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2011
In his book, Ryan Tracey provides the learning professional with thought provoking insights into the role of learning technologies in organizational learning, and the part we are charged with in ensuring technology enables and does not impede staff learning and performance.
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We have seen the idea of virtual worlds in education run the gamut of reactions over the last few years. From early unknowns, to excitement, to evangelism and early adopters, and to today's somewhat jaded and cautious reactions, virtual worlds in education have been a hotly debated topic. So, we ask, are virtual worlds still relevant in education? Have they ever been? Will they be in the future?
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eLearn Magazine contributor Judy Unrein checks out Julie Dirksen's "Design for How People Learn," and finds it both a solid primer for beginners and an excellent reframe for experienced instructional designers.
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In the past five years, online learning has augmented significantly. However, the question is, with this increased proliferation in its popularity, has online learning been authentically preparing students for 21st century skills? According to a myriad of statistics and studies, the dismal response is no. Recognizing the mounting interest in online education and whether or not schools are genuinely equipping and priming students for 21st century skills, this article suggests five strategies to not only improve the online learning experience, but to integrate and polish students for the 21st century with skills requisite to capitalize upon for global success.
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Edupunk refers to a style of teaching and learning that's part of a storm of disruption invading higher education.
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eLearn magazine contributor, Cammy Bean reviews Dr. Michael Allen's e-Learning Annual for 2012, which includes a wide range of topics and authors with opposing viewpoints from a veritable who's who of names in the learning industry.
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In Jane Hart's monthly column for eLearn she shares some "gems"—useful or valuable tools, resources, and products she has unearthed for learning and performance improvement/support. In this month's column she focuses on free resources for learning how to speak a foreign language.
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TYPE: OPINION
mLearning is not about a full-fledged mobile-based platform to use for every learning situation; rather, mLearning is to augment, expand and/or bridge gaps in learning activities offered through many other means.
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A learning style is supposedly a mode of learning that is most effective for an individual. It supposedly helps to improve learning results. Why does this myth persist? Twenty-five years of research on this and related themes have not provided any form of conclusive evidence that matching the form of instruction to learning style improved learning or even attention.
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Although we hear many expressions of enthusiasm for mobile learning and support, there isn't a lot of documented activity, not yet. This article describes possibilities and focuses on figuring out why it is not yet happening. What gets in the way of the use of mobile devices for learning, support, and community?
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The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of electronic media and digital media (e-supplements) with traditional (face to face) classroom sessions affect final exam grades and course grades. Fifty MBA graduate students (two sections) in a very traditional research methods course had the option to use Web links, PDF files, Doc files, YouTube videos, and other topical resources to supplement and augment their classroom experience. Learning activities were intentionally developed from several important theoretical positions.
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You should be thinking about presenting at a conference, but you need several things: an appropriate topic for the audience, a good presentation, and a compelling description to send to the conference organizers. In this article, consultant and semi-professional conference presenter Clark Quinn covers knowing your audience, knowing what makes an engaging session, and knowing what organizers are looking for.
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In recent years, online degree programs have become a widely accepted modality for many learners who are seeking a college degree. Online learning is a great choice for a student who is a self-motivated, and who are independent learners. This article will share five of the best tips to help your online students succeed.
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TYPE: OPINION, OPINION
In Jane Hart's new monthly column for eLearn Magazine, she shares some "gems": useful or valuable tools, resources, and products she has unearthed for learning and performance improvement/support. In this month's column she focuses on new tools for learning.
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TYPE: OPINION, EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
The purpose of the article is to present first-hand experience of developing distance delivery courses, including technical and course development considerations. The article provides practical considerations into the use of distance delivery tools for combining the live classroom experience and includes challenges and lessons learned.
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In this overview of one of the largest eLearning and training conferences in the Asia Pacific region, spanning the corporate, academic and public service sectors, Ryan Tracey details the back to basics message of LearnX 201.
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Mark Warschauer has investigated efforts to improve education through the use of technology, and he distills those lessons for us in his new book, "Learning in the Cloud: How (and Why) to Transform Schools with Digital Media."
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Whether you design classroom training, eLearning, m-learning, or work with another medium entirely, storytelling is a learning tool that possesses the power to motivate, persuade, educate, and even entertain. This article explains how the value of storytelling is supported by adult learning theory, outlines the elements to include when writing a story, and suggests specific methods for incorporating stories into eLearning lessons.
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Julian Orr's "Talking about Machines: An Ethnography of a Modern Job" has been influential in the learning community. In writing about the importance of informal relationships and storytelling as knowledge sharing in the work environment, he astutely redirected the conversation to situated learning and communities of practice.
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The Internet has moved from one-way, static pages to two way, real-time streams. One of the easiest ways to evolve with this digital shift is to have a mental model or metaphor that helps you make better sense of this new online world. Learnstreaming is framework for helping you and others make better sense of today's online world.
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TYPE: NONFORMAL/INFORMAL LEARNING
Research suggests that virtual learning could considerably augment, if not eventually revolutionize medical education. In this study, medical students were provided with an opportunity to engage in an online, simulated Second Life environment in order to interactively address problem-based presentations of surgical disease within a safe, confidential, realistic and engaging medical educational platform.
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Is gamification just another empty buzzword, or can the principles that game designers employ to engage players really be applied to the design of eLearning software? What exactly is gamification? And, can the theories of gamification be applied to a variety of projects regardless of scope and budget? This article will address specific ways that game mechanics can be applied to your eLearning projects.
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In this article University of Ottawa educators discuss the use of the iPod Touch as an efficient tool to accommodate dyslexic medical student's during Objective Structured Clinical Examinations.
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At GameTech11 Dr. Alicia Sanchez, Defense Acquisitions University, and Dr. Clint Bowers, University of Central Florida, presented Top 10 Research Findings in Games. In this interview with eLearn Magazine, Dr. Sanchez provides an overview of the research.
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TYPE: INTERVIEW
Today's era is one of pervasive technology. Encompassing laptops and smart phones to wikis and blogs, the digital environment makes communication, collaboration and information sharing easier than ever imagined. As a result, the world of higher education has been revolutionized by the digital age.
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The art of storyboarding is simply a matter of style and letting go of the rules. Whether your style is textual, visual, or both it's an integral part of the eLearning design process.
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As we become increasingly connected via social media, the amount of information available to us is mounting. How can we manage it all? Aggregating, filtering, and curating are all approaches to consider. Content curation can include a wide range of sources such as professional associations, publications, and vendors and there are techniques and applications to help with the process. Social networks also play a role, offering more than just member profiles.
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TYPE: NONFORMAL/INFORMAL LEARNING
Social media not only creates a link to a like-minded community, but is also a useful tool for knowledge sharing. Unlike note passing in the classroom, the background chatter of Twitter can provide a wealth of information to learners separated by distance and time.
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TYPE: CORPORATE LEARNING, NONFORMAL/INFORMAL LEARNING
In this excerpt from "Technology Enhanced Learning and Cognition," Dr. Itiel Dror explores how to make eLearning more brain friendly and effective.
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An alternate reality game (ARG) is sometimes called a pervasive game or transmedia storytelling. Regardless of what you call it at its core is a game driven by a story with players performing activities that mirror real life, making ARGs a perfect fit for scenario-based learning.
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Last fall, a panel of eLearn heavy hitters were invited by the Oxford Union to debate whether informal learning is fad or foundational. Presented is a recap of the lively event.
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REVIEW: EVENTS,
TYPE: NONFORMAL/INFORMAL LEARNING
Free and open often come to mind when discussing social learning. But what about the disconnect that can occur in the online learning environment? With Massive Open Online Courses being heralded as the next big thing by instructors, the learner's perspective has been overlooked. Presented are the pros and cons of MOOCs from the point of view of the student learner.
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TYPE: HIGHER EDUCATION
Inside or outside the traditional or virtual classroom, Skype is a proven academic software tool. Instructors and students can communicate freely regardless of location, creating unrestricted convenience and strengthening personal interactions.
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TYPE: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
Presented is a recap of LEEF 2011, themed Change the Game: How games, simulations, and virtual worlds change the nature of learning and work. The conference is centered on how learning and entertainment technologies redefine the learning experience.
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Researcher and UX designer Sebastian Deterding, who specializes in persuasive design and gameful design discusses "gamification," intrinsic motivation, and good game design.
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TYPE: INTERVIEW
What kinds of questions might we pose to actually get students discussing? Too many instructors forget about the importance of discussion assignments, which leads to a lull in student-student interaction. Michelle Everson shares her experiences in generating good discussion.
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TYPE: OPINION
What if your business could be a game? If you've ever asked yourself this question, you should be reading Aaron Dignan's "Game Frame." Dignan takes a practical focus on behavioral games and presents common-sense reasons why we need to start focusing more on games.
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Online scheduling can be a valuable solution in education, if you are an educator your time is in short supply. Teachers can benefit from tools and practices that save them time and make them more efficient. While students have been proactive in figuring out how they can make Doodle work to their advantage.
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Presented are 11 issues that indicators of necessary course design. The Absence of one or more indicators in an online class can create difficulty for students and, in turn, cause learning to suffer. The result is an unsuccessful online learning experience.
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Good design doesn't mean over accessorizing. Part two explores how to add graphics that enhance, not distract from the learning experience; incorporate interactive elements that are useful; and find that "inner bling."
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Sexual harassment is a difficult topic to teach and requires the ability to be professional, open, and clear. Employees want to spend less time in training, companies want easier ways to schedule training, and employers are looking at new ways to incorporate traditional workplace training. The solution, elearning.
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Bling makes it easy to overlook a poorly designed elearning solution. How do you create long lasting, intriguing programs that are visually pleasing without sacrificing the needs of learners? In part one of a two-part series on clicky-click bling-bling, learn how to create good design while avoiding the "seductive-details effect."
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For online course instructors it is a constant struggle to engage students with relevant, interesting and up to date content. Figuring out when it's time to implement a makeover is never easy. Is a complete overhaul necessary, or should changes be taken one step at a time?
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TYPE: OPINION
In 2008 Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) was awarded a grant from the Department of Education to develop and improve distance learning at the college. Tri-C's senior instructional designer offers lessons on how to survive and thrive in a committee-driven course creation environment.
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We seem to be entering a new era in e-learning content creation. Immediacy and expediency, not instructional design fidelity, are the new watchwords. Elearning today is really only about addressing "remembering and understanding."
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TYPE: OPINION
The increasing popularity of tablet computers—overwhelmingly, now, the iPad in particular—brings hundreds of choices about applications ("apps") promising improved productivity and ease of tasks.
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REVIEW: SOFTWARE,
TYPE: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
To encourage the use of technology in the classroom, an equipment lending program was initiated within the Faculty Technology Resources Center at the University of Cincinnati. Faculty were asked to evaluate the utility of various tablet computers.
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The 2011 Learning Solutions Conference brought out more than 1000 attendees and engaged countless others, who were unable to attend, thanks to social media. Using the hashtag #ls2011, users populated the Twitter backchannel with live updates from the conference. Thus providing access to sessions dedicated to all things learning.
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A number of articles, books and group discussions suggest a variety of ways that learners can process what they learned and focus on important points to remember. While repetition is the key theme, no matter what resource you consult, debrief and commitment are critical for imprinting the learning into your memory bank.
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TYPE: OPINION
Many organizations are focused on creating a world that Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown describe in "A New Culture of Learning," a world that is constantly changing. It's worth it to you to have a picture in your mind's eye of what will be mainstream learning over the next 30 years.
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Learning (e or any kind really) is about practice and about non-conscious knowledge. The schools tell us that content matters because they know how to test content. E-learning programs need to be smarter than that if their intent is for students to actually get better at working or living.
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TYPE: OPINION
In today's business world, you need learning management system (LMS) software that's simple enough to be useful and complex enough to be relevant. During the Learning Experts' panel session at Plateau Insights, the European user group conference, respected experts in the learning technologies sphere agreed that the advent of social learning is far from causing the death of the LMS.
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TYPE: OPINION
The debate about personal technology in the classroom rages on. Traditionalist see mobile devices as disruptive technologies, while defendants see them as tools for instruction. Consideration should be given to the benefits mp3s, smart phones, and tablets can deliver inside and outside the classroom. From lecture podcasts to homework help, personal technology can be used to supplement the traditional learning landscape.
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When I am asked whether I enjoy teaching online more than I enjoy teaching in the classroom (or vice versa), it is a very hard question for me to answer. Experiences teaching in both online and more traditional classroom environments can make one a better teacher. What you learn from students in one environment naturally informs what you do in the other environment.
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TYPE: OPINION
For many years, the European markets for corporate e-learning have been strongest in the UK, followed by Germany and France. However corporate e-learning is slowly making its way across southern Europemainly Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.There are early signs of movement toward personalized, contextualized mobile learning rather than use what has become known as "traditional" computer delivered e-learning.
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TYPE: OPINION
Making the decision to use an outside vendor to meet your e-learning needs is never an easy task. But before you tie your project to a service provider, a careful analysis should be done. No two projects are alike, your needs will vary. Are you lacking expertise that an outside vendor could provide? Maybe you have the skills, but don't have the time to dedicate to the project. Whatever the case, having a clear sense of your e-learning needs will result in a more successful outsourcing experience.
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How can we harness the power of digital networks and Web 2.0 tools to thrive as learners in this new age of connectivity and immediacy? Not only is learning evolving, but our brains are as well. As the lines that separate free time from work time continue to blur, our consumption of technology may be affecting attention span. And if our brains are starting to function differently, what does this mean for learning?
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There seems to be a common sentiment that online courses open up the door for students to become more mischievous and dishonest than they ever would dare in a more traditional classroom setting, but why is that the case?
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TYPE: OPINION, OPINION
Lots of people hear the word "icebreaker" and cringe. Icebreakers are perceived as touchy-feely, frivolous, and a big waste of time. Still, despite their bad reputation, icebreakers remain a highly valued component of many learning sessions, no matter the age, level, or geographic location of the learners.
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TYPE: OPINION
The Internet has expanded the scope of learning; students can quickly access information from around the globe. Although computers can deliver flexibility and convenience, they can also disconnect students from academic responsibility. Emphasizing information processing and ethical behavior can lead to the transformation of electronic learning into excellent learning.
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No one knows everything, but everyone knows something. Behind this truism lies the principle of empowerment through collaboration. It's hardly surprising that today's most innovative businesses are already using social networking principles to empower staff and benefit the wider organization through collaboration.
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TYPE: OPINION
Giving the gift of chocolate may go a long way in the classroom. Susan Landay not only shares her love of chocolate, but discusses how to recognize and inspire participation and performance.
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TYPE: OPINION
If educators adopt Twitter as part of the online learning environment, can it be successfully leveraged inside and outside the classroom? With little preexisting research, it is important to understand the implications of combining social networking with class participation.
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Michelle Everson addresses a commonly asked question for online instructors: What's my role in the discussion? Some prefer to observe, others prefer to regularly interact with students. Finding the right balance can be challenging.
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TYPE: OPINION, OPINION
Presented herein is a simple and pragmatic framework for primarily analyzing and evaluating the design quality of a learning game. The framework focuses on the characteristics of learning games compared to computer games, in general, to find the key parameters to analyze. The key variables in the framework are integration, focus and motivation.
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In less than a year since its debut the popularity of the iPad has not waned. In fact mobile devices are predicted to replace traditional PCs. At the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ottawa, instructors were certain that incorporating mobile computing into the examination environment would benefit not only the university, but students as well. Read more about their experience in moving from paper to paperless exams to evaluate second year medical students.
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An essential competent of learning often ignored is leadership training. With support from the European Commission Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, Learn to Lead (L2L) has been developed to exercise and improve personal leadership skills. But before the game could be launched, one issue needed to be resolved: How to distinguish between management and leadership? Maxime Ferretti attempts to end this debate once and for all.
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Its time for the second annual top movers and shakers. Columnist Bob Little shares his opinion on the 10 most influential practitioners, commentators, facilitators and/or thought leaders in the eLearning industry. Find out if you made the cut.
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TYPE: OPINION
Esteemed professor, media and popular culture authority, writer, and self proclaimed Aca/Fan, Dr. Henry Jenkins reflects on digital and media literacy. From Twitter to the perceptions and misconceptions about new media, Jenkins offers a thought provoking take on learning.
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TYPE: INTERVIEW
Academic institutions understand the importance of cutting edge, comprehensive course offerings; and having a robust LMS makes all the difference in attracting and retaining students. Creating an LMS strategy is not only about picking the right vendor; institutions must also do their due diligence when it comes to updating or replacing their systems.
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When I tell people I teach online discussion often turns, rather quickly, to all that a teacher will lose when teaching in the online environment. I will be the first to admit that there are certain things we often take for granted in a physical classroom that can be more of a challenge in the online environment. However it's time we focused more on what can be gained by teaching online rather than what could be lost.
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TYPE: OPINION, OPINION
At the start of each year, eLearn Magazine's editors, advisory board members, and other contributors predict what changes are afoot for the coming 12 months. Here are our predictions for 2011.
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TYPE: OPINION
Four hundred years before Christ, Plato argued that technology, the written word itself, is distracting students from learning. Teachers today wish students would read a book sometime. The irony is stunning. As a professor, complaints that mobile phones distract from learning are ubiquitous. Text messaging, Facebook, and Twitter are the usual suspect applications.
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TYPE: OPINION
