R & D
Better World Talk – 11 Oct. 2011
Better Education -
Here are the PPT slides of my talk on eLearning.
http://mmse-v5-emea.adobeconnect.com/betteredtalk/
There are some good Adobe resources to compliment this talk such as:
> http://acrobat. com
> On the http://www.adobe.com site: Photoshop express, and Adobe TV.
Enjoy,
Dr Anthony ‘Skip’ Basiel
eLearning strategy for moving from PDF format to new media September 2011
Converging eLearning Media Model
Dr, Anthony ‘Skip’ Basiel March 2010
This summary outline highlights the elements of an innovative eLearning pedagogic model and related on/offline systems to create blended learning events and opportunities. This model explores Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 eLearning and eMarketing strategies (Qualman 2009).
The main components of the Converging eLearning Media Model are:
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) designs and strategies,
- Professional Social Networks (PSN),
- Alternative Reality Game Theory (ARG),
- Bluecasting at face-to-face (f2f) events / Mobile learning,
- Rapid ePublishing Model with webinars / webcasts,
- The European Commission’s Study Visit Model (formerly CEDEFOP),
- Informatology Lunch Meetings and Company Raids,
- Social Graph (Network) Theory and Metcalf’s Law (Computing Science),
- Moore’s Transactional Distance Theory (TDT) and Basiel’s Transitional Autonomy Model (TAM),
- De-schooling Society perspectives (Illich).
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) designs and strategies
With the increase in Web 2.0 tagging in the semantic network (add Burner’s Lee Ref.) and the increase in reusable eLearning objects (add John Cook Ref.) the is a growing need to be able to have a strategy to organise and find text and new media files and resources on the web. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is not restricted to increasing Google rankings. This topic is critically reviewed to be adapted to an eLearning context.
Professional Social Networks (PSN)
LinkedIn (add web reference) is one example of a social network website that focuses on the professional market sector. Elgg, the open source social network environment is examined in relation to the Emerald InTouch platform (add ref). The PSN eLearning and eMarketing designs are explored from a ‘Socialnomics’ perspective (Qualman 2009).
Alternative Reality Game Theory (ARG)
Alternative reality game theory (ARG) involves an eMarketing strategy of blending digital media with the analogue world. An example of this is seen with the films in the, ‘The Bourne Trilogy’. New media advertising (e.g. film trailers) are linked to GPS / mobile phone tasks and billboard posters to create a game scenario. This approach can be adapted and applied to an eLearning context.
Bluecasting at face-to-face (f2f) events / Mobile learning
Bluecasting involves broadcasting text (SMS), images and or Flash video content to mobile phones. This is done via a Bluecast transmitter. Small bits of eLearning information are sent to potential or current stakeholders to add to a string of connected eLearning events. An example may be sending the programme of events to conference delegates’ mobile phones as they enter the event.
Rapid ePublishing Model with webinars / webcasts
The ‘Rapid ePublishing Model’ integrates three elements of learning:
- A real-time (‘live’) webinar / webcast provides the speaker and host to present an interactive multimedia event supported by real-time text discussion. (Add ref.)
- An eBook chapter – designed in a ‘Quick Guide’ format that complements the webinar. Cost models can be researched and developed on this model where the webinar is free, but gets PSN advertising and there is a nominal cost for the eBook chapter.
- Live Blended Conference Event – A f2f event that is linked to the PAP (Pre-At-Post) model. In a PAP blended eLearning strategy there is a set of activities before the f2f event to provide induction and context. The live event is recorded as well as the Q & A session interactions. Lastly, an online PSN provides a way to keep the energy, discussion and network building to move in a positive direction. (Add ref for PAP)
The European Commission’s Study Visit Model (formerly CEDEFOP)
One of the best learning programmes is the European Commission’s (EC) Study Visit (add URL of CEDEFOP and our picture gallery). The delegates visit another country to explore their perspectives, problems and solutions to vocational education related issues. I represented the UK in 2001 at Rhodes for the . After that event I was asked to host two Study Visits in London. The four-day format is a mixture of several learning designs:
- Academic conference – A kick-off event usually involves presentations with Q &A sessions. The speakers are comprised of the host organisation’s management and any political representatives of the region. Local experts of the visit theme are invited to do case study-style talks.
- Visits to local organisations – Following days of the visit include opportunities to go to local businesses to meet representatives. This usually includes a tour of the facility. Occasionally, it is possible to meet the employees / students of the establishment. This part of the visit provides a different ‘bottom-up’ perspective of the issues.
- Seminars, workshops and plenary sessions – Other opportunities are provided to meet in small groups to exchange ideas or do ‘hands-on’ type activities. In the events we hosted on eLearning systems to support work based learning we gave delegates the chance to try out software and online systems that they could then use in their own countries.
Informatology Lunch Meetings and Company Raids
A professional social network called Informatology offers some innovative ways to learn in a more informal design (Add URL). The lunch meeting model is a great way to exchange experiences and ideas with a small group of people (less than 12) over a meal. Although there is a suggested set of topics, there is not a set or fixed agenda. This informal learning structure promotes a serendipitous opportunity (Add ref to the Scotland conference).
The company raid is like the EC’s Study Visit model where you are invited to go to the business and meet the various organisational stakeholders. Again, this semi-structured informal agenda allows for professional social networking. I am working with Informatology on research and development for a ‘virtual company raid’ where a mobile device (e.g. wireless internet laptop ) is used to conduct a portable webinar-style ‘walk-about’ using web video conferencing and live text chat.
Social Graph (Network) Theory and Metcalf’s Law (Computing Science)
Social Graph Theory started out as a way to examine population growth patterns in Biology. It has recently been associated to the mathematical patterns of human / technical growth related to computing science and Web 2.0 online social networks. Qualman (2009) discusses social graph theory in the context of ‘Socialnomics’. I have made the link between this theory and the design potential of webinars and webcasts (add JET paper URL). Metcalf’s law was originally set in the context of establishing the value of a computing system in terms of the number of nodes in the network infrastructure. This is another way of looking at the relationships of people communicating and collaborating via the Web that can be adapted and applied to an eLearning context.
Moore’s Transactional Distance Theory (TDT) and Basiel’s Transitional Autonomy Model (TAM)
Moore’s (add ref. Date) TDT examines the relationship between structure, communication and autonomy in an eLearning event. His apothem states that there is greater transactional distance when there is more structure and less communication to promote autonomy in the learning design.
Basiel (2007) looks at the relationship between eLearning content, communication, pedagogic design and management in relation to a learner’s autonomy. Profiling, an eLearning research technique and toolkit is offered as one way to get an overview or gestalt perspective on eLearning design and systems. A set of software toolkits and websites are also available to link the theory to practice (add URL).
e-schooling Society perspectives (Illich)
In the 1970’s there was a call to move the education process from only in the conventional classroom model to an informal network or web of real-world learning (add ref). This model moved learning from the structured traditional transmission model to one of a ‘book club discussion’ approach. The focus was on the network of social learning opportunities years before the WWW and the current social media craze.
References
Qualman E. 2009, SocialNomics – Wiley Publishers
comments also sent by email – but also included here. Call me for a copy or to view any of my areas of interest via the url below
Overall I think this is an excellent start into an area of considerable interest Skip.
On now to the specifics:
SEO. An area of considerable concern and research activity in my local university (Southampton) with both Tim Berners-Lee and Nigel Shadbolt actively researching this aspect and so interesting, but unfortunately rather ‘over my head’ at present. I do however agree wholeheartedly that the requirement is much greater than Google Rankings. I also feel that there is scope for both FE and HE to be MORE proactive than even we are doing today, to ‘teach as a key study skill’ to the upcoming generations ‘how to search EFFECTIVELY on the semantic web’. There is far too much emphasis on ‘Google It’ as a universal panacea, arguably at least in FE seen as being the same as ‘research’ when other, better and sometimes more direct ways of finding the true nature of a key topic might be found on a nearby library shelf without turning on a computer at all, and certainly some local sources will be at least as good, sometimes better, than those on the world wide web, although it is also key, of course, to point out to students that the Internet is so much wider than just the web.
PSN We are effectively using Linked in as a tool, and it has been useful, however it does have limitations especially in the sub-set (and quite a small sub set at that) of the potentially very useful Web 2.0 social networking tools which are available. In some ways, Ning and some of the cruder Web 2.0 tools such as Blogger, offer more variety. Of course the ‘true social’ sites, notably Facebook and MySpace offer very much richer systems. I have been disappointed in my own professional networking at a lack of functionality that one would take as read in more developed tools – especially those offered by the two key professional and learned societies to which I belong, the British Computer Society (BCS) and the Institute for Learning (IfL), neither of which have gone even as far as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in developing really rich Web 2.0 PSNs. In the case of BCS I am sure this is being ‘held back’ in light of possibly viable arguments about security, in the case of IfL possibly a fear of the inability of some members to respond, but there is certainly room for better, wider PSNs to be launched especially internationally.
ARG Increasingly the very media-rich aspects of gaming are coming into the home via both TV and Computer based platforms and it cannot be too long before the two media combine pr perhaps a better word might be coalesce. I have been interested to see even advertisements using very rich ‘pseudo-3D’ being used on the ITV and Channel 4 versions of the BBC’s iPlayer, on my cable TV. This offers the potential for at least pseudo-interaction with a large screen format just around the corner. Edutainment will certainly be a key market in the future although the unfortunately demise of some of the richest aspects of the BBC website (have you seen slink, blast and pinball?) and won’t, I think, open enough of a market opportunity that they will replaced any time soon.
Bluecasting F2F Currently the first thing anyone is told on arrival at a conference or seminar is ‘turn off your mobile please or at least put it onto vibrate’, same in a classroom or lecture theatre. How ‘poor’ is a single channel conference lecture without the ‘back channel’ in active operation. Some of it might be a little scurrilous like the notes we used to ‘fly’ around the classroom behind teachers back, but they certainly enlivened the proceedings and often added a rich counterpoint to the discussion or one sided lecturing process. Capturing these in real time via a text wall (wallwisher.com is a good example) and especially when electronic postage notes can contain text and audio (e.g. via fotobabble.com) then these can actually direct the lecture or conference in real time. Twitter equally offers very helpful ways of adding another, useful (?) dimension to any conference and should be actively encouraged. A different type of text wall (xlearn.co.uk is a good example) can upload SMS and other textual format messages. SMS Polls are also very good (I like SMSPoll.net personally)
Rapid e-publishing great model – my own internal ‘blog sphere’ on our VLE certainly offers some functionality along this route but your model is much better than mine – although rather HE focussed (no problem – I just don’t live in that area – so less ‘keen’ because less important to publish as a means of maintaining visibility)
CEDEFOP (URL is http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/) OK for some – actually I have in the past visited Phoenix Arizona to address the Community Colleges annual conference and Stafford University and Heriot Watt to address various conferences so I am not really that jealous. We try to get into these sorts of things but regrettably FE colleges have to be doing much more HE work than we are involved in before we become directly involved.
Where FE however is especially good is in local groupings and discussion forums , see http://www.rsc-southeast.ac.uk/ http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=conWebDoc.1213 and http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.9399 for my own direct linkings and we learn much from these local things. I also make a point of joining the annual JISC on-line conference every autumn (see http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearningpedagogy/elpconference09.aspx for last years reports etc)
Informatology Well as a founder member I would, of course have to agree with your own findings.
Theories These make interesting reading and are all, broadly speaking, new to me so I’ll be in there reading them up. I may have some questions later in the month when we meet F2F again
What’s missing? Possibly something on multi-sensory learning? Unless carefully developed using good instructional technique principles e-learning models and practice can create somewhat sterile environments for those with even quite moderate learning difficulties and can easily turn off the very people we need to engage with early. Possibly something on e-maturity as we cannot yet assure that we will have all the people at the same level of competence and comfort with our methods (see http://e-maturity.wetpaint.com/page/E-maturity+of+the+Learner for a good description of this area)
And finally: I get most of my bright ideas from the eCPD site http://ecpd.bdplearning.com/login/index.php please come and join us – you’ll find lots of like minded people there
I think that is about all that I can offer for now , although it does look like I have ‘gone on’ a bit – sorry – I am pretty sure that this will not fit into the message box on your blog, although I will try. I have set you up on my college Moodle site http://moodle09.fareham.ac.uk so you can see what we are doing.
You are set up as as: anthony.basiel
with the password: unlocked
and I’ve opened a few of the better courses so that you can get the gist of our direction of travel
I would like to thank Anthony for pointing me to this discussion – via Linkedin – as understanding how to use the latest technology for learning is a high priority for me at present.
I’ve followed a few discussions recently, mainly government sponsored which do not seem to really tackle these issues at all, or do much to address the seemingly large disconnect between technology and the actual activity of teaching and learning.
And to thank Neil for all the fantastic links to follow up, as well as for taking me back to the future…I first arrived in the education sector at the time of Illich’s publication ‘Deschooling Society’, oh so radical at the time! I’ve been a long way round and back again now, and this was a great reminder.
And one question for Neil, I have heard a bit about how difficult Moodle is to use, and having twice tried to download it myself without apparent success have given up.
regards
Alys Bberry
Hello Alys Berry – I’m glad you found my eLearning R & D interesting. I love the way we can now use professional social media to collaborate! – Anthony ‘Skip’ Basiel
Hello Skip,
My name is David Conover and I am an Adobe Educational Leader. I am helping to write the curriculum for my school district and I teach Digital Interactive Multimedia at a high school in Austin Texas. This blog is a great resource and I look forward to reading more.
Hi David
Please do contact me on abasiel@gmail.com or Skype ‘skipbasiel’ to discuss collaboration opportunities.
Skip,
very useful blog as always. as you know i am about to start social media degree (Masters in professional practice) and will apply most of the practices in the company i work for, thus i will update you with how things work in real life
Good Luck with your Masters Yiannis. I look forward to reading it.