100 ways, vle

100 ways to use a VLE – #13 Keeping a reflective journal

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Learners always reflect on their learning, whether they learn or act upon that reflection is a different matter.

By keeping a reflective journal, a learner can record their reflections in a journal they will then be able to review their reflections and set themselves targets. They will then be able to improve their performance and succeed on their programme of study.

One of the most obvious places to keep a reflective journal is in a paper journal. However a paper journal requires every journal entry to be handwritten. By placing the journal on the VLE, the learner suddenly has much more choice when it comes to recording their reflections. They can type in text, record an audio file or upload a video. The choice allows learners to record their reflections on their studies at a time and place to suit them. If they want to quickly type something up they can, if they want to quickly record something using a mobile phone, they can and upload later.

Using a VLE doesn’t stop learners handwriting their reflective journal, very easy these days to use a TabletPC to write, or more simply, write it out on paper, photograph it and upload. Digital cameras and most cameraphones are now more than adequate to photograph text and for it to be readable on a screen.

Learners can also tag their journal entries, making them easier to sort and search later.

So why put it on the VLE?

Well reflection can be an individual process, but sometimes learners may want to share their thoughts, and read the thoughts of others. Tutors may want to be included in the process to allow them to better judge progress been made on the course. Using a VLE allows these users to engage with the reflective process.

Another option is to use third party tools and embed them into the VLE, this has the advantage of allowing learners to maintain their reflective learning journal once they have left the college.

Reflection and review of progress is an important part of the learning process, by using technologies like the VLE, we can ensure that the reflection is available to more if required and less likely to be lost or forgotten.

Picture source.

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Increasing staff engagement with the VLE

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A couple of months ago on the blog I posted a five stage model for using the VLE.

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.

It would seem that as would be expected others across the sector who use VLEs have come up with similar models or strategies.

Richard Booth and Dave Shearan from Shrewsbury College have devised ‘Moodle Maturity’ – a self-assessment process that enables tutors to evaluate their current position with Moodle, and how they can progress.

Their self-assessment consists of the following criteria:

  • Presence on Moodle
  • Course information
  • Layout and appearance
  • Course resources
  • Communication
  • Assessment
  • Student interaction

This is a great way of not just getting staff to assess where they are in using the VLE, but engaging them further by outlining the potential of the VLE.

There are many ways to use a VLE to enhance and enrich learning. Staff don’t always know what can be done or how it can be done. I have certainly come across this in my college, for example, I know one team that weren’t aware of how the assignment submission process worked in Moodle and as a result were creating themselves headaches and extra work trying to devise their own process. Practitioners aren’t always aware of how all the tools work on the VLE, and despite promotion or case studies don’t necessarily become aware of the potential of the tools. A self assessment process like this allows the practitioners and  teams to assess their progress in using the VLE to support, enhance and enrich learning.

See the full case study on the Excellence Gateway.

alt, altc2010

Jorum Learning and Teaching Competition 2010

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Do you create open educational learning and teaching resources? If so, the Jorum Learning and Teaching Competition is for you.

Following on from last year’s successful competition, which resulted in six highly creative and valuable resources winning places, we are pleased to announce that the 2010 competition is now open and accepting entries.

The competition runs again in conjunction with the ALT-C conference in Nottingham, 7-9 September, and the six winning entrants will have the opportunity to present and showcase their resources at the conference.

The panel of judges will be looking for exciting and innovative resources created under a creative commons licence, and entries will be judged against a set of criteria – appropriateness, engagement, effectiveness and reusability.

We have engaged another great range of judges this year, including Russell Stannard and James Clay, who are both advocates of sharing resources openly.

Final judging will also take on a new twist this year, as the judges will be asked to rank their top ten resources, which will then be placed on the Jorum Community Bay to allow for a public vote – so never mind The X-Factor – vote for your choice of resource to win!

You will be able to vote from 19th August, and details on how to vote will be announced nearer the time.

There are three cash prizes up for grabs, along with three commended awards.

Closing date – Friday 25th June 2010

Full entry details on the Jorum Website.

ipad

Is the iPad a real game changer for education?

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So is the iPad going to change how we use learning technologies in education?

Graham Brown-Martin thinks so…

The iPad marks a paradigm shift in mobile computing that until you’ve lived with one for a few days is difficult to grasp.

He also predicted that something like the iPad would replace desktops and laptops back in 2006!

At the Edinburgh Interactive Festival in 2006 in front of a large audience of hard core gamers with a penchant for overclocking their desktop PC’s and pimping them with neon strips I suggested that by 2010 desktop computers would be all but dead and that laptops would be on death row. Mistaking shock and disbelief for interest I was emboldened and suggested that much of our data would also be stored on remote servers with applications being remotely distributed.

Read (and watch) the rest of this interesting article.

What do you think? Is the iPad going to change education?

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Shakespeare – iPhone App of the Week

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Shakespeare – 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 Shakespeare.

A cooperative project between Readdle and PlayShakespeare.com, the free Shakespeare application puts the complete works of William Shakespeare literally at your fingertips.

Free

This is a nice App that incorporates the complete works of Shakespeare.

All of his plays and sonnets in one iPhone App, accessible and searchable.

So reading books on the iPhone is not the best way of reading books according to most people I have spoken to. However I never see books on the iPhone as a direct replacement for paper books, but as an enhancement and enrichment of the printed book.

For example, imagine a learner is studying Macbeth (or the Scottish Play); more than likely they will buy a printed copy of the play to use for their studies, one they can read, refer to, annotate and make notes in. Where they will find the Shakespeare App useful is having immediate and easy access to the complete works to compare writing, characters or other plays.

Reading books on the iPhone is never going to replace the printed book, but books on the iPhone (and the iPad) is not about replacing the printed version, but providing access to books at a time and place to suit the reader.

A enhanced version Shakespeare Pro with added features is also available.

Photo source.

ipad

You can order it now…

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After much much waiting, Apple’s game changing iPad is now available to pre-order in the Apple store in the UK. Though it won’t be delivered until the 28th of May.

If you are thinking of getting an iPad, then you might want to consider pre-ordering rather than waiting for a while or waiting until the 28th, especially if you want to get one pretty much on or just after the release date.

As you might expect the iPad is currently the number one selling item in the Apple Store in the UK. If the same thing that happened in the US happens here then you may find it will have “sold out” and you will need to wait. I suspect that will certainly be the case with certain models.

So what about which model to buy?

This is quite a complex question, you need to consider how and where you will be using the iPad. If using just at home and in the office then the WiFi version will probably suffice. If you travel a lot, on the train, at conferences and events then the WiFi + 3G model may be a better bet. If you are going to be using more than just the iPad out and about, say take your laptop with you too, then you might want to consider a MiFi and just get the WiFi iPad.

One of the reasons for getting the 3G model is that it comes with GPS whereas the WiFi model doesn’t. If you are keen on using location services on your iPad, then the GPS is a must. This is probably less of an issue for myself as I do have the iPhone 3GS so that has the GPS capability that I might need. That is probably a key factor on which model is if you have an iPhone or not.

So what about size? 16GB, 32GB or 64GB?

I initially did consider getting a 16GB model as that should be enough for most activities, or so I thought. One thing that is coming out from the US is that iPad Apps are much bigger than most iPhone Apps and it is expected that they might get “bigger”. You can also watch HD movies on the iPad making use of the bigger screen and they are bigger than your average iPhone movie file. So the next consideration is 32Gb, but my first approach with any storage is think about what I might need and then double it. So 64Gb is probably the idea size for me.

I am pleased to see that the iBooks App and Bookstore will be available in the UK on the 28th and looking forward to reading a book on the iPad.

Will the iPad be the game changing device that I think it will be?

No one knows for sure, but it will have an impact regardless.

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How much?

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Apple have announced UK prices for the iPad and a release date!

The iPad will be released in the UK on May 28th. THis is fortunate for me as I will be presenting at the at the JISC CETIS Mobile Tech Meeting at The University of Bolton on the potential impact of the iPad in education.

So what about prices?

Well the WiFi models are

£429 for the 16GB model

£499 for the 32GB

£599 for the 64GB

As for the WiFi + 3G

£529 for the 16GB model

£599 for the 32GB

£699 for the 64GB

Apple have also said that the iBooks App will also be available in the UK allowing e-books to be downloaded and read on the iPad.

Pricing may seem expensive when you consider that the US price for the 16GB WiFI model is $499. However the US prices don’t include Sales Tax that has to be paid in many states, and the UK prices do include VAT!

So… if you take off VAT the 16GB WiFI model in the UK is $536 so about $37 (£25) more than the US model.

The WiFi + 3G 64GB model in the US costs $829, whilst the UK price (excluding VAT) is $874.

So UK prices are more expensive that the US prices, but the difference is not as bad as it first looks.

I have been asked about education pricing, well nothing has been announced, however I would expect to see no difference. The education pricing of the iPod touch is no different to the standard prices. Next year we may see a cheaper iPad when a new model is released.

Another question I was asked was about the 3G models and if they would be subsidised by the mobile phone companies. Again nothing official has been announced so at this time we don’t know what will actually happen. I suspect that later we  will see subsidised models, but certainly won’t see this on the 28th May.

The iPad is a premium product and can command a premium price. Early adopters will (and are willing) to pay “extra” to ensure that they have the iPad on day of release. We certainly saw that with the iPhone and quite a few people in the UK have paid a premium to get an iPad early. So don’t expect to see cheap iPads, well not for a while. I do expect to see subsidised models on 3G contract at some point.

So not long now till the iPad arrives in the UK and I do wonder about the impact it will have on education.

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