July 31, 2004
Actionscript - Common errors and debugging
Actionscript.org Macromedia Flash Resources and Tutorials
Common errors and debugging
ID - concept map's
I had forgotten how well concept maps/diagrams work for me as tool for thinking tool. This was something that I was doing in late stages of PhD and I stopped doing it. It's really something I need to start doing again. I could see it was great tool for mapping out content. I should also start to used these more with students.
ID - current ID process
I thougth this could be interesting to map out, to see how it changes over the time of the course.
ID - Developing the Practice of Critical Reflection
Developing the Practice of
Critical Reflection
Use text to speech to listen to this while I was working on other things. The article really reminded by need to question core ideas and the need sometimes to make them shift to create change eg reflection is more than just recording what happened. Eg a combination of reflective thinking and the traditional for critical thinking For Larrivee developing the practice a critical reflection required three important factors.
1. making time for solitary reflection
2. becoming a perpetual problem-solver
3. questioning the status quo
When I developing and moving forward I can see myself all three of these things, but I don't always make the time for reflection and that is the first step. Eg I haven't written about my ID course at all.
UIWEB.COM - Web and interaction design
UIWEB.COM - Web and interaction design
- this has some great resources and has just been really helpful to me and some of the articles attempt to answers so of the hardest problems students have asked me, eg creative burnout.
Design Critiques
How to run a design critique - UIWEB.COM
This article has a really great set of guidelines for running good critiques.
They are
1. Start with clarifying questions. Clarify any assumptions about what the presented design is intended to do, or what kind of experience it is intended to create. Hopefully, this intent is derived from the overall project goals, which is already agreed upon.
2. Listen before speaking. Many times in work enviroments, we confuse conversations, which should be exchanges of ideas, with opportunities to inflict our opinions on others. If you take a moment to listen and understand before voicing an opinion, you're open to hear something new that might challenge your old thinking. So don't just wait for other people to finish, actively try to understand what's being said, and reflect it back to the speaker.
3. Lead into explorations of alternatives. Ask questions that surface other choices the designer might not have recognized. Postpone judgments, unless there are obvious gaps between the designers intent, and the designs you are critiquing.
4. If it fits with the goals of the critique, point out situations,sequences, or elements within the design that may be problematic given what you know about your customers, the scenarios involved, or the project goals.
Avoid statements that refer to absolutes. Instead, make points referent to the goals of the design.
5. Speak in context of your point of view. It's fine to have a personal opinion, expressing your own preferences. But don't confuse this with your perception of what your customers need or want. So make sure to specify which kind of opinion you're offering. Hopefully there is data and research to help everyone agree on the likely customer perspective on different ideas.
free brainstorming cards
EyeWire: Magazine: Features: Garden of Creativity: Instant Inspiration!
Brainstorming - card pack
Amazon.com: Books: Thinkpak: A Brainstorming Card Deck - this could be good to buy.
PC - based computer voice reader
Natural Voice text to speech reader- voice has never been so clear
Handheld Resources for Educators
KM in Education: Handheld Resources for Educators
July 25, 2004
ID - links to personalised sytems of instruction stuff
Personalized System of Instruction (PSI)
July 23, 2004
- Setting Up Your First Web Hosting Accoun
Web Developer Information - Setting Up Your First Web Hosting Account
3D software
http://www.artofillusion.org/
http://www.blender.org/
http://www-ui.is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~takeo/java/smoothteddy/index.html - I played with the first version of this a bit when it launched at Siggraph.
This isn't low cost bet it looks interesting http://www.sketchup.com/
July 22, 2004
TheBestDesigns.com
The Best Designs - [TheBestDesigns.com] - Recognizing The Best of Web Design - has a great selection of links to flash based sites.
July 21, 2004
ID Designing Constructivist Learning Environments(CLEs
Designing Constructivist Learning Environments(CLEs) - Well I'm jumping forward a bit, but this looked really interesting and does look really great.
The breaking down of instructional process in constructivisit learining enviroment to.
- Modeling
- Coaching
- Scaffolding
I can see how these have worked in some of my own recent learning experiences both as a learner and teacher. The major message for behind the list of tools is allow the students to be able to map, represent and share and knowledge.
Frog Guts
Welcome to Froguts! - Virtual Dissection Software - a real great examples of flash/simutation elearning object.
Another tech assessment tool
Technology Skills Assessment · FGCU Technology Skills Orientation
July 18, 2004
New design
Well I really should have been doing other things than redesigning the style sheet for this blog. But it's nice to be rid of the orange and it reflects an attempt to take pleasure in a cold wet Hobart winter.
July 17, 2004
The Sakai Project
Sakai Project sakaiproject.org Home Page
From thte ist "The Sakai Project is a $6.8M community sourceCommunity source describes a model for the purposeful coordinating of work in a community. It is based on many of the principles of open source development efforts, but community source efforts rely more explicitly on defined roles, responsibilities, and funded commitments by community members than some open source development models. software development project founded by The University of Michigan, Indiana University, MIT, Stanford, the uPortal Consortium, and the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. "
July 16, 2004
another example of an edu project
Earth In Motion - View All Contributions 2002 - current
July 14, 2004
ID - ADDIE
KnowledgeTech, The ADDIE instructional design model: A structured training methodology, [Online]. Available: http://www.knowledgetech.cc/Information/Methodology/ADDIE.html [Accessed 17 June 2004].
This site is a commerical training providers summary of what the Instructional Design Model is.
Analysis - (eg understand the market, and content)
Design - Sequence, approach etc
Development - course material etc
Implementation - Do it
Evaluation - see if it worked
ID - Bates
Bates, A. 1999, "Restructuring the university for technological change", in J. Brennan, J. Fedrowitz, M. Huber, & T. Shah, (eds), What Kind of University? International Perspectives on Knowledge, Participation and Governance, SRHE, Open University Press
This is really nice summary of the tech in an education setting.
July 11, 2004
Textiles notes
The meeting on Monday was interesting. Some of the major points where:
At the start the program is quite structured, and the projects are teacher defined. This first stage is a cert 2 which is about six months long. Some of these students then go on to the cert IV and this is where the students have the most problems getting thru. After a year (sometimes more for some students) students then move into the diploma. By this stage there is normally only about 5 students in the course. At this stage where each student needs more customized support.
The teaching pattern most of the time is one teacher working with the students on a project, eg 4 days a week then that teacher will have a break from teaching for a period of time.
What direct instruction needs to be done is defined by the students at the beginning of the project when the students are planning out their time. These direct teaching sessions are called skills sessions. This is where the student is really at the centre of the project, and the teacher is supporting/facilitating the learning.
The "Program Design" is around a series of carefully designed projects. Assessment tasks are often different projects and work for real clients are called "Client Projects" all this is made clear to the students in a booklet that they are given at the beginning of the year, complete with the mapping of the relationship between the training package and the projects.
The business area is supported via bring in resources and people from elsewhere eg Mentors Tasmania (but sessional staff is not used)
In summary - the program is built around a series of projects that gets more complex over time, Students follow an overall program that is define/developed beforehand.
Notes: on the clients related stuff
- clients need to be trained eg they are not sure how to work with a
designer
- don't promise to much
- clients missing meetings and not being organised can create huge
problems for students
1st week of client projects
Well the first week of client projects has gone how I expected it to, some students have been off contacting clients and being organised and other students have done nothing.
Some students have already sent messages that are not really suitable, but it's all a learning experience and clients have to be patience. All of this chaos is scary and I really hope it works out. In someways I really don't know if some of the students have the personal and business skills to able to do this. I really hope this works out because it is a really valuable experience for them. I'm not sure if they realise how valuable it could be to them.
Email to Blog
Mfop2 - I seem to have lost this url, but hopefully now I will be able to find it agan.
Flash Zen Garden
Flash Zen Garden - if this got up and running it could be a great student project.
Open Learning Initiative
Open Learning Initiative > OVERVIEW
What is interesting about this that it a quite focus system for technical info. Which is presentated (then the student can explore/test) those concepts visually, then it assessed.
July 06, 2004
July 04, 2004
Learning in Communities of Practice: A journey of the self. - Wenger video conference.
Keypoints:
A community of practice has a core set of knowledge, a new member eg learner
mores towards the center of this knowledge. Innovation happens at the edges
of that community. This sort of makes a nice diagram, which I really should
draw.
Last 3 points in conference where interesting:
- New tech allows for new forms communication (hmm I'm a bit sick of hearing
that) - Knowledge is important eg businesses are building communities
of practice as a way to build, map, share and understand knowledge - The most
important thing people can learn is "how to learn"
Part of teachers role is invited people in there passion for a community,
I like this thought.
hmm overall I didn't get as much out of this video conference as what I got
out of the others.
July 01, 2004
WEB CT - Exemplary Course Project
WebCT Exemplary Course Project - could be good to look closer at this sometime.