I came across this guide from the LSC (Lake Superior College) wiki of netiquette for their online students.
Here they are (I have removed one or two as I don’t agree with them, and have put my interpretations at the bottom):
Behind Every Name There is a Person:
- Respect the privacy of your classmates and what they share in class.
- Ask classmates for clarification if you find a discussion posting offensive or difficult to understand.
- Avoid sweeping generalizations. Back up your stated opinions with facts and reliable sources.
- Understand that we may disagree and that exposure to other people’s opinions is part of the learning experience.
- Be respectful of each other. We’re all in this together. Before posting a comment, ask whether you would be willing to make the same comment to a person’s face.
- Keep in mind that everything you write, indeed every click of your mouse is recorded on the network server. On the Internet there are no take backs.
- Keep in mind that you are taking a college class. Something that would be inappropriate in a traditional classroom is also inappropriate in an online classroom.
Online Communication:
- Be aware that typing in all capital letters indicates shouting.
- Be careful with humor and sarcasm. Both can easily be misunderstood!
- Review all discussion postings before posting your own to prevent redundancy [and repetition].
- Check your writing for errors by reviewing what you’ve written before submitting it.
- Acronyms (LOL, etc.) and emoticons (smilies) are commonly used online, but be careful not to overuse them.
Here is the one I changed:
From:
“Many communications with your instructor or fellow students are best handled through email. Only post on the classroom discussion board if the conversation is relevant to others in the class.”
To:
“Many communications with your instructor or fellow students are best handled through the Discussion Boards: please use email if the question is confidential. By posting so everyone can read it, your fellow students can all benefit from your question and the answer.”
Do you have any helpful hints on how you behave online, or what kind of ‘netiquette’ you ask your students to abide by? Please leave a comment and share your knowledge and insight.
Continuing my reading and searching on QR Codes, and before I start getting into how I think we can use them in learning, education and HE Institutions, etc, I think it’s worth looking into how you can create them, how you read them, and some other interesting facts.
Creating your QR Code
There are a number of ways of creating your own QR Code, but the most widely used is this website from Kaywa – qrcode.kaywa.com. You have the options of the size of QR code generated (small to x-large) and the type of information you want to store in it (URL, text, SMS, phone number). You can either download the image and use repeatedly, or use the supplied HTML code and link to the image on their server.
Another website worth keeping in your favourite list is the AppSpot website – createqrcode.appspot.com. Again, you can embed whatever text you want and this one gives you a few more options on the QR code size it generates (depending on amount of information you want to store.
The final one I’ll mention (although there are many more if you search) is from Mobile Barcodes – www.mobile-barcodes.com. This one ggives you a few more options and defines the different types of information a little better between URL, Vcard, Message, Phone number, SMS, or Email.
You can generate your own QR Code on your phone, but I’ll get into that when I talk about phone apps that can read (and create) the codes.
Using your QR Code
I’ll not get to into the school/educational aspect of QR Codes yet, I want to save this for another post, but want to showcase a few interesting ways that QR Codes have been used so far.
I have already mentioned how Pepsi are using the QR Code on their bottles and cans, and how the distributors of the DVD for ‘28 Weeks Later’ have used them … the following excerpt from the BBC Click programme (from 2007) – Gia Milinovich is the ‘artist’ interviewed who create the film poster.
What about this … a baby-grow with the company website embedded in it?
There are many ways these codes can be used for marketing, and the only thing stopping you/us using them is that (a) some might not ‘get’ the joke or impact of them, or (b) the codes are not exactly fashionable or particularly interesting. But, the more these are used by big companies like Pepsi and the like, the more they may start to filter into everyday life. Really?
There are some good examples and case studies on QR Codes and how they’re being used for marketing if you do the search, but here are a few to get you started:
- QR Codes in Newspapers – Mobile Barcodes
- QR codes for discount vouchers – Mobile Barcodes
- QR Code Marketing Campaigns Can Now Tie to Google Earth in Real-Time – Loftware Blog
- QR Codes in Marketing: Restaurants, Food Service and Menus [YouTube video below]
The subject of games and simulations in education and learning has been talked about quite a lot again recently. There is no way I can cover all the work that is being done in this area (or do it justice) so I’ll link to as many of the work I’ve been reading as I can remember and find, and point out some of the choicest quotes.
Ben Betts: “The problem with E-learning games”
“Where goals are included as a part of the Plaything a Challenge is created. Challenges played without Competition are defined as Puzzle’s. Typically, this is where the majority of E-learning games and interactions lie. Whilst many of these E-learning objects are goal orientated, they do not actively present a competitor for the user to play against. Crawford defines this competitor as “an active agent against whom you compete”. Where this agent is apparent we have defined a “Conflict”. Conflicts in which you cannot interfere with your opponent’s performance are defined as “Competitions”.”
Chris Brannigan: “Simulated Death”
“Simulations are all about performance; undertaking actions, behaviours and thinking in a situation that closely approximates the reality to promote understanding and transfer. A big focus has been on ’suspension of disbelief’ – the degree to which learners can engage with the authenticity of the experience and produce realistic behaviour.”
Real Projects: “Game-based Learning Resources for LT2010”
I was honoured to be in the audience for Scott’s seminar at the LT2010 exhibition. Scott showcased some well-received games / simulations, and the link above is to the list of resources he used or spoke about in his presentation. Well worth spending time looking over and through them, there are some gems in there.
Steve Wheeler: “Just a game?”
“Around the table at lunch, in the Headteacher’s office, we sat eating pizza and drinking fruit juice with five year 10 students. The talk inevitably turned to Internet games … and suddenly the students because very animated. They enthused over Farmville, the Sims and other long games and talked about how much they enjoyed playing them.”
These are extremely well defined, well documented, and well designed games (and quite expensive to develop too) that have managed to make the subject of learning enjoyable. It isn’t until quite far into the game that the player realizes that they’ve learned something (time and/or character management, organisation, planning, etc).
“Such games are often maligned by some teachers and parents as a ‘waste of time’ and children do, if allowed, play for long periods of time on such games. But doesn’t that tell us something about the power of these tools to engage, enthrall and educate? How can we harness this power in the classroom – that is the question…”
I find that the name ‘game’ has negative connotations for some, which can be overcome very simply by calling them a simulation. Similar is that some people don’t understand why children or students would want to play a simulation, but a game is a given. The wrong terminology can turn people on or off. Get this right and you could be over the worst hurdle in presenting the idea of these ‘games’ for education.
Tony Bates: Moving educational games forward
“A useful introduction to some of the issues around educational gaming.”
Paul Pivec: “Does Game Based Learning Really Exist?”
View more presentations from Learning Without Frontiers.
I have been getting a few emails and trackbacks to my posts on Prezi (thank you).
Since Prezi started the new accounts for educators and students, giving us more space and some new features, I thought I’d share this Prezi on how to use the system for a more ‘enhanced’ and ‘complete’ experience.
- Hint: use the full-screen option, it’s easier to read and work with.
PS. No, I am not involved with the company in any way, I just really like the product.
I’ve recently come across these things called ‘QR Codes’, and have been blown away by the possibilities. I’ll start organising my thoughts in a series of blog entries here so please be sure to subscribe to either the email updates, the RSS feed, or follow me on Twitter to get the latest.
Before I go all weird and lose you, I’d better explain (for those who don’t know what I’m talking about) what a QR code is;
“A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994.” Source: Wikipedia
” By carrying information in both directions [2d], QR code can carry up to several hundred times the amount of data carried by an ordinary bar codes.” Source: QR Code.com
“Anyone with a smartphone can scan and read QR codes with the click of a camera, and anyone with access to a computer can generate QR codes themselves” Source: 5 Unique Uses for QR Codes
You can find these barcodes on a variety of different objects these days, from a Pepsi bottle, to a tattoo (!), a coat or scarf, or even on the side of a building. Yes, I did say the side of a building – it’s in Japan and ispossibly the first of it’s generation: the QR Coded building.
So, irrespective of where you find these, what are they for? The code can store all kinds of information, from a web address to a secret page (or series of mobile games in the case of the Pepsi bottle) to contact information (Vcard) to phone number and SMS details.
The below YouTube video from IETScreencasts introduces QR Codes.
So, what can QR Codes be used for? Try some of these examples;
- Ticketing – originally designed for information that is too large to be held in the standard vertical-bar barcode, the QR code is an excellent way for keeping track of items in a warehouse. Not to be outdone, it has also been used for concert registration.
- Marketing – Pepsi have been putting these codes on bottles and cans which, when processed, open up otherwise hidden areas of their website for mobile games and competitions. It has also been used on bar coasters to promote beer or a bands new album. How about this for the gritty film “28 Weeks Later” instead of a usual billboard advert?
- Opening Times – Put the barcode on the door, even next to the list of opening times, and anyone can scan and re-use the code at any other time to check if you’re open before getting out of bed.
Google Local Business Service – Google are placing these codes on the stickers you get for the favourite place by letting “customers – and potential customers – instantly learn more about a business, by visiting a mobile version of the business’ Place Page on any supported phone.” Here’s one for my favourite eatery in Bournemouth called the Urban Reef.
- Treasure Hunt – As with all treasure hunts, you plan the route and place the codes in places. You can cover a building or an entire town with them (don’t litter!) but the code is the direction from one to the next.
What else, and how can education use these things? Well, I’ll cover that in another post when I’ve collected my thoughts and read a little more around the subject.
The following presentation, from Arun Basil Lal, ticks so many boxes it hurts; content, visuals, style, concise, etc. Along with this there are so many nuggets of information that we should all be aware of (when writing and writing for blogs).
Read and enjoy Arun’s presentation “How To Write An Awesome Blog Post”
How To Write An Awesome Blog Post
View more presentations from Arun Basil Lal.
- fast track – road in motion from Crestock Stock Photos
Steve Wheeler (aka Twitter timbuckteeth) has been writing a series of articles on how distance education has “developed and the influences it has had on our current education provision”.
I am not going to repeat what he says, but I would strongly recommend you read the articles, and the comments, and join in the discussion on his blog – http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/
Below are a few thoughts I’ve had, and submitted to Steve as comments too;
“The space between us all” : Pt. 1
“Distance is almost always conceived of as being geographical in nature. In class I often ask my students ‘what is the distance between you and I?’ Their first answer is always an approximate measurement of feet, yards, or (if they live in continental Europe) in metres. I then ask them to reconsider their response. I ask them what other distances there are between us. After a little consternation and head scratching, the light comes on and they begin to respond in terms of other ‘distances’.”
I’m sure a lot of us already understand this concept, but then it’s been our business to know the differences between the different types of distances (geographical, religious, emotional, etc). It is those who think only in terms of distance measurement that we need to get through to. The techniques in distant learning offer very different, but still positive enhancements to learning experiences when ‘merged’ (I hate that word) with face-to-face contact time.
“Short hand, long distance” : Pt. 2
“Even today, in the advent of digital technology, ubiquitous communications and web based learning, the vast majority of distance education is still reliant on mailed out, paper based material and the humble correspondence course.”
Very true, but is this out of necessity or because it is what is (wrongly) expected by the students? Distant education courses do not equal eLearning courses, although that is not to say they can never be the same. Distant education does not imply any kind of deliverable expectation, only an expectation on the type of learner and learning. eLearning, on the other hand, does imply a specific tool set (computer based or online) through a specific medium of delivery.
“First degree burns” : Pt. 3
“Moulton’s [1849-1924] … innovative ideas could go no further at Cambridge – they crashed and burned. It’s probable that Moulton’s colleagues were concerned about issues such as quality assurance and the means through which assessment of learning would be achieved and authenticated.”
In some respects we are still encountering the same issues today. With more online tools coming to the market each week (some even free), people like me (Learning Technologist) are forever badgering the academics to look at this or that and trying to show them how it can improve student engagement, or reduce time in assessing and providing feedback. Not everyone is in favour of using technology in education, and not everyone is comfortable with it either. I hope we’re not as backward as they were in the late 1800’s but we must recognise that the educator has to be ready to sue the technology, and so does the student. While Moulton was trying to use a model of distant education based on the postal system, we are trying to base ours via the always-on Internet and tech-hungry student population. As Steve says, Moulton “realised his dream and in 1892 was able to establish the first degree programme delivered via correspondence”. Well done.
“Making a difference” : Pt. 4
“We must remember though that good pedagogy does not just happen because technology is being used. Good pedagogy takes place when teachers use technology appropriately and creatively. That is what can make the difference.”
This comes back to what I have always said; don’t use technology because you can, use it because it is appropriate to what you want to do. This is what I call my “considered approach” to designing learning materials, assessments, collaboration, work, etc.
“Come the revolution…” : Pt. 6
“… in order for students to learn effectively from new technology, it will first be necessary for their teachers to accept a new model of learning. This new model is premised upon educators rejecting the role of the model where the teacher is the ‘knowledge provider’ and instead, adopting of the role of the facilitator.”
In many cases this is the only stumbling block to using new techniques and new technology in an otherwise ‘known’ environment. For every innovator who welcomes new tools and tries their hand at something new, even if it may not work, there are the detractors who will stubbornly stick their heads in the sand in the hope that it will all blow over and they can go back to their acetate overheads.
“Computers brought the world to the classroom. Now smart mobile versions are taking the classroom out into the world.”
We are living in exciting times, we are constantly at the pinnacle of human endeavour, as Stephen Fry puts it. Advances in technology, and how we see and use it, will always require someone to try it out and push the boundaries. I am humbled by the company I keep that I am among some of the greatest innovators.
“The sage on the stage is rapidly becoming the guide on the side.”
“Ringing the changes” : Pt. 7
“The social presence of the telephone (the perception that you are connected to the other person) is very high, and many prefer it to so-called richer media such as videoconferencing. We often forget that telecommunication methods are the backbone upon which the Internet and other global communication methods have been based.”
What I am finding is that, as we have all grown up with the telephone, we are comfortable with this media to ‘converse’. Video conferencing is relatively new and, therefore, an unknown medium for communication. Most people shy away from cameras and video cameras, and that is when they are at home or on holiday. The same is true for when they are at work; they get very self conscience when they know the camera is pointed at them.
If the invention of the telephone lead us to the Internet and video conferencing, where could the Internet possibly be leading us?
“Man of vision” : Pt.8
“The computer and television together provide the basis upon which visual communication and global information access is achieved.”
The work of a few pioneering individuals has shaped the world we live in. They did it for the adventure and not for the acclaim or cash – that was when adventurous people like Nelson or Edmundson were hero-material, not pop-stars or wannabe famous talentless wasters like Beckham or Hilton!
But what of today’s innovators? Are they doing it for the right reasons? All technical development is being done by ‘employees’ of a few big companies (Apple, Sony, LG, etc) so can we say they’re doing it for the fame and cash (they’re certainly not doing it in their shed like the pioneers of the 19th and early 20th century innovators were).
“University of the second chance” : Pt. 10
“The OU’s current foray into electronic forms of learning such as web based learning and computer mediated communications is an extension of its tried and tested model of distance-blended learning.”
My only query about the OU is are they still the leaders in the field of distance education (as they once were) or are they playing catch-up? I know of many instances where online submission of assignments is standard (whether the programme is fully online or not) but from conversations from some local OU tutors and OU students it seems that the OU is only just starting this practice.
“Spinning the Web” : Pt. 11
“[Tim] Berners-Lee has campaigned tirelessly to keep the World Wide Web open and free, and this is possibly one reason why it remains largely an un-policed, imaginatively fertile and unpredictable aspect of distance education.”
This is also why it has become so popular and such a source of amusement and contention; anyone can have their 15 minutes of fame via the Internet (remember the Star Wars Kid, and the inevitable remixes?). The availability of hardware to access the Internet has become cheaper as we strive to improve (and shrink) technology, which has led to more ad more people owning Internet-ready devices, and for companies to blend different hardware (the camera-phone?).
Thank you for this series Steve, it’s been great reading the history behind where we are today, and to gain insight on where we may be heading.
One another PLE-related note, please see Steve’s presentation called “It’s Personal: Learning Spaces, Learning Webs” below; he is certainly writing a lot about PLEs at the moment (when does he get the time to work?).
View more presentations from Steve Wheeler.
I’ve extolled the virtues of Prezi before, and have shared my first example presentation (see related links below for URLs).
Now, however, the bods over at Prezi have been listening to the comments that have been posted to twitter and they’ve ‘released’ an account for educators and students.
What’s the fuss, I hear you cry? The fuss is that you can now do more, and it’s still free.
Last week there were three account types;
- Public: free, 100mb space and all your work has the Prezi watermark (not so bad).
- Enjoy: $59 per year, 500mb space, set work to private, and no watermark.
- Pro: $159 per year, 200mb space, work offline, and the same as the Enjoy above.
But now there is the ‘Edu’ packages of the above;
- Public: same as public above.
- Edu Enjoy: same as Enjoy above, but free!
- Edu Pro: same as Pro above but only $59 per year.
The Edu packages don’t have the Prezi watermark on the final presentations, but they do have a brief ‘educational’ use text shown while the presentation loads.
Upgrade
If, like me, you already had a Prezi account, you’ll find you can’t just simply sign up for the new Edu accounts. You’ll have to login to Prezi, then ‘upgrade’ your account. Enjoy.
Video
You can now embed YouTube videos in a presentation, whereas before you would have to download them and load the media file into Prezi. This is not limited to the Edu accounts.
Manual
I’ve been playing and using Prezi for a couple of months and am fairly confident I know what I’m doing (most of the time) but they have also produced this manual – Prezi Online Manual.
Interface
Another really important upgrade feature, other than the new graphical interface (not sure yet, I grew to like the old one, which is still available for the moment):
The helpful folks at Prezi have put this presentation together for you, to show you around the new interface/navigation.
Using Prezi
If you’re still not convinced about Prezi, how to use it, or whether it looks ‘professional’ or not, it was used recently at the TEDGlobal conference in July 2009 by James Geary (below)
Take a look through this list of interesting, quirky, and useful tips & tricks for Google Wave: “The Ultimate Google Wave Guide for Students: 100 Tips, Tools, and Tricks”
Some little nuggets I especially liked are:
- Live collaborative editing: David Wang of the Wave team explains the collaborative editing feature.
- Tag waves: Add tags to make it easier to find waves and blips.
- Filter waves: For optimum organization, filter waves by saving searches.
- Google Wave on iPhone: View the web dev preview of the iPhone application for Google Wave.
Surf on over to the full list to find out how to get the best from Google Wave.
Blackboard have announced they’re releasing a custom toolbar for IE and Firefox users;
“Get notifications directly from your Blackboard Learn system with an easy-to-use browser toolbar. You’ll receive regular updates of new content items, grades, discussions and announcements. And you’ll save time and energy with an automatically generated set of links that give you one-click access to all of your courses.”
I’ve installed it and got it running in IE7 (although I usually use Chrome for the majority of my browsing, Blackboard doesn’t work well in it so I use IE7 for all Blackboard activity). However, when I try and login it crashes the browser, the same happens for Firefox 3 as well.
Is anyone using it yet, any comments on how it works, it’s effectiveness, etc, then please let me know, I’d be interested to know.
