Saturday, October 21, 2006
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Learning System or Management System
A couple of references regarding Learning Management systems.
The big question is what do you wish to accomplish with tis system. Make life easier for administration or make teaching an learning more effective.
There has been little conclusive evidence that anyof the curent LMS actually improve teacchig and learning because the question haven't really been asked, they haven't even really been formed correctly yet.
If proprietary LMS do a better job of teaching and learning then there should be a measureable effect. To invest a serious amount of money and to lock into a learning management system with out evidence that it accomplishes a major institutional goal raises concerns.
One appeal of the open ource systems is that if it is determined that it is ineffective the institution can walk away with out tears, having in the meantime developed some institutional capacity and provided the same level of service that institutions with the pricey systems produced.
George Siemans is reviewing systems for U of M.
Terry Anderson supervises research into LMS for Athabasca Univeristy. This is a fairly comprehensive review of online collaborative tools for teaching and learning.
The big question is what do you wish to accomplish with tis system. Make life easier for administration or make teaching an learning more effective.
There has been little conclusive evidence that anyof the curent LMS actually improve teacchig and learning because the question haven't really been asked, they haven't even really been formed correctly yet.
If proprietary LMS do a better job of teaching and learning then there should be a measureable effect. To invest a serious amount of money and to lock into a learning management system with out evidence that it accomplishes a major institutional goal raises concerns.
One appeal of the open ource systems is that if it is determined that it is ineffective the institution can walk away with out tears, having in the meantime developed some institutional capacity and provided the same level of service that institutions with the pricey systems produced.
George Siemans is reviewing systems for U of M.
Terry Anderson supervises research into LMS for Athabasca Univeristy. This is a fairly comprehensive review of online collaborative tools for teaching and learning.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Bricoleur Extrordinaire
Bricoleur is a term that you might hear from time to time with respect to the new skill set associated with web based learning or web based anything for that matter. I found a discussion and definition of the concept of Bricoleur
'bricoleur' is still someone who works with his hands and uses devious means compared to those of a craftsman" (16), i.e., handyman or woman, gypsy, as opposed to specialist. A bricoleur is an ordinary person, like one of the citizens of the republic, not only in the French revolution, but also in a postmodern, postcybernetic revolution. A bricoleur does the best that she or he can do with what is at hand."
Wikipedia also has an entry on Bricolage.
Having little formal training in computers or technology I have mostly used "work arounds" tricks and gadgets as opposed to comprehensive systematic approaches. I am remined of an old favorite song from Paul Simon, One Trick Pony where ....
Bricolage is also an artform. My mother is heavy into this from time to time. It involves building things out of small strips and pieces of other things. Very attractive and engaging.
I find that just about anything I do with respect to the Internet involves learning and I find that incredibly engaging. I'll talk more about motivation at another point but I recognize the power of the observations made by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book Finding Flow: the Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life.
'bricoleur' is still someone who works with his hands and uses devious means compared to those of a craftsman" (16), i.e., handyman or woman, gypsy, as opposed to specialist. A bricoleur is an ordinary person, like one of the citizens of the republic, not only in the French revolution, but also in a postmodern, postcybernetic revolution. A bricoleur does the best that she or he can do with what is at hand."
Wikipedia also has an entry on Bricolage.
Having little formal training in computers or technology I have mostly used "work arounds" tricks and gadgets as opposed to comprehensive systematic approaches. I am remined of an old favorite song from Paul Simon, One Trick Pony where ....
He makes it look so easyLo and behold I found out that that is "the" system of the new networked universe in which we find our selves and there are a whole patch work of tricks that get us through our working day.
He looks so clean
He moves like God's
Immaculate machine
He makes me think about
All of these extra movements I make
And all of this herky-jerky motion
And the bag of tricks it takes
To get me through my working day
One-trick pony
Bricolage is also an artform. My mother is heavy into this from time to time. It involves building things out of small strips and pieces of other things. Very attractive and engaging.
I find that just about anything I do with respect to the Internet involves learning and I find that incredibly engaging. I'll talk more about motivation at another point but I recognize the power of the observations made by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book Finding Flow: the Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life.
mLearning II
When I was in Winnipeg the other day Claudius Soodeen introduced me to Dr. John Anchan at the U of W and we had a fascinating discussion of many topics of mutual interest, mostly related to technology in learning. Dr. Anchan is a Professor of Education at Uof W and has recently taken of new responsibilities there related to his expertise in technology in Education.
One topic of discussion was mobile learning and Dr Anchan has recently published an article on this topic.
One area where we discover a common interest was with respect to the use of PDAs in Distance Education. As I mentioned in a previous entry, PDA's and smart phones are increasingly becoming a feature of the modern technology landscape and are popular for many in many parts of Europe Asia and Africa and are showing great promise there for education and development. One application that might be of special interest in terms of Distance Learning is the application of mobile learning in rural and remote communities.
In Manitoba, the digital divide is manifest by a lack of access to high speed Internet. Dial up Internet is much more available and accessing learning resources through a mobile cellular network could open a world of education possibilities to individuals in communities where access to Distance ed has been problematic. There are models of education developing based on dial up Internet accessed through a smart phone and supported in part by the text messaging function of the phones.
Smartphones such as the Palm Treo have become very reasonably priced which addresses another access and affordability related issue for Manitobans in rural and remote communities. The computers and laptops connected to a high speed network used in many DE programs are costly and quirky. Comparatively, the phone network is well established, cheap and available and is already in use in the daily life of people. This is also a way to make education and training more relevant by empowering lifelong education using the tools that people use in thier everyday life. As we know the new world is a networked world and knowlege workers will be prized for their networking capabilities as much as their content area knowledge.
A main attraction of mobile technology for Distance Education is that it is already a feature of life in most Manitobans and with the development of new phones and new network capabilities there is a convergence of forces that promises to make access to education much more affordable and possible. Mobile learning is showing promise for education regardless of a learners physical location. Learners using this system could be in downtown Winnipeg or Brandon or on the most remote community and still have access to the same resources.
One topic of discussion was mobile learning and Dr Anchan has recently published an article on this topic.
One area where we discover a common interest was with respect to the use of PDAs in Distance Education. As I mentioned in a previous entry, PDA's and smart phones are increasingly becoming a feature of the modern technology landscape and are popular for many in many parts of Europe Asia and Africa and are showing great promise there for education and development. One application that might be of special interest in terms of Distance Learning is the application of mobile learning in rural and remote communities.
In Manitoba, the digital divide is manifest by a lack of access to high speed Internet. Dial up Internet is much more available and accessing learning resources through a mobile cellular network could open a world of education possibilities to individuals in communities where access to Distance ed has been problematic. There are models of education developing based on dial up Internet accessed through a smart phone and supported in part by the text messaging function of the phones.
Smartphones such as the Palm Treo have become very reasonably priced which addresses another access and affordability related issue for Manitobans in rural and remote communities. The computers and laptops connected to a high speed network used in many DE programs are costly and quirky. Comparatively, the phone network is well established, cheap and available and is already in use in the daily life of people. This is also a way to make education and training more relevant by empowering lifelong education using the tools that people use in thier everyday life. As we know the new world is a networked world and knowlege workers will be prized for their networking capabilities as much as their content area knowledge.
A main attraction of mobile technology for Distance Education is that it is already a feature of life in most Manitobans and with the development of new phones and new network capabilities there is a convergence of forces that promises to make access to education much more affordable and possible. Mobile learning is showing promise for education regardless of a learners physical location. Learners using this system could be in downtown Winnipeg or Brandon or on the most remote community and still have access to the same resources.
CADE/AMTEC tech committee.
I was in Winnipeg on Friday to meet with Claudius Soodeen who is the Assistant Manager of the University of Winnipeg Instructional Network in their Center for Distributed/Distance Learning. Claudius and I are co-chairing the technology committee for the CADE/AMTEC 2007 conference. We were meeting face to face for the first time. Otherwise we have had a few meetings by teleconference and Skype. We have been using a blog and a wiki to organize our communications and trying some new communication modalities at the same time.
One other goal of our meeting was to meet Bill Voulgaris the Director of Conference Services and Catering at the Delta Hotel which is our conference venue. We we taking a preliminary look at the facility and getting started on the plan for technology at the conference.
Everything looks great and I think it is going to be reasonably trouble free.
One other goal of our meeting was to meet Bill Voulgaris the Director of Conference Services and Catering at the Delta Hotel which is our conference venue. We we taking a preliminary look at the facility and getting started on the plan for technology at the conference.
Everything looks great and I think it is going to be reasonably trouble free.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Project management Tools
Project management software is available at ACC as a part of the Microsoft Office Suite and a few people around the college are beginning to develop proficeincy with it. The office of Teaching and Learning will develop a resource base for this application and the practice of Project management generally.
Apart from MS Project there some new web-based tools might make the project management process easier.
For example this concept map process is free and easy and web based so that various parties could work on it, either face to face, or asynchronously and at a distance.
Other web based tools that might be helpful are wikis or blogs.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Mobile Learning
Mobile learning is a model that involves an integration of computers and cell phone technology. At the most basic level it involves the use of text messaging. Smartphones, PDAs and Mobile computing devices are being developed and enhanced and new applications are being discovered daily. Mobile technology seems to be very popular in Europe and Africa where broadband Internet is not as accessible or affordably priced.
In North America the commercial use of mobile technology is catching on and there are a growing number of business solutions based on PDA and cell phone connectivity.
One example is the use of a Palm Treo by a service company that uses it as;
A mLearning Conference is being planned for Banff this year that will be addressing mLearning specifically.
This might be an especially important area of specialization for ACC given the remoteness of some of our clients. Access to high speed Internet is not universal and dial up is the only technology available in some rural remote locations.
Many technology based learning initiatives rely on technology that is resource intensive. Mobile learning technologies are leaner and more reasonably priced.
Satellite phone access has made communication possible from the most remote places on the globe including the top of Mount Everest.
Educators are developing innovations. A Refrigeration Trades training program in New Zealand has developed a strategy based on mobile technology and Web. 2.0 applications.
In North America the commercial use of mobile technology is catching on and there are a growing number of business solutions based on PDA and cell phone connectivity.
One example is the use of a Palm Treo by a service company that uses it as;
- a Point of sale unit,
- a method for tracking and maintaining inventory in company vehicles,
- an integrated spreadsheet generates customized on the spot customer quotes
- customer service history
- access to data and information for code requirements, safety information and permit applications
- a communication device with picture and video support for documentation and progress reports
- email capability
- Internet connectivity for company manuals and trouble shooting guides
- Integrated GIS for dispatch and trackin
- lower accounts receivable and default of payment because of credit card swipe up front
- better control of inventory
- fewer trips and repeat trips.
- service people are supported by a knowledge network and don't have to make repeated trips for lack of information.
- More accurate dispatch and vehicle tracking
- most current information on pricing and availability.
A mLearning Conference is being planned for Banff this year that will be addressing mLearning specifically.
This might be an especially important area of specialization for ACC given the remoteness of some of our clients. Access to high speed Internet is not universal and dial up is the only technology available in some rural remote locations.
Many technology based learning initiatives rely on technology that is resource intensive. Mobile learning technologies are leaner and more reasonably priced.
Satellite phone access has made communication possible from the most remote places on the globe including the top of Mount Everest.
Educators are developing innovations. A Refrigeration Trades training program in New Zealand has developed a strategy based on mobile technology and Web. 2.0 applications.
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