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Melissa Pietricola

Managing the Platform: Higher Education and the Logic of Wikinomics (EDUCAUSE Review) |... - 0 views

  • Wikipedia and other social networking sites provide a space or platform upon which all kinds of activities can flourish, with the idea of a platform transcending any particular technology or application and referring to either virtual or physical worlds. Collaboration among many users upon such a platform often produces unplanned and emergent
  • results—results frequently unattainable in a command-and-control management setting
  • the logic of commons-based peer production, and the logic of platform management transform the idea of the university and the very activities—teaching and learning, research, and publishing—that lie at the heart of this enterprise
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  • But at its heart, the university was born to provide a structure to govern the student-teacher relationship.
  • development of Wikiversity (http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Main_Page), an initiative from the Wikimedia Foundation
  • materials are produced by Wikiversity participants, who are, like their counterparts in Wikipedia, motivated volunteers. In addition, the Wikiversity course materials, unlike those made available by MIT, are editable by users
  • . Instead, students are invited to work together, to engage in discussion, to solve problems, and to otherwise “construct their knowledge.”
  • transformed into a kind of platform where students were invited to explore/create/construct knowledge. Peer production is very much a part of the constructivist classroom setting.
  • Put another way, the role of the teacher in a constructivist setting is like being a “procedural author,” as defined by Janet Murray when discussing virtual reality spaces.9
  • are more theme-parks than sandboxes,” meaning that learning is made as uniform and as controlled as possible (under the name of “standardization” and “outcomes-based” assessments).
    • Melissa Pietricola
       
      This is a great analogy-we have our kids waiting in line to have them produce cookie-cutter results..
  • In contrast, a sandbox conjures up images of unstructured, unplanned, emergent play that is determined by the players. Imagine a university organized and managed like a sandbox, where teachers and students are invited to play and create in an unstructured environment—or, rather, in an environment structured by their own actions, choices, and decisions.
  • Concerns would surely be raised about the quality of these credentials, similar to the debates about the quality of the articles in Wikipedia
  • To what degree will such informal learning and “credentialing by reputation” be legitimated and accepted by society?
  • emerge from the decisions, the edits, the additions, and the deletions of a number of people, all bound by the rules and protocols of Wikipedia
  • The wiki-ized university will probably not displace the traditional university but will likely exist alongside it, albeit in direct competition.
Amy M

Designing for Mobile Devices in Higher Education Research « Researching Usabi... - 0 views

  • Charging for it Creating a game Using specific locations (though some devices are able to detect location through browser applications) Using cameras Using accelerometers (to detect motion or rotation) Accessing file systems Offline users
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    CDL Recommendations: Auto-detect mobile devices and automatically display mobile version of a site (though always provide obvious links back to the full version of the site). Create mobile websites rather than apps whenever possible so that users do not  need to download software in advance of using it. Advertise through a variety of channels, including campus or departmental emails, campus websites, library websites, and blogs. Overall CDL design recommendations: Set up testing practices and environments for the most heavily used device platforms (Apple iOS,  RIM Blackberry OS, and Android OS). Test with physical devices where possible rather than emulation environments. Support mobile web access as opposed to building standalone mobile applications. Adopt and maintain web analytical tools to accurate mobile device tracking and usage statistics for online services. Continue to survey constituents and end-users annually or bi-annually to capture rapidly changing behaviours.
Heather Kurto

Making Sense of MOOCs: Musings in a Maze of Myth, Paradox and Possibility | Daniel | Jo... - 0 views

  • The first course carrying the name MOOC was offered in 2008, so this is new phenomenon. Second, the pedagogical style of the early courses, which we shall call cMOOCs, was based on a philosophy of connectivism and networking. This is quite distinct from the xMOOCs now being developed by elite US institutions that follow a more behaviourist approach. Third, the few academic studies of MOOCs are about the earlier offerings because there has been no time for systematic research on the crop of 2012 xMOOCs. Analysis of the latter has to be based on a large volume of press articles and blogs. Fourth, commentary on MOOCs includes thinly disguised promotional material by commercial interests (e.g. Koller, 2012) and articles by practitioners whose perspective is their own MOOC courses.
  • The term MOOC originated in Canada. Dave Cormier and Bryan Alexander coined the acronym to describe an open online course at the University of Manitoba designed by George Siemens and Stephen Downes. The course, Connectivism and Connective Knowledge, was presented to 25 fee-paying students on campus and 2,300 other students from the general public who took the online class free of charge (Wikipedia, 2012a).
  • Can xMOOCs make money?
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  • technology has been about to transform education for a long time
  • In 1841 the 'inventor of the blackboard was ranked among the best contributors to learning and science, if not among the greatest benefactors to mankind'. A century later, in 1940, the motion picture was hailed the most revolutionary instrument introduced into education since the printing press. Television was the educational revolution in 1957. In 1962 it was programmed learning and in 1967 computers. Each was labelled the most important development since Gutenberg's printing press.
  • But first, we agree with Bates (2012) that what MOOCs will not do is address the challenge of expanding higher education in the developing world. It may encourage universities there, both public and private, to develop online learning more deliberately, and OER from MOOC courses may find their way, alongside OER from other sources, into the teaching of local institutions.
  • He notes (Siemens, 2012) that 'MOOCs are really a platform' and that the platforms for the two types of MOOC that we described at the beginning of the paper are substantially different because they serve different purposes. In Siemens' words 'our cMOOC model emphasises creation, creativity, autonomy and social networking learning.
  • teaching methods 'are based on very old and out-dated behaviourist pedagogy, relying primarily on information transmission, computer-marked assignments and peer assessment'.
  • Another myth is that computers personalise learning. Bates (2012) again: 'No, they don't. They allow students alternative routes through material and they allow automated feedback but they do not provide a sense of being treated as an individual.
  • With such support MOOCs provide a great opportunity to develop new pedagogy. In a world of abundant content, courses can draw from a pool of open educational resources (OER) and provide their students with better and more varied teaching than individual instructors could develop by themselves. The University of Michigan (2012) (which made history by using OER from Africa in its medical school) uses OER extensively in its Coursera course Internet History, Technology and Security. UC Berkeley (2012) draws extensively on OER in its course on Quantum Computing.
  • pedagogy is not a familiar word on the xMOOC campuses. It is a myth that professors distinguished by their research output are competent to create online courses without help.
  • This, in turn, will put a focus on teaching and pedagogy to which these institutions are unaccustomed, which will be healthy. At the same time academics all around the world will make judgements about the intellectual quality and rigour of the institutions that have exposed themselves in this way.
  • With such support MOOCs provide a great opportunity to develop new pedagogy. In a world of abundant content, courses can draw from a pool of open educational resources (OER) and provide their students with better and more varied teaching than individual instructors could develop by themselves.
JJ Wagner

What is text wrap? - 0 views

  • Home > text wrap text wrap Text wrap is a feature supported by many word processors that enables you to surround a picture or diagram with text. The text wraps around the graphic.
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    Definition of text wrapping
Nicole Gallo

The Truth About Homework - 1 views

  • Carole Ames of Michigan State University points out that it isn’t “quantitative changes in behavior” – such as requiring students to spend more hours in front of books or worksheets – that help children learn better.  Rather, it’s “qualitative changes in the ways students view themselves in relation to the task, engage in the process of learning, and then respond to the learning activities and situation.”  In turn, these attitudes and responses emerge from the way teachers think about learning and, as a result, how they organize their classrooms.  Assigning homework is unlikely to have a positive effect on  any of these variables.  We might say that education is less about how much the teacher covers than about what students can be helped to discover – and more time won’t help to bring about that shift.
    • Nicole Gallo
       
      Developing an online course is not just the transfer of a traditional course to an online platform.  Assigning a video is not providing the student with a relevant experience nor a reason to engage; it can still be viewed through the lens of just homework. 
  • Finally, any theoretical benefit of practice homework must be weighed against the effect it has on students’ interest in learning.  If slogging through worksheets dampens one’s desire to read or think, surely that wouldn’t be worth an incremental improvement in skills.
Hedy Lowenheim

» Blackboard vs. Moodle Mary Huffman: ETAP640 reflections blog - 0 views

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    It reminds me of how I always hear mechanics complain about how poorly designed cars are, and how hard to work on. Why aren't the people who have to do the maintenance and work, consulted for the design? It makes me wonder how these platforms are created, and why they turn out to be something we have to fight with and make work, rather than something that really suits our needs. Professor Pickett had mentioned there's something about each LMS that she finds undesirable, I'd be interested to hear comparisons.
alexandra m. pickett

one small step for blogging…one giant leap for me - 4 views

  • Someone please explain to me the whole “hashtag” thing. PLEASE!  I feel so out of the loop!
  • I guess I just assumed that she was the exception,
  • I realize now that I was taking this, as well as all of my other skills, for granted.
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  • Twitter
  • not getting feedback on my course profile or course information documents. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      I am still trying to figure out how to not be overwhelmed with the volume of interaction in this course. : )
    • Lisa Martin
       
      I realized since I wrote that how much more you have to do than usual...I can't imagine!
  • I also realized that my ideas come from a desire to incorporate social networking more into online courses. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      take a look at this http://www.masternewmedia.org/ning-alternatives-guide-to-the-best-social-networking-platforms-and-online-group-services/ - i think you are thinking about a social networking site. In the future you may want to consider this as a companion to your course.
    • Lisa Martin
       
      Thanks Alex!
  • ~I continue to be astonished every week with how much I am growing and learning in this course.  Not only am I learning how to be an effective online instructor and everything that it entails, but I am also learning a lot about myself.~
  • I lose track of time and hours have gone by without me even realizing it. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      that is the definition of "engagment"
  • “What young children perceive that their teachers do plays a more significant role in their socio-emotional outcomes than what teachers report they do” (p. 30).  We have an EVEN bigger impact than we thought!
  • “Am I providing a bridge for my students from their prior knowledge to where I want them to be and where THEY want to be?” “What am I doing to facilitate their growth not only in building a positive self-image, but also as learners in general?” “Am I REALLY taking into consideration their interests, passions and motivations?” And finally, “What Would Alex Do?”
  • “I really like how you tell them you are there for them.  A lot of my teachers give us confusing assignments and I never feel like I can ask them questions.” 
  • When she was done going through everything she said, “Are you actually going to teach this class? Can I take it when you do?” 
  •   I was spending so much time figuring out the tools that I felt like I wasn’t spending time on content.  I realize now that I needed to spend that time and those tools were part of the content of this course. 
  • I LOVE learning in general!  I liked learning before…well I never disliked it anyway…well unless it was math…or science…I had no idea what it was like to truly LOVE learning.  Its sad to me that it took me 30 years to experience this.  Did I work A LOT in this course?  Did I give up much of my social life?  Did I stay up too late?  YES, YES and YES.  Was it worth it? Absolutely!  Did I mind? NOT ONE BIT…Reflecting on the fact that I worked so hard and so much on something and not only wasn’t bothered by it, but enjoyed every moment was a HUGE wake up call to me. 
  • You just have to have passion and a belief in yourself.
  • This was the only course I have EVER taken in which I will walk away having truly internalized knowledge.  I know that I internalized what I have learned because when I was reviewing my classmate’s courses I didn’t have to refer to a book or a checklist, it was all in my head.  When I look back at my undergrad education, I have always said that I didn’t feel like I actually “learned” anything until I student taught and learned by DOING.  That’s exactly what happened in this course, I learned by doing.  This is only course that has ever provided me with this type of experience and it has shown me what quality education should be, not only online but in a face-to-face situation as well.
  • We(myself, my classmates AND Alex) worked together in this course to contribute to the construction of our knowledge. 
  • It wasn’t until this summer when I turned 31 that I finally experienced being a student in a student-centered, constructivist environment that actually got me to THINK.  Not just think, but think critically…It took 31 years for me to experience a true community of learners!  I don’t want other students to have to wait 31 years to experience what its like to REALLY LEARN!
  • I want to CHANGE someone the way that Alex, ETAP 640 and all of you have CHANGED me.
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    I'm posting the link to my blog so that I can practice adding bookmarks to diingo
Mark Prelewicz

The Authority in Online Education - 0 views

  • As school districts across the country have faced budget gaps, they’ve been forced to cut back. Schools are eliminating programs and cutting teaching jobs and salaries – it’s clear that the U.S. public education system is facing problems. But Wozniak thinks that school systems have not “adapted to children’s needs,” and that computers could help to fill these gaps. Additionally, they could help schools save money. “If you had 30 teachers in a class with 30 students, they’d all get individual attention and be moving at their own paces,” Wozniak said. “So I think someday a computer could possibly be a teacher.”
  • “School in itself is pretty much a restrictive force on creativity,” he said. “When you come to class, you do the exact same pages in the book, the same hours as everyone else in the class. You don’t go off in your own little directions. This is not the way of the future.”
  • New technologies are beginning to mimic the capabilities of humans more than ever before. While technology and education experts agree that teachers won’t be replaced by robots anytime soon, computers have helped schools to make strides in student progress and achievement over the past few years. Tools like interactive online education platforms and online courses have demonstrated success, while also helping school districts save money. But to pinpoint successful educational technology, interactivity is key.
alexandra m. pickett

Project Noah - 0 views

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    Project Noah is a tool that nature lovers can use to explore and document local wildlife and a common technology platform that research groups can use to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere.
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    http://www.projectnoah.org/ is the 1st thing i have ever seen that makes me want 2get a smart phone. brilliant!! #slned #onlinelearning
Amy M

MITx: MIT's new online learning initiative - 0 views

shared by Amy M on 05 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • On May 2, it was announced that Harvard University will join MIT as a partner in edX. MITx, which offers online versions of MIT courses, will be a core offering of edX, as will Harvardx, a set of course offerings from Harvard.
  • MITx courses will be offered on an online learning platform that:
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    MIT's open course ware
Danielle Melia

Working Toward Transliteracy | American Libraries Magazine - 0 views

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    Illustration used under CC license. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danahlongley/4472897115/ Five presenters discussed the ways in which each implements transliteracy in their libraries. Transliteracy is often defined as the ability to read, write, and interact across a range of platforms, tools, and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio, and film, to digital social networks.
William Meredith

Understanding Oral Learners - Moon - 2012 - Teaching Theology & Religion - Wiley Online... - 0 views

    • William Meredith
       
      Perhaps students need the preparation in being evaluated by both?
  • Since oral learners often learn best in dialogue with others, create opportunities for dialogue to occur. This could be in the form of group projects outside of class or small group discussions in the classroom.
  • Oral learners also learn best when learning is connected to real events, people, and struggles of life instead of learning principles that are removed from actual people and struggles.
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  • Generally, oral learners have a more difficult time with online learning. It is not that they cannot do the work; rather, they will have to work harder to stay engaged through this print-based teaching form. Many of the above recommendations still apply but they may be more difficult to provide in an online platform. Suggestions for teaching oral students online include:
  • personal contact
  • Incorporate media assignments in the classroom,
  • Provide opportunities for assignments that are engaged in real life struggles, events, and people instead of abstract principles
  • Oral learners learn best and have their lives most transformed when professors utilize oral teaching and assessment methods.
  • Whereas previous generations in U.S. seminaries assumed that print-based means of teaching and assessing were effective to produce student learning and transformation, many contemporary students prefer to learn through oral means
  • The results of this research indicate that slightly more seminary students had an oral versus print learning preference. In order to create positive learning experiences and effectively reach students, it is important to understand the difference between oral and print preferences
  • , this paper seeks to understand how learning is shaped by oral versus print preferences. In short, how do oral learners learn differently than print learners?
  • discovered that slightly over half of the students evaluated via an Orality Assessment Tool (Abney 2001) had a preference for oral learning
  • Her grades were based entirely on print-based rubrics. Part of the difference in her grading was due to learning/assessment preferences rather than intelligence. This was a breath of fresh air for her as she was finally starting to understand herself and her learning preferences better.
Amy M

Colleges Search for Their Place in the Booming Mobile Web - Technology - The Chronicle ... - 0 views

shared by Amy M on 20 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • Most colleges do not have the resources to build their own mobile applications from scratch. The environment is changing quickly, and developing new products for each new major device—iPhones, BlackBerrys, Android phones, iPads—can be prohibitively expensive.
  • One key to these projects is recognizing the mobility of mobile devices, and not treating them as if they were small desktop computers. Among colleges, even the leading mobile applications and Web sites still function like add-ons; students and others can get much the same information on a personal computer, although perhaps not as quickly.
  • Creating a cohesive mobile platform does not mean that colleges should try to move everything from their Web sites to a smaller screen. It can be impossible to know in advance what people want to do on a smartphone, and what they would prefer to leave to a full-size computer.
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    Most colleges do not have the resources to build their own mobile applications from scratch. The environment is changing quickly, and developing new products for each new major device-iPhones, BlackBerrys, Android phones, iPads-can be prohibitively expensive.
Amy M

edX - Home - 0 views

shared by Amy M on 08 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • Through this partnership, the institutions aim to extend their collective reach to build a global community of online learners and to improve education for everyone.
  • by MIT and Harvard that will develop an open-source technology platform to deliver online courses. EdX will support Harvard and MIT faculty in conducting research on teaching and learning on campus through tools that enrich classroom and laboratory experiences.
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    Harvard and MITx offer free classes
Amy M

MITx: The Next Chapter for University Credentialing? | Inside Higher Ed - 0 views

  • An open infrastructure will facilitate research on learning technologies and also enable learning content to be easily portable to other educational platforms that
  • The implications from MITx could be staggering, I th
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    Article on MITx and what credit is really worth
Amy M

Harvard Library tells faculty to take open access seriously | Bibliographic Wilderness - 1 views

  • It’s interesting to see the pendulum swinging the other way, and libraries wanting to go back to use-based/per-use charges. Harvard is recommending it for scholarly journal content.
  • It’s my understanding that the shift from per-use charges to flat charges was actually pushed by libraries (can anyone around then confirm this?).
  • Meanwhile, David Walker pointed out to me that the Copyright Clearance Center’s “Get It Now” service , which charges per-download for particulating publisher content, could be considered not just as an alternative to ILL, but as an alternative for libraries to flat rate “platform” licensing for scholarly content.
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    a librarian's view on Harvard's memo
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