Digital Dialogues

Are you a Blogaholic? PS. My score

I'm a 53 / 100
That's a dedicated weblogger - but I still have a life!

Are you a Blogaholic??

This is just too much fun - well, that is if you're into blogging!
Try this test....
http://wannabe.catharsis.org/bin/quiz.cgi?quiz=one
Strictly for bloggers??
Not a blogger? Well, you can still do the test too - maybe it will be intriguing enough for you to start your own blog!

The End of TV as we know it...

An interesting excerpt from the LA Times (you need to be a registered user to gain access to the full article) that I received via Rafat Ali's blog (entry from 19 Sep - category is Broadband) generated a few thoughts for me on convergence:

Former Academy of Television Arts and Sciences chairman Bryce Zabel wrote this surprisingly strong essay on TV, and some great points too... -- "For me, it's not a state of convergence that we are entering in this digital age but something a little more metaphysical. All of the information overload is ganging up on our senses and coming together into something else: The Blur." -- "Will kids who can no longer appreciate the difference between a broadcast network and a cable network, or a pay network and a satellite feed, really appreciate the distinctions we currently draw between all of these delivery systems?" -- "The best model to replace what's on the way out may be TiVo meets iTunes." -- "It's one giant, indistinct, amorphous hard drive of blur."

The idea of the giant "blur" can already be seen as we start to accept the integration of technologies into our accepted everyday practices - perhaps that person sitting next to you on the bus sms-ing is actually mo-blogging...
And the convergence of even our communication technologies - how many devices are currently running that you didn't have 5 years ago...it certainly adds to the information overload and the blur...and the cost of running them all...
Exciting? Definitely! Manageable (effectively)? Perhaps! Blurring? Absolutely!
And then there's learning technologies - how do we embrace the blur? Provide a pathway through the mist? Pack your survival kits (lots of chocolate needed), sturdy hiking boots, compass (for directions) - or should that be GPRS or sonar, forget the map - and just go for it!

Review of Robin Mason's VC

Wed 8 September - videoconference - presented by Robin Mason, hosted by LearnTel.
Robin from the Open Uni in the UK is a specialist in teaching and learning online - with a new book shortly to be published: "Connectecon: Learning for the connected generation".
Robin admits that some of the content in her new book may be controversial but strongly beliefs in the value of re-framing our practices.
She has addressed the impact of the internet on learning and see a move away from content and a move towards process - creating an openness from the learners to new technology and change.

She sees learning as situated in action - intertwined with judgement and exploration.
She believes there is a need to capitalise on informal learning attributes through peer learning, online communities and the value of browsing the web.
As educators we need to move away from teaching facts and become less rigid in our views of gaining knowledge.
Part of our role as educators is to help learners build confidence as self-directed learners - as educators we need to understand "learning how to e-Learn"! (When was the last time you did an e-Learning course or event - as a student?!)

Robin emphasised the importance of assessment and the need for changing the nature of our teaching through assessment - these comments were keenly received and discussed in our question time - it really feels like an issue that some many educators are dissatisfied with, yet are struggling to develop the "perfect" model!
The issue of plagarism was raised and Robin commented that cleverly designed assessment should bring the students knowledge out - perhaps through the use of portfolios that requires the students to submit a selection of activities from the course and comment on their learning - and using their contributions to the online activities to demonstrate that!

Robin believes in the future that there will be a growth in the personalisation of learning, with individual students having more control.

Robin did also comment that there would be some students that will never take to the online environment and learning - perhaps there are also educators in the same boat?
She coined a lovely new phrase: "collaboration fatigue" - some students have reported the stress and pressure of too much online group work as the cause for this!!!! I bet the e-Moderators get this too!

If you missed this VC, you can download the slides from the LearnTel site OR why not join the ongoing discussion on QuickTopic!!!

Love to hear your views or comments any of the above issues!

September Webinar

Wednesday 22 September is the next LTUG webinar - mark that date in your diary now!
Jacqui Conway from Tropical North Queensland Tafe will be sharing her innovative strategies for the integration of technologies into her course - including SMS, IM and chat!

To join this webinar you will need to register via the link on the LTUG website - hope to "see" you there!

August Overview

Well, it's been quite a month - there seems to be so much happening in the technologies field that I find myself scanning the press daily, using my news aggregator to gather updates from websites for me and yet I somehow I feel that I'm not totally up-to-date with all the latest!

But does it really matter?? Yes - I think it probably does!
As learning professionals, committed to the use of technologies, how can we ignore the marketplace. The challenge is the integration of these technologies into our learning environments - are we using them because they're new and cool? Or are we using them because they can enhance the learning opportunities for our students or participants?

Our webinar for September looks at one practitioner's ability to identify technologies that her students have already embraced and how she has integrated them into her teaching practices - see below for more details!

There's lots of events coming up towards the end of 2004 - mainly in our region - I've listed a few highlights but I'm sure there's more!
Someone asked me about the value of attending conferences recently, what do you really gain? Personally, I try to attend as many as I can! It's not dissimilar to my new aggregator - I can gather a wide range of perspectives and applications that I can then evaluate for my own practice - if we don't stay across the variety, the successful strategies, and the not so successful strategies how will we maintain our value and currency to our workplaces and more importantly our relevance to our learners?

Elliot Masie has published his "701 e-Learning Tips" based on 47,365 responses from his readers - follow the link below to download the file.

And finally - don't miss our special membership offer for September - if you're currently not a member or perhaps know others that would benefit from becoming a member - join in September and receive 3 months free - the offer is outlined below!
ABB

Special Membership Offer!

*** *** Membership *** *** September Special Offer *** ***
We hope you find the e-Zine informative and will join us for future monthly editions by joining the group!

I know it's not September yet (nearly) but I couldn't resist announcing our special membership offer!

Join LTUG in September and received 3 months **free** (until end of 2005) for only $99 per annum ($25 per quarter) or students $55 - great value!

Act now by completing the online registration form

Eye Strain - Tips for Relief

Eyestrain and your computer screen: Tips for getting relief
By Mayo Clinic staff
Your eyes hurt. Your head aches. And there you sit, peering at your computer monitor. If you're one of the many people who use computers every day — either for work or personal use — you may experience eyestrain as a result. It's a timely reminder and tips for best practise from the Mayo Clinic - I wonder if we should be regularly providing this information to our learners??

701 e-Learning Tips

Do you remember in the May 2004 issue of this e-Zine we highlighted that Elliott Masie had asked his readers (all 47,365 of them) for tips on best practice - well, he received over 430 responses and has collated them into a FREE downloadable Digital Book, based on those tips:

"701 e-Learning Tips"

It is a large file, loaded with hundreds of ideas and experiences from learning and training professionals around the world. Download the entire
FREE book (140 pages and 13 megabytes). You can print it out, share it with colleagues or read the PDF file on your computer screen.

Virtual George!

While the internet, LMSs and email have provided so with so many alternative ways to communicate with and manage are students or learners, I've always been challenged with managing student queries that flood through onto my emails...but... looks like George Mickhail, a lecturer in accountancy at the University of Wollongong has come up with a special answer!!!
Virtual George - a web-based, artificial-intelligence version of himself which is based on a chat engine program that uses a database of linguistic terms to interact with users!
Students can't believe that it's not the 'real' thing!
Sounds like a perfect way to answer those desperate queries from insomniac students madly trying to complete their assignments on the all night marathon!
Read the full story from the Sydney Morning Herald