Monday, 22 October 2007
Links for week commencing 22nd October
Some interesting social software for learning:
Ecto
http://www.ectolearning.com/
Their blurb: "Ecto is a hosted, open networked Personal Learning Environment. Use Ecto to transform learning into an interactive, collaborative, and student centered activity. Ecto is the only learning management system built from the ground up on the principles and architecture of social software."
It's an online service and at the moment you can join for free although it's a commercial offering. At the moment it looks pretty vanilla - it seems to be social networking aimed at learning and teaching, nothing really new about it.
ELGG
http://elgg.org/
Elgg is an open source social platform based around choice, flexibility and openness: a system that firmly places individuals at the centre of their activities. ELGG is being used by a LOT of universities and educational organisations, but you do need a server to run it on so it's not a solution for individuals.Labels: e-learning, education sector, elearning, FE, HE, online learning, social networking, universities, VLE, web applications
posted by Helen Whitehead 9:20 AM
Friday, 3 August 2007
Join me on the Creativity in E-Learning network
Labels: creativity, e-learning, education sector, elearning, FE, HE, learning and teaching, learning technologies, social networking, universities, Web 2.0
posted by Helen Whitehead 4:06 PM
Friday, 29 June 2007
Gordon Brown's changes in Education responsibilities
OK, I'm trying to get my head round the changes that Gordon Brown has wrought in the people and agencies responsible for Education in the Government.
John Denham is now the head of a new department - the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, responsible for:John Denham left Tony Blair's government in protest over Iraq which is one thing in his favour (although let's not get into the pros and cons of the war - I believe that Tony Blair sincerely believed in the presence of WMD in Iraq). He was born in 1953 and was educated at Woodroffe Comprehensive School, Lyme Regis and Southampton University and has three children. So far so good.
- Universities - teaching and research
- Science (formerly of the DTI)
- Innovation (formerly of the DTI)
- Skills sector
In his ministerial statement to the Commons, Gordon Brown said: "The new department will be responsible for driving forward delivery of the government's long-term vision to make Britain one of the best places in the world for science, research and innovation, and to deliver the ambition of a world-class skills base".
The one thing that puzzles me (and others, apparently) is that FE Colleges will be covered by both departments - 14-19 provision by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and HE courses and skills-based courses by this new Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills.
In another interesting move, Gordon Brown announced that funding for 16-19 education - which includes a range of academic and vocational training - would in future go to schools and colleges via the local authority education budget.
I guess the FE sector will have the most to do to catch up on what this all means for them - and the implications for actual funding levels won't be known for some time.Labels: education sector, FE, Gordon Brown, Government, HE, Innovation, John Denham, lifelong learning, policy, science, skills
posted by Helen Whitehead 9:48 AM
