Common Craft have released another of their excellent videos, this one on Augmented Reality.
This video is an introduction to augmented reality – a new and growing way to use smartphones to learn about the world around you. This video introduces the technology and covers the basic applications. It includes:
- A high level introduction to the big idea
- Using it to find a restaurant
- Using it to compare products, be entertained
- A look at future possibilities of augmented reality
A nice video created to support a paper being presented at the Plymouth e-Learning Conference on the 8th/9th April.
Despite the “official” title of VLE vs PLE, the reality is that PLEs have always existed and are nothing new. It is not a choice between a VLE or a PLE, students will have a PLE, the issue is whether the institutional VLE adds anything to that and whether institutional policies restrict learners in how they use their PLE.
Discussion is a really useful way of enhancing learning, whether it be a formalised classroom discussion or seminar, or an informal discussion arising from a presentation or a video.
How many though consider the needs of different learners and learning styles when facilitating discussion? Some learners are reflective and they need to time to think and reflect on the discussion. Some learners may be working or on online courses won’t be able to join a face to face discussion.
Live discussion using a chat facility on the VLE is one option that facilitates discussion in a way which allows quieter learners to contribute.
It is not an either or situation, it’s not about having just online chats in the same way as it is not just about having all face to face chats, it’s much more about allowing a range of discussion using different mediums to reflect the different needs and learning styles of different learners.
You could also have an online chat in order to provide evidence for Communication Key Skills, as chats can often be recorded or saved.
Online chats are not difficult, but do require (in the same way that a face to face conversation does) some planning and facilitation. It also helps if you try out a chat as a user first.
Another way to use chat is to provide online support
So how do you go about that?
Post a notice to the VLE that you will be hosting a live chat and state the time and date.
I will be hosting a live chat from 7pm to 8pm on the 20th April.
This will provide an opportunity for your learners to ask you questions and discuss issues. This is useful for any group of learners, but specifically useful for those undertaking blended or online courses.
A live online chat facility is a useful tool, and as the VLE itself handles the authentication process, learners needn’t worry about creating new user accounts or remembering passwords for when chat is used.
It’s not every day that over fifty visitors from across the South West and beyond visit your college to not only see how as a college you are using learning technologies but also to discuss and share experience in using Web 2.0 tools and social networking sites.
Gloucestershire College is one of Becta’s Exemplary Providers in their Technology Exemplar Network (TEN). One of the things that Exemplary Providers do as part of their contribution to the TEN is to run two open days. Our first Open Day took place on the 10th March and was according to feedback from delegates a great success.
With the wealth of learning technologies and web 2.0 tools and services available to Further Education, the open day, was an opportunity to see how Gloucestershire College have been using learning technologies to enhance and enrich learning. The open day also gave delegates an opportunity to discuss and debate with others how Web 2.0 and social networking can be used in Further Education.
Unlike many other events, the day followed an unconference format, or barcamp structure. We had a formal introduction followed by semi-structured unconference sessions in which delegates were invited to discuss, show and tell, collaborate, share and learn. These covered issues such as Facebook, Web 2.0, student monitoring, mobile learning, MoLeNET
Delegates were also able to tour the campus, due to the size of the campus, tours were given a particular focus depending on what delegates wanted to see. Tours were given of the workshops, hair and beauty as well as general classrooms and the Library.
Feedback from delegates was very positive:
“Thanks for putting so much energy into the TEN Open Day today. It was a very inspiring and thought-provoking event and you must take most of the credit for that!”
“I thought the day was very worthwhile and I am sure everyone went away with lots of practical ideas and lots to think about.”
“Good day lots to think about. Going to talk staff inductions tomorrow. Thanks James et al”
“Excellent day at Gloucestershire College for #bectaten. Got lots of new things to implement. Thanks James & GC staff”
“Dual boot macs in LRC so students have a choice of OS at Gloucestershire College. I like that”
“The power of a decent lunch should never be underestimated and this was a good lunch!”
“Most enjoyable day at GC”
So did you miss it, not to worry we’re running another Open Day on the 6th July 2010.
London Mini A-Z – iPhone App of the Week
This is a regular feature of the blog looking at the various iPhone Apps available. Some of the apps will be useful for those involved in learning technologies, others will be useful in improving the way in which you work, whilst a few will be just plain fun! Some will be free, others will cost a little and one or two will be what some will think is quite expensive. Though called iPhone App of the Week, most of these apps will also work on the iPod touch.
This week’s App is London Mini A-Z.
This map is a digital rendition of the famous “London A-Z Mini Atlas” and covers an area from West Hendon in the North West to Grove Park in the South East. Add this application to your iPhone or iPod Touch and you will have instant access to all 352 pages of the London Mini A-Z printed map.
Covering 141 Square Miles (367 Square Kilometers) and with more than 32,000 streets and additional places of interest. This map is drawn by real cartographers with the detailed care and human touch of emphasis and colour that A-Z are famous for. Internet maps are OK but you really can’t beat the genuine article.
With the maps installed on your device there is never any need for an internet connection enabling you to access the map anywhere and at anytime.
£5.99
If you are as old as me you may recall buying maps rather than using Sat Nav or Maps on your iPhone.
One of the things I use to buy a lot were A to Z books of various places I went to as either the provided maps were useless or I was. More often then not I would forget them the next time I was in the city and would buy a second (or even third copy). You would think I could just pop into the newsagents and flick through the A to Z and
This app is bascially a virtual recreation of those A to Z books. With the advantage that as it is on your iPhone it will be lighter and easier to carry. You can locate yourself using the phone’s built in GPS which is helpful; and you can use multi-touch to zoom in and out as well.
So why not use the built-in maps function? Well that App as good as it is, does depend on having a good internet connection. You would think in central London that this wouldn’t be a problem and most times it isn’t a problem however of course when you do in fact need it for real, is when the 3G network will let you down.
So for the iPod touch, the App starts to make even more sense with its dependency on WiFi and no 3G.
Now this is a useful app if you travel to lots of different places in London and want to ensure that the maps are on the device. If you only visit the big smoke now and again, I suspect the built in Maps app will be more than sufficient.
Google has added Pompeii to its Street View application, allowing internet users to take a 360-degree virtual tour of the ancient Roman city.
Google Street View can allow Travel and Tourism students a different view of tourist attractions. They may want to consider how Google Street View can be used as training materials for staff in tourist attractions.
Of course Google have also now expanded Street View to cover 95% of the UK.
Do you like books or do you like reading? Are you a fan of e-Books? What about e-Book Readers? Will devices such as the iPad and Kindle change the way we feel about books and what impact will these new devices have on learning.
With James Clay and Chrissie Turkington.
This is the thirty ninth e-Learning Stuff Podcast, Do you like books or do you like reading?
Download the podcast in mp3 format: Do you like books or do you like reading?
Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes
Shownotes
BBC reports that the EU cap for downloading data doesn’t come into effect until the 1st July.
The consumers’ association Which? is warning that people going abroad with smartphones can still face huge bills if they connect to the internet.
By 1 July, new rules will come into force in the European Union which will cap bills for downloading data.
But, until then, people travelling in Europe could face unlimited bills.
So beware the big mobile data bill if you travel to one of the foreign conferences…
VLEs have a huge range of functionality, a lot of criticism often laid against the VLE is that some users are not aware of those functions.
There is often too much information about the VLE for new users who may not understand many of the concepts or have the skills to fully utilise the functionality of the VLE.
Stage One
Upload to the VLE the course resources, handouts, assignments, scheme of work and links.
Now this is something that is often laid against VLEs as why they don’t work as they are merely used as respositories of materials. However practitioners who are unfamiliar with the VLE often need a starting point. To throw the full functionality of the VLE at a practitioner who may be apprehensive about using the VLE and unsure of the benefits, is similar to throwing a learner driver onto a Formula One racetrack!
Stage Two
Add more content try and put up new content at least weekly.
So then you’ll get asked what content should you put up. Well a lot depends on how the practitioner delivers learning, but could include:
Stage Three
Add interactivity to the course through the use of quizzes and feedback. Quizzes are often part of the core VLE system, sometimes external quizzes can be uploaded.
Stage Four
Add engagement by learners through the use of discussion forums. Online discussions can engage learners in a variety of learning activities.
Stage Five
Embedding.
By stage five usage of the VLE will be pretty much embedded into the delivery of the course. It will be much easier for the practitioner to offer the course through a blended approach and be more able to deliver learning in times of closure (say through snow).
We often have to tell learners many different things at different times.
What time the lessons are? What assignments are due and when? When there are special events, guest speakers, additional support? How to get an extension on that essay? Room changes, teacher changes… you know the kind of thing.
We may send them letters, give them notes, tell them verbally in the classroom, mention it to them in the corridor, e-mail them, post it to Facebook or Twitter, etc….
We may think we’ve told them but they may have been away that day, not listening or plain just forgot!
In order to ensure that not only they know what you’ve told them, but also ensure you know what you’ve told them, it makes a lot of sense to create a virtual noticeboard on the VLE for all the news about the course. And of course in following years you have a record of what news you posted in the previous year.