E-learning for industry - Home
From the Australian Flexible Learning Framework:
"The Practical guide to e-learning for industry aims to increase industry's use of e-learning in the workplace."
Last week I facilitated a session for fellow staff which was an "Introduction to Blogging and RSS" This was using the AFL Elluminate Virtual Office on the Learning Times Australia. Over a period of two hours we covered:
- what a blog is
- read some blogs
- set up individual blogs on edublogs.org and made some initial postings
- looked briefly at images and categories
- had a brief look at RSS and set up Bloglines accounts
- in addition I talked a bit (not well enough) about how these tools can be used in an educational context.
Having survived running my first Elluminate session there are some changes next time.
- explain the tick/cross tool for feedback to the presenter
- encourage use of the whiteboard and insert more blank slides in the presentation for this
- talk more about why I selected edublogs as the free blog hosting service.
- reconsider how the RSS section could be presented - perhaps this should just be a show and tell section rather than people setting up Bloglines account as we ran out of time to do it justice. As you can do so much with RSS it seems crazy to have touched on just aggregators.
- ask all participants to load a browser window with the one-page handout that contains all the links. perhaps suggest it is added as a bookmark for easy navigation back to it.
- make digital versions of the 'network' graphic I drew on the whiteboard in the f2f session.
Some specific questions about Elluminate I need to answer before Thursday:
1. once a webtour is launched, can participants click on links and control it themselves? Does it have normal controls eg address bar etc (I think not but need to check)
2. a way for showing .swf files - using the webtour loading the html page that has the .swf embedded didn't seem to work but maybe it was a bandwidth issue.
All in all it was a great experience - I felt drained at the end of it but very pleased I survived (in no small part thanks to Robin for acting as tech support for those having 'fun' with their equipment)
Update (Tues 22 Nov):
Thanks to Marcus (one of the participants) for some feedback on the session on his blog at http://mwynwood.com/blog/. Neat to see the social aspects of blogging happening and also confirming some of the changes I would like to make to the session.
Let's see how Thursday pans out!!!
Up Front! Home for BSBCMN419A Manage projects
this may be useful for the prepare tenders resource project
Risk management is in the Content guide on pages 20-22 of http://www.oten.edu.au/flmtoolbox/toolbox_601/lo/2003_237_015/documents/2003_237_015_reading.doc
Useful Subject Sites
Compiled by Mitra Iraji of the LEARN Network of TAFE SA Libraries.
Useful Subject Sites for
Air conditioning and refrigeration
for students, teachers and professionals
Presented by the LEARN Network of TAFE South Australia Libraries
Learning numeracy on the job: A case study of chemical handling and spraying
by Gail FitzSimons, Susan Mlcek, Oksana Hull, Claire Wright for NCVER
"Executive summary
Learning numeracy on the job: A case study of chemical handling and spraying
The processes of preparation, application, handling, storage and transport of chemicals are key elements of a range of economically significant industries, and place high demands on workers’ literacy, and especially numeracy skills. Many of these skills are acquired during employment on the job or in associated off-the-job training.
It is important to gain an understanding of how these skills are developed and maintained in workplaces where there are significant risks to personnel, production and the environment, if these critical tasks are undertaken incorrectly. This understanding is important, not just for numeracy practitioners, but also for policy-makers who frequently view numeracy as a generic skill whose application may be easily transferred from a formal learning context to the workplace, or from one work context to another.
In fact, a substantial body of research evidence demonstrates that such skill transfer is achieved only with difficulty, and that numeracy skills are highly context-dependent. This research therefore sought to investigate actual tasks demanding numeracy skills at a range of worksites in a number of industries.
The research involved a literature review and documentary analysis in relation to legislation, training package common units and the National Reporting System. Empirical work involved 13 case studies of enterprises in New South Wales and Victoria, all of which used chemicals extensively. Industries selected included rural production, amenity horticulture, local government, outdoor recreation and warehousing.
Definitions
The international research literature distinguishes between numeracy and mathematics, yet maintains that mathematical skill underpins, but does not equate to numeracy. Steen (2001) makes a distinction, arguing that mathematics requires a distancing from context. Numeracy (‘quantitative literacy’ in his terms), on the other hand, is anchored in real data which reflect engagement with life’s diverse contexts and situations. Numeracy offers solutions to problems about real situations.
There is a growing understanding of how mathematical knowledge is used in real situations of life and work, to which the present research is a contribution. Following Bernstein (2000), it is argued that the use of common sense—of relatively little value in formal mathematics—is essential in numeracy.
...
Given that learners will need to make sense of activities and ill-defined problems in unfamiliar workplace situations, problem-solving activities are recommended, using case study examples from industry workplaces. Realistic group projects with open-ended solutions and shared responsibilities need to be devised. As workplace activity shapes the process and meaning of the mathematics used, simulations can be applied off the job. In addition, viewing video material relating to specific weather and workplace conditions could also be used to provide contextualisation. Teachers could make links with enterprises for the use of part of their premises, for example, a golf course. Encouraging learners to keep a logbook, or journal about strategies they would adopt in certain situations is also an invaluable exercise and an individual ‘living’ resource. In order to develop workers’ ability to interact with computerised systems, which may hold vital information, authentic data could be obtained (with permission) and a simulation organised."
Some text to play with problems with RSS HTML – a test of ‘smart quotes’ “and” dashes – and so on and so on – etc
Combining this approach from 43 Folders with the Konfabulator Widget Tea Timer has been a great approach for dealing with my to do list lately.
link to website
Dave Cormier thinks about how SuprGlu could be used to bring the concept of a Feedbook into reality.
"So, what I'm going to be doing for my next class is sending students to this site to sign up for an account. I will get them to include a delicious and, say, a flickr account specially designed for the course (including my own blog, and hopefully the blog of other instructors). Some materials that are going to be especially relevant to the material we will be covering. Each student will have access to their own feedbook from any computer… and I will have all of my coursework available for projection on the big screen. All images, video, text whatever, will be available for manipulation by me, or the students, in class."
Orientation | Welcome
link for future reference
There is also a more detailed compilation of resources about blogging and rss at http://www.otheredge.com.au/klogs/toolkit/blogging/
live and let learn Michael Nelson's learning blog
Web Design @ TAFE Michael Nelson's teaching blog. Check out the links in the right hand menu to student blogs.
elearnspace George Siemen's blog called elearnspace about learning, networks, knowledge, technology, community.
Teach and Learn OnlineLeigh Blackall on network learning, flexible learning, and online teaching and learning.
The Shifted Librarian Jenny Levine has one simple goal: to help [us] librarians become as technologically adept as our users are so that we can deliver services to them when and where they wish to use them and in their preferred medium and platform.
And for something a little different: design*sponge
http://www.lisadejohn.com/ - an artist's blog that doesn't look like a blog.
Creating a blog on edublogs.org
Making a post that includes an image
Adding categories to your site
Changing the look of your site through themes
Animations created using Wink which has been quite easy to learn how to use.
All the .swf files are hosted on ourmedia.org with a tag/keyword of edublogs
Using Bloglines (or How to keep up with dozens of blogs everyday)
http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/search?SearchMode=Advancedvetmode
Feed2JS - code for placing on a webpage to include an RSS feed.
Feed to JavaScript
The Future of Work Weblog: The ReFormation of Work
via Albert Ip (http://2020learning.blogspot.com/)
Posted by Jim Ware on the Future of Work Community.
This list about what the future of work will look like rings true with me - to be able to create learning experiences for our students that will assist them to develop this new world is a challenge when many of our patterns are still looking at the present and past ways of working. It is changing, but I am not sure that it is changing fast enough to take advantage of the opportunities. Vocational learners today need skills to create this future, not just skills to exist in the world as it is now.
"I'm in the middle of posting our "23 Theses" about the future of work over at the Future Tense blog, so I thought I'd put them up here as well.
I'm doing three installments over there (click here for Part One, and here for Part Two - but the same stuff is right here in this post).
I thought I'd just put the whole thing up here - and now. Charlie and I actually composed these ideas a couple of years ago, and we're enjoying the fact that they still have plenty of meaning. We're also finding, however, that the future is arriving a bit slower than we thought it would (though that's really no surprise)."
SuprGlu will let you gather multiple RSS feeds into the one page, organised by date. Great if you have multiple locations for storing stuff on the web, but would like to combine several into the one page. Or as my other half suggested, for pulling a number of student blogs into the one page.
from the website: " Do you already use services like del.icio.us, flickr, blogger, typepad, etc? SuprGlu is a new way to gather all your content from those sites. In a nutshell, SuprGlu:
gathers your content from popular webservices and publishes them in one convenient place.
presents your content with simple, great looking templates which you can customize.
is FREE to use!"
Kineo - E-Learning & Blended Learning - Informal Learning - Summary
Summary of a longer report (which $) good basic clear writing.
Informal Learning - Summary
file.php (application/pdf Object)
simple one pager.
Creating a blog on edublogs.org
Making a post that includes an image
Adding categories to your site
Changing the look of your site through themes
Animations created using Wink which has been quite easy to learn how to use.
All the .swf files are hosted on ourmedia.org with a tag/keyword of edublogs
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_can_i_host_blog_images_on_flickr.html
I'm not sure why it was invisible before? (coincidentally, lifehacker mentioned the Eureka Zone which is where your lost object is right where you thought, but has been slightly displaced and rendered invisible!) After you click All Sizes in Flickr, you scroll down the page and get the actual file location. So now I know how to get images into edublogs.org. I had been wanting to use this service in workshops for teachers but from previous experience knew that being able to post photos was one of the wow factors. So yay! I can use edublogs in the workshop happily now.
November 2, with guest presenters Ulises Mejias (ideant) Leigh Blackall (TALO), Anne Bartlett Bragg (Learning Technologies), Barry Gordon (Savv-e)and James Farmer (incsub.org). This took place via Elluminate with many sites joining across Australia and Ulises from overseas. Many of the presenters are authors of articles in the current edition.
Ulises - Social Software is both a tool, medium, ecology and a movement.
eduforge FOSS for education
Anne Bartlett Bragg
Challenges implementing technology
- digital literacy of students
- access to technology
- firewalls
gives much better environment if I can bring my students with me
Leigh talked about the issues of being behind firewalls and the issues that can cause. also the process used to write his paper on a wiki.
James Farmer - Alexander (Pattern Language) organic environments grow of own accord. LMS don't allow ad hoc interactions. This is where social software comes in eg blogs wikis eportfolios etc - creating own personal presence and way for interaction.
Ulises (reprise) (45mins in)
SS is grounded in learners' reality.
Barry Gordon Sydney elearning company spoke next.
General Q&A
who owns what?
Reflection: experiencing Elluminate as part of a group did not work as well as being at my own computer as there was peripheral noise and I also found not being able to control switching of windows etc annoying. On the other hand the conversation we had face to face in the room was great and I suspect more free flowing than if we had been online. Also found out that my Learning Design Toolkit was promoted in the NSW LearnScope Newsletter recently.
This seems like a good pdf creation tool - basically from any Windows program you can print and have a pdf file as output. You do get a splash screen each time you use, but that is better than some of the watermarks from some other free tools.
"The pdf995 suite of products - Pdf995, PdfEdit995, and Signature995 - is a complete solution for your document publishing needs. It provides ease of use, flexibility in format, and industry-standard security- and all at no cost to you.
via Mike Capstick
link to pdf
"Collage, a collaborative LD editor that is intended to be used by teachers. It allows an easy editing of UoLs by reusing and customizing best practices, which are formulated as patterns (CLFPs), in structuring the flow of collaborative and non-collaborative learning activities. The ultimate goal of an LD editor such as Collage, is to create significant, pedagogically sound scenarios that can be interpreted by players."
Also http://gsic.tel.uva.es/collage
link to website
seems like this is the week for adding all sorts of podcasts to itunes for me....
"Soft Reset is the podcast for those using handhelds in education. Hosted by Tony Vincent and Mike Curtis, you'll learn helpful tips, hear about useful resources, and listen to insightful discussion about topics handheld-using educators care about. Listen to the MP3 on your computer in the your browser, in iTunes, on your handheld, or on your iPod. Read about listening and subscribing to podcasts."