Jimmy Wales on the birth of Wikipedia

In order to understand the way that Web technologies have opened up the doors of education, I suggest watching this video from TED. Wikipedia's model is a perfect example of how an open, democratic platform for the curation and delivery of knowledge can be the most authentic for learners.

And, hey ... did you know that Jimmy Wales is a Huntsville native?

Free fonts!

I just added a list of free font Web sites to our list of resources on the right! It's important to be creative with typefaces and fonts that are eye-catching and easy to read when preparing digital curriculum. You also must make sure that the font is not substituted by a learner's computer system if it can't find the same font in its library! Contact me in the ODEeL if you'd like help using unusual fonts in your curriculum and would like to know our secret for "freezing" them into your layouts and never having to worry about font substitution again!

These are easily downloadable on both Mac and PC platforms. Just download the one you want, open the ZIP file by double-clicking and then double-click the TTF or OTF (TrueType Font or OpenType Font) file in the folder. It will ask if you want to install the font in your system and you simply agree. Then open your programs and see your new fonts on your type menus!

Let me know if you need assistance with this or any other technical or design issue on your course development!

The Value of Disagreement

I sure hope that you all already know about TED. Margaret Heffernan's Dare to Disagree is one of the best TED talks I've heard yet, and I feel compelled to share it because of its social, cultural and academic implications. Please listen carefully when she talks about the value of dissent in collaboration and research. From TED:

Most people instinctively avoid conflict, but as Margaret Heffernan shows us, good disagreement is central to progress. She illustrates (sometimes counterintuitively) how the best partners aren’t echo chambers—and how great research teams, relationships and businesses allow people to deeply disagree.

Sometimes, we all must agree to move forward. Sometimes, it takes disagreement for any forward movement to occur.

Do you encourage your learners and colleagues to disagree? 

MixCloud

Coolest tool I've seen since Pinterest! MixCloud is a Web-based server (free! unlimited!) for your "radio shows" and podcasts. Of course, you don't HAVE to be a content-provider/deejay in order to enjoy the offerings of all its members! The music offerings alone seem incredibly rich. But the applications for this unique cloud-based media server site also include talk radio/podcasting, documentary/news, politics, and education.

The site is just as easy to navigate for producers as it is for listeners. Users develop a unique profile and have access to group functions that allow each to affiliate with like-minded souls and to share similar content easily in a social media stream model.

In comparison to i-Tunes, MixCloud is a Web-based software environment that does not require a client-side application (download/install) on the user's device (although there is an app for mobile devices). Content is entirely free unlike at i-Tunes, which offers a mix of free and billable content (which requires a credit card affiliation with each i-Tunes account).

Although MixCloud content is free like YouTube's, here the radioshows are presented as one continuous file of presumably consistent quality. And—at this point anyway—the content is audio only. YouTube offers the ability to create video lists with continuous play that operate somewhat like a "radio show" but unless they were all produced by the same content provider, playback quality can vary widely and playback can involve some tedious monitoring. With MixCloud, the listener simply hits the play button and sits back to enjoy the entirety of the radio show/podcast.

The environment at MixCloud is ripe for use in e-learning. And not just for course delivery! I imagine a class in which students are asked to produce their own content in assessment of their learning. The MixCloud venue is the most open, democratic and free that I've seen since YouTube launched, with a little tighter structure holding the content together in simple, easily navigable formats (groups and categories).

I plan to do something fun with MixCloud. I don't know what yet, but when I do, you'll be the first to know!

The Online Pecking Order

HERE's MORE on the free, open courseware movement. How will (both) traditional brick-and-mortar universities (as well as the exclusively online degree industry) react to this game-changing movement? Stay tuned.

Berkeley Joins 'EdX' Effort to Offer Free Open Courses

It's happening fast. Faster every day. HERE is another example of a traditional university joining the FREE and OPEN COURSEWARE movement. According to the article from The Chronicle, another 120 colleges and universities are queued up to join the EdX effort. In fact,

George Siemens, a pioneer of offering free open courses ... said he has been surprised by how rapidly major universities are moving ... “I can’t recall a time when universities at one moment have responded en masse as aggressively and as collaboratively,” he said.

For more information about the EdX movement, check out the project site as well as THIS ARTICLE on Wikipedia. And be sure to read the last few blog posts on this subject (scroll through the past few or do a search on the blog).

Stay tuned!

Change

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. 

(Unknown)

Harvard & MIT Launch Revolution

It is a logical next step in the incredible revolution to which we are all bearing witness. You owe it to yourself, whatever your level of enthusiasm for e-learning, to READ THIS.

This article is not conjecture, wishful thinking nor strategic planning. It has happened! It's happening around us. There are already programs granting credits (via CLEP) and certificates for free online offerings, which are promising some major impacts on higher education with rippling effects yet incalculable.

“Online education is not an enemy of residential education,” Hockfield said, “but rather an inspiring and liberating ally.”

Is it surprising that there could be hundreds of thousands of learners eager to participate who otherwise would not have the time, money and/or confidence to enroll in traditional academic programs? What incredible discoveries, breakthroughs, inventions and intellectual adventures await the expansive class, the institution, the academic community ... the greater culture as a whole? I believe that we are going to witness the unearthing of a vast intellectual power otherwise left untapped by mere logistical obstacles! This is incredibly exciting news!

She added that in facing the dramatic changes brought about by technology, “You can choose to view this era as one of threatening change and unsettling volatility, or you can see it as a moment charged with the most exciting possibilities presented to educators in our lifetimes.”

We need not be threatened by this revolution. It's time to embrace it. It's time to see that by opening the doors of our programs even wider, we are exposing more minds and hearts to education, and enhancing the richness of human potential, the depth and breadth of human knowledge and the texture of human experience.

At the present time, the courses are limited in number and entire degree programs are not yet attainable in this approach. Yet. I can't imagine that the movement will stop here. So why would a learner choose to enroll in a "traditional online program" (did you think we'd be saying THAT so soon?) rather than avail themselves of the free curriculum being offered online? What will differentiate us in the pool of global choices for an online degree?

In a word? Engagement. Engagement with an instructor or professor who personifies intellectual curiosity, wisdom, experience, dynamic breadth of knowledge, great communication skills and an insatiable desire to learn themselves. Ideally.

Wait! And assessment. How well can an automated computer program assess knowledge and learning, especially learning that is more qualitative than quantitative in nature?

But that begs the question: how well are we assessing learning NOW? Our commitment to innovative and comprehensive assessment strategies has never been more important if we want to distinguish ourselves to learners and distinguish our learners to the professional world that awaits them. Assessment presents a prime opportunity to personalize our expertise, our energy, our passion and our commitment to learning. And since the most valuable assessment strategies are interwoven deeply into the learning experience, rather than being an afterthought logistic that "seals the deal" on a grade and credit hours, we have a unique opportunity here to lead our own revolution/s.

So what is your place in this revolution? Are you pushing ahead at the front of the movement or lingering in the back to see what happens next before you decide? What are you doing today that will enhance your teaching tomorrow? How can I help?

Fair Use/Copyright Decisions in Federal Court Affect e-Learning

Just a few months ago, a federal court in Georgia handed down a 350-page ruling that adds a lot of clarification—as well as some new confusion—to the application of copyright laws in terms of fair use in educational contexts (with heavy implications for e-learning).

The blog Scholarly Communications @ Duke (dedicated to news and analysis on subjects of copyright and publication issues in higher education) does a great job of summarizing the court's findings in THIS POST. In addition to a concise, salient analysis of Judge Evans' decision, the blog offers wonderful resources on issues of copyright, fair use and publication. I'll be adding it to our resource links at the right, but take a look!

I am especially interested in (and grateful for) Duke University sharing its policy on electronic course content with us via this resource in the blog's side bar:

POLICY ON ELECTRONIC COURSE CONTENT
For help deciding whether course content in Blackboard or some other digital form is fair use or requires copyright permission, consult this policy document adopted by the Academic Council in February 2008.

The document contains a handy, clear checklist for use by faculty to ensure that they are operating within legal frameworks when using the work of others. We'll be developing similar resources for AAMU in the near future and look forward to announcing their availability right here!

Blackboard course templates

Check them out HERE! Missouri State University offers three templates you can download and use with Blackboard 9.1. As they mentioned, these are not meant to constrict your creativity or flexibility with your curriculum, just to give you a starting point.

Let us know if you use them and how it goes! Is there a template you'd like for us to make available to you or your team? Let us know!

Come the Revolution

There's no doubting it. The revolution is here and it's not slowing down for anyone!

“I normally teach 400 students,” Ng explained, but last semester he taught 100,000 in an online course on machine learning. “To reach that many students before,” he said, “I would have had to teach my normal Stanford class for 250 years.”

Andrew Ng and colleagues have now created Coursera, a means of getting free and VERY low cost educational credits that will actually link successful learners to job and educational opportunities.

Anyone who works in traditional higher education and has been asking themselves, "Why do I need to be e-teaching and e-learning?" can read THIS and wonder no more. What are you doing to prepare yourself for the inevitable changes that are coming to—indeed, have ARRIVED in!—higher education?

How can we make the experience of an online education with a university steeped in brick-and-mortar tradition the path that a learner will choose in a global educational marketplace? The answer isn't simple, but it's clear; QUALITY INTERACTION with instructors/faculty in a personalized learning environment will be our calling card, and the experience of having taken our classes will be the legacy that learners talk about long after they're gone (a great form of marketing).

In order to make an impression on the world of e-learning (and its dynamic markets), we have to impress its learners with who we are, what we stand for and how we teach/learn. What is our brand? What do we stand for? What do we offer and what do we promise learners? Are we keeping that promise?

What is the thing your learners will remember most about your course/s? Are your skills and methods keeping up with Web technologies and e-learning trends?

Hey, Boo (Documentary Must-See)

I just watched an amazing documentary on PBS online and was reminded what a fabulous educational resource PBS' Web site is, especially for educators. Check it out here. There are even several special sections for educators like this one for the American Masters series!

And enjoy this documentary about Harper Lee, the writing of To Kill a Mockingbird and the way that its publication made contributions to the early Civil Rights Movement.

Watch Harper Lee: Hey, Boo on PBS. See more from American Masters.

Watch the Full Documentary with full-screen viewing capability at PBS.org.

When currencies meet objectives

Think about learning currencies and how they've changed over the past 20 years. The Internet went public in 1993 and ever since has been turning evolution into revolution in the practice of teaching and learning. Both bring about change, but the pace at which learning has been transformed by technology has been warp-speed. As program management and administration have become much more research-based, the tools (most free) have been developed to keep pace with bringing that level of rigorous inquiry and fact-based strategizing to the learner themselves. These tools provide venues for new millennium skill development in research and collaboration at all levels of learning.

In this interesting graphic, learning currencies inspire a way of looking at learning objectives and outcomes with an active, research- and collaboration-based approach to teaching and learning. These currencies can be exchanged in any academic field or topic.

What are the currencies in your classroom, virtual and on-the-ground? How do your currencies help form your learning objectives and meet your learning outcomes?

Huntsville school system trades textbooks for laptops & e-books

Have you heard? Huntsville schools are going digital with their textbooks! Check it out HERE!

What a forward-thinking move!

I think it will be great, said long-time school board member Topper Birney. Very quickly, it will save money. You don’t know how much we spend on textbooks, and once you buy a textbook it’s out of date the next day. 

Did you know that there are lots of FREE academic e-books out there for use in your classroom? Look through the resources links on the right of this page or just do a Web search for "free academic e-books" and see what's out there!

e-Books are not only more affordable (especially if FREE!) but are "dynamic" in that the information is more likely to be current and easily updated. Developing your course textbook-independent with e-curriculum has never been easier! 

Contact me at the ODEeL if you'd like a consultation on how we can help you locate and integrate these resources into your classes!

What treasures lurk in our learners?

The Nature of Change

"When we see the need for deep change, we usually see it as something that needs to take place in someone else. In our roles of authority, such as parent, teacher or boss, we are particularly quick to direct others to change. Such directives often fail, and we respond to the resistance by increasing our efforts. The power struggle that follow seldom brings results in change or brings about excellence. One of the most important insights about the need to bring about deep change in others has to do with where deep change actually starts." 

Robert E. Quinn

•••••••••••••••••••

"Quickest way to make change? Not the easiest, but the quickest.

• Don't demand authority.
• Eagerly take responsibility.
• Relentlessly give credit."

Seth Godin 

11 Strategies for Managing Your Online Courses

My friend and colleague sent a link to "Eleven Strategies for Managing Your Online Courses" and I wanted to share it with you all. I welcome any emails from folks who want to share good resources and information!

I am going to link this in the bar on the right to make sure it's easily accessible as well.

Thanks, Dr. McDaniel!

Are Online Discussion Forums Conversations?

One of the primary methods of engaging learners in an LMS-hosted learning environment is through the use of online discussion boards --- but is what happens on these boards REALLY conversation?

This article by Nancy Dixon (as gleaned from the OLDaily by Stephen Downes) talks about the differences and, in doing so, makes some good suggestions for making SURE that your online discussion forum hosts real conversation. As the author cites, "When conversations do occur in online forums, the learning and performance results go up."

What do you think?

Need help with Blackboard?

In light of pending deadlines for getting our courses certified and online, the Office of Distance Education/e-Learning is announcing the commencement of twice-weekly drop-in/hands-on labs for course developers stuck in the development process. Drop by Lab #1 (usually, with notes posted for anomalies) in the LRC EVERY Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 12:30 to 2:00 for over-the-shoulder support from Blackboard experts!

We can also schedule one-on-one and group consultations by appointment in the ODEeL for anyone who cannot make use of this opportunity.

Come see us!

Encouraging Student Participation: Daily Experts!

THIS ARTICLE suggests some simple techniques for encouraging the participation of learners in class discussion. The idea of "daily experts" could be easily adapted to "weekly experts" for an online course. The advice is practical and straight-forward but has big implications in both the theory and practice of teaching and learning. What do you think?

State-to-state Distance Education

There is an issue that has been brewing for a long time regarding the certification of distance education programs in state-to-state agreements to allow courses to be taught across state lines. I have no new information to add to this issue, but a great resource for tracking legislative updates and their impacts!

Check out the WCET blog and bookmark it! The handy resource links on the right are a gold mine of information and insight!

5 Innovative Animation Tools for Teachers

I haven't tried these yet. Have you? Animation is so critical to learner engagement, especially in online environments!

Pinterest anyone?

Have you heard about Pinterest yet? It's the latest in Web trends!

Basically, having a Pinterest account allows you to store Web links (like Favorites or Bookmarks) in an account that uses a visual form of indexing --- photos! Whether it's a recipe you want to keep, instruction manual for your printer or a news article you want to digitally "clip," Pinterest allows you to bookmark the site to your account with a big photo in your album to represent the page. When you choose to "pin" a page (via a browser tool you install by drag and drop), the site checks the page for all available photos and allows you to choose which will represent the link. It always stores the link to allow proper credit, but the link can also provide valuable archived information and reference material.

After using the account for a week or so, I'm getting a clear idea of how it could be leveraged in an online class as a resource for group projects/assessments. Imagine a class in which the students themselves go out and vet reference material on a given topic into a usable online resource for fellows in their field as well as themselves. They would be in charge of researching, locating, reading/watching, evaluating and organizing the material in a way that would make sense to a novice in their field as well as meet traditional academic standards and the standards set forth by the instructor.

The process itself would have inherent learning opportunities in real-life professional skill development such as collegial collaboration, effective information evaluation skills (this is all done under the supervision via engaged collaboration with faculty teaching the course) and information literacy in digital environments.
I am going to put together an informal session at the LRC for anyone interested in seeing how this works. If you let me know you're interested, I'll try to coordinate it so that everyone interested can attend.

Let me know if you need an invitation to Pinterest!

Tech-Happy Prof Reboots ...

This article was forwarded to me by one my most inspired (AND inspirational!) colleagues. I am posting the article link from Wesch's blog because I think the conversation that follows it in the comments is as valuable as the article, and provides a lot of context for all perspectives.

I would love to gather with anyone interested to discuss this article and the ideas it puts forth --- and many others! Whether formally or informally, we can start a series of serious discussions about the role of technology in learning and decide where our own teaching fits into the paradigms, both old and new.

Please contact me if you're interested in participating in such a discussion, even if you're reading from outside the AAMU campus community. Whether we do this face-to-face, online or some hybrid of the two --- we should be talking!

Let me know what you think!

Exemplary Course Program

What does a great course LOOK LIKE in Blackboard?

HERE is a list of exemplary courses delivered via the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) currently in use at AAMU. You can browse through past winners as well. Be sure to take a "course tour" of the courses via the "click here" link in the last column of the table. They each look quite different from each other, but ALL are deemed exemplary!

Although their designs are part of what makes these courses great, you'll notice that each expresses an individual style. This list illustrates that there is no SINGULAR formula for success in Blackboard. You just have to roll up your sleeves, design the course you would want to take for yourself if you were the learner --- and go for it!

The ODEeL is happy to announce that we now have fully functioning MAC and PC workstations set up for faculty course developers to use in course development. They run the latest and greatest Adobe software (e-Learning Suite and Creative Suite) on screaming fast hardware and will help you take your course development to the next level!

Digital media guru Everett Alexander is here to help train faculty course developers in the use of the computers and software, and/or to assist in the production of more complex projects. Contact us at the ODEeL to schedule your introductory session to the workstations --- and imagine your course taking off with all the tools and training you need to make it happen!

Reflection

The master of the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which; he simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both. (Buddha)

7 Misconceptions About How Students Learn

I'm just going to leave this here. (What do YOU think?)

And, this quote from Will Rogers --- from the article:

“It isn’t what people don’t know that hurts them. It’s what they do know that just ain’t so.”

ODEeL 2012 Training Schedule

HERE is the newest schedule for workshops for the ODEeL through the end of the fiscal year.

A few things you need to know:

1) Mouse over the workshop topic for more details/learning objectives. 

2) The schedule is subject to change. Anyone preregistered will be notified in advance. 

3) You may register for as many as you wish, but need to resubmit the form for each one. If you hit the back button after submitting, you won't have to refill the contact information fields.

You can REGISTER by CLICKING HERE.

Please join us!

"But where do I START?"

I have found that the overwhelming majority of faculty are very enthusiastic about and interested in e-learning. But because academicians are trained and educated primarily in their field of expertise, and not in the pedagogy (the art and science of teaching), they are often bewildered about where exactly to START the process of developing e-instruction.

THIS ARTICLE ("Harvard Conference Seeks to Jolt University Teaching") describes succinctly the ways that we can begin to rethink the educational process. It's important to remember that the challenges and weaknesses of higher education are shared across the spectrum of schools and universities.

In large part, the problem is that graduate students pursuing their doctorates get little or no training in how students learn. When these graduate students become faculty members, he said, they might think about the content they want students to learn, but not the cognitive capabilities they want them to develop. 

"It really requires someone to be doubly expert," Mr. Wieman said. As sometimes happens in some disciplines and departments, a few people develop deeper knowledge of pedagogy. These doubly expert faculty members, he said, can show colleagues how to apply new approaches to teaching the discipline.

It's not just YOUR institution or your TYPE of institution that struggles with training/teaching the methodology of sound instruction---we all do! The ODEeL is addressing faculty development from both technological and pedagogical perspectives. Effective e-learning requires that both are viewed as intertwined, as the digital pedagogy is far different in both theory AND practice. But we're here to help! And to learn together, inspiring each other and our learners to join us in the "sandbox."

If I had to give just three short pieces of advice to those just beginning the e-learning journey it would be these:

1) Don't be afraid of "failure." It takes experimentation with your content, your personality and your resources to find just the right combination of technology, content, instructor input and learner feedback to get the right mix, and that may change from semester to semester with emerging knowledge in your content area as well as changes in the personalities of learner groups. There is not a singular "best course design" and as long as you're engaged in the delivery of the course, you CAN'T GO WRONG! Keep your course design flexible and dynamic, and you'll be able to keep up with the constant changes!

2) Role play! Put yourself in the position of the learner in your class and try to see your course design with what Buddhists call "beginner's mind." A blank slate, not yet painted with the assumptions of prior knowledge or experience. If you have a hard time "forgetting" all that wisdom and expertise you have accumulated over the years, perhaps you can test drive your e-curriculum on peers or students who can give you a more objective perspective of your course design. It's important to think of the experience from others' perspectives in order to identify and address their unique and ever-changing needs. 

3) Engage! By that, I suggest that you engage yourself in the study and practice of the field of e-learning---as an engaged LEARNER! Take advantage of all the research, practice, resources available out there for you to form your own path of lifelong learning. As you learn, you will also teach. By becoming (and/or staying) the learner, you add a valuable tool to your toolbox --- experience as an e-learner! Nothing teaches you to be a more effective instructor better than being a learner under others' instruction for awhile. Keep notes! Compare notes! Share notes! And if you simply don't have time for all that study, just keep coming HERE to my blog where I will continue to point you in the direction of the greatest tools, resources, research and support available today. I don't know even a fraction of what's out there, so your contributions to my posts will help make it a better blog for ALL readers and learners!

The Internet and e-learning have made the field of education more dynamic and collaborative than ever. Not only can you share the benefit of your experiences and expertise, but you can benefit from that of others every day that you spend in pursuit of academic excellence. The "sandbox" is a place to meet and experiment, play and learn in a freeform manner that allows new discovery and the occasional "failure." You'll see SANDBOX used throughout the field of e-learning in both noun and verb forms, the same way that GOOGLING has become its own phenomenon.

What advice would you give? And what do you need to move forward?

Free & Open Textbooks: They're HERE!

It's important to remember that there are a LOT of quality textbooks out there for your use in designing online instruction. You are NOT bound to expensive textbooks! (And could that affect enrollment, retention and academic outcomes in your class if every student could have instant and free access to the text? I think, YES! and in very positive ways!) Check out Flatworld, a huge repository of free and open textbooks --- and rethink your course design! From their site:

We are the world's largest publisher of free and open college textbooks. With our ever-expanding catalog of top quality books by expert authors, now is your chance to be a hero and help your students save thousands of dollars. Get started today and join the textbook affordability movement.

Let me know if you find something you can use!

Social Media for Universities: Best Practices for Attracting Students, Employees, and Donors

This excellent and succinct advice is good for any university or college struggling to attract students, donors, faculty and staff. The most key point, in my opinion, is the importance of integration of social media into every department, both academic and administrative. The tools listed on these resource pages aren't just for certain age or grade levels---they can be the social channels by which you reach the audience you want to attract to your course, your program, your institution. How are YOU using social media to enhance education?

LapPaq: Lab Material Bundles for Online Science Wet Laboratories--Delivered to Learners!

Now THIS makes some sense! I haven't evaluated it for cost, but our new colleague and digital media guru Everett Alexander heard the Webinar and thought it of value to share with you scientist types! Apparently, you can customize the kit to your curriculum/labs and the company delivers straight to the learners. Is the cost comparable to that of lab fees in a traditional setting? Please help me evaluate that very question. Let me know what you think!

100 Teaching Tools You Should Know About

This is a SlideShare powerpoint covering 100 essential technology tools for educators. It's worth a look to make sure that something amazing hasn't passed you by! And if you find one there I haven't mentioned here, please share!

9 Ways to Learn a New Language Online

This list provides valuable resources for learning foreign languages online! Some cost, some are free. Let me know what you use and how you like it!

How to Create a Rigorous Wet Lab Experience for Online Science Courses

This webinar appear to have no cost! I registered myself and was not asked for payment information. It may be particular to a product, but I'm hoping to watch as it could give us new ideas and perspectives. Join the fun!

Ultimate Guide to Apple's New Education Initiative

It's all HERE!

Algebra II comes to life!

This video was a class project for an Algebra II class and was produced by a very talented student named Andrew Paluszak from NC! The production of the video was a form of assessment, and now the instructor can use this as a learning object in their course ... GO ANDREW!

The Ideal Professor Vs. the Typical Professor

This excellent article was sent to me by a friend and colleague --- and I found it interesting that there's not a huge difference between the two. Which are you? Ideal or typical? What would it take for you to become the ideal professor? And how can we help?

FREE SYMPOSIUM: Exploring Quality in Online and Blended Education

I just signed up for this FREE online symposium entitled "Exploring Quality in Online and Blended Education." Won't you join me?

About the Virtual Symposia

The Sloan-C Online Research Education Symposia in 2012 are a series of 4 interactive presentations on research of critical importance to educators engaged in advancing online and blended education. The symposia will familiarize participants with the current research in each topic via multiple perspectives and emerging trends. Participants can pursue particular aspects of the topics via focused discussions and questions to the presenters. Dates & Topics Include: January 16 - 31, 2012 - Exploring Quality in Online Education April 19 - May 3, 2012 - STEM in Online Education August 23 - September 6, 2012 - Scale October 30 - November 13, 2012 - Policy Click here for more information.

The Uncool Teacher's Guide to Getting Hip

I'm not saying that an instructor needs necessarily to be hip --- you can't be all things to all hipsters, after all. But are you tuned in or dropped out?

Top 10 Free Online Tutoring Tools for 2012

I know people in SEVERAL departments who would like to know about these TOP 10 FREE ONLINE TUTORING TOOLS for 2012! Dig in and let us know what you love best!

Moodle Tool Guide (handy tool for course developers!)

This Moodle Tool Guide is a very handy tool whether you use Moodle or not, as most of the components such as quizzes and wikis can be used in any learning platform. This guide helps you move from learning objective to the proper online tools for meeting your need. Take a look and let me know what you think!

(It occurs to me that creating such a guide for a variety of knowledge areas --- biology, art, accounting, etc. might be a great way of assessing knowledge via a class or group project! Those projects which are of the highest quality can be used as learning objects in future courses! Start building your archive of learning objects by using creative assessment models! Contact me if you need ideas!)

Guggenheim puts 65 modern art books online ... FREE!

This is amazing news! Good news for those who teach art, as well as those who simply love art! Look around online (Open Culture is a great place to start!) for free resources for your classes. Don't forget that we have lots of resources to browse in the sidebar of this blog under LORs, Cool Tools and On The Web ... !

Let us know what you love best and what you want most to learn more about!

Directory of Learning & Performance Tools

This incredible list of over 2,000 digital tools for learning and working in education and the workplace was sent me to by the amazing Connie Mack! I have not yet delved into the list, but I can tell you that I can't wait to get in there and start digging!

Let us know what you try and whether you find it useful or not! There will be some workshops and hands-on laboratories coming up and we're open to suggestion on which tools you want to learn to use!

Integrating Google Tools for Teachers

I haven't vetted this site, but it looks promising!

Google+ for Universities

Here is a little primer on how Google+ can be used in higher education. Is Facebook pushing its userbase out and away? Are both platforms going to be critical to reaching all stakeholders?

What are you doing with these platforms in your work in higher education?

5 Things Students Want Their Teachers to Know about Online Learning

This fabulous article (and tech ideas!) applies to learners of all ages in an online learning environment. What are you doing to engage your students online?

How Collaborative Learning is Shaping the Future of Education

Many in higher education agree that while some of the traditions hold value worth preserving, many of the paradigms are outdated and no longer effective. I am, myself, a strong advocate of replacing the COMPETITIVE models ingrained in education to COLLABORATIVE ones, but to do so we must begin on very basic and grassroots levels.

Does a massive redesign of higher education (or all education, for that matter) begin with administration? With faculty? With students? Who is responsible for taking the risks and giving new ideas a chance? Well, basically we ALL are responsible to some degree, but it's worth noting that a great deal can happen in the design of our coursework. Once we adapt and adopt the technological strategies to support our efforts, learners are often able to balance the load and take on increasingly active roles in the learning process.

This article makes some excellent points---I especially loved this quote:

“Social” probably isn’t the right word to picture a successful digitally-integrated education, as social media isn’t the key component. Instead, think “collaborative.” Historically, the academic model has focused on teaching rather than learning.

How can we change our focus from teaching to learning? What tools are you using to increase the role of the student in both his/her OWN learning, as well as in the learning of their peers? Is your course teaching real world skills in problem-solving and collaboration?

9 Tools for Using Wikipedia in the Classroom

There are lots of varying opinions about Wikipedia, but most who really know the Web site really love it. There are many misconceptions about Wikipedia and how its information is gathered and verified---for anyone who has not yet viewed this TED talk by Wikpedia founder Jimmy Wales, I HIGHLY recommend you do so before forming your opinion about Wikipedia's value as a research tool.

That said, here are 9 Tools for Using Wikipedia in the Classroom.

More to come on this hot topic!

ScribLink meets Screencast-o-Matic!!! (You saw it here!)

No downloads, and both the white board software and video capture software ... FREE! See the "Cool Tools" section on this page for links!