The value of multimedia in learning — Patti Shank (2005, from Adobe’s Media Center)
On 04/30/2010,
in learning preferences, learning theories, multimedia, pedagogy,
by Daniel Christian
On 04/28/2010,
in engagement / engaging students, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning,
by Daniel Christian
The 4 C’s – Critical Skills for Success Today — from Learning Objects by Nancy Rubin
According to the recently released “AMA 2010 Critical Skills Survey,” the skills necessary for success in today’s workplace can be identified as the 4 C’s:
- critical thinking and problem solving,
- communication,
- collaboration,
- and creativity and innovation.
These skills have been determined to be crucial to workforce preparedness and business success. How do we encourage those skills in our students and our employees (professional development and personal growth)? According to the AMA survey results, 80 percent of executives believe that fusing the three R’s and four C’s would ensure that students are better prepared to enter the workforce. Proficiency in reading, writing and arithmetic is not sufficient if workers are unable to think critically, solve problems, collaborate or communicate effectively. http://www.clomedia.com/industry_news/2010/April/5186/index.php
How can an organization foster an environment where people can think critically, communicate, collaborate, and work creatively? Andrew McAfee wrote this week about the importance of implementing Social Software Platforms; even going so far as to suggest skipping a pilot. McAfee’s rollout plan for Enterprise 2.0 adoption encourages collaboration and communication in the organization. His six steps for deploying Enterprise 2.0 included…
On 04/22/2010,
in multimedia, pedagogy,
by Daniel Christian
“The Learning Score is a new and imaginative take on lesson-planning. Using the metaphor of a music score, Learning Score shows the planned activities for a lesson, and any multimedia attachments, as a graphical time line. Whole lesson plans can be saved, along with all the embedded resources and annotations, to be used again at a later date, or to be shared with colleagues. The Learning Score was invented by John Davitt and grew out of a desire to provide teachers and learners with a modern, flexible, technology-friendly and pedagogically rigorous approach to lesson-planning that is suitable for the 21st-century classroom.”
On 04/22/2010,
in education technology, game-changing environment, pedagogy, teaching & learning,
by Daniel Christian
The changing role of instructors — moving from facilitation to constructive partnerships — from The Journal by Ruth Reynard
However, as we transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 (and, more specifically, the modifications and new technology features and functions made possible by HTML5), it seems that we will be experiencing yet another change in our instructional role. The challenge is now to retain certain aspects of facilitation but move actively into the learning process itself and become partners in the process. As the “field” levels even further, we must understand and embrace the meaning and the implications of being constructive partners in the learning process.
…
Learning as a Process–not a Product
As I have written in several articles, we are already being stretched as educators to focus more on the process of learning rather than the product. This will increasingly become the focus as real-time networks and learning communities will be constantly engaged in process. The product or the result of those collaborations will be different each time, although still within the knowledge area of a course, but based on those who have participated in the process and how ideas have been used. Therefore, the true evaluation of learning will be how knowledge has been expanded and applied rather than preset information bites. This is a challenge to the mindset of the instructor and to the overall structures of courses and programs of study. The potential of the Internet for user customization will increase with emerging technology and will have a large impact on how education is both organized and delivered. Instructors will also become more aware of their own learning process and integrate that more intentionally in the collaborative learning process of a community of learners.
Once again, then, the role of instructors is being challenged and redefined. It is important to emphasize that this is not a passive experience for instructors in the sense that we should simply wait and see what happens and where we will be in terms of student expectations. It is, actually, a highly active experience and a call for educators to begin now to engage with changes in technology and explore the implications for teaching methods as we move forward.
As never before, educators must be front and center of the emergence of newer technology and already explore the capabilities to improve the learning experience for students and instructors alike. We must truly engage with the process at every level.
Three Generations of Distance Education Pedagogy
Facilitator: Dr. Terry Anderson
Institution: Athabasca University
Date and time: Apr 14, 2010 11:00 AM
In this presentation Terry defines three pedagogical models that have defined distance education programming – behavioural/cognitive, constructivist and connectivist. He talks about the challenges and opportunity afforded by each model, with a focus on the emergent development of connectivism.
On 04/07/2010,
in higher education, K-12 related, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning,
by Daniel Christian
Personalizing learning – the important role of technology — from OpenEducation.net by Thomas
New Viewpoint – Personalizing Learning
Clearly, that mindset has changed. With learning styles now a part of the educational landscape today’s teacher is expected to adjust to the varied preferences of students so as to maximize the learning potential of each individual in the classroom.
Such an approach has been characterized by the global term: personalizing the learning experience. The concept is considered as critical to the next generation of teachers as it is for the next generation of students.
Personalizing learning involves differentiating the curricula, including expectations and timelines, and utilizing various instructional approaches so as to best meet the needs of each individual. Essentially, students should be able to do varying assignments and have the freedom to work at a pace that is conducive to their abilities and skill set.
(Inserted comment here from DSC — Can you imagine how a teacher or professor is supposed to do/manage this for 20-25+ students without the use of technology — and with that number of students in the classroom about to go up substantially?)
Not too surprisingly, individual elements of a personalized learning environment are well known to current educators. The challenge is not so much what those elements consist of but how to piece the elements together to form a cohesive strategy.
Most importantly, personalizing learning for the current generation of learners demands specific technologies. Educators need to understand that children are growing up in a media-rich environment.
Schools must deliver a product that engages students and generates within them the desire to learn. Today’s curricula must involve liberal uses of technology whenever it is relevant to the task at hand.
But technology also plays a more important role in the personalization process. Ultimately it is the conduit for teachers to move to a learning approach that features materials developed for each individual student.
Relevant graphic below from DSC:
On 04/04/2010,
in engagement / engaging students, mobile learning, mobile technologies, pedagogy, teaching & learning, telecommunications,
by Daniel Christian
Innovative ways to engage learners with cell phones using research-based strategies — from the Innovative Educator
On 04/02/2010,
in blogs / blogging / vlogging, pedagogy,
by Daniel Christian
More on reflective journals — from Learning Objects by Nancy Rubin
Reflective ‘writing’ is a series of ‘writings’ in response to experiences & events that may also contains reflections on what took place, express emotions, understandings & conclusions, lessons learned or action plans. Often called a “Journal Entry”. You don’t have to be a great writer, perfect speller, or creative thinker to keep a personal journal. Just regularly write down your experiences and thoughts. Here is a great video by Keuka College on the effectiveness of reflecting.
Click here to download an Academic Tip Sheet on Blogs and Journals (PDF) from Edith Cowan University.
Some Journal Prompts:
- Today I explored……………. and found………………..
- I think it is important to know about………..because…
- This new learning will affect me in the following ways…
- Today I discovered………. and…..
- With the learning I did today I will be able to…
- The most challenging thing I did today was…
- Today I found out…
- I want to know more about … and I will find out more by firstly…………….. then ………….. and perhaps…
- Today I asked… and discovered…
- The work we did today built on the work we did …..(insert time)….. in that it…(explain how) …………..,
- At the end of today I am still uncertain about… I get the bit about… but need to clarify the bit about…
- I smiled today when…
- Today I explored……. and feel……..
- more
On 03/24/2010,
in blended learning, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, hybrid learning, pedagogy,
by Daniel Christian
The benefits of blended learning — from Faculty Focus
Blended learning, which combines face-to-face learning with a mixture of online activities, has been hailed as both a cost-effective way to relieve overcrowded classroom and a convenient alternative to the traditional classroom experience. But it has quickly become much more than that.
“There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests blended courses really are an effective way for students to learn,” says Ike Shibley, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at Penn State-Berks. “Blended courses can actually lead to increased student engagement, not less (emphasis DSC).”
But for blended learning to work well for you and, more importantly, your students, it requires a fair amount of upfront prep time in advance of the course and the discipline to stick to your course plan. More so than in traditional face-to-face courses, Shibley says.
On 03/18/2010,
in blended learning, colleges, community colleges, computer science, convergence, digital audio, digital learning, digital video, disruption, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, faculty, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, hybrid learning, innovation, internet, K-12 related, languages and translation, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, liberal arts, mathematics, mobile learning, multimedia, online learning, participation, pedagogy, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, staying relevant, student-related, teaching & learning, teaching online, telecommunications, telepresence, tools, universities, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, web-based collaboration, webinars, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Wimba Connect 2010 — check out the applications of these tools
OPENING KEYNOTE
Carol Vallone, CEO, Wimba
Teaching Math & Sciences with Wimba (Panel)Andrew Byrne & Kurt Mederer, Convent of the Sacred Heart; David Tao, Santosh Madhavan & Dan Lim, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences; Michele Barbeau & Kem Rogers, The University of Western Ontario
Using Wimba to Engage and Empower an Academic Community of Learners: The Case of the Global Citizen
Linda Ralston & Rebekah Grow, University of Utah
Faculty Development Wimba Style
Janet Welch & Stacey Mateika, Red Deer College
Using Wimba Voice, Pronto, and Create in Synchronously in Wimba Classroom and Asynchronously in an Online Environment
Brooke Eberwine, Steven Frecka & Jamie Westyn, OHDELA
Small Scale Implementation of Wimba Classroom – The Possibilities Are Endless
Regina Bobak & Julie Wolfe, Bloomsburg University of PA
Language Learning with Wimba (Panel)
Teresa MacKinnon, University of Warwick Language Centre; Ana Garcia Allen, The University of Western Ontario; Barbara Cohen, Berkeley College
Wikis, Wimbas, Whatevers! What Teachers Weave!
Jane Overmoe, Dakota Prairie HS
Taking the Troy Colloquium Online + Wimba: The Solution to Quality Online Learning
Gayle Nelson & Peter Paige, Troy University
Wimba Product Presentation
Annie Chechitelli, Wimba
Presentations Live or On-the-Go with Wimba Classroom MP4 Archives
Jason Rhode, Northern Illinois University & Larry Holland, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
NCVPS Cultural Cafe
Thomas Moncrief, North Carolina Virtual Public School
Our Journey: From Face 2 Face 2 Online Masters Degree
Gary Shouppe & Tom McCormack, Columbus State University
So Many Choices, So Little Time: Effective Voice Tools Training
Stacey Powell & Kathy McClelland, Auburn University
Features, Technical Problems and Technical Support in Higher Education Wimba Classrooms
Mary Nell McNeese, Amy Thornton & Jalynn Roberts, University of Southern Mississippi
ALAKAZAM!!! Instantly Transform your Physical Classrooms into Lecture Capture Spaces Using Wimba!
Scott Smith & Brian Reed, Wimba; Mark Burris, Michael Merritt & Linda Stauffer, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Using Wimba to Prepare for H1N1 and other Potential Disasters (Panel)
Phil O’Hara & Tim Fedak, Dalhousie University; David Tao & Dan Lim, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences
Diminishing the Distance in Distance Ed – Wimba’s Live Tools: People Reaching People
Crystal Havely Stratton & Patricia Landy, Laramie County Community College
“Keep It Live” – What the Students Say!
Mike Scheuermann, Drexel University
Wimba Pronto 4 All: Pronto Invitations and Universal Integration
Marlen Rattiner & Chris Dixon, Wimba
Online Learning is all about Collaboration!
Mark Gensimore, Jed Friedrichsen & blendedschools.net
Bringing In Local and Global Guest Speakers through Wimba Classroom
Chunyan Song , Ann Steckel & Laura Sederberg, California State University, Chico
Envelop, Develop: Building a Statewide and College-Level Professional Development System with Wimba and your LMS
Terry Pollard & Christian Pruett, Mississippi SBCJC; Rebecca Butler, Northwest Mississippi Community College; Jennifer Nowotny, Wimba
Where Did My Wimba Go and Do Users Know It’s Missing?
Michael Rogers & Jim Wolfgang, University System of Georgia; Sean Hessenthaler, Wimba
The Professor is In: Lessons Learned in Delivery of Online Student Support
Michelle Escudier & Sharon Davis, Central Texas College
Pet Kangaroos and Other Tall Tails – Live and MP4 Examples, Best Practices and Case Studies on Using Wimba Down Under
Steve Watt & Thalia Cosmidis, NetSpot Pty Ltd
Reaching Over Wall: Linking Kindred Spirits via Live Web Conferencing
Phil O’Hara & Corinne Tobin, Dalhousie Unversity; Paul Lowe, University of the Arts London
Collaborating With Students – A Glimpse of the Future With Blackboard
Brian DeKemper, Solutions Engineer, Blackboard
The Blended Language Learning Consortium (presented remotely)
Paul Snookes & Judy Barker, University of Worcester
Bringing Wimba out of the Web and into the Classroom
Bryan Vandiviere, Kansas State University
Wimba Classroom Beyond Classes
Cory Stokes, Univeristy of Utah & Edwin Perez, Wimba
The Power of Wimba 6.0 Archives: Developing and Editing the Archive Library
Jun Yang, University of Maryland
From the Lands Down Under – Wimba Firing Up Staff and Students in Australia and New Zealand
Lisa Ransom & Oriel Kelly, Manukau Institute of Technology; Kerry Trabinger, Canberra Institute of Technology
A Triple Threat to Student Attrition: Three Disciplines, Three Perspectives, and Three Uses of Wimba Classroom to Improve Student Retention
Monica Brooks, Tracy Christofero, Karen Mitchell, & Marty Laubach, Marshall University
High Impact Pedagogy: Bringing Online and Blended Courses to ‘Life’ through Learning Simulation and Wimba
Kristen Betts, Drexel University
Video, Vodcasts, and YouTube – Oh My!
Sarah Bryans Bongey & Chery Takkunen, The College of St. Scholastica
Online Education and the Power of Web 2.0 for Student Retention
Felice Nudelman, The New York Times / Epsilen
The Ways Wimba Classroom Can Revolutionize the Offering of Online Degree Programs
Daniel Powell, University of Alabama School of Law
Using Breakout Rooms to Foster Faculty Development
Ann Morgan, Kelly Kist & Heather Zink, Rasmussen College
Computer Science “eXperience:” Using Wimba Tools to Enhance Computer Science Education
Adel Abunawass, Alexandra Young & Edwin Rudolph, University of West Georgia
The Virtual Student Experience: Addressing Emotional & Multiple Intelligences & Soliciting Student Feedback
Dawn Muhammad, Calumet College of St. Joseph & H. Jean Bryan, Ed.D., DePaul University
CLOSING KEYNOTE BY JEFF NOEL, THE DISNEY INSTITUTE
Jeff Noel, The Disney Institute
Poster Presentations
- Online Office Hours: How I Get Them To Attend
Lyndasu Crowe, Darton College - Enhancing Student/Instructor Interaction in the Online Environment through Podcasting
Heather Zink, Rasmussen College - Mastering the Point: Using Wimba Live Classroom with Effective PowerPoint Presentations to Enhance Online Learning
Sue Burris, National Park Community College - Unleashing Wimba: Letting Students Take Control. A case study in providing webinar technology for students to facilitate group work.
Laurie Grosik, Indiana University of Pennsylvania & Cori Dunagan, Edinboro University - Building Tech Capacity in a Non-Profit Collaborative Using Wimba Classroom
Bruce Roxburgh, Green Communities Canada
On 03/12/2010,
in 21st century, 3D, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), blended learning, change, colleges, computer science, convergence, creativity, dangers of the status quo, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, disruption, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, faculty, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, geography / geology, global / globalization, higher education, hybrid learning, innovation, internet, learning, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, liberal arts, online learning, online media, pace of change, participation, passions, pedagogy, smart classrooms, strategy, teaching & learning, teaching online, training / L&D, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, visualizing information, web-based collaboration, webinars,
by Daniel Christian
A vision of the future Smart Classroom — Daniel S. Christian
On 03/08/2010,
in 21st century, Apple, art, Augmented Reality (AR), blended learning, blogs / blogging / vlogging, CMS/LMS, colleges, computer science, creativity, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, engineering, geography / geology, Google, graphics, higher education, history, hybrid learning, innovation, K-12 related, languages and translation, learning, learning ecosystem, liberal arts, mathematics, multimedia, music, online learning, online media, pedagogy, physics, podcasting, psychology, RSS, science, social learning / networks, sociology, STEAM-related, story, storytelling, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, telecommunications, web design and production, writing,
by Daniel Christian
Student-provided sites from The Teaching & Learning Digital Studio at Calvin College
Digital Studio Sites is a blog with a large collection links from the Teaching & Learning Digital Studio Staff at Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI) that covers a wide range of academic topics and more. The staff scours the Web for the best, most interesting, and useful Web sites for the classroom (and maybe beyond) on the Internet and continually updates the list of links. Professors can quickly find sites related to their field of study by keyword, search, or by subscribing via RSS feed.