Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Model or template for case studies of elearning implementation
As it's something I do a lot, I thought I might try to put together my own model for case studies of elearning implementation.
The logical place to start would seem to be that the case study of an elearning initiative should follow the same structure as the development of the initiative itself – and all implementation of elearning should be based on learning design (instructional design) principles.
So here are the elements to go into my model:
Assessment of needs
Context (the course, the students, the tutors, the topic), background (how did you do things before?), what existing problems or opportunities were to be addressed and why? What was the “vision”? What did you want to be able to do
Design
What was the process of design and what did it take into account? What technologies were available and how were they chosen? what did you decide to do and how was it going to work? Summarise the elearning approach decided upon.
Development
Were there any problems or issues with developing the elearning, was any training needed, or extra resources found, and how was the development stage managed?
Implementation
How was the elearning implemented, what was the process involved, how did you get everything and everyone up and running and working, what further developments are needed
Evaluation
How was the exercise evaluated? what were the tangible benefits (to the student, the department, the staff, the institution)? Did you accomplish your original aims? Summarise and reflect.
The case study should include:
- DATA – quantitative data - is there any data eg from Moodle or other VLE used re logins and number of students engaged?
- Links to URLs / screenshots as appropriate
- Quoted statements from tutors and students
- Supporting documents such as course materials, transcript of discussion, any images or photographs, video or audio, interviews
A very useful resource/template for creating case studies can be found at the CAMEL Tangible Benefits of Elearning wiki. (I keep returning again and again to this project, because tangible benefits are what we are all working towards.)Labels: case studies, case study, e-learning, elearning implementation, embedding elearning, evaluating elearning
posted by Helen Whitehead 12:56 PM
Monday, 21 April 2008
Analysing communities for the key participants
There are all sorts of reasons why one wants to analyse an online community - finding out who are the busiest and most informative posters is one possible requirement. I just spotted an old article from New Scientist (well, July 2007) that describes how researchers at Cornell University, New York, and Microsoft Research in Washington State have developed a way to analyse postings and the relationships between them to find out who are the movers and shakers in a community. Of course as they studied Usenet groups, it isn't exactly cutting edge research, but it reminds me that there are many methods for analysing interactions, and i really should bring more of them together in a blog post some day.
Research as far back as usenet analyses let alone more recently has shown that the activities of certain influential people are key to the success or otherwise of a community. Anyone who has lost a community due to a strong individual or group stifling or driving off others, knows it can work both ways. Any community manager worth their salt will have developed ways to deal with such people.Labels: communities of practice, e-moderating, e-moderation, emoderating, online communities, online community
posted by Helen Whitehead 5:18 PM
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
eXe - for creating elearning NOTan .exe. file!
The project eXe has been brought to my attention. A New Zealand-based open source authoring application, it aims to assist teachers and academics in the publishing of web content without the need to become proficient in HTML or XML markup. Resources authored in eXe can be exported in IMS Content Package, SCORM 1.2, or IMS Common Cartridge formats or as simple self-contained web pages. Obviously an alternative to CouseLab which I looked at last week.
I'm testing out both to compare, and will report back in due course (though don't hold your breath as I'm pretty busy and will have to spread this research over some time!)Labels: e-learning, e-learning tools, elearning, elearning tools, eXe, learning technologies, tools
posted by Helen Whitehead 5:38 PM
Sunday, 13 April 2008
E-learning tools
CourseLab
CourseLab, is a free authoring tool, with lots of great features - very usable and professional. It offers a WYSIWYG environment for creating interactive e-learning content.
FeedBlitz enables you to provide blog posts in a newsletter format - it's a way to give blog readers the option to read a blog feed by email, rather than via RSS. It works by converting the RSS feed into email.
Polldaddy Polldaddy is another very useful and functional free tool to create polls and surveys. As usual, there is a subscription level with more useful features.
PointeCast Publisher
PointeCast Publisher is a PowerPoint® plug-in that automatically converts your PowerPoint 2000, XP/2002, and 2003 presentations into a highly compressed Internet-ready presentation in the Macromedia Flash™ format.
Pinnacle Studio Pinnacle Studio: This is an inexpensive (not free) video editor.
Validator Validator - The World Wide Web Consortium offers this free validation tool which enables you to test easily whether a web page, or blog post etc., is valid HTML or XHTML.Labels: e-learning tools, elearning, online web resources
posted by Helen Whitehead 1:10 PM
Monday, 7 April 2008
Best April Fool ever?
I know this is a little frivolous, but I think this is possibly the best April Fool ever. It's a film made to advertise the BBC's iPlayer. Flying Adelie penguins! Now I know where to go whenever I need a good laugh. Watching those penguins flapping their wings and taking little jumps to get airborne is a priceless and brilliant piece of animation. BBC's flying penguins on YoutubeLabels: animation, april fool, iplayer
posted by Helen Whitehead 3:27 PM
