The E-Learning Curve Blog has left Blogspot

The E-Learning Curve Blog will no longer be updated here on Blogger/Blogspot.

I have been using Blogger to host my blog for about two years, but I have outgrown this particular space, so I have moved the E-Learning Curve Blog to my own domain michaelhanley.ie. From Wednesday 14th October 2009, links to this site will be redirected to the E-Learning Curve Blog’s new home.

If you want to continue following my adventures in e-learning, I strongly recommend that that you subscribe to my blog by clicking here (site) or here (via RSS feed).

As you can see from the screenshot, the E-Learning Curve Blog’s new home has a much better template and look-and-feel, there’s no advertisements (or other distractors), as well as a bunch of extra widgets and links for you to explore.

For the time being, I will leave the E-Learning Curve Blog content that’s already here available on this domain. But not for long.

So come and join me at the E-Learning Curve Blog’s new home
…there’s still a lot to learn, discover, and understand about Technology in Education!

Michael Hanley, author of the E-Learning Curve Blog

13th October 2009

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…and the ‘Blogger of the Week’ award from E-Learning Planet goes to…

I just received an e-mail from the discerning people over at E-Learning Planet notifying me that I'm their Blogger of the Previous Week for my ongoing series of posts on Podcasting for E-Learning. Thank you very much folks: I am genuinely delighted that you take the time to follow my blog. My view is that the contribution provided by blogosphere contributors like E-Learning Planet, Jane Hart (with E-Learning Pick of the Day, Top 100 Tools for Learning, 100 Featured Learning Professionals and many more), and Tony Karrer’s eLearning Learning mean that the rest of us have a wide and deep set of highly useful learning-related resources and contacts at our disposal.

Want to have some fun? Navigate to one of the resources I’ve listed here, and click on a link to any of the bloggers displayed in front of you. I guarantee that you’ll encounter the thoughts of an engaging, perceptive, challenging, even innovative and ground-breaking learning resource. That’s how good these lists are.

According to elearningplanet.com:

Millions of e-learning Web sites are available in Cyberspace. There are Web sites that include only e-learning blogs; some include e-learning forums, information on e-learning jobs, reviews on e-learning products, and so on. But, very few Web sites post information that covers all aspects of e-learning.

Tyro selected the E-Learning Curve Blog for the ‘Blogger of the Week’ award because

During the previous week, Michael posted five blog posts on podcasting for e-learning. In one of his posts, Michael listed the advantages of hard disk recording to store digital audio for podcasting. He also announced the release of his new podcast episode, “Transatlantic: The Flying Boats of Foynes”. Through his other posts, Michael initiated his series of forthcoming blog posts on editing podcasts using Audacity, an open source multi-track audio editor and recorder.

Well done too, to Aotearoa's Ken Allen for getting the ‘Blog Post of the Week’ gong for his excellent post about Visitor to Second Life, where he visited ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Island. And an airport.

Posted on Sunday, Ken? Don't you take a day off?

More on Podcasting for E-Learning next time...

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E-Learning Curve Blog is ‘Blogger of the Week’ on E-learning Planet

I’m delighted (and very proud) to have been awarded the Blogger of the Week accolade from E-Learning Planet.

This multi-faceted site includes e-learning forums, information on e-learning jobs, reviews on e-learning products, and so on.

According to the site, they “post information that covers all aspects of e-learning” including:

• An e-learning blog.
• Facilitates collaborative learning between e-learning professionals through its forum.
• Conducts frequent online contests for e-learning professionals.
• Provides free online training and assignments for instructional designers and graphic designers.
• Selects its favorite blog post and blogger from the e-learning blogosphere on a weekly basis.
• Selects active participants in the planet’s forum.

E-Learning Planet select the Blogger of the Week based on the following parameters:

• The number of informative, innovative, and self blog posts in a week
• The number of positive comments from visitors

Previous Bloggers of the Week include Donald Clark, Tony Karrer, Harold Jarche, and Jay Cross. I’m not sure I deserve to be in such illustrious company, but I’ll take it!

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E-learning blog for Ireland – calling Irish learning professionals

I’m developing an e-learning blog specifically for learning professionals based in Ireland. I aim to use it as a platform to discuss Learning & Development Technology-related topics specific to practitioners based in the Emerald Isle.

The Great Recession notwithstanding, Ireland has a vibrant technology and knowledge-based industrial economy, and one of the domains we excel in, is in e-learning - most people in the industry have heard of SkillSoft and ThirdForce and HMH, for example.

Equally, academic institutions like Trinity College, Dublin, University College, Dublin, the National College of Ireland, and the University of Limerick run very innovative e-learning programs – particularly at post-graduate level. These organizations and institutions aside, there are over fifty 'other' e-learning development houses in the country. Not bad for a country with a population of under 5 million people. By any measure, I think we punch above our weight.

Despite this, there seems to be very few Learning & Development Technology professionals contributing to the blogosphere. Off the top of my head I can think of Brian Mulligan, Michelle Gallen, Patricia Donaghy, Eamon Costello, and some guy called Michael Hanley. I’d love to include the views of Ireland-based Learning & Development Technology professionals in the new blog I’m developing, and to create a space for us to discuss the challenges and opportunities that we all encounter in our activities with learners.

If you’re interested in contributing, just e-mail me here: elearningcurve[at]gmail[dot]com and I’ll get in touch with you to discuss my ideas.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh (Happy St. Patrick’s Day)!

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M-Learning 7: Consuming m-learning

According to a recent Forrester report, enterprises are making smartphones and mobile applications (including m-learning) a priority, and formalizing or executing a mobile strategy is a priority for 49% of North American and European enterprises.

Figure 1 A Snapshot Of Enterprise Mobility Today (after Forrester Inc., 2008)

The ubiquity of mobile devices ensures that there is a ready market for m-learning content. I would assert that learning designers should take advantage of information workers’ experiences as consumers of content in other domains to successfully implement e-learning on mobile devices.

Now read on…

Forrester’s BlackBerry: An Emerging Platform For Mobile Collaboration study states that two-thirds of companies have fully deployed wireless e-mail, calendars, and contacts. Another 16% of firms are in the process of implementing wireless e-mail. That means over four-fifths of enterprises are using mobile messaging applications. This near-ubiquity of support for converged media devices (CMDs) puts a potentially very powerful learning channel literally in the hands of hundreds or thousands of employees today.

We can say that mobile phones and wireless e-mail are central to the activities of organizations. With the right mobile content and collaboration applications, most information workers could be both productive and in an always-on learning environment – imagine people learning while walking down the hall to a meeting, cramming in a little work before bedtime, or waiting for the train. CMDs are more valuable to information workers if they support:

Access to file systems, team workspaces, or intranet portals. It’s frustrating for organizations to invest heavily in content management systems and workspaces, only to find that the information is locked away, available only to desktop workers in an office environment. On-the-go information workers would save time if they could find and view information on their CMDs. The importance and effectiveness of mobile access to content is easily demonstrated: we live in a world where the President of the United States has firmly asserted the he is

…still clinging to my BlackBerry. They’re going to pry it out of my hands.

New York Times

A mobile browser that brings the Internet into learners’ hands. Devices like the iPhone, with its touchscreen, gesture-based interaction model, and Safari browser make the mobile Internet almost as functional as the Web on a desktop. Having access to on-demand information and learning on a device is a powerful plus for all information workers.

Instant messaging and ‘presence’. Virtual and ad hoc teams need to quickly connect, engage, and move on. Subject matter experts need to be available when needed. Presence means that a person’s availability is always known.

Training sessions that can be done while waiting for the bus, train, or in an airport boarding lounge. If learning content is packaged appropriately, hosted on a mobile learning management system, and delivered to a CMD, information workers can learn in their downtime.

M-Learning on the iPhone

As we chart the rise of non-formal, informal, and social learning, my view is that media, information, and communications applications will emerge that make learning fun. RSS feeds, updates, video, games, and social networks are just some of the engaging and effective ways that information workers (in their other life as consumers) already get their information.

With the lines between work and personal time disappearing, learning applications should have the friendly face of regular consumer applications. According to Drego et al (2009), of North American CMD owners with a job, 60% use their devices to access the Internet, 43% to read the news, 33% to check RSS-delivered information, and 28% to download or stream music and podcasts. This is a huge ready-made market for m-learning content.

M-learning's strongest capability is its timeliness. The relative effectiveness of mobile data channels is device- and software-dependent, but the ability to make contact any time, any where is a universal strength. Although the iPhone and other devices won’t replace those with a larger form factor any time soon, these devices benefit from the advantages of portability and ubiquity.

iPhone websites excel at providing information in multichannel contexts. Although the iPhone can access almost any Web site, many organizations choose to tailor sites for the iPhone’s small screen and strip them of Java- and Flash-based content. The best mobile sites support targeted, mobile-specific browsing behaviors such as search and content delivery. For example, YouTube enables viewers to search for content, read user ratings and reviews, and of course easily stream content.

More…

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References:

Drego, V. L., Rogowski, R., & Zinser, R. (2009) Match iPhone Capabilities To Customer Goals [Internet] Available from: http://www.forrester.com Accessed 17 February 2009

Schadler, T. (2008) BlackBerry: An Emerging Platform For Mobile Collaboration. [Internet] Available from: http://www.forrester.com Accessed 17 February 2009

Zeleny, J. (2009) ‘Obama Digs In for His BlackBerry’ In: The New York Times [Internet] Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/us/politics/08berry.html?_r=1&em Accessed 20 February 2009

E-Learning Tools List - Top 10 for 2009

Every year Jane Hart – owner and proprietor of the estimable Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies website asks learning professionals to submit their Top 10 E-Learning Tools for the previous twelve months.

So without further ado, here is my Second Annual Top 10 E-Learning Tools, in alphabetical order (‘cos every one of them is a winner!):

Adobe Acrobat Connect Enterprise - I could have picked any from the range of Adobe Flash-based content development tools, but I chose this application because of its multi-functionality, and because it manifests what Flash, Presenter, Dreamweaver etc can do. Enables collaboration, content storage, management, distribution, and (a certain degree of) tracking. A powerful content delivery platform to enable learning professionals and organizations distribute informational and training content effectively.

Audacity - I recommend this open source tool to Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who wish to create podcasts and/or software demos when using a Rapid E-Learning approach. It's an easy-to-use non-destructive audio recording and editing tool, comes with a range of impressive plug-ins including Normalize and Noise Reduction (NR), as well as pretty good graphical equalizer (EQ). Audacity enables SMEs and training professionals create high quality audio quickly and efficiently.

Techsmith Camtasia- A SERIOUS rapid e-learning authoring tool for demonstrations, simulations, evaluation, and scenario-based learning. Would be Number 1 Tool on this list if I went for a merit-based rather than alphabetical format.

Blogs - The platform doesn't matter – I use both the Blogger and WordPress platforms - but the concept of providing a means to create, share, and deliver content is the basis for a new way of learning. My e-learning blog, the E-Learning Curve Blog (unashamed plug) provides commentary and news on the domain of professional learning and development, as well as a handy personal knowledgebase.

Del.icio.us - Personal bookmarking at its best. If, like me you work on a number of machines in a number of locations, it is useful to access stored links and documents from a browser regardless of where you happen to be, once you have an internet connection.

MindJet Mind Manager Pro - Mind-mapping - using diagrams used to represent words, ideas, tasks, and concepts linked to and arranged around a central topic (and used to generate, visualize, structure ideas), is central to the way I work, research, organize, solve problems, and make decisions. I built the framework for my MSc. in Education thesis in Mind Manager. It is powerful intermediary in developing ideas, concepts, and course design.

Moodle - An institution in institutions! Martin Dougiamas' erstwhile thesis project continues to meet the learning management requirements of any number and type of organization. Social Constructivist? Virtual Learning Environment? Easy-to-use? Great Platform.

Sony Vegas Video - Easier to use than Premiere, more powerful than MovieMaker; Vegas is my post-production "weapon of choice" for 90% of the video elements that appears in courseware developed in my organization. Whether you're just "topping and tailing" a piece of video or creating the elements for a sophisticated soft skills course, Vegas is a must.

StatCounter - every learning professional knows that “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” This mantra has an extra resonance in the online learning world. StatCounter is a Web and blog analysis tool that enables me to understand the requirements of learners who use my courseware, as well as how visitors interact with my blog.

TextPad - I would have chosen pen and paper, but decided to keep this list digital; TextPad is an advanced text editor that enables users to create and edit text documents, XML, JavaScript and other interpreted content without the extraneous "bloat" of word-processing applications. I find it useful to develop content in this stripped-down environment before transferring to Word, PowerPoint, Blogger or some other application for final enhancement and publishing (this list was created in TextPad, for example).

What are your Top 10 E-Learning Tools?

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M-Learning: Challenges to E-Learning Pro’s

In the context of m-learning, the challenge to e-learning professionals is to be smart about how learning content is distributed via mobile devices.

Now read on...

I started this series of posts about using the iPhone - and by extension the multitude of Converged Media Devices (CMDs) - with the goal of understanding approaches to leveraging the rich potential of personal media players.

In the course of articles to date, I have looked at

• The implications of poor media player client support on mobile devices
• What is M-Learning?
• Learning theories applied to M-Learning
• Learning opportunities supported by CMDs
• Practical applications of M-Learning

Based upon the research that I have undertaken, I would assert that the iPhone (as it currently exists) is not an appropriate learning channel for converged multi-media delivery of instructional content as I stated here:

[A CMD like] the iPhone is not a powerful computer: it is a Web-enabled Portable Digital Assistant (PDA). I would suggest that in many consumers’ minds that to be able to surf the internet in a full-featured Safari browser on the iPhone means that it’s a “real” computer. Apple surely want to manage users’ expectations.

Yet, the device obviously has huge potential to delivery information, knowledge, and learning. The challenge to e-learning professionals is to be smart about how learning content is distributed via this channel - in a sense, where it fits in the learning value chain.

Figure 1. Parameters for learning channel selection

Given that mobile devices like the iPhone cannot deliver integrated, immersive learning deliver, I would suggest that the most practical approach to using these devices in an e-learning context is to use these devices as a learning platform, and to supply content based upon the precepts of a modified cloud computing model.

Learning Platforms

According to the UK Dept. of Education and Skills (DfES), a Learning Platform (LP) is

a generic term to describe a system of information and communication technologies that is used to deliver and support leaning.

We can say that while learning platforms can vary considerably, each should provide the following range of ICT-based functions:

• Content management - enabling teaching staff to create, store and repurpose resources and coursework which can be accessed online
• Curriculum mapping and planning - providing tools and storage to support assessment for learning, personalization, lesson planning etc.
• Learner engagement and administration - enabling access to pupil information, attendance, timetabling, e-portfolios and management information
• Tools and services - providing communication tools such as e-mail, messaging, discussion forums and blogs.

A learning platform brings together hardware, software and supporting services to enable more effective ways of working within and outside the traditional learning contexts including classrooms. A learning platform is not a single 'off the shelf' product, rather it's a collection of tools that are designed to support teaching, learning, management and administration.

A high-performing learning platform should be embedded in the behaviors and culture of the learner, and should offer a wide range of benefits to educators, learners, managers and administration.

Practical benefits to trainers

An effective learning platform will enable trainers to:

• Create and share training materials which can be accessed online (including via portable media devices), printed, or used with an interactive whiteboard
• Put their resources online page by page, lesson plan by lesson plan, so colleagues can access them from multiple locations
• Access a wide variety of learning materials that they can customize for the exact needs of their pupils
• Access lesson plans from colleagues to support group learning
• Assess, monitor and track learner progress progress
• Receive submissions of work from learners in a single, easy-to-manage location
• Increase learners' ICT competence and confidence.

Practical benefits to learners

An effective learning platform will enable learners to:

• Access learning materials created by their trainers and mentors, outside training time and from multiple locations
• Store work and notes online for use in just-in-time learning
• Learn in a self-pace fashion and with a wide choice of learning material
• Create an online portfolio, including digital photos and videos of performance as well as text
• Improve their ICT skills and online management of materials
• Submit coursework and assignments for assessment
• Communicate via e-mail and participate in live discussions and forums with fellow learners

Practical benefits to managers

An effective learning platform will enable managers:

• Play a part in employees' learning, via managers’ access to the learning platform
• View reports and data about assessment activities
• Communicate effectively with staff managing their staffs' learning and development
  Become active partners in organizational learning and development

Practical benefits for administration and management

An effective learning platform will:

• Provide up-to-date management information on skills and knowledge acquisition
• Track the progress of individuals and teams
• Collate summative and formative assessments
• Reduce the administrative burden on L&D and HR by using transferable data
• Enable communication within the learning environment and beyond, on a one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many basis

More...

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What’s on your e-learning bookshelf?

Here is my shelf of “go to” e-learning texts. Regardless of my other sources of information about the domain, this is the well I return to again and again to find knowledge, information, wisdom and (in one case) wit. What do you keep on your E-Learning Shelf?

[Click for large PDF of image]

• Designing Web-based Training: How to Teach Anyone Anything Anywhere Anytime
• Moodle 1.9 E-Learning Course Development
• E-Learning: Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age
• E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning
• Designing World-Class E-Learning
• Classic Drucker
• E-Learning Strategies: How to Get Implementation and Delivery Right First Time
• Michael Allen's Guide to E-Learning
• Evaluation in Organizations: A Systematic Approach to Enhancing Learning, Performance and Change
• Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels (3rd Ed.)
• E-Learning Tools and Technologies
• Integrating Educational Technology and Teaching (4th Ed)
• Managing Organizations
• Real World Research (2nd Ed.)
• Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press
• How To Research
• Interaction Design Beyond Human Computer Interaction
• E-Learning Standards:A Primer for Using the Standards as Decision Support Tools
  
• Evaluating the performance impact of non-formal learning on knowledge workers in a Small-to-Medium Sized Enterprise (Unseen)

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Mobile Learning 6: Effective Learning on Portable Devices

Before I investigate developing learning content for mobile devices I think it will be useful to conclude my current “list-mania” by describing m-learning in education generally. So, today’s post outlines some of the ways m-learning is being used.

Low-cost mass learning. The mobile phone is the only information device available to citizens in many parts of the world. This has prompted experiments using basic phone facilities, such as voice and Short Message Service (SMS), to support educational initiatives.

Low-cost education as a service. According to Gartner’s Nick Jones, companies such as Nokia are piloting low-cost educational services in emerging markets, such as India. These services exploit a simple interface on the phone, which delivers information and lessons using lowest common- denominator data contracts — for example, avoiding even the need for general packet radio service.

"Edutainment." Combining education and entertainment using games and simulations is a powerful learning technique. This can also leverage the substantial mobile application development experience of the gaming industry. Examples include a mobile augmented reality simulation game that tracks environmental pollution, and a mobile phone game to reduce the impact of culture shock when students arrive in a new country that's very different from their home countries.

Surveys, exams, questionnaires, data gathering and feedback. Mobile devices can provide an excellent platform for simple surveys, examinations, questionnaires and real-time feedback. Examples include lecture feedback, real-time surveys and simple multi-choice tests (for example, teaching vocabulary when learning a new language). At their simplest, these can be delivered as SMS messages asking the user to choose and option and respond, possibly with a deadline.

Performance support through instant information. Generally reference material (not learning) including simple media such as text, as well as richer media taking advantage of 3G connectivity. An example of performance support via a mobile phone is the wide range of dictionaries available for PDAs, covering a wide range of languages, law, medicine and other professional topics.

Creating learning material. Mobile phones are the most numerous audio, imaging and video capture devices available, and will play an important role in the creation of learning material as the facility to edit content and distribute material to YouTube-like nodes increases in sophistication. iPhone users can already author blog posts via the WordPress app.

Task/role-specific tools. Some organizations in have created specialized tools to allow access to specific learning and simulation material using a mobile device. SalesForce have build an iPhone app that enables customers access information through the iPhone's touch screen.

Learning support and administration. Many organizations experimenting with m -learning have explored mobile support for learning management and administration. Examples include reminders that assignments are due; flash-card applications to aid learning; and organizer applications to assist new students with their lecture timetables and finding the locations of lectures.

More…

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References:

Jones, N. (2008) M-Learning Opportunities and Applications. ID Number: G00163293 Gartner Research [Internet] Available from: http://www.gartner.com (Subscription or purchase required) Accessed 17 February 2009

Kineo and UFI/Learndirect (2009) Mobile Learning Reviewed. [Internet] Available from: http://www.kineo.com/documents/Mobile_learning_reviewed_final.pdf Accessed 17th February 2009

From E-Learning Planet - Blog Post of the Week

My recent post ‘The Impact of the Current Economic Crisis on E-Learning: February ‘09 LCBBQ‘ has been chosen as E-Learning Planet’s Pick of the Week, which is nice.

According to elearningplanet.com:

Millions of e-learning Web sites are available in Cyberspace. There are Web sites that include only e-learning blogs; some include e-learning forums, information on e-learning jobs, reviews on e-learning products, and so on. But, very few Web sites post information that covers all aspects of e-learning.

We select the ‘Blog Post of the Week’ when a post meets one or more of the following parameters:

• Includes useful information on developing an e-learning course with trenchant instructional design strategies
• Provides information on the latest technology, news, and events in the e-learning industry
• Includes information that is useful and neutral to all e-learning professionals

Well done too, to Donald ‘Plan B’ Clark for getting the Blogger of the Week gong.

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