There are several points you made with which I agree; firstly that although I signed up to Twitter after listening to you at the e-learning conference in Plymouth in the spring, I don’t Tweet much (75 so far!), because everyone else I follow is so interesting and working in institutions doing interesting things with e-learning, that I don’t feel confident enough to Tweet.
Secondly I’ve considered blogging and have written a handful (saved on my computer and not unploaded anywhere!)
Thirdly, I don’t use FaceBook; it doesn’t seem to have a good reputation for even the user to be in control of content – it seems what is removed ‘magically’ reappears?
So although I am an e-learning enthusiast (especially about what it could be) and I worked as an e-tutor for several years (but can’t get back into it) with good IT skills (and oodles of time) to use the technology, I am a classic example that you cited about a person not taking advantage of social networking and therefore the VLE is where e-tutoring starts; however the way I see it, learning doesn’t have to be confined to it! I know it’s a confidence thing in my case and probably many others.
I’m still reflecting on other points …
In my experience, so much of what we do as an institution is driven not by the instructor or the learner, but the auditor. The ability to track student enrollment and interaction within the course is the main obstacle in leaving a VLE and entering a PLE environment. The economics of the situation can ultimate dictate the pedagogy if we aren’t careful.
An enjoyable debate which seems to have drawn out many of the real systemic issues facing education generally I feel. I was just glad I survived 🙂
I do wish you had a video format that was iPhone friendly to watch embedded video/audio though – all I ever see on your blog with posts with video/audio is an empty space unless I make an extra effort and start up a ‘proper’ computer. Never mind, probably best I don’t watch myself back 🙂
The video format I upload is generally iPhone friendly, but I don’t normally provide the link as I forget… but also because the file size is quite big, this video (at 80 odd minutes long) is 500MB which is not something you would want to download on an iPhone unless you were on wifi.
I would like to use a different video service, however sites such as YouTube which can provide an iPhone friendly version have a 10 minute limit so unusable for long videos like this one.
I’ll try and remember to add the link – though will need to check that it works on the iPhone.
Odd, I’ve certainly watched quite a few videos on YouTube which were well over an hour (the rightly famous “last lecture” being one) – having never had cause to upload a video I never realised there was a limit. Ah well. 🙂
13 years since I left the classroom. Graham Attwell spoke “for me” in the debate. I have never used a VLE and I have only had occasional glimpses of what it can provide. I had been unable to find my part of the PLE until Twitter helped me to find my people six months ago. Now I have nearly 400 followers, experts who can help me to learn.
However I have come to the conclusion that the VLE is not dead. PLE has done wonderful things for me but it is not yet sufficiently developed and so “most people do not like it” I look forward to more convergence in the PLE and Google Wave is a good step on the way.Then we will be able to invite the world to join us.
An early comment in the debate is to the effect that (paraphrasing) “lots of things you can do inside a VLE you can do outside on the Internet for free.”
Does this not suggest that it is in fact the cumbersome proprietary, commercial VLE that is dead and that in contrast the open-source VLE (free and responsive to changing demands) is alive and kicking?
There are several points you made with which I agree; firstly that although I signed up to Twitter after listening to you at the e-learning conference in Plymouth in the spring, I don’t Tweet much (75 so far!), because everyone else I follow is so interesting and working in institutions doing interesting things with e-learning, that I don’t feel confident enough to Tweet.
Secondly I’ve considered blogging and have written a handful (saved on my computer and not unploaded anywhere!)
Thirdly, I don’t use FaceBook; it doesn’t seem to have a good reputation for even the user to be in control of content – it seems what is removed ‘magically’ reappears?
So although I am an e-learning enthusiast (especially about what it could be) and I worked as an e-tutor for several years (but can’t get back into it) with good IT skills (and oodles of time) to use the technology, I am a classic example that you cited about a person not taking advantage of social networking and therefore the VLE is where e-tutoring starts; however the way I see it, learning doesn’t have to be confined to it! I know it’s a confidence thing in my case and probably many others.
I’m still reflecting on other points …
In my experience, so much of what we do as an institution is driven not by the instructor or the learner, but the auditor. The ability to track student enrollment and interaction within the course is the main obstacle in leaving a VLE and entering a PLE environment. The economics of the situation can ultimate dictate the pedagogy if we aren’t careful.
An enjoyable debate which seems to have drawn out many of the real systemic issues facing education generally I feel. I was just glad I survived 🙂
I do wish you had a video format that was iPhone friendly to watch embedded video/audio though – all I ever see on your blog with posts with video/audio is an empty space unless I make an extra effort and start up a ‘proper’ computer. Never mind, probably best I don’t watch myself back 🙂
The video format I upload is generally iPhone friendly, but I don’t normally provide the link as I forget… but also because the file size is quite big, this video (at 80 odd minutes long) is 500MB which is not something you would want to download on an iPhone unless you were on wifi.
I would like to use a different video service, however sites such as YouTube which can provide an iPhone friendly version have a 10 minute limit so unusable for long videos like this one.
I’ll try and remember to add the link – though will need to check that it works on the iPhone.
James
Odd, I’ve certainly watched quite a few videos on YouTube which were well over an hour (the rightly famous “last lecture” being one) – having never had cause to upload a video I never realised there was a limit. Ah well. 🙂
When I try and upload a video I get this message.
I believe that if you ask YouTube/Google nicely you can upload larger videos.
However I quite like the quality I get on WordPress so at this time happy to stick with WP.
13 years since I left the classroom. Graham Attwell spoke “for me” in the debate. I have never used a VLE and I have only had occasional glimpses of what it can provide. I had been unable to find my part of the PLE until Twitter helped me to find my people six months ago. Now I have nearly 400 followers, experts who can help me to learn.
However I have come to the conclusion that the VLE is not dead. PLE has done wonderful things for me but it is not yet sufficiently developed and so “most people do not like it” I look forward to more convergence in the PLE and Google Wave is a good step on the way.Then we will be able to invite the world to join us.
An early comment in the debate is to the effect that (paraphrasing) “lots of things you can do inside a VLE you can do outside on the Internet for free.”
Does this not suggest that it is in fact the cumbersome proprietary, commercial VLE that is dead and that in contrast the open-source VLE (free and responsive to changing demands) is alive and kicking?