Learning Objects - Portal site.

Learning about Learning Objects. This portal site about learning objects at the San Diego Community College District is well designed, both attractive and functional. The site illustrates how to start a local community of users who create and share information about using LOs. (First sighted in elearnspace blog.) ___ JH [EduResources Weblog--Higher Education Resources Online]

12:11:54 AM    

Traditional Instructors and Online Resources.

This is a thoughtful post on what is required in order that traditional instructors start using online resources, and particularly learning objects. I think this applies to many "synchronous" instructors as well as to university faculty. To read the complete posting, click here. -- BB

Finding Online Instructional Resources. ... hardly any instructors know about or make use of learning objects that they import into their own course modules. ... I agree with David Davies (see enclosure) that truly widespread use of learning objects among non-techies will not happen until an LO construction tool is released that makes the development of LOs as easy as using a word processor. However, even before that step occurs, instructors can be assisted to effectively locate and use resources that already exist on the net and to put what they find into local repositories/referatories. [EduResources Weblog--Higher Education Resources Online]

12:07:16 AM    

Your alma mater: Your competitor?

As an e-Learning entrepreneur, you should be aware of potential competition from colleges and universities, especially if your market is individuals. It comes down to competing on price or competing on value. Bet on value to win. -- BB

The Collegiate Way: Residential Colleges and University Reform. This is the third posting related to questions about the future of higher education. This issue may seem far afield from the main focus of the EduResources Weblog, which is online instructional resources, but it isn't because the growing availability of free online resources directly challenges campus sites to demonstrate that they can offer more than students can obtain for themselves through self-study. (Click here to read the full posting -- the link above goes to The Collegiate Way's web site.)

 [EduResources Weblog--Higher Education Resources Online]

11:50:34 PM    

Dialog as learning.

I maintain that dialog is one of the main ways that people in organizations learn. Check out Roger Schank's work on stories. -- BB

(Addendum: Quick summary of Schank's book, Tell Me A Story.)

Dialog is a resource. Denham Grey:

10:06:10 AM    

Social network software.

Social network software has been getting a lot of attention lately. Is it a good thing or not? I think it's always good to add a channel through which people can find you, especially if you are a small business. Some people are suspicious or nervous about sharing their rolodexes. My view is that those who share thrive, those who hoard die. I'm on LinkedIn - search for me as William Brandon, and please add me to your network. -- BB

What YASNSes bring.

Jeremy Zawodny:

Follow the links from JZ's post to find a lot of discussion surrounding this debate.

And see the argument that my colleague Stephen offers to the view that there is a disincentive to sharing one's connections:

9:49:40 AM    

6,500 to 7,500 tech firms among the "walking dead."

Are the business problems of the tech sector over? Not according to Martin Pichinson.

"Pichinson, a self-described "doctor of reality" who helps liquidate companies, says he wouldn't have moved from Los Angeles to Palo Alto a few months ago had he not smelled more high-tech trouble looming." [CNN]

More reason to be starting your own business.

5:48:22 PM    

Semi-incoherent thoughts about learning.

It's about predictability. That is, the reason we care in business about learning is because we care about predictability:

• Predictable performance
• Predictable results
• Predictable revenue
• Predictable customer response and repeated buying

Unfortunately, this predictability has to come out of a chaotic individual and social system. Does this mean anything, or is it just "profoundly obvious?"

12:41:07 PM    

Information Science and connections to learning theory.

In a (frustrated) attempt to get an article together for The Journal, I started coming across references to Tom Stonier and Claude Shannon (also look at this and at this for ways that Shannon's work is still being used, if the math in his paper makes you feel like running away). Turns out they have viewpoints about the nature of information that are opposed in some ways, and related in others. Why is this important? Well, because both viewpoints impact on how people think about learning, and how people think about learning has a huge effect on how they approach teaching and instruction. Unfortunately, this is too much to get to the bottom of in time to make deadline, but it is definitely worth keeping around to look at some more. It looks like Kristina has been thinking about this as well (see below). Not a total deadend, as I thought it was going to be, more like suddenly discovering a huge city I knew nothing about. -- BB

Foundations of Information Science. Foundations of Information Science is the first Google result for a query on "Søren Brier," who I am possibly citing in my lit review. Looks like an interesting place to poke around for a while. I'm supposed to be working, so I don't have time to figure out what is going on there, but it's not what I expected to be going on there... when I say it's interesting, I mean it's interesting. Like, "information is understood as related to a widespread network of processes potentially involving the integration of cosmic (subatomic), molecular, cellular (neuronal), computational, human and social occurrences, demanding both a unifying and a multiperspectivistic approach" interesting... All cyberneticky and stuff. Far out. Looks very international, but I only recognize two of the names involved: Brier, and Tom Stonier. If I recall correctly, the latter was cited in something I was reading in a not very supportive way due to his theory of information as the basic "stuff" of the universe. "The first and most important fact is to understand that Information is a basic property of the universe, like energy, and like energy it has a reality of its own." Maybe too far out? Perhaps, but interesting to think about nonetheless... Unfortunately, there's no time for just-plain-interesting for me right now. Likewise, have a couple of definitions of information... whoa. Together with: Capurro, R. and Hjørland, B. (2002) The Concept of Information. ARIST 2002. it's enough to make one's head explode. In a good way, of course.... [Infomusings Blog]

12:17:59 PM    

When you're ready to retire, ...

Will you be poor? Better start planning now. And don't forget to factor in inflation. We used to think that having a million dollars saved by age 65 would be enough, but it's not. Your best bet is to start your own business, and start it soon. [CNN}

7:01:16 PM    

South by Southwest Interactive 2004: Social Software Panel

See my note from Sunday on registration. Early bird price goes up next Friday, Jan. 16. -- BB

SXSW panel on REGF (or: Acronym Heaven). Sam Ruby writes that there's going to be a panel at the South by Southwest conference on ridiculously easy group-forming. Cool.

This panel offers perspectives on group forming and information sharing via the latest social software tools.  The panel will include Pete Kaminski, Jon Lebkowsky, Sam Ruby, David Sifry, and Adam Weinroth.

11:23:52 AM    

eLearning 2004: Some hopes and some predictions.

What I hope we start getting right in 2004 (because we sure have missed the boat so far):

1. Remembering that what we do is about people and solving their problems in order that they may make their lives better, not about technology and The Next Big Thing.

2. Using the Instructional Systems Design model as it was originally proposed by Roger Kaufman 35 years ago, and not as it has been perverted, misconstrued, or misapplied by so many people since.

3. Connecting people to successful strategies and practices for achieving their valued outcomes and business goals.

4. Using the research findings  that are readily available to us about learning, instead of continuing to apply the same old tired (and incorrect) theories.

What I fear we will continue to get wrong in 2004:

1. Deciding what our "blended" eLearning solution will look like before we have identified the problem we are trying to solve, before we have defined the outcome we want to achieve, before we have determined the monetary value of solving the problem or achieving the outcome, and before we have determined whether skill and knowledge deficiencies are the source of the problem.

2. Continuing to confuse teaching, telling, and technology with learning, and continuing to proceed without ever looking at new research findings.

3. Continuing to embed the same erroneous assumptions into our applications:

- Everybody has the same valued outcomes, and the value of each outcome is the same for everybody.

- Everybody needs the same information or skill in order to achieve the valued outcomes.

- Everybody learns the same way, at the same speed.

- If they "learn" how to do it, they will actually do it.

4. Continuing to walk into the trap of estimating development costs on the basis of the fictitious and nonsensical "hour of eLearning." 

10:44:08 AM    

Who Says eLearning Doesn't Work?

Here's an example of a composite ("blended") approach to education that is succeeding. Design makes a difference! To quote the course author:

"The national average for online retention hovers about 50%. 71% of my fall (201) section completed with grades of "C" or better. Since 201 is pre-req to this 202 section, I predict AT LEAST this same level of success and quite probably higher. Additionally, students tend to score higher than national norms on standardized testing items. I believe this is due to the complete lack of time constraints with regard to completing their lessons. Although they must complete weekly work as dictated by a schedule, they may take as much time as needed to reach mastery."

-- BB

Anatomy & Physiology: Integrating Interactive Technologies With WebCT. This online Anatomy & Physiology II course (BIO202) integrates the best of textbook, CD technology, and the World-Wide Web. Each lesson includes critical focus points and questions that guides student work and provides multiple self-assessment opportunities. [Maricopa Learning eXchange (MLX) Newest]

6:13:04 PM    

Weblogs and Networks.

Summary of research on social networks and how it relates to weblogs. -- BB

Jim Moore: "Blogs are weak tie machines!" [Scripting News]

6:04:54 PM    

More on Weblogs and RSS in eLearning.

Blogging and RSS in Education. Will Richardson look into Blogging and RSS � The "What's It?" and "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools for Educators : "Educators have been slower to adopt Weblogs for a variety of reasons, among them access, privacy, and security issues. But as more and more people get on the blog bandwagon, more and more teachers and schools are starting to experiment with the technology as a way to communicate with students and parents, archive and publish student work, learn with far-flung collaborators, and "manage" the knowledge that members of the school community create. In fact, many are seeing Weblogs as a cheaper alternative to course management systems. /../ The collaborative aspect of Weblogs is what has brought ... [Diablog]

10:45:00 AM    

Open Access Journals and Copyright.

In case you don't have enough to read online, here is a list of peer-reviewed journals to fill up your copious free time. Probably most of these don't have anything to do with e-Learning, but if you are keeping up with what's going on in education as part of your intelligence collecting, they would be worth scanning every so often. -- BB

Open access journals in education. David Wiley's introduction to the Pitch journal links to this huge list of open access journals in education. "Pitch is at least the 140th completely open access, peer reviewed journal in educational research".

If open access is your cup of tea, also don't miss this page on copyright and open access from the kickass Collaborative learning environments sourcebook .
[Seb's Open Research]

9:57:20 AM    

SXSW Time Again!

SXSW Interactive runs from March 12 to March 16, 2004, in Austin, Texas. Until January 16, registration is $195. Take a look at the site - you might decide you want to go for the panels. (Party? What party?)

4:27:41 PM    

New changes to Macromedia Director.

(From the linked article) "Macromedia has announced Macromedia Director MX 2004, an upgraded version of the multimedia authoring tool that adds support for JavaScript, Flash MX 2004 content, and DVD-Video. The product also develops projector files for Windows and Macintosh in one step. (A projector file in Director is an executable of a Director application.) Macromedia's Director creates fixed-media presentations for formats such as disks, while the company's Flash technology is focused on web development. New features in Director MX 2004 enable richer content and easier development due to seamless workflow linkage to other MX 2004 products, according to the company. The addition of JavaScript extends development to Java developers."

ComputerWorld: "Director for a very long time has had a proprietary scripting language called Lingo," said Miriam Geller, Macromedia director of product management for Director. "With this release, we're adding JavaScript. It's important because now people who are coming to Director don't have to learn a proprietary scripting language. They can use the skills they already have." [Scripting News]

4:19:07 PM    

Collaborative Learning Tools.

Another interesting experiment. I like it because somebody is working on the collaborative online learning problem. I am not crazy about WIKIs, but this isn't exactly a WIKI. Try to figure it out, or get a German-speaking colleague to give you a hand. They might be onto something with this. -- BB

CURE against solipsism. CURE stands for "Collaborative Universal Remote Education". Developed at "FernuniversitŠt Hagen" CURE is a non-commercial tool that facilitates collaborative learning in distributed teams using standard browsers over the Internet. It tries to avoid isolated eLearning situations. It combines a room metaphor, WIKI ideas, a calendar and communications tools. (Unfortunately the manual is only in German at the moment.) You can use CURE for free. So check it out and give it a try! [Peter on eLearning]

1:06:05 PM