Digital Dialogues

Emerging Technologies for Learning - Vol 3

Becta - the UK Government's lead agency for ICT in education - has released their latest edition in the Emerging Technologies for Learning series (Volume 3).

Not surprisingly, they have again selected a diverse range of authors and issues. (If you haven't read Vol 1 or 2 - make sure you do!)

In the Foreword - Stephen Crowne, Chief Executive comments:

"... the adoption of technology in society is genuinely influencing expectations about where and how learning takes place. Educators will increasingly need to understand what these trends really mean and how to respond to related demand from learners. It will become increasingly important to understand how new technologies can enable rich, social, personalised and contextually-based interactions to support learning."

Yes indeed! And that's sooner than later....!

Diana Oblinger's (current President of Educause) opening chapter: "Growing up with Google - What it means to education", extends on her earlier works on the NetGeneration.
A few key points and implications from the chapter:

• students' consumer perspective of education as a commodity to be consumed, acquired, and accumulated
• the high value place on technology as a convenience
• students expect academic success without little academic effort
• more oriented to visual media - prefer to learn by doing rather than telling or reading
• identity online is a flexible concept - pseudonyms and avatars expand their identity
• the web is a medium for commenting, collaborating and creating
• they show no fear of technology - but digital comfort does not mean technology proficiency
• nor does it imply an appreciation of IP, privacy or security!

Wow - any of these issues ringing any alarm bells?
No - not yet? Then the implications for education outlined by Oblinger may:

"educational institutions have an obligation to help students cultivate those skills that learners have the most difficulty attaining on their own:

• judgement - the ability to distinguish the reliable from unreliable information
• synthesis - the capacity to follow the longer argument across multiple modalities
• research
• practice - the opportunity to learn by doing within authentic disciplinary communities
• negotiation - flexibility to work across disciplinary and cultural boundaries to generate innovative, alternative solutions"

The challenges presented by these implications will have a fundamental effect on our practice as educators - how we design our courses, learning activities, and assessment tasks, even through to the philosophical approaches to education!
Coincidentally, for me, these implications relate directly to research and writings I'm doing on assessment. I'll be posting more about this shortly...

In the meantime - I'm going to let you ponder your own educational context and these comments from Oblinger - what does the future of education look like, in your context, through this framework of implications?

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PowerPoint - again...

I've said it before  - Ditch PowerPoint -  and I will keep saying it.. but this time, I'm going to let someone else say it for me: How NOT to use PowerPoint!

Thanks to Mal for locating this and brightening my weekend of marking assignments!

Social Media - edition 3

Trevor Cook & Lee Hopkins have just released their 3rd Social Media: or "how we stopped worrying and learnt to love communication".
This is a really valuable introduction to social media in the organisational context - with an Australian perspective.
I have used the previous editions with small/micro business owners - they love it - it manages to provide enough, but not too much, information that allows them to consider the application of social media within their business strategies.

Now - if you're an organisational learning & development practitioner - pay attention!
This is NOT written for you... but...  I'd recommend you read this! If you are considering introducing social software into your learning environments, you need to understand how the business is framing their strategies. If you are going to get successful sponsorship from within the management team, then you need to view or re-frame your dialogue to present your business case in language that the business understands - so here it is... ! Read it - and learn!

Hey Trevor - perhaps next time we can include a learning landscape perspective too?? Some of us educators are doing rather amazing things that aren't being recognised by the social media tribes!

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Upcoming Sydney events

Apologies up front - but this is a rather Sydney focused post!
There are some great events over the next couple of months in Sydney... so  - here they are:

BarCamp Sydney 3
Date: Sat 5 & Sun 6 April 2008
Where: Roundhouse at UNSW on Anzac Pde, Kensington
BarCamp Sydney is only up to it's 3rd event - but if this one is anything like the other 2 - should be a cracker! And it's extended to 2 days - plus a few intermittent social events. Definitely worth participating - oh, that's a warning - it's a spectator free zone!

AITD: Gen Y - How to engage, develop and keep the graduates of today
Date: Wed 9 April
Time: 5.45pm - 8.15pm
Where: Cliftons - 190 George St, Sydney
The promo blurb says: " It is often said that Gen Ys are always wanting more, are hard to satisfy and even harder to retain. Various reports have suggested that learning and development opportunities are highly sought after by today’s graduates, and this can often make the difference between graduates staying with or leaving their respective employers."
I wonder if this is exclusively a Gen Y behaviour.. hmmmm...

AITD National Conference: Learning Alive!
Date: Tue 22 & Wed 23 April, 2008
Where: Australian Technology Park, Redfern
Huge range of workshop sessions, keynote speakers, expo, dinner, awards - the whole whizz bang!

Walkley Foundation: Social media and public relations - are you ready for the audience to join in?
Date: Tue 6 & Wed 7 May, 2008
Where: NSW Teachers Federation, 37 Reservoir St, Surry Hills.
This conference is focusing on the online communications strategies for Public Affairs Professionals and engaging the media in the evolving multi-user environment. Great line up of speakers and panels - looks like some hot topics being debated!

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