Archive for 2006
Everything is a Learning Tool!

Everything is a Learning Tool!

9:32 AM Add Comment
In a recent article on Learning Circuits, Clark Aldrich proclaimed Second Life is not a Teaching Tool which then followed with the flame wars in Second Life Redux & The Ultimate MMORPG?

What I find disturbing about this entire conversation is how quickly people will dismiss something as not being a learning tool because it doesn't fit conventional models. I would like to propose the counterpoint to this debate- Everything is a Learning Tool!

Let's take, for example, the humble stick.

How can a stick teach something as complex as Customer Service skills?
Let's explore:
  • A stick can serve as a symbol for the perfect interaction path. In the example of this stick, if you get off the path, you hit a thorn.
  • A stick can be used as an interaction aid. Pass the stick around to answer questions.
  • A stick can symbolize a reward. Hand the stick to someone who achieves a goal, such as a customer kudo.
  • A stick can be carved with symbols that relate to the student's job goals. A stick can be a part of a word game that helps students remember skills. (S=Sell, T=Tell, I=Inform... etc..)
  • If all else fails, you can hit your students over the head with the stick if they do something wrong.
The fact is, it is not our place to say what is or isn't a learning tool. If we get into this debate, we miss the creativity of finding new uses for, well, anything. If a stick can be a learning tool, imagine what can be made of something like a MMORPG.

Instead of debating what is or isn't a learning tool, look at what your students relate to and find a way to use that as a learning tool.

Do your students use PSPs? How can you use that?
Do your students all like the movie Borat? Use it.
Do your students all play Half Life? Use it.

We should never force our students into our instructional models. Instead, we should look for how we can relate our education to our students.
Yiibu.com - Learning and Lifestyle for Mobile

Yiibu.com - Learning and Lifestyle for Mobile

9:29 AM Add Comment
For later reference:
Yiibu - Learning and Lifestyle for Mobile

This site is by some great mobile developers who successfully combine education with the mobile lifestyle. Their understanding of the mobile lifestyle seems to surpass most other mLearning developers and I have a lot to learn from them. One thing I love is their use of anime type graphics and avatars.


Good job Stephanie and Bryan! You've opened my eyes to a lifestyle angle I haven't really explored.
Sony PSP as Educational Handheld?

Sony PSP as Educational Handheld?

6:31 PM Add Comment
To facilitate some fun inspiration for the new year, I broke down and bought a Sony PSP. I've never been much of a gamer, and only recently have I delved into Second Life, however, with more and more educational games being made for the Sony PSP, I've decided it's time to jump into the foray.

Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) Value Pack

Of course, programming for the PSP isn't as easy as Flash, but it can be done. I've also decided to check out some of the existing PSP educational titles available. I'll add links from Amazon once I find them...


While I know that this is only one mLearning platform, it is something that is popular among our next gen learners. We as education professionals need to stay one step ahead of our learners less we come to a point where we are unable to educate as their expectations have surpassed us.

Reference:

PSP Hacks, Mods, and Expansions

PSP Hacks: Tips & Tools for Your Mobile Gaming and Entertainment Handheld (Hacks)

Jozi college goes mobile- mLearning & Learning 2.0 w/ MobilED

Jozi college goes mobile- mLearning & Learning 2.0 w/ MobilED

6:04 PM Add Comment
IOL: Jozi college goes mobile


By Sholain Govender

While cellphone use is banned in most South African schools, a Centurion college has decided to embrace the technology and
use it to educate pupils. Cornwall Hill College, in collaboration with the Meraka Institute of the CSIR, is developing research-based models and scenarios on how cellphones could be used to empower pupils and aid teachers.

These models are being tested and evaluated in South Africa, Brazil, India, and Finland. This initiative, dubbed "MobilED", encourages teachers and pupils to use mobile devices in formal and informal learning situations.

It is also hoped that the initiative will improve scientific and technical know-how by noting how young people use mobile devices in everyday knowledge-sharing and problem-solving situations in and out of the school environment. "Cellphones are seen to be disruptive and distracting instruments and detrimental to teaching and learning in formal teaching environments," said Cornwall Hill College spokesperson Britt van der Knaap. "An alternative way of looking at this is to embrace these widely used and owned instruments.

"Even the most basic cellphones are powerful communication instruments and can be used to great advantage in the learning process to gain access to information as well as to manage, create and share content," she said. Using these microcomputers in formal learning environments can enhance and support existing learning strategies and benefit the advantaged as well as the disadvantaged pupil, Van der Knaap said.


She said Cornwall Hill College, a private school in Irene, had benefited tremendously from extended exposure to this new approach to
learning. Cornwall's executive director Leon Kunneke adopted the new initiative and encouraged the appropriate use of cellphones in the classroom
through values-based principles, instead of managing it on a rules-based system.

Cornwall Hill College is now collaborating with Irene Middle School in developing and testing mobile supported learning to determine its impact in a resource-limited environment. Teachers form Cornwall Hill recently gave a presentation at the 5th World Conference on Mobile Learning held in Banff, Canada.

This annual conference encourages critical debate on approaches, principles, and applications of mobile devices for promoting learning in formal and informal learning environments. Mobile Learning 2006 provided an opportunity for researchers, teachers, students, technologists and practitioners, as well as professionals
from industry, to share their knowledge, experience and research in the various areas where mobile learning is applied.

The MobilED initiative was the focus of three papers presented at the conference. Merryl Ford, of the Meraka Institute, presented a technical
paper on the server platform created in using cellphones to access content in Wikipedia (an online encyclopaedia) via text-to-speech technology.

Pupils of Cornwall Hill and Irene Middle School had the opportunity to address the issue of HIV/Aids among the youth and they could contribute their own perspectives to the growing body of knowledge by adding voice files to the existing Wikipedia.

Cornwall Hill College teacher Adele Botha's presentation, "When Wikis grow up and go for outings", documents the experiences of her Grade 10 science pupils in creating their own online textbook in the classroom and accessing it via their cellphones during an outing to Gold Reef City.

Fellow teacher Jacqueline Batchelor presented "Moving beyond a pilot", which focused on the implications of piloting and implementing mobile learning in a formal school environment and the catalyst for change brought about by the MobilED initiative. "It is encouraging to realise that South Africa and Cornwall Hill College in particular is on the cutting edge of developing and implementing mobile learning in formal learning scenarios," Van der Knaap said.


A tale of two experts on m-Learning - mLearning - Zimbio

A tale of two experts on m-Learning - mLearning - Zimbio

5:45 PM Add Comment
A tale of two experts on m-Learning - mLearning - Zimbio

::snip::
EKL: Obviously IBM is really putting m-learning into practice. But where do you think the view that it�s been over-hyped has come from?
CK: I think what happened, and thank goodness we fixed things, was that everyone in the marketplace was spinning out this term m-learning. And it�s cool, but people don�t buy m-learning. You can take advantage of its capabilities for a business application deployment for a sales force, field force, and so forth, but people don�t buy m-learning. It�s a capability.
We gave it almost too much focus and drew attention to it, but pretty quickly we learned to back off and weave it through our existing offerings as a differentiator for us and a competitive advantage for the customers. We found that we need to get in the middle of these discussions with an important triad�the line of business (LOB) executive, the CIO, and then the CLO�and be the catalyst.
The LOB exec is the person who is going to drive an m-learning deployment. Clearly no one would ever deploy a device just for learning. But the LOB executives certainly would because they�re trying to give a competitive advantage or be more efficient. I use the term enablement. The CLO can say, if you have connectivity out to our endpoints, think about what you can distribute in a profiled fashion.
....
EKL: In 2000, you said we�re just on the cusp of achieving the potential of m-learning. Where are we now in 2005? To some people it may seem like not much progress had been made.
CQ: If we�re still on the cusp, that�s more due to the economic downturn over the past few years than a fundamental flaw in the logic. To be fair, there�s been a steady increase in the infrastructure (greater penetration of phones, increase in networks, and so forth), that makes it a more attractive and practical proposition now. I actually think we�re now past the cusp and on our way. After being on the stump for mobile learning for the last couple of years, we�re beginning to see some action: initial contracts, some experiments, and so forth.
m-Learning: Microlearning

m-Learning: Microlearning

1:51 PM Add Comment
Another 'M' for mLearning-
m-Learning: Microlearning

Microlearning deals with relatively small learning units and short-term learning activities. Generally, the term 'microlearning' refers to micro-perspectives in the context of learning, education and training. More frequently, the term is used in the domain of E-learning and related fields in the sense of a new paradigmatic perspective on learning processes in mediated environments on micro levels.Microlearning deals with relatively small learning
units and short-term learning activities. Generally, the term 'microlearning' refers to micro-perspectives in the context of learning, education and training. More frequently, the term is used in the domain of E-learning and related fields in the sense of a new paradigmatic perspective on learning processes in mediated environments on micro levels.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microlearning
http://www.microlearning.org/

Windshield Time?

Windshield Time?

7:44 PM Add Comment
Looking down today while driving, I was thinking of a term I heard at an earlier mLearning conference called 'Windshield Time'.. this is the time your employees go to and from clients.. Initially, I thought this was an untapped field waiting to explore.. I even snapped a pic to show all the available learning modes available to me during a short commute... The challenge is.. your employee is driving to visit a client, how will your training get their attention? Why listen to training versus listening to the latest U2 album? mLearning, like all learning modes needs WIIFM- What's In It For Me... Without WIIFM, it is just another term or fad.....
eLearning DevCon 2007 - Dates and Call for Presentations

eLearning DevCon 2007 - Dates and Call for Presentations

2:37 PM Add Comment
If anyone is interested:
eLearning DevCon 2007 - Dates and Call for Presentations

I have less than a month propose a presentation! Ouch.. Looks like I have a job for my Christmas holiday.

If you are interested in presenting at eLearning DevCon 2007, submit a proposal at www.elearndevcon.com. If your proposal is submitted and accepted by 1/9/2007, as a thank you we will provide you with a complimentary pass to the conference, pay for all of your meals, and we'll pay for your lodging at the residence halls at the conference.

We've had some great presenters in past years and I expect we'll have an equally
great lineup this for 2007. Registrations will open on 12/15. Check back at www.elearndevcon.com soon for up to $150 off when you register early. And, check out who is going to be our keynote next year! Coming up soon!

Will at Work Learning: Assessment Mistakes by E-Learning Developers

Will at Work Learning: Assessment Mistakes by E-Learning Developers

7:58 AM Add Comment
This artcle stings:

Will at Work Learning: Assessment Mistakes by E-Learning Developers

While I don't fall into the category of those who only do L1 'Smiley' sheets, I know that often I could be going into L3 & L4 (ROI) studys a lot more. Generally, like most professionals, 90% of assessments seem to stop at the L2 level.

We've made it a goal next year to incorporate more L3 & L4(ROI) studies into our learning. Hopefully Will's results will be better next year.
Will at Work Learning's Storefront Learning Challenge

Will at Work Learning's Storefront Learning Challenge

7:37 AM Add Comment
Will at Work Learning has an interesting challenge- the Storefront Learning Challenge

Explanation: One of our goals in the learning and performance field is to enable transfer, to help our learners minimize forgetting so that they can remember what they've learned over a long long time. This contest has no rules except this one: Try to capture in a storefront photograph, some insight, truth, or humorous notion regarding our field---the training, development, learning, performance, e-learning field(s). Give it a title, caption, and/or explanation if you like. Tell us the earth location of the storefront.

I humbly submit:
Closed Knowledge (Asakusa Japan)

Although many learning metaphors can be derived from Closed Knowledge, what stood out to me was that- Learning Will Happen. Even if we don't design or deliver the learning- aka, the Store is Closed, our students will find a way to learn. Our participants are hungry for knowledge and they will come to us for it. If we are 'closed' that doesn't mean learning stops, it simply means that our students will get knowledge from other sources.

NLP in Education

NLP in Education

6:33 AM Add Comment
This is something that most designers overlook, but is a great resource for eduction- NLP or Neuro-linguistic Programming.

From Wikipedia: The term "Neuro-linguistic programming" denotes a set of models and principles meant to explore how mind and neurology (neuro), language patterns (linguistic), and the organization of human perception and cognition into systemic patterns (programming) interact to create subjective reality and human behaviors.

Basically, NLP is the use of language techniques to program the listener to accept or be open to a certain message.

In the article, NLP in Education - A Magnificent Opportunity, Don A. Blackerby explores how we can use this in educational settings.

Some of the NLP modeling skills he uses are:


  • Spiritual/Greater System � Attempts to communicate or change at this level affects our experience of being a part of a much vaster system. Answers the question of, who else does this serve? Or, what is the greater purpose or vision?
  • Identity � Attempts to communicate or change at this level affects self-image and overall purpose. Answers the question of, who am I?
  • Beliefs and Values � Attempts to communicate or change at this level, affects the motivation and permission by affecting the reasons that we do it. Answers the question of, why do I do it?

  • Capabilities � Attempts to communicate or change at this level, affects behavioural actions through a mental map, skill or strategy. Answers the question of, how do I do it?

  • Behaviour � Attempts to communicate or change at this level, affects specific actions taken within the environment. Answers the question of, what do I do?

  • Environmental � Attempts to communicate or change at this level, affects the external constraints a person has to live within and react to. Answers the questions of, where and/or when and/or with whom do I do it?


    • Of course, this is the proverbial tip of the iceburg in NLP. Simple tasks such as using a students primary cognitive response to help clear communication paths provides the facilitator a great tool in overcoming barriers.

    The more we know about the psychology of the human mind, we can look back at our primary instructional models in an entirely new light.


    I would like to pose the question to my readers, have you used NLP or other psychological tool in your educational models? What were your results?
    The Learning Circuits Blog: Convergence Learning

    The Learning Circuits Blog: Convergence Learning

    6:22 AM Add Comment
    Great read, The Learning Circuits Blog: Convergence Learning

    Snip..
    Convergence Journalism: from the convergence of technologies that has taken place with digitization, to economic convergence in media ownership, through to the journalistic convergence that is seeing both a combination of media forms into one 'multimedia' form, and a multiplication of delivery systems.

    Wondering if the learning profession has such a term, I Googled it and came across this interesting definition from KERIS - the Convergence Learning Model is founded upon cognitive sciences and operates on three impetuses: the psychology of learning, pedagogical change, and technological advancement. From a psychological view, the model addresses intrinsic motivation based on Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory. From a pedagogical view, the model provides a link between formal and informal learning to the benefit of each. Finally, the model is implemented using ubiquitous computing technologies...

    Read the rest here:
    learning elearning: Promise fo Web 2.0 for mLearning

    learning elearning: Promise fo Web 2.0 for mLearning

    9:21 AM Add Comment
    Selena has a great article here on mLearning & Web 2.0- or as many call it, Learning 2.0.
    learning elearning: Promise fo Web 2.0 for mLearning

    ..snip..
    Stephen Downes article on eLearning 2.0 summarises many of the developments on the WWW that have and will impact on how we learning takes place in both formal and informal learning environments. It�s a good article to read for background. Recent blogs by both Will Richardson & Derek Wenmouth lament the slow movement of the use of IT into the formal education area. Both of these bloggers also show the many ways in which the WWW could be used to held enhance learning. Will blogging recently on the uses of blogs in research, pageflakes as student portal and wikis & Derek with his thoughts on personal learning environments & ePortfolios.
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