A new publication from Editorial Projects in Education, the publisher of Education Week, offers trend analysis and advice for K-12 technology leaders.
Source: Digital Directions (Fall, 2007), Editorial Projects in Education
Archive for the ‘Online Education’ Category
New Publication: Digital Directions: Trend Analysis and Advice for K-12 Technology Leaders
Monday, October 29th, 2007Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning…and other full-text reports on DocuTicker
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007Posted 23 October 2007 on DocuTicker:
+ Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning (Sloan Consortium)
+ Federal Student Aid to Undergraduates Shows Slow Growth, While Published Tuition Prices Continue to Increase (College Board)
+ Hidden Details: A Closer Look at Student Loan Default Rates (Education Sector)
ResourceShelf’s Weekend Best (RWB) #4: The Online Books Page
Sunday, October 14th, 2007ResourceShelf’s Sunday Best (RSB) #4: The Online Books Page
After one visit on you”ll be hooked. Full text books from numerous sources and a constantly updated “What’s New” list and feed.
WIPO Launches IP PANORAMA: Online E-Learning About Intellectual Property Issues For Small and Medium Size Enterprises
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007Access to the course materials is free.
From the web site:
IP PANORAMA was developed jointly by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) under a project entitled, ‘The Joint Development of E-learning Content’ from 2004 to 2007. IP PANORAMA was designed to help SMEs utilize and manage Intellectual Property (IP) in their business strategy. In the past, most of the IP education materials had a legal orientation, even though businesses had a real need for a business-oriented IP education.
IP PANORAMA relies on a brand new instructional design strategy based on ‘Storytelling’ along with educational technology. The learning content of each module was designed with a practical story regarding intellectual property. It is informative as well as interesting.
Their are ten learning modules:
+ Importance of IP for SMEs
+ Trademarks and Industrial Designs
+ Invention and Patent
+ Trade Secrets
+ Copyright and Related Rights
+ Patent Information
+ Technology Licensing in a Strategic Partnership
+ IP in the Digital Economy
+ IP and International Trade
+ IP Audit
Source: WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
Webcast from MIT: Learning Through Remixing
Thursday, September 20th, 2007Webcast from MIT: Learning Through Remixing
This program (93 minutes running time) was recorded on April 28, 2007 and added to the MIT World Video Library 11 days ago. The presentation is part of the MIT5 series.
From the synopsis:
If you are sufficiently new media literate, you might recognize this panel as a mash-up, combining but not homogenizing five distinctive interpretations of “remixing.†Each contributor has a unique project example to share, but in the end there is some convergence: remixing enables participation, and thus encourages creativity, ownership, and collaboration – the three attributes of contemporary digital culture celebrated in this edition of the annual Media in Transition conference…Some thorny issues surface, including how to explain to living artists why it is legitimate to “steal†their work for remixes, and why it may be especially important for young people of color to undertake the cultural work of determining where meaning is situated.
MODERATOR:
Henry Jenkins
Peter de Florez Professor of Humanities and Director of Comparative
Media Studies Program
PANELISTS:
Erik Blankinship
Co-founder, Media Modifications
Juan Devis
New Media Producer, KCET/PBS Los Angeles
Renee Hobbs
Associate Professor of Communication and Education, Temple University
Director, Media Education Lab
Ricardo Pitts-Wiley
Artistic Director, Mixed Magic Theatre
Alice J. Robison
Postdoctoral fellow, Comparative Media Studies Program, MIT
Source: MIT World
DNA: A Prosecutor’s Practice Notebook
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007DNA: A Prosecutor’s Practice Notebook
This free self-paced online training is designed to assist State and local prosecutors in preparing DNA-related cases for prosecution. The lessons cover a wide spectrum of topics relating to the science of DNA and its legal application in the courtroom. Lessons include:
* Investigating Cases Involving DNA
* Preparing Cases Involving DNA
* Presenting Cases Involving DNA
* Special Case Circumstances
* Lab Report Analysis
Source: DNA.gov
New/Updated Maps and Current/Historic Flooding Info (Worldwide)
Saturday, July 28th, 20072007 Global Register of Major Flood Events (via Dartmouth Flood Observatory)
See Also: Maps and Tables for Previous Years (back to 1985)Available Here
+ Map: World Flooding Underway (via Hews)
See Also: Iraq: Locations of Groups of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Iraq, July 2007
+ Reference Map of Gambia
+ El Salvador: Location Map
+ Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Location Map
+ Hungary: Location Map
+ Haiti: Location Map
+ Croatia: Location Map
+ Honduras: Location Map
+ Guatemala: Location Map
+ Grenada: Location Map
+ Guyana: Location Map
+ Greece: Location Map
+ Equatorial Guinea: Location Map
+ Guinea-Bissau: Location Map
+ Ghana: Location Map
+ Georgia: Location Map (JPG, 22k)
+ Georgia: Location Map
+ Fiji: Location Map
+ Ethiopia: Location Map
+ Eritrea: Location Map
+ Cuba: Location Map
Source: ReliefWeb, UNHCR, MapAction, Others
Databases: Help! I Need Help Finding an Empty Radio Frequency (U.S. only)
Friday, July 20th, 2007You’ve just purchased a iPod, portable satellite receiver, or something similar. Now, you need to find a radio frequency on the FM dial to listen to your tunes, satellite stations, etc. In some situations the FM transmitter is built into the product, in other cases, you’ll need to buy an i-Trip or something similar.
With the caveat that numerous variables come into play (in other words, there is no guarantee that these suggestions will work as predicted), Radio-Locator.com, one of the largest databases of radio stations in the world, now offers an “Unused FM Frequency” database for the U.S. only.
It’s easy to use. Simply enter a Zip Code and State (actually, you don’t even need to enter the state) and in a second you’ll see a graph and suggestions on the best frequencies to try so you can clearly hear whatever the device that requires an FM frequency. Of course, if you’re mobile, say you use an i-Trip, you’ll either need to track your route entering each Zip Code or just be ready to start searching for new frequencies once you leave your neighborhood.
+ The database looks at what frequencies are in use by over-the-air FM stations
+ The strength/power that those stations transmit at
Suggestions rate from great, to good, from OK to poor.
Again, these are only suggestions and places to begin your search for a clear frequency. The only way to know for sure is to fire up the device, your FM radio and begin scanning.
SBA and Trump University Launch Innovative Online Training Course for Entrepreneurs
Sunday, July 15th, 2007SBA and Trump University Launch Innovative Online Training Course for Entrepreneurs (PDF; 33 KB)
The U.S. Small Business Administration and Trump University have teamed together to develop a new free online training course on How to Start a Business on a Shoestring Budget, designed to help entrepreneurs understand how to take their small business ideas to market despite limited outside resources.
The SBA and Trump University have combined the best that each organization offers, bringing together a vast array of resources, information and experts to guide students through the essentials of planning and executing a business idea by bootstrapping, a common method used to minimize the amount of outside debt and equity financing needed from banks and investors.
How to Start a Business on a Shoestring Budget is a self-paced course available through the SBA’s Small Business Training Network, a virtual campus of business courses, trainings, education resources, learning tools and information assistance at www.sba.gov under the “Training” icon. It is a creative training experience and interactive assessment tool that features fictional entrepreneurs who are engaged in raising money for their small businesses, while the student entrepreneur provides advice on how to help evaluate readiness for starting a business. An added highlight is the availability of “Ask the experts” video clips, which are strategically featured throughout the course.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration
See also: Other free online courses from the SBA
Briefs: The “Search” Brand; Milestones: PubMed Central Hits One Million Article Mark; eSnips Adds Slideshow Feature; STM Future Lab Committee getting into gear
Thursday, June 28th, 2007+ Branding matters — even when searching (via Penn St. Live)
Even though a recent study shows that first page results vary from one engine to the next (much more than some would believe) a new study from Dr. Jim Jansen and co-author, Mimi Zhang shows that branding of the engine itself is key as much as the actual results.
We were sad to see that Ask.com*, Clusty, and Exalead were not included in the study. All offer features unavailable elsewhere that can also save the user time, effort, and aggravation. The challenge is to not only offer them but to also explain/demo/show how useful they can be especially when people tend to use what they already know. This study goes also shows that changing searcher behavior is quite a challenge.
Finally, where do specialty engines/verticals (both fee and free) fit in. We’re talking both about those available remotely from libraries, on company intranets, and on the web. How do they get convey their services for specific types of information and create a strong brand? In some cases, how do you get the point across that they are worth a fee? How can any of these tools save the time and effort of the searcher if they are unknown in the first place? Of course, one way is with some search or perhaps better said, online research training (think driver ed like) that librarians, educators and other info pros are fully capable of handling. It’s all about using the right tool at the right time. No one search tool is ideal in all situations. Thanks to PW for the news tip.
* Gary is Director of Online Info at Ask.com
Examples:
Clusty
++ Clusty
Note the dynamic clusters (by subject, source, sites) that can help increase precision with little effort and also help the searcher “see” things they might otherwise miss. A job search using Clusty also offers this technology as does SearchUSA.gov (also take notice of the FAQ’s at the top of the results). We’ve also like the ability to embed a result directly into the results list by simply clicking the magnifying glass icon.
Exalead
+ Note the page preview that when clicked takes you to a cached version of the page.
+ Numerous narrowing options available with just a click (language, format, site type, etc.)
+ Option to Customize the Home Page with Images of “Favorite Pages”
+ For the advanced search several options unavailable elsewhere (truncation, proximity, etc.)
Ask.com
Here are a few examples.
++ Focusing on things you don’t always find elsewhere and ease of use. Try Zip Codes Springfield, Boston Red Sox Logos Children’s Books, Market Cap General Motors, and/or The Rolling Stones.
Look for direct links to key resources (Smart Answers), binoculars (page previews), Zoom related results results to narrow/expand/ find related names and more. In the case of the Rolling Stones you can even preview popular tracks directly from the results page.
+ PubMed Central Hits One Million Article Mark
+ eSnips Adds Slideshow Feature
eSnips makes saving, storing, and sharing just about any type of content easy. Each account is given 5GB of storage space. Btw, you can also embed your slide show on any web page. Look for the slide show icon with folders that contain imagery.
+ STM Future Lab Committee getting into gear
STM is pleased to announce the creation of the Future Lab Committee, a high level brainstorming group on ‘Technology Trends’. When deciding to establish a new Standards and Technology Portfolio earlier this year, the STM Board identified the creation of the Committee as an important part of the portfolio.
New Edition Released: Version 68 of the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography is Now Available
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007New Edition Released: Version 68 of the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography is Now Available
The indispensable and important work of Charles W. Bailey, Jr. continues with Version 68.
This selective bibliography presents over 3,040 articles, books, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing efforts on the Internet.
See Also: Scholarly Electronic Publishing Resources (directory
of over 270 related Web sites)
Learn Chinese Online Free from the National Foreign Language Center
Monday, June 11th, 2007Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Chineese Learning Objects addresses the critical need for high quality materials by developing e-learning lessons that will help students improve their ability to read Chinese.
This project responds to a growing interest in Chinese language study that has not been met by an infrastructure of highly qualified teachers or excellent materials appropriate to secondary school students. Not only will the project provide an additional source of instructional materials, it will allow schools to use technology to moderate the effects of a severe teacher shortage by supplementing face-to-face instruction with technology-delivered learning activities.
Beginning in July 2007, instructional materials will be available via the Internet without costs, user ID, or password. In addition to meeting reading proficiency needs in secondary students, the materials will be accessible to students in lower level courses at colleges and universities, to government personnel seeking to improve their reading skills, and to the public at large. CD-ROMs will be available to schools that prefer an alternative to the online version.
Source: National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland
New from IEEE: Free Tutorials! This Month: Broadband Wireless Access: The Next Wireless Revolution
Friday, June 1st, 2007Free IEEE Tutorial on Broadband Wireless Access: The Next Wireless Revolution
Each month, IEEE Communications provides a selection of FREE tutorials, IEEE Communications Society’s Enhanced Conference Tutorial Program presents a collection of recent tutorials given at Communications Society-sponsored conferences. Each tutorial reviews current communications topics in network management and computer & wireless communications. This month’s featured tutorial is “Broadband Wireless Access: The Next Wireless Revolution…Available tutorials, which are 2.5 to 5 hours in length contains the original visuals and voice-over by the presenter.
See Also: Tutorial Home Page
Note: Tutorials are sponsored by various companies.
Source: IEEE
OpenCourseWare: An ‘MIT Thing’?
Saturday, May 12th, 2007OpenCourseWare: An ‘MIT Thing’?
In 2001, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shocked the education world by announcing that it would create a Web site whereby professors could make their course materials available to the electronic world for free. Five years later the OpenCourseWare (OCW) site contains materials for 1,400 courses with nearly 20 million visitors viewing MIT OCW content since October 2003. With other institutions beginning to follow MIT’s lead, has OCW started a revolution in education, or will it always be an “MIT thing� My essay explores the history of the OCW program; discusses site content, architecture, technology, and copyright policies; overall worldwide impact; and considers future directions of OCW.
Source: Searcher (via dList)
Now Online: TL INFOBITS April 2007
Monday, May 7th, 2007TL INFOBITS April 2007
Includes:
Web 2.O Projects in Education
NSF Report on Cyberinfrastructure Vision
The Promise of Blended Learning
Future Assumptions about Academic Libraries
Studies on Wikipedia Use
New Journal on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Using Virtual Worlds in Education Resource Guide
Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ITS Teaching and Learning division
Webcast: One Laptop per Child: Revolutionizing How the World’s Children Engage in Learning
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007Webcast: One Laptop per Child: Revolutionizing How the World’s Children Engage in Learning
A presentation by Walter Bender, President, Software and Content Development, One Laptop per Child Senior Research Scientist (on leave), MIT Media Lab. The program runs 70 minutes and was recorded at MIT on January 17, 2007.
In an informal conversation with an MIT Museum audience, Walter Bender describes the mission and progress of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) venture. The brainchild of Nicholas Negroponte and the MIT Media Lab, this enterprise aims to put low-cost ($100 or less!) laptops into the hands of a billion plus children in the developing world. The mission is not merely to supply inexpensive technology, but to provide a multi-purpose teaching tool, Bender explains, with hardware and software aimed at enabling kids to explore the world and express themselves.
Source: MIT
Research: Development of Lifelong Learning Through Libraries-Use of the Web Pages as a Marketing Channel in University Libraries of Sri Lanka
Monday, April 2nd, 2007Development of Lifelong Learning Through Libraries- Use of the Web Pages as a Marketing Channel in University Libraries of Sri Lanka
by J.J.G. Arachchige (2007)
Abstract: Lifelong learning is a concept that a person engages in learning process throughout the whole his/her lifetime by using acquired knowledge and skills, by experiencing in different circumstances, and critical thinking. It also means the obtaining of knowledge and know- how required for one’s living. Objective of this paper was to identify the role of libraries in Sri Lanka for the process of improving lifelong learning and identify strategies applicable from the e-marketing concept. Use of the web pages as a marketing tool among university libraries were examined by logging onto the homepages of respective libraries of government universities. Contents, strategic links, and the accessibility of these homepages were explored. However, this was not a technological exploration but a view in a marketing perspective. Underutilization of university libraries has become a common issue and it was assumed that implementation of Lifelong learning could address this issue to a certain extent.
Orientation of marketing can target the real need of users and retain users as lifelong learners. Web pages can be utilized in university libraries to interact with users, conduct live communication with them, develop information skills among users, and disseminate information directly to relevant individual or group. The success of this process leads to the proliferation of Lifelong learning. Thirteen home pages out of Fifteen were logged on. Almost all the pages have given priority to include contact details, history, general procedures of the respective library, online public access catalogue, staff details, and free electronic resources etc. Nearly 50% of libraries have made worthy attempts to link the page with other libraries and information resources available outside. Yet some of these links were not updated or associated with errors of linking. A few libraries have made satisfactory attempts to include subject gateways, Ask a Librarian facility, Live Chat corners etc which are helpful to enhance lifelong learning. Lack of authority, limitation of know-how technology, untrained staff, and limited infrastructure facilities were seen as barrios.
Source: Proceedings National Conference on Library and Information sciences NACLIS conference, Hotel Galadari, Colombo.
Webcast: John Mayer From the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) Speaks at Harvard
Thursday, March 15th, 2007Webcast: John Mayer From the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) Speaks at Harvard
John Mayer, Executive Director of the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI), a non-profit consortium of over 200 law schools joined the Berkman Center to discuss CALI’s use of both social networking tools, as well as innovative software in the quest to provide the most thorough and practical means of legal education. Specifically, John walks through the different types of software that CALI offers and why they have proven to be so useful to their large network of users.
Source: Berkman Center for Internet & Society / Harvard Law School
Southern States Lead U.S. in Growth of College-Level Online Learning
Wednesday, March 14th, 2007More college students are taking online academic courses at institutions in the 16 member states of the Southern Regional Education Board than ever before, according to a recent report published by the Sloan Consortium in partnership with SREB. More than 1.1 million students were enrolled in online classes at two- and four-year colleges in SREB states in 2006, a 68 percent increase over the previous year – and nearly double the 35 percent national gain.
The report, “Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States,” 2006, Southern Edition, is based on the Sloan Consortium’s annual survey of online learning at more than 2,200 colleges and universities in the United States. It shows that the percentage of students using online courses at public institutions is higher on average in SREB states than in the nation. Growth and acceptance patterns also indicate that online learning has made greater inroads in SREB states than in the nation as a whole.
See Also: National Report (11/06)
Source: SREB (Southern Regional Education Board)
See Also: K-12 Online Learning: A Survey of U.S. School District Administrators
