Week 15: My Learning

Monday, December 06, 2010


It is hard to believe that we are in the fifteenth week of this class. Time literally has just flown by. Though the end is right around the corner, I still have a ton to accomplish before I can say I have closed this chapter of R685 "The World is Open with Web Technology" I have to open my personal door, my mind, to the Web 2.0 that is out there beyond this class. Each week of this class has been filled with articles, videos, group discussions, an guest speakers that have more than enough information to make 15 different classes instead of compiling them all into one. It was once thought that the more people use technology, the less social able they would be. According to the article Technology doesn't isolate people: U.S. study, technology can enhance a persons' sociability. How? A person is able to talk about something they know and are passionate about such as technology in this technology advancing world. What was once deemed to be nerdy and awkward to talk about, is not soically acceptable and necessry in this wide opening world.


For me, this class has been filled with both ups and downs. Downs would be I am just know starting to understand this whole Web 2.0 concept, I wish I had done my weekly blog post and commented on my critical friends video blog and blog weekly and I wish I had more technology background prior to the entrance of this class. Despite these deemed negative exposures, I have not only learned from my mistakes, I have also learned a tremendous amount from this class. The topics that I have been so thrilled to learn over these past weeks:

       1. Intro to Open World and Neo Millennial/Web 2.0 Learners

       2. Digital Literacy Skills

       3. The Sudden Explosion of E-Books and E-Book Readers

       4. The Continued Expansion of Blended and Fully Online Learning

       5. The Movement toward Free and Open Source Software

       6. Open Educational Resources (OER) and OpenCourseWare (OCW)

       7. Connectivism, Social Knowledge, and Participatory Learning

       8. Wikis, Wikipedia, Wikibooks, and Collaborative Writing

       9. YouTube, TeacherTube, and the Future of Shared Online Video

     10. Interactive and Collaborative Learning

     11. Alternate Reality Learning: Massive Gaming, Virtual Reality, and Simulations

     12. Educational Blogging

     13. Mobile, Wireless, and Ubiquitous Learning

     14. Podcasting, Webcasting, and Coursecasting

     15. Networks of Personalized Learning (including online language learning)

through each of the entitled lectures, have been very helpful to me in this technology advancing world. 


The last day of class will be filled with individual and one group presentation in a form of one of the Web 2.0 Technologies heavily discussed in this class. From YouTube to Podcast to Video Blogging, and Second Life just to name a few. This class is one of a kind in terms of Web 2.0. I can truly say from my current understanding of this class that "The World is Open...with Web Technologies." :) -Curt Bonk, Ph.D.


References:
1. Technology doesn't isolate people: U.S. study (Agencies) Updated: 2009-11-06 11:05 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2009-11/06/content_8924083.htm

Week 14: You wouldn't understand...its a casting thing.

Monday, November 29, 2010


Podcasting "is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and oftendownloaded through web syndication. The word usurped webcast in common vernacular, due to rising popularity of the iPod and the innovation of web feeds". Podcasting and webcasting are used interchangeably just like Online and Distance Learning.  When I think of Podcasting, I think of a person with a monotone voice providing information via a lecture. There are no pictures, music, games, or other interactive media to draw my attention to the information. 


To me, I wonder what is the difference between podcast and listening to an AM informational radio program. The only differences I see is that Podcast is done on the Internet and you can listen to them at your convenience. Professors use podcast as an audio recording of lectures for those who missed class for various reasons. In the article by Cara Lane, UW podcasting: Evaluation of Year One, she did a survey of students who actively listened to Podcast over one year. She wanted to know did Podcast make a difference in student attendance to class as the information was recorded and was easily accessible. Basically, she found that the use of podcast played virtually no effect on students attendance to class. If students were going, they would so because they wanted to but if they did not want to go, they would not go with our with out the availability of a Podcast.


After I read this article, we were required to listen to a Podcast of any length in any subject. To me, I easily lost interest in what I was doing. I am a visual and a hands-on interactive learner. Since the podcast had neither, I played solitaire to keep my hands going and to have something to look at. While this was occurring, I lost interest in the information embedded in the Podcast as the speaker was not enthusiastic about the topic. Though he did have the words on the screen so there was something to look at, I felt as though I was reading faster than the speaker which once again caused me to lose focus on the information. I can see how some people use and prefer Podcast however this is not a learning tool for me.


References
1. Lane, Cara (2006). UW podcasting: Evaluation of Year One. Retrieved on June 25, 2010, from http://catalyst.washington.edu/research_development/papers/2006/podcasting_year1.pdf
2. Podcast. Wikipedia Foundation Inc. Retrieved December 4, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast

Week 13: I'll have my learning....to go!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Learning is the process of gaining knowledge. How is this done? According to the theory the Conditions of Learning by Robert Gagne (1965), learning is achieved through four phases:

             Phase I - Receiving a Stimulus Situation

             Phase II- Stage of Acquisition

             Phase III - Storage

             Phase IV - Retrieval

In order to meet these phases, instruction must be delivered in a manner to guide the design of instruction. There are 9 events that lead to learning:
             1. Gain Attention
             2. Inform Learners of objects
             3. Stimulate Recall of prior learning
             4. Present stimulus material
             5. Provide Learner Guidance
             6. Elicit performance
             7. Provide feedback about performance
             8. Assessing performance
             9. Enhancing detection and performance
These can be depicted by a staircase in the sense that you need the previous one in order to move from the main floor to the second level.

Over the past 13 weeks, we have learned different ways in which people learn: Blended Learning, Distance Learning, Connectivism, and Collaborative Learning just to name a few. In this day and time, we have also seen that people learn through mobile, wireless, and ubiquitous learning. Literally learning is at your fingertips and can be placed in your pocket on idle until you are ready to learn some more.

In the article by James Kadirire, Instant messaging for creating interactive and collaborative m-learning environments, he states that we learn from more than just searching and reading information online. We learn from each other via text and instant messages. This is a fast way to exchange information instantaneously. Mobile devices can be used internationally, are compatible in numerous langauages, and expand the ability to edcuate oneself in a new domain however though these devices are so great, they can be very costly to maintain.

In the article by Kristine Peters, M-Learning: Positioning educators for a mobile, connected future, she encourges educators to get mobile suavey as these are the way for learning in the future. A person can be in a porter potty in the middle of farmland USA and are able to learn Mandarin from someone n mainstream China. The only thing holding a learner from this mobile learning is the lack of reception of the wireless domain where towers are sparce or non-existance. Once this problem has been fixed, anyone will be able to learn anything from literally anyplace in the world.

Our guest speaker of this week, Dr. Paul Kim, lectured on the importance and rapid emergence of mobile, wireless, and ubiquitous learning. He and his team has created, built, and internationally marketed learning motiques such as handheld games that can be regenerated by riding a bicycle or flying a kite. Those in rural areas around the world are able to learn by just the click of their fingers. He has so many products and ideas that reemphasize the importiance of ubiquitous learning and shows that it is not going away anytime soon. It will only continue to grow and enhance as time goes on. This is another way in which we see that learning is more than just books, a class, students, and a teacher. Learning encompasses many methods like the use of mobile devices. If you thought this was simply a hoax, you are wrong. In fact, the future is here, and learning is now on the go. Are you ready?

References:

1. Gagne, R. M., (1985) The Conditions of Learning and Theory of Instruction. New York: CBS College Publishing.
2. Kadirire, James (2007, June). Instant messaging for creating interactive and collaborative m-learning environments. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. 8(1). Retrieved on June 25, 2010, from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/344/874
3. Peters, Kristine (2007, June). M-Learning: Positioning educators for a mobile, connected future.  International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning.8(1). Retrieved on June 25, 2010, from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/350/894

4. Timeline. (2008-2009). Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction is Published. Famento, Inc. http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx?id=213249