elearningWatch April 2013

G’day
well, I won’t mention the amazing weather we are having, because Easter is upon us and maybe some time to relax. Out in the wild spaces of education not much new is happening. Mobile learning, MOOC’s and infographics seem to be grabbing the headlines. I’ve been busy getting the schedule ready for the 6th NZ Shar-E-Fest as well as doing some work on blended learning and vocational education and training schemes. Some of the links reflect such activity.
In this posting there are links to Hyflex learning, blended learning, Infographics, a mobile learning handbook, useful stuff for Mac users,MOOC’s,online learning, an online annotation tool, an iPad initiative, conferences and the odd one out.
Nothing else is eggspected for Easter. Enjoy the chocolate rush.
1.HyFlex learning. I’m sure you have heard of Blended learning, well here comes Hyflex learning. Apparently it’s been around for a while. Read all abut it and ponder the possibilities. Maybe you are already doing it.

http://www.drbrianbeatty.com/wordpress/

2.Infographics on the move
Calling all elearning infographics collectors, here”s 10 to start with. Provides some good examples of infographics related to elearning and learning technologies. Some people have put a lot of work into these. Some useful websites to boot as well !

http://tinyurl.com/cvtwkde

3. MyMobile Handbook. Guidelines and scenarios for mobile learning in adult education form the mymobile project in Europe. The essential aims of the collaborative project are: transferring experience within Europe, designing conceptions for mobile learning in the context of lifelong learning, developing learning scenarios and fields of activity for adult education.

http://www.mymobile-project.eu/IMG/pdf/Handbook_web.pdf

and if you are keen on letting people know what you are doing in the mobile world of education:
moleap. In need of support and input
extract from the site:
MoLeaP – The mobile learning project database is a public and free-of-charge online database for teachers, researchers and other (education) professionals interested in learning and teaching with mobile media. The concept behind MoLeaP builds on LMLG’s research on mobile learning’.

http://www.moleap.net/

AND if you are still wanting more, have a look at the latest UNESCO guidelines and policies for ICT in education with a focus on Mobile learning. The policy guidelines for mobile learning are particularly interesting.

http://tinyurl.com/d9j5v7z

4.MOOCs and Open Education: Implications for Higher Education: A White paper By Li Yuan and Stephen Powell. An informative and useful document which should help to guide decision making. Recently released by the JISC Cetis stable

http://tinyurl.com/c38jo8t

5. Online Student-Instructor-Practitioner Relationship. A video from Indiana State with Dr Curtis Bonk.
Dr. Bonk’s presentation “Online Student-Instructor-Practitioner Relationship,” addresses the different types of interactions and relationships that become a part of teaching online. Details and examples are shown for including outside participation, such as experts, in the online class.

http://www.indiana.edu/~icy/media/de_series/student_instructor_relation.html

You can download the talk handout:

http://www.indiana.edu/~icy/media/de_series/handouts/show8_online_relationships.pdf

6.eMargin is an online collaborative annotation tool. Very useful for sharing with groups working on some text, developing a document or having a discussion. It’s free.

http://emargin.bcu.ac.uk/

7.Speed up your Mac. This is really for those Macademics and friends who rely on their precious Mac to do everything. Some good tips, guides and free software to keep that Mac slim and trim and functioning at its best.

http://www.simplehelp.net/2012/11/29/top-10-ways-to-speed-up-your-mac/#more-11493

8.Bridgwater College – iPads enhancing teaching and learning in the classroom.An Excellence Gateway case study under the auspices of JISC and Regional Support Centres in the UK.
An interesting case study on the creative use of iPads to improve student access to resources and providing a streamlined platform for reflection and assessment.

http://tinyurl.com/d575gkl

9. Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice (2012). A very comprehensive and interesting report from the USA on the status of online learning in the K-12 domain across the country.The reporting system was started in 2004. Lot of changes have occurred in short space of time.

http://kpk12.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/KeepingPace2012.pdf

and:

http://www.kpk12.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/KeepingPace_2004.pdf

10.Blended Learning Implementation Guide. Just released, the fifth paper in a series of interactive papers. USA based and focused, it contains some useful information and guides for potential adoption elsewhere.

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/CSD6190.pdf

Although primarily for the USA education arena. The budget toolkit is a useful document which provides some good tips on how to determine costs.

http://educationelements.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Blended-Learning-Budget-Toolkit-Final.pdf

11. Conferences
11.1 New Zealand Moodle Moot 2013
Monday 22nd to Wednesday 24th April 2013.
Host venue is The University of Waikato, Hamilton.
If you take a look at the site you will see a ‘Cool Course Competition’
as part of this year’s event.
And the winners will get a Raspberry Pi each – pretty cool huh??

http://www.moodlemoot.co.nz/

Don’t miss out on this one!
11.2 altc2013 Building new cultures of learning
The 20th annual conference of the Association for Learning Technology
will be held at the University of Nottingham, 10-12 September 2013.
More information is at:

http://goo.gl/TOiAk

The deadline for submissions has been extended to midnight on Sunday 10 March 2013.
You can submit proposals for both Abstracts and Research Papers via
the online submissions system at:

http://ocs.sfu.ca/alt/index.php/conferences/altc2013

11.3 ascilite 2013
The 30th ascilite conference . This year it will be held at Macquarie University on the 1st – 4th December
For more details and to keep in touch go to:

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/sydney13/

11.4 mLearn Doha, Qatar, where we will be hosted by the College of the North Atlantic-Qatar. We are delighted to extend the reach of mLearn into a new region of the world.
The conference dates will be 22-24 October, preceded by workshops on 21 October.
A Call for Papers will also be issued in the next few days.
The conference website is available here:

http://webit.cna-qatar.edu.qa/mlearn2013/

11.5 NZ Happenings
PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE
6th Annual NZ Shar-e-fest: Thursday 10th and Friday 11th October 2013, Wintec, Hamilton
The 6th Annual NZ Shar-E-fest will take place on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th October in Hamilton and follow a similar format to last year.
Regional symposia will take place before and after the Shar-E-fest, in Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, Dunedin, Wairiki, Auckland and Northland.
We are delighted to announce that the International keynote speaker and presenter for 2013 will be
Profesor Grainne Conole
For more information have a look at Grainne’s website:

http://e4innovation.com/

Details for submissions and registration will appear on the Shar-e-Fest website in due course.
The theme for 2013:
‘Learning design and technology and social media integrated learning environments: what works?, why? and how well?

http://sharefest.crowdvine.com/

12. Odd one out Make Beliefs Comix. It’s Easter time and the kids are at home. Get them to be creative and produce a useful educational comic all by themselves. Sure adults can have a go as well.

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/

May, not be far away.
Richard
Richard Elliott
The Eternal Macademic
Auckland
New Zealand

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