Social networking to prioritize curriculum development from open content and chosen by community (student generated content such as notes and internet-based resources while instructor-based content can be course notes), and new groups of students/faculty can build on the work oand experiences of previous students ("start where others left off") - instructors can use learner analytics to encourage deeper learning - currently being used for English composition by Stanford, CA Polytech, USC, Babson, Sacramento State and San Luis Obispo
Article by Marc Parry on Unlocking the Gates (Princeton University Press), a new book by Taylor Walsh, is a research analyst with Ithaka S+R, the research division of the nonprofit Ithaka consulting group, which supported the project together with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
is there evidence of their learning effectiveness?
A. That's part of what makes the OLI [Open Learning Initiative, based at Carnegie Mellon University] so unique, is that built into the environment itself, that accomplishes the teaching, is the mechanism for assessment. ... They have given a control group and a variable group the same final, and found that the students using OLI aren't hurt in the slightest by not having had the same level of in-person instruction—that the system did just as well, if not better, at teaching them this material. ... Beyond those two studies, there really hasn't been a systematic appraisal of learning outcomes based on openly available material writ large. No one disputes that these open-courseware initiatives have done much good. But it's impossible, with the currently available data, to determine how much good.
TodaysMeet - a free online tool to allow for real time online conversations in a closed room with no ads - even good for primary grades. This review also shows examples with pix
5 minute video is available - tutoral is also available in screenshots - bigger issues regarding copyright are not addressed though there is attention paid to proper citation of use of cover art, for example
Group assignment via Excel file (.xls file with programming scripts - need to turn security settings to low); provides diversity within each group based on characterizations of each student; can also generate sequences of up to 10 successive group assignments (e.g., keep students apart who have been together in any group before).
Featured by Sarah Cunnane, writer for the Times Higher Education, as a unique example of a university trusting its own students, staff and faculty - wow, a sad commentary on our higher education community
publishes your own storyboard for free but relies on Flash
learning how to make an e-book via crowdsourcing your own blog (example from sociologist Kieran Healy) - or online journal (example from J of Southern Religion) - or open-access book (Mark Sample's Hacking the Academy) - recommending Pandoc but also refers to Sigil, Anthologize
a very popular web-based game design environment. Global Kids http://olpglobalkids.org/ is using it to run social benefits game design contests and badging programs. They are getting 100+ new game design entries per week. From the parents' guide: Gamestar Mechanic is currently supported by a partnership between the Institute of Play and E-Line Media. The game was originally developed by Gamelab in partnership with the Institute of Play and the Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Lab (AADLC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Initial funding for the game and companion learning guides came from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The design of the game is based on research by some of the leading academics in the field including Katie Salen (Executive Director of the Institute of Play and curriculum author for the New York City Public School Quest To Learn) and James Paul Gee (author of What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy).
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to discuss how the University of Michigan School of Nursing designed and implemented a virtual hospital unit in Second Life® to run virtual simulations. Three scenarios were developed about topics that represent areas that contribute to patient safety, as well as key student learning challenges. Fifteen students completed a 6-question survey evaluating their experience. Comments indicated students did identify the potential benefits of the Second Life® simulation. The Second Life® platform may also provide avenues for learning in the clinical arena for a multitude of health care professionals. The opportunity to simulate emergent, complex situations in a nonthreatening, safe environment allows all members of the team to develop critical communication skills necessary to provide safe patient care.
adapts and learns along with student - free - can also be used to assess strengths and need areas; tutoring sessions customized to support lesson plans
A terrific checklist for anyone looking to "build" a course:
1. Plan for 30 minutes
2. Develop content without technology (clarify goals, assumptions about students, objectives, assessments, learning outcome artifacts, sequencing, validation)
3. Implement your content using technology (inc prep to evaluate the efficacy of your course)
4. Pilot with your target audience
@LauraZavelson of Elon U - mindmap connecting to EdTech Startups inventoried in "The Siege of Academe" Washington Monthly (http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/septemberoctober_2012/features/_its_three_oclock_in039373.php?page=1) - four clusters:
- scaleable education
- credentials
- knowledge wrappers
- learning enhancement
Includes invitation to join CFHE12 but scroll down to see good series of links to help introduce newbies to MOOCs from a variety of perspectives