The worldwide E-learning industry is estimated to be worth over $48 billion according to conservative estimates. Developments in internet and multimedia technologies are the basic enabler of e-learning, with consulting, content, technologies, services and support being identified as the five key sectors of the e-learning industry. Apart from traditional learning, E-Learning is the delivery of learning and training using electronic media, for example: using computers, internet, and intranet. In principle, e-learning is a kind of distance learning; learning materials can be accessed from the web or CD via a computer, and tutors and learners can communicate with each other using e-mail or discussion forums. E-Learning can be used as the main method of delivery of training or as a combined approach with classroom-based training. E-Learning is also helping to embed learning within work processes, as organisations begin to recognise that learning is not something that only takes place in a classroom.
Through my 5 weeks' studying and understanding this course, I have experienced lots of different ways of learning styles in E learning. I have also learned and understood some of the important digital tools those can help a lot in E-learning.
In the first week I have been taught some 21 century's learning style and learning theories. According to Waterhouse (2003), e-learning involves improving teaching and learning using instructional strategies enhanced by technology, especially computer technology (p. 3). At a very basic level e-learning is using information communication technologies (ICTs) to engage, enhance and extend learning in pedagogically sound, flexible and innovative ways. There has been a great deal of research done with regard to learning and cognitive style with some differences in the categorisation of these. Felder and Solomon have created an online learning style inventory that gives us an idea of our own preferences and our styles and balance. I did the test and my result of learning style can be found from here.
The following week we have learned how to use Wiki as a collaborative learning technique. A wiki is an online space where users and guests can edit, modify, add, remove information with intuitive editing tools.Wiki has turned out to be much more than I'd imagined. That is not to say that I didn't imagine a lot. Key features of a wiki have been identified by wiki.org(http://wiki.org )
In this week's activity we participated in the school group's Wiki on mobile phones issue - should mobile phones be used in the classroom? We used the de Bono Hats system (also known as "Six Hats" or "Thinking hats") to think and analysis the issue and I have written my my previous reflections in Six Thinking Hats about this issue through this post.
Group 1 tools
In group 1 tools we have been introduced online spaces - Web 2.0. There were three spaces we have investigated wikis, blogs and websites. The difference between web 1.0 and web 2.0 is that Web 1.0 is static until changed by the webmaster. Content is added by webmasters, either text, video, images or other multimedia. The content does not change for different viewers, nor can viewers add to the content themselves. It is also known as the "read only" web.In contrast, Web 2.0 is owned by you, the people. Individuals and groups can publish, share, network, download, upload to create user-generated content. Web 2.0 is often known as the "read-write" web. Built in to Web 2.0 sites are tools and toolbars that make it easy to work in these spaces despite very little knowledge of web authoring. The difference between a blog, a wiki and a website is that Wikis and blogs are owned by private persons. They can add content and therefore ideas. blogs is usually single-author. The way of interacting with a blog is for viewers to add comments to the postings of others. The comments themselves cannot be responded to as a discussion thread - each refers to the blog posting itself. Blogs are chronological. A wiki is a multi-author page, like an online butcher's paper. Anyone can edit the page, delete and make additions to the information there. Wikis are not chronological, they are simply edited by erasing, amending, and adding. And a website is static, and students cannot contribute content. Sometimes this is an advantage. Here is one of the blogs I have made before for early studies in social networking. From these 3 tools I like blogs the most because it can keep my privacy better.
Group 2 tools
There are 3 multimedia digital tools in this group. They are images, podcasting and digital videos. Multimedia is one of the most important affordances of online learning, with a multitude of video sites such as YouTube, TeacherTube, National Geographic amongst many, many others. All of the major news providers globally have video uploads of significant news events.
For images, it can be of our learners in action, of other people, and of environmental artefacts. A podcast is simply a sound file. But it is a sound file that is shared with others, usually by subscription. The one I want to talk about more here is digital video because video uses both images and audio in many cases, and is considered to be a core focus of any eLearning course. Video is also the media for information about the worlds news events, the latest from science and technology from sports and medicine. It is a media for education. Students, teachers and educators need to know how to read, construct and become masters of this new technology. Video production in the classroom enables the development of media literacy, higher order thinking skills, project based learning experiences, real world relevancy experiences, and a deeper connection to the curriculum being explored.
Group 3 tools
In this group there is a set of tools that can be used to present learning or information. They are PowerPoint, Prezi, and Glogster. They are all capable of interactivity and multimodal (text, audio, images and movies) sources. The one presenting tool I want to focus here is Powerpoint. We can use PowerPoint to create interactive presentations containing text, art, animation, and audio and video elements. It is probably the best-known presentation graphics program available. PowerPoint works well in the classroom in a number of ways:
1. Present information or instruction to an entire class.
2. Create graphically enhanced information and instructions for the learning centers.
3. Create tutorials, reviews, or quizzes for individual students.
4. Display student work and curriculum materials or accompany teacher presentations at parent open houses or technology fairs. We can set PowerPoint presentations to run automatically during such events, providing a slide show of classroom activities and events as parents tour our classroom or school.
In short, there are a number of multimedia authoring tools that are complex and require signifiant learning to use. PowerPoint is so versatile for the creation of learning objects and games.
From this site I learned a lot on how to use Powerpoint and I did an analysis on finding creative ways of using Powerpoint where you can find from this post.
Group 4 tools
This group of tools are quite open-ended. We have added some that have been shown to be valuable, and recommend strongly that you examine them regardless of your selection for this group. Knowing that they "are there" may open up opportunities for later work with ICT when it is required. I have investigate 3 tools of them: Google Docs, Google Maps, and Google Earth. The one I have to mention more here is Google Earth. Google Earth is a fantastic resource for teachers and students as it enables students to see images from different parts of the earth with the ability to overlay streets/roads with latitude and longitude. Students can see their own backyard and those of another country.
I like using Google Earth as my good learning friend. Google Earth is not only a great tool for geography - it has the ability to entice kids to learn about information tied to location in a huge variety of important educational subjects. I found somewhere useful for learners to go for more classroom resources. And I found the useful content for Google Earth is in a variety of subjects such as geography, literature, science, history, and more. Basically, any information which can be tied to a location on Earth can be illustrated, and made interesting, using Google Earth. Google Earth can also be used as a tool for students to study or even prepare their own presentations. If I were an educator I would use GE for many topics.
Legal, Safe, and Ethical Considerations
There is something we still need to consider in E-learning. This issue is always critical - we must read and thoroughly understand the implications of uploading and using materials online.The most important principle to remain aware of is that normal copyright guidelines for education apply in an online environment. When creating content for an online course it is important to consider copyright as you are responsible for the material you have created. If you are using material you have created (lecture notes, reading list) there is no need to check copyright. If you are using material that contains material owned by a third party e.g. images, photos, graphs etc. then it is important to check the copyright status of these. In most of cases you need to be approved by the source of the material before going ahead.
Renference
Tavangarian D., Leypold M., Nölting K., Röser M.,(2004). Is e-learning the Solution for Individual Learning? Journal of e-learning, 2004.
Allen, I. E. and Seaman, J. (2008) Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States, 2008 Needham MA: Sloan Consortium
Bates, A. (2005) Technology, e-Learning and Distance Education London: Routledge
OECD (2005) E-Learning in Tertiary Education: Where Do We Stand? Paris: OECD
Whyte, Cassandra B. and Lauridsen, Kurt (editor)(1980). An Integrated Learning Assistance Center.New Directions Sourcebook, Jossey-Bass, Inc.
Black, J. & McClintock, R. (1995) "An Interpretation Construction Approach to Constructivist Design
Bates, A. and Poole, G. Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/John Wiley, 2003
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Google Earth
Google Earth is a fantastic resource for teachers and students as it enables students to see images from different parts of the earth with the ability to overlay streets/roads with latitude and longitude. Students can see their own backyard and those of another country.For Google Earth using in education, Google Earth can help us bring a world of information alive for students. It can be used with all grade levels, and the possibilities are endless with our imagination! Students can use Google Earth to explore topics like the progress of human civilization, the growth of cities, the impact of civilization on the natural environment, and the impact of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Teachers can use Google Earth demos to get their students excited about geography beyond the static map, or use different Google Earth layers to study transportation, demographics, economics, and in specific local or exotic contexts.
Students can use Google Earth to:
•Explore the animal kingdom and endangered species with the National Geographic layer and other content.
•Explore the animal kingdom and endangered species with the National Geographic layer and other content.
•Create annotated place markers indicating location of school and points of interest in their town such as the local fire and police stations, the city library, local parks, and museums.
•Study climate change and the effects of global warming.
•Create tours of their school or community.
•Track earthquakes in real-timeAdvanced
Teachers can use Google Earth to:
•Set the scene for geography, history, literature, astronomy and other lessons.
•Set the scene for geography, history, literature, astronomy and other lessons.
•Involve students in pro-active engagement in a wide-range of Google Outreach projects.
•Adapt traditionally abstract lessons to the “real-world” by having students interact with virtual “real-time” data such as weather, earthquakes, elephants migrations, etc.
Prezi? What is it?
My first time to hear the thing called Prezi. My first thought is it's like a food's name, haha...Pizza? Prezi? Just kidding...After my investigation, I have found lots of interesting things about Prezi.
Prezi is a cloud-based (SaaS) presentation software and storytelling tool for exploring and sharing ideas upon a virtual canvas. Prezi is distinguished by its Zooming User Interface (ZUI), which enables users to zoom in and out of their presentation media. Prezi allows users to display and navigate through information within a 2.5D space on the Z-axis.
Prezi is used as platform for bridging linear and non-linear information, and as a tool for both for free-form brainstorming and structured presentation. Text, images, videos and other presentation media are placed upon the canvas, and can be grouped together in frames. Users then designate the relative size and position between all presentation objects and may pan and zoom in and between these objects. For linear presentations, users can construct a prescribed navigation path.
One of the differences from PowerPoint is that it is linear. For your sequential learners this is ideal. For your global learners this is frustrating.
Prezi is a cloud-based (SaaS) presentation software and storytelling tool for exploring and sharing ideas upon a virtual canvas. Prezi is distinguished by its Zooming User Interface (ZUI), which enables users to zoom in and out of their presentation media. Prezi allows users to display and navigate through information within a 2.5D space on the Z-axis.
Prezi is used as platform for bridging linear and non-linear information, and as a tool for both for free-form brainstorming and structured presentation. Text, images, videos and other presentation media are placed upon the canvas, and can be grouped together in frames. Users then designate the relative size and position between all presentation objects and may pan and zoom in and between these objects. For linear presentations, users can construct a prescribed navigation path.
One of the differences from PowerPoint is that it is linear. For your sequential learners this is ideal. For your global learners this is frustrating.
Creative ways to use Powerpoint
Microsoft Powerpoint is one of the most famous and professional tool in today's world i believe. PowerPoint presentations consist of a number of individual pages or "slides". The "slide" analogy is a reference to the slide projector. Slides may contain text, graphics, sound, movies, and other objects, which may be arranged freely. PowerPoint, however, facilitates the use of a consistent style in a presentation using a template or "Slide Master".
What are the creative way in using Powerpoint? By doing research, Ihave found something like following:
1. Start by creating an outline. The most important part of any presentation is the content, not the graphical appeal. That is why we should develop our presentation with the content first, before deciding on the look (colours, graphics, etc.)
2. Using contrasting colours. If you want your audience to be able to see what you have on the slide, there needs to be a lot of contrast between the text colour and the background colour. I suggest a dark background with light text – I usually use a medium to dark blue background and white or yellow letters.
3. Use a big enough font. When deciding what font size to use in your presentation, make sure it is big enough so that the audience can read it. I usually find that any font size less than 24 point is too small to be reasonably read in most presentation situations. I would prefer to see most text at a 28 or 32 point size, with titles being 36 to 44 point size. The only reason I would use a font less than 24 point is when adding explanatory text to a graph or diagram, where you could use a 20 point font size.
4. Stop the moving text. When text comes on the screen, we want the audience to read the text, then focus back on the presenter to hear the message. If the text moves onto the screen in any way – such as flying in, spiral or zooming – it makes it harder for the audience members to read since they have to wait until the text has stopped before they can read it.
What are the creative way in using Powerpoint? By doing research, Ihave found something like following:
1. Start by creating an outline. The most important part of any presentation is the content, not the graphical appeal. That is why we should develop our presentation with the content first, before deciding on the look (colours, graphics, etc.)
2. Using contrasting colours. If you want your audience to be able to see what you have on the slide, there needs to be a lot of contrast between the text colour and the background colour. I suggest a dark background with light text – I usually use a medium to dark blue background and white or yellow letters.
3. Use a big enough font. When deciding what font size to use in your presentation, make sure it is big enough so that the audience can read it. I usually find that any font size less than 24 point is too small to be reasonably read in most presentation situations. I would prefer to see most text at a 28 or 32 point size, with titles being 36 to 44 point size. The only reason I would use a font less than 24 point is when adding explanatory text to a graph or diagram, where you could use a 20 point font size.
4. Stop the moving text. When text comes on the screen, we want the audience to read the text, then focus back on the presenter to hear the message. If the text moves onto the screen in any way – such as flying in, spiral or zooming – it makes it harder for the audience members to read since they have to wait until the text has stopped before they can read it.
Using digital videos
Digital video is a type of digital recording system that works by using a digital rather than an analog video signal. Students today live in a multimedia world and appreciate variety in their learning environment. When learning they find a mixture of text, still images, sound and video is more interesting than 'chalk and talk'. They gain opportunities for higher level thinking when producing their own digital video clips. Now that it is easier to produce digital media there are huge opportunities for learning within a school and for global collaboration between students and teachers via the Internet. Even small video clips can be very powerful.
From my point of view, as a student, the reasons for choosing video are many: as a student I find video is the most interesting way to present a complex subject we are required to report on; as researcheres they will find that video tape can preserve more aspects of interaction including talking, gesture, eye gaze, manipulatives, computer displays. Moreover, video allows repeated observation of the same event, and supports microanalysis and multidisciplinary analysis. Video supports an analysis of the motion and the mathematics of motion. Video supports the construction of significant stories that tell and explain. Video can get researchers out of controlled laboratory settings and into the naturalistic field work.
Finally, I think video provides analytical benefits: it can support grounded theory, whereby the emergence of new categories from source materials is carefully disciplined. Video can avoid the "what I say" versus "what I do" problem that can occur in self-reports. Video supports a critical incident methodology, but also allows examination of the lead-up and downstream consequences of the critical event.
From my point of view, as a student, the reasons for choosing video are many: as a student I find video is the most interesting way to present a complex subject we are required to report on; as researcheres they will find that video tape can preserve more aspects of interaction including talking, gesture, eye gaze, manipulatives, computer displays. Moreover, video allows repeated observation of the same event, and supports microanalysis and multidisciplinary analysis. Video supports an analysis of the motion and the mathematics of motion. Video supports the construction of significant stories that tell and explain. Video can get researchers out of controlled laboratory settings and into the naturalistic field work.
Finally, I think video provides analytical benefits: it can support grounded theory, whereby the emergence of new categories from source materials is carefully disciplined. Video can avoid the "what I say" versus "what I do" problem that can occur in self-reports. Video supports a critical incident methodology, but also allows examination of the lead-up and downstream consequences of the critical event.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Mobile phones Wiki
Ah huh! The second week, something new and interesting came out again. Wiki? The first thing came up in my mind was wikipedia, but here it is not. Wiki here is actually wikispaces, yes it is a space, just like MSN Space, another new place to blog. (http://www.wikispaces.com/) I then followed the instructions and applied for my own Wikispaces. In other words, a wiki is an online space where users and guests can edit, modify, add, remove information with intuitive editing tools.
In this week's activity we participated in the school group's Wiki on mobile phones issue - should mobile phones be used in the classroom? It's like a debate. And we were using de Bono's six thinking hats, and I found it very helpful for me to understand issues.
The de Bono Hats system (also known as "Six Hats" or "Thinking hats") is a thinking tool for group discussion and individual thinking. Combined with the idea of parallel thinking which is associated with it, it provides a means for groups to think together more effectively, and a means to plan thinking processes in a detailed and cohesive way. For mobile phones using in the classroom, these are what my thoughts are:
The question of whether mobile phones should be allowed in schools has been hotly debated over the years. Most school administrations regard cell phone use as disruptive and distracting, and have implemented policies that prohibit using them on school grounds. In fact, the real decision regarding cell phones lies with parents. Short of checking each and every backpack, school officials can only enforce cell phone bans if they catch a student with a prohibited device.
Personally speaking, the idea of using mobile phones in the classroom is not wise enough. Before any negative factors are fixed properly it is hard to manage everything, it's hard for both teachers and students.
Using mobile phone in the classroom in many cases will make students not focused in their studies, for example they can be easily disturbed by some other applications like games, chats, messages from their mobile phones other than using studying resources, even through some of students can control themselves properly, the situation is that students can effect each other, therefore eventually there will not be a good studying hemisphere in the classroom. Since most schools already have enough computers to support the students then mobile phones are kind of useless.
This is the logical positive. There are lots of appliactions can be used in mobile phone, some of them are useful. For example students may need dictionary in the class sometimes. Other applications such calculator, google map and videos etc.
My suggestions for making good use of mobile phones for students to use in the classroom is that schools should provide these facilities to students rather than letting each student have their own. By doing this schools can put only whatever is needed for student in class to make sure each application students are using is for their study not for other purpose. However it is a big cost for schools.
I think nowadays mobile phones are just started to be used a lot in education, for example many students in the US now start using IPADs in their classroom, however since the cost of these things are still quite high, therefore it is hard for each school to have those tools for each students in the classroom.
In this week's activity we participated in the school group's Wiki on mobile phones issue - should mobile phones be used in the classroom? It's like a debate. And we were using de Bono's six thinking hats, and I found it very helpful for me to understand issues.
The de Bono Hats system (also known as "Six Hats" or "Thinking hats") is a thinking tool for group discussion and individual thinking. Combined with the idea of parallel thinking which is associated with it, it provides a means for groups to think together more effectively, and a means to plan thinking processes in a detailed and cohesive way. For mobile phones using in the classroom, these are what my thoughts are:
The question of whether mobile phones should be allowed in schools has been hotly debated over the years. Most school administrations regard cell phone use as disruptive and distracting, and have implemented policies that prohibit using them on school grounds. In fact, the real decision regarding cell phones lies with parents. Short of checking each and every backpack, school officials can only enforce cell phone bans if they catch a student with a prohibited device.
Personally speaking, the idea of using mobile phones in the classroom is not wise enough. Before any negative factors are fixed properly it is hard to manage everything, it's hard for both teachers and students.
Using mobile phone in the classroom in many cases will make students not focused in their studies, for example they can be easily disturbed by some other applications like games, chats, messages from their mobile phones other than using studying resources, even through some of students can control themselves properly, the situation is that students can effect each other, therefore eventually there will not be a good studying hemisphere in the classroom. Since most schools already have enough computers to support the students then mobile phones are kind of useless.
This is the logical positive. There are lots of appliactions can be used in mobile phone, some of them are useful. For example students may need dictionary in the class sometimes. Other applications such calculator, google map and videos etc.
My suggestions for making good use of mobile phones for students to use in the classroom is that schools should provide these facilities to students rather than letting each student have their own. By doing this schools can put only whatever is needed for student in class to make sure each application students are using is for their study not for other purpose. However it is a big cost for schools.
I think nowadays mobile phones are just started to be used a lot in education, for example many students in the US now start using IPADs in their classroom, however since the cost of these things are still quite high, therefore it is hard for each school to have those tools for each students in the classroom.
Getting started - Learning styles
This is my first week of Managing E-learning, lots of things I found is interesting. Blogging is not new to me but to study a subject in university by blogging is pretty fresh to me. I followed the instructions of the tutorial in Moodle and successfully applied for a new blog in Blogspot.com.
By learning from this week's material, I realized there are different kind of learning styles depending on who you are, your personality. Felder and Solomon have created an online learning style inventory that gives people ideas of their own preferences and their styles and balance (http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html). I am curious about my own learning style so I did the questionnaire. Here is my results.
ACT X REF
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
<-- -->
SEN X INT
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
<-- -->
VIS X VRB
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
<-- -->
SEQ X GLO
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
<-- -->
I don't know what to say about the result, I guess it is hard to find one person has the same result because everyone's learning style is unique right?
By learning from this week's material, I realized there are different kind of learning styles depending on who you are, your personality. Felder and Solomon have created an online learning style inventory that gives people ideas of their own preferences and their styles and balance (http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html). I am curious about my own learning style so I did the questionnaire. Here is my results.
ACT X REF
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
<-- -->
SEN X INT
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
<-- -->
VIS X VRB
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
<-- -->
SEQ X GLO
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
<-- -->
I don't know what to say about the result, I guess it is hard to find one person has the same result because everyone's learning style is unique right?
Monday, November 14, 2011
Start blogging
This is not the first time that I am using blogs, I used to use Sina blog, facebook and MSN space to blog for sharing my life with my friends, I had a lot of fun from blogging. However, blogging for university studying sounds pretty new to me, hopeful I will be still having fun and learning well.
Now I have created a new blog for Managing E-learning! I think I will have lots of fun here...and everyone welcome visiting my blog!
Now I have created a new blog for Managing E-learning! I think I will have lots of fun here...and everyone welcome visiting my blog!
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