Stephen's Web

OLDaily

by Stephen Downes
April 9, 2009

Where is ICT Leading Education
A shortish presentation talking about where the older model of online learning and how the newer model reshapes that, followed by a series of pointed questions and answers. Very different from the usual fare. No slides Presentation by Stephen Downes, Australian College of Educators, Melbourne, Australia, [Link]

Learning 2.0: Learning Today and Tomorrow
Workshop - the audio is roughly two hours - on the design and structure of a connectivist course. The real changes in eLearning will not come from the area of technological innovation but rather pedagogical innovation. Stephen Downes will speak on how ICT can be used now and in the future to improve teaching and learning. His talk will be based on research, debate in the field and new thinking about education. Stephen's concept of Learning 2.0 addresses digital learning and the need for communication, interaction and open access to the creation and use of knowledge in learning. Participants of this seminar will learn about the capacity of digital learning to enable inclusiveness, flexibility to support diverse learning styles and innovation for improved learning in education. Commentary from Lisa Wise (very good, very detailed), tsheko, Jenny Luca. Presentation by Stephen Downes, ACER Melbourne 2009, Melbourne, Australia, [Link]

Connectivist Learning and the Personal Learning Environment
In this talk to the University of Wollongong I talk about the principles that informed the Connectivism course and then apply them in the description of the design of the course and assessment of how it went. Coverage by John Larkin. Presentation by Stephen Downes, Invited Talk, Wollongong, Australia, [Link]

Climbing the Collaboration Curve
Jay Cross cites John Hagel III, John Seely Brown and Lang Davison, who write: "the more participants - and interactions between those participants - you add to a carefully designed and nurtured environment, the more the rate of performance improvement goes up." All very well, but they made it up. No such effect has been measured. Does it matter that it's a "well designed" environment? Does it matter how we define performance? No idea. That's what counts for the published elite these days. Jay Cross, Informal Learning Blog , April 9, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Books, Interaction] [Comment]

Solar Power for Your Small and Big Mobile Devices!
Looking for more of this. Solar and wind, really, are the way of the future. That, and devices that run on microcurrents. Inge de Waard, Ignatia, April 9, 2009 [Link] [Tags: none] [Comment]

Imagining a WeLE
Michael coins "new and interesting something a "Wiki'ed Learning Environment", or WeLE." Like a welly, maybe, a Wellington boot? Michael Feldstein, e-Literate, April 9, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Wikipedia] [Comment]

Systems Approach of Designing Instruction

One day I need to write about the distinction between systems and networks - I remember getting all tied up into knots with Scott Wilson over this when he was channeling Stafford Beer. This post is about a more recent systems model, the Dick and Carey model. It's interesting to compare the Beer diagram (above) with the Dick and Carey diagram and with the Warlick diagram (below). Gina Minks, Adventures in Corporate Education, April 9, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Networks] [Comment]

What Does Broadband Mean?

As you know, I've had issues with bandwidth here in Australia, and today am paying $Aus 30 for one day of access barely adequate for a short newsletter. Australia has recently announced a broadband initiative, but what is significant is that the government here has (finally) realized that a private system will cherry-pick and overcharge. Canada privatized its telecom infrastructure a few years later than Australia and enjoys a relatively faster broadband, but the chart shows that we're lagging too. And as for the U.S., well, the internet has always been slow there. This is the time to build broadband, for the government to build broadband, when costs will be low and the need never greater. Anyone listening in Ottawa?
Dave Warlick, 2 Cents Worth, April 9, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Newsletters, Canada, Bandwidth, Australia] [Comment]

Solutions for Dropout Prevention
The diagram supporting this post reminds me of the argument maps Tim van Gelder used to make. Warlick is working from an article posted by Wes Fryer, using an Inspiration diagram. "I, like Fryer, put the individualized graduation plan at the center of the diagram, with expectations, intervention, and a lot of input from staff, parents, and the student - establishing a meaningful high school experience." Dave Warlick, 2 Cents Worth, April 9, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Schools, Visualization, Experience] [Comment]

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