ChromeVox is a screen reader for Chrome which brings the speed, versatility, and security of Chrome to visually impaired users.
If you would prefer to watch the video with an audio description.
All posts by James Clay
ALT-C 2012 – Pilot Mentality
I am currently putting together an abstract for a debate at ALT-C on the value of pilots and projects. This is something I blogged about before.
The essence of the debate is spread across two viewpoints.
Pilots and projects represent value for money and are a valuable tool in evaluating, experimenting and reflecting on the use of new pedagogies and learning technologies. They are a key part of embedding organisational change.
Or…
Pilots and projects are an inefficient method for the mainstream adoption and embedding of new pedagogies and learning technologies. They are of little value to organisations and are often used as part of a cycle of funding rather than organisational change.
After posting my initial idea on the Twitter I think that this would be an interesting debate and builds on discussions in this area at previous conferences.
So where next?
Well we need a chair and a panel. I am hoping to speak about the inefficiencies of every organisation undertaking pilots and projects and the need to learn from the research and pilots undertaken elsewhere. I would like a varied panel, so if you are interested in taking part (and will be attending ALT-C 2012) let me know, either in the comments or learningstuff@me.com Please note that you either need to be working in an FE or HE institution, or for one of the sector agencies such as JISC, CETIS, HEA, LSIS, etc…
So are you interested?
Emerging Technologies – Horizon Scanning
On Wednesday I attended and presented at an Emerging Technology event for LSIS. The focus of the event was on the technologies that are on the horizon, and how colleges need to be aware and plan for the use of those technologies.
My opening presentation was around the new technologies that are on the horizon, but also covered how learning is changing, often as a result of changes in technology.
As part of the session , in groups we discussed the resistance and scepticism that change (and not just changes in technology and practice) that we find in FE Colleges. The conclusion is quite simple and one that is often forgotten, most people don’t like change.
Traditional models of change and change management have not really served education well in the introduction of new technologies. We still have to answer why aren’t they working?
It’s not as though change hasn’t happened, think about the use of Powerpoint, the use of e-mail, use of the web. These are all new technologies that at some point were new and shiny, but are now generally part of what most practitioners use in colleges today.
Was that change managed? Or did it evolve over time?
We also discussed the following questions: How is practice changing within learning providers? How will learning and the delivery of learning change over the next five to ten years? How can technology facilitate changes in practice? How can colleges prepare for the challenges and opportunities new ways of learning bring to education?
Technology is changing and some would say that the rate of technological change is growing even faster.
Think about something like the iPad for example which isn’t even two years old, but has had a profound impact on the way that (some) people communicate, collaborate, read, share and learn.
There are many new technologies that are on the horizon and these technologies will have an impact on learning, the question is do we need to, and how can we ensure that we maximise the opportunities that they offer?
e-Learning Stuff Podcast #085: Bring it on…
BYOD, or Bring Your Own Devices. Is this the future of using technology for learning? What are the issues of using learner owned devices? What do institutions need to do to be able to ensure that learner owned devices can be used within the institution for learning? What about e-safety? Bring it on…
With James Clay, Lilian Soon, Dave Foord and Ron Mitchell.
This is the 85th e-Learning Stuff Podcast, Bring it on…
Buy your own laptop!
There was a recent interesting BBC News article on bringing your own device to work.
Do you dream of a world where you have your choice of laptop, smartphone or tablet at work; all of which connect seamlessly one to another, and are constantly updated?
Sitting at your desk, feeling the red mist descend as your ancient XP desktop computer tries and fails to open your inbox, this might seem like an impossible dream. But for some people that day is already here.
There is a lot of discussion around learners bringing their own devices to support their learning, I wonder where we are with staff in colleges using their own devices in the workplace.
Of course, working in a college, I am more than aware of how many staff use their own computers at home and lots of staff bring in their own smartphones and tablets to use in the classroom.
There are many issues with staff using their own devices, data protection and safeguarding probably at the top.
However using thin client technology, desktop virtualisation, and tools such as Citrix Receiver, it is very easy to deliver college systems securely to any device.
Strategically there is a need to build a robust infrastructure to support external devices, but there are a lot of potential benefits.
Downside is then there is an expectation that staff will be using their own devices and new equipment won’t be bought for existing staff to replace redundant kit. “You don’t need a new laptop, you use your Mac!” I suspect though that view is one that will often be the one of some managers.
I personally don’t see Bring Your Own Device as a replacement for providing equipment to staff, it’s a complementary strategy that allows staff to be more efficient and effective.
So what are your thoughts on staff bringing their own devices to work?
e-Learning Stuff Podcast #084: The Legacy of MoLeNET
MoLeNET was a three year multi-million pound programme of mobile learning projects for Further Education, funded by the LSC and managed by the LSN. Two years on what is the legacy of MoLeNET and where are we with mobile learning now in FE. Have other sectors listened and learned from the lessons of MoLeNET. Listen to the legacy of MoLeNET.
With James Clay, Lilian Soon, David Sugden and Ron Mitchell.
This is the 84th e-Learning Stuff Podcast, The Legacy of MoLeNET.
The Emerging Technology Seminar
Next week I am speaking at The Emerging Technology Seminar in Birmingham.
This one-day event has been specifically designed for leaders and managers and is your chance to gain insights into technologies that are on the learning horizon. There will be input from Google, Microsoft, sector experts and your peers who are already working with these new technologies. You will have plenty of time for discussion and to consider how these technologies may facilitate improvement through efficiencies, innovation and new ways of working.
Myself I am talking about horizon scanning, new technologies and the inevitable cultural resistance that colleges will face .
What new technologies will be having an impact on teaching and learning over the next five to ten years? How should colleges prepare and utilise the potential that these technologies will bring?
How is practice changing within learning providers? How will learning and the delivery of learning change over the next five to ten years? How can technology facilitate changes in practice? How can colleges prepare for the challenges and opportunities new ways of learning bring to education?
This session will provide an opportunity to discover, share and discuss the challenges and new technologies and practice bring to colleges and how they can best prepare for the change that is going to happen.
The Emerging Technology Seminar takes place on the 22nd February 2012 in Birmingham.
Pouring creativity
At LWF12 one of the speakers was Mitchel Resnick.
Mitchel Resnick’s Lifelong Kindergarten research group developed the ideas and technologies underlying the LEGO Mindstorms robotic kits and the Scratch programming software used by millions of young people around the world. With these technologies, young people learn to design, create, experiment, and invent with new technologies, not merely browse, chat, and interact. Mitch’s ideas and work are now at the centre of the debate about the curriculum for ICT in schools. Should children simply learn to use standard applications and games, or should they also have the opportunity to become creators?
Mitchel Resnick made the interesting observation that rather than trying to make Kindergarten (early years) more like school and college, we should be trying to make school and college more like early years.
What he seemed to mean by this was that in early years children learn by thinking, invention and creativity. Whereas when they get older we think of them more as vessels that we pour content into.
Of course there are lots of teachers out there who do use thinking, invention and creativity. Likewise there are lots of teachers out there that fall back on worksheets and talking at the learners; pouring content into them.
The key question and I am not sure how we can answer this, is what proportion of each kind are there? Are they that distinct, or can a teacher be creative one day and fall back on passive transference on the next. I am pretty sure most people enter the teaching profession because they want to be help young people and to support learning and not pour content into learners.
I agree with Mitchel that technology offers a range of opportunities and possibilities to enable learners to be creative. The key question is how do teachers who weren’t at the conference find out about the possibilities of invention and creativity? How do they “change”?
Why are some teachers already using these strategies and why are some not? It can’t just be about time, staff development and resources. How can some teachers be innovative and some not?
Why aren’t teachers using these strategies in the classroom already? What are the barriers that are stopping teachers? Are they real barriers or just perceptions? How do we overcome these barriers? How do we identify the barriers? How do we ensure that we identify the real barriers to change and not just those that we assume to be the barriers?
Change is challenging, partly as people don’t like to change. Change also implies we know where we are and where we need to go.
ebrary on Bluefire
One of the criticisms I had of the official ebrary app for iPad was that if you used Federated Access or Athens the only way to authorise the app was via Facebook.
I am never a fan of making people sign up to a social networking service just so that they can do something else or to support their learning. Also in many FE Colleges, Facebook is blocked for either staff, learners or both, or there is restricted access.
I had heard of the Bluefire app before, but hadn’t looked at it, as the reports I heard was that it “didn’t work” across Federated Access or Athens and needed a dedicated ebrary account.
Whilst researching my ebrary on Android article I decided that the Bluefire app may be worth another look, as I had read that it was possible to use Bluefire with an Adobe Digital ID to access and download ebrary books, all without needing to go through Facebook.
Download the Bluefire app from the iTunes App store, it’s a free app.
Authorise the app with your Adobe Digital ID.
Visit the ebrary platform in the mobile Safari browser. Sign in, through Federated Access (or Athens) and then find the book you want. Select Download and then download the book.
If you have the ebrary app on your iOS device then you will be asked which app you want to use with the download.
Select Open in… and then select Bluefire Reader.
In terms of usability both Bluefire and ebrary work in a similar manner.
The advantage of Bluefire over ebrary, is not just not needing to connect your ebrary account with Facebook, but also you can use the Bluefire app for other e-books, so you can use a single app for all your reading. If your college is publishing resources and assignments in ePub format then you will be able to read these in the Bluefire app.
Playing Games
I enjoyed many of the presentations at Learning without Frontiers 2012, this one by Dr Paul Howard-Jones on Neuroscience, Games & Learning certainly made me think and reflect.
Dr Paul Howard-Jones, a leading expert on the role of neuroscience in educational practice and policy with a particular interest in how gaming engages the brain and the application of this knowledge in education. Paul discusses the findings of his recent research that reviews the potential effects of video games and social media on the brain.
Paul’s research does seem to indicate that video games and social media does change the way the brain works, in the same way that everything we do changes the brain. Playing games changes the brain, reading a book changes the brain.
What still needs further work, is are these changes good or bad?