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OLDaily is currently being produced by Barry Dahl (BD), Harold Jarche (HJ), and Gary Woodill (GW).

by Stephen Downes
July 11, 2008

Using Visuals to Discover Deep Metaphors
Christine Martell reflects on the differences between "deep metaphors" and "surface metaphors", and the role of visualization. The metaphor of depth reminded me of the distinction made by John Biggs between "deep learning" - self-directed learning based on learner's interests - and "surface learning" - the memorization of facts.

Michelle Martin comments on Christine's post, and highlights Christine's quote from an article entitled "Why Don't Managers Think Deeply?"

In decrying the lack of what they call "deep thinking" among managers and especially those responsible for marketing, they suggest some things that get in its way. Among them are:

1. reluctance to take risk, especially when short-term performance is at stake,
2. the fear of disruption resulting from "thinking differently and deeply,"
3. the potential psychological cost of changing one's mind resulting from deep thinking,
4. the lack of information providing deep insights on which to base deep thinking.

A good discussion that is worth reading and commenting on. -GW
Christine Martell, VisualsSpeak Blog, July 11, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Visualization, Online Learning, Marketing] [Comment]

Brain Games: Do New Controllers That Purport to Interpret Brain Activity Really Work?
The latest interfaces for gamers are devices that sense brain waves and use them to control game play. Two California companies and their products are described in this article, along with some skeptical comments from neuroscientists. A side use of this technology is the development of software and hardware for people with disabilities to control equipment and their environment. The deployment of technology like this and the Wii remote control suggests that the use of keyboards for controlling computers is going to be diminished in the near future. -GW Emily Singer, Technology Review, July 11, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Wii, Gaming] [Comment]

New Design for My Smile Sheet
My colleagues and I often discuss what corporate training managers are looking for. One answer that keeps coming back is that they looking for practical materials that they can use to solve everyday problems. Will Thalheimer, for example, has tried to create a new "smile sheet", the kind often handed out at the end of a workshop or course. What he proposes has a lot of merit and is based on research on how to give feedback. Thanks, Will! -GW Will Thalheimer, Will at Work Learning, July 11, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Research] [Comment]

Launch of Future of Media: Strategy Tools Framework
Rosss Dawson has published the Future of Media 2008 with its key frameworks: Future of the Media Lifecycle; 7 Driving Forces Shaping Media; and the Strategy Tools framework. Since much of education concerns media, this highly visual report should be of great interest to educational technologists. -HJ Ross Dawson, Trends in the Living Networks, July 11, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Books] [Comment]

Lee Bryant @ Reboot - The Network Era Is Here To Stay
Jon Husband has been talking about new organisational models for a long time. In spite of the possibilities of "wirearchy", Jon still feels " ... that large organizations won't be disappearing any time soon. He also thinks that " ... many large corporations will be comprised of many small and some large networks, and those networks are made up of people - their brains, their emotions, and their motivations." Many people talk about the existing educational system collapsing but what may be more probable will be the co-existence of several large-scale and small-scale options. The embedded slideshow by Lee Bryant is worth watching as well. -HJ Jon Husband, Wirearchy, July 11, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Networks] [Comment]

High Cost of Driving Ignites Online Classes Boom
Increases in online enrollments for summer school have been getting a lot of attention as gasoline prices continue to rise. South Texas College saw a 35% increase in online this summer. Member schools of the Tennessee Board of Regents saw a 29% increase. U Mass Online had a 46% increase. One Missouri student claims to be saving $200 per month per month by taking courses in health, humanities and world music - all online. "I don't feel I get as much out of an online class as a campus course," Ms. Miller said. "But I couldn't afford any other decision." The increase at the Missouri school was 52%. -BD Sam Dillon, New York Times, July 11, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Schools] [Comment]

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