that arise using this technology. I also wonder if the information is always accurate, or simply a product of trends. This could easily lead to false information being seen as fact.
David
There is a lot attention right now in going beyond “data searches” like Google. They want to enhance that and provide another more personal layer that includes the searcher’s social network’s connection to the data.
While I like the idea of quantitative measures of human behaviour, I believe that it really misses the point of human interaction. It seems to me you get captured by lowest-common denominator trends. You’re missing out on the true value of humans which you only derive with in-person interviews. Talking to people creates a much richer experience with pathways for creativity, synergy, and surprise. I think someone once gave me the analogy of steering a car by looking in the rear-view mirror. People are reactive. I’d rather deal in catalysts than in analysts.
i humbly disagree with David P – I think that there is a lot of excellent qualitative analysis of online interactions that can take place alongside quantitative ones; I immediately thought of content and discourse analysis.
I think that this kind of analysis is essential to understanding how (learning) technologies are used by users of different social and cultural backgrounds
I agree with Allie. Though there is a problem with the privacy issue, these data can provide valuable information for market trends.
I agree with David P. However, I believe that conceptually the approach is sound and such information would be valuable. What would be needed is more research into the design of such a system in that such interpersonal information is captured. I see this as a potentially exciting area that if developed properly can offer valuable, comprehensive information that links not only interpersonal communication but also interactions with content and strategies.
So many technologies can be leveraged in such cost-effective ways to get students ubiquitous Internet access during the day and outside of school that the focus of 1:1 is no longer so much “How do we get kids computers and maintain them all?” but “How do we use these things to improve teaching, learning, and […]
Continue reading 1-1 Learning Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
It would be interesting to see a Sal Khan approach where students are learning on their own then they come to the classroom to have assisted problem-solving with the teacher and their peers. It seems a reasonable way to allow students to learn at their own speed while taking advantage of expertise when it’s available rather than everyone getting information in class then going home to struggle with homework. Perhaps 1-1 learning can assist with the new model.
At the moment my school is undergoing an “iPad for every student” movement. As one of the organizers, I have seen the benefits that the 1:1 use of an iPad can produce, there’s just an app for everything…and if there isn’t now there will be soon. However, when it comes to finances this is not an option for every school and thus, to flip-flop, not always the best option.
In respect of the iPad for everyone issue, I read one article about a lab where students pick up an iPad on their way in and leave it on their way out.
So much for homework, if they are expected to leave the iPad at school and finish off whatever project with pen and paper! More than just having a cool new toy to play with from probably just 40 minutes, students need time to figure out how much they can do with the tablets, even if it means playing games so that they get use to the controls. Students learn by doing, rather than reading the manual.
Even though the 1-1 idea has been floating around for some time now, I am yet to see it blossoming and spreading at the pace it should. As it relates to my country, Jamaica, we lack the necessary resources to undertake such initiatives. Our classrooms are overcrowded which makes such welcoming strategy impossible.
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.
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.
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.
A QR Code is a type of barcode that can be read by QR scanners and mobile phones with cameras, using a QR reader app. Capable of holding text, data and URLs, QR codes have a greater capacity than the old fashioned 10-digit barcode because they’re two-dimensional. Okay, these weren’t a booming trend in 2010, […]
Continue reading QR Codes Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
I took a webinar where they suggested QR codes could provide just-in-time information about a device, a place, etc. I believe there was some historic building that used a QR code to deliver information about itself. It would be interesting to see a world where information is readily available on demand and instead of learning information we concentrate on developing heuristics for problem-solving using any of the information around us as cases.
With Sixth Sense technology, digital camera will be able to read the object itself to get information, rather than having to print QR boxes which mean nothing to people who don’t have the right technology.
I was thinking of Mistry’s talk / creation, too – had me wondering how long QR codes would remain useful or around at all.
I like the idea of technology so advanced that the digital camera will be able to read the object itself and supply extra information (meta data) but I think the QR Codes will be around for a while until this type of advance is made in digital imaging. However, the speed of advancing technologies continues to astound me.
QR code is a new techology, and my understanding is that there are many ways it can be creatively used classrooms. I would love to learn more about this technology so I can effectively integrate it in my lessons
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David William Price 6:37 pm on September 7, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I’m hoping that “conceptual learning” focuses on what Foshay might describe as concepts, principles and procedures. In “Writing training materials that work” he describes a cognitive model of teaching heuristics to create expert problem-solvers who make procedures on demand rather than learning them by rote. I have a summary I wrote if anyone wants it.
http://www.amazon.ca/Writing-Training-Materials-That-Work/dp/0787964115
Jay 8:07 am on September 9, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I would like to read a copy of the summary if you could send me a link or a copy by email.
David William Price 8:24 am on September 8, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
A great vid from Harvard prof Eric Mazur about how physics students knew the laws but couldn’t apply them to everyday scenarios and how there was no difference between award-winning teachers and poorly-rated teachers on this important metric. The key is students need to understand and apply the concepts in the real world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbBz9J-xVxE&feature=related