Universities compared to Domino's pizza in terms of serving up options that are ordered online. A plug for the importance of conversation and how that provides learning - and that online conversation (e.g. twitter) is the new 'game changer'. 

page by Helen Barrett on using Google Apps to provide an eportfolio for educational institutions

LOOC = Little Open Online Course free courses with capped small numbers of enrolments

Free, online LMS which seems to be used at some of the Ivy league American universities if the home page is to be believed... Includes discussions, calendar, library (for your resources) and a gradebook.

uses a web browser - students tell the teacher anonymously whether they understand the material or are confused by it - the teacher gets a continuous graph during the lecture. All responses are anonymous. 

Using Twitter in university research, teaching and impact activities

NY Times article about the University of the People, which offers degress for free. Volunteer lecturers - which makes me wonder how sustainable this is... Also only offers degrees in computing and business administration

A range of tools using Powerpoint and Adobe Flash including twitter feedback slides, Powerpoint auto-tweet, Powerpoint twitter voting. From Noeline Wright's speed seminar. 

Moodle Tool style grid explaining live text/backchannel

Hype Cycle tracks innovations through stages - technology trigger, peak of inflated expectations, trough of disillusionment, slope of enlightenment, plateau of productivity. Can't see MOOCs any where on this graph! 

webinar presentation of the results of a large US survey titled 'Conflicted - Faculty and Online Education" conducted by Inside Higher Education

range of necessary skills and attributes to use twitter usefully. 

collaborative essay about MOOCs co-authored by multiple participants. Notes difference between and xMOOC and a cMOOC. 

two axis graph about what is easy to assess cf. what is important in a networked world

Queen's University Belfast have a website which is provided for students to show evidence of learning and skills learnt from extra-curricular activities and achievements. "Many activities you participate in - whether you serve as a Course Rep or have a part-time job or are engaged in voluntary work - may be allowing you to acquire important employability skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication and commercial awareness.  The Degree Plus Award allows these skills and this experience to be formally recognised" The Award is awarded by the University and is a 'value added' item which students can get in addition to their formal qualification. 

some interesting tools I have never heard of e.g. Wolfram Alpha

library list of EDUCAUSE 2 page summaries '7 things you should know about...'

great for keeping in touch with all students | Moodle News possible extra plugin block for UoW Moodle

The objectives of the NZVWG initative are to:     Undertake both experimental and routine use of virtual worlds in teaching and research;     Develop engaging, interactive in-world content customised for NZ use; and     Develop new context-specific plugins enabling interaction between the virtual and real (non-virtual) worlds.