Talking Tools Evaluation and Lessons Learned on eLearnTV

I had a thoroughly enjoyable Skype video chat with Rick Zanotti and Dawn Mahoney on Jan 14 where we talked about selecting authoring tools, some lessons learned on short-notice deadlines, and a surprising geographical connection.

It’s nice to be able to add this to some of the #workoutloud and #showyourwork activities going on. Sharing what we do is important to the growth of our discipline.

Your feedback is, of course, always welcomed.

Brain Research on use of Smartphones

I came across this interesting article on the Toronto Star this morning.  Participants who used smartphones and more traditional mobile phones were compared using EEG (electroencephalogram).  The results were interesting, but researchers say that it’s far too early to tell if the changes observed are good or bad for us in the long run.

I wonder what the implications are for L&D and whether or not we should harness the changes without knowing the longer-term effects?

Enjoy the read!

http://www.thestar.com/life/2014/12/23/smartphone_usage_leads_to_different_brain_activity_study.html

 

More MOOC-ing!

In spite of my mixed feelings about the Stanford DNLE MOOC, I am taking on another MOOC in the form of the Open University’s Open Learning Design Studio and their MOOC: “Learning Design for a 21st Century Curriculum“.

I am going to be adding some different tags and categories to try and keep things all straight, but I’m interested to see what lessons I can glean from what is – largely – a course designed for Higher Education.  While I do have Higher Ed affiliations, I get the sense that this “21st Century Curriculum” is broad enough to allow for applications across a variety of sectors. I’m also interested to make more connections with other L&D folks and gain from their experiences.

Stay tuned!

Badges! Badges? Yes, we need some stinkin’ Badges!

In typical “me” fashion, I balance out my early adoption and exploration with a relatively late-to-the-table professional development activity: Badges.

I get the basic concept, but a well-timed email from the folks at my upcoming OLDS MOOC got me thinking a little more seriously about learning more about the process. In relatively short order I found myself reading about the Mozilla Open Badges Initiative, and then earning my first badges!

Well, once I get my teeth into something, I’m keen to keep going. I am now signed up in the P2PU Open Badges 101 self-directed “course” to provide me with a little practical experience in the area of badges and related info. I’m definitely intrigued by the possibilities, even if its not something that I can apply at CFSATE, I like the potential for future opportunities. I also see some very interesting ideas at the corporate level, too…

My next task is to do some mapping out of what a badge program would look like, even at a conceptual level, so I can submit it to P2PU for their consideration.

Wish me luck!

Storify – My Test Drive

While I grabbed a Storify account some time back, I hadn’t really done much more than explore it at a fairly basic level. However, I finally took the plunge and decided to take a new approach to summarizing one of my favourite PLN discussions, #chat2lrn.

In concept, the Storify concept is simple: search for whatever you want, and turn it into a “story” of related events, news items, media clips, whatever.   Add in your own commentary, reassemble at will, and you can create your very own amalgamated/aggregated digital artifact.

This was a good learning experience for me because I wanted to find a way to catch up on the tweets and draw some of my own conclusions, particularly because I wasn’t able to stay for the whole chat.

Article Commentary – Graphics for Rapid eLearning (Lectora Blog)

I caught wind of an article about “Graphics for Rapid eLearning“, thanks to a link provided by Jennifer Brick. Given that this the visuals associated with learning are an interest of mine, reviewing the article was a no-brainer.

However, I saw a few things that didn’t quite sit right, so….

Au clair de la Lune

Like many others, I was sad to learn of the passing of Neil Armstrong.

The Apollo missions and all they represented were a key part of my childhood, even as a Canadian. While I was only 14 months old when Apollo 11 touched down in the Sea of Tranquility, I remained captivated by the accomplishments of NASA and even the Soviet Space Program. Those were heady times, and I even remember watching the “handshake in space” live on TV.

Tonight as I look at a half moon still visible in the late summer sky, I think about those days when man walked the moon, and I’m saddened that we’ve not left Earth orbit for similar missions in the 40 years since.

Godspeed, Neil Armstrong. Your quiet courage and humble outlook were examples to us all. Tonight I give the moon a wink, just for you.

Pinterest: It took a while, but I get it. Finally.

In many respects (for those who subscribe to such things), I am a typical Taurus, and stubborn as hell. I admit that there are times when I will resist trying new things until I know I can see the benefits for me. Once I “get it”, however, I’m unstoppable.

That paragraph accurately sums up my experience with Twitter. While initially skeptical, I have now – as most of you know – embraced the tool enthusiastically because I see the value from a personal and professional point of view. A secondary benefit is, of course, the entertainment value.

And then came Pinterest…

My experience with Snapguide: Thoughts, implications, and a wishlist

It was one of those “Just in Time” moments for learning. I had been sharing some photos of a trip into Toronto through Instagr.am and cross-posting them to Facebook. A grad school classmate asked me how I achieved the effects. After listing the tools I used, she jokingly asked when I’d have the e-learning course ready for her to teach her how to do it all. Undaunted, I figured this was a good opportunity to try out Snapguide.

To LMS, or not to LMS. That is (or, is not) the Question

I get asked, occasionally, about how to plan for technology selection to support learning: LMS, authoring apps, etc. Much to my surprise I didn’t have a post immediately handy, so it seemed timely to do so in response to a recent Twitter query.