All posts by James Clay

100 ways, vle

100 ways to use a VLE – #26 Lesson Plans

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When I first started teaching, a fair few years ago, I didn’t see the point of lesson plans, they were onerous things that only needed to be done if you were been observed or during an inspection.

As I gained more experience of teaching I came to realise the value of lesson plans in supporting the process of learning and importantly making life easier for me.

My lesson plans were never inflexible and didn’t stop me changing when things needed changing. They were there for support not as a constraint. They were flexible and elastic enough, so if there were issues with topics or subjects I could change or add as and when required.

Along with lessons plans were resources, links and further reading. These gave me extension activities or additional resources if the learners needed further coverage. Each lesson plan had an aim and learning objectives. Clear indicators of what we were trying to achieve in that lesson with measurable objectives that would indicate if learning had taken place. Within the framework was signposts to other modules or units, as well as other topics in the module I was delivering.

At the time we didn’t have a VLE so I put all these resources on a website, some as HTML, but most in a PDF format. This enabled learners to access the plans, the resources at a time and place to suit them. Though at that time it was less at a time or place to suit them as home internet access was quite rare. Most would either access in college or from the workplace, though some did have the Internet at home. All who did use it told me how useful it was to them.

Some teachers I know do not agree with this, and plan only a week in advance at most. As I knew I had a lot of stuff to cover, I would plan for a whole academic year in advance. The flexibility I built in ensured that if things didn’t go quite to plan then I could accommodate those changes. Planning only a week in advance is leaving a lot down to chance, especially if you don’t have a scheme of work in place to ensure full coverage of the syllabus for the course.

Today the VLE is an ideal location for those lesson plans, the framework for a module. A place to store the resources, embed the links and signposts to the resources form the lessons and additional resources to extend the subject to those wanting more.

Some people argue that learners shouldn’t have access to the lesson plans. Well maybe not the detail, but certainly they should know the aims and objectives of the lesson. Access to the resources is also useful if not essential.

On most VLEs it is possible to “hide” resources from learners, by hiding the detail, but showing the core, learners will have a better idea of what they were suppose to be learning in each lesson.

If learners know where they are, where they have been and where they are going then they are in a much better position and research has shown that this can have a positive impact on retention and achievement.

By placing lessons plans on the VLE you not only make things better for the learner, but you also make planning much easier and faster in subsequent years. This can make life easier, giving you more time to do new things, enhance what you do already and increasing the amount of time you are supporting learners.

audio, video

Which video and audio standard should I use?

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People like standardisation it makes life easier, it is easier to provide advice and guidance and removes barriers. The implication is that if everyone used the same device, the same formats and the same delivery mechanisms then it would be easier to deliver video and audio to learners and for those learners to create audio and video themselves.

Audio is a little easier to standardise, most people have heard of mp3 and most devices can play mp3 files. That should make it much easier to roll out, however due to the fact there is a patent behind mp3 and licensing fees that need to be paid, means that some devices though can play mp3s can not record direct to mp3. These devices will use other audio codecs that play fine on the device in question, but not necessarily on other devices or through a browser. The solution in Gloucestershire College was to standardise on the Edirol R09H which records natively to mp3 onto an SD memory card. Yes it is expensive, but it does record to mp3 and the quality is excellent. Use of SD cards meant that it was very easy to transfer recordings to a laptop or computer and then share them on the VLE. The quality of the audio recordings were excellent.

Of course though the mp3 standard is ubiquitous, recording to mp3 is not necessarily the best format to use, especially if you are going to do any kind of editing on the recording. If for example you are going to be using Garageband to edit the recording and create a podcast, then you are not going to want to use the mp3 format. The reason is that an mp3 file is compressed and uses what is called a lossy compression, in other words information is lost when the file is compressed. If you edit and then compress again, more information is lost. As a result you are compressing a compressed format and you will lose even more quality. This means you can get a less than satisfactory recording. For those who prefer a higher quality the Edirol R09H can also record direct to uncompressed WAV. This is CD quality and doesn’t use any lossy compression, so no loss of quality when editing the file. Of course the problem with WAV is that the file sizes are large so distribution is a problem, so the final edited audio file can then be compressed to mp3.

It’s one thing to record audio, delivery is something else. Placing the audio file on the VLE makes it very easy for learners to access and download the recording in their browser. However for regular recordings it makes more sense to use RSS or podcast the recordings. This will allow learners to subscribe to the series of recordings through software such as iTunes and then transfer the recordings to a portable device such as an iPhone or iPod. The challenge here is not just technical, but also the recognition from practitioners of the importance of a regular series of recordings or podcasts.

If audio is difficult video is much more challenging. Different cameras and devices record video using different formats and even when they use the same format, they may use a different codec. Modern operating systems generally have few problems using MP4 video files, both Windows 7 Media Player and OS X QuickTime X can play modern MP4 video files. Many mobile devices and smartphones can play MP4 files too. However one of the challenges facing FE Colleges is that many are still using Windows XP which doesn’t natively support MP4 and isn’t from a networking perspective the easiest to add that functionality.

One solution is to upload the video to sites such as Vimeo or YouTube and use Flash. Flash is often the solution to the delivery of video on networks where native MP4 playback isn’t possible. The issue with Flash video is how do you deliver such video on mobile devices, many of which don’t have support for Flash? Also how do you deliver the video to mobile devices that are not network connected? Another issue is privacy, the problem with using sites such as YouTube is that they are public and it may not be possible or wanted that the videos are public.

A key technological challenge for institutions is to answer all those problems without it becoming a barrier to learners and practitioners.

app of the week, ipad, iphone

Halftone – iPad App of the Week

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Halftone – iPad App of the Week

This is a regular feature of the blog looking at various 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.

This week’s App is Halftone it is an universal app available for both iPad and iPhone.

Halftone adds an aged halftone-style printing effect to photos to give them a unique, vintage look. With 27 paper styles, nine built-in layouts, two caption styles, six different speech balloon styles, 24 stamps, and the ability to choose a font (including three embedded fonts), photos can be customized, then saved to the photo album, sent via e-mail, shared with friends on Facebook and Twitter, and printed.

£0.69

I do like this app, it is quick and easy to use and the results are pretty nice. What the app does is take one of your photographs and adds an aged vintage comic style look to it.

Continue reading Halftone – iPad App of the Week →

100 ways, vle

100 ways to use a VLE – #89 Embedding a Comic Strip

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Often many VLE courses look very “boring”, a list of resources and activities. Often many VLE courses look very “boring”, a list of resources and activities. This is partly down to the fact that a VLE is often seen by practitioners as a repository of content, with links to resources and activities. One way to break up the list is to use embedded graphics to enhance the visual appeal of the course on the VLE.

One use of graphic that can enhance the look of a VLE course or as a mechanism to engage learners is to embed a comic strip into the VLE course.

Comic strips can be serious as well as humourous. They can be used as the starting point for a discussion, to emphasise the key topics in an assignment, to engage learners in a particular subject or just to break up a list of other resources.

You can either use an existing comic strip or using a tool create your own.

Continue reading 100 ways to use a VLE – #89 Embedding a Comic Strip →

conference

Mobile Learning: Catalytic Change – Online Webinar

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The recording of my online webinar is now available.

http://vimeo.com/27001017

James Clay of Gloucestershire College will deliver an online seminar (webinar) on the implementation of mobile learning across a college. The session will consist of a definition of mobile learning, looking at learners, learning as well as devices. It will look at the issues of a whole college approach to mobile learning. The session will demonstrate how mobile learning can be used to improve teaching, learning and assessment.

Thank you to LSIS for funding the session and the JISC RSC SW for hosting the session.

conference

Mobile Learning: Catalytic Change – Online Webinar

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On Wednesday 27th July 2011 I will be delivering an online webinar.

Mobile Learning: Catalytic Change – Online Webinar

James Clay of Gloucestershire College will deliver an online seminar (webinar) on the implementation of mobile learning across a college. The session will consist of a definition of mobile learning, looking at learners, learning as well as devices. It will look at the issues of a whole college approach to mobile learning.

The session will demonstrate how mobile learning can be used to improve teaching, learning and assessment.

The session will be hosted by JISC RSC SW and is part of the LSIS Technology Exemplar Network.

The webinar takes place on Wednesday 27th July at 11.00am, it is expected to take around an hour. The session will be recorded.

More information and how to get to see the webinar here.

app of the week, ipad

Bamboo Paper – iPad App of the Week

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Bamboo Paper – iPad App of the Week

This is a regular feature of the blog looking at various 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.

This week’s App is Bamboo Paper.

Enjoy the ease of your own natural handwriting as you sketch your thoughts on a neat digital paper note book.

Bamboo Paper, a seriously fun new app from Wacom, provides you with the ability to create virtual notebooks for your iPad, letting you share your ideas visually with handwritten notes, sketches or doodles. Paired with the Bamboo Stylus, it turns your iPad into the ultimate paperless communications tool for use at:

  • School – map out math and science equations, compose music, create arts and crafts projects, learn proper penmanship, write non-Western language characters (think Chinese, Japanese and Arabic)
  • Work – Communicate with charts and graphs, collaborate during brainstorming sessions, sketch a design while on the go
  • Home – jot down grocery lists, rough-out landscaping and home improvement designs, entertain kids with coloring and drawing activities at home or in the car
  • What else can the Bamboo Paper app do?
  • Quickly scan your book by browsing through thumbnail images of your pages
  • Share your ideas – send an individual page or an entire book by e-mail
  • Present your thoughts to a group – connect your iPad to a projector to show off your sketches and ideas to others at meetings and brainstorm sessions
  • Print an individual page or entire book
  • Mark important notes by bookmarking individual pages
  • Who is Bamboo Paper designed for and what are some key benefits?
  • It’s for everyone especially for creative people like you.
  • In Short it’s for: note taking, sketching, doodling, inking plus:
  • Environmentally friendly – no paper waste
  • Free flow thinking
  • Capturing thoughts and ideas
  • Mind mapping, brainstorming
  • Use the app as a journal or for travel notes
  • Using it at work for meeting minutes
  • Doing homework

Bamboo Paper is designed by Wacom, the company dedicated to creating harmony between technology and you! Millions of Bamboo users worldwide can’t be wrong!

Free

On the surface, Bamboo is a nice simple free drawing app for the iPad. Using your finger you an draw diagrams, make notes and draw doodles. You can then e-mail the page, save it as an image or if you have a compatible printer you can print the page.

Where Bamboo Paper I think will excel is if you use the Bamboo stylus. An ordinary stylus won’t work on the iPad, but a specially designed stylus will. Wacom the people behind the Bamboo Paper App have produced a Bamboo Stylus for the iPad.

Using the Bamboo Stylus further enhances numerous applications designed for the iPad by allowing users to express themselves and personalise their work. The pen brings a more accurate and precise way to take notes in meetings and classroom settings or to sketch out rough ideas while on the go. It gives creative thinkers the opportunity to be expressive and visualise their life.

The authentic and satisfying feel of the pen is achieved through subtle design elements, such as a sophisticated black and silver design with satin-textured metal body, a focus on ergonomic comfort and balanced weighting of the pen. In addition, the fine tip gives the user more detail control.

Ideal for handwriting notes, giving a personal touch when editing documents, drawing, sketching and much more, the Bamboo Stylus enriches the way in which users interact with their iPad. Users can now be even more creative, using it in the way that suits them.

Looks great, but does cost £24.99 however there are other iPad stylus out there and a quick search on Amazon brings up the Pogo Sketch Stylus for just £6.99 (+£3.99 shipping). Alas I haven’t had a chance to use either, but am tempted to buy the Pogo stylus. I think for apps such as Bamboo Paper will be great and even better for art apps such as Sketchbook Pro.

One limitation of the free version of Bamboo Paper is you only get one notebook, however you can buy twenty more notebooks as an in-app purchase for just £1.49.

Bamboo Paper is a really simple app that does very little, which is it’s real strength. If you want to draw diagrams or make notes, then Bamboo Paper is great for that. Looks like it would work even better with a stylus.

Get Bamboo Paper in the iTunes Store.

vle

The Image on the Right

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In the most recent posting in 100 ways, a couple of people asked how I got this effect.

How did I get the image to be on the right and all the text or links on the left.

The answer is…

Well there are two answers.

Firstly the image itself is from an excellent collection I bought quite a few years ago. These photo objects allow me to match the background of the image to the background of the page. Most image editors allow you to do this with images, advantage of the collection is I don’t need to do the editing so saves time. Alas the image is no longer available, which is a pity.

Secondly how to get the image on the right? Well you do need to know a bit about HTML.

When you add an image to Moodle (and in this example I am using Moodle 2) to a label or another text field, the default is to have the image embedded into the page.

Find the image.

This then inserts it into the label or other text box.

The end result is the image is to the left and any text added with just an inserted image, the text is at the bottom.

If you are using Moodle 2 you can click the image and click the align right button. However this won’t work in Moodle 1.9 or earlier.

Hit the Edit HTML button.

The code for the image will be something like this.

<p><img src="https://yourmoodle/draftfile.php/13/user/draft/197347461/oldbooks.jpg" width="200" height="169" alt="Old Books" /></p>

What you need to add to the tag is align=”right” or style="float: right;"

<p><img src="https://yourmoodle/draftfile.php/13/user/draft/197347461/oldbooks.jpg" width="200" height="169" alt="Old Books" align=”right” /></p>

Or

<p><img src="https://yourmoodle/draftfile.php/13/user/draft/197347461/oldbooks.jpg" width="200" height="169" alt="Old Books" style="float: right;" /></p>

Of course use “left” if you want your image aligned to the left.

The text with the image aligned to the right now wraps around the image and importantly starts from the top aligned to the top of the image.

Allowing you to have text on one side or content and the image on the right. If you align to the left then the image will be on the left, and the text wraps around the image and importantly starts from the top aligned to the top of the image.

If after the label you have activities or links to resources these will also be wrapped around the image.

You do need to consider the design of the page. By having images on the right you do need to have enough content on the left, otherwise you may have too much white space. Then again some white space can add to the design of the course.

100 ways, vle

100 ways to use a VLE – #55 Embedding Titles

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Often many VLE courses look very “boring”, a list of resources and activities. This is partly down to the fact that a VLE is often seen by practitioners as a repository of content, with links to resources and activities. One way to break up the list is to use embedded graphics to enhance the visual appeal of the course on the VLE. Graphical titles are an easy way to add visual appeal and signpost activities or content within a course on the VLE.

Of course using graphics instead of words is generally an accessibility no no and even an ALT tag isn’t usually enough. However my view is for titles (and accompanying graphics in general) that though not 100% accessible if not essential to the actual content in the course won’t be too much of a loss or a distraction. For most learners though the graphical titles would (if done right) enhance their experience on the course and engage them.

One of the issues with titles is creating them and there are various tools available. I am sure a lot of people have used WordArt in Microsoft Word. I have used Fireworks, Comic Life and other applications to create titles.

Another issue is design and “taste”, here are some examples of good and bad practice, I will leave you to choose which is which.

Enhancing Lessons

Topic 5

Using the VLE

Module 13

Module 4

The way to add these is by adding an image, ensure though that you add an ALT tag. In Moodle 2 you can change the topic names from “Topic 1” to a more suitable title making the use of graphical titles slightly less inaccessible.

The main reason to use embedded titles is that though the standard CSS (stylesheet) may allow for nice headings it may not be something that every practitioners wants to use. In some cases embedded titles may be used in addition to standard headings to emphasise an activity or an event.

A criticism often laid against the VLE is that it is “boring” to look at. There is very little to stop making the VLE engaging and attractive, with a little thought and the right graphical application, you can enhance any course on the VLE. There is the danger though that with excessive use of fonts, colours (and even animated gifs) that the VLE course could turn into a ghastly MySpace page! So be careful out there.