elearningeuropa.info Newsletter - May 2008

The e-learning Newsletter brings you news about current issues, open calls, forthcoming events and e-learning resources.

Just look at this interesting line-up in this Newsletter - May 2008.

EDITORIAL BOARD.

The eLearning Papers’ Editorial Board has been recently reinforced with experts in learning and training. The editorial board selected in the annual meeting the themes for upcoming eLearning Papers 2008-2009. The themes are Open Educational Resources; Training & Work; Digital literacy; Creativity & innovation and New learning generation. The editorial board and the open calls for papers are available at the eLearning Papers website.

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COLLABORATORS NETWORK.

The elearningeuropa.info launched in January a call for collaborators aiming to reinforce the participation and visibility of all European countries in the portal. The collaborators contribute by acting as portal’s “correspondents” in their country and region.

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PROJECT OF THE MONTH.

The LOGOS project aims to develop an innovative ubiquitous eLearning environment for almost everybody. The system will have the potential to promote social inclusion by assuring wide accessibility to eLearning material. At the same time, the platform aims at economic impact through facilitating faster and more effective training on the job. The project's 2nd workshop will be held on 3 September at Varna (Bulgaria). The call for papers is open until 2 June.

Read more...

USER SURVEY RESULTS.

The results of the portal’s user survey are now available.

Access the results here

2nd SIRTEL WORKSHOP, Maastricht, The Netherlands, 17 September 2008. The workshop explores the relationship, challenges and opportunities of Social Information Retrieval (SIR) and Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL). The call for contributions is open until 29 June.

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4th EDUMEDIA CONFERENCE, 2-3 June, Salzburg (Austria). The theme of this interdisciplinary conference is “Self-organised Learning in the Interactive Web” offering a platform for a critical assessment of the current situation regarding the sustainable use of web-based education technologies in self-organised learning processes in all areas of education.

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EDEN ANNUAL CONFERENCE, 11-14 June 2008, Lisbon. The conference will focus on the significance and impact of cultural issues in distance and e-learning development in Europe and beyond. The detailed conference programme is now available at the conference homepage.

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4th ANNUAL eLEARNING FOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, 5-6 June 2008, Rome. eLearning can have an enormous financial impact on business, but proving a return on investment can be tricky unless you know what to look for. The learning agenda for this conference is to understand the key trends and implications that enable the financial institutions all over Europe to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their eLearning programs at reduced costs.

Read more...

elearningeuropa.info Newsletter - May 2008
30 May 2008

Source: elearningeuropa.info

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Editor's Hand Picked Headline News

Below you'll find what's new today.

The Scout staff takes an incredible amount of pride in providing some of the best online resources to our readers in our weekly Scout Report.

The list is meant to remind our readers of some of the great resources the Scout Report has delivered over the past academic year. We hope you enjoy our list and that you take a few minutes to revisit some of our favorite sites from 2007-2008.
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Greater Good Science Center

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/index.html

Housed at the University of California, Berkeley, the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) is "devoted to the scientific understanding of happy and compassionate individuals, strong social bonds, and altruistic behavior." To achieve this goal, the GGSC enlists a broad range of scholars from various disciplines, publishes a quarterly magazine ("Greater Good"), and maintains an outreach program that includes a website designed for parents who wish to foster emotional intelligence in their children.
Read more...

Source: Internet Scout Project

Video: Social Media in Plain English

A simple story that illustrates the forces shaping social media. This video focuses on basics of social media: new technology that makes everyone a producer and tools that give everyone a chance to have a say.
See this video

Related link
The Common Craft Show

Workshop from Dr Itiel Dror shows how to create brain-friendly e-learning

Dr Itiel Dror, the celebrated cognitive and behavioural psychologist, has announced a one-day public workshop for learning professionals. Building e-learning with the brain in mind will take place on 17th June in central London.

The one-day workshop covers three key areas:

1. How the mind works. How does the brain acquire, remember and use information? In this interactive session Dr Itiel Dror and Tamas Makany will take you through the latest scientific research into the workings of the mind, with particular relevance to learning.
2. Ways to design e-learning effectively. If you understand the brain better, you can build your e-learning better. The presenters will examine how to increase not only the amount that people learn, but also the amount they recall effectively, and then use when back in the workforce.
3. Optimal use of technologies in delivering learning materials. E-learning works best when it is fitted to the brain, and optimised to serve and support the natural learning process. This part of the day will examine the new opportunities learning technologies can play in learning.

Delivered with fellow neuro-scientist Tamas Makany, the workshop lasts one day, is highly interactive, and comes complete with reading materials for use both before and after the event.
Read more...

Related link
Building e-learning with the brain in mind

Source: Training Press Releases

Web 2.0 Should Complement eLearning

At eLearning Africa, Raymond Tsongorera is representing the University of Zimbabwe. His passion is in Web 2.0, Multimedia, webcasting and eLearning. He believes that in this fast-growing family of ICT, scientists and researchers should share the vast amount of knowledge available by all means possible so as to come up with meaningful contributions to the ICT family structure. He answered some question for CHECK.point eLearning.

Read more...

Source: CHECKpoint eLearning

Course Titles for Dummies
Online courses may benefit from catchy and provocative names
By Lisa Neal, Editor-in-Chief, eLearn Magazine

In 1594 Shakespeare wrote, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." I disagree, names matter. Would "Desperate Housewives" have achieved massive popularity if it was called "Suburban Living"?
And what about course titles? I teach a course, "Online Consumer Health," previously known as "Online Health Communities." My primary motivation for changing the name was that one of my students last fall told me he signed up for the course not knowing what an online health community was. Being descriptive and understandable is important.
Read more...

Related link
Lisa Neal

Source: eLearn Magazine

Have a good time reading this eLearning news!

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New Free Digital eBook from The eLearning Guild!

The eLearning Guild have released the latest in their series of free e-books.

144 Tips on Synchronous e-LearningStrategy + Research.

In this free digital eBook you will find tips in these categories

• Blending Synchronous Learning with Other Learning Modalities
• Designers of Synchronous Presentations, Courses, and Webinars
• Managers Who Lead Synchronous Learning Efforts
• Synchronous Speakers and Instructors
• Technical Production, Planning, and Preparation

These tips will be useful to any designer or developer looking for best practices to incorporate into their own processes.

Published 5/29/2008

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Source: The eLearning Guild

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A Computer Lab That Students Use but Never See by JEFFREY R. YOUNG

North Carolina State University may never build another computer lab

Instead the university has installed racks of equipment in windowless rooms where students and professors never go.
The project is called the Virtual Computing Lab, and users enter it remotely, from their own computers in dormitory rooms or libraries. They get all the features they've had in the past, including access to expensive software packages, like 3-D modeling tools and advanced statistical programs, that they need for courses. But now the programs run on powerful computer servers behind the scenes, instead of on desktop PC's. And this lab never closes.

Read more...

Related link

The Virtual Computing Lab (VCL)

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

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eSchool Top News and Site of the Week

Please be sure to check out the news below.

Panelists describe strategies to reduce energy costs during a recent CoSN webcast
By Laura Devaney, Senior Editor, eSchool News

With energy costs soaring to record levels, taking steps to reduce energy consumption isn't just good for the environment--it's also essential for the fiscal health of schools. At a recent webinar on "green" computing, panelists discussed several ways school leaders can reduce the power consumption of their technology systems...and ways they can use technology to cut other energy expenditures, too.
"What's going to happen to this world if we don't change our behavior?" asked consultant Karen Greenwood Henke, who moderated the online discussion for the Consortium for School Networking, its host.
Read more...

Related link
Consortium for School Networking

YouTube lawsuit tests copyright law

Educators are closely watching a $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit challenging YouTube's ability to keep copyrighted material off its popular video-sharing web site—a lawsuit that could have important implications for the future of Web 2.0 applications, observers say.

Read more...

Related links

YouTube
Google Inc.
Viacom Inc.

Site of the Week

Computer simulation helps young children learn conflict-resolution skills

http://www.curriki.org/xwiki/bin/download/Coll_FJLennon/CoolCurriki/CoolCurriki.zip/CoolCurriki.html

A computer game designed to teach non-violence and conflict resolution skills to young children has found a home with Curriki, the nonprofit collection of open online curricular materials available for downloading free of charge.
Read more...

Related link
Curriki The Global Education and Learning Community

Source: eSchool News

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E-Learning Gets Real by Pamela Livingston

Call it virtual, distance, or online education.

For today's curricula, it's no longer a question of whether or not to try but when to start Our survey of educators who already use these technologies can help the uninitiated.

When does an idea evolve from faddish to fundamental? These facts tell the tale: 42 states reported in 2007 some sort of virtual learning for their students; and there are at least 147 virtual charter schools operating in the U.S. Even the NEA recently wrote a thorough guide to virtual teaching.

Read more...

Related link

NEA's new Guide to Teaching Online Courses

Source: TechLEARNING

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The Theory and Practice of Online Learning (second edition) edited by Terry Anderson

The Theory and Practice of Online Learning (second edition) is available now for free under a Creative Commons license.
You may redistribute, copy, or otherwise reuse/remix this book provided that you do so for non-commercial purposes and credit professor Terry Anderson.

This second edition of the Theory and Practice of Online Learning is an
updated version of the highly successful 2004 first edition. Every chapter in the widely distributed first edition has been updated, and four new chapters on current issues such as connectivism and social software innovations have been added.

Read more...

Related link

Download the complete book

Source: AU Press

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New version of SMART’s response system offers extensive tracking and reporting

Smart To Update Classroom Response System in July
By Dave Nagel

Education technology developer Smart Technologies this week announced a new version of its Senteo interactive response system, Senteo 2.0. The free upgrade is expected to be available in July.
According to Smart, Senteo 2.0 adds features that allow it to integrate with Smart's Notebook collaborative learning software and that simplify the process of adding questions to lesson plans.

Other new features include:

• Enhanced tracking functions
• A "full-featured" gradebook
• Support for meta tags associated with student names
• Various improvements to reporting and analysis features.

The new version also provides access to "thousands" of pre-generated, state-aligned question sets through the company's education solutions Web site.

Read more...

Related link
Smart Technologies

Source: T.H.E. Journal

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New Report Compares 19 Tools to Create Online Tests

This report can help you quickly see which tools will be right for your organization

Brandon Hall Research newest report, Creating Online Tests and Assessments: 19 Easy-to-Use Tools, addresses your need to find the right tool to create tests and assessments rapidly.

For this report, they focus on tools that both excel in creating tests and assessments and that have a short learning curve. They also provide authoring tips, tools, and features to help you define your organization’s business and technical requirements.

This report helps you determine which systems do the best job of the following:

• Making it easy for novice developers to create tests, exams, and quizzes.
• Creating the type of assessment you need, from simple to robust and dynamic.
• Meeting standards and tracking data.

Along with a list of the features commonly found in products to develop online tests and assessments, they provide comparative tables – including pricing – so you can easily see how each of the 19 products compares across a wide range of features.
Published May 2008.
Read more...

Source: Brandon Hall Research

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ELearning Magazine April 2008 / May 2008

Don't miss these articles, appears in ELearning april 2008 / may 2008.
Make sure you take the time to read these two pertinent articles.

Building a Learning Culture
By Dr. Mark Rosenberg

You can’t just implement e-learning into an organization that’s not ready for it, doesn’t support it, or doesn’t have a culture based on knowledge sharing. Corporate culture — be it good or bad — will always win out. So e-learning professionals must build a positive learning culture within their organizations in order to ensure the success of their elearning strategies.
The exciting thing about a true learning culture is all the horizontal knowledge-sharing. It’s not top-down or bottom- up, it’s an I-share-with-you, you share- with-me mindset. Employees work as teams. Trainers collaborate, sales people in different regions collaborate. Networks are built and communication channels are established.
Read more...

LMS’s 2008: What You Need to Know
By Chris Howard

The LMS market has grown considerably over the last few years, because organizations of all sizes now realize that they need some form of learning management solution.
In 2004 (when Bersin & Associates published its first report on the U.S. market), we forecast LMS vendor revenues at $380 million. In 2005, the revenues increased to $480 million. In 2006, despite consolidations and mergers, the market reached approximately $583 million.This article explores some of the underlying business drivers behind this growth and the implications for both buyers and solution providers.
The LMS market is still growing steadily, although this growth has slowed slightly from 26 percent last year to 21 percent this year. The slowdown in the market is due partly to saturation in the global enterprise market and some commoditization of learning management systems, as vendor feature sets have become more and more similar in recent years. This is still a buyer’s market; multiple
compete for most contracts, putting pressure on vendors to keep pricing moderate.
Read more...

Source: ELearning! Magazine

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Campus Technology - May 2008

Please, take a look at this 5 Best Tips for No-Fail Production by Matt Villano

The process of developing eLearning content can be closer to science than art. We turned to the experts for five critical steps to building online courses that work.

These days, with learning management system (LMS) offerings just about everywhere, online courses are almost as prevalent as classes taught in traditional classrooms with professors and students present at lecterns and desks.
Many colleges and universities turn to vendors to help them create these courses, a service that software providers such as Blackboard, eCollege, and Angel Learning offer as a supplement to standard LMS service. Other schools-especially those utilizing open source LMS solutions such as Moodle and Sakai-grab courses from repositories like the National Repository of Online Courses, the brand-new HippoCampus (see "Hungry, Hungry HippoCampus"), or they attempt to create coursework on their own.
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Source: Campus Technology

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The British Museum: Research

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research.aspx

British Museum staff members are constantly engaged in research projects from fieldwork to cataloguing and scientific investigation, and this site provides insight and access to a wealth of information about these endeavors. First-time visitors to the site should glance on over to the left-hand side of the homepage, where they will find sections like "Research Projects", "Publications", "Libraries and archives", and "Research News".

Read more...

Source: Internet Scout Project

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Classroom News Volume 4, No. 5 - May 2008

Check this May 2008 issue out

What’s inside...

• Students want more use of gaming technology
  Survey reveals a disconnect between kids’, adults’
  views on technology in education
• Feds propose changes to education law
• HP unveils smaller laptops for students
• 'Hybrid' courses represent a promising instructional practice
• Free text reader to help print-disabled students
• Movie: Science 'expels' intelligent design
• Panelists: Online learning can help minority student
• Technology helps boost students' writing skills
• Netwatch

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Source: Classroom News

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Social Networking: Learning Theory in Action by Ruth Reynard, Ph.D.

The National School Boards Association (USA), in partnership with research firm Grunwald Associates and with the support of Microsoft, Newscorp, and Verizon, published a 2007 data-rich survey dissecting social and education related activity patterns by American students.

Source: Grunwald Associates LLC

The focus of the study was K-12 instruction; however, much can be learned from the results of this study that apply to the uses of social networking technology in general.
The list of "popular" uses itemized by Grunwald certainly seems to support the idea that the biggest uses of these tools are simply unidirectional (posting messages, downloading media files, updating personal information). While these types of uses could be utilized in a self-reflective learning environment, however, actual "social" skills seem to be lacking.
Read more...

Source: T.H.E. Journal

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New book- E-Learning: 21st Century Issues and Challenges

E-Learning: 21st Century Issues and Challenges (Hardcover)

By Audrey R. Lipshitz (Editor), Steven P. Parsons (Editor)

Synopsis

Electronic learning or E-learning is a general term used to refer to computer-enhanced learning. It is used interchangeably in so many contexts that it is critical to be clear what one means when one speaks of 'eLearning'. In many respects, it is commonly associated with the field of advanced learning technology (ALT), which deals with both the technologies and associated methodologies in learning using networked and/or multimedia technologies.

By 2003, more than 1.9 million students were participating in on-line learning at institutions of higher education in the United States alone. Many higher education for-profit institutions, now offer on-line classes. By contrast, only about half of private, non-profit schools offer them.The Sloan report, based on a poll of academic leaders, says that students generally appear to be at least as satisfied with their on-line classes as they are with traditional ones. Private institutions may become more involved with on-line presentations as the cost of instituting such a system decreases. Properly trained staff must also be hired to work with students on-line.
These staff members must be able to not only understand the content area, but also be highly trained in the use of the computer and Internet. Online education is increasing dramatically around the world. This book presents the latest research in the field.

Table of Contents:

Preface

1. Web-based Formative Assessment: Issues and Trends
   By Tzu-Hua Wang, Department of Education, National Hsinchu University of Education, Taiwan
2. Assessing Intercultural Competence in E-learning Projects
   By Margarita Vinagre, Department of Applied Languages, Nebrija University, Spain
3. E-learning for All
   By Stig Ottosson, Evastina Björk, Sweden, Iceland, Sigrun Thorsteinsdottir, SJÁ ehf., Ingólfsstræti Konráðshús, Reykjavík Iceland and Evastina Björk, NHV, Göteborg, Sweden
4. Will E-learning Die?
   By Mandy Schiefner, University of Zurich and Martin Ebner, TU Graz
5. Self-regulation in Mathematical E-learning: Effects of Metacognitive Feedback on Transfer Tasks and Self-Efficacy
   By Bracha Kramarski, School of Education and Bar-llan University, Israel
6. Lifelong Learning will be based on E-learning: What is the way to come there?
   By Dejan Dinevski, University of Maribor and University of Primorska, Slovenia
7. Guiding the Design of E-Learning Programs: A Design Framework for Creative Learning Experiences
   By Sylvia M. Truman, Knowledge Media Institute, The Open University, UK
8. When Collaborative PBL Meets E-learning: How does it Improve the Professional Development of Critical-Thinking Instruction?
   ByYu-Chu Yeh, Institute of Teacher Education and Center for Creativity Innovation Studies, National Chengchi University
9. A methodological approach to develop and evaluate tools for the follow-up analysis of teacher education in e-learning
   By Guglielmo Trentin and Elisabetta Vallarino, Institute for Educational Technology, National Research Council, Italy
10. Experience in E-Learning from BEPI, An Internet Course in Basic Epidemiology for Medical Students and Public Health Training
    By Christiane Meier and Ursula Ackermann Liebrich, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine of the University of Basel, Switzerland
11. The Relevance of Research in Cognitive Neuroscience related to E-Learning
    By Norbert Jausovec, Pedagoska Fakulteta, Koroska, Maribor, Slovenia and Ivan Gerlic, University of Maribor
12. Tailoring and Webcasting for Patient and Student Health Education
    By Ray Jones, Health Informatics, University of Plymouth, Inocencio Maramba, University of Plymouth

Published on: 2008-05-01

Buy this book

Related link

Evastina Björk Project leader for the project -A Universal Design, at Nordic School for Public Health has written the chapter about "E-learning for all".

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The 2008 Brandon Hall Research Innovations in Learning Conference

Brandon Hall Research Innovations in Learning Conference will take place September 24-26, 2008, at the Fairmont San Jose, in San Jose, California.

The theme of the conference is “Get Your Head in the Clouds”. Innovations like tag clouds and information clouds describe the fluid nature of the world in which we now live.

Attendees gave last year's event top marks. This year's conference will be even better.

See TESTIMONIALS

The conference program is now available for download.

Except for times when keynote speakers are presenting, nine concurrent tracks of breakout sessions will be under way. One track will be the Main Stage Events, accompanied by the following eight additional tracks:

• Track 1 – Emerging Learning Technologies
• Track 2 – Learning Games
• Track 3 – Immersive Environments for Learning
• Track 4 – Collaboration and Community
• Track 5 – Mobile Learning
• Track 6 – Designing Learning Experiences
• Track 7 – Implementing Innovative Solutions
• Track 8 – New Training Practices

Read more...

Keynote speakers for the 2008 conference:

LANCE DUBLIN — a recognized leader in applying strategic thinking and design to the worlds of training and learning, change management and communications, innovation and organizational development.

LISA JOHNSON — an award-winning expert on women and the Connected Generation who uses stories, industry case studies and humor to help brands deeply understand the buying power and behavior of this renegade group of consumers.

FAITH LEGENDRE — who, as Training Director, transformed 1800flowers.com from an organization with no formal training strategy to a company that has made learning central to its values.

PETER ORTON — who combines two decades of instructional design experience at Stanford University, Harvard Business School, and IBM — with ten years of Hollywood credits, including Story Editor for Steven Spielberg — to lead the creation of IBM’s important and lasting learning innovations.

Source: brandonhallconference.com/

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Sloan-C Now - May 2008

Please take a moment to review this Sloan-C NOW

The 14th Annual Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning

"The Power of Online Learning: Improving Learning in a Networked World."

Online Registration is Opening Now

Last year's conference attracted over 1200 participants to more than 180 presentations

Read more...

Sloan-C announces an interactive online workshop focused on learning how to improve your online courses.

Activities begin Wednesday, May 28. A live synchronous online presentation consisting of the presenters will be held on Monday, June 2 and Thursday, June 12 both starting at 2 pm ET.

All activity will be recorded, even the live event, allowing you to watch it later if it does not fit your schedule.

Read more...

Upcoming Events in the World of Asynchronous Learning

June 9 - 11: NUTN 2008

June 11 - 14: EDEN 2008 Annual Conference

June 12 - 13: International Conference on E-Learning in the Workplace (ICELW 2008)

June 20 - 22: International Conference on Open and Distance Education (ICODE 2008)

June 22 - 25: Distance Learning Administration 2008

June 23 - 26: IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Exposition (ICME 2008)

June 24 - 26: 2008 Digital Learning Institute

July 5 - 9: One Voice: International Conference and Forum for Educators

July 14 - 16: eLearning DevCon 2008

July 14 - 19: AHEAD 2008 Conference

July 28 - 31: Campus Technology 2008 (Summer)

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Editor's Hand Picked Headline News

A case study of Fountaineers: designing an interactive, programmable water fountain
By Tash Lee and Tim Rudd

Fountaineers is an ongoing partnership project between Futurelab, Stakeholder Design and Luckwell Primary School. The aim of the project is to use the design and construction of an interactive, programmable, 'intelligent' water fountain as a vehicle to explore issues around participation, learner voice and alternative approaches to teaching and learning, and to develop a powerful, flexible and unique learning resource that will become a valuable and integral part of everyday school life and learning.

Read more...

Source: Futurelab

Facebook, Meet Blackboard by Andy Guess

Blackboard, the course management giant, is hoping that a Facebook application will help it reach students even when they’re trying to avoid studying.

The Facebook app mainly replicates the functionality of colleges’ (and high schools’) Blackboard sites, where students can log in, download course materials, post to message boards, upload assignments and check grades. Rather than add social networking functionality to the existing interface, Blackboard’s strategy is to bring its services where the students already are and capitalize on Facebook’s ubiquity and collaboration capabilities.

Read more...

Related link

Facebook app

Source: Inside Higher Ed

Free online games help reinforce math and language skills

http://arcademicskillbuilders.com/

Arcademic Skill Builders is a nonprofit web site that features online educational games offering a new approach to learning basic math, language arts, vocabulary, and thinking skills. Inspired by arcade games and the intense engagement they foster between the game and player, the site's programs stem from experience, systematic observations, and research in understanding student learning in school and social situations. "These engaging educational games provide focused repetition practice that enables fluency to be achieved more quickly," according to the site.

Read more...

Source: eSchool News

Global Wildlife Disease News Map

http://wildlifedisease.nbii.gov/wdinNewsDigestMap.jsp

How does one populate an interactive map of wildlife disease? Well, the good people at the Wildlife Disease Information Node (WDIN) have done just that by combing through RSS alerts, science sites and weblogs in order to create this fascinating and tremendously useful resource for population biologists and others who might be interested in such matters. On the map, visitors can toggle map filters that include "Wildfire", "Human/Wildlife", "Domestic/Wildlife", and "Disease Type".

Read more...

Source: Internet Scout Project

21st Century Learning: Making Technology Relevant in Today's Classrooms
By Fred Podolski

The Nassau BOCES Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology (CIT) is on the frontline of educational technology, facilitating the integration of its various forms into the classroom. During the course of their work, CIT liaisons have learned that students are not as interested in the technology itself as they are with the experiences it provides. Chief among these is connectivity. Whether through cell phones, iPods, laptops, or desktop computers, students are connecting to the world and each other.

Read more...

Source: T.H.E. Journal

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Exploring the e-Learning State of Art

In this paper Evelyn Kigozi Kahiigi, Love Ekenberg, Henrik Hansson, F.F Tusubira and Mats Danielson explore the e-learning state of art.

We provide a general overview of the learning process, evaluating some current implementation trends from which we point out a range of frameworks and strategies used in the past decade. We further look at the changes created by the adoption of e-learning within the higher education process. This is followed by an identification of emerging issues from which two problems are identified; 1) the limited uptake of technology as an instruction delivery method; and 2) the ineffective use of technology to support learning. In respect to this, future research should therefore seek to further investigate these aspects and to explore suitable approaches for effective implementation of e-learning to support learning. Not the least in higher education contexts.

Read more...

Source: Distance-Educator.com

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Helge Scherlund's eLearning News Blog has added a new feature

I just added a new feature to my news blog below:

Odiogo automatically generates podiocasts from textual content structured in RSS feeds. The end-result is a high-fidelity computer-generated voice file.

Every time you read an article now, a little button appears on top of the post saying

Click it and a voice will read the whole article for you.

You can subscribe to podcasts powered by Odiogo and it is available in the sidebar

I’m hoping that it will be a very useful addition to Helge Scherlund's eLearning News Blog

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eSchool News Online

One-to-one computing, online assessment on the rise in schools--but keeping up with bandwidth needs is a problem

By Meris Stansbury, Assistant Editor, eSchool News

Widespread adoption of one-to-one computing programs and the growing use of online assessments are among the key ed-tech trends occurring in schools across the country, according to the 2008 America's Digital Schools report. However, implementation of these and other technologies leaves little funding for new initiatives, and bandwidth issues are limiting the scope of interaction students can have with technology.
The report, conducted by Thomas W. Greaves of The Greaves Group and Jeanne Hayes of The Hayes Connection, isolates the most important ways in which technology is changing teaching and learning and identifies the implications of those changes for the future.

Read more...

Related links

America's Digital Schools 2008 Report

ADS 2008 Survey
The Hayes Connection
The Greaves Group

Source: eSchool News

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Virtual classroom puts future teachers to the test by Luis Zaragoza

Virtual students teach, teachers

The troublemaker is one of five computer-generated students inhabiting a high-tech virtual classroom under development at the University of Central Florida's College of Education are helping teachers-in-training learn to deal with unruly students and other classroom challenges, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Using simulation technology developed for military training, the virtual classroom gives future teachers a chance to practice important class-control and teaching skills by using realistic classroom scenarios.
Teachers typically learn the real ins and outs of managing a classroom on the job, which can be nerve-racking, said Lisa Dieker, a professor in the College of Education and one of the simulation program's originators.
Read more...

Source: OrlandoSentinel.com

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Smithsonian: Science and Technology

Encyclopedia Smithsonian

Browsing through the Encyclopedia Smithsonian can be a bit like spending time with a friend: You'll rediscover some familiar stories, and you'll probably learn something new at the same time. This particular part of the Encyclopedia Smithsonian covers science and technology and visitors can learn about Arctic wildlife, major "firsts" in aviation history, and bird biology.

Read more...

Source: The Scout Report

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EDUCAUSE News!

The May/June 2008 EDUCAUSE Review is now available online. It features a summary of the 2008 EDUCAUSE Current Issues Survey findings.

Top-Ten IT Issues, 2008
By Debra H. Allison, Peter B. DeBlois and the 2008 EDUCAUSE Current Issues Committee

Which IT issue is of top concern to technology leaders in higher education today? Did the number-one issue of 2007—Funding IT—continue to be of prime importance to college and university IT leaders? Did new issues emerge on the top-ten list? Did issues from last year drop off the list this year?
The ninth annual EDUCAUSE Current Issues Survey has the answers.

Read the summary

The summer 2008 EDUCAUSE Quarterly spotlights the complete findings of the 2008 EDUCAUSE Current IT Issues Survey.

Current Issues Survey Report, 2008

By Debra H. Allison, Peter B. DeBlois and the EDUCAUSE Current Issues Committee

Security and ERP Systems are numbers 1 and 2; Infrastructure rises; Change Management, E-Learning, and Staffing move into top ten

Read the complete findings

Toolbox or Trap? Course Management Systems and Pedagogy

By Lisa M. Lane

Creating an online class is a task of construction. A course management system (CMS) provides faculty with a set of tools, a kit to use as we build our classes. We want to construct classes according to our own pedagogy—what we know works with our learners and our teaching style. If we were building something tangible out of wood or metal, for instance, it would be silly let the tools in our toolbox determine what we construct and how we construct it. I wouldn't set out to build a Victorian dollhouse and switch to a modernist garden bench because I couldn't find the scroll saw. And yet this type of shift often happens when faculty encounter a CMS.

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Source: EDUCAUSE

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