31/10/07 Week Twelve:

If we are implementing eLearning in any perspective we need to consider:

Issues:

• Learner readiness and prior experiences
• Teacher readiness and prior experiences
• Firewalls (major problem)
• Technological infrastructure
• Support
• Motivation

Sean Fitzgerald – guest lecturer came into talke us on our first journey into Second Life.

We were taken on our journey by Sean & Jo. We visited Jo’s private island Jokaydia which was absolutely amazing. I was one of the lucky who got to enter the virtual world as Lilyhair Petrov (a character in Jo’s island). I must say I thought my new body was AMAZING, not to mention the hair!

This was an interesting experience, I got to fly all over the island. I went to the beach, stood in the waves, flew to the restaurant, and then got stuck (I did something wrong) and missed entering the amazing hairdressing salon Jo has created on her island.

Apparently Jo is creating a Hairdressing CD for TAFE and I will certainly be looking forward to it’s release.

• No class next week so this will be the last entry regarding the content of the eLExp lectures.

24/10/07 Week Eleven:

We will be looking at the way in which we review our online courses for module three.

• Look at experiences from two perspectives.
  • From learners point of view.
  • From an educators perspective.

Next Week: Future Implications

• Important for us to think ahead.

Second Life

• Virtual world we will be exploring next week.
• Our students have not experienced it our even heard of it.
• It is wrong of us to make assumptions about our students.

Todays Class Activities:

• The Crimson Room
  • very engaging
  • provides challenge
  • very addictive
  • depending on your personality may be very frustrating
  • at the same time if you are stubborn will get you hooked

Group discussion forum has two new links:

• SWOT Analysis Learners Perspective
• SWOT Analysis Educators Perspective

We will add information form our own perspective of doing the online course in module three to the discussion forum.

This is important as it will allow us to have grounded arguments for future discussion in the workplace context.
STRENGTHS (learners perspective)

• built in opportunities for review
• convenience
• flexibility
• time management
• must learn how to be self-directed

self-paced

STRENGTHS (educators perspective)

• educators are learners as well in the online environment
• flexibility
• very similar to the learners perspective

WEAKNESSES (learners perspective)

• if you are doing online course there is often a lack of feedback.
• isolation
• repetition of screen shots & format of lessons
• boredom

WEAKNESSES ( educators perspective)

• lack of ICT knowledge and computer literacy skills

WHITELISTING [new terminology]

• this is what TAFE calls authenticated internet browsing and email. Certain internet sites are banned (blacklisted) and you will need to apply to have them unblocked; justifying why they are educationally relevant!

OPPORTUNITIES (learners perspective)

• learn new skills

OPPORTUNITIES (educators perspective)

• access beyond the boundaries of the classroom which can enable sharing of a diverse range of ideas and opinions

THREATS ( learners perspective)

THREATS (educators perspective)

• management issues
• Government policies

KEY QUESTION TO ASK OURSELVES AS EDUCATORS WHEN IMPLEMENTING eLearning:

Am I replicating or renovating what we already do – if so what is the point? (ABB. pers.comm., in lecture, 24 October, 2007).

17/10/07 Week Ten:

Just Pass Part Module Three -

• Do the course.

• Write reflective posts as you go.

• Write final reflection on that learning.

• Go back and look at your posts and reflect.

• Did it meet my expectations?

• Did I achieve what I wanted to? Often you do not meet these.

• If you use the guideline in module 3 (3.4) to help you think about it.

• Separate page on blog. Very subjective as there is no right or wrong about your experience.

Additional Weighting: 2 choices

• Word Limit = 1500 words

Option 1/
Review short course we have done, think about your workplace context and think about if you were going to use it in your workplace context would you use it in your workplace as is or would you scrap it all and start again or could you utilize some of the format etc.

• Referencing is expected – preparing learners for online learning readings may be of assistance; Pallot and Pratt, and the Watson articles.

• There are masses of books on online learning for learners on how to be an online learner. This tells us that it is obviously not very easy to be an online learner.

• There is nothing much available to assist educators.

Option 2/
Develop a criteria for evaluating an online course. May use the evaluation in 3.4 as a guideline if we want; DO NOT USE IT AS YOUR ASSIGNMENT.

• Something that can evaluate a course.

• Cost to develop. Time to develop.

• Based on our experience and what we have learned.

• This is so we can recommend or argue that a particular course should /should not be implemented.

• The evaluation should be based on our field of practice. If we were to implement eLearning in our work context (if we do not already have it) what would we recommend as an evaluation tool.

• Module Three and submission of all coursework due in 2nd November:

• Resend all links to ABB in an email. Netvibes, Del.icio.us, Blog, & Wiki.

10/10/07 Week Nine:

Back at uni today:

• A podcast is a soundbyte- i.e. a little audio file that can be downloaded, subscribed to, played on the computer or on an MP3, iPod etc.
• ABB is on a pilot project for Podcasting and needs ideas of what she could do for this?

Ideas that were offered

1. Di suggested that lecture points be expanded upon i.e. key topics from lectures as we often get lost as the pace is fairly quick.
2. Bev suggested that a review of previous information be done for next semester’s new class.
3. Di asked if you could go back and have a series of them made so that people could go back.

Module 3:

• Today we will look at some online courses that are engaging and not just information.
• Need to establish difference between tutorials and courses.
• ABB found some vodcasts on photography yesterday.
• There will be a week where we will not have a lecture but instead do our online course in class time. It was decided this will be next week.

Module Three Purpose:

• The purpose of doing module three is to actually experience what it is like to undertake the course itself.
• To know what it feels like and to have the experience.
• It is a different environment.
• ABB is interested in what we feel about the course.
• We need to keep blogging the experience.
• As educators it is very valuable to know and understand what our students are subjected to.
• Issues that are related to our experience should be discussed in blog posts.

Module Three Additional Assignment 1500 words:

• Help from ABB on evaluation criteria. ABB says it is easy to draw up and they are very valuable.
• Self direction is a necessity for successful online learner.
• Motivation is another.
• Did I actually learn something?

VARK Questionnaire:

• We will be doing a learning styles questionnaire (VARK questionnaire) to discover our personal learning.
• Put a blog post about what my preferred learning style is.

12/09/07 Week Seven:

Spotlight on technology:

• Lachlan’s Netvibes.
• Lachlan has added all his stuff to his home page on Netvibes.

Assignment Two:

http://www.learningcircuits.org/2007/0807bush.html

Case Studies

Check dates; nothing older than 2005.

29/08/07 Week Five:

• Anne advises allowing at least 3 weeks for learners to adapt and learn how to work with new technology.
• Interest site: social sharing site – http://www.slideshare.net
• Check TAFE policy regarding use of this site for sharing ppt etc.

22/08/07 Week Four:

Module Two:

• What is happening internationally is very different to what is happening here.
• There are some good examples of what actually works.

2.1:

• OECD does a lot of research on eLearning.
• Strategies used in eLearning need to be valuable and engaging.
• Corporate environment is about 30% online.
• Getting a clearer picture on what is happening will allow us to add weight to our opinions.
• Relevance to own practice – learn from others mistakes, showing trends and dangers with the trends, being aware of the drivers.
• Learners are now demanding some type of online components in their courses (UK REPORT ABB HAS SEEN).
• We need to be able to engage learners a way that they want!

15/08/07 Week Three:

Review of the Robinson Article:

1. What kinds of problems face innovators when introducing eLearning into organizations?

Resource Availability

• Under resourced in both financial and human terms
• Unrealistic timeframes
• Quality was reduced as a result

Failure of technology

• Lack of pre-testing of software – compatibility issues may result

Organisational Aspects

• Staff did not receive any rewards or incentives; often with significant increase in existing workloads
• Admin practices did not support operational requirements
• Lack of internal co-ordination and policies

2. What lessons from experience and research are important?

• Organisational dimensions and quality of planning need to be improved.
• Everyone doing the same thing at the same time, no consultation, collaboration or sharing.
• No strategic planning is undertaken before implementation.
• When implementation occurs it is often fragmented.

8/08/07 Week Two:

_{^{Terminology, technical jargon and eLearning glossaries:}}

• Extranet = like the DET Portal
• Online Learning = over the net
• CBT = computer based learning
• SMS = m-learning but can be called eLearning
• Video conferencing is eLearning
• bLearning is BAD eLearning!!!
• zLearning = learning in your dreams (ABB, pers.comm.,8 August 2007)
• Google ranks sites due to popularity and relevance to search criteria
• egosurf = check yourself out

1/08/07 Week One:

UTS Online & Electronic Blackboard Introduction:

• This Electronic Blackboard is so cool!
• Remember to hit submit on the Electronic Blackboard or you lose stuff.

Additional Assignment Criteria:

• Extra assignment two stuff approx 1000 words
• Extra assignment three stuff approx 1000 words

Homework:

Read the electronic readings in the activity guide before next week. DONE!