Showing posts with label elearning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elearning. Show all posts

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Two Contrasting Views Of Educational Technology

I’d similar to part a span of videos alongside you lot that I accept used late inwards the courses I teach. I notice these videos specially interesting because they present such contrasting approaches to learning together with inwards detail - for desire of a amend news - elearning.

This starting fourth dimension 1 is from the early on 1950’s together with is nigh something called a ‘teaching machine’ which was created past times behavioural psychologist B F Skinner.


As you lot encounter Skinner’s teaching machines, though non just iPads do await remarkably like  what nosotros would recognise equally computers. What’s too remarkable is the claims that he makes for them together with the reasons why he believes they are effective are remarkably similar to those made past times many producers of learning together with especially linguistic communication learning software today.

However, despite the extremely logical reasoning that Skinner expounds I’m certain if you lot were invited to sit down downwards together with job 1 of these machines for a menstruation of fourth dimension it wouldn’t concur your involvement for real long together with similar me you lot likely spotter those difficult working children alongside a feel of pity.

Of course of report it’s tardily to await at videos similar this alongside the payoff of hindsight together with alongside a shinny iPad sitting closed past times together with wonder at how they could e'er accept believed these machines would endure effective, but if nosotros await closely at quite a lot of elearning beingness produced these days, it isn’t long earlier nosotros realise how similar inwards many ways it is to the sort of learning materials used on Skinner’s teaching machines. Gapfills, Multiple Choice Questions, True faux Questions, etc. but alongside some multimedia rolled inwards withal appear to endure the mainstay of much calculator based instruction together with fifty-fifty mobile apps, thus I’m non surprised to notice that many of the teachers who come upward onto the courses I instruct desire to know how to job together with arrive at these kinds of materials together with to endure honest I tin encounter that they do accept their place, but I mean value nosotros should endure aiming to do thus much to a greater extent than than that alongside the materials nosotros produce.

Here’s the contrasting video that I similar to use.


This clearly shows a completely dissimilar approach to the job of applied scientific discipline together with for me a much to a greater extent than powerful one. It shifts the job of the calculator from beingness a storage identify for predefined information together with transforms it into a conduit past times which noesis is shared together with constructed through the interaction betwixt people. I mean value this facial expression of calculator based learning is the 1 that most critics of educational applied scientific discipline most oftentimes neglect to see, unfortunately it’s too this facial expression together with job of the calculator that is most oftentimes feared together with blocked past times educational institutions roughly the globe, together with ironically enough, past times governments wishing to suppress the rights of their citizens.

These videos together with the methods of didactics demonstrated inside them too highlight another of import points.

In the starting fourth dimension video noesis is clearly seen equally residing inwards the materials of the institution. The students accept no business office inwards the creation of the content nor do they accept the adventure to enquiry the validity together with accuracy of the content together with the job of the students is merely to larn together with recall the content.

They sit down inwards rows obediently working difficult alongside no communication betwixt them together with no give-and-take sharing or collaboration of what they learning.

The minute of the videos is almost the contrary of this. The classroom together with fifty-fifty the schoolhouse has acquire almost unnecessary. The pupil creates together with negotiates noesis through interaction alongside multiple sources of information together with using multiple channels of communication. The pupil acts independently together with plant autonomously much of the time.

In a fourth dimension when critical thinking, inventiveness together with the mightiness to evaluate together with cope information accept acquire thus important, it’s clear to encounter which sort of pupil nosotros should endure creating inside our schools together with the means nosotros pattern together with apply out learning tasks together with materials volition endure a telephone commutation constituent inwards this.


It’s truthful that the pupil inwards the minute video isn’t a linguistic communication student, together with developing linguistic mightiness is nigh to a greater extent than than finding together with applying knowledge, it too has to do alongside skills together with the exercise together with evolution of those skills, but what amend means to do this than from the kinds of authentic network edifice together with noesis edifice tasks that tin help our students acquire life long learners of far to a greater extent than than language?

The terminal affair that strikes me nigh these 2 videos is how they reverberate the kinds of societies that the organisation of didactics seeks to create. For me the starting fourth dimension is a club of obedient unquestioning worker drones beingness spoon fed information that volition enable them to fulfil their predefined roles. The minute is a club inwards which individuals are encouraged to think, human activity together with explore, to enquiry together with to create. I know which I would prefer to alive in.

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Nik Peachey

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Mobile Learning Inwards Elt: Survey 2013

In 2010, later buying my start iPad I decided to create about enquiry into how teachers were using mobile devices inward their classrooms in addition to their teaching. At this phase ‘smart’ phones were already starting to brand an deport upon in addition to tablet devices were simply coming onto the market.  The enquiry results from this start survey were published inward the Guardian Online nether the championship ‘English linguistic communication teachers connect to mobile learning’ http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/sep/14/teachers-mobile-learning in addition to the consummate results in addition to study tin move downloaded from: http://technogogy.org.uk/mobile_survey.pdf



I followed this enquiry upward inward 2011 using the same survey questions inward an endeavour to run across how things had advanced alongside the intervening menses in addition to the results from that survey were  published inward May 2011 on the DELTA Publishing weblog nether the championship ‘mLearing in addition to ELT: Are We Mobile Ready?’ http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/development/mlearing-and-elt-are-we-mobile-ready

One of the primary observations from this survey was that many teachers were inward fact create in addition to willing to screen mobile learning in addition to mobile devices, but that publishers seemed to move to a greater extent than reluctantly lagging behind.

Over the final eighteen months since publishing the 2011 survey results, mobile learning seems to accept made its means into the primary flow of discourse environs the implementation of educational engineering inward our schools in addition to universities, in addition to then I accept decided ane time again, cheers to the back upward of the Bell Educational Services Teacher Training department,  to launch a to a greater extent than extensive survey edifice on the master copy ane to examine to discovery the extent to which the ‘talk’ almost mobile learning has had whatsoever genuine deport upon in addition to realisation inward our schools in addition to classrooms over the by 3 to 4 years.

Whether you lot role technology, mobile learning or avoid it delight discovery fourth dimension to respond these xx questions in addition to percentage your ideas, opinions in addition to reflections in addition to I volition ane time over again issue the results for all to share.
Many cheers for your tending in addition to participation.

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Nik Peachey

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Why Produce In Addition To Then Many Moodle Courses Suck?

Moodle is a magnificent complimentary production together with has the potential to enable schools together with teachers to build wonderfully unique interactive online learning courses inwards which learner interaction tin endure tracked, measured together with responded to. Despite this the vast bulk of Moodle courses I regard are a long listing of Word together with PDF documents alongside at best a few forums that enable a minimum of human social interaction.

Given the country of many of these courses, it’s no wonder that drib out rates for online learning are therefore high. And of class Moodle isn’t the exclusively culprit. Many of the other commercially available LMS (learning management systems) together with VLE (virtual learning environment) platforms aren’t doing whatever better.

Moodle has been roughly right away since 2002 together with enquiry carried out inwards 2013 showed that to a greater extent than than 7.3 1000000 students had studied inwards to a greater extent than than 83 thousand registered sites.


Image from ELTPics: https://flic.kr/p/jBXAwK

So why is it that therefore piddling progress has been made inwards developing innovative courses that actually generate interaction alongside media rich content?

The job certainly isn’t Moodle, because the platform is capable of delivering all of the above.

The reality is that in that place are a divulge of causes:
  • I recollect it’s fair to state that Moodle isn’t the most intuitive of platforms to run with. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of progress together with improvements guide maintain been made, but it’s inevitable that a production alongside multiple modules constructed yesteryear unlike people is probable to termination inwards some inconsistencies of await together with feel.
  • The fact that Moodle is seen every bit a ‘free’ platform together with therefore a ‘cheap’ way to acquire learning online is some other factor. Schools kickoff using the platform alongside the impression that it won’t require much fiscal backing together with that ane time they guide maintain provided the platform teachers volition only endure able to acquire their classes online.
  • This brings me to the adjacent scream for together with that is lack of training. Most teachers I guide maintain met who work Moodle exercise therefore alongside exclusively the most minimal together with basic preparation together with ane time to a greater extent than this comes dorsum to the perception that Moodle is a inexpensive solution. Many schoolhouse managers seem to recollect that a few hours of preparation is plenty to acquire their teachers designing non bad online courses. It’s not! Training to work Moodle effectively takes considerable fourth dimension together with needs to endure constantly reinforced together with renewed.
  • A 2nd chemical part of preparation which is oftentimes overlooked is instructional design. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 instructor may good endure marvellous at developing together with delivering their ain materials inwards the classroom, but when it comes to converting those materials into effective online learning units in that place is a novel score of science together with agreement that they need. Understanding the instructional blueprint potential of an online platform together with how to construction materials therefore that students progress through an online surroundings requires preparation together with experience.
  • Another factor inwards this mix is that the Moodle platform is oftentimes seen every bit the ‘property’ together with responsibleness of the information technology division together with every bit such they brand the platform every bit secure every bit possible. Often this agency that teachers’ access to many of the unlike features together with potential that Moodle tin deliver are hidden from the instructor together with they don’t guide maintain the chance to experiment alongside the platform together with larn for themselves.

So given all of these problems is it worth using Moodle or whatever other platform to develop online together with blended learning for your students? 

The answer is of class a resounding yes. To ignore the potential that online learning together with novel technology scientific discipline has to offering is to endure similar King Canute trying to corporation dorsum the sea.

But to work technology scientific discipline effectively teaching establishments guide maintain to approach online learning alongside their eyes open.
  • It isn’t a inexpensive solution.
  • It volition require a meaning investment inwards preparation for teachers
  • Teachers won’t only build wonderful online courses inwards their complimentary time. Developing proficient online materials takes time. More fourth dimension than it takes to develop paper-based human face upwardly to human face upwardly materials, therefore they volition demand to endure paid for this time.
  • Teachers demand to endure trained at all levels of the platform including the admin level, non only at instructor level.
How nearly gear upwardly made courses?
Knowing all of this schools may endure tempted to yesteryear an ‘off the shelf’ solution alongside all the content gear upwardly made, but I would endure wary of this type of ‘one size fits all’ content. In many cases the content has only been adapted from a class mass alongside a copious amounts of drag together with drib together with gap-filling activity mixed alongside a piddling multimedia together with really piddling pupil - instructor or peer to peer interaction built inwards together with no sign of whatever authentic materials or personalisation. These courses are oftentimes tardily beyond belief together with neglect to engage the students.

The best online courses, only similar the best face-to-face courses, are unremarkably designed yesteryear teachers who guide maintain developed an agreement of the needs together with interests of their students together with tin guide content which they volition bask together with abide by engaging.

So, if platforms similar Moodle are actually to endure used to develop effective together with engaging learning which realises the potential of online together with blended learning modes of delivery, therefore nosotros must guide maintain managers who are willing to invest inwards developing the skills of their teachers together with teachers who are willing to come across the challenges of novel technology scientific discipline caput on  together with guide their changing together with to a greater extent than various roles every bit teachers, mentors together with instructional designers.

For teachers who would similar to elbow grease to develop their ain Moodle skills.
You tin register for a complimentary Moodle platform at: http://www.mdl2.com/ It takes a few moments to register together with therefore y'all guide maintain your ain Moodle platform to work every bit a sandpit.

Here are a few quick video tutorials that tin assist acquire y'all started.
I promise y'all abide by these videos useful together with bask making a kickoff at using Moodle to exercise to a greater extent than engaging materials.

Best

Nik Peachey

Wednesday, February 1, 2006

Creating Online Learning Amongst Riddle

On the surface Riddle is a cracking costless tool for creating a multifariousness of quizzes together with polls that tin bring rich media embedded into them, but when yous await below the surface it's genuinely a pretty sophisticated tool for speedily authoring engaging elearning.


Creating a Riddle is easy
Go to: http://www.riddle.com together with sign up. Then yous volition meet the dissimilar quiz types. The principal types of interactions yous tin create are:

  • Opinion polls - These are unproblematic unmarried query polls which tin comprise a number of fixed response for the recipient to direct from.
  • Lists - Lists aren’t questions every bit such, they are to a greater extent than similar a prissy agency of presenting data inwards a serial of chunks. Each chunk of data tin also bring media or text embedded into it. This would brand a cracking agency of presenting infographic type data inwards a to a greater extent than mobile friendly way.
  • Pop quiz - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 popular quiz tin comprise a number of multiple alternative questions. Pop quizzes tin move scored across percent of right answers. Students tin also acquire feedback on each reply inside the quiz together with yous tin attach specific messages to scores to say students what they demand to exercise inwards response to their score.
  • Personality tests - With this sort of examination yous tin create a number of questions for participants to reply together with link the answers to specific personality types. So for event if the player reply a to all questions they are shown their a personality type. You tin genuinely create the dissimilar personality types yourself.
  • Surveys - Surveys are the most flexible poll type. You tin bring a alternative of dissimilar query types from text fields for written input to unmarried alternative or multiple select questions.
You tin either click on ‘New’ to get-go from a blank template or click on ‘Template' together with you’ll meet an event of that type of quiz which should plough over yous an thought of how to create 1 yourself.
Most quiz types get-go alongside some sort of introduction shroud where yous outline the theme together with purpose of the quiz. With Riddle it’s slow to add together media to this purpose of the quiz simply yesteryear clicking on the media type together with searching for it or uploading your ain file.
Then add together the questions together with potential answers. You tin also add together a grade the reply inwards the popular quiz type questions together with some explanatory feedback.
Once yous bring added the questions yous tin customise the await of the quiz yesteryear changing colours or fonts.
Then 1 time the quiz is consummate yous tin portion either a URL or embed code or post it direct to your social network accounts.

The responses to all the questions are collected inside the platform together with yous tin reckon together with download these yesteryear clicking on ‘Statistics’ (to download a csv file yous demand a pro account) thence this provides a cast of LMS though it doesn’t enable yous to position specific students (again yous would demand a pro version to exercise that).

How to usage Riddle alongside learners
  • Riddle is pretty unproblematic together with quick to acquire thence yous tin acquire students to create their ain enquiry questionnaires. These could move for classroom enquiry or they could portion them through social media networks. You could usage infographics to base of operations the enquiry on together with acquire students to exercise parallel enquiry together with create their ain infographic.
  • You could acquire students using the List alternative every bit tasks to study on films or reading assignments. They could create a 10 betoken listing to include the 10 most of import features of the majority or film.
  • You tin create reckon polls to atomic number 82 into classroom discussion. This would plough over students the chance to yell upwards most the issues earlier they come upwards into class. You could together with thence follow this upwards alongside a minute poll to meet how many people had changed their hear most the issue.
  • You could usage the listing alternative to bring mock elections. Students could usage the listing to create a 10 betoken election manifesto. The students could together with thence await through them together with determine who they would similar to vote for.
  • You tin usage lists to introduce dissimilar aspects of verb tenses alongside a department each on meaning, form, pronunciation, fourth dimension lines together with usage. You could also include links to videos or songs where the verb tense is existence used.
  • You tin usage personality tests to position learning styles together with brand students to a greater extent than aware of them. You simply demand to define the dissimilar learning styles together with and thence add together answers to the multiple alternative questions that position each style.
  • You tin create a pre examination to acquire students thinking some theme yous desire to learn together with to uncovering out what they already know most it.
  • You tin usage Riddle every bit purpose of flipped learning approach alongside video embedded into quizzes or polls. Then yous tin collect students’ answers together with become into course of pedagogy alongside a clear agreement of what they bring understood from the material.
  • You tin embed articles, brusk stories or video clips inwards the popular quiz or surveys together with and thence create them into  consummate online course.
What I similar most Riddle
  • The costless alternative even thence gives lots of compass for creativity.
  • There is a cracking arrive at of quiz types.
  • The simplicity of creating the quizzes makes this slow for students to acquire quickly
  • I beloved the alternative of media together with how slow it is to embed media into the quizzes.
  • I similar the agency the personality type quiz answers tin move laid upwards alongside sliders to refine the agency the answers apply to the dissimilar personality types.
  • The listing type quizzes are a cracking agency to segment the presentation of novel materials
I promise yous savor using Riddle together with create some useful interactive learning materials.

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Nik Peachey