online readiness

As part of the lesson this week, learner readiness for online learning.

• Penn State University: Online Readiness Assessment
• San Diego Community College: Online Learning Readiness Assessment
• Illinois Online Network: Self Evaluation for Potential Online Students
• University of Houston: Test of Online Learning Success  

Are some of the tools that were investigated to check whether the learner is ready for online learning.
It is interesting to learn about the areas that were investigated. The ability to use computers, ability to use time, organisation skills and ability to make mistakes and learn.

One of the main things with new technology and new methods such as online learning is, that you need to have people who are willing to experiment the idea of trialing and learning from the mistakes that they make,

More than checking whether the learner and teacher are ready, this exercise has generated new interest in checking how innovative can we be with this learning environment.

Learning theories

A mind map of a learning theories

This is an interesting Cmap (mind mapping tool called Cmap- Concept Map) that has been created with different learning theories and summary of the different learning theory. This cmap provides the key concept, thew learning paradigm, learning theories, and scientific discipline. This is a very concise summary of many learning theories.

Adding voice comments to a document

Adding a voice comment is a great way to provide personalised comments.




With Google docs, it is possible to provide audio comments free.

As shown by Jennifer Roberts in the above video, it is as simple as using an app to add audio comments. They can be edited, re-recorded and deleted.

Features:
Add audio to a documents
Edit and delete an audio comments
The comments are saved and attached to the documents
The audio comments can be shared


Limitations:
You need to have a Google account
The documents are linked through Google docs

B F Skinner Teaching machine and programmed learning

Teaching machine!
The important facts about the teaching and teaching machine:
1. The students can learn at the most effective speed, slow, fast or medium
2. The students are provided with a report about the speed that they carry out their tasks
3. Creates an environment for the learners to continue to learn
4. Allow students to go through learning resources and go through them without feeling left behind or feeling demotivated to do the same again and again, compared to asking the same question in a classroom environment.

The initial idea of a computer for education, it is fascinating to read through a psychologist, educators point of view. However, now this teaching machine that we have today- the computer sometimes considered as a distraction rather than a motivator.

The teaching machine has been around for some time now and it has been used for various purposes from distance learning, accessibility and generating the love for learning

E-Learning Helen Keegan

Helen is discussing about how chaotic it can get with different tools that we start using.



I think after all most of these tools are allowing people to be connected without any boundaries. Therefore many people with different ideas, capabilities around the world. Social media has taken us to a new environment, while it allows positive connections it has developed a new environment that we are still getting used to.

Hi-tech tools for dental students

This is a resource developed for dental faculty.

 It checks out how the physical emphases is on the patient, in a simulated environment. Simulated environments help people to learn in an environment that they can not create easily in the real world. This allows mastery through repeated practice, without creating too much hassle.

George Siemens on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

George Siemans is talking about the MOOCs and how people start with a great idea to research and develop concept. Sometimes these ideas get put into real use within other applications. Most of the time small ideas get turned out to be great projects.

Also, the concept of MOOCs - it not just having a great course delivered within a LMS or in a class. It is all getting to a point of making connections, sharing ideas, knowledge and skills.

VideoNotes

VideoNot.es

http://video.unishared.com

VideoNot.es is a tool that you can use to watch a video and make notes. The notes that you create can be stored in your Google drive. These can be edited and then accessed at a later time.
The notes will save the video link as well as other comments that have been added to the notes.

Found information about this tool on www.freetech4teachers.com Tried and loved it!

Articulate Storyline and publishing.

Articulate Sotryline is capable of producing HTML5 output, output for the iPad and LMS. All these outputs are great and it will be even greater if one format can be accessed through all these devices/tools. However, so far Anroid devices have not been incorporated with Articulate. This is a concern as there is a large number of users who are using Anroid devices.

1. How to publish to the LMS
http://community.articulate.com/tutorials/products/publishing-a-project-for-lms.aspx

2. How to publish for mobile devices and iPad
http://community.articulate.com/tutorials/products/publishing-a-project-for-ipad-or-html5.aspx

3. How to publish to web

Even though as a product Articulate is great, sometimes publishing can be troublesome. Specially if you are working with password protected LMS or websites. The following link provides some factors to consider:

http://www.articulate.com/support/kb_article.php?product=st1&id=9rco1wa3ebjp

General system requirements for storyline:
http://www.articulate.com/support/kb_article.php?product=st1&id=4mau4vyvbq4n

Articulate and Dropbox

Dropbox to be your server!

We generally use Dropbox to share files with friends and business partners. I have never used Dropbox as a server. However, when I was looking for a mechanism to produce mobile compatible resource taht can be accessed without login, option of using Dropbox was investigated.

Justin, in the Screenr explains how this can be done (http://www.screenr.com/wcA8). Also, Nancy in elearning heros explains how people are using Dropbox for sharing learning resources, as well as an e-portfolio where files can be uploaded and shared (read more).

Finding OER (Cathy Swift)

OERs


MERLOT- other institutions.
The above videos shows how OERs are ranked and comments. It is always good to search in databases and other open media to find OERs, however one of the question is to identify which of these resources are validated or ranked. In this video Cathy is showing how the OERs can be commented, or ranked.

At the same time as a user can read and learn about the ranks and identify what the comments are as well as how people have ranked these resources.

The process of moderation is explained in this video. A good resource for educators to learn how to locate and identify ranked OERs,

"The hole in the wall: self organising systems in education" - Sugata Mitra at ALT-

This is really an interesting video where he speaks about the research that he started with "the hole in the wall"

The idea of learning happens when there is a need...which raises the question of how many things are needed for our students. Sometimes the students who come to study Design, Arts are taken through subjects like Mathematics, Language etc and then we find that they are not interested in the subject...which is explained by his research.

He also shows that how something like language can be self taught if there is a need to learn it.
It is an amazing project how he assist people with different resources. Using ex-teachers, grandmas and many other resources.

He also, teaches us how to be innovative and make things work with less resources, just by taking things as it comes but innovate and motivate. 

Curiosity
Self organising streams
Motivators
Not to replace teachers but to train them to raise the right question

The Scientific approach to teaching

1. Cognitive dessonance
2. Brain stores models
3. Models needs time to be digested.

Is it the demo or explanation that help people remember and apply knowledge?

As you invest more time, discussion ideas digesting understanding, there is a direct correlation between understanding. Give time and space to adjust the mental model

Seeing is not believing...what you see depends on what is there in your head. But a change can happen if it is discussed, re-visited, digested!

Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL)

Technology Enhanced Learning, is a way of inventing our future. This allows us to support our learners repeat the best out of the existing resource. The http://tel.ioe.ac.uk/
is a hub where you will find some great resources. Ideas that have been shared in this site can be easily taken into the classroom!

Embedding Articulate into WordPress

I always have used Articulate within a LMS. Therefore it was never an issue how to use Articulate with other tools and sites. However, I have been looking how to embed some of the examples that I created in a site, blog etc.

WordPress has a plugin that can be used to upload and display Articulate resources. I have found a video that explains the steps.

#ocTEL An Open Course in Teachonlogy Enhanced Learning

The MOOC I am starting this week is a course run by the Association of Learning Technologists and is titled the Open Course in Technology Enhanced Learning (ocTEL). This is my fourth MOOC. I have enjoyed my previous MOOCs, and I am looking forward to this course.

Week 0: Induction Activities

During this week we are expected to complete several tasks. These tasks and how I go about doing them are described here.

Introducing myself

I am the Senior Learning Technologist at Swinburne University if Technology in Melbourne. My role is to enhance teaching and learning  experiences with the use of technology. I am involved in training staff and identifying innovative teaching and learning tools/technologies/methods. All these contribute to providing great learning experiences to the learners, embracing new technologies for better learning experiences and facilitating improved pedagogical value while looking out for efficient and effective methods of educating.  

I enjoy research and development, looking out for innovative methods and tools, also like to research how digital divide can be reduced and finally to reach equal learning opportunities. I feel technology can assist with this task and I like to research and implement projects that support this vision 

My big question about TEL

Use of  Technology to provide great learning experiences to learners.

I also like to search for methods, tools innovative ways to reduce education divide. 

I'm looking forward to sharing new ideas about how people are engaging students in online, blended and distance learning.

Exploring and experimenting

With a large group of people in the MOOC the introductions have brought quite a variety of expectations, individual skills and  thoughts to the surface. It has been fascinating reading these posts and learning about what other people around the world are doing in the TEL space. Already the discussions have got busy and enormous amount of ideas, with large number of short reading blocks.

People have joined this MOOC with different expectations. Some of them are:

• to learning about best practices
• to learn how to increase student learning experiences
• to investigate how to use technology for teaching and learning
• to find solution through crowd sourcing to problems/issues that they have come across in TEL  

I am personally interested in finding how technology can be used to increase learning experiences, as well as how these great tools can be used to minimize education and digital divide