You can't do that in a classroom! July 2, 2009
Posted by Jonathan Hewett in : delicious links , add a commentWhat traditional teaching env. canNOT do (Cath Ellis — great post): "I think it’s time we shifted our thinking away from what eLearning can do to what traditional teaching environments can’t do. The simple fact is, however, that such thinking is deeply iconoclastic. The simple suggestion that traditional, face-to-face learning environments have limitations and *gasp* may even be found wanting is unthinkable to many teachers and learners who have never experienced anything else. But that’s precisely the point. It’s vital that we be able to evaluate different teaching and learning environments on their objective relative merits in order to best harness their distinct potentials. As such, it’s vital that we move away from old-fashioned hierarchical thinking that positions face-to-face learning environments at the top of the heap.
To that end, here is a list of 5 things that can’t be (easily) done in a rigidly synchronous learning space (a time-limited physical face-to-face classroom) "
Patchy use of web2.0 in UK universities — Times Higher Education May 8, 2009
Posted by Jonathan Hewett in : delicious links , 1 comment so farA preview of the findings of the Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner Experience:
"The committee's report, Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World, will also say that universities face a "digital divide" when it comes to the ability of tutors to use social networking in their teaching.
While some academics have embraced the use of websites such as Wikipedia, MySpace, Facebook and Bebo, others lack the technological knowhow or are "hostile to all but the most cursory engagement with ICT".
Use of Web 2.0 technologies in learning and teaching was "considerable but patchy", and driven by the enthusiasm of individuals or small groups.
The inquiry found that students as yet only "dimly perceived" the potential of Web 2.0 as a learning tool, and could be uncomfortable with staff-initiated online discussion."
Web 2.0 Teaching Tools: Twitter Tweets for Higher Education March 27, 2009
Posted by Jonathan Hewett in : delicious links , add a commentA round-up of some educational uses of Twitter, by Alan Lew:
"I actually had not considered it as a tool for education until I saw a link posted by Twittown to a blog post on that subject. Doing a little online searching (emphasis on the little), I found the following items related to Twitter and education."
Can a computer lecture better than a human? October 24, 2008
Posted by Jonathan Hewett in : delicious links , add a commentScott McLeod makes the case for covering the basics online. His example is a school assignment but his point has wider application:
"Don’t get me wrong. There’s still a lot of value in human teachers when it comes to explaining difficult concepts, working through students’ misconceptions, inspiring students to want to explore deeper, and so on. We’re not replaceable by robots and software just yet. But […]
There is a wealth of research showing that around 80 to 85 percent of classroom work is low-level factual and procedural work, exactly the kind of work that can easily be facilitated by the kinds of technology-mediated learning activities that I’ve alluded to this post. So why waste an expensive human on those things?"
Web 2.0 in Secondary Education September 30, 2008
Posted by Jonathan Hewett in : delicious links , add a commentFrom a Becta study — not that different in HE?
"Barriers to the more widespread use of Web 2.0 technologies included:
• Tension between the collaborative learning of Web 2.0 and the nature of the assessment system
• Concerns about e-safety and strict filtering in schools
• Lack of adequate bandwidth
• Teachers need the support, time and space to develop skills and practices
• Learning platforms and ‘walled garden’ approach of VLEs
• Reluctance about Web 2.0 activities being visible on the open internet
• However these issues are not confined to technology and teachers:
Many learners lack technical skills, and lack an awareness of the range of technologies and of when and how they could be used, as well as the digital literacy and critical skills to navigate this space. Teachers should be careful not to overestimate learners’ familiarity and skills in this area.
So it appears that there is a long way to go before Web 2.0 is fully welcomed into the classroom."