Saturday, 31 May 2008
Your first experience of computer technology?
There's been an interesting discussion over at the ELESIG community (ELESIG is the HEA Special Interest Group for researchers into the learner experience of elearning),
about "What was your first experience of computer technology?" and how it affected people's subsequent ventures into using computers for work and learning.
I’ve been interested for many years in the expectations and attitudes to technology that learners bring to elearning, and find that establishing their early experiences can throw quite a light on the kind of support and encouragement they need.
As elearning professionals we can tend to assume that everyone knows the basics these days – but there are still numbers of people, especially but not exclusively adult learners, for whom computer technology is still a monster they haven't tamed.
In the ELESIG discussion Various experiences of early computers from VAXs to BBC micros to Sinclair ZXs and Spectrums, writing early programs in BASIC and using punched cards.
There were few negatives - as you might expect for a group so closely involved in technology - although even in this group some admitted that their early struggles influenced their now tentative approach to new technologies.
Obviously some posters were fascinated by computing itself - programming and playing with the technology - but a larger group had become more interested in the possibilities that computers represent, for communications and interaction, and particularly for learning: 'imaginative and cutting edge ideas then that revolutionised some students’ learning', 'something so inspirational and motivational that I wanted to give up my own time for learning'.
One particular comment I liked was about the person who said many years ago 'one day everything would be done by computers and they would be small, throw away items' - and she didn’t believe them. What predictions could we make now - especially about uses of technology for learning - that would be equally unbelievable?Labels: computers, early experiences, elesig, technology
posted by Helen Whitehead 10:57 AM
Friday, 23 May 2008
Places available on eModerating and Online Tutoring course (online)
5 weeks - online - in MoodleStarts 4th June 2008
contact helen@reachfurther.com
I am running an eModerating and Online Tutoring course in partnership with Park Lane College in Leeds. This is an introductory course for those starting to or planning to teach online in HE, FE or even in schools. The format - 5 weeks online in Moodle - is based on successful courses I have run in the past with local, national and international participants and builds on my work with Professor Gilly Salmon at Leicester University. I'm delighted to be able to offer the course to teachers and tutors inside and outside the college as I know that a mix of participants from different institutions will, as in my previous courses, form a lively and mutually supportive community.
Although it's in Moodle, the skills taught are generic and not VLE-specific. Moodle is very easy to use :) £295 plus VAT
More information at http://reachfurther.com/?page_id=82
Contact me for more details helen@reachfurther.com
Labels: courses, e-facilitation, e-moderating, emoderating, Moodle, online learning, online tutor, online tutoring, VLE
posted by Helen Whitehead 2:18 PM
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Improving HTML email
I have been very suspicious of HTML-based email for some time: sending an HTML-based email is a bit hit and miss - I have seen so many rendered as just a pile of code and quite unintelligible to the reader. Nobody - especially not when you're putting out an important newsletter - wants their email to end up in the Deleted box without even a cursory glance, and such an incident could put off readers for good. The Email Standards Project was born out of a similar frustration. It aims to work with email client developers and the design community to improve web standards support and accessibility in email.
It's amazing that there isn't already such a standard. The "state of the clients" reports on the Email Standards website are interesting reading - even with a fairly straightforward list of the kinds of HTML components that one would use in a HTML email many common email clients - including Gmail and Outlook 2007 - don't do very well.
All power to the community of email users who are spearheading this initiative., I look forward to hearing of more successes.Labels: email, email standards project, HTML, web-based email
posted by Helen Whitehead 9:04 AM
Monday, 19 May 2008
How to choose your blog name
If you are setting up a new blog, probably the next important task after choosing your blog niche is to the job of choosing a name for your blog. One of the first questions is whether to have a quirky name that no-one has already got, so that you can easily be found in Google - or choose a keyword carefully based on what people search on in Google and so that they can find your blog by subject.
Here are some key tips for choosing your blog name
- vital to get this right
- choose a descriptive name that is appropriate for your topic
- not too quirky (there are quirky blog names – Boing Boing! - but a new one with a quirky name won't be found as easily by search engines - this blog, for example had a much slower start than if I'd called it E-learning Insights or something!)
- using specific words in the title will give your blog more Google-juice!
- Make sure no-one is using your blog title/name already for a blog or a website
- Chose the name alongside a domain name and make make sure you buy it as soon as you've chosen!
- Don't let it get too long though
- Keep it permanent – you don't want to lose traffic by changing names and/or URLs
Labels: blogging, blogs, choosing name for blog, setting up a blog, starting a blog
posted by Helen Whitehead 9:30 AM
Monday, 12 May 2008
Technology stewardship
A post from 2006 in Learning Alliances defines the concept of "technology stewardship"
"Technology stewards are people with enough experience of the workings of a community to understand its technology needs, and enough experience with technology to take leadership in addressing those needs. Stewardship typically includes selecting and configuring technology, as well as supporting its use in the practice of the community."
I guess that's certainly what I am - a technology steward - but if the phraseology hasn't caught on in the time since Dec 2006, then it obviously doesn't mean as much to the IT and community-using population in general. Neither has "e-moderator" caught on outside the UK, although it's a very similar role - while the e-moderator doesn't necessarily select and configure the technology, many do have this function and expertise, and I suspect they are of more use to a community if they do.Labels: communities of practice, e-facilitation, e-moderating, emoderating, online communities, online community, technology-stewardship
posted by Helen Whitehead 10:28 AM
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Stay with Blogger or move to Wordpress?
I've been really busy, lately.
Reach Further have moved offices. We can now be found at
Reach Further Ltd.
Round Foundry Media Centre
Foundry Street
Leeds
LS11 5QP
I've also revamped the website and finally set up a decent Wordpress blog. I'm liking Wordpress, and it's maybe time I moved this blog over to it - or should I stay with Blogger? There are obviously advantages to both. Happy to hear others' opinions.
And one of the main reasons I dislike Blogger at the moment is the way it autocompletes my tags and there doesn't seem any way to stop it without carefully editing everything. Anyone else find it annoying?
http://reachfurther.com/Labels: Blogger, blogging, blogs, Reach Further, women bloggers, Wordpress
posted by Helen Whitehead 2:44 PM
