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Contents contributed and discussions participated by Dennis OConnor

Dennis OConnor

Internet Search Challenge: Adults Do Better - 0 views

  • Need proof that adults search and evaluate better than youth? These charts show how students in middle school and high school compare to teachers and librarians. The assessment is the pretest from a course we call "Investigative Searching 20/10."
  • To date, 449 middle schoolers, 414 high schoolers and 28 adults have taken the 10-item pretest that measures the ability to find critical information and evaluate its credibility. There are several differences that really stand out.
  • Are these the results you would expect? Do you think they are artificially low or about right? That's hard to say without seeing the pretest. Without disclosing specific items (in case you want to take the test), the 10 items focus on skills that have been described in previous posts, requiring the application of appropriate techniques to find the author of articles, the name of the publisher, the date of publication, other instances of the content on the Internet and references to web pages.
Dennis OConnor

information fluency @ Bing vs. Google - 0 views

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    Here's a side by side comparison of Bing Vs Google results on the term: Information Fluency 21cif.com ( formerly 21cif.imsa.edu ) has been online for 10+ years and dominates the Google Search results. Nothing in the top ten for Bing? Google ranks our old url #1 and our new url #4. Give this a try for your self with the same terms? I'll bet you get radically different results from Google than I do. Since I've worked on the 21cif project for nearly 8 years, I know the materials well. Also Google has adapted to my search habits and provides me with more links relevant to my interest. On the Google page I'm given a link to my search-wiki results: http://tinyurl.com/21cif-search-wiki This proves the point 21cif has been making for a decade: USE MULTIPLE SEARCH ENGINES! The more sources of information you tap, the better your chances of getting a less filtered view of what's available on the world wide web
Dennis OConnor

Google Jolts Search Engine With Caffeine - New search tech under the hood? - 0 views

  • Google engineers unveiled the news in a blog and said that they have been working on this "secret project" over the past few months.
  • The changes may be more apparent to Web developers and power searchers, so Google is opening up a Web developer preview to get their feedback.
  • Another tester liked the fact that Caffeine also provides more results from social networking sites. "I've noticed more Twitter pages in the results with this version of Google. Quite like having that - makes it easier to find people and companies."
Dennis OConnor

Shock threat to shut Skype - 0 views

  • eBay says it may have to shut down Skype due to a licensing dispute with the founders of the internet telephony service.
  • eBay has since been licensing the technology from the founders’ new company, Joltid, but the pair recently decided to revoke the licensing agreement.
  • In a quarterly report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, eBay said in no uncertain terms that if it lost the right to use the software it would most likely have to shut Skype down.
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  • But, even though Skype has not been a major financial success, it has succeeded in becoming the dominant internet telephony service globally.
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    I use Skype and enjoy the free functionality. It's far from perfect, but has a place in my e-learning toolkit. (I've also used Jah-Jah to call my daughter in Thailand and was very pleased with this alternate take on internet telephony.) Like all things tech, Skype could go. As this article shows, the big hitting billionaires who run the show are in dispute. If i have to switch, so be it! Will Google Voice move into this space? Who knows? Wait and see as the future unrolls on a daily basis
Dennis OConnor

Why The FCC Wants To Smash Open The iPhone - washingtonpost.com - 0 views

  • Right about now, Apple probably wishes it had never rejected Google Voice and related apps from the iPhone. Or maybe it was AT&T who rejected the apps. Nobody really knows. But the FCC launched an investigation last night to find out, sending letters to all three companies (Apple, AT&T, and Google) asking them to explain exactly what happened.
  • The FCC investigation is not just about the arbitrary rejection of a single app. It is the FCC's way of putting a stake in the ground for making the wireless networks controlled by cell phone carriers as open as the Internet.
  • On the wired Internet, we can connect any type of PC or other computing device and use any applications we want on those devices. On the wireless Internet controlled by cellular carriers like AT&T, we can only use the phones they allow on their networks and can only use the applications they approve.
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  • Google must secretly be pleased as punch. It was only two years ago, prior to the 700MHz wireless spectrum auctions, that it was pleading with the FCC to adopt principles guaranteeing open access for applications, devices, services, and other networks. Now two years later, in a different context and under a different administration, the FCC is pushing for the same principles.
  • FCC cites "pending FCC proceedings regarding wireless open access (RM-11361) and handset exclusivity (RM-11497). That first proceeding on open access dates back to 2007 when Skype requested that cell phone carriers open up their networks to all applications (see Skype's petition here). Like Google Voice, Skype helps consumers bypass the carriers. The carriers don't like that because that's their erodes their core business and turns them into dumb pipes. But dumb pipes are what we need. They are good for consumers and good for competition because they allow any application and any device, within reason, to flower on the wireless Internet.
  • The FCC also wants Apple to explain the arbitrariness of its app approval process: 4. Please explain any differences between the Google Voice iPhone application and any Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications that Apple has approved for the iPhone. Are any of the approved VoIP applications allowed to operate on AT&T?s 3G network?5. What other applications have been rejected for use on the iPhone and for what reasons? Is there a list of prohibited applications or of categories of applications that is provided to potential vendors/developers? If so, is this posted on the iTunes website or otherwise disclosed to consumers?6. What are the standards for considering and approving iPhone applications? What is the approval process for such applications (timing, reasons for rejection, appeal process, etc.)? What is the percentage of applications that are rejected? What are the major reasons for rejecting an application?
  • Why does it take a formal request from a government agency to get Apple (and AT&T) to explain what the rules are to get on the wireless Internet?
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    Opening the iPhone would make educational apps much easier to publish. Apple's monopoly means e-text-book readers and classroom use of hand held computers (which is what the iPhone and iPod reall are) have to pay a toll to Apple. Right now, Apple's approval system is cloaked in mystery. Developers have no way to market their products without 'official' approval. Opening up the iPhone and by extension opening up wireless networks around the country will drive down high prices and bring connectivity to more inexpensive computing devices. I hope this FCC investigation is the domino that kicks open the door to the clouds of connectivity that are already out there!
Dennis OConnor

Online Teaching Jobs - 0 views

  • Educators looking for online teaching jobs at the postsecondary level. searches sites including: http://onlineadjunctjobs.blogsp..., http://teachonline2008.blogspot..., http://www.worldwidelearn.com/o..., http://www.universalclass.com/t..., http://www.tutorvista.com/caree... Keywords: "online adjunct" "teaching online" "jobs" "college"
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    customized google search engine
Dennis OConnor

Top News - Ten tips for boosting eCommunication - 0 views

  • After a school year marked by massive budget cuts and teacher layoffs, it's kind of nice to think about something relatively simple and stress-free, like better school communications. So, with hope springing eternally, here are 10 tips for boosting your eCQ (eCommunications Quotient) during the new school year.
Dennis OConnor

The Essential Role of Information Fluency in E-Learning and Online Teaching | The Sloan... - 0 views

  • I've been researching and writing about Information Fluency since the turn of the century. My work is published on the 21st Century Information Fluency Portal: http://21cif.imsa.edu You'll find modular online learning content including games, micromodules and assessments on the portal. (Free for all educators.) I include information fluency training in all of my online classes. I introduce power searching and website investigation to the graduate students studying in the E-Learning and Online Teaching Certificate Program at UW-Stout ( http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/elearningcertificate.html ) because I believe that Information Fluency is a foundation skill for all online teachers and learners.
  • Curiously, most educators think they are competent searchers and evaluators, when they are really just beginners. Their disposition is to ask for help rather than search for answers. With simple instruction many radically improve their ability to search, and evaluate. This is empowering and greatly increases learner satisfaction. Instruction in copyright and fair use is also part of the program.
  • As online teachers and learners we work in a computer where information is just a few keystrokes away.
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    I've been researching and writing about Information Fluency since the turn of the century. My work is published on the 21st Century Information Fluency Portal: http://21cif.imsa.edu You'll find modular online learning content including games, micromodules and assessments on the portal. (Free for all educators.) I include information fluency training in all of my online classes. I introduce power searching and website investigation to the graduate students studying in the E-Learning and Online Teaching Certificate Program at UW-Stout ( http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/elearningcertificate.html ) because I believe that Information Fluency is a foundation skill for all online teachers and learners.
Dennis OConnor

Moodle 101 - 0 views

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    Custom Google Search engine focused on Moodle
Dennis OConnor

Why should we check the accuracy of information on a web page? - 0 views

shared by Dennis OConnor on 01 Apr 09 - Cached
  • Try this interactive micromodule companion for a hands on experience in determining the accuracy of web-based information. Test your skills at: finding embedded evidence checking evidence for accuracy triangulation of data
  • The accuracy of factual information can help you judge the credibility of the author. Accuracy of information can also provide clues to possible bias in the resource under investigation.
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    A one page overview of how to check the accuracy of information. Includes a link to an online learning game to help learn essential concepts.
Dennis OConnor

Workshop Resources: It's Elementary 21st Century Information Fluency - 1 views

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    A special menu of workshop resources about 21st Century Information Fluency. Media rich materials for creating presentations about searching, website evaluation, and ethical use of digital materials. Online & Free Focused on Elementary Grade levels
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