Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Effects of Information Distributions Strategies on Student Performance in a CMS. http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/v1n1/ lohman/IJ_%20Lohman.pdf This is one of those papers where I find myself thinking "freakin' amazing, I can't believe it" (yes, I really think like that) but by the end I've been reduced to, "ok, but a sample of 50 students? And all of them graduate students of education from 3 courses?" I'm not saying that invalidates the results, and the paper itself actually seems well written. But if you do buy into its arguments, then this SHOULD be sending shockwaves (at least shivers) through ed tech departments (and the people who fund them) across the world. Why? Because it throws into serious doubt the value of course management systems when used (predominantly, as other studies, like Morgan's, have shown) as really expensive web filing or content management systems in support of face to face courses. This doesn't necessarily sound the death knell for CMS; as the study concludes, instead one could draw the conclusion that if you want to see positive effects on pedagogy by using a CMS then use them, well, pedagogically, not as a glorified filing cabinet. But still, it does start to put to the test the conventional wisdom that simply giving people access to reading materials ahead of time will inevitably increase their learning. (First seen in Distance Educator.) - SWL[EdTechPost] 7:14:08 PM      Google It!.

Are "they" really repressing the cure for cancer?. Orac has an insightful post addressing concerns that Big Pharma won't develop non-patentable drugs. Future worry: Big AI won't develop better robot nurses? Current worry: Will Nintendo put Weight Watchers out of business? Steven Pinker tackles consciousness. Does the brain actually have a "resting mode"? Is mental illness still a stigma? One answer. Possible mechanism for the problem discussed this morning: Inability to drive well while talking. Finally: Want to know what Greta and I were up to this weekend? More links than you'll ever manage to follow. Tip: start at the bottom. Feel free to ignore the following link; it's just a way to get our podcast listed on Podcast Alley. My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-1a8069fadde4d74ca9199b370711b8e3} Read the comments on this post... [Cognitive Daily's Weekly Podcast] 7:07:46 PM      Google It!.

Neural "Extension Cord" Developed. moon_monkey writes "Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a 'neural extension cord' by growing neurons attached to a microchip. The cord is made by gradually moving two batches of neurons apart, as they naturally grow towards one another. This biological 'data cable' could then interface with the brain once implanted, the researchers say." From the article: "...in the long run, it may not be necessary to interface directly with nerves at all. 'In Europe most researchers in this field are using non-invasive EEG,' [an outside researcher] explains... 'The signals are weaker so more complex processing is needed, but not having to perform surgery on the nervous system has many advantages,' [he] says."[Slashdot] 7:05:31 PM      Google It!.

No more new speak, back to old speak. I reckon you have 4 seconds to make the right impression on someone when trying to explain/convince/sell them something. This is not quite the same as attention span, it has more to do with countering prejudice, getting a foot in the door, initiating interest. Get that far and you can start to rely on measures of attention span. 4 seconds, that[base ']s about enough time to get 8 or 10 words out - so make them count. For that reason you have to choose your words carefully, and never use words that require further explanation. With this in mind I[base ']m going to very conscious of my pitch to technophobic teachers and try to use words they should more readily identify with. Web2.0 and Socially networked software social constructivism Online presence and identity as well as network and online community the top 3 levels in Maslow[base ']s hierarchy of needs eLearning, mLearning, flexible learning and blended learning etc learning Blogging Vygotsky-ism¬[sgl dagger] any more suggestions? [Learn Online] 9:56:52 AM      Google It!.

'Altruistic' brain region found. Using brain scans, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that altruism appears to be linked to an area of the brain called the posterior superior temporal sulcus.... [KurzweilAI.net Accelerating Intelligence News] 9:54:57 AM      Google It!.