elearningWatch September2010

G’day
well only 3 days to ALT-C . I’ll tell you all about it next month. I do like the way ALT uses Crowdvine as its conference networking site. Easy to use, configure, navigate and find what you want. It’s even improved on last year. Well done to the ALT-C team!
iPad has finally reached NZ along with the iPhone 4, which had a good reception. A few queues formed and seems those that purchased are more than happy with their new technology. My erudite colleague, Thom Cochrane, has got his students working on developing Apps for both.
For those in Kiwiland in September, don’t forget to register for the Sharefest in Hamilton, the ECHO 360 seminar and the LATENT seminar at AUT.
This months posting includes assistive technologies, free elearner survival guide, effective practices, history of the Internet, elearning software design tool, creating online units, location based learning report, voting boxes, web design glossary,design for learning resources, rubric for online instruction, conferences and the odd one out.
CU in October.
1. Assistive Technologies for Online Learning from the elearnQueen blogspot.
As always this is a blog that is worth returning to from time to time. This time there are some very good links to resources highlighting and various options for assisting online learners as well as those with special needs.

http://elearnqueen.blogspot.com/2010/08/assistive-technologies-for-online.html

and don’t miss out on getting your own copy of the e-learning Queen’s elearning survival guide. Excellent resource not to be missed. Only free for a limited time.

http://zenzebra.net/elearner-survival-guide.pdf

2. A Synthesis of Sloan-C Effective Practices,(December 2009).
The Sloan consortium provides a wide range of publications and resources, many of them free, about online learning. This particular publication was originally released in December 2009 and now has updated links for 2010. The content is very much USA material but as most of the principles and practices relate to online learning, it can be applied elsewhere.

http://sloanconsortium.org/sites/default/files/v13n4_moore_eps.pdf

3. The Internet.
From time to time I am asked searching questions about the Internet and what it really is. My usual response is to provide a general answer (if I can) and then refer people to the site below. It was produced a few years ago and updated late last year. It’s very comprehensive and has some fascinating facts and figures. If you really wan to know all about the Internet, this is the place to go.

http://www.livinginternet.com/

if you prefer a condensed approach have a look at
Facts about the Internet.
Just so you can answer all the trivial dispute questions at the local pub quiz and tell you students things they don’t know.

http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/facts-about-the-internet/

4. Elearning: Designing and Creating your Online Unit. A guide and resource for those developing online study materials.
This site and its associated resources have been developed by Victoria University in Australia. It’s a ‘gentle’ online workshop which leads you through a series of steps to help you with the creation of your online materials. Useful and nicely presented.

http://tls.vu.edu.au/eLearning/default.html

5. The E-learning Circle, a holistic software design tool for e-learning
Line Kolas and Arvid Staupe, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
from the abstract:
‘The article introduces the E-learning Circle, a tool developed to assure the quality of the software design process of elearning systems, considering pedagogical principles as well as technology. The Elearning Circle consists of a number of concentric circles which are divided into three sectors. The content of the inner circles is based on pedagogical principles, while the outer circle specifies how the pedagogical principles may be implemented with technology. The circle’s centre is dedicated to the subject taught, ensuring focus on the specific subject’s properties. The three sectors represent the student, the teacher and the learning objectives.’
A very interesting approach and well worth the time to read. The discussion section raises some thought provoking issues

http://eleed.campussource.de/archive/6/2543/

6. Simple voting boxes to enhance learning. From IgnatiaWebs.
I found this item of particular interest. Way back in the late 80’s I used a very primitive ‘priority of response’ system for quiz sessions in nursing science. Participants pressed a bell push connected to a bank of lights when they knew the answer to a question. Whoever pressed first saw their light glow on the bank and they answered the question and got the points. The motivational effective on the competing teams was electrifying, the student feedback very positive. It certainly made a huge difference to their learning and understanding of concepts and principles.
Nowadays the audience response systems are very sophisticated and versatile and have been proven to enhance student learning, even for my Aussie friends!

http://ignatiawebs.blogspot.com/2010/08/simple-voting-boxes-to-enhance-learning.html

7. Education in the wild: contextual and location-based mobile learning in action
A report from the STELLAR Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series
Edited by Elizabeth Brown.
Avery comprehensive and useful resource on location based mobile learning
Note this is a pdf download.

http://mlearning.noe-kaleidoscope.org/resources/ARV_Education_in_the_wild.pdf

8. The Motive Web Design Glossary.
This is a little different and could probably be classed as ‘the odd one out’. However if you have listened to endless quotes of web jargon, acronyms and the like and nod your head wisely , you might want to check what you think you know. After all affordances are not all to do with the weekly budget. This is from NZ so must be good.
Extract from the site:
‘We’ve compiled the Motive Web Design Glossary to demystify web communication. Coverage includes web: philosophy, business and marketing, usability, visual design, standards and technology’.

http://www.motive.co.nz/glossary/index.php

9. A rubric for online Instruction.
A useful site if you are interested in creating rubrics for online assessment purposes. Provides a guide and some ideas on levels of ‘ content, competency and achievement ‘ and how they might be implemented in various courses.

http://www.csuchico.edu/celt/roi/index.shtml

10. Universal Design for Learning: Editions by CAST
CAST is a non-profit research and development organization dedicated to Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL research demonstrates that the challenge of diversity can and must be met by making curriculum flexible and responsive to learner differences.
Just read one of the books shown on the Webpage and discover some interesting ways of bringing stories and meaning to life. Some students will find these resources very helpful. The hyperlinked ‘pop ups’ are both useful and informative as well as providing ways to test the student or readers knowledge. Fry you brain on the Shakespeare Sonnet.

http://udleditions.cast.org/

Conferences
11.1 ascilite 2010 ‘Curriculum, technology & transformation for an unknown future.’ is the 27th annual ascilite Conference. The conference will be held in Sydney, New South Wales Australia. It is being jointly hosted by The University of Technology Sydney, The University of Queensland and Charles Sturt University
Full Details from.

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/sydney10/index.htm

11.2 mLearn2010
Dates
Submission
Posters/Demos: 15th September 2010
Pre-Conference Workshops: 19th October 2010
Conference: 20th-22nd October 2010

http://www.mlearn2010.org/

11.3 The 4th International Malaysian Educational Technology Convention 2010
ELECTRONIC EDUCATION: Towards an Immersive Learning Environment
26 – 29 September 2010,KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
Extract from the site for potential presenters:
‘This year we are not requesting for abstracts and contributors will submit full papers for evaluation. Selected papers submitted within the deadline will be published in a book by Pearson. The papers not selected for the book will be included in the Convention Proceedings, together with papers submitted after the 15th May 2010’.

http://imetc2010.yolasite.com/

11.4 JISC Online Conference Innovating e-Learning 2010
Bringing Innovation to Life: from adversity comes opportunity
The fifth JISC international online conference
23-26 November 2010
Full details from.

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/elpconference10

11.5 NAVIGATE 2010 the Inaugural EQUELLA User Conference
September 9 and 10, State Library of Victoria,328 Swanston Street, Melbourne, Australia.

http://www.equella.com/

KIWI happenings
11.6 For the local KIWI’s (and anyone passing through). Wintec in Hamilton will be hosting an elearning SharEfest on September 27 and 28th with Peter Looms as a Keynote. Peter has students in Hong Kong and in Denmark. One of Peter’s presentations is liable to be on the nature and use of handhelds and the results of research being carried out on iPads and the like by his students in Hong Kong.
The main Web site for the SharEfest is at

http://sharefest.crowdvine.com/

You can create and account ,join in and view the programme.A lot of excellent presentations have been accepted.
Click on

http://etc.elearning.ac.nz/login/index.php

Registration information:

http://sharefest.crowdvine.com/pages/registration

11.7 AUT University in Auckland are hosting an Echo360 NZ Lunchtime Seminar on 8 September 2010.
Echo360 (www.echo360.com) develops lecture capture software for education – with over 500 institutions globally using its premier EchoSystem product.
Echo360’s former Lectopia product is known internationally and well established in the Australasian region.
The seminar will include lunch, and cover the following topics:
Discussion of enterprise-level lecture capture
Demonstration of EchoSystem lecture capture for venue recording
Demonstration of EchoSystem Personal Capture for staff and students
Client demonstration of lecture capture implementation and use
Echo360 are also offering ten travel bursaries valued at NZ$200 for New Zealand residents who wish to travel to the event.
For event registration and bursary applications please see the website –

http://www.lectopia.com.au/nzseminar-2010-overview.lasso

11.8 AUT University in Auckland are also having a Learning and Teaching Enabled by Technology seminar [LATENT} on September 30, with Steve Wheeler from University of Plymouth and Peter Looms from Denmark as guest presenters
To Register your interest in attending the day, please email Pam Wyse

pam.wyse@aut.ac.nz

with your name and institution, and payment if
required (orders for invoices will not be accepted).
Cheques should be made out to AUT University,
Contact Mark Northover for a flyer:

mark.northover@aut.ac.nz

12.0 The odd one out: We are what we do.
Lots of interesting activities to get involved with.

http://www.wearewhatwedo.org/generations/

and specifically
History Pin, where just spending some time going through some of the old photos is a fascinating and interesting experience.

http://www.historypin.com/

That’s it. I’m off to ALT-C 2010
Richard Elliott
The Eternal Macademic
Auckland
New Zealand

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