News in Online Education

Archiving (and ending) the Feed: April 2010 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy

Posted in Articles, Collaboration, Course Activities, Fun Miscellany, Learning Aids, Library & Info Science, News in Online Education, Pedagogical Theory, Social Networking, Time Management, Video, Visual Aids, Web Tools on April 30th, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment

CC-licensed photo, IMG_2883 by Richard Mansfield via Flickr

Each month, I post a list of @wisepedagogy Twitter posts from the previous month. If you missed them the first time, you can find them here.

Unfortunately, this will be the last archive for @wisepedagogy. We have reached the end of our grant funding for this project, and most WISE Pedagogy initiatives are being discontinued after April 30. Anyone who wishes to read more tweets for eLearning and online pedagogy can follow my personal feed, @amckinn.

So long and thanks for following! Just for fun, here are two additional images of dolphins  for your amusement:

CC-licensed photo, La saga del zoo de Madrid VI - Acrobacias con los delfines by Carlos Alejo via Flickr

CC-licensed photo, dinner by snailo86 via Flickr

Video: What Does it Mean to Teach in the 21st Century?

Posted in Collaboration, Course Activities, News in Online Education, Pedagogical Theory, Video, Visual Aids, Web Tools on April 14th, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment

The following video by Kevin Roberts offers inspiration for making online education engaging: if students can get information online, what can instructors do to teach beyond the limits of imparting information?

The focus is on active assignments, asking students to discuss ideas and use cloud-based networks (like Prezi) to analyze the information they are learning. As far as inspiring presentations for educators go, this one stretches on longer than most at almost ten minutes. However, the content is worth the watch if you have time.

On a related note, the video serves as a good example of how to present information and ideas in Prezi. Even without the addition of image files or embedded videos, the presentation moves from point to point in a way that holds readers’ attention with pure text. For anyone who is learning how to adapt presentations to Prezi, the style of delivery in this video may be reason enough to watch it.

Teaching in the 21st Century

iPads for Education: How Much is Hype?

Posted in Learning Aids, News in Online Education, Social Networking, Video, Visual Aids, Web Tools on April 6th, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment

Since the iPad was released to the general public, there have been a lot of reports and articles about its relative advantages and disadvantages. The following is my addition to this dialog: in terms of educational technology, how much can we estimate its future worth as a learning tool?

How the iPad compares in size to an iPhone and a laptop. CC-licensed photo, 10-iPadUnboxing-7951, by Kadath via Flickr.

Much of educational technology focuses on making use of the technologies students are already using. At least, that seems to be the main theory behind mobile learning pedagogy…as well as several online networks. Isn’t that why instructors started setting up Facebook and Second Life accounts in the first place — to go where the students were? If that were true, it should only follow that educators should be prepared to embrace iPads as much as their students.

So: to what extent can we expect students to embrace iPads? Let’s consider its practical value for general use as an e-reader or online browsing machine. Sure, it’s shiny and new, but will it be more practical than a smartphone or netbook?

The photo above shows how much larger the iPad is than the iPhone. It’s not going to be as portable as an iPhone, and without a protective sleeve it’s going to be more easily damaged (and have fewer applications) than a laptop. Factor in the limited capabilities for this early model, and it might have enough drawbacks to make it less useful to students than either a smartphone or a larger laptop or netbook. This also ignores the price consideration — if students already have a laptop and a smartphone (or an iPod touch, for that matter), a budget-conscious student must wonder what he/she could accomplish with an iPad that couldn’t already be done with one or the other gadgets, and if that would be enough to justify buying another device.

There are other drawbacks that could be listed here: the iPad’s inability to read e-books in .pdf files, its awkward size/weight for holding it like a book for extended reading, even the way a fingerprint-smudged iPad loses its “shiny and new” luster as soon as it’s out of the box.

However, Apple’s marketing campaign has done a fantastic job of hyping the new gadget in glitzy ads and media exposure. Surely, if Apple could change the world with iPods and iPhones, the iPad couldn’t fall much farther from the tree, could it?

CC-licensed photo, Apple iPad faux pas, by Swamibu via Flickr

While it may have some practical drawbacks for students, the iPad may be a useful device for people who are less tech-savvy, have needs that are more recreational than learning-centered, and want something like a smartphone but with a larger screen.  (I might still suggest a netbook instead — at least, for my older family members who want something lightweight they can carry to the library and check their email for free. For people in this category, a netbook is still more affordable and might be easier to type with. If your less tech-savvy relatives want to look more cutting-edge while they do this, by all means recommend them to the iPad.)

Before this post delves too deeply into snark, however, it’s still worth investigating possible uses for iPads as learning technology. The following video by The Masie Center gives Eliot Masie’s iPad First Look for Learning:

Also, a Blackboard app for the iPad:

Advice for the time being: Unless you are a devoted Apple fan who would use a new Apple device anyway, or you teach at a school that is giving each student his or her own iPad, you might want to wait a few months before you buy one solely for pedagogical purposes. Time may tell whether this new device will have enough advantages to surpass the others that are already available.

Even if you and some of your students already do have iPads, it may be a while before we can expect to design lesson plans that incorporate them into course activities.

Finally, for a pun on blended learning, the following video demonstrates what happens when an iPad is put in a blender.

Archiving the Feed: March 2010 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy

Posted in Articles, Collaboration, Course Activities, Fun Miscellany, Learning Aids, Library & Info Science, News in Online Education, Pedagogical Theory, Podcasting, Social Networking, Synchronous Learning, Time Management, Video, Visual Aids, Web Tools on April 1st, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment
cc-licensed photo, Chicks, by nickgraywfu via Flickr

cc-licensed photo, Chicks, by nickgraywfu via Flickr

Each month, I post a list of @wisepedagogy Twitter posts from the previous month. If you missed them the first time, you can find them here.

Not included in this list are posts related to the Spring 2010 ELI Focus Session on Mobile Learning. You can find those in this post: Mobile Learning: Educause ELI Focus Session Recap

Introduction to Online Pedagogy Workshop Survey: New Forum for Discussion Board?

Posted in Collaboration, News in Online Education, Pedagogical Theory, Time Management on February 18th, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment
cc-licensed photo, Day 30 | 01 May 2008 | Decision Time via Flickr by Shereen M (has been away far too long. Back soon!!

cc-licensed photo, "Day 30 | 01 May 2008 | Decision Time" via Flickr by Shereen M (has been away far too long. Back soon!!

Those who have participated in the WISE Introduction to Online Pedagogy On-Demand Workshop are familiar with the workshop’s discussion board  in phpBB. For those who aren’t familiar, this has been our solution to the need for an open forum independent of a course management system. The on-demand workshop has been open to anyone, free of charge, without the need to wait for a time-sensitive online course with a seat limit and wait list.

The phpBB system has provided a discussion board, but it has not been without its drawbacks. People who want to join need to wait to be approved first, to keep the board free of spammers. What’s worse, phpBB does not send notifications of new members, or notices of new messages or responses — meaning that unless people remember to actively return to the site, the participation rate drops off.

How to fix this: A poll has been created for forum users to help us choose a better, more effective venue for continuing discussion of online pedagogy. Because space for explanation on the poll page is minimal, the options are listed below.  If you would like to participate in this forum, please respond to the poll by March 5: http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2721699/

Which online service would you most likely use to participate in asynchronous discussion about online pedagogy?

  • The Commenting feature within the PBworks wiki. Users will get notices when new comments are made. Comments will be visible to anyone who views the wiki. If over 100 people want to join, the ones who have already completed the workshop can opt out. A free registration would be required for the 100 users who can join the wiki at any given time.
  • A Facebook Fan Page. Users can post their discussion responses in the Discussions page, and keep in touch by visiting the fan page itself. Once users comment they may receive notifications of replies to their comments, if not new discussion threads. Comments will be visible only to people who join the fan page. A free registration would be required for those who are not already on Facebook. An unlimited number of people could participate.
  • A private blog. This would be separate from the public WISE Pedagogy Blog; users would need to be invited to a private space in order to view discussion prompts (as blog posts) and participate in discussion (as blog comments). Users could receive notification of new messages by signing up for RSS feeds of both the blog and blog comments in addition to joining the blog as a private reader. Private membership is limited to 100 readers at a time.
  • An email list like Listserv or Google Groups. Messages will be viewable only to registered users, who will receive all new messages individually or in a digest. Discussion would take place as email messages or replies to existing discussion threads. An unlimited number of people could participate.
  • I would prefer to stick with the phpBB forum.
  • Other (Please specify).

Archiving the Feed: September 2009 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy

Posted in Articles, Collaboration, Course Activities, Fun Miscellany, Learning Aids, Library & Info Science, News in Online Education, Pedagogical Theory, Podcasting, Social Networking, Synchronous Learning, Time Management, Video, Visual Aids, Web Tools on February 2nd, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment
cc-licensed photo, Sprinkles, M&Ms and Chocolate Crunch, via Flickr by Sister72

cc-licensed photo, Sprinkles, M&Ms and Chocolate Crunch, via Flickr by Sister72

I am in the process of archiving the wisepedagogy Twitter announcements from past months. Links have been expanded to show the entire URL rather than bit.ly shorthand.

September 2009 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy:

I have left out a few tweets that related to dated events, such as webinars and calls for participation. I’m guessing that the people who would read this archive would be most interested in resources that still have a chance of being available.

Archiving the Feed: October 2009 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy

Posted in Articles, Collaboration, Course Activities, Fun Miscellany, Learning Aids, Library & Info Science, News in Online Education, Pedagogical Theory, Podcasting, Social Networking, Synchronous Learning, Time Management, Video, Visual Aids, Web Tools on February 1st, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment
cc-licensed photo, P1060127, via Flickr by jessicareeder

cc-licensed photo, P1060127, via Flickr by jessicareeder

I am in the process of archiving the wisepedagogy Twitter announcements from past months. Links have been expanded to show the entire URL rather than bit.ly shorthand.

October 2009 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy:

Archiving the Feed: November 2009 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy

Posted in Articles, Collaboration, Course Activities, Fun Miscellany, Learning Aids, Library & Info Science, News in Online Education, Pedagogical Theory, Podcasting, Social Networking, Synchronous Learning, Time Management, Video, Visual Aids, Web Tools on February 1st, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment
cc-licensed photo, DSC00948, via Flickr by godutchbaby

cc-licensed photo, DSC00948, via Flickr by godutchbaby

I am in the process of archiving the wisepedagogy Twitter announcements from past months. Links have been expanded to show the entire URL rather than bit.ly shorthand.

November 2009 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy:

Archiving the Feed: December 2009 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy

Posted in Articles, Collaboration, Course Activities, Fun Miscellany, Learning Aids, Library & Info Science, News in Online Education, Pedagogical Theory, Podcasting, Social Networking, Synchronous Learning, Time Management, Uncategorized, Video, Visual Aids, Web Tools on February 1st, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment
cc-licensed photo, Lunch Time! via Flickr by AR Nature Gal

cc-licensed photo, Lunch Time! via Flickr by AR Nature Gal

I am in the process of archiving the wisepedagogy Twitter announcements from past months. Links have been expanded to show the entire URL rather than bit.ly shorthand.

December 2009 Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy:

Archiving the Feed: January 2010 Twitter posts by wisepedagogy

Posted in Articles, Collaboration, Course Activities, Learning Aids, Library & Info Science, News in Online Education, Pedagogical Theory, Social Networking, Synchronous Learning, Time Management, Uncategorized, Video, Visual Aids, Web Tools on February 1st, 2010 by Anne – Be the first to comment
cc-licensed photo, Freezer Meals, via Flickr by armigeress

cc-licensed photo, Freezer Meals, via Flickr by armigeress

Thanks to Twitter I’ve been able to share a plethora of announcements about new e-learning technologies and pedagogical research studies, all in a very quick, easy manner. No thanks to Twitter, however, I’ve been announcing fewer of these announcements on this blog.

I’m hoping to reverse this trend by posting summaries of my Twitter updates at least on a monthly basis, if not more frequently. In the meantime, I’ll archive what I can in a few posts, beginning with January. Links have been expanded to show the entire URL rather than bit.ly shorthand.

January Twitter Posts by wisepedagogy:

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