The over all course content covers all the aims that we set out to cover, given the time spent on pulling all the material together (most of it existed but not in one central place) I think it does exactly what it says on the tin straight out of the box!
There is enought content for the student / lecturer to either learnt about or pass on to others in regards to the subject matter.
Should any of the material need to be revisited then everyone who has been through the course knows where to go.
The course has been dsigned, not only as a stand alone course, but also as a central depository for all TurnItIn based materials.
The course can also been developed by lecturers suggesting additional materials to be added (or taken away if needs be)
Friday, 20 August 2010
On reflection
The course has been completed, my sessions are there for anyone to see.....would I have done it better? could I have done it better? would I do it all again?
Well the answer to all 3 is yes....
The subject matter (plagiarism) is a very 'dry' topic and has been done to death many many times over. However through the introduction of the e-tivities this has managed to keep the studetn / staff member 'on their toes' and it also keeps them focused on the subject at hand.
The use of a wiki may be frowned upon by some academics, citing wikipedia as the centre of all bullsh*t on the internet, but when used in a proper and controlled environment it can greatly benefit the collaborative learning experience. I would / will include a wiki in every module / course I do as they can be an invaluable source of information. We must remember that not every student is equal and if using a wiki can help those students who understand certain terms and process and explain them to students who dont then I do beliee that the wiki is a very valuable tool.
The video clips from YouTube provide some light hearted relief and education content at the same time, the video from the Bergen University is the best I have ever seen.
Breaking up study with these clips helps refocus the students attention back onto the subject at hand.
Discussion board postings are really only use full then someone replies to them otherwise they may as well be blog postings, thence the name 'discussion'. Though they are also another valuabel tool in the arsenal of e-learning they really do need a group of students to make them work.
Getting the balance right is always a delicate thing, some may say that humour has no place in learning but I do strongly believe that "if it's fun it goes in...if it's boring then it wont" I shall endeavour to try and "build a GUI interface in visual basic" from now on!
Well the answer to all 3 is yes....
The subject matter (plagiarism) is a very 'dry' topic and has been done to death many many times over. However through the introduction of the e-tivities this has managed to keep the studetn / staff member 'on their toes' and it also keeps them focused on the subject at hand.
The use of a wiki may be frowned upon by some academics, citing wikipedia as the centre of all bullsh*t on the internet, but when used in a proper and controlled environment it can greatly benefit the collaborative learning experience. I would / will include a wiki in every module / course I do as they can be an invaluable source of information. We must remember that not every student is equal and if using a wiki can help those students who understand certain terms and process and explain them to students who dont then I do beliee that the wiki is a very valuable tool.
The video clips from YouTube provide some light hearted relief and education content at the same time, the video from the Bergen University is the best I have ever seen.
Breaking up study with these clips helps refocus the students attention back onto the subject at hand.
Discussion board postings are really only use full then someone replies to them otherwise they may as well be blog postings, thence the name 'discussion'. Though they are also another valuabel tool in the arsenal of e-learning they really do need a group of students to make them work.
Getting the balance right is always a delicate thing, some may say that humour has no place in learning but I do strongly believe that "if it's fun it goes in...if it's boring then it wont" I shall endeavour to try and "build a GUI interface in visual basic" from now on!
Blogs, Wikis or Discussion Boards?
So has the arrival of blogs, wikis and discussion boards in education made any real difference to the learning?
In my opinion the advanced of collaborative learning through these mediums has truely brought learning into the 21st century. They have made distance learning a real posibility and also easier to implement as a few years ago anything like this would have had to have been custom built, nowadays it is all freely available on the internet or now comes as standard in any VLE.
They allow for instant publishing, sharing, and collaboration among multiple
students in a format that can be used in a many settings and for a variety of subjects (Weller, 2003).
Educators have also found a variety of creative applications for the wiki format based on a constructivist foundation including: quick informational website publishing, collaborative website posting, student assignments with peer review capabilities, problem solving, focused discussions, interdisciplinary projects, community building among students, collaboration practice, and more (Synteta, 2002).
Although email, which is considered the original social software has largely become redundant as newer forms of discussion boards are becoming increasingly common, adoption of the newer tools has not been as widespread.
Blogs are a very useful tool for reflection, for example see this youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI they also an excellent way of producing an electronic journal of the students studies
Wikis, while hated by some areas of academia, are a great benefit when it comes to sharing definitions of data. a youtube video explaining what a wiki is can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY . Wikis can also be used as a method of coordination between groups of students.
These tools have truely sounded the arrival of e-learning!
In my opinion the advanced of collaborative learning through these mediums has truely brought learning into the 21st century. They have made distance learning a real posibility and also easier to implement as a few years ago anything like this would have had to have been custom built, nowadays it is all freely available on the internet or now comes as standard in any VLE.
They allow for instant publishing, sharing, and collaboration among multiple
students in a format that can be used in a many settings and for a variety of subjects (Weller, 2003).
Educators have also found a variety of creative applications for the wiki format based on a constructivist foundation including: quick informational website publishing, collaborative website posting, student assignments with peer review capabilities, problem solving, focused discussions, interdisciplinary projects, community building among students, collaboration practice, and more (Synteta, 2002).
Although email, which is considered the original social software has largely become redundant as newer forms of discussion boards are becoming increasingly common, adoption of the newer tools has not been as widespread.
Blogs are a very useful tool for reflection, for example see this youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI they also an excellent way of producing an electronic journal of the students studies
Wikis, while hated by some areas of academia, are a great benefit when it comes to sharing definitions of data. a youtube video explaining what a wiki is can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY . Wikis can also be used as a method of coordination between groups of students.
These tools have truely sounded the arrival of e-learning!
The Bucks New University Students Education Campaign
The Student Union at Bucks New University have produced a document as part of their education campaign outlining 10 changes that they would like to be introduced to improve the student experience. Out of the 10 changes listed 2 of the changes refer to:
1. Electronic submission of assessment
2. Anonymous marking
Both of these can be handled by using TurnItIn. In order for the students to benefit from the functionality offered by TurnItIn a program of training for both staff and students would have to be designed and undertaken. As there would be a maximum of 4 people training staff and students it was decided that an electronic alternative to face to face classroom sessions would be created.
So What is TurnItIn?
TurnItIn is a web-based plagiarism detection software and is now available lecturers and students at Bucks New University.
Turnitin.com can be used as an educational tool to teach students how to work with sources and to improve paraphrasing and quoting skills, it can be used as a deterrent to stop people plagiarising work.
The primary use for TurnItIn will be as a tool to allow students to submit assignments electronically.
Secondary usage of TurnItIn is as an online plagiarism detector and also as a method of providing the student with electronic feedback.
1. Electronic submission of assessment
2. Anonymous marking
Both of these can be handled by using TurnItIn. In order for the students to benefit from the functionality offered by TurnItIn a program of training for both staff and students would have to be designed and undertaken. As there would be a maximum of 4 people training staff and students it was decided that an electronic alternative to face to face classroom sessions would be created.
So What is TurnItIn?
TurnItIn is a web-based plagiarism detection software and is now available lecturers and students at Bucks New University.
Turnitin.com can be used as an educational tool to teach students how to work with sources and to improve paraphrasing and quoting skills, it can be used as a deterrent to stop people plagiarising work.
The primary use for TurnItIn will be as a tool to allow students to submit assignments electronically.
Secondary usage of TurnItIn is as an online plagiarism detector and also as a method of providing the student with electronic feedback.
Friday, 13 August 2010
Week 15 : Reflection time....
Knowledge Networking or Knowledge Though Collective Consciousness
A few phrases spring to mind....
"Knowledge is power" - which is why some people do not share what they know for fear of making them vunrable or just to try and make their position untoachable
"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" - could be a more extreme version of the phrase above. Give someone too much 'power' and they may use it against people.
In order to change these attitudes to knowledge we need to makie sure that knowledge is shared or 'networked' between people, if certain knowledge is coveted by the individual then the group will suffer should anything happen to said individual.
How would we spread or share the knowledge around?
While the delivery methods are varied, the knowledge being delivered face-to-face or by ditance learning, the studnets can utilise a combination of wikis and blogs the students can pool their knowledge into one shared resource. It is, however, important to have a central hub or virtual learning environment to hold this knowledge in otherwise the temporamental nature of the internet could lead to the area, or site, that holds the knowledge being lost though closure of the site or other circumstances.
Students need to be able to collaborate and share their thoughts collectively through wikis on a VLE provided by their university, these wikis are an ideal place to share ideas and also to collect and comment upon information.
Wikis can also be used by students to interact and create new knowledge, also shared access areas where they can store documents for each another to view and add to, for example Google Documents, would be of great benefit to their progress.
It would be considered good rpactice for students to keep a blog of their progress over the course of their studies, it would allow them to keep up to date with what they have achieved and also allow for some degree of reflection.
A few phrases spring to mind....
"Knowledge is power" - which is why some people do not share what they know for fear of making them vunrable or just to try and make their position untoachable
"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" - could be a more extreme version of the phrase above. Give someone too much 'power' and they may use it against people.
In order to change these attitudes to knowledge we need to makie sure that knowledge is shared or 'networked' between people, if certain knowledge is coveted by the individual then the group will suffer should anything happen to said individual.
How would we spread or share the knowledge around?
While the delivery methods are varied, the knowledge being delivered face-to-face or by ditance learning, the studnets can utilise a combination of wikis and blogs the students can pool their knowledge into one shared resource. It is, however, important to have a central hub or virtual learning environment to hold this knowledge in otherwise the temporamental nature of the internet could lead to the area, or site, that holds the knowledge being lost though closure of the site or other circumstances.
Students need to be able to collaborate and share their thoughts collectively through wikis on a VLE provided by their university, these wikis are an ideal place to share ideas and also to collect and comment upon information.
Wikis can also be used by students to interact and create new knowledge, also shared access areas where they can store documents for each another to view and add to, for example Google Documents, would be of great benefit to their progress.
It would be considered good rpactice for students to keep a blog of their progress over the course of their studies, it would allow them to keep up to date with what they have achieved and also allow for some degree of reflection.
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Week 14 : Information Exchange
Better Project Management Using Information Exchange
How do you make a cup of tea?
or should I ask....
How do YOU make a cup of tea?
Not everyone does it exactly the same, there are certain steps and processes that people undertake in order to end up with a cuppa.
So where do you begin?
Do you get everything ready at the start?
What do you need?
Obviously a cup, or mug, or a cup and saucer or a combination of the 3 although a mug with a saucer would look a bit stranger!
What I would like everyone to do is this:
1. Write out the process you undertake in making a cup of tea
2. Compare everybodies processes
3. Combine what you have discussed into a 'definitive' guide to making a cup of tea
You dont need to go into the small details, such as timing everything to the second, but include enough detail that anyone else could follow.
When each group has finished they will be asked to demonstrate their own process and each cup of tea will be judged by myself.
Good luck!
How do you make a cup of tea?
or should I ask....
How do YOU make a cup of tea?
Not everyone does it exactly the same, there are certain steps and processes that people undertake in order to end up with a cuppa.
So where do you begin?
Do you get everything ready at the start?
What do you need?
Obviously a cup, or mug, or a cup and saucer or a combination of the 3 although a mug with a saucer would look a bit stranger!
What I would like everyone to do is this:
1. Write out the process you undertake in making a cup of tea
2. Compare everybodies processes
3. Combine what you have discussed into a 'definitive' guide to making a cup of tea
You dont need to go into the small details, such as timing everything to the second, but include enough detail that anyone else could follow.
When each group has finished they will be asked to demonstrate their own process and each cup of tea will be judged by myself.
Good luck!
Saturday, 7 August 2010
week 13 : Delicious
Weeks 13s assignment is on the left hand side under i.am.delicious
because I am :P
because I am :P
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Week 11 : Knowledge Management and the Student (pffft! no seriously!)
Knowledge Management or Too Much Information?
As mentioned by the Right Hon. Maurice Gledhil Esq, students do need access to siginificant amounts of knowledge, but are we giving them access to too much knowledge? and how can we help them organise it all....
Any form of 'management' need to have structure and order, otherwise it will be a mess....Knowledge Management needs to have structure and order or the 'knowledge' will become disorientating and lead to information overload.
One tool in the students armory is the VLE, for the duration of this posting I shall be referring to the unviersities VLE which is Blackboard.
If a student had a central repository for their knowledge, for example on Blackboard, they would be in control of what knowledge they can store, keep and digest any bits of information required. they could also store links and articles that may also be relevant to each subject that they find on their curriculum or timetable.
There are products available, such as Campus Pack for Blackboard. They have a product called Personal Learning Space which allow students to have their own knowledge management space.
One of the ways to view the organisation of knowledge management for a student is to look at their student lifecycle as a book. This book is not only a story of their progress through their degree but also shows how they have learnt new ideas and gained knowledge and while they have carried on with their studies. These ideas and knowledge are built upon over the course of there degree.
The book would start out, with such sections as a wiki, one central blog to cover what has been covered outside of the classroom and further individual blogs to help reflect upon what has happened inside the classroom. This would allow the student to build up their own knowledge base over their student lifetime.
Blackboard, if used correctly by the students lecturers, should hold key dates and information such as the modules the students are currently enrolled on, inside these moduls should be information regarding dates for assignment submissions.
The student can be enrolled into organisatiosn which are independent of their modular enrolments, such organisations as the Learning Development Unit can offer advice on how to user correct grammar, how to reference properly and other such invaluabel techniques which the student will need to know if they plan to graduate with the highest award possible.
Blackboard can become the centre of the students teaching and learning experience if utilised correctly, if any university can do this correctly then the studnets experience at university will be considerably less stressful.
As mentioned by the Right Hon. Maurice Gledhil Esq, students do need access to siginificant amounts of knowledge, but are we giving them access to too much knowledge? and how can we help them organise it all....
Any form of 'management' need to have structure and order, otherwise it will be a mess....Knowledge Management needs to have structure and order or the 'knowledge' will become disorientating and lead to information overload.
One tool in the students armory is the VLE, for the duration of this posting I shall be referring to the unviersities VLE which is Blackboard.
If a student had a central repository for their knowledge, for example on Blackboard, they would be in control of what knowledge they can store, keep and digest any bits of information required. they could also store links and articles that may also be relevant to each subject that they find on their curriculum or timetable.
There are products available, such as Campus Pack for Blackboard. They have a product called Personal Learning Space which allow students to have their own knowledge management space.
One of the ways to view the organisation of knowledge management for a student is to look at their student lifecycle as a book. This book is not only a story of their progress through their degree but also shows how they have learnt new ideas and gained knowledge and while they have carried on with their studies. These ideas and knowledge are built upon over the course of there degree.
The book would start out, with such sections as a wiki, one central blog to cover what has been covered outside of the classroom and further individual blogs to help reflect upon what has happened inside the classroom. This would allow the student to build up their own knowledge base over their student lifetime.
Blackboard, if used correctly by the students lecturers, should hold key dates and information such as the modules the students are currently enrolled on, inside these moduls should be information regarding dates for assignment submissions.
The student can be enrolled into organisatiosn which are independent of their modular enrolments, such organisations as the Learning Development Unit can offer advice on how to user correct grammar, how to reference properly and other such invaluabel techniques which the student will need to know if they plan to graduate with the highest award possible.
Blackboard can become the centre of the students teaching and learning experience if utilised correctly, if any university can do this correctly then the studnets experience at university will be considerably less stressful.
Week 10 : Building a Community Resource
To view my google site, containing week 10's e-tivity content, visit https://sites.google.com/site/msctelresource/second-life
BEWARE: YOU MAY NEED TO WEAR ANTI-AWESOMENESS SHADES BECAUSE IT IS SO AWESOME!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED HUMANS!!!!
BEWARE: YOU MAY NEED TO WEAR ANTI-AWESOMENESS SHADES BECAUSE IT IS SO AWESOME!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED HUMANS!!!!
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Week 9 : 'Designing Effective Resources in technology-enhanced Learning'
Web 2.0 could be best described as move from 'information superhighway' to 'interactive superhighway' from just giving out information to allows users to contribute information, a prime example of thsi would be the rise of social networking sites, these allow users to create content on the fly and also 'interact' with other users using such applications such as instant messaging.
Also aimed more towards social media (second life, virtual worlds, youtube, wikipedia, blogs, aggregator or RSS feeds) social means collaboration which can be done through google docs or facebook threads
Web 2.0 could also be described as the minimum number of people required to make it work...2 people makes it social!
Also aimed more towards social media (second life, virtual worlds, youtube, wikipedia, blogs, aggregator or RSS feeds) social means collaboration which can be done through google docs or facebook threads
Web 2.0 could also be described as the minimum number of people required to make it work...2 people makes it social!
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Week 5 - Exploring Access and Motivation Issues
For my responses please see the discussion forums on BLackboard
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Week 4 : Responses
Okay....made it to week 4 (but this is like 3 weeks late! sorry J&J!) and this week it's a scenario where a student has posted on to your programme's discussion area and you will need to response to the post bearing in mind the discussion in the last face-to-face (f2f) session covering access and motivation.
The original email:
Hello Karen
Firstly I would like to say that I think anythink that improves the learning of students is a good thing and using technology and the blackboard I am sure is going to be good. But I can not find a computer in the lab to use when I want and when I do I cant log on to the VPL! When I eventually did get on to Blakcboard and into the discussion bit I found Mary had answered every question at least twice! Just like she does in the lessons I feel like putting a sock in it!
Sorry to sound naf but I really do want to get on with this stuff but CANTTTTT!
Ta
Susy
My response:
Hi Susy,
Thank you for your email, I also believe that using technology and Blackboard will make your experience here at Bucks more enjoyable and hopefully the content on Blackboard will make things easier for you.
Unfortunately I cannot help you with the problem of spare computers in the Gateway building, perhaps it may be worth your while avoiding the busy or popular times? or even investing in a laptop / notebook?
If you do have any problems with access to Blackboard then contact the IT Service Desk in the Gateway library.
Don't worry about what Mary said, she isn't answering for anyone else apart from herself. Your opinions and answers still matter regardless so don't worry about other people....whose to say those answers and opinions are correct?
If you do find yourself struggling with the course there are options for you, such as the Learning Development Unit on the third floor of the Gateway and should things get too much then there is always the Counseling service in the north block.
If you want to talk on a one to one basis then let me know when you are free and i'll see if I can arrange anything.
Chin up and carry on with the excellent work :)
My explanation:
I'm new to all this so I hope you all don't think I was short with her but I do feel that some people need to adapt and overcome problems instead of sitting down and sulking about them.....harsh yes but true!
Student at Bucks are legally considered to be adults and I do think they should start to act like them and think and act for themselves.
University should be a place where students not only learn new skills but also develop a mindset that will take them places further on in life and in their careers.
Anyways I am now off my soapbox!
Back to the email....I did feel that Susy needed reassuring regarding the Mary situation, it is hard to be heard when you are not the loudest or lack confidence in yourself or your answers.
I also thought that Susy may be struggling with the topics raised in her email and these may be affecting her more deeply so that is why I told her about the LDU and advised her about the counseling service.
Since she does seem to be down regarding her experience I let her arrange a time and date for a face to face if she wnated to.
I signed off with a small amount of praise just to lift her spirits.
The original email:
Hello Karen
Firstly I would like to say that I think anythink that improves the learning of students is a good thing and using technology and the blackboard I am sure is going to be good. But I can not find a computer in the lab to use when I want and when I do I cant log on to the VPL! When I eventually did get on to Blakcboard and into the discussion bit I found Mary had answered every question at least twice! Just like she does in the lessons I feel like putting a sock in it!
Sorry to sound naf but I really do want to get on with this stuff but CANTTTTT!
Ta
Susy
My response:
Hi Susy,
Thank you for your email, I also believe that using technology and Blackboard will make your experience here at Bucks more enjoyable and hopefully the content on Blackboard will make things easier for you.
Unfortunately I cannot help you with the problem of spare computers in the Gateway building, perhaps it may be worth your while avoiding the busy or popular times? or even investing in a laptop / notebook?
If you do have any problems with access to Blackboard then contact the IT Service Desk in the Gateway library.
Don't worry about what Mary said, she isn't answering for anyone else apart from herself. Your opinions and answers still matter regardless so don't worry about other people....whose to say those answers and opinions are correct?
If you do find yourself struggling with the course there are options for you, such as the Learning Development Unit on the third floor of the Gateway and should things get too much then there is always the Counseling service in the north block.
If you want to talk on a one to one basis then let me know when you are free and i'll see if I can arrange anything.
Chin up and carry on with the excellent work :)
My explanation:
I'm new to all this so I hope you all don't think I was short with her but I do feel that some people need to adapt and overcome problems instead of sitting down and sulking about them.....harsh yes but true!
Student at Bucks are legally considered to be adults and I do think they should start to act like them and think and act for themselves.
University should be a place where students not only learn new skills but also develop a mindset that will take them places further on in life and in their careers.
Anyways I am now off my soapbox!
Back to the email....I did feel that Susy needed reassuring regarding the Mary situation, it is hard to be heard when you are not the loudest or lack confidence in yourself or your answers.
I also thought that Susy may be struggling with the topics raised in her email and these may be affecting her more deeply so that is why I told her about the LDU and advised her about the counseling service.
Since she does seem to be down regarding her experience I let her arrange a time and date for a face to face if she wnated to.
I signed off with a small amount of praise just to lift her spirits.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
The Times Higher Education website...
has something interesting on it for a change!
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=410082
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=410082
Back in the day.......
I thought I would share my e-learning experience (not te-L as it was not teaching) with you all.....
~~~wavy lines~~~
~~~wavy lines~~~
The year is 1986, the month was September, Sperry Rand and Burroughs merge to form Unisys, becoming the second largest computer company, and I was a few months away from taking my First Class exam (I was an air cadet, respect to 2210 Cowley Squadron)
I was just a geeky 13 year old boy with a passion for computers and a love of military helicopters....one evening on my way home from an evening of Drill and Aircraft Recognition I began to think about my impending exam....
So I thought to myself....why don’t I combine my programming skills with a need to pass this exam. Well two weekends later I had put together my very first e-learning application, written on a Spectrum + in BASIC.
It went through two rewrites, the first version required the person to enter the entire answer, an example of a question would be:
What engine powers a DeHavilland Chipmunk?
A) Gipsy Major 8
B) 2× Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
C) 2× Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca Adour Mk 102 turbofans
The answer would have to be typed in full in order to get the marks.
This was a bit long winded so the second revision changed it so only the letter had to be entered.
It worked, a few others used it and we all passed the exam (I got a merit so I didn’t do too badly, perhaps if I had spent more time studying than programming it may have been a distinction!)
and FYI:
B belongs to a Panavia Tornado and C belongs to a SEPECAT Jaguar!
We now leap forward in time to the year 2001 (cue Also Sprach Zarathustra!) we all survived the Y2K apocalypse and I’m working as a web developer / designer at a company called CCH Seminars (Part of teh Chroner group who are massive!). CCH Seminars provide seminars for accountants (ptew ptew) so they can top up their CPD points and carry on fleecing clients legally.
6 months before I started someone had the idea of recording the lectures onto CD and sticking them online instead of having accountants (ptew ptew) travel to seminars.
So I turned up and my primary job was to look after the site and also to look into developing it into THE central point for accountants (ptew ptew) to get their CPD points online.
The recording of the seminars proved to be too long so a shorter length (10-15 mins) was suggested. While this was more popular with the listeners the governing bodies wanted something visual as well.
So we took what was an mp3 file (or a podcast years before they became 'trendy') stuck it into Flash and used Flash to provide the visual stimulus.
The governing bodies were happy, so were the 450 accountants (ptew ptew) who bought the product, as they could enrol online, download the seminars and watch/listen to them from home.
However, it was 2001 and accountants (ptew ptew) had dialup both at home and at work so downloading around 20 x 5MB files took ages!
So I developed a CD-ROM version which meant that instead of downloading the files they were sent out on a CD-ROM. We pretty much double the number of accountants (ptew ptew) within a few months of launching the service.
I looked into the following technologies to increase the accountants (ptew ptew) learning experience, these were:
Online Forums - We were going to advertise these as place to ask questions
Online Chat Room - The plan was to use these for live Q&A sessions with guest presenters. Very expensive chat room software was bought and set up in a test environment.
Unfortunately due to redundancy (yeah....after making them all that money through my hard work and research) these were never introduced.
There have been various other e-learning projects that I have undertaken but these were small one-offs and a bit pants!
So there you go.....blazing an e-learning trail since 1986!
~~~wavy lines~~~
~~~wavy lines~~~
The year is 1986, the month was September, Sperry Rand and Burroughs merge to form Unisys, becoming the second largest computer company, and I was a few months away from taking my First Class exam (I was an air cadet, respect to 2210 Cowley Squadron)
I was just a geeky 13 year old boy with a passion for computers and a love of military helicopters....one evening on my way home from an evening of Drill and Aircraft Recognition I began to think about my impending exam....
So I thought to myself....why don’t I combine my programming skills with a need to pass this exam. Well two weekends later I had put together my very first e-learning application, written on a Spectrum + in BASIC.
It went through two rewrites, the first version required the person to enter the entire answer, an example of a question would be:
What engine powers a DeHavilland Chipmunk?
A) Gipsy Major 8
B) 2× Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
C) 2× Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca Adour Mk 102 turbofans
The answer would have to be typed in full in order to get the marks.
This was a bit long winded so the second revision changed it so only the letter had to be entered.
It worked, a few others used it and we all passed the exam (I got a merit so I didn’t do too badly, perhaps if I had spent more time studying than programming it may have been a distinction!)
and FYI:
B belongs to a Panavia Tornado and C belongs to a SEPECAT Jaguar!
We now leap forward in time to the year 2001 (cue Also Sprach Zarathustra!) we all survived the Y2K apocalypse and I’m working as a web developer / designer at a company called CCH Seminars (Part of teh Chroner group who are massive!). CCH Seminars provide seminars for accountants (ptew ptew) so they can top up their CPD points and carry on fleecing clients legally.
6 months before I started someone had the idea of recording the lectures onto CD and sticking them online instead of having accountants (ptew ptew) travel to seminars.
So I turned up and my primary job was to look after the site and also to look into developing it into THE central point for accountants (ptew ptew) to get their CPD points online.
The recording of the seminars proved to be too long so a shorter length (10-15 mins) was suggested. While this was more popular with the listeners the governing bodies wanted something visual as well.
So we took what was an mp3 file (or a podcast years before they became 'trendy') stuck it into Flash and used Flash to provide the visual stimulus.
The governing bodies were happy, so were the 450 accountants (ptew ptew) who bought the product, as they could enrol online, download the seminars and watch/listen to them from home.
However, it was 2001 and accountants (ptew ptew) had dialup both at home and at work so downloading around 20 x 5MB files took ages!
So I developed a CD-ROM version which meant that instead of downloading the files they were sent out on a CD-ROM. We pretty much double the number of accountants (ptew ptew) within a few months of launching the service.
I looked into the following technologies to increase the accountants (ptew ptew) learning experience, these were:
Online Forums - We were going to advertise these as place to ask questions
Online Chat Room - The plan was to use these for live Q&A sessions with guest presenters. Very expensive chat room software was bought and set up in a test environment.
Unfortunately due to redundancy (yeah....after making them all that money through my hard work and research) these were never introduced.
There have been various other e-learning projects that I have undertaken but these were small one-offs and a bit pants!
So there you go.....blazing an e-learning trail since 1986!
Monday, 25 January 2010
Response to TV Web University
The report mentioned that the couple had got rid of their tv years before their youngest child was born, whic judging by the age of the child, would be when had very slow broadband connectivity. Therefore I am to presume that it was a lifestyle choice and not a choice based on what tv and movie content was available on the internet at that time.
There will never be a 100% 'web' university, there will always be a need for human interaction with a tutor, lecturer or fellow classmates. The same argueement can be applied to e-learning, some think it will replace classroom learning but it is just another tool to be used in education.
There is a an EDU channel for YouTube, while this is a step forward towards the web university it only allows for one way transfer or knowledge.
While some may welcome the move towards using the net as a tool to reach the masses but it has to be backed up with the right level of support, i.e. forums, so you can post questions regarding the content of the material.
While there are successful 'web' universities, the Open University being a prime example, they do have a very good t-el model in place however they still have a lecturer or course leader the studetns can ring and talk to.
Online content can work, it has been proven, but there must alwasy be a 'human' element to any sort of learning at that level.
And that's how I roll.....
There will never be a 100% 'web' university, there will always be a need for human interaction with a tutor, lecturer or fellow classmates. The same argueement can be applied to e-learning, some think it will replace classroom learning but it is just another tool to be used in education.
There is a an EDU channel for YouTube, while this is a step forward towards the web university it only allows for one way transfer or knowledge.
While some may welcome the move towards using the net as a tool to reach the masses but it has to be backed up with the right level of support, i.e. forums, so you can post questions regarding the content of the material.
While there are successful 'web' universities, the Open University being a prime example, they do have a very good t-el model in place however they still have a lecturer or course leader the studetns can ring and talk to.
Online content can work, it has been proven, but there must alwasy be a 'human' element to any sort of learning at that level.
And that's how I roll.....
Friday, 22 January 2010
My very first tel project....
will be a laptop simulator which all new helpdesk and library staff will use to simulate configuring and connecting to the wifi service here at the university.
First step is to take screen shots of a laptop with the XP OS on it, next will be to put these together in Adobe Flash using buttons to simulate mouse clicks.
When finished it should look and feel exactly like you are using a laptop to configure wifi....
If this works then the next project will be to create one for laptops using Vista :)
I would consider doing on for Macbooks but they are a bloody nightmare what with all their different versions of OSX!
And that's how I roll......
First step is to take screen shots of a laptop with the XP OS on it, next will be to put these together in Adobe Flash using buttons to simulate mouse clicks.
When finished it should look and feel exactly like you are using a laptop to configure wifi....
If this works then the next project will be to create one for laptops using Vista :)
I would consider doing on for Macbooks but they are a bloody nightmare what with all their different versions of OSX!
And that's how I roll......
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
And so it begins....
Well judging by the amount of content of Blackboard and the first lesson this will be a 'challenging' course!
This is the first time with Justin but I did do a module with Richard during my BSc so I know what too expect....
Lets just hope things carry on this well :P
This is the first time with Justin but I did do a module with Richard during my BSc so I know what too expect....
Lets just hope things carry on this well :P
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