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Post Modern Pedagody – Digital Content and Tools — Don’t Leave Home Without It

On 12/10/2010, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, digital learning, education technology, elearning, innovation, K-12 related, online learning, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning, tools, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Post Modern Pedagody - Digital Content and Tools -- Don't Leave Home Without It -- from K12 Inc. on 10-28-10.

I particularly like the last slide of this presentation; it asserts that:

Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business Professor writes in his book titled, “Disrupting Class” that, “Like all disruptions, student-centric technology will make it affordable, convenient, and simple for many more students to learn in ways that are customized for them.” (p. 92)

Based on trends Christensen points to research which points out that, “In the subsequent six years, technology’s market share will grow from 5 percent to 50 percent. It will become a massive market. And based on further business forecasts, 80 percent of courses taken in 2024 will be online in a student-centric way.”

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WiZiQ

On 12/03/2010, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, marketplaces, online learning, personalized/customized learning, teaching online, by Daniel Christian

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Schools combine netbooks, open source

On 11/18/2010, in education technology, game-changing environment, open courseware and systems, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

Schools combine netbooks and open source
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Also see:
Laptops All Around! Now What? — from CampusTechnology.com by Bridget McCrea

So you’ve decided to give tablets and laptops to all your students and faculty. Now how do you support that? Pennsylvania’s Seton Hill University backs up its newly expanded mobile computing program, now consisting of both Apple MacBook Pros and iPads for students and faculty, with a robust support structure modeled after AppleCare.

When Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA launched its freshmen laptop distribution program in 2009, the institution’s IT team didn’t just match the Apple MacBook Pros up with their new owners and hope for the best. Knowing that many universities struggle to provide adequate “service after the sale” on technological equipment, the school took an active stance on the issue.

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Videos: Unleashing technology to personalize learning

On 11/11/2010, in education technology, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

Videos: Unleashing technology to personalize learning

Video interviews include:

Karen Cator: No More Professional Development Excuses
U.S. Department of Education Director of Educational Technology Karen Cator advocates a new vision for 21st century professional development.

Karen Cator: Cyber-bullying—A Call to Action
Cator emphasizes the importance of teaching digital citizenship as a tool for curbing cyber-bullying.

Chris Lehmann: Beyond Shiny Tools
Science Leadership Academy Principal Chris Lehmann talks about how educators should use technology in ways that genuinely improve teaching and learning.

Julie Young: Balancing Academic Rigor, Student Interests
Florida Virtual Schools President and CEO Julie Young talks about how to create virtual courses that play to students’ interests while also maintaining academic standards.

Eric Sheninger: Opening Minds on Social Networking
New Milford (N.J.) High School Principal Eric Sheninger talks about his change of heart regarding the role of social networking in his school.

Bryan Setser: Demystifying Online Learning
North Carolina Virtual Public School CEO Bryan Setser outlines why schools should embrace online course-taking, what it should look like, and how they should deliver it to students.

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Some reflections on Visions 2020.2

On 11/09/2010, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, analytics, Augmented Reality (AR), collaboration, convergence, digital audio, digital learning, digital textbooks, digital video, distance education, e-books, e-readers, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, faith, game-changing environment, human-computer interaction (HCI), immersion, innovation, intelligent tutoring, interactivity, internet, K-12 related, learning agents, learning ecosystem, learning preferences, mathematics, mobile learning, mobile technologies, multimedia, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, religion, simulations, social learning / networks, student-related, technologies for your home, telepresence, tools, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Below are some notes and reflections after reading Visions 2020.2:  Student Views on Transforming Education and Training Through Advanced Technologies — by the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Education, and NetDay

Basic Themes

  • Digital Devices
  • Access to Computers and the Internet
  • Intelligent Tutor/Helper
  • Ways to Learn and Complete School Work Using Technology

Several recurring words jumped off the page at me, including:

  • Voice activation
  • A rugged, mobile, lightweight, all-convergent communications and entertainment device
  • Online classes
  • Interactive textbooks
  • Educational games
  • 3D virtual history enactments — take me there / time machine
  • Intelligent tutors
  • Wireless
  • 24x7x365 access
  • Easy to use
  • Digital platforms for collaborating and working with others on schoolwork/homework
  • Personalized, optimized learning for each student
  • Immersive environments
  • Augmented reality
  • Interactive
  • Multimedia
  • Virtual
  • Simulations
  • Digital diagnostics (i.e. analytics)
  • Wireless videoconferencing

Here are some quotes:

Math and reading were often cited specifically as subjects that might benefit from the use of learning technologies. (p. 5)

No concept drew greater interest from the student responders than some sort of an intelligent tutor/helper. Math was the most often mentioned subject for which tutoring help was needed. Many students desired such a tutor or helper for use in school and at home. (p. 17)

…tools, tutors, and other specialists to make it possible to continuously adjust the pace, nature and style of the learning process. (p.27)

So many automated processes have been built in for them: inquiry style, learning style, personalized activity selection, multimedia preferences, physical requirements, and favorite hardware devices. If the student is in research mode, natural dialogue inquiry and social filtering tools configure a working environment for asking questions and validating hypotheses. If students like rich multimedia and are working in astronomy, they automatically are connected to the Sky Server which accesses all the telescopic pictures of the stars, introduces an on-line expert talking about the individual constellations, and pulls up a chatting environment with other students who are looking at the same environment. (p.28)

— Randy Hinrichs | Research Manager for Learning Science and Technology | Microsoft Research Group

From DSC:
As I was thinking about the section on the intelligent tutor/helper…I thought, “You know…this isn’t just for educators. Pastors and youth group leaders out there should take note of what students were asking for here.”

  • Help, I need somebody
  • Help me with ____
  • Many students expressed interest in an “answer machine,” through which a student could pose a specific question and the machine would respond with an answer. <– I thought of online, Christian-based mentors here, available 24x7x365 to help folks along with their spiritual journeys


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Spotlight on Technology in Education

On 11/02/2010, in education reform, education technology, innovation, K-12 related, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

Spotlight on Technology in Education — from The Innovation Economy

There were three clear messages that the panelist and the audience of experts discussed:

1) We need a Moore’s law for Education…

2) Mass customization and standardization – Imagine yourself as a 4th grade teacher. On the first day of school, you get 25 students and you have to cover some number of topics and all of the students have to get to grade level by end of the year. Let’s take math and fractions for example, some of those kids will already understand the concept, some students need a bit more practice and others are still struggling with adding numbers and are way behind. Every one of those kids is at a skill different level. As a teacher, do you prepare 25 different lessons or do you just aim for the middle? And you have the same problem with reading, writing, science and social studies not to mention the social and emotional development of the students. You can imagine the complexity and the need for some tools that can help. Here is where customization comes in.

What if you had a system that can assess and track student progress against the learning standards during the day and the teachers, parents and students can see that information. The teacher can then use that information to develop individualized learning plans. Here is where standardization comes in.

In the course of education history, some teacher somewhere has developed a good lesson plan that will help a struggling student understand fractions. The problem is that it rarely leaves that classroom or that school and forget about crossing state boundaries. Using technology we can collect, analyze and asses different teaching resources (videos, software, peer learning, tutoring) that address the specific needs of the students. We can then marry the customized student plan with a standardized learning solution. Note, I am NOT taking the teacher out of the equation, you still need their expertise to assess the solution, what we are really doing is giving teachers more tools and freeing up time to be spent where they can add the most value. This solution is already happening in the math center at School of One in NYC.

3) Value outcomes and not time – The concept is very simple, if you know the material, go on to the next level.

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Check out the Kno for what what’s coming down the pike

On 10/22/2010, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, e-books, e-readers, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, game-changing environment, higher education, interactivity, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, love of learning, media/film, mobile learning, mobile technologies, more voice more choice more control, multi-touch, multimedia, music, new business models, online learning, online media, personalized/customized learning, platforms, podcasting, presentations, publishing, social learning / networks, story, storytelling, student-related, tablets, technologies for your home, telepresence, textbooks, tools, user experience (UX), vendors, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

The Kno Tablet

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http://kno.com/index.html.

From DSC:
This tablet is larger, which I love! It also offers:

  • Interactivity
  • Multimedia
  • Ability to annotate/save annotations
  • Collaboration and more

Nice!

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What if we could apply this same concept towards learning?

On 10/18/2010, in analytics, learner profiles, learning agents, learning ecosystem, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

About IQNOMY

IQNOMY is an S.a.a.S. (Software as a Service) solution which enables any website to adapt itself to each individual visitor in next to no time.

As a result of the emergence of new media, the distance between institutions and individuals is getting ever smaller. Individuals have gained more and more power and are increasingly using this to demand personal attention and recognition. For companies and organizations, the difficulties associated with holding on to today’s critical consumer are therefore growing.

For a long time now, simply supplying information has not been enough. Customers and consumers are looking for an experience that is presented at the right moment and within the right context. We call this Real-time Interaction Marketing. Central to this discipline is the fact that you as an organization are able to get to know and understand your customers and that you actively learn to support them in discovering new and relevant information. This form of personal and direct one-to-one marketing will play an increasingly important role in commercial markets in the future.

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Some reflections re: web/cloud-based learner profiles

On 10/16/2010, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, assessment, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, CMS/LMS, colleges, community colleges, competency-based learning/education, Daniel S. Christian, data related items, digital learning, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, instructional design, intelligent tutoring, internet, K-12 related, learning agents, learning ecosystem, learning preferences, lifelong learning, mobile learning, multimedia, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, training / L&D, ubiquitous learning, universities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Reflections on web-based learner profiles -- by Daniel S. Christian

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Reflections on web-based learner profiles -- by Daniel S. Christian

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Reflections on web-based learner profiles -- by Daniel S. Christian

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Reflections on web-based learner profiles -- by Daniel S. Christian

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Traditional instructional methods versus intelligent tutoring systems

On 10/16/2010, in intelligent tutoring, personalized/customized learning, traditional / tradition, by Daniel Christian

Traditional instructional methods versus intelligent tutoring systems — from4u-all.com

From DSC:
I’m not crazy about the VS. part here…this post isn’t mean to stir competitive juices or put some folks out there on the defensive. Rather, I thought it had some interesting, understandable things to say about intelligent tutoring systems and what benefits they might provide.

A potential solution to this problem is the use of novel software known as “Intelligent Tutoring Systems” (ITS), with built-in artificial intelligence. These systems, which adapt themselves to the current knowledge stage of the learner and support different learning strategies on an individual basis, could be integrated with the Web for effective training and tutoring.

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) are software programs that give support to the learning activity. These systems can be used in the conventional educational process, distant learning courses as well corporate training, either under the form of CDROMs or as applications that deliver knowledge over the Internet. They present new ways for education, which can change the role of the human tutor or teacher, and enhance it.

They present educational materials in a flexible and personalized way that is similar to one-to-one tutoring. In particular, ITSs have the ability to provide learners with tailored instructions and feedback. The basic underlying idea of ITSs is to realise that each student is unique.

They use simulations and other highly interactive learning environments that require people to apply their knowledge and skills. These active, situated learning environments help them retain and apply knowledge and skills more effectively in operational settings.

An intelligent tutoring system personalizes the instruction based on the background and the progress of each individual student. In this way, the learner is able to receive immediate feedback on his performance. Today, prototype and operational ITS systems provide practice-based instruction to support corporate training, high school and college education, military training etc.

The goal of intelligent tutoring systems is to provide the benefits of one-on-one instruction automatically and cost effectively. Intelligent tutoring systems enable participants to practice their skills by carrying out tasks within highly interactive learning environments…

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Like Netflix, new college software seeks to personalize recommendations

On 10/14/2010, in education technology, learner profiles, learning agents, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

Like Netflix, new college software seeks to personalize recommendations — from InsideHigherEd.com by Marc Parry

Anaheim, Calif. —Amazon. Netflix. Google. All personalize recommendations based on what they know about users.

A new project, unveiled at the Educause conference here today, plans to provide college students a similar experience on academic Web sites.

It’s called Sherpa, like the guides who lead climbers up Mount Everest. The goal of the software, developed by the South Orange County Community College District, is to mine data about students to guide them to courses, information, and services.

That’s a change from what students experience starting and finishing classes on the Blackboard course-management system, said Robert S. Bramucci, South Orange’s vice chancellor for technology and learning services.

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Thoughts on lecture capture, personalization, web-based learner profiles

On 10/11/2010, in 21st century, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, competency-based learning/education, education technology, emerging technologies, game-changing environment, innovation, instructional design, intelligent tutoring, learner profiles, learning agents, online learning, online tutoring, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
I was reading a white paper from Tegrity today (see below graphics). It mentioned that the next frontier for lecture capture technologies is focused on developing more personalized learning experiences.

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—  A brief aside from DSC:
Reminds me of some of the functionality found in Livescribe’s echo smartpen.

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The ability to integrate lecture capture platforms with Learning Management Systems (LMS’s) can help to automate the authentication and authorization needed to ensure learners get to review what they are allowed to review. Integration hooks provided by lecture capture and LMS vendors are viable as methods of ensuring a baseline approach to secure access. Yet most lecture capture systems do not know who the viewer is (as the LMS does the authentication and authorization); they only know that the stream is permitted to play and that students of the course are watching.

This sets the stage for the next transformation of lecture capture solutions – into platforms that can understand not just who their users are, but also what those users need to do and how their experience can be personalized and enhanced.

The coming shift will bring creation of custom learning environments that cater to the individual student by offering personal context-sensitivity, the ability to draw on the knowledge of peers and instructors, and the ability to better manage and monitor each individual learner’s behaviors and customize their experience to their individual needs. Among the major effects of this shift:

  • Democratization of the content creation process as learners themselves contribute to or otherwise use lecture capture tools to learn from or teach others
  • Faster learning by enabling learners to access information more quickly through bookmarks – and placing efficiencies within the platform to streamline teaching and learning
  • Changing impact on educators, who can rely on lecture capture feedback loops based on features like bookmarking to enable them to adjust content and teaching styles to suit learner needs
  • Use of presence and the fact that a system can know a learner to automate and make more efficient the act of finding peers or instructors for further learning interactions
  • Greater ability to deliver content and offer customized features via mobile devices

This white paper focuses on the evolution of lecture capture as a tool for creating a coherent environment for learner-centered instruction, showing the possibilities for improved efficiencies and better learning outcomes.

From DSC:
The integration of a lecture capture system w/ an LMS got me to thinking…what if each person in the world had a constantly-updated, adaptive, web-based learner profile that detailed their current age, current and past places of residence, language(s), hobbies, interests, courses taken, major(s), minor(s), last grade completed, which RSS feeds they subscribe to, which sources of educational content they prefer, etc. Given permission by the student, a vendor’s tool could then query the database and look for particular fields…plugging that  content into their own application for greater context and engagement.

So if a 3rd grader in India loved horses, the math problems could utilize that information to make the problems more engaging to that person.

Hmmm…along these lines, I think I’ll set up some Google alerts to include:

  • Multi-agent systems
  • Adaptive learning systems
  • Artificial intelligence education
  • Distributed e-learning systems
  • Semantic web education
  • Learning agents
  • Intelligent tutoring
  • Online tutoring

The next few years should be veeeerrrryyy interesting. Fasten your seatbelts!

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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt announces $100 million Innovation Fund to invest in education initiatives globally

On 09/14/2010, in education, education reform, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, innovation, new business models, publishing, using teams, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt announces $100 million Innovation Fund to invest in education initiatives globally — from businesswire.com
HMH Innovation Fund will help develop and bring to market groundbreaking new products for delivering individualized learning solutions and classroom technologies; company also investing an additional $300 million in broader technology initiatives over the next three years

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced the formal creation of a $100 million fund to support innovative ideas for new products to promote and enhance student achievement, individualized learning and effective technology integration in the classroom. The HMH Innovation Fund will be aimed at supporting emerging education initiatives and programs, as well as accelerating new technology development with the goal of bringing to market and spurring adoption of innovative solutions that can play a critical role in transforming education.

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References from “Developing Adaptive and Personalized Distributed Learning Systems…”

On 09/14/2010, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, learning agents, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Though I can’t re-publish this article (it costs $19), I do hope it’s ok that I share the abstract and the references of the article (if not Birol or Mustafa, please advise). They are definitely onto something here, and we all need to continue to keep our eyes on such keywords as:

  • learning agents
  • multi agent systems
  • 1:1
  • personalized/customized learning
  • artificial intelligence (AI)
  • the semantic web
  • …as these items represent where technology can be powerfully leveraged in the future.

Developing Adaptive and Personalized Distributed Learning Systems with Semantic Web Supported Multi Agent Technology

Birol Ciloglugil
Dept. of Comp. Engineering
Ege UniversityIzmir, Turkey

Mustafa Murat Inceoglu
Dept. of Comp. Education and Instructional Technology
Ege University
Izmir, Turkey

Abstract—The early e-learning systems were developed with the one-size-fits-all approach where the differences among the learners were disregarded and the same learning materials were supplied to each user. Nowadays, with the technological advances and the new trends in system design, the newly-developed systems take into consideration the needs, the preferences and the learning styles of the learners. As a result of this, more personalized e-learning systems have been developed. This thesis will investigate how possible technologies such as multi-agent systems and semantic web can be used to achieve more adaptive and more personalized distributed e-learning environments.

Keywords-adaptive systems; e-learning, multi agent systems; personalized e-learning systems; semantic web

REFERENCES

[1] H. Wang, P. Holt, “The design of an integrated course delivery system for Web-based distance education”, Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference on Computers and Advanced Technology in Education (CATE 2002), 2002, pp. 122-126.

[2] F. O. Lin, Designing Distributed Learning Environments with Intelligent Software Agents, Information Science Publishing, 2004.

[3] B. Ciloglugil, M. M. Inceoglu, “Exploring the state of the art in adaptive distributed learning environments”, LNCS, vol. 6017, 2010, pp. 556-569.

[4] I. S. B. Gago, V. M. B. Werneck, R. M. Costa, “Modeling an Educational Multi-Agent System in MaSE”, LNCS, vol. 5820, 2009, pp. 335-346.

[5] S. Garruzzo, D. Rosaci, G. M. L. Sarne, “ISABEL: A multi agent elearning system that supports multiple devices”, IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Intelligent Agent Technology, 2007, pp.85-88.

[6] T. Berners-Lee, J. Hendler, O. Lassila, The semantic web, Scientific American, 2001, pp. 34-43.

[7] A. Gladun, J. Rogushina, F. Garc?a-Sanchez, R. Martínez-Béjar, J. T. Fernández-Breis, “An application of intelligent techniques and semantic web technologies in e-learning environments”, Expert Syst. Appl., vol. 36, 2, 2009, pp. 1922-1931.

[8] M. Gaeta, F. Orciuoli, P. Ritrovato, “Advanced ontology management system for personalised e-learning”, Know.-Based Syst., vol. 22, 4, 2009, pp. 292-301.

[9] B. G. Aslan, M. M. Inceoglu, “Machine learning based learner modeling for adaptive Web-based learning”, LNCS, vol. 4705, 2007, pp. 1133-1145.

[10] W. S. Lo, I. C. Chung, H. J. Hsu, “Using ontological engineering for computer education on online e-Learning community system”, International Conference on Education Technology and Computer, Singapore, 2009, pp. 167-170.

[11] L. Romero, H. P. Leone, “An ontology on learning assessment domain”, New Perspectives on Systems and Information Technology, vol. 2, 2007, pp. 137-148.

[12] A. Canales-Cruz, V. G. Sanchez-Arias, F. Cervantes-Perez, R. Peredo-Valderrama, “Multi-agent system for the making of intelligence and interactive decisions within the learner’s learning process in a web-based education environment”, Journal of Applied Research and Technology, vol. 7, 3, 2009, pp. 310-322.

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Post textbook world

On 09/13/2010, in digital learning, library / librarians, personalized/customized learning, textbooks, by Daniel Christian

Post textbook world — from HuffingtonPost.com by Tom Vander Ark

Most of the digital courseware being used is decidedly first generation–it’s flat and sequential, not engaging and adaptive. But we’re beginning to see adaptive content libraries that enable personalized digital learning. There will still be a role for curation but that will come in the form of content collections, learning games and virtual worlds, and playlists that (like iTunes Genius but smarter) that stitch objects and sequences together.

Because learning object libraries will replace textbooks, eReaders won’t be big in education. They only make sense where there is a tight narrative. Tablets that can support a full web experience and are also a useful input device will compete with netbooks for 1:1 supremacy.

Digital native kids and teachers expect a more social experience than ‘log in, follow directions, and email me if you have a problem.’ The shift from digital textbook to content libraries requires more flexibility than current learning management systems offers and will kick off more data than anyone is ready to handle.

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