Group items tagged

Frequent use of mobile devices does not mean that students or instructors are ready for mobile learning and teaching

Wherever one looks, evidence of mobile penetration is irrefutable: cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, portable game devices, handhelds, tablets, and laptops abound. No demographic is immune from this phenomenon. From toddlers to seniors, people are increasingly connected and are digitally communicating with each other in ways that would have been impossible only a few years ago.5

Consequently, it comes as no surprise that sooner or later people would begin to look for ways to integrate mobile computing into e-learning to make courses more accessible and portable. For example, Duke University made headlines when it provided all incoming freshmen with their own 20-gigabyte iPods. Similarly, the Virginia Tech College of Engineering became the first public institution to require all students to purchase a tablet PC beginning with incoming freshmen in fall 2006.

Education Minister Ng Eng Hen officially entered the blogosphere on Oct 1, joining the likes of Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan and Foreign Minister George Yeo.

Dr Ng told MediaCorp via email that penning his thoughts in cyberspace is an avenue for him to engage the public in a more personal way. His foray online "is an additional platform for me to communicate with parents and the public",

Apart from blogging about events or trips he had attended, Dr Ng also shares pictures taken during his official functions and visits. Dr Ng has also written on issues facing the education system.

Augmented reality, or the blending of the real world with computer graphics on the fly, is one of the most exciting fields in tech right now

Zugara, an interactive marketing agency, has built something a bit more practical for the time being. It’s put together the Webcam Social Shopper, offering a way to help you try on clothes online from the comfort of your bedroom.

t lets you overlay a static image on top of your body and pretend you’re wearing it. Which is sort of a start.

I have been getting a lot of questions about the Apps we have on our iPod Touches at school, so here you are:

Facebook will build out its advertising and sponsorship offerings.

Third-party developers will handle apps.

Business cards are an important part of life, helping us quickly swap contact details and turn a brief meeting into a valuable long-term contact

The thing is, business cards are so 20th Century. There are now a number of companies vying to replace them with far more tech savvy solutions. If you’re tired of getting having to take a box of cards around wherever you go, here are five solutions to try

Google Latitude has allowed its 10 million users to see on a map approximately where their friends are. But until now, it provided no way for a user to pinpoint his own location with a check-in, a la Foursquare and others. Now users will be able not only to broadcast their exact location to their friends on Latitude but also to publicly share their check-ins through their Google Profile. They’ll also be able to garner “VIP” and “Guru” status based on the number of their check-ins. This is rather ho-hum news, considering so many other check-in services do much the same thing. But where things get interesting is that Google will allow users to automatically check themselves in to specific locations, without having to whip out their phone.

Here's what they learned, based on users' feedback, preferences and complaints: Touchable areas are often too small, too close, not easy enough to discern.

iPad users dislike typing on the touchpad.

The Web browser has its limits.

Teachers across the country have been incorporating Twitter into classrooms for a few years, but the site's adoption by educational institutions appears to be limited. A survey of 1,920 U.S. teachers published in April found that 2% of them use the micro-blogging site in college lectures. About half those polled said the use of Twitter and Facebook in class is harmful to the learning experience, according to the study from consulting firm Pearson Learning Solutions. Still, Legaspi is hopeful. When he explained the plan to his students at Hollenbeck Middle School in East Los Angeles, he learned that only one of them had used Twitter. But most, he said, live on their phones. So getting them started wasn't difficult.

Legaspi said shy students are benefiting the most. For "a lot of them, what it did is help find their voice," he said. "I have many students that do not participate in my classes or share what's on their mind, so Twitter became that vehicle." Several students praised the new approach. "It's a great way to get people to notice you," said Oscar Lozoria, a shy 14-year-old with long hair that other students used to tease him about. He said Twitter has changed how his peers view him. "They see me as somebody now -- as an equal," he said. Ivan Sabaria, also 14, said Twitter makes learning more fun. "I'm paying attention and doing all my work," he said.

Occasionally, the students will type in something inappropriate during class. Still, Legaspi is convinced he has discovered the future of education. "I get feedback on the spot. Not only that, all the students can see what they're sharing," he said. "This is powerful."