Symbolic vs. Connectionist

Marvin Minsky, in his paper, does not subscribe to extremist views. Instead, he argues that Artificial Intelligence must employ many approaches. Artificial Intelligence is not like circuit theory and electromagnetism. So why is there so much excitement about Neural Networks today, and how is this related to research on Artificial Intelligence and Learning Design?

What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education.

At the end of 2006, Time magazine’s Person of the Year was ‘You’. On the cover of the magazine, underneath the title of the award, was a picture of a PC with a mirror in place of the screen, reflecting not only the face of the reader, but also the general feeling that 2006 was the year of the Web - a new, improved, 'second version', 'user generated' Web. But how accurate is our perception of so-called 'Web 2.0'?

Adult Learning Model for Virtual World Residents with Disabilities

This study was shared by Gentle Heron, of Virtual Ability Island, managed by Virtual Ability, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation based in Colorado. This great study presents a clear understanding of target users as key components for developing optimal design for the Island.

PUTTING A SECOND LIFE “METAVERSE” SKIN ON LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

This paper outlines the advantages and weaknesses of Multi-User Virtual Environments for teaching and explores the possible benefits of integrating them closely with traditional Learning Management
Systems.

The teachers gave their opinions about integrating SL and Learning Management Systems (LMS) (WebCT, Blackboard, Moodle and other LMS) in their classrooms.

Implications of Online Learning for the Conceptual Development and Practice of Distance Education

The purpose of Randy Garrison's article is to examine the foundational principles and practices of distance education in the context of recent developments in the areas of online learning. The point is made that online learning had its genesis apart from mainstream distance education. As a result, it is argued that distance education has not fully embraced the collaborative potential of online learning. The paper concludes with the question of whether or not the concepts and practices of distance education can be reformulated and aligned to incorporate the potential and possibilities of online learning.

Distance Education in the Digital Age: Common Misconceptions and Challenging Tasks

Sarah Guri-Rosenblit's article discusses in its first part three common misconceptions related to the operation of distance education providers in the digital age: The tendency to relate to e-learning as the new generation of distance education; the confusion between ends and means of distance education; and the absence of the teacher’s crucial role in the discourse on knowledge construction. The second part of the article examines four challenging tasks for the future development of distance education in the digital age: Bridging over the digital divide; designing cost effective modes of utilizing the new technologies; redesigning the roles of actors in the distributed teaching responsibility within the industrial model of distance education; and creating effective quality assurance mechanisms.

Labor Day

Virtual Worlds Come Alive at AECT 2008 Convention

From the pages of TechTrends comes the following excerpts on the first AECT 2008 Virtual World Convention...
Thursday morning, November 6, 2008 began like most days at the AECT Convention with technicians frantically checking equipment, making last minute adjustments; presenters hustling to locate their rooms; and participants maneuvering to find a good vantage point, booting notebooks, and logging on to networks. But this was not just another session.After months of meetings, preparation, and anticipation, it was finally time to unveil the long-awaited venture into the unknown, to “go where no convention has gone before,” well, at least at AECT.

The makers of Second Life, Linden Lab, a San Francisco-based corporation, define their creation as “an online society within a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents, where they can explore, build, socialize and participate in their own economy” (Linden Lab, 2007). SL provides a collaborative, immersive, and open-ended experience where people create and inhabit a virtual world of their own design.

The Horizon Report on Emerging Technology 2008

The annual Horizon Report describes the continuing work of the New Media Consortium (NMC)’s Horizon Project, a five-year qualitative research effort that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, or creative expression within learning-focused organizations.

The main sections of the report describe six emerging technologies or practices that will likely enter mainstream use in learning-focused organizations within three adoption horizons over the next one to five years.

ROLE PLAYING IN EDUCATION

A revised paper (2002) by Adam Blatner, M.D. on role playing, a derivative of a sociodrama, is a method for exploring the issues involved in complex social situations. It may be used for the training of professionals or in a classroom for the understanding of literature, history, and even science.

Trajectories from today’s WWW to a powerful educational infrastructure

Jeremy Roschelle & Roy Pea present a study on an optimistic view of potential benefits of today’s web, utilizing a framework that emphasizes: (a) making learning more accessible; (b) promoting improved learning; and (c) containing costs. They do not provide a sense of where the web is going, and how its trajectory of development may more fully meet educational needs, but a prospective about emerging web technologies and its importance to educational research communities, and to briefly highlight key trajectories of web development for learning communities.

Evaluating coursework in computer games degrees: Students and assessors as virtual characters

This paper explores a relatively new area in the design and development of assessment procedures for the evaluation of coursework and student performance on computer and video games degrees. Emphasis is placed on an assessment which involves the development of and interaction in a virtual world, where lecturers and students are represented as virtual characters.

Learning fire investigation the clean way: The virtual experience

Virtual environment based on the scene of a burned down house, as an alternative to having them undertake investigation of a real fire scene, has been implemented. This paper describes a quantitative and qualitative study exploring the effectiveness of this(PBL)teaching resource using the virtual world.

Learning about Problem Based Learning

Employing the Shulman's teacher knowledge base as a theoretical lens, this study examines the complexity of pre-service teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) in the context of integrating problem based learning (PBL) and information and communications technology (ICT).

Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education

Fair use is still a common misconception on the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances—especially when the cultural or social benefits of the use are predominant.

This document, by a panel of educators and legal advisory, is a code of best practices that helps educators using media literacy concepts and techniques to interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use, and to share this practice with their student body.

Designing Online Courses in the Light of Learning Styles

The need to offer distance learning courses has led to instructional designers rushing to deliver content through web-based systems and little or no thought has been given to the quality of this content. This paper (published Jan 2008 by Learning Technology of IEEE Computer Society), argues that the way forward lies in addressing different learning styles when developing learning objects.

Using Technology to Improve the Graduation Rate

In an increasingly and globally competitive world, education is the key to advancement and people without high school diplomas are not likely to do well. This Tech&Learning eBook provides insights and solutions for increasing high school completion and solving the urban dropout crisis in effective and cost-effective ways.

Learning Management System Self-Efficacy of online and hybrid learners in Instructional Technology

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a new instrument that measures students’ confidence levels with LMS and how it helps them become self-regulated learners.

Fostering Learning in a Networked World

Prof. Roy Pea of Stanford University writes about 21st century learning and how it has to be mediation-based situated in a learning ecology framework. In the process he said that we must remember the change surrounding us, particularly the “always on” mobile, location content GPS services, open platforms, could computing, immersive technologies, open educational resources, and participatory media culture. He emphasized that the participatory nature of media brings in new complexity in the teaching learning process.

An Online Degree Program Course Template Development Process

Brian Newberry of California State University, brings to light a much needed article describing the use of an instructional design (ISD) process to develop and test a template for creating and presenting learning materials for an online degree program.

Effective eLearning Design?

Henry Steen writes, "organizations have a need for effective training. Training designers have to be able to design effective eLearning to meet those needs. This is difficult because designing successful eLearning is part art and part science, involving the use of learning and training theory and an understanding of the knowledge and/or skills to be taught." Read more on his most interesting commentary...

The Emergence of a Blended Online Learning Environment

The purpose of this paper, by Michael Power Laval University, is to substantiate an emerging online learning trend termed "blended online learning", based on a synthesis of existing research and new findings from a three-year, multi-case study.

This paper also takes a step back and observes how distance education as a field is losing impetus as online learning is gaining momentum.

Effects of Test Taking on Retention Learning in Technology Education

The most persuasive evidence revealed among the eight studies was support for the hypotheses that taking a test on material studied and increased time on task (whether in the form of a test or other activities such as reviews or use of study questions) both result in increased retention learning by students.

Engagement and Achievements: A Case Study of Design-Based Learning in a Science Context

A team of researchers (all at the University of Pittsburgh) put together a study on Design-Based Learning in a Science Context. They share that unlike the great majority of industrialized nations in the world, K-12 education in the U.S. places very little emphasis on design and technology.

They expand an understanding of the new development, under the general name of Design-Based Learning (DBL), that is attempting to address this problem (Kolodner, et al.,1998; Rivet & Krajcik, 2004).

Cognitive Processes of Students Participating in Engineering-focused Design Instruction

From the Journal of Technology Education, this study led by Todd Kelly, focuses on the need for engineering education in our K-12 classrooms, as technical literacy promotes economic advancement. The engineering education community has identified the important role K-12 education plays in the success of post-secondary engineering education. Read more on their findings.