by Harvey Singh - has a good overview of different blends of learning. encourages the use of different modes to suit the context including performance support, unstructured and collaborative learning.
'This article has two objectives:
1. To provide a comprehensive view of blended
learning and discuss possible dimensions and
ingredients (learning delivery methods) of blended learning programs.
2. To provide a model to create the appropriate blend by ensuring that each ingredient, individually and collectively, adds to a meaningful learning experience.'
Best Practices and Case Studies: Be Very Afraid
by Allen Weiss
Questions to ask about case studies and best practice examples when applying ideas to own situation.
"Do I have the same type of customers? The subject of the case study or best practice might have a very loyal group of customers, or price-insensitive customers. But do you? These customers might be in totally different industries, or have different backgrounds, that make them more or less susceptible to offers, and so on.
Do I have the same type of competitors? The subjects of some case studies have no real competition that can bid away any advantages. But do you?
Do I have the same skills and financial resources in my company? Often I see case studies about, say, what the Wall Street Journal has done to build subscriptions. It's an interesting story, but unless you have millions of dollars to spend, and a history of over 100 years, it is probably best viewed as just that, an interesting news item. So ask yourself if you really have the same skills and resources as the company in the case study or so-called best practice.
Is my company at the same level of market development? Look at how easy it was to get venture capital money back in 1998 and how high advertising rates were on the Web. People were thrilled to see case studies of how so-and-so got funding, and you really didn't need to know much about marketing to survive. But the common thing was that this was a new market, and in new markets most new firms can easily exist (e.g., a high tide raises all boats). But when the market matures, the entire game changes.
Do I have a similar cultural environment? Some companies are successful because they have the right type of organizational culture, and their customers exist in the right type of culture.
Is the timing of the best practice or case study the same as mine? Viral marketing got a huge boost when Hotmail grew by giving away its accounts for free and making it easy for people to refer others to a Hotmail account. Great� but that was at a time when email was virtually unknown to many people. Viral marketing is a whole lot harder today! "
International Forum of Educational Technology & Society
Moderator:
Bill Williams
Setubal Polytechnic, Portugal
Introduction...
'Groups of learners on online courses, in common with other online communities, are generally found to comprise both highly participative individuals and those who appear to contribute little to group discussions but who consider that they are actively following the course and learning. I use the neutral term ROPs (Read Only Participants) for the latter rather than the commonly used lurker which carries a suggestion of deviant behaviour.
The questions to be addressed in this discussion are to do with issues such as if ROPs on an online course are pursuing an inappropriate learning strategy on their part and, if so, what could be done by course designers and moderators to encourage learner participation.'
link to website
by Charles Handy
Excerpt "It is easy to be seduced by the technological possibilities of the virtual organization, but the managerial and personal implications may cause us to rethink what we mean by an organization.
At its simplest, the managerial dilemma comes down to the question, How do you manage people whom you do not see! The simple answer is, By trusting them, but the apparent simplicity disguises a turnaround in organizational thinking.
The rules of trust are both obvious and well established, but they do not sit easily with a managerial tradition that believes efficiency and control are closely linked and that you can't have one without a lot of the other."
Movable Type Education Weblog Portal
Movable Type Education Weblogs in the Blogosphere
ungreek
For years, designers have been using fake Latin gibberish known as greeking (or sometimes lorem ipsum, after the customary initial words) as a text placekeeper. It conveys the shape and "color" of text without the distraction of actual content.
The ungreek.toolbot engine gives you the option of several different source texts from which you can generate greeking.
And here's another one...
malevole - Text Generator which generated this (amongst others)
"Hong Kong Phooey, number one super guy. Hong Kong Phooey, quicker than the human eye. He's got style, a groovy style, and a car that just won't stop. When the going gets tough, he's really rough, with a Hong Kong Phooey chop (Hi-Ya!). Hong Kong Phooey, number one super guy. Hong Kong Phooey, quicker than the human eye. Hong Kong Phooey, he's fan-riffic!
Hey there where ya goin', not exactly knowin', who says you have to call just one place home. He's goin' everywhere, B.J. McKay and his best friend Bear. He just keeps on movin', ladies keep improvin', every day is better than the last. New dreams and better scenes, and best of all I don't pay property tax. Rollin' down to Dallas, who's providin' my palace, off to New Orleans or who knows where. Places new and ladies, too, I'm B.J. McKay and this is my best friend Bear."
This document is a flyer for promoting the FlexiTrain centres to teachers.
FERL | UK
The good practice database contains examples of good practice found during the inspection of providers by Adult Learning Inspectorate inspection teams. Entries have media clips and links to organisations as well as how they did it type practical information.
Max Design - Liquid layouts - the easy way
By Russ Weakley
30-Dec-03
This article explains one method of achieving a successful liquid layout as well as providing basic definitions of liquid, fixed-width and em-driven layouts.
movabletype.org : Support Forum
Trims the tag value to the first N characters, where N is specified as the value of the attribute.
Example usage:
CODE
<$MTEntryTitle trim_to="15"$>
By Kathy Tyner
"To optimize learning , information must be logically organized and made explicit to the learner. This page will focus on the types of information presented in a training program and the levels of performance expected of learners for each type of information.
According to M.D. Merrill (1997), learning can be classified along two dimensions: performance level and informational content. His model, the Content-Performance Matrix (CPM), is illustrated"
Course Specification for FET 8602
SYNOPSIS:
This course introduces learners to the theory and practices of educational program evaluation. They will be required to understand the concept of education evaluation and related concepts such as assessment and research, understand about different approaches to and models of educational evaluation, be aware of ethical issues in the process of evaluation, understand the concepts of validity and reliability, select and justify appropriate data gathering devices and data analysis strategies for the conduct of evaluations, and understand the special case of evaluation in a flexible learning educational environment. Some group activities may be required. NOTE: 1. This course (FET8602) is available through INTERNET DELIVERY ONLY. There are NO print materials for this course. 2. For details of the technical requirements and accessing Internet study materials, please consult the following URL: http://www.usqonline.com.au. 3. Students enrolling in this course are required to have first-hand knowledge of and access to an actual instructional situation.
This Web site helps you use e-learning successfully.
Download a free chapter of the ABCs of e-Learning book
Check out the Table of Contents.
Read from 30 published articles.
By Brooke Broadbent and Regan Legassie
To appear in the 2003 Training Sourcebook edited by Mel Silberman
"In any e-learning project, there are three factors that should be considered from the outset:
the effect of the final product on the intended learners;
the ability of the organization to support and adjust to e-learning; and
the role of and requirement for e-learning instructors.
Experience has shown that most e-learning efforts focus on the first two factors exclusively and only give a cursory thought to the third. This is a serious mistake. To be effective, any e-learning project must ensure that equal weight and consideration is given to all three factors � failure to do will yield poor or less then desirable results. Since many other sources offer excellent ideas for consideration of learners and organizational requirements for e-learning, the focus here is to look at how the instructor is affected by e-learning.
......
Guide on the Side Facilitation
Many online instructors limit themselves to using two or three approaches while many others are available. There is good evidence that productive online discussion results from moderators cautiously intervening in the process and not intervening as subject matter experts; in more colorful words, online facilitation success comes with the style of guide on the side versus sage on the stage (Collision et al, 2000). Our table examines six of these guide on the side approaches or persona available to online facilitators, working in both a synchronous and asynchronous mode"
Welcome to e-Learning Eclectic News!
e-Learning Eclectic is a news site dedicated to the subject of computer-based systems that facilitate learning. Whether it's synchronous, asynchronous, self-paced, EPSS, KM, m-learning, workflow learning, CBT, WBT, collaborative systems, social software... I generously lump it all under the banner of e-Learning, and I'll address it here.
My focus is primarily on the technologies themselves, and how they are being used in corporations to change the field of training and knowledge transfer. I have less of an interest in traditional academic uses, but items of an academic bent will also find their way here occasionally.
The e-Learning Eclectic runs on PHP-Nuke, and as such is a community-enabled site. Feel free to join, comment, and submit news items ... or just read and enjoy.
Identified rogue characters in xml pages better than other validators - tells you what the problem is.
by by Roger Harris; Michele Simons; Doug Hill; Erica Smith; Ron Pearce; John Blakeley; Sarojni Choy; David Snewin
Executive summary
"This study explored the changing role of staff development for vocational education and training (VET) teachers and trainers in Australian public and private registered training organisations. Substantial reforms in the VET sector over the past decade have had considerable impact on the work of teachers and trainers. In this context of rapid change, the nature, direction, delivery, access and funding responsibility of staff development are undergoing transformation. The purpose of this research, therefore, was to examine current staff development provision, research a range of issues relating to the staff development of VET teachers and trainers, and make recommendations in the light of the new education and training environment
articles listed with abstracts, paper and e-book formats available ~$5 per article.
The International Association of Science and Technology for Development
The 7th IASTED International Conference on
COMPUTERS AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
~CATE 2004~
August 16-18, 2004
The Eleventh International Literacy and Education Research Network Conference on Learning: Themes
Overall Theme: Learning Today: Communication, Technology, Environment, Society
Communications and Learning
Technology and Learning
Environment and Learning
Society and Learning
Scope and Concerns
Theme 1: Communications and Learning
Literacy and literacies: new perspectives and approaches.
Reading and writing since the computer: the screen and connectivity.
The visual and the verbal: multiliteracies and multimodal communications.
Literacy in learning: language in learning across the subject areas.
Assessing literacies in a meaningful way.
Multilingual learning for a multicultural world.
Girls, boys and literacy.
Academic literacies.
Adult, community and workplace literacies.
Theme 2: Technology and Learning
Learning through technology and learning about technology.
New tools for learning: online, multimedia and digitally mediated learning.
Crossing the digital divide: access to learning in, and about, the digital world.
Multimedia, the internet and today's media: educational challenges and responses.
Virtual worlds, virtual classrooms: interactive, self-paced and autonomous learning.
Digital literacies.
The book as technology: print and electronic information architectures.
Technology and human values.
Apprenticeship and other models of techn
ICICTE | International Conference on Information Communication Technologies in Education
The 5th ICICTE conference will seek to address the many challenges and new directions presented by technological innovations in educational settings. Providing keynote speakers, plenary sessions, workshops, and forums with a focus on integrating technology into all facets of education, the conference will provide participants with a forum for intensive interdisciplinary interaction and collegial debate. Those attending ICICTE Samos 2004 will leave with an excellent overview of current thinking and practices in applications of technology to education. Thematic streams will include alternative processes, procedures, techniques and tools for creating learning environments appropriate for the twenty-first century.
Conference themes include:
Institutional and national responses to technological change
The architecture of learning; accessibility; the evolution of the classroom
Pedagogy in the evolving tech environment
Instructional design and delivery; evaluation and assessment
Strategies and tools for teaching and learning, simulations and gaming
Effects on training institutions and industry
Impacts on educational institutions: effects on faculty, staff, administration, and students; curriculum and program development
Intellectual property
Ethical considerations in the use of information technology in teaching and learning
The internationali
Forum Sub-themes
This Forum will be focussed on outcomes that will be beneficial and useful to a wide range of participants, sponsors and associated institutions and governments.
Under the main theme of the Forum, Building Learning Communities for Our Millennium: Reaching Wider Audiences Through Innovative Approaches, the following sub-themes will be explored:
Education: The development and delivery of technology mediated learning and teaching using open and distance learning strategies in the sectors of pre-school, primary, secondary, post-secondary, adult and tertiary education.
Health: The use of open and distance learning and technology mediated strategies for the provision of training in the health, agriculture and allied professions.
Local Government: The use of open and distance and technology mediated learning strategies to enhance practical knowledge and skills for the development of local government and public infrastructure.
Within each sub-theme, there will be an emphasis on;
Latest developments,
Best Practice,
Emerging Issues, and
Research.
About ACEC 2004
Australian Computers in Education Conference ‘ACEC2004’
**Look at the sub-themes for the conference**
The 2004 Australian Computers in Education Conference (ACEC) is hosted by the Computer Education Group of South Australia (CEGSA) under the auspices of the Australian Council for Computers in Education. ACCE is an Australian body whose members are the State Computer Education Groups and the Australian Computer Society (ACS). ACCE is affiliated with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) and the Technology Education Federation of Australia (TEFA).
The next national biennial conference of the Australian Council for Computers in Education will be held in Adelaide from Tuesday 6th July to Thursday 8 July 2004 with a range of activities on Monday 5th July.
ACEC2004 is subtitled “Research,… Reform,.. Realise the Potential!” It will focus on: research about education and ICT use; the reforming processes in education that result from ICT applications and access; and the opportunities that are provided to students, teachers and schools by current and emerging technologies.
Research is the basis for the informed decisions made by schools, school systems and teacher education institutions regarding the use of ICT in education. More effect
Lifelong Learning: Whose Responsibility and What is Your Contribution?
3rd International Conference to be hosted by
Central Queensland University
13-16 June, 2004
Rydges Capricorn Resort on the Capricorn Coast, Yeppoon, Queensland
Free Groupboard Registration
By filling in this form you will be able to put a free Groupboard onto your web page.
The only limitations on this version are that you cannot resize the Whiteboard, the number of users logged on and pictures/messages saved are limited. The full version, which has fewer limitations and does not have any advertising banners, costs from $99 per year (or $9.99 per month). For more information, go to the licensing page.
"...The coffee-houses that sprang up across Europe, starting around 1650, functioned as information exchanges for writers, politicians, businessmen and scientists. Like today's websites, weblogs and discussion boards, coffee-houses were lively and often unreliable sources of information that typically specialised in a particular topic or political viewpoint. They were outlets for a stream of newsletters, pamphlets, advertising free-sheets and broadsides. Depending on the interests of their customers, some coffee-houses displayed commodity prices, share prices and shipping lists, whereas others provided foreign newsletters filled with coffee-house gossip from abroad...."
link to website
by Tapio Varis, Professor and Chair of Media Education, University of Tampere, Finland, and UNESCO Chair in Global e-Learning, with applications to multiple domains.
"Many definitions of literacy exist. They relate, at their core, to an individuals’ ability to understand printed text and to communicate through print. Most contemporary definitions portray literacy in relative rather than absolute terms. They assume that there is no single level of skill or knowledge that qualifies someone as literate, but rather that there are multiple levels and kinds of literacy (e.g. numeracy, technological literacy). In order to have bearing on real-life situations, definitions of literacy must be sensitive to skills needed in out-of-school contexts, as well as to school-based competency requirements (Wagner 2001). Media literacy is multidimensional (Varis 2000). Digital Literacy is the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers (Gilster 1997). "
Overview
The Internet has been praised as a medium that truly frees information, making it accessible to anyone, anywhere. Information that was previously confined to libraries and university research labs is now freely (usually) available on the Internet. Search vehicles like Google help students, teachers, and business people access a mind-boggling amount of information.
Yet, (as with every great concept) a significant threat exists to the freedom of information - misinformation, hoaxes, and outright lies. A small percentage of experienced web users are aware of these concerns. Most web users, however, are not. Many students, for example, lack fundamental skills to critically evaluating, questioning, and authenticating content. An individual's lack of ability to evaluate accuracy of information is more of a limitation than not having access to information. The resources listed below offer some direction for validating web content.
BrightPlanet™ — Guide to Effective Searching of the Internet
This tutorial is organized to proceed from the basics to more advanced topics. It is divided into two sections:
"Searching with Internet Provided Resources" and "Using a Powerful Desktop Resource: LexiBotTM". The first section has 12 parts containing 51 topics and describes the search services, available operators, and the extremely important information on how to compose your queries. The second section contains 11 topics and describes using our tool: LexiBot � which we believe is the most powerful search agent ever developed.