All about: Technologies of Online Learning (McGreal, J. & McNamara, S. 2003)
After my last effort which clocked in at a fairly ridiculous 4000 words, I’ve decided to take a more sane approach and really just try to focus on the heart of these articles.
This article on possible uses of current technology was written in mid-2003 and while many aspects of it are still quite pertinent, some already seem a little quaint. There is a large focus on what might be done, less so on what is being done and it takes a slightly tech-evangelical bent at times – but it’s nice to see enthusiasm.
In short:
- Edutainment is the meshing of education with entertainment
- Audio and video files are large and accessibility issues should be considered
- Streaming’s advantage is that files begin to play while they are still being downloaded
- As chunk 1 of a file is playing, chunk 2 is being downloaded. When chunk 2 plays, chunk 1 is deleted and chunk 3 is downloaded (Funnily enough, I didn’t actually realise that chunks were deleted)
- Uses of audio – lectures, guest speakers, student projects, classroom interaction, audio files, music performances, readings of language pieces,
- Uses of video – lectures, demonstrations of how to do things, adding motivation/interest to content
- Push technology creates channels to put created content on desktops (This has been and gone and surpassed by pull technology such as RSS)
- Educators should be watchful that push technology is used in schools for educational, not commercial purposes in schools
- VOIP – it works and is cheap and good for distance learning and accessibility
- Uses of VOIP – supplement to classroom based e-mail pen pal programmes, good for language, cultural exchange
- Web Whiteboard tools – useful for collaboration, graphical display and brainstorming
- Instant messaging – useful for immediate communication between teachers and students
- Handheld/Wireless/Mobile technology – it’s coming and will be bigger than Ben Hur (It’s here, some uses but we’re still waiting for the oohh-ahhh moment I think)
- Uses of mobile learning – accessibility
- Peer to peer file sharing – good for exchanging files (well duh) and setting up repositories of learning objects
- Knowledge objects – discrete items which might be image, text, video, audio etc
- Learning objects – Knowledge objects with a lesson attached to them.
- Usefulness of learning/knowledge objects – breaking learning into digestible chunks.
Looks like they missed the whole Web 2.0 boat, as well as Learning Management Systems, Personal Learning Environments and a few other things.
Not a bad article for an overview of some things but definitely a reminder of how quickly things are changing.
Add comment April 19th, 2007
