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Robyn Jay

Roadmap - MoodleDocs - 1 views

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    "Version 2.0 Moodle 2.0, our biggest release ever, is coming together after two years of development. It contains a huge number of core changes to the platform, most of which are designed to give 3rd party developers more flexibility, scalability and safety. The timetable is designed to deliver Moodle 2.0 in time for the new school year in the northern hemisphere and currently looks like this: * March 2010: Moodle 2.0 Beta release * April, May, June 2010: intensive beta testing and bug fixing (freeze on new features) * 1 July 2010: Moodle 2.0 production release You can track our current progress in detail on the Moodle 2.0 Planning document. Please remember that this document is frequently updated and details can change a lot! Draft release notes at Moodle 2.0 release notes. Please add notable items while they are fresh in your mind. The notes will be edited before the final release. System requirements Since Moodle 2.0 is such a major release, we are allowing ourselves some increases in the requirements. * PHP 5.2.8 is now the minimum version supported. (We are aware that several important linux distros are still shipping earlier versions like 5.2.6, but we need at least version 5.2.x for the new File API, and there are bugs in 5.2.7 and earlier that we could not work around.) This allows developers to write cleaner code using the more recent features of PHP, and will also improve user experience. * Databases should be one of the following: o MySQL 5.0.25 or later (InnoDB storage engine highly recommended) o PostgreSQL 8.3 or later o Oracle 10.2 or later o MS SQL 2005 or later * When upgrading to Moodle 2.0, you must have Moodle 1.9 or later. if you are using an earlier version of Moodle (eg 1.8.x) then you need to upgrade to Moodle 1.9.x first. New Community features * Community hub - Moodle.com Makes it easy for teachers to find other courses to download as templates fo
Robyn Jay

What to Do With Wikipedia - 0 views

  • Wikipedia is an affront to academia, because it undercuts what makes academics the elite in society.
  • Embracing the World of Wikipedia Figuring out what to do with Wikipedia is part of a larger question: When is academia going to acknowledge the elephant in the room? Over the past decade, the web has become the primary informational environment for the average student. This is where our students live. Wrenching them out of it in the name of academic quality is simply not going to work. But the genius of the web is that it is a means, not an end. The same medium that brings us Wikipedia also brings us e-reference and ejournals. Thus we have an opportunity to introduce Wikipedia devotees to three undiscovered realities: 1. Truth to tell, much of Wikipedia is simply amazing in its detail, currency, and accuracy. Denying this is tantamount to taking ourselves out of the new digital reality. But we need to help our students see that Wikipedia is also an environment for shallow thinking, debates over interpretation, and the settling of scores. Wikipedia itself advises that its users consult other sources to verify the information they are finding. If a key element in information literacy is the ability to evaluate information, what better place to start than with Wikipedia? We can help students to distinguish the trite from the brilliant and encourage them to check their Wikipedia information against other sources. 2. We need to introduce students to digital resources that are, in many cases, stronger than Wikipedia. Some of these are freely available online, like the amazing Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (http://plato.stanford.edu). Others may be commercial e-reference sources with no barrier except a user name and password. 3. The most daring solution would be for academia to enter the world of Wikipedia directly. Rather than throwing rocks at it, the academy has a unique opportunity to engage Wikipedia in a way that marries the digital generation with the academic enterprise. How about these options: • A professor writes or rewrites Wikipedia articles, learning the system and improving the product. • A professor takes his or her class through a key Wikipedia article on a topic related to the course, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses, editing it to be a better reflection of reality. • A professor or information literacy instructor assigns groups of students to evaluate and edit Wikipedia articles, using research from other sources as an evaluative tool. • A course takes on specific Wikipedia topics as heritage articles. The first group of students creates the articles and successive groups update and expand on them. In this way, collections of key “professor approved” articles can be produced in many subject areas, making Wikipedia better and better as time goes on. If you want to see further options, Wikipedia itself provides examples (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:School_and_university_projects). What to Do with Wikipedia When academia finally recognizes that Wikipedia is here to stay and that we can either fight it or improve it, we may finally discover that professors and students have come to a meeting of minds. This doesn’t mean that Wikipedia articles will now be fully acceptable in research paper bibliographies. But surely there is a middle ground that connects instruction on evaluation with judicious use of Wikipedia information. Ultimately, the academy has to stop fighting Wikipedia and work to make it better. Academic administrators need to find ways to recognize Wikipedia writing as part of legitimate scholarship for tenure, promotion, and research points. When professors are writing the articles or guiding their students in article production and revision, we may become much less paranoid about this wildly popular resource. Rather than castigating it, we can use it as a tool to improve information literacy.
Robyn Jay

A critical examination of Blackboard's e-learning environment - Coopman - 3 views

  • teaching/learning as performance and teaching/learning as text
  • perceived institutional presence — the degree to which online learners felt connected to the university — was positively related to learning outcomes, satisfaction with the course, and intent to stay in the program.
  • students in the traditional classes interacted with each other far less than those in the hybrid (Web–enhanced) classes
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  • quality of interaction in online discussions, rather than quantity, may be the better predictor of student achievement
  • Interrogating the structure of learning management systems such as Blackboard brings to light the unnoticed ways in which the software frames online classroom interaction
  • Rose (2004) argued in her critique of learning management systems that the mediated tools instructors use to teach their classes are not value–free. The author lamented that “there is no acknowledgment of the fundamental transformations that must be wreaked upon content imported into platforms such as WebCT and Blackboard, nor of the fact that the very structure of these systems constrains instructional possibilities and decision–making.” [4] Like a highly bureaucratic organization, once a structure is built into a learning management system, changing the structure becomes unimaginable (Sandvig, 2006).
  • Online class discussions typically involve more student–student interaction and less instructor–student interaction. Lobel, et al. (2005) found that instructors were the center of the interaction network during in person discussions whereas the group was the center during online discussions. Blackboard’s discussion feature allows students to interact directly with each other, bypassing the instructor. However, the degree of structural flexibility in a Blackboard discussion board resides to a large extent in the decisions the instructor makes. May students attach files? May students start new discussion threads? May students post anonymously? Do they rate each other’s messages? What is the rating system?
  • What has changed is the instructor’s increased ability to track students’ use of the class Web site: number of messages posted, number of messages read, and how many times various pages or sections are accessed. Mullen (2002) argued that this type of information seems to provide an objective measure of student engagement, but in fact creates a dangerously decontextualized, essentialized image of a class in which levels of “participation” stand in for evidence of learning having taken place. Students are treated not as learners, as partners in an educational enterprise, but as users
  • “The brave new world of digital education promises greater access, increased democratic participation, and the transcendence of discrimination through pure minds. We must interrogate the actuality of these hypes: who has access, is participation online transformative, and is transcendence of difference a goal of progressive pedagogies?” [8]
i~NE i~NE

First i-NE course in UK - 0 views

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    As part of the expansion of the Institute of Natural Excellence across the globe, Second Nature UK are holding their first Natural Excellence course in the UK at the Stratford Manor Hotel on the 25th November 2009. During this one day program, Natural Excellence™ Project Management will be introduced, which is the world's leading integrated project management methodology. It incorporates the full range of best practices to realize the comprehensive and successful execution of projects of any size. It places people and business centrally and has six modules that include People Management, Quality Management, Process Management, Content Management, Change Management, Control Management. The course will also cover the new Natural Excellence management theories that help people of all walks of life achieve their maximum potential - the natural way. These revolutionary theories and methods have been incorporated into the i-NE founders very own taxonomy of excellence, (Van Geijn Taxonomy of Natural Excellence) which has been used by many, many people around world. The adoption of Natural Excellence has had a life changing effect on both students and with companies or government organisations who have incorporated them into their management approach. This is the first of many courses that will be delivered by Second Nature Excellence. Others will cover basic, professional and advanced sales; buying new IT systems; achieving ISO accreditation and further project management courses.
Niki Fardouly

On campus, but out of class: an investigation into students' experiences of learning te... - 0 views

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    This paper presents an investigation into how students studying at university engage actively with learning technology in their self-directed study time. The case study surveyed 250 students studying at undergraduate and postgraduate level from a purposive sample of departments within one institution. The study has also conducted focus groups and a number of in-depth follow-up interviews with respondents to the survey. In this article we explore three emerging aspects of the learning experience, namely student expectations of the technology, their lecturers' engagement with technology and how the technology might support processes of transition in higher education. One key implication is that more academic guidance is needed on what and how to use the technology effectively for independent learning, even where ICT skills levels are high. The study also identifies the significant role that the lecturer plays in facilitating students' use of technology. The findings of this study will be of interest to those working to incorporate learning technologies more effectively in higher education, in particular for those who are looking to improve the engagement of students in self-directed learning.
Nigel Coutts

Reflections from The Future of Education Conference - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    The Future of Education is a topic often discussed, and at the recent gathering of educators in Florence, it was the title and theme for the conference. Now in its ninth year, The Future of Education is an international conference that attracts educators from around the world and across all domains touched by education. The conference is an inspiring two days of discussion and sharing, with the city of Florence, the centre of the Renaissance, providing a constant reminder of what might be possible when creativity and critical thinking combine. Here are my key takeaways from this event.
Nigel Coutts

Encouraging Persistence - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." ― Calvin Coolidge Growing up, I had a copy of this quote on my wall. It is one of those things that stuck with me over the years. For a long time I might not have truly appreciated its wisdom. Now as a teacher in times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, its significance seems to have grown. When we can instantaneous consumers of the all of the worlds information, as we access anything and everything at the speed of light, how do we learn the value of persistence?
Robyn Jay

New iStanford Release with Library App | Information Center - 0 views

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    "iTunesU, 5-SURE and Emergency Tiles), but of special note are two major, Libraries-specific enhancements: 1. A Library "tile", which allows you to search library holdings via SearchWorks from your iPhone. 2. A Library "Places" overlay in the Maps tile. The iStanford interface looks like this (note the library tile in the bottom left corner): The Library tile takes you straight to a search box, powered by SearchWorks' index and relevancy ranking. Search results show book covers, author, title and availability. iStanford screenshot of SearchWorks search result Individual item records provide additional information, including item location and availability status, as well as links to any online versions. iStanford screenshot of map with There is also an Advanced Search option, and an "Ask A Librarian" page, with integrated email and phone numbers for Campus libraries. The new Maps tile now has a "Places" button in the bottom right corner of the screen, which provides a link to Libraries or Residential and Dining. The Libraries "place" provides a list (or map) of campus libraries. Individual library links include contact information, a link to hours, and a link to the library's web site."
Nigel Coutts

How might we confront the challenges of time and "the system"? - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    Two forces seem to present the most significant obstacle to educators hoping to achieve these illustrious goals for and with their learners. The first is time, the second is "the system". Together these two factors act as a bulwark to change; the constraints within which progress is able to occur but only to the point that it strikes against the seemingly immutable obstacles. 
Nigel Coutts

Supporting Mathematical Thinking through the Eight Cultural Forces - The Learner's Way - 1 views

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    At the heart of mathematics are a set of connected thinking dispositions. The mathematician uses these dispositions as the cognitive tools of their trade. While the traditional imagining of mathematics might be all about the accurate application of well-rehearsed algorithms and processes, in the real world of mathematics, it is all about the thinking. As we consider what our students need from their mathematical education, we should not overlook the importance of these dispositions. 
Nigel Coutts

Reflecting on report writing time - How might we maximise the value? - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    For schools in Australia and many parts of the world, we are heading towards the end of another school term and year. That means report writing season. For the next few weeks, teachers across the country will be huddled in front of computer screens, writing reflections on the progress their learners have made. Mark books will be opened, assessments consulted, work samples will be reviewed. All so that in the first week of the long Summer vacation students can sit and read their report and make plans for how they will enhance their learning in the coming year.
Nigel Coutts

Telling a new story of learning and school - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    One of the key ways by which we make sense of our world is by analysing the stories that we and others use to describe it. These stories are a construct of our experiences, our beliefs, our cultural perspectives and the interactions between these things. Even when the context in which the story is set is the same, the details and nature of the story that particular individuals or collective share can differ vastly. Only by listening to each story with empathy and genuine desire to understand each individual's telling of this story do we develop true insights. Making sense of the stories of education should be a key process for all educators.
Nigel Coutts

Does your mission and vision drive your actions - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    Explore the website of any school, and you will undoubtedly find a page dedicated to their Mission and Vision. Here you will find carefully crafted statements of purpose couched in the vocabulary of educational excellence and reflecting the pinnacle of human possibility. A blend of educational philosophy and marketing speak designed to promote student achievement and enrolments. The question is, to what degree does the lived experience of the typical student align with the stated purposes? Does the product do what it says on the tin?
Lyn Collins

Eight Brilliant Minds on the Future of Online Education - Eric Hellweg - Our Editors - ... - 0 views

  • The advent of massively open online classes (MOOCs) is the single most important technological development of the millennium so far. I say this for two main reasons. First, for the enormously transformative impact MOOCs can have on literally billions of people in the world. Second, for the equally disruptive effect MOOCs will inevitably have on the global education industry.
  • In the United States, students don't get their money's worth
  • You have to ask yourself, 'What is the nature of education as a good?' Ideally you want it to be learning. But it also functions as insurance.
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  • Things take longer to happen than you think they will and then they happen faster than you think they could.
  • ver the next few years the quality will improve.
  • A teacher in the future will become more like a mentor. The model of on campus education will be more about mentorship and guidance with research as an important factor."
  • "It's important to remember that we're not so good at understanding the subtleties of environments that make them attractive to people.
  • The working out of this will depend a lot on formulas for making it attractive and collaborative.
  • The technology gives us tremendous power to solve this stark problem all around us. We need to design these so no child is left out of this. What need to ask, what is education after all? We need to resolve that. What are we getting our young people ready for? It's for the purpose of our life.
Nigel Coutts

Why we don't cook frogs slowly and other thoughts on change - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    The frog in the pot of boiling water in An Inconvenient Truth is a cinematic moment that has the desired effect. It is one of the moments from the film that the audience remembers long after the credits roll. I have often thought about how this metaphor applies to change and particularly the way that change operates in schools.
Nigel Coutts

Taking time to design programmes for understanding - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    Identifying what our children need to learn is one of the most important processes within education. For the teacher this is the question they engage with as they design their teaching and learning units. By no means is this an easy task and the teacher must balance multiple factors to ensure that the programmes they design provide their students with the learning they require. Even the most effective sequence of lessons is of little value if what it sets out to teach has little importance in the lives our learners are likely to lead. 
Nigel Coutts

From Good to Great: Writing well by Thinking like Authors - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    A common challenge for students and teachers is how to develop a great idea for a piece of writing. Too often students struggle with the process of finding inspiration for their writing. They have a vague idea for the story they hope to tell, but all too quickly it transforms into a list of events with little or no detail. The goal here is to provide our students with a process to use during the planning process. The hope is that by identifying the type of thinking required during the early phases of ideation and to focus their attention on details, that the stories our students subsequently compose will be more enjoyable to read. Hopefully, this process helps.
Nigel Coutts

The folly of goal setting activities - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    It is soon the start of a new school year for students in Australia. In other parts of the world, the year continues after a short break for Christmas while New Year festivities are just around the corner for those observing the lunar new year. The start of the year is considered an excellent time to reflect on key ideas that matter to our learning and potential for success. But does this equate with goal-setting?
Christopher Pappas

Free eLearning and Instructional Design Books - 1 views

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    In this post you will find a list of 49 FREE eBooks for instructional designers and eLearning professionals. If you have read any of the following books I will highly appreciate if you share your opinion with the eLearning community. If you know a free e-Learning book that is not included in the list please I will highly appreciate if you write a comment with a link to that book. It will be added at the top of the list!
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    In this post you will find a list of 49 FREE eBooks for instructional designers and eLearning professionals. If you have read any of the following books I will highly appreciate if you share your opinion with the eLearning community. If you know a free e-Learning book that is not included in the list please I will highly appreciate if you write a comment with a link to that book. It will be added at the top of the list!
Nigel Coutts

Thinking in the Wild - Thinking routines beyond the classroom - The Learner's Way - 0 views

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    Despite this being a 'thinking' conference, despite us all being advocates for structured and scaffolded models of thinking, not one group had applied any thinking routines, utilised a collaborative planning protocol or talked about applying an inquiry model or design thinking cycle. It wasn't that we didn't know about them. It wasn't that we don't know how to use them. It wasn't that we don't value them. We had all the knowledge we could desire on the how to and the why of a broad set of thinking tools and anyone of these would have enhanced the process, but we did not use any of them. Why was this the case and what does this reveal about our teaching of these methods to our students?
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