WebCT Tutorial

Here is a 10 minute tutorial on how my workplace uses WebCT for online learning. You can also find it at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1885674841872156869

It is mainly used for distance education and for repeating students however, this year there are a few staff that are using it a mainstream class. Next year it is proposed that all students will do at least one unit online but it yet to be decided what unit or how the students will be introduced to the use of our Learning Management System.




Have you used WebCT before? If so I would love to hear how you set it up and what tools you use.

How does WebCT differ from any other LMS you are familiar with? What are the main points of differentiation?

Do you have any suggestions on how my workplace could make better use of WebCT?

I am really interested in your comments and I am very happy to answer any questions you may have.

Keeping e-learning engaging

Below is a direct copy from "Learning technologies 2008" blog

"How do you keep elearning engaging?

Perhaps by concentrating on the learning, and not on the technology.

If you want something a bit more substantial than that trite comment, something that you could put to use, you could do worse than download a new 35-page e-booklet called Engaging Interactions for eLearning.

Written by B.J. Schone, a Kansas-based e-learning specialist, Engaging Interactions includes a lot of common sense in its ‘25 Ways to Keep Learners Awake and Intrigued’.
It’s well laid out, it pretty much applies to all learning, not
just e-learning and - best of all - it’s free."

I have had a look at the e-booklet and totally agree with the comments. What do you think?

Online-learning patent dispute heats up

Here is a link to an article published by eSchools News online. It outline the patent dispute between Blackboard and Desire2Learn, 2 very big players in the LMS arena.

Bloggers Beware!

Queensland University of Technology are running a "free one-day conference, Navigating the Blogosphere, where Mr Black (a law lecuturer) will speak about the legal issues facing the blogosphere, from defamation to copyright to invasion of privacy."

"Speakers' topics will include defamation in blogs, borrowing from blogs, business and corporate blogging, blogging and education, and how to building a better blog as well as some blog forecasting."

With the emerging problems of cyberbullying in our schools the issues around defamation in blogs would be of particular interest to teachers - cyberbullying is more than an "inconvenience" it is also illegal.

You can find out more about the blogging and the law from the Queensland University website.

Session 5 - Standardisation and LMS in an open source read write web world of wikis

Here is a reading list for "wikis" that I compiled for my previous studies - you may find something of interest.

Allen, Christopher (2004), Tracing the Evolution of Social Software, Life with Alacrity, (retrieved on 01/06/200 from http://www.lifewithalacrity.com/2004/10/tracing_the_evo.html)

Arreguin, Cathy (2004) Wikis In B.Hoffman (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Educational Technology(retrieved on 31/05/2007 from http://coe.sdusu.edu/eet/Articles/wikis/start.htm)

Auchard, Eric (2007) Participation overstated, Australian IT April 18, 2007 (retrieved on 19/04/2007 from http://australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,21578336-15306,00.html )

Augar, N., Raitman, R. & Zhou, W. (2004). Teaching and learning online with wikis. In R. Atkinson, C. McBeath, D. Jonas-Dwyer & R. Phillips (Eds), Beyond the comfort zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference (pp. 95-104). Perth, 5-8 December. (retrieved on 31/05/2007 from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/perth04/procs/augar.html )

Fountain, Renee (2005), Wiki Pedagogy, Dossiers technopedagogiques,
(retrieved on 29/05/2007 from http://www.profetic.org/dossier_imprimer.php3?id_rubrique=110)

Horn, Danny (2007) Tips on developing a wiki community, Teaching Hacks 3 June 2007 (retrieved on 05/06/2007 from
http://www.teachinghacks.com/2007/06/03/tips-on-developing-a-wiki-community/)

Lamb, Brian (2004) Wide Open Space: Wikis Ready or Not. EDUCAUSE Review, vol 39, no 5 (September/October 2004), (retrieved 30/05/2007 from
http://www.eudcause.edu.pub/er/erm04/erm0452.asp)

Matias, Nathan (2003) What is a wiki, sitepoint (retrieved on 23/04/2007 from
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/what-is-a-wiki)

Parker, Kevin and Chao, Joseph (2007) Wikis as a Teaching Tool, Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects Volume 3, 2007 (retrieved 30/05/2007 from http://www.ijklo.org/Volume3/IJKLOv3p057-072Parker284.pdf)

Stuckey, Browyn and Arkell, Richard (2006) Development of an e-learning knowledge sharing model, Australian Flexible Learning Framework. (retrieved on 04/06/2007 from http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/webdav/site/flxsite/users/kjohnson/public/Development_of_an_%20e-learning_knowledge_sharing_model.pdf )

Western Australian Department of Education and Training, (No date) CMIS: Wikis in the Classroom, DET Internet (retrieved on 31/05/2007 from
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/wikis/ )



But of course the best site for information on wikis is wikipedia - the ultimate wiki!

Wikipedia, The free encylopedia (definitions retrieved on 01/06/2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page )



In our chat session there was quite of bit of discussion about "moodle" you can download moodle and have a play from http://moodle.org/ (warning - it takes up alot of memory space!)

Also, I came across a product from Apixel, their advertising states:

Imagine developing e-learning courses in minutes rather than weeks or months.
Apixel Metamorphosis does just that!
All you do is write or acquire your content document in Microsoft Word and Metamorphosis does the rest, automatically resulting in a completed lesson with matching graphics and learning activities.

I highly recommend you have a look at their demonstation video at http://www.apixel.com/page0302.htm

Do you think it could replace "Blackboard" as a LMS?

Session 4 - Social presence and online learning

I have just read an interesting paper presented by Steve Wheeler from the
University of Plymouth. The paper was presented at the TAFE Conference, Queensland, 11 November, 2005. You can read the full paper here.

His research indicates 'that social presence is an important feature of any
successful learning activity, particularly within digital learning environments'.

He offers the following recommendations

1. Tutors should respond as quickly as possible to questions from remote learners.

2. Students need a place to mix socially and this kind of facility should be built into any managed learning environment.

3. Tutors should acknowledge the differences in study approaches and try to cater for as many of these as possible within the design of the coursework.

4. Students should be actively encouraged to participate in regular discussion group postings

5. Without a clear perception of connection through social presence, students may lose motivation, do badly in their studies or even drop out all together.

He stresses that it is important for students to be convinced that they "are not interacting with a machine - instead they are interacting with their peers through a machine".

One idea he uses in his own teaching is a "Just 4 Fun" discussion area where students are "invited to let off steam by posting humorous messages, in the form of online 'graffiti'".

Do you think that a "graffiti board" in a discussion area would enhance your learning in an online environment?

Podcasting

I have cheated a bit and taken a broadcast from ABC radio as my podcast. Thought it may be of interest to anyone considering begining a "Facebook" page.


Click here to get your own player.

Session 3 - Skype chat

Session 3 was our first verbal chat session via Skype. Although only 9 participants were able to be involved in the conference call at any one time I feel that most people who wanted to contribute were able to and therefore, it is a suitable teaching tool for a small group. However, it did become rather messy with people forming and joining various conference calls at the same time - at one stage I had been "invited" into 3 different conference calls.



The course moderator/teacher would need to set very clear boundaries and "rules" for Skype to be used successfully in teaching.



I have had exposure to Elluminate in online learning and feel it is a far better tool because only one person had access to the voice function at a time. The "teacher" has the ultimate control of the microphone thus being in a better position to direct the discussion threads. (The whiteboard function is main benefit of Elluminate over Skype).



The main benefit gained in our class Skpe session was that it appears that we are forming more of community.

The virtual generation

Today "The Age" newspaper printed a lengthy article about how technology has impacted on "life at 15". Here is the link to the complete article and various related forums.

I find the following quote to be particularly thought provoking: "It is another country, their country. Teens are digital natives, so at home with MySpace, iPods, MSN, text messaging and mobile phones, they barely notice the technology at all. They are young with a sense of invulnerability, but experts are not so sure how this uncontrolled liaison will work out"

The article makes no mention specifically to "studying online" but does quote the assistant principal of Mckinnon saying " Curriculum and pedagogy has to change to accommodate their expectations, and research capability. She is not persuaded that they are any smarter, though they are able to locate information very quickly".

In my experience at a TAFE, I agree that the majority of my students barely notice the technology and are able to locate information quickly but very much disagree that "they have enhanced research capabilities." I am still finding that in the majority of cases their "researching" is limited to the first google response or occasionally wikipedia. As a teacher this concerns me as "researching" is essential to gaining knowledge. As I parent it concerns me because I believe it is an indication of how vulnerable our children are to accepting the "internet" as a reliable and trusted source of all information.

Skype

There was some discussion in our chat session about Skype, coincidently "Choice magazine" has published an article about it in this months issue. Here is the link to the online version of the article.

For more information you can go directly to Skype.

Session 2

Another interesting chat session - a community began developing with participants keen to share knowledge.

I have just finished delivering a lesson where I couldn't operate the video player and had to ask a student for assistance. I am definitely not in the category of a "Digital Native" and although can happily blog I can't operate a video player - go figure!

But what to do when technology fails as it did for many participants as we attempted to move into the virtual classroom during our online chat session? In the "good old days" if you broke your stick of chalk you could just dictate your notes to your students or more commonly send a student to the office to get a replacement stick! Lectures are cancelled in my workplace if the globe in a data projector needs replacing.

Is technology really necessary to deliver quality programs to our students and just because the students now coming through into the TAFE sector would be considered to be "Digital natives" do they really gain more knowledge if the material is delivered (and in many cases assessed) online?

Session 1

I have started this blog as I have found blogging to be a convenient way to organise my thoughts.


Our first chat session for my Online Education and Training course was held this week with just a few teething problems. I think I prefer the format of the "Skype chat" and looking forward to trialing the "virtual classroom" on the blackboard platform.

I am making my way through the readings for this lesson. Because I am currently teaching in a TAFE I have found Marc Rosenbergs article "What lies beyond e-learning" particulary thought provocing particularly his predictions for the next few years being

• e-learning with become more than "e-training"



• e-learning will move to the workforce - very relevant to TAFE



• blended learning will be redefined - the "buzz" word at my workplace is now "blended learning" but what does this actually mean?



• e-learning will be less course-centric and more knowlege-centric - this will greatly affect our current funding models



• technology will become a secondary issue - many staff at my workplace believe that elearning is "too difficult" because they are still not comfortable with the technology
  

Rosenberg's conclusion that "we should think of e-learning and learning technology as enablers, not a strategy" is the reason why I am studying this subject. I feel that in the race to embed elearning into our teaching practices and therefore appear "innovative" (and thus remain competetive in the ever increasing education market) we could be loosing focus on "the how and why" students learn.

I welcome your comments.