Moodle Journal
AUGUST 30, 2005
I was casting around recently for some resources, particularly simulation type materials, with no particular purpose in mind, when I came across Java Applets, (Java programs that run in a web page), in fact I had known about these for ages, but for some reason had not made the connection with using them as learning object assets, so I kind discovered them for the second time.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 8, 2005
Are computer games inherently counter-cultural? Are some computer games bad for children? Do computer games herald a revolution in education? For a given curricula, where would one ideally use books? Where would one ideally use computer games/educational simulations? Given educational objectives, how do you support them with computer games/educational simulations?
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Big Dog, Little Dog
AUGUST 24, 2005
In Asia, the Eyes Have It - wired magazine. Asians and North Americans really do see the world differently. Shown a photograph, North American students of European background paid more attention to the object in the foreground of a scene, while students from China spent more time studying the background and taking in the whole scene, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Moodle Journal
AUGUST 28, 2005
Well we are almost at the start of the academic year 2005/6 and the coming week will be the last opportunity for all those staff who missed out on the Moodle training before the end of summer term to get along to a session, this will be a real test for both the training and the quality of the click-n-go notes. Up until now Moodle induction for students has been carried out by either IT lecturers or e-Learning Contacts, but this year’s new intake by necessity will be inducted by staff across the
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Moodle Journal
AUGUST 23, 2005
I was getting some training notes together for a course in Moodle Quizzes this summer, when I came across Hot Potatoes, which is free to education. Hot Potatoes is a suite of quiz type authoring tools designed around a GUI interface, which you can save as web pages, or import into Moodle, sounded good. After having played with the various tools for a while I decided to try a Moodle import, we are using 1.5.2 on our test system and I did have some problems at first not least because though the mo
eLearningLearning brings together the best content for eLearning and corporate training professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Moodle Journal
AUGUST 19, 2005
I can still remember the days when a software package came with a manual, convenient, easy to read and reference, needless to say I just cannot feel the same about the online help hyperlinked substitutes that we are made to use now. And I have a suspicion that e-Learning materials may fall into the same trap, its with that in mind that I have been trying to find an e-Book format that is closer to the hardcopy version, so bring on pageFlip. pageFlip is an open source Flash project that I have bee
Moodle Journal
AUGUST 14, 2005
Following our awareness and training sessions, I finally ploughed through all the applications and to date we now have 41 staff, 38 courses and 187 modules on the system ready for September start, encouraging stuff.
Moodle Journal
AUGUST 8, 2005
The training course for the LEA (Local Education Authority) went extremely well, a small group of only five probably helped. We worked through all the introductory how-to exercises in Moodle and had time, about 20 minutes, at the end to discuss wider issues such as Learning Objects and Content Repositories.
Moodle Journal
AUGUST 20, 2005
Just looking around the net today I find what I believe is the first book on Moodle, from O'Reilly Publishing. The example chapter certainly looks encouraging.
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The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 29, 2005
I had to brush up on project management skills over the weekend. Did I read a book on it? No. Did I find someone who was an expert to help me? Nope. I downloaded Open Workbench (for me, a random open-source project management tool) and played around with it. I mapped a few of my projects into it. I looked through all of the fields and capabilities. And I learned quite a bit, including what I needed to know, plus a lot more that I am very happy to know.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 27, 2005
I was thinking about the earlier post on how will we know we are getting close to e-learning meeting its potential. I thought of one more, slightly further down the road. Regulations! How long until we see- WARNING - Use this e-learning product only as specified. It is against the law to use this e-learning product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 26, 2005
As part of rolling out Virtual Leader, it has been interesting for me to note how most organization who do formal leadership training actually do formal leadership training. I think most terms are self-evident, but external coaching can also include board involvement. Tools include focused performance support. The high-potential focus is not exclusive of other manager and supervisor leadership training.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 23, 2005
Recently while researching on the web on topics regarding Communities of Practice I came across the Community Intelligence Labs (CoIL) website. While it seems the website may have gone the way of the Brontosaurus (the last update was in Feb 2004), it's resources are still there for the viewing. Among them I found the following 14 guidelines on How to Optimize Organizational Learning written by Entienne Wenger in the summer of 1996 for the Healthcare Forum Journal.
Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions
There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 24, 2005
Here is the newest version of my accord chart. I continue to update it based on experiences in the field and even comments from this blog! It is a snapshot of all of our various options, the arrows in our quiver. Each have trade-offs; each have benefits. The question is no longer, which to do, but more, can you do each at the right time? As with the consolidation chart, I am happy to send it anyone who emails me for it.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 24, 2005
I am going spend about two weeks now trying to get up to speed on Moodle, ultimately evaluating it (against other tools) for implementation. I will share relevant data and artifacts as I come across them. All comments are appreciated.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 22, 2005
The New York Times ran a piece today about the crash and burn of the K-12 educational software market. To sum it up, once thriving, large, and profitable, the industry niche today, well, isn't. I would be the first in line to buy any software that helps my son. But my own personal experiences with the "edutainment" software was pretty unsatisfying. There were technical problems, production problems, quality problems, and just uninspired content problems.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 22, 2005
Grand Theft Auto might be the worst game series ever, in part because it might be the best. Almost Microsoft-esque, GTA has absorbed and fairly seamlessly integrated different genres, including driving games, first person shooters, fighting games, gambling games, flight simulators, adventure games, shopping games, role-playing games and more. My last post got me thinking.
Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions
We’ve all been there. You’ve been given a pile of dry content and asked to create a compelling eLearning course. You’re determined to create something more engaging than the same old course that learners quickly click through, but how do you take this “boring” content and create something relevant and engaging? Many instructional designers will say, “Boring in means boring out.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 22, 2005
What makes for a conference event with impact? I'm building a list of what works best. What's your most memorable conference event? What delivered the most learning impact? I'll tell you mine; tell us yours in the Comment section. About ten years ago I attended a presentation by the late Gordon MacKenzie, the "creative enigma" of Hallmark Cards and author of the wonderful book Orbiting the Giant Hairball.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 20, 2005
I said back in a speech in 1999 that e-learning was over-rated in the short term and under-rated in the long term. I believe that statement is probably more true today, at least for the formal learning area. (Tools like Google and IM have proven the killer-apps for the informal areas.) Wearing my analyst hat, I am looking for at least three things to see when formal e-learning hits the big time: One is channels.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 19, 2005
There continues to be a movement in corporate formal learning programs to uber-empower the learner and focus the role of content designers to a more infrastructure role. Google and Instant Messenger are the perfect model for many. And I mostly agree with this "Bay Area" position. But I also believe that "Passionate learners come from Passionate designers.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 18, 2005
Simulations require more content than linear content. Much more. This changes a lot. There is an exploration of failure. Most corporate people don't like talking about, let alone mapping out, things that went wrong. Obviously finding people to talk about failure in detail is difficult. You can't be politically correct at the expense of accuracy when creating a simulation.
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The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 18, 2005
I find myself drifting to Kathy Sierra's blog, Creating Passionate Users , because it seems a lot like creating passionate learners. Plus it is wacky and inspirational. I have no clue how I first stumbled on it, but take a look at this recent entry- The Smackdown Learning Model. What happens to your brain when you're forced to choose between two different--and potentially conficting--points of view?
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 17, 2005
Every once in a while, some one will do very well in Virtual Leader, but doesn't know why and can't repeat it. The tools are there to analyze the play, but they quickly move on, assuming that they are just naturally good. Then they hit a wall, sometimes even replaying the same situation, get stuck, and then get very frusterated. For some people, this strikes them as being unrealistic.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 16, 2005
People, such as myself, are advocating a time when classrooms borrow more lessons from computer games. But they already share one, not-so-great similarity. They are both self-referential. Doing well within the world of a computer game, be it buying the biggest house or uniting the world, is in itself victory. There is no need to transfer that to the outside world before getting the accolades.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 15, 2005
In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, author Philip Dick imagined a society where people regularly took drugs to change their mood. The only two pills I personally take are vitamins and the occasional Tylenol. I love my morning coffee, enjoy a dose of chocolate every couple of days, and probably have one alcoholic drink a month, on average. But I realize that I am increasingly using my Ipod (with no music, mind you, just podcasts) as my personal mood regulator.
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The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 12, 2005
One aspect of Virtual Leader that I have liked is that it forces players to differentiate between criticizing ideas and criticizing the people who sponsor them. And yet, the exact mixture of the two provides a lot of additional information as to how raw, even how religious, the conversation is getting. A post I made on schools and business hating each other definitely hit a bit of a nerve with some people outside our community, posting in.
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 11, 2005
Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt wrote Canto Ostinato (mp3 file) for various instruments and flexible duration. Ten Holt uses repetition and minimalist permutations to create an original, evolving work with ever-shifting moments. These parts are woven together into an overlapping and flowing whole. One popular arrangement is to have three or four pianos facing each other in the center of a room, and normally, unlike conventional performances, the audience is allowed to move and surround the perfor
The Learning Circuits
AUGUST 11, 2005
The evaluation of training is too important to be left to trainers. At the individual intervention level, at the strategic enterprise level, and at all points inbetween, the quality assurance processes applied to formal learning initiatives in most organizations are, in my experience, rudimentary at best. Training departments are usually stretched thin, and don't have the time or resources to do a "proper†quality assurance job at either the course level or at the aggregate departmental level.
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