Tools of e-learning

I noticed this post from the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies [CL4PT] on ten key tools for learning. There’s a very clear triangle forming of course/ content “authorware” [eg, screenr or prezi], collaboration tools [eg, etherpad or dimdim] and individual tools [eg, evernote or arguable posterour].
This highlighted a question would be how these might [...]

Power & social media use?

An interesting set of slides on a European survey of social media use (via Pontydysgu) suggesting aa decline in the use of email. A key issue for me is to what extent is the use of MSN/ IM/ SMS etc. compartmentalised as being for social rather than for studying/ work? My own experience is that [...]

roundup of interesting stuff: edupunk and social business

More on edupunk/ hacking the education “system” here Although I think there is a conflation of two issues here: (a) the brand recognition and market value of possessing a recognised degree (preferably from a prestigious university and (b) the power of the www to enable lifelong learning. So one is concerned with the confirmation that [...]

on the nature of personal learning environments

A well argued post here on personal learning environments as a dynamic environment rather than a product or device. This chimes with my own views on PLEs as something that is personal rather than a product as well as with the tension in views of enterprise 2.0 between the techno-determinists and those focused on people [...]

Edgeless everything

The UK think tank Demos has recently published a report on the state of higher education in the UK, “the edgeless university“. In particular the report points to technology as a driver of change and as [part of] the solution for edgeless universities that are:
“no longer contained within the campus, nor within the physically [...]

digital content maturing

An interesting post here from mathemagenic on the process of developing blogged content into some form of ‘product’. The post succinctly lays out a process from initial capture of ideas, to pattern recognition, meaning-making and final explicit articulation as a product – in this case, mainly academic papers.
I would be interested to see how [...]

on digital identity

An interesting post here from David White at Oxford on digital identity in educational settings. I particularly agree with his focus on shifting the emphasis from the internet as a broadcast/ content distribution channel to thinking in terms of relationships which “focuses back on the heart of teaching and learning.”
But I think his notion of [...]

the problem(s) with Second Life

Superbly written post on SL here that reflects my experience of the ‘place’ – especially having someone fly into the mid-point of a conversation [which never happens to me in real life] However, I do think virtual worlds have a learning & working value by being less ‘open’ and more purposeful as is the case [...]

experiencing twitter

Its been a couple of weeks since I started using twitter. Like some others I’ve been an erratic user. Initially (and perhaps, still) it can feel a bit overwhelming and a time sink – so many people to follow. A few things stand out:
- offers of support/ advice came almost immediately (thanks harold, Christian,Shawn)
- some [...]

social media platforms for learning

Here is the last in an excellent series of posts on social media platforms for learning from Jane Hart at the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies. Much of the challenge for the provision of qualifications is in the cultural, pedagogical (or should it be andagogical) and bureaucratic changes required to allow the formal accreditation [...]