IDxchange

What's happening at IDOLez.com?

2005-11-08T23:55:00.000-05:00

KEEPtoolkit

2005-11-06T18:59:00.000-05:00

Looking for a simple Open Course Ware development tool AND Learning Object Repository? I stumbled on this site recently and thought I would share it on the blog. Developed and maintained by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (2005). Here is the description provided at their website …

The KEEP toolkit is a set of web-based tools that help teachers, students and institutions quickly create compact and engaging knowledge representations on the Web.

With the KEEP Toolkit, you can:

Select and organize teaching and learning materials to illustrate some of the critical aspects of teaching and student learning.
Prompt analysis and reflection by using templates that provide conceptual frameworks, categories, and guiding prompts/questions.

Transform materials and reflections into visually appealing and intellectually engaging representations that can be easily shared online or in print.

Share ideas for peer-review, assessment, collective knowledge building, and others purposes to advance teaching and learning as a community of practice and reflection.

Simplify the technical tasks and facilitate the evolving intellectual processes involved in knowledge building and sharing.

David

Reference:Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. (2005). Knowledge Media Laboratory KEEP Toolkit. Retrieved on November 6, 2005 from http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/programs/sub.asp?key=38&subkey=112

Blogger for Word?

2005-11-06T17:36:00.000-05:00

This posting is my first in working with Blogger for Word! The free program is available at http://buzz.blogger.com/bloggerforword.html and is easy to install. You enter in the username/password and it automatically finds your available blogs. In this posting I am also attempting to include a graphic image, a hyperlink, and text styles.

Imagine how easy posting to blogs can be, when you post directly from within a program like Microsoft Word. However, when I select Publish, I am informed that with this initial release images, audio, and table information is not currently supported. Even still, it offers potential for increasing the usage of blogs for educational purposes.

Comments? Please add your opinion to this posting.

David

Credible Information Online

2005-07-31T11:48:00.000-05:00

How do you know whether something you read on the web is true? You can’t know, at least, not for sure. This makes it important to read carefully and to evaluate what you read. This guide will tell you how to do it.

1. There Are No Authorities

Authorities used to be people you could trust. When you read it in the newspaper, for example, it was probably true. When a scientist reported a finding, you could count on it. But today, you can’t trust the authorities.

Why not? There are many reasons, but here are some of the major ones:

Authorities lie. Not all authorities, and not all the time, but frequently enough to mean you can’t simply trust them.
People impersonate authorities. A site may look like a newspaper or a government publication, but it might not be.

Authorities are sometimes fooled. They may rely on bad data. They may be reporting something they heard.

Even if you trust the authority you are reading, you need to evaluate what they say for yourself. People don’t always mean to mislead you, but they do.

This is the most important principle of reading on the internet. You must determine for yourself whether or not something is true.

2. What You Know Matters

If you saw the local grocery this morning, and then someone told you it burned down last night, you would know they were wrong because of what you saw. And you would probably say so.

You can depend on your own knowledge. And you should use this knowledge when you read websites.

That doesn’t mean that you cannot be wrong. But most people don’t give themselves enough credit. They are too quick to assume that they must have been wrong.

Your own experiences matter. If someone says some software is easy to install, and you found that it wasn’t that easy to install at all, don’t simply assume that you can’t install software. If it wasn’t easy for you to install, it wasn’t easy, and someone who says it is easy is wrong.

3. Keep Count

You can’t check everything for yourself. Eventually, you will have to depend on what other people say. You can’t simply assume that what they say is true.

The key here is trust.

You need to learn who to trust.

The way you learn to trust someone is through repeated contact. They not only say things you know are true, they don’t say things you know are not true. You need to keep track of this for yourself.

When a website says something, you need to ask yourself, have they misled me before? Websites usually follow a pattern; sites that are trustworthy generally stay trustworthy, while sites that mislead you once will likely mislead you again.

That doesn’t mean you never question what they say. Always check what they say against your own experience. But if you don’t know, depend on the sites you already trust rather than the ones you don’t.

4. Facts and Appearances

Many people are very careful about appearances. Governments and businesses especially take great care to manage their image. Individual people, too, try to cast themselves in the best light possible.

They do this because people trust people who look good. Politicians always take care to dress nicely. Con artists are often dressed in suits. Businesses spend a lot of money to make their buildings and their websites look nice.

People create appearances in words as well. For example, they often use adjectives and adverbs to suggest how you should feel about something. They also use loaded terms to suggest that something is good or bad. Compare the following:

"This respected software reliably saves your data in the most efficient format."

"This suspicious software misleadingly saves your data in a common format."

The first software sounds a lot better than the second software. But in fact, they do exactly the same thing!

In your mind, remove the adjectives and adverbs from any sentence you read. Convert any loaded terms to neutral terms (for example, convert a sentence like "He claimed..." to "He said…").

In other words, practice distinguishing the facts in a sentence from how they appear.

You may be tempted to distrust things that use a lot of adjectives, adverbs and loaded terms. And certainly you should be suspicious. But sometimes people just write that way; it doesn’t mean they’re lying. And sometimes people try to fool you by writing in plain and straightforward language.

The main thing is, find the facts. You can check facts. And just ignore the appearances.

5. Generalizations Are Often Untrustworthy

When you look at facts, you will see that there are two types: specifics and generalizations.

A specific is a statement about one thing, one person or one event. "John went to the store yesterday" is a specific.

A generalization talks about a group of things, many people, or a number of events. "John always goes to the store."

People use generalizations because generalizations help them predict the future. If you know that John always goes to the store, then you can predict that he will go to the store tomorrow. Generalizations also often explain why something happens. John knows the shopkeeper because he always goes to the store.

There are two types of generalizations:

A universal generalization talks about everything. When someone says "All dogs are animals", for example, they are talking about every single dog.

A statistical generalization talks about a number of things, but not all of them. When someone says "Most dogs are brown," they are talking about a large number of dogs, but not all of them.

It is important to keep in mind that most universal generalizations are false. Not always – after all, it is true that all dogs are animals.

But people often make universal generalizations that are false. And in fact, when you read universal generalizations on a website, you should be very skeptical.

Watch for the following words: all, none, only, never, always, completely. And words that mean the same sort of thing. These indicate a universal generalization. When people use them, ask yourself, is this true? Are there no exceptions? And if you know that there are exceptions, then the source is less trustworthy.

6. Absolutes Are Hidden Generalizations

People often make generalizations without realizing that they are doing it. And they might fool you into thinking that something is a fact, when it is actually a questionable generalization.

"The Chinese cannot be trusted." This looks like a statement of fact, doesn’t it? But ask yourself, how many Chinese people is this person talking about? All of them? Most of them? There are a billion Chinese – how could this person possibly know that they cannot be trusted?

And of course, they can’t. You have no reason to trust such a statement. And a person who makes such a statement is less trustworthy.

7. Statistics Are Often Misleading

As the truism says, "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics."

People are often skeptical of statistics, and for good reason. There are many ways statistics can be used to mislead.

Statistics must be based on data. For example, for somebody to say that "most dogs are brown" they would have had to go out and actually count some dogs to see how many of them are brown. Statistics that are not supported with data should not be trusted at all.

Even if there is data, statistics can still mislead. There are two major ways statistics can mislead:

The sample size is too small. If you know five Americans, and four of them are crooks, is that sufficient to conclude that most Americans are crooks? Of course not. There are 330 million Americans; you need to meet more than five before you can start making generalizations.

The sample is unrepresentative. If you wanted to know about Americans, and took your sample from a prison population, would you get a good result? Of course not – most Americans are not in prison, and are very different from prisoners.

Remember at the beginning of this article where I said that there are no authorities? When you look at the statistics produced by authorities, many of them break one of these two rules.

What would you say about a scientist who surveyed 21 graduate studies and drew a conclusion about all people? Not much – but many papers are published that do exactly this.

Statistics are often misleading in ordinary writing as well. Often, they are disguised: a person might use words like 'most', 'often', 'many' or 'usually'. And their data will be suspect. A person might say, for example, "Most people are generous." How does he know? Because most of the people he knows are generous. But that’s not good data at all!

Think about the generalizations you believe. Are they based on good data? What is the data? I said above that you should trust yourself – but you should always review your own beliefs, to make yourself more trustworthy.

8. Go to the Source

People say things about other things and other people. That’s no surprise; you can’t talk about yourself all the time. For example, a person might report about what someone else said, or about what some data shows.

They may not mean to mislead you, though sometimes they do:

They might have misread or misunderstood the original document. Heck, I do that myself.

They may have quoted something out of context. For example, I may have written, "If people vote the wrong way then we'll have private health care" and be quoted as saying "We’ll have private health care."

They may be misrepresenting the original. People sometimes pretend that someone said something that they didn’t, so they can make the other person look bad (that’s called a straw man).

When you read something you always need to ask: "are they talking about something else? ...or about what somebody else said or reported?" If so, go to the source to find out for yourself what the other person really said.

If there's no link or reference to the source, don't believe it. And even more importantly, websites that don't offer links or references are less trustworthy.

If you can't find the original source, try searching for the same information. Other people may have seen the same source and reported on it themselves. They may have described it differently. You may never know exactly what was said, but if people on different sides of the same issue agree on what was said, then it's more likely to be true.

9. Motives and Frames Matter

Most content on the web is trying to convince you that something is true. That’s why it’s on the web in the first place.

Usually, what they want you to believe isn’t just some isolated fact or data, but rather a whole collection of facts and data. They want you to see the world in a certain way. In philosophy, this is sometimes called a ‘world view’ while in linguistics this is called a ‘frame’.

Here are some examples of frames:

It's a dangerous world and we have a lot to fear

Microsoft products cannot be trusted

Our country is the best (most free, most democratic, most advanced, etc.)

Think about all the sorts of things that could lead you to believe any of these three statements. Think about other sorts of things that might also be frames. Think about the way you look at the world – you probably view it from a certain frame, whether or not you recognize it.

That's not bad in itself – we all have to have a way of looking at the world. But we need to choose this way of looking at the world for ourselves. That’s why we need to understand what frames other people believe, so we know when we are being persuaded to look at the world one way or another.

That's why motives matter. A person’s motive is the frame or worldview he or she wants you to accept. You need to know why somebody is telling you something as well as what they are telling you.

Websites that hide their motives are untrustworthy. They are trying to convince you of something, but they are trying to do it in a sneaky way, so that you can’t make your decision for yourself. They think that if you just hear something over and over, and it all points to a certain way of looking at the world, that you will start seeing the world that way too.

If a website is sponsored by the government, but they hide this sponsorship, then they are hiding their motives. If a study is financed by a software company, but this financing is not revealed, then they are hiding their motives. If a news site is secretly sponsored by a religious organization, then the news site is untrustworthy. If an activist group is funded by the industry they are trying to change, then this group is untrustworthy.

They are not untrustworthy because what they are saying is false. They are untrustworthy because they are not being honest about why they are saying what they are saying.

10. Beware Misdirection

Have you even seen a political ad for one candidate that talks about the other candidate? Have you ever seen an advertisement about one product that only talks about another product?

These are cases of misdirection – they are trying to get you believe one thing by talking about another thing.

Misdirection is very common on the web. Sometimes it consists of misrepresenting the source, as discussed above. Very often, though, it consists of merely attacking the source.

You see this not only on discussion lists (where it is very common) but also on personal websites, corporate websites, political websites and even academic websites.

If a website is trying to convince you to believe one thing but actually talks about another thing, then the website is not trustworthy.

Summary

As I said in the second point, determining what to believe – or to not believe – is a matter of trust.

You need to determine for yourself who to trust about what.

This is something you have to determine for yourself. Each time you look at a website, think of yourself as keeping score. When a website does something untrustworthy, take some trust away. When a website does something well, add some trust.

And it’s something very personal. The better you get to know a website, the more easily you can determine whether or not to trust it. The website gradually acquires a track record with you. Just like a friend or an associate.

And finally, this is something that works best if you use diverse sources.

Try to read points of view from different frames – after all, every frame has an element of truth to it. Don’t just go with the flow, be ready to challenge and question everything – even yourself.

Examples

40 Things That Only Happen In Movies

Should you trust this site? The title should let you know that this is intended as humour. But if not, you should be alerted by the universals in this title. They are probably exaggerating to make a point.

Look at some of the assertions. “(In movies) any lock can be picked with a credit card or paperclip in seconds.” Well you know that this isn’t true. People don’t always pick locks in movies. Sometimes they can’t even break the door down.

This site is funny. But you shouldn’t trust it to tell you true things about the world.

Top Chinese general warns US over attack

This news article is offered by the Financial Times, a British news source with strong links to the British and American financial communities. The story reports that a Chinese general said that China would use nuclear arms if attacked.

Did the general say this? Probably. The general is named - Zhu Chenghu – and the place where he made the remark is also named - a function for foreign journalists (it would be better if they actually named the function and told us who else, in addition to the Chinese government, sponsored it). And a one-minute search in Google for ‘Zhu Chenghu’ links to other reports – from the BBC and the Times of India, for example – with the same information.

Is what the general said true? We have no way of knowing. Even the Financial Times article notes that Zhu is not a high-ranking official and that “Gen Zhu probably did not represent the mainstream People's Liberation Army view.” Coverage elsewhere, for example in the BBC, reports that the Chinese government is ‘downplaying” the remark.

So now the key question is, why did the Financial Times run the article? The article is intended to shape our views even if we cannot know whether what was said was true. Does it make us fear China more? Do the British and American financial communities stand to gain if readers fear China or become more concerned about nuclear war? Does this article fit a pattern in Financial Times coverage of China?

In my opinion, this article, although an accurate report, makes the Financial Times a bit less trustworthy.

Iraqis March Against Terror

This article is found in a blog titled BlackFive. It tells us that about 1000 Iraquis in the city Qayarrah, Iraq, marched against terror, and that “you probably haven't heard about it from Peter Jennings or Dan Rather.” The post includes a number of photographs of the demonstration taken by "Army Specialist David Nunn."

As one person commented, "Rather retired early in the year and Jennings has been off battling lung cancer for months." However, a search in Google shows that the protest was not covered by any major news outlet.

That a protest did happen seems evident from the pictures. Examination of the pictures, however, shows the banners to read "The juboor's tribe and its allies ask the coalition forces to release the highly-ranked officer Farhan Muthallak who was imprisoned by the coalition forces" in both English and Arabic.

A Google search for "Army Specialist David Nunn" reveals no citations not associated with this particular story.

This story is very untrustworthy. It reports a protest for one thing as a protest for something else. The source of the photographs cannot be verified. It attempts, further, to discredit the news media, thus engaging in misdirection. The site (and other sites, for many sites ran this item) is much less trustworthy as a result of running this item.

It is worth noting – as demonstrated in the trackbacks – that this story has been widely circulated. This is common, even for untrustworthy stories. That is why it is important to read, not only numerous source, but also diverse sources. And to check the data for yourself.

Again, one should ask why such a blatantly misleading story achieved such wide circulation.

Secure RSS Syndication

This site suggests that there is a need for encrypted RSS feeds and demonstrates how it is done. The need expressed is the author’s own, and two potential solutions are considered and rejected. The code used to generate the encryption is provided, along with samples of the encrypted data.

This article is very trustworthy. Very specific information is given, and in a form (via computer code) that can be directly verified by the reader. It should be noted that one argument ("Atom isn’t finished") will cease to be true at a future point; if you were reading this article after Atom is finished you would want to check to see whether it satisfies the need as well.

This article is supportive of the idea that encrypted content syndication is a good idea. This suggests that the author may have an interest in promoting commercial applications of content syndication. But such a conclusion should not be drawn without looking at a large number of other items written by the same author.

Bastille Day

This is a Wikipedia article about Bastille Day. Readers should note that Wikipedia articles frequently change. This article was current at 11:40 a.m. EDT, July 16, 2005.

The article begins, "Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year" and provides some background. This information can be verified from numerous sources using a quick Google search on ‘Bastille Day’. Much of the background and information is substantiated by other sources.

The article next contains the comment, "Margaret Thatcher once said of the French 'who can trust a people who celebrate, as their national event, a jailbreak'." This statement does not tell us about Bastille Day. It is derogatory to the French. The source of the quotation is not given. This statement may be disregarded as vandalism. (It is worth noting that as of 11:47 a.m. the statement had been removed.)

This article, with the exception of the one item noted, is trustworthy.

The Price is Right pricing games

This is a Wikipedia article about The Price is Right. Readers should note that Wikipedia articles frequently change. This article was current at 11:51 a.m. EDT, July 16, 2005.

The article lists a number of ‘minigames’ played on The Price is Right. Each game is described, with in formation about when it was played, how frequently it was played, and records, if applicable. Three external sources, including one from CBS, the producer of The Price Is Right, and one with screen shots of the games, are provided.

Readers who have seen The Price is Right can verify the game descriptions for themselves from their own experience. From my perspective (having seen many of the games) this article is very trustworthy.

The Flight of the Bumblebee

This is a video of a person playing Flight of the Bumblebee solo on guitar. The video is sufficiently detailed to show the fingering. The sound is a guitar sound. The tune is recognizable as Flight of the Bumblebee (people who have not heard this piece of music before should consult alternative sources to verify the title).

This video is trustworthy.

Do You Have More Good Examples To Share?

Send them to Stephen Downes at stephen@downes.ca
Originally written and published by Stephen Downes as
Principles for Evaluating Web Sites
on July 16th 2005

Online Faculty Experiences

2005-07-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

Abstract

The academic culture of higher educational institutions is characterized by specific pedagogical philosophies, assumptions about rewards and incentives, and values about how teaching is delivered. In many academic settings, however, the field of distance education has been viewed as holding marginal status. Consequently, the goal of this qualitative study was to explore faculty members’ experiences in a distance education, online university while simultaneously navigating within a traditional environment of higher education. A total of 28 faculty members participated in a threaded, asynchronous discussion board that resembled a focus group. Participants discussed perceptions about online teaching, working in an institution without a traditional tenure system, and the role of research in distance education. Findings indicated that online teaching is still regarded as less credible; however, participants also noted how this perception is gradually changing. Several benchmarks of legitimacy were identified for online universities to adopt in order to be viewed as credible. The issue of tenure still remains highly debated, although some faculty felt that tenure will be less crucial in the future. Finally, recommendations regarding attitudinal shifts within academic circles are described with particular attention to professional practice, program development, and policy decision-making in academia.

Yick, A. G., Patrick, P., and Costin, A. (2005). Navigating Distance and Traditional Higher Education: Online Faculty Experiences. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 6(2)
http://www.irrodl.org/content/v6.2/yick.html

David
as a footnote, the authors are faculty at Capella University (School of Human Services).

Global E-Learning

2005-07-19T22:58:00.000-05:00

Anyone who isn't a subscriber to the DEOS listserve (Penn State) may be interested in this recent posting. I have copied the posting for convenience.

From: Sarah Tiedemann <saraht@hezel.com>

To Whom It May Concern,

E-Learning continues to be the fastest-growing sub-sector of a $2.3 trillion global education market. Recent research by Hezel Associates, an education consulting firm, projects the global market for online higher education is estimated to exceed $69 billion by 2015. Institutions seeking to gain a foothold in this sector face a myriad of issues requiring market-specific information. To help guide institutions in the planning and decision-making process associated with developing a global e-learning program, Hezel Associates released a new white paper, Developing a Global E-Learning Program: From Conceptualization to Implementation. The paper outlines four critical steps for the successful development of a global presence in the higher education market.

One critical step discussed in the paper is the selection of the best market opportunity(s) based on institutions' internal capacity to deliver programs and services to that market. "Examining the factors that contribute to a markets' potential is essential in selecting a market," said Hezel Associates president and white paper co-author, Dr. Richard T. Hezel. "The white paper presents a process to help institutions select country(s) best aligned with their goals."

Hezel Associates' recently completed 42-nation study, Global E-Learning Opportunity for U.S. Higher Education, reveals the political, economic, education and technology environment for each country, and provides analysis of each market's potential. The report is designed for higher education organizations, as well as investors, foundations and others. These groups can use the report to:

Predict future trends in global education

Understand which countries best align with organizational goals

Formulate strategies and identify appropriate places for investment or
acquisition

To download the white paper and learn more about the Global Report go to
http://www.hezel.com/globalreport

David

Definitions of Instructional Design

2005-07-19T13:57:00.000-05:00

Definitions of Instructional Design

I thought that every once and a while it is good to get back to basics… See what you guys think about this particular set of definitions of ID taken from University of Michigan’s ED626 website.

Definitions of Instructional Design
Adapted from "Training and Instructional Design", Applied Research Laboratory, Penn State University

Instructional Design as a Process:: Instructional Design is the systematic development of instructional specifications using learning and instructional theory to ensure the quality of instruction. It is the entire process of analysis of learning needs and goals and the development of a delivery system to meet those needs. It includes development of instructional materials and activities; and tryout and evaluation of all instruction and learner activities.
Instructional Design as a Discipline:: Instructional Design is that branch of knowledge concerned with research and theory about instructional strategies and the process for developing and implementing those strategies.
Instructional Design as a Science:: Instructional design is the science of creating detailed specifications for the development, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance of situations that facilitate the learning of both large and small units of subject matter at all levels of complexity.
Instructional Design as Reality:: Instructional design can start at any point in the design process. Often a glimmer of an idea is developed to give the core of an instruction situation. By the time the entire process is done the designer looks back and she or he checks to see that all parts of the "science" have been taken into account. Then the entire process is written up as if it occurred in a systematic fashion.
Instructional System:: An instructional system is an arrangement of resources and procedures to promote learning. Instructional design is the systematic process of developing instructional systems and instructional development is the process of implementing the system or plan.
Instructional Technology:: Instructional technology is the systemic and systematic application of strategies and techniques derived from behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist theories to the solution of instructional problems.

Instructional technology is the systematic application of theory and other organized knowledge to the task of instructional design and development.

Instructional Technology = Instructional Design + Instructional Development
Instructional Development:: The process of implementing the design plans.

Michael Bell

Kicking it up a notch!

2005-07-19T09:47:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,
I'm presently seeking the best method to application share and/or screen share across PC platforms. I know I can share Microsoft product with Live Meeting but I'm looking to share Macromedia and Adobe products.

I've looked at Breeze - rather pricey - plus it requires some server re-configuration. This utility is for my site as well as a student networking site I'm starting.

I need it to be as simple as possible. Most student use the audio and video as well as file transfer capabilities in yahoo when they're out of class.

I'd like to "kick it up a notch";-)
Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance
Claire

Examples of Tutorial Videos

2005-07-18T11:07:00.000-05:00

For those interested in creating tutorial videos (for anything really) I am including a link to our E-Library resources tutorial here at Troy University. Visit http://spectrum.troy.edu/~elibrary to get to our videos please click on “Interface Design”. You can also see an example of a Microsoft Agent Character on the first page (I talked about Agents in an earlier post to this blog. If you are interested in making videos like these you can check out Macromedia’s Captivate. You can download a free 30 day trial at www.macromedia.com. Recently I attended the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Chicago in which a Troy University Librarian and myself presented our videos (Project HeLOT – Helpful electronic Library Online Tutorials). It has since been a major subject of most of my emails! Everyone is wanting to know how to do these and how we came up with the idea for them. Check them out!

Michael Bell

Evaluation Video Cast

2005-07-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

Hi guys! I have a videocast about Evaluation. I hope that you enjoy! I will try to get the videocasts a little more educational than just fun ones like yesterday! I will hopefully be producing some each week. Thanks for the great comments. Please keep em coming!

click here

Michael Bell

Michael Bell's VideoCast

2005-07-14T13:14:00.000-05:00

Well guys I have been playing around with Videocasting and how it can be used. I have done my first videocast and am going to post it here. I hope it works for you. It is a little large (18mb), but if you have broadband it shouldn’t be a big deal!

Take care
Michael Bell

New Itunes Version is Out

2005-07-01T10:29:00.000-05:00

For those of you interested in Podcasting the newest version of Itunes is out. It comes complete with a Podcast receiver built in. This is great news for those of us into podcasting! I got an email about it today and downloaded it and it worked wonderfully. If you do not know what podcasting is try Googling “Podcastingt” and it will give you millions of pages to view! If you do know what it is and want to download the newest Itunes to go www.apple.com and try it out! It really has me excited to see where this can go from here!

Have a great 4th of July! See you all when classes start back at Capella on the 5th!

Michael Bell

Microsoft Agent Characters

2005-06-30T13:27:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. For my first entry into the Idxchange blog I thought I would add some information on something that we have been playing with a lot lately here at Troy University. Microsoft Agent Characters… You know the characters that help out when you open office or any other Microsoft product. These guys can be quite helpful if you are into creating tutorials. There are numerous websites that offer characters for download so that you can do something different from the average character (Merlin – The wizard, Genie – a Genie). The program that I actually want to talk about is MASH (Microsoft Agent Scripting Helper). This program can be found at www.bellcraft.com. It is a great tool for creating the scripts that the Agents use to work. We have been adding agents to our tutorials that we build for a few months now. If you would like to see what one can do please go to http://spectrum.troy.edu/~elibrary and there is an agent on the first screen. If you have any questions feel free to email me Mbell19315@troy.edu or go to one of the forums at Bellcraft’s website.

Have a great day!
Michael Bell
Instructional Design Specialist
Troy University eCampus

video.google.com

2005-06-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it? Yesterday (6/27/2005), Google announced the Beta release of their new online video searching engine at video.google.com. The search engine looks at the close captioned text from television shows and videos uploaded by site users (must have an account to upload video), providing you with access to the actual clip. While this is new, it has remarkable promise for Instructional Designers. Sign up and make a contribution. When you create content, make sure that you include your full name. As scholar practitioners, make sure that your name can be found by search engines.

David

More photos from Minnesota ...

2005-06-24T21:14:00.000-05:00

OK, Sheri was kind enough to send me two photos that she wanted posted. Although I was acting silly when the picture was taken, and everyone else looked totally professional … I am posting the photos here, with great trepidation.

Please, if there is anyone in this group who has a photo which doesn't make me look like a slobbering twit, please send it to me and I will be happy to post. I would like to post ANY photo of members of this group. My only request is that a photo be taken at a Capella Colloquia.

David

ID Competencies

2005-06-24T10:32:00.000-05:00

It’s always a good idea to be reminded of the competencies that make us effective Instructional Designers.

1. Perform a needs assessment/analysis

Develop a needs assessment/analysis plan and instrument
Conduct a needs assessment/analysis and collect data
Identify discrepancies based on analysis of data collection
Recommend options that solve the discrepancies

2. Plan and monitor training projects

Develop a project management plan
Develop cost-benefit analysis
Develop budgets and schedules
Identify resource allocation requirements
Monitor activities and make appropriate adjustments to achieve project goals
Identify constraints that impact budget, schedule, resource requirements

3. Assess the relevant characteristics of the target audience

Select the target audience characteristics that are appropriate for assessment
Develop a target audience profile
Differentiate between the types of learners that will benefit from the instruction from those who will have difficulty comprehending the courseware

4. Assess the relevant characteristics of the setting

Identify relevant resources, constraints, and context of the development and delivery environments
Identify how the courseware will be used in the curriculum
Evaluate how the setting characteristics may impact proposed instructional approaches
State a rationale for the selection of the resources and constraints of the development and delivery environments chosen

5. Perform job, task, and/or content analysis

Analyze the characteristics of a job, task, or body of knowledge
Identify appropriate source documentation to support analysis
Identify tasks, subtasks, cognitive processes and their sequential and/or hierarchical relationships
Comprehend technical content in terms of the entire course content and individual lessons
Assess frequency, criticality, difficulty and complexity of knowledge and skills contained in curricula to accommodate target audience learning styles
Identify prerequisite knowledge and skills for tasks, subtasks, and knowledge

6. Write criterion-referenced, performance-based objectives

State an objective in performance terms that reflect the intent of instruction
Sequence the objectives to reflect the curriculum design
Describe the relationship between the objectives, technical content and performance measurement

7. Select instructional media

Identify instructional media options that address training needs
Describe characteristics of instructional media
Evaluate candidate training system hardware and software capabilities and limitations
Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine cost-effectiveness of instructional media options that support objectives within imposed constraints
Recommend instructional media that provides utility and probability across and within each unit of instruction

8. Recommend instructional strategies

Discuss learning theories, instructional design strategies, instructional psychology, and learning styles appropriate to the curricular objectives
Describe and provide a rationale for the selection of an instructional approach
Design instructional materials that are appropriate to the ability level of the learners

9. Develop performance measurement instruments

Develop performance measures: criterion-referenced achievement tests, questionnaires, interviews, simulation scenarios, observation checklists, performance checklists, product checklists
Identify variables to measure and construct assessment items appropriate to the associated objective
Judge the validity and reliability of instruction based on statistical results
State the rationale for using one type of assessment tool over another

10. Develop training program materials

Develop media materials that are linked to and within the hardware/software constraints, are consistent across and between lessons, and clearly communicate information
Develop flowcharts to identify learning events at the frame specific level using standardized symbology
Develop storyboards using a template appropriate to the needs of the project to
Enter data that clearly communicates what will be developed and presented to the user
Select and construct appropriate interactions and user control techniques
Write scripts that include: Introductions, body, transitions, and summary in conversational, active voice to match comprehension level of target audience
Consistent use of tense, grammar, terminology that is interesting and varied
Use a variety of authoring and/or software applications packages
Develop audiovisual display designs that include: screen layouts and human-machine interfaces
Develop course support materials and documentation
Perform debug procedures to identify inconsistencies and discrepancies
Understand video production/postproduction procedures
Understand the relationship between storyboard production and courseware production

11. Prepare end-users for implementation of courseware materials

Train instructors on how to present courseware to students
Provide guidance to users on hardware, software, and courseware

12. Evaluate instruction, program, and process

Develop a formative/summative evaluation plan and conduct the formative/summative evaluation
Generate specifications for revisions based on feedback collected during evaluation

13. Demonstrate an ability to grasp technical content

14. Communicate effectively by visual, oral, and written form
with individuals, small group, and in front of large
audiences

15. Interact effectively with other people

Establish rapport with individuals and groups
Ask questions, explain information, listen
Deal with impediments to progress among members of a group (friction, resistance)

16. Demonstrate good work habits

Demonstrate organizational skills and time management abilities
Demonstrate flexibility and problem solving abilities

Retrieved on June 24, 2005 from
http://www.coedu.usf.edu/inst_tech/resources/competen.html

Journal submission guidelines ...

2005-06-21T15:26:00.000-05:00

You publish NOT because you submit NOT!
Now that doesn't seem to be too difficult, but I was recently searching for a list of journals publishing on the topic of Instructional Design and decided to publish the list with links to submission guidelines.

Journal of the Learning Sciences
[author guidelines click here]
British Journal of Educational Technology
[author guidelines click here]
Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D)
[author guidelines click here]
Educational Media International
[author guidelines click here]
College Student Journal
[author guidelines click here]
Computer Science Education
[author guidelines click here]
Quarterly Review of Distance Education
[author guidelines click here]
International Journal of Instructional Media
[author guidelines click here]
THE Journal
[author guidelines click here]
Studies in the Education of Adults
[author guidelines click here]
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, & Technology Education
[author guidelines click here]
Journal of Educational Psychology
[author guidelines click here]
Equity and Excellence in Education
[author guidelines click here]
Reading and Writing Quarterly
[author guidelines click here]
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
[author guidelines click here]
American Journal of Distance Education
[author guidelines click here]
T & D
[author guidelines click here]
Journal of Quality and Participation
[author guidelines click here]
Computers in the Schools
[author guidelines click here]
Journal of Interprofessional Care
[author guidelines click here]
Knowledge Quest
[author guidelines click here]

Journals are listed in the order that they have recently published articles in the area of instructional design, according to a search using EBSCO.

David

Practicing IDOL

2005-06-20T14:38:00.000-05:00

Not that I claim to be informed about everything … that would be an impossible task … but, I am not sure how this article got by my radar. This article is a nice description of where ID is heading as a profession. Here is the abstract for your consideration.

Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) professionals practice their skills in a broad range of career environments and job roles. The resulting collection of competency lists and wide range of practice environments, coupled with the frequent changes that have always characterized the field, produce complexity that is difficult to communicate to IDT students. However, students need to understand these complex aspects of the field so that they can make informed decisions about their career goals and educational direction. This review of the current literature looks at the current issues impacting practice and preparation. It concludes that the path professional academic preparation programs choose will depend on their orientation to instructional design and performance improvement, and whether they see themselves as preparing students for specific career environments or are pursuing a generalist program

Reference:
Larson, Miriam B. & Lockee, Barbara B. (2004). Instructional Design Practice: Career Environments, Job Roles, and a Climate of Change. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 17(1), 22-40

David

Multilanguage CMS

2005-06-19T18:21:00.000-05:00

Imagine being able to have access to a course management system where you can design components in any of the following languages ...

Whether you have access to a commercial CMS like Blackboard or WebCT, it is always a good idea to get experience working with other sites.

cost - free
site - Claroline.net

David

Building Learning Objects ...

2005-06-19T15:53:00.000-05:00

For those who are new to the idea of learning objects, this will help. Rice University has an online build-it/store-it/share-it repository called Connexions. The idea behind the project is to provide a space where individuals and groups can create and maintain ‘modules’ for others to use in their courses.

The reason that I am sharing this resource here is that after learning and using this resource I believe it represents where higher education (in particular) is heading with online instructional design. You can create a free account and immediately start building modules. Modules are the building blocks for courses. The idea is that “less is more.”

In order to be productive, you will need an XML editor. The site recommends the FREE version from Altova called Authentic. If anyone is interested in learning more or collaborating on building a few modules, create your free account and contact a colleague to coordinate your information sharing.

cost – free
site – Connexions

David

Cith this blog entry:
Penrose, David M. (2005, June 19). Building Learning Objects. Message posted to http://idxchange.blogspot.com

Resources for Instructional Designers

2005-06-15T11:11:00.000-05:00

References:
Bleed, R. (2005). Overcoming the Biggest Barrier to Student Success. Campus Technology. 18(10).
http://www.campus-technology.com/article.asp?id=11107

Mitrano, T. (2005). The Internet, the Pope, and the iPod. Campus Technology. 18(10).
http://www.campus-technology.com/article.asp?id=11189

Shimabukuro, J. (2005). Freedom and Empowerment: An Essay on the Next Step for Education and Technology. Innovate. 1(5)
http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=63

Wijekumar, K. (2005). Creating Effective Web-Based Learning Environments: Relevant Research and Practice. Innovate. 1(5)
http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=26

Disposable Camcorder?

2005-06-14T10:07:00.000-05:00

When I started reading about this, I was skeptical. Trust me, this is for real. This story ran in the San Francisco Chronicle and is worth looking at. The nub is that a company called Pure Digital Technologies Inc. recently started selling a $30 camcorder that records upto 20 minutes of MPEG 4 video. If you work with video at all, you have to read this story!

David

Evangelista, Benny. (2005, June 13). Testing out disposable camcorder: S.F. firm makes it easy to e-mail clips made on tiny device. San Francisco Chronicle, E-1. Retrieved on June 14, 2005 from here

The "Alone Zone"?

2005-06-14T09:34:00.000-05:00

I wish I had authored this blog posting but I didn’t. The credit for this one goes to Jason Fried. In this post he talks about how we find a little thing called “productivity” in our “alone zone.” Here is a teaser from his positng.

Getting in the zone takes time which is why interruption is your enemy. It’s like REM sleep – you don’t just go to REM sleep, you go to sleep first and you make you way towards REM. Any interruptions force you to start over. REM is where the real sleep magic happens. The alone time zone is where the real productivity happens.

David

Cite this blog entry:
Fried, Jason. (2005, June 14). Getting Real: The alone time zone. Messages posted to http://37signals.com.

What was that sound?

2005-06-14T07:04:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wanted to insert a sound effect into your podcast, screencast or presentation? Well here is a link to a FREE library of almost 2,000 sounds that you can download directly as a .wav file.

cost - free
site - Absolute Sound Effects Archive

David

What were we thinking?

2005-06-14T06:23:00.000-05:00

This story is pulled from the EDUPAGE electronic newsletter which is available online and email. This brief story talks about the demographics of Internet users in 1999.

U.S. ONLINE AUDIENCE STARING TO LOOK MORE LIKE AMERICA
A study by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press indicates that the online audience is rapidly changing from an elite computer-savvy group comprised of young, well-educated and affluent males to a more mainstream American group, with middle-aged and middle-income people of both sexes coming to the Internet in increased numbers, as are people with less formal education. Although the 74 million Internet users in the U.S. are still younger, better-educated and more affluent than the population at large, 40% of Internet newcomers never attended college and 23% have household incomes below $30,000 a year. (AP 14 Jan 99)

David

Why should we be interested in Screencasting?

2005-06-13T22:27:00.000-05:00

As IDOLers, I hope that you are considering the world of podcasting, but I especially hope that you are beginning to learn about the world of screencasting. Using programs like RoboDemo (now called Captivate), TurboDemo, or Camtasia, you will create actual narrated demonstrations for users to watch and listen.

Especially important is the idea of creating RLO (reusable learning objects). It is the idea of RLO and repositories like the one at rice.edu that offers great promise for our community of practice.

Imagine that I develop a screencast with script and original program file. In my case, I actually embed the script into the Captivate document and zip my files so that any of my interested colleagues can add their narration. The good news is that an SME (subject matter expert) and ID (instructional designer) have already refined the presentation and content. The better news? Using orinatl Captivate files, anyone can customize it with their voice.

Screencasting, podcasting, vodcasting … what is next?

David

Move OVER Merlot!

2005-06-12T06:38:00.000-05:00

You have heard of Merlot, but have you heard about Connexions? Here is a snippet of text taken directly from their website …

Connexions is a rapidly growing collection of free scholarly materials and a powerful set of free software tools to help
authors publish and collaborate
instructors rapidly build and share custom courses
learners explore the links among concepts, courses, and disciplines.
Our Content Commons contains small "knowledge chunks" we call modules that connect into courses. Thanks to a Creative Commons open license, anyone can take our materials, adapt them to meet their needs, and contribute them back to the Commons. And everyone is invited to participate!

You just have to check this one out!!!
http://cnx.rice.edu/

David

iPods Reflect Interest in MP3 Players

2005-06-11T06:41:00.000-05:00

It's all about portability. I remember, almost 5 years ago, getting my first portable MP3 CD Player for $80. I was amazed that I could put 11 hours of stereo audio on one CD-ROM. When tiny MP3 players came out (using flash cards), I just wasn't impressed. Today there are a variety of solutions for playing MP3 files. I can understand the disdain with hauling a collection of CDs around with you on a trip. In principle, I prefer a player that can store 20+GB (315 hours) of music or sound over a player that can only play one CD (11 hours) at a time. So what choices do you have?

CD Player - plays regular CDs
CD/MP3 Player - plays regular CDs and MP3 CDs
Mini CD/MP3 Player - same as CD/MP3 Player except on mini CDs
MP3 Player - small, with internal storage capacity 15mb - 60GB
MP3 w/Radio Tuner Player - same as MP3, including a radio
MP3/Video Player - recognises both MP3 and MPG files

I prefer the CD/MP3 Player. I have an inexpensive ($25) audio appliance that has unlimited storage capacity. The player will recognise both regular size and mini CDs. The disadvantage is the size. My portable player will not fit in my shirt pocket or hang from a chord around my neck.Also, I have to take my CDs with me. Other than some minor inconveniences and CDs laying around everywhere, it is inexpensive and versatile. Perhaps, one day soon we will be able to buy a portable Mini CD/MP3 player that recognises MP3 files on a Mini DVD-RW disc!

David

RSSBuilder

2005-06-10T14:25:00.000-05:00

You don’t want to blog, but you would like to create an RSS (news) feed. The benefits of using RSS includes your being able to keep individuals posted of the latest information evolving from your work. Specifically, you push the information to them that you want them to know. Now, for educational purposes you are going to hear more about RSS and OPML. Where RSS is a single newsfeed, OPML is a library of feeds.

I found a great FREE program for creating your RSS feed and saving it as an .rss file. You can even use the program to upload the file to your website. The program is called RSSBuilder and is as good as any commercial software (in terms of functionality) that I have used.

cost – free
site – home.hetnet.nl/~bsoft/rssbuilder

David

Blogs in Education

2005-06-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

Anyone out there looking on a good article related to the use of blogs in academia? Here is a teaser taken directly from Shola Adenekan’s article …

“Blogs are giving departments, staff and students the freedom and informality of tone impossible in scholarly journals or even the student newspaper. Blogging lecturers say the technology provides them with easy online web access to students and improves communication outside of the classroom.”

[ click here to read ]

David

Journal Resources

2005-06-10T10:12:00.000-05:00

Well, since this field of study is new to me … I thought that I would compile a list of journals contained in the first 100 entries of an EBSCO Host search on the keywords “Instructional Design.” I simply wrote down the name of the journals that I thought I would scan periodically (no punn intended) for articles that I save and cite later.

My humble list (6/9/2005)

Journal of the Learning Sciences
Educational Psychology
British Journal of Educational Technology
Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D)
Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning
Chronicle of Higher Education
Educational Media International
College Student Journal
Computer Science Education
Quarterly Review of Distance Education
International Journal of Instructional Media
THE Journal
Studies in the Education of Adults
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, & Technology Education
Journal of Educational Psychology
Equity and Excellence in Education
Reading and Writing Quarterly
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
Connecting Education and Careers
Mathematical Thinking and Learning
American Journal of Distance Education
T & D
Journal of Educational Media
Journal of Quality and Participation
Computers in the Schools
Journal of Interprofessional Care
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy
School Effectiveness and School Improvement
Training
Knowledge Quest

David

IDOL for Play

2005-06-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

I was wondering if anyone has tried this idea out.

In my experience in working with techno-phobic (as compared to techno-philic) faculty, it seems that many do not have the time or the resources to experiment with instructional technology. This has caused me to consider the role that “play” in desensitizing individuals and groups to trying something unfamiliar.

If play is the context where individuals can experiment without the threat of evaluation, then might the need for “technology play therapy” be indicated? What if IDOLers set up “play grounds” or “play rooms” for faculty so that they could experiment with techie toys without worrying about the cost or something getting broke. How many worried about the ball breaking if you threw it too hard? I believe that play is the proper context for learning the limits and the limitations of technology.

The idea of having something different each week could attract the same individuals or appeal to a new set of individuals each week. I will solicit hardware and software companies to contribute their product for us to play with! It sure sounds viable.

I am offering Power Lunch Thursdays where we talk about innovations, but I was thinking I would call this Recess Time. What do y’all think?

David

p.s., While I am not thinking about doing this for my Dissertation, I am interested in learning what factors contribute to faculty using innovative instructional technologies in their teaching.

cite this blog entry:
Penrose, David M. (2005, June 10). IDOL for Play. Message posted at http://idxchange.blogspot.com

ID history site and online community

2005-06-10T08:03:00.000-05:00

For those of you always like more resources on Instructional Design, there is a historical listing of information and key theorists at this url: http://www.my-ecoach.com/idtimeline/index.html

If you look closely as this website you can also find a listing of resources. Since I do some teaching in ID, I find this information helpful. It puts a frame of reference to the time periods of instructional design. For instance, I found out that Maslow developed his Hierarchy of Needs the year I was born! (Now you will all rush to see when that was for sure!)

Also, you can join the online community at that site as well: www.my-ecoach.com and get connected with others involved in curriculum.

Wendy Stubbs

Career Counselor at The University of South Dakota

and adjunct faculty in Technology for Education and Training

wendyks@mchsi.com

Who are we?

2005-06-10T07:57:00.000-05:00

OK, I just checked the list of addresses in our mailings. There are currently 24 IDOL students in our group. I would like to request that you post a short message on the blog that describes something recent about what you do with your time.

Be pithy or be verbose, it doesn’t matter. It would be nice, now that the Quarter is wrapping up, to learn more about the students that make up this eclectic bunch.

David

Finish my Ph.D.

2005-06-10T07:46:00.000-05:00

Failure may not be an option, but consider this recent article published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Remember that completing a Ph.D. is no small task. That is why it is imperative that we continue supporting each other both through the sharing of ideas AND with frequent messages of encouragement.

I know that there are a couple in our group that will be moving in to the Dissertation phase in the near future. I would enjoy reading about their struggles and successes. It might even help to get the honest (but tempered with kindness) feedback of peers.

Is it obvious that I consider myself a ‘social constructivist’ and a adherent of Vygotsky? I hope so!

[ click here to read the article in the Chronicle ]

David

Podcasting Virtual Tours

2005-06-10T07:40:00.000-05:00

In one of my newsfeeds this morning, I learned about a recent posting by Robin Good discussing the process of posting virtual tour podcasts. The idea of talking tours from differing perspectives and in multiple languages not only makes sense, but supports my belief that living in a pluralistic society means that we can all learn from each other.

[ click here to read ]

Good, Robin. (2005, June 9). Audio Virtual Guides Open Up New Opportunities For Art And Nature Enthusiasts. Message posted to http://www.masternewmedia.org

David

Self-Regulated Learning (SLR)

2005-06-09T19:46:00.000-05:00

I realize that this is not an Instructional Design model, but who is familiar with the term “self-regulated learning?” It would seem to me that this learning theory is practice for online learning. Is there anyone in our group who is using this or would like to “blog” on the subject?

If your a newbie to SLR (like I am), then you might find these citations informative.

References:
McManus, Thomas F. (1996). Self-Regulated Learning in a Web Based Learning Environment. Retrieved on June 9, 2005 from http://www.edb.utexas.edu/mmresearch/Students96/McManus/

Whipp, Joan L. and Chiarelli, Stephannie. (2004). Self-Regulation in a Web-Based Course: A Case Study. ERT&D, 52(4), 5–22

Wegner, Scott B., Holloway, Ken C., and Garton, Edwin M. (1999). The effects of Internet-based instruction on student learning. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 3(2), 98–106

David

Communities at Furl

2005-06-09T11:50:00.000-05:00

Greetings IDOLers:
For those that haven't looked into social bookmarking yet, give Furl a try!
(or de.lic.ious, but I'm having great hits with my Furl shared bookmark community)
Not only is it fast and easy for me to keep all my bookmarks in my Furl Web space (eliminating searching 3 machines and multliple browsers) but the recommendations based on who also bookmarked certain sites has lead me to treasures out there.

Furl site: http://www.furl.net/index.jsp

ELI take on social bookmarking: http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ELI7001
PS to Carlos and David: thanks for carrying the IDOLers along (at the end of a semester!). You guys are great.
PPS to Carlos: I signed up for the Breeze trial. Now if only I could find time to read the free e-learning book ;)

Colleen Carmean
Capella PhD student in IDOL
602.543.8271

MoonEdit

2005-06-08T22:44:00.000-05:00

I know it must seem that I have NO LIFE … but, I am constantly stumbling across these cool tools to try. While reading my daily dose of RSS (I subscribe to about 150 news feeds altogether), I read an interesting article about MoonEdit and thought I would share with my IDOL pals. We are pals, right?

You have heard me praising InstaColl … which I still recommend for 1:1 collaboration projects. However, InstaColl lacks the ummmmph of a program which can allow multiple users to be connected at the same time (like Jybe) BUT MoonEdit allows for multiple user editing and tracking. Specifically, everyone’s changes/contributions are given a different color.

Now, is that awesome or what? So, could it get any better than that? Did I mention it’s FREE and is available in Windows/Linux/FreeBSD(OS X) flavors. As you are thinking of wrapping up your courses and either preparing for the Summer Quarter or looking for a tool to help you as you start working on your Dissertation … Remember MoonEdit.

cost – free
site – www.moonedit.com

David

Ph.D. - Piled Higher and Deeper

2005-06-08T16:02:00.000-05:00

Can we always use more humor in our lives. Especially those of us who are struggling to keep our head above water … hang in there Yoany. I know things are tough, but just remember “it’s always darkest before they turn on the lights!” (Cole Porter).

Actually I want to share the URL for a cool comic strip about being a Ph.D. student. If it weren’t for this one and Pearls Before Swine … I would probably be more dangerous than a disgruntled letter carrier (postal worker).

All kidding aside, don’t forget that these courses are hard for everyone and we could each use all the encouragement that we can get.

site URL – http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/comics.php

David

The few, the proud ... bloggermania?

2005-06-08T07:58:00.000-05:00

I recently asked a fellow learner on the list if they were enjoying the postings to the blog. She mentioned that it was difficult keeping up with all the postings. My response was that everyone else seems to be too busy to post. I just want to share the “cool stuff” that makes my job easier and more exciting!

blog.educause.edu
If your institution is a member of Educause, you can create a personal account and setup a blog. The reason that I mention that here is that in addition to text posting, you can even upload attachments to their server. Do you know what that means? Yeppers, it means PODCASTING for free! I am all for that. Also, at the time of this posting, there were only 67 bloggers in total on their system. Now is your chance to be an early adopter. I have setup a blog … of course … at least for now I am doing some double posting. The best part is that they a) list your posting in the most recent posts section of their site as well as on the default blog home page and b) make your posting fully searchable. If any of you know fellow IDOLer Colleen Carmean (ID @ Arizona State University), you should go check out her blog (http://blog.educause.edu/carmean)

David

cite this blog entry:
Penrose, David M. (2005, June 8). The few, the proud … bloggermania? Message posted to http://idxchange.blogspot.com

Podcasting TODAY

2005-06-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

Today is a good day, because I became aware of a few solutions that simplify the process for podcaster wannabes. If you haven’t ever heard my presentation on educational podcasting then you will enjoy this.

There are four basic steps to creating a Podcast.

Write it
Record it
Publish it
Promote it

Write it:
It is a good idea to compose your podcast and use that as the manuscript for your presentation. I strongly suggest that you write in a conversational manner and not as you might a scholarly paper. The idea is that once recorded you can then post your transcript along with the link to your recording online for your audience to enjoy. If you don’t have a website to publish to, then create a free account at blogger.com.

Record it:
You have heard about Audacity? This free program is more than adequate for recording your podcast. Remember that you want to save the file in MP3 format. To do this you will need the Lame-3.96.1 drivers to export your recording as an MP3. These free tools are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.

Corey Deitz, of About.com, has written a great step-by-step tutorial explaining the process for recording and saving a podcast. I suggest that you download the tutorial Audacity 1.2 Tutorial which covers in detail how to use the program.

Publish it:
Up until today, when I found this awesome and kool utility, was I unsure how to encourage podcasters to publish their programs. Typically, you needed to find a site on the internet where you could store files and then link to those files in your podcast or RSS feed. When I discovered CCpublisher all of that changed.

CreativeCommons is THE open source online copyright resource. CCpublisher is a utility that serves two purposes. First, it allows you to easily upload to Internet Archive, where your podcasts or vidcasts can be stored and indexed for free. Second, it creates a metadata file which includes the important information about your copyright based upon your specified permissions. Publishing your podcast now means it is hosted on the internet where anyone can access it and it has a copyright attached to the file.

Record it:
Long gone are the days of “post it and they will come.” There are just too many places for people to get lost on the Internet. The chances of finding your podcast are SLIM to NONE unless you promote it. By promoting, I mean, linking to your podcast (that is hosted with Internet Archive) and listing it on your blog. If you follow my advice and publish your transcript in a blog, then you will ONLY need to promote the URL to your blog.

In an earlier posting, I mentioned the format for citing a blog entry using the APA writing style. It would be a good idea to provide that citation at the end of your transcript, so that interested students or scholars will know how to correctly cite your podcast as a source.

Don’t forget that there are an increasing number of sites that will list your podcast in their directory. This is important since many of them publish additions/changes through RSS feeds to interested subscribers. This is FREE advertisement, so remember to thank them for listing you.

So, what are YOU waiting for?

David

cite this blog entry:
Penrose, David M. (2005, June 7). Podcasting Today. Message posted to http://idxchange.blogspot.com

To be or NOT Tobee?

2005-06-06T16:20:00.000-05:00

OK, you have got to check this out!

The product is called ToBee and is a collection of tools and services that make it very easy to create, manage, and deliver extended rich media over the web.

So what does that mean?

It means you can combine video, audio, images, narration, script, etc. to present information through a powerful and efficient form of communication. Extended means you can ask question of the viewer or let them download files that you offer. You are actually watching a ToBee presentation or eSession right now.

So really you can use ToBee for just about any subject you can think of. For example:

- You can demonstrate the use of a product with
   video clips and snapshots.
- You can offer judging certification in a sport with
   examples, narration, and a certification exam.
- You can describe your corporate policies and
   procedures without your employees traveling.
- You can share your expertise with anyone in
   the world

There's no limit on the ways that ToBee extended rich media can be used.

ToBee's main focus is simplicity. There are other tools that provide pieces to the overall "create/manage/deliver" solution but they can be complicated and require a significant knowledge of media technology to connect them together.

ToBee solves that challenge by providing everything:

- composition software
- upload services
- web listing
- delivery to the user

Our goal is to let you spend 90% of your time creating content - which is what you are good at, and 10% of your time on technology - which is what we are good at.

So if you want to know more, watch our other info sessions on this site. If you select a specific group such as business, sports, etc. you will find more info sessions that talk about how ToBee is used in those areas. You will also see examples of how others have adopted ToBee for their needs.

US Synchronized Swimming Assoc. approves ToBee for delivery of national judges update training USSA has developed the first in a series of training eSessions to maintain judges certification throughout the United States.

"We look to ToBee as a great resource for augmenting our certification programs at a much lower cost and much faster delivery", Carol Tackett, 2004 US Olympic Judge.

cost – free
site – www.tobee.biz/

David

So you want to be a blogger?

2005-06-06T14:42:00.000-05:00

OK, here is a list of ten helpful hints to be an effective blogger – courtesy of Sharon Housley at FeedForAll.

Stay on topic
Stay informative
Old news is not news
Adhere to a schedule
Clarity and simplicity
Keyword-rich
Quantity matters
Frequency
Spell checking and proff-reading
RSS

And, I would add … when a group blog, encourage others to post as well.

For more information read the complete story at:
http://www.rss-specifications.com/10-tips-for-bloggers.htm

David

So we only need English, right?

2005-06-05T14:18:00.000-05:00

Well, I came across this section of a book and thought that I would share the insightful hints (pp. 57–59) to speak International English … I know these will help ALL instructional designers.

Slow down!
Use basic vocabulary and keep it simple.
Listen actively.
Repeat, rephrase, and illustrate messages and instructions.
Avoid slang, jargon, and colloquial expressions.
Go easy on the acronyms.
Pre-test humor.
Expect delayed reactions.
Don’t assume congruence.
Use visual aids.

The author aptly points out … “Most speakers of English as a first language do not know how to speak ESL! Those speaking ESL frequently complain that native English speakers are more difficult to understand that other ESL speakers. Native speakers use a larger vocabulary often laced with slang expressions, speak too fast, and assume others have caught and even agree to ideas that have missed entirely.” (Simons, Colin, Vazquez & Harris, 1993, p. 56)

This, it seems, has serious implications for Instructional Designers!

References:
Simons, G. F., Colin, C. V., Vazquez, C., Harris, P. R. (1993). Transcultural Leadership: Empowering the Diverse Workforce. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company.

David

Engaging Question

2005-06-05T08:39:00.000-05:00

The Spring Quarter is winding down, so I thought I would post a question for comment and consideration. Many IDOLers consider themselves to be "constructivists" but how many consider themselves to be "social constructivists"?

In the tradition of Lev S. Vygotsky (1978), how important is culture and community (social context of learning) to what an individual can know? What role does "inner speech" play in online learning? If there is credibility to the work of Vygotsky, shouldn't we be making an effort to understand the influences upon culture and how those contribute to learning?

I would suggest that culture is shaped by the influences of race, religion, gender, nation of origin, socioeconomic circumstances, intracultural interactions, and intercultural interactions. If this is true, then how can IDOLers ignore the role that these will play in the development of effective instruction?

IDOLers working for the military may not think that this is important, but consider the problems of religious intolerance reported at the U.S. Air Force Academy (Mount, 2005). It sounds like there are serious cultural conflict problems that could be resolved by a swift social constructivist kick to the seat of their instructional approach. What do y'all think?

References:
Vygotsky, Lev. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher mental process. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Mount, Mike. (2005, May 5). Air Force probes religious bias charges at academy. Retrieved on June 5, 2005 from http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/03/airforce.religion/

Consider the following resource, which was only recently published.
Smith, Regina O. (2005).Working with difference in online collaborative groups. Adult Education Quarterly, 55(3), 182–199

David

Citing Blog Postings

2005-06-02T22:37:00.000-05:00

In my search to accurately cite blog postings that might have scholarly value I discovered the following reference style.

Lastname, Firstname MI. (YEAR, Month #). Title of the Blog entry. Message posted to http://URL

This would make the citation for this entry …

Penrose, David M. (2005, June 2). Citing Blog Postings. Message posted to http://idxchange.blogspot.com

Reference:
Bronson, J. (2004). What is this? How do I cite it using APA? Retrieved on June 2, 2005 from http://library.olivet.edu/pubserv/ins/English/104/Spring2004/chart_APA.html

David

Influence of Personality on Online Discussion

2005-06-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

ABSTRACT:
Online collaborative learning has typically been studied within the context of learning communities. Little is known about the potential influence of students’ personalities on online communication, group interaction, and task engagement among members of a learning community. This study used a mixed-method, triangulation design, involving the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, to investigate the effects of personality on communication type and pattern, message length, task engagement, and student attitude toward online learning. Seventy students were organized into four personality-profile groups based on their Five Factor Personality Test scores, for the discussion of assigned case studies. Discussion messages were analyzed using Logistical Regressions for communication type and pattern, ANOVAs for message length, and Z-tests for pairwise comparisons for task engagement. The results indicate that personality affects communication type, pattern and task engagement but not message length. Students’ attitudes toward online discussion were generally positive. The results provide guidelines for forming groups and designing activities for online collaborative learning.

Chen, S. J., & Caropreso, E. J. (2004). Influence of Personality on Online Discussion. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 3(2)
http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/archives/2004/fall/02/index.html

David

Let's talk MIDOL

2005-06-02T08:31:00.000-05:00

I am not talking about ibuprofen (Midol), I am talking about Multi-lingual Instructional Design for Online Learning. Did you know that three countries with the most Internet users are the United States, China, and Japan? Add that fact to the top ten list of common languages and you will realize that we are quickly becoming the ambassadors of diverse media.

One reason that I like this bunch of scholars is that we are proactive! Not that proactive (Proactive Solution), I mean we take the initiative to change the world before being asked.

It is time that we consider the importance, regardless of setting, of being the producers of multi-language instructional design. I strongly encourage everyone to learn a second and even third language. Language is the vehicle through which culture is transmitted. When a language dies, so does the culture that depended on the language for survival.

site – www.clickz.com

David

Responding to a Discussion Question

2005-06-02T08:04:00.000-05:00

I was asked recently to explain how to respond to a discussion question in a scholarly manner. I prepared a simple step-by-step set of instructions. I am sharing them here, not because I think anyone needs them, but because it might come in handy in your instructional design projects.

How to respond in writing ....

You are given a question to answer.
Find the literature which will help you understand and answer the question.
Read the literature for the purpose of understanding.
Set the literature aside!
Think about the question and all that you have read.
The purpose of YOU answering the question is to present YOUR perspective.
Do not worry about initially citing your references or spelling.
Write your answer, in YOUR words ... avoid using lengthy quotes by others.
It is important that you edit your answer until you are happy with your response. It should convey your message succinctly.
After writing your answer, go back through and find those comments that you realize were supported or taken from the authors in your literature review.
Cite them appropriately according to APA 5th Edition.
Check your response for both accuracy and correct grammar/spelling before submitting.
If you feel uncertain about your response, ask someone you trust (who will be honest, but not cruel) to read and give you feedback.
Make any necessary corrections.
Submit your response.

David

myPOD Online

2005-06-01T14:17:00.000-05:00

OK, I have finally done it. I wanted to create a page that displayed a Flash MP3 Player that looked like the popular iPod and simply pulled the audio files from a directory. Every time the page loads, the list is refreshed. This is what should happen. [ click here to view myPOD ]

Anyway, go check it out. The program that creates this custom MP3 Player is called Wimpy MP3 and is available for a mere $24.95. You can also create custom skins for your virtual player. I think I have found a program that Instructional Designers will not want to ignore.

cost – $24.95
site – www.wimpyplayer.com

David

PRINT.google.com

2005-06-01T08:07:00.000-05:00

Imagine being able to search the text of Instructional-Design Theories and Models: A New Paradigm of Instructional Theory - by Charles Reigeluth. You know the book we are using in ED7620! Now you can at http://print.google.com.

Imagine that you want to see what the book says about “ADDIE” and you will not get any results, but search for “ISD” and the google engine lists 24 references (pages-1,2,5,13,14,15, 27,29,173,174, 180,189,208,213,267,317,389,431,445,448,574,637,699,700). Now this is what every Ph.D. learner has been waiting for!

David

Consider adding humor to instruction

2005-06-01T06:51:00.000-05:00

You have to check this out, published 5/31/2005 (yesterday) on The Athens News website, the article is called “Learning through laughter: Study supports use of humor in online courses.” I include the a paragraph by Elizabeth Weinstein as a teaser.

The most important finding, he added, is that humor can take a situation such as online learning, which is often viewed as sterile and remote, and add a sense of personal flavor to the experience. He also has a word of advice to professors who might be afraid to experiment with the use of humor in their classrooms even if they don't consider themselves funny. Sometimes just the attempt at humor is enough.

read the entire article! [ click here ]

David

Academic Rigor and Online Instruction

2005-05-31T15:00:00.000-05:00

The author of this article (Wyatt, 2005), Gary Wyatt, is from an MIAA conference school … that means they are our rivals. Anyway, this recently published article takes a look at university student attitudes about online learning. This statement is taken directly from the abstract …

The majority of students reported that online instruction provided a quality academic experience and that online instruction is more academically demanding than traditional classroom instruction.

This and the Ridley & Husband (1998) study, should validate what we Instructional Designers of Online Learning have always believed, that we provide well crafted and academically challenging learning experiences using the best instructional technology available.

References:
Ridley, D.R., & Husband, J.E. (1998). Online Education: A Study of Academic Rigor and Integrity. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 25(3), 184–188

Wyatt, G. (2005). Satisfaction, Academic Rigor and Interaction: Perceptions of Online Instruction. Education, 125(3), 460–468

David

Using Templates for Building Courses

2005-05-30T17:35:00.000-05:00

Have you ever found yourself wanting to cite a study that supported your intention of using a template system for construction or even maintenance of an online course? Well, while doing some research today, I spotted this journal article and thought that I would share it via the blog.

David

Lazarinis, F. (2004). A Template Based System for Automatic Construction of Online Courseware for Secondary Educational Institutes. Educational Technology & Society, 7(3), 112-113

[ click here to download ]

Designer Support for Online Learning

2005-05-30T16:20:00.000-05:00

OK, here is a recent article which I thought you might be interested in reading.

David

Abstract:
Designer support is critical for facilitating collaboration and knowledge construction in an online learning environment. Designer support in this paper refers to the mechanisms that a designer builds in a technology-mediated environment to facilitate online learning. This paper focuses on two aspects of designer support: 1) creating a shared context, and 2) facilitating online communication and knowledge construction. Examples of these two aspects of support are presented along a continuum ranging from technology that simply allows collaboration to collaborative technology that makes collaboration more accessible to users. Examples of strategies for creating a shared context include the use of metaphorical designs to graphically represent the virtual environment for intuitive navigation and role transplantation, the use of informational support for decision-making, and the use of multiple information channels and tools to support coordinated collaboration in task-based projects. In order to facilitate online communication and knowledge construction, on the other hand, designers can employ communication scaffolds to structure online communication and artifacts as shared representations that provide contexts for online discussions. Finally, the potential application of similar mechanisms to online course management systems is discussed.

Gao, H., Baylor, A. L., & Shen, E. (2005). Designer Support for Online Collaboration and Knowledge Construction. Educational Technology & Society, 8(1), 69-79.

[ click here to download ]

Google NOW has Newsgroups?

2005-05-25T10:18:00.000-05:00

Finally, a newsgroup with accompanying search engine! Maybe this will be easier to join than blogger. I just started a newsgroup for “podutainment - educational podcasting” and have invited all of the IDOLers (is it me, or does this sound like IDOLater – defined as someone with IDOL envy?) to be a part of this new newsgroup.

I should mention that since BLOGS are become increasingly indexed by search engines it would be a great idea for you to post your ideas! I thought that encouragement was pretty sublte.

Anyways, see the first posting in the Podutainment newsgroup
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/podutainment

David

Open Source Course Management System

2005-05-20T23:26:00.000-05:00

This is kool! You can create a private course area at WordCircle and allow only those individuals inside that you give your "course key" to. You can a) create a course overview, b) add course materials, c) post news items, d) add items to a course calendar, e) create projects for participants, and f) set up discussion topics.

The best part is it works pretty fast, using PHP. Also, you can download the complete program source and run it locally, or let them host your courses ... either way, I think you will like the bang for the buck! Did I mention the price?

cost - free
site - www.wordcircle.org

David

Helpful IDOL References

2005-05-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

I like being able to share with my faculty, references for the effectiveness of online learning (eLearning), so here are three citations that I think you will find helpful.

Bolliger, D.U., Josephson, R., Eastmond, D.V. (2005).The Virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working with Online Learners. Quarterly Review of Distance Education. 6(1), 73–76

Yanes, M.J. (2004). Distance Education in Traditional Classes. Quarterly Review of Distance Education. 5(4), 265–276

Baron, J. & Crooks, S.M. (2005) Academic Integrity in Web Based Distance Education. Tech Trends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning. 49(2), 40–45

David

eTeaching Day

2005-05-17T08:37:00.000-05:00

In reading an article from the Boston College Chronicle (Gawlik, 2005) about today being eTeaching day for Boston College and Northeastern University, I decided to post a note to y'all.

As Instructional Designers (for Online Learning) wouldn't it be awesome if we could all collaborate together to provide an agenda of topics and white papers that be used at our (and others) institutions to promote not just eLearning but eTeaching.

Since Instructional Design Services (Truman State University) are housed at the Center for Teaching and Learning, this is an idea that will be integrated into our program this next academic year.

If there is anyone, like Janet, who is close enough to attend our activities ... I sure want you to feel welcome. Is there anyone out there willing to take this project on?

Reference:
Gawlik, Steven. (2005, May 12). University to Host ‘eTeaching Day’ May 19. The Boston College Chronicle. 13(17)
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/chronicle/v13/my12/eteaching.html

David

Flipz IV Flash

2005-05-16T20:14:00.000-05:00

You are gonna just love this. Finally, a resource for creating animated characters, in Flash, that is free!

If a picture is worth a million words, then this little SWF is worth a trillion. It takes less than five minutes (time varies depending on the length of your recording) to actually create a complete flash video ready for publishing.

I also strongly suggest that you provide a text script to accompany your video for improved lip sync accuracy.

cost - free site - http://www.flipz.tv

David

SWiSHpresenter (beta)

2005-05-15T22:47:00.000-05:00

It must seem like I have nothing to do with time but search for “kool toolz” but that just isn’t so … well, maybe it is …

While looking for Flash utilities to speed up the development time of my SWF, I came across the beta (means it still has bugs) version of SWiSH Presenter. It works as a plug-in for Microsoft PowerPoint. You can create a SWF movie, with narration and save with slide transitions. Nice!

The drawback is that this is a beta version, and although FREE, it will eventually expire. My suggestion, use it while its available.

cost - beta
site - http://www.swishzone.com

David

Blog (RSS) -to- MP3

2005-05-15T09:12:00.000-05:00

OK, now this is kool … if you liked Golda’s demonstration of TextAloud you will certainly love this. From the same makers NextUp, this little utility called News Aloud provides you with a solution to create MP3 files from news items posted in RSS/XML feeds … this means blogs.

When you add AT&T Natural Voices to the mix, you get a pretty good quality simulated recording. When talking to clients about the educational use of RSS remember to suggest that they provide a recorded version of the news for listeners who may have accessibility concerns. While technically considered podcasting, it would lack the more personal and realistic effect of hearing the author recording their own message. Still a good utility.

Of course this could also be solved if everyone podcast, but some people don’t like their voice … this is a more acceptable solution.

cost - free to try/$19.95
site - http://www.nextup.com/NewsAloud/index.html

David

[ click here ] to hear NewsAloud
[ click here ] to hear my podcast of this story

Course Posting HTML

2005-05-14T14:22:00.000-05:00

I have been asked to post the HTML which I use to create my course postings. By using a table (500 pixels wide) you will be able to keep your content restricted to the area that a user can scan one line at a time. Make sure that you check the box that refers to HTML being included in your posting. For contrast, the code is blue and the final text is in red.

<table width="500">
<tr><td>

u#d## - Title or name of person responding to, 
Enter in your message here.

References: 
Lastname, Firstname. (2005). The title of some article. Journal
Name. 5(1), #-#

Your Name

</td></tr>
</table>

Here is what it looks like, with one exception your text will be black …

u#d## - Title or name of person responding to,
Enter in your message here.

References:
Lastname, Firstname. (2005). The title of some article. Journal
Name. 5(1), #-#

Your Name

David

InstaColl

2005-05-13T20:38:00.000-05:00

This is an awesome tool (aka, kool tool) for online collaboration. While I still drool over Macromedia Contribute for its easy to master administrative/user interface, I have recently begun using InstaColl … this stands for Instant Collaboration.

Here is why it is HOT! First, the program is FREE … you just can’t beat the price. Second, it allows users to create document/screen sharing sharing sessions by invitation and password protection. Third, the document is edited by one person at a time, with different colors assigned to each participant - so that you know exactly who changed what.

If this program only worked with Microsoft Word, it would be kool enough, but it works with Excel, PowerPoint, and your desktop and any application that you have open. As soon as changes are made and PUBLISHED, everyone that is logged in to the session sees the exact same document. Especially impressive is the annotative tool for marking up the screen - drawing attention to specific items/areas.

The only limitation that I see for this FREE version is that you can only collaborate with one person at a time. However, you can record (video) portions of the interaction for offline viewing.

cost - free
site - http://www.instacoll.com
tutorial - http://www.instacoll.com/support_tutorial.htm

David

ISD and SCORM 2004

2005-05-11T10:12:00.000-05:00

"I am finding precious little information on designing courses to make use of the sequencing features of SCORM 2004," says a reader.

The reader understands the concept of taking a shareable content object (SCO) to the page, paragraph or even word level, "but has anyone designed courses to actually do so?"

Here is a response:

http://www.lsal.org
The Learning Systems Architecture Lab (LSAL) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn., offers several free resources, as well as a fee-based workshop:

http://www.lsal.cmu.edu/lsal/expertise/projects/developersguide/index.html
The "SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers" was created by an instructional designer and a programmer "to help instructional designers understand SCORM, and particularly simple sequencing -- the big change in SCORM 2004," says Nina Pasini Deibler ( npasini@andrew.cmu.edu ). The free guide includes template content-structure diagrams for sequencing, with both plain-English explanations of sequencing rules and the SCORM functions that are to be coded in XML.

mailto:lsal@lsal.org
LSAL designed and developed a free set of "Fruits and Vegetables" content that demonstrates how SCORM 2004 content can be reused and the types of sequencing strategies that can be accomplished in SCORM 2004. "Instructional designers can take the prepackaged SCORM 2004 content, see how it works in action, and then try new sequencing strategies using this content as a prototype," says Pasini Deibler. To request a free copy, send an e-mail to the above address.

http://www.lsal.cmu.edu/adl/scorm/tools/reload/index.html
Jennifer Brooks, a programmer with the ADL Co-Lab in Alexandria, Va., modified a version of the Reload Editor content-packaging tool to enable instructional designers and programmers to sequence SCORM 2004 content. The version also includes the pre-programmed LSAL sequencing templates contained in the LSAL "SCORM Best Practices Guide for Content Developers." The free open-source tool is available at the above URL.

http://www.lsal.cmu.edu/workshops/descriptions/implementing/index.html
LAL offers a workshop entitled "Implementing SCORM: A Comprehensive Analysis and Plan for Making Your Content SCORM-Compliant." According to Pasini Deibler, the workshop walks you through a process for creating SCORM-compliant instructional designs and content and shows participants how to sequence and package content. The two-day workshop costs $1,400; the three-day version is $2,000. See the above URL for details.

Pasini Deibler is a senior instructional designer at LSAL.

http://www.trainingfall.com
Just announced: As part of Training Fall Conference in Long Beach, Calif., David Wirth, deputy director of the Academic ADL Co-Lab, will present a two-day hands-on mini-certificate (October 15-16) entitled "SCORM 101: How To Make Your E-learning SCORM-Conformant." For details, or to register, see the above URL in early June 2005, when the full Training Fall program is scheduled to be announced.

[ ONLINE LEARNING NEWS AND REVIEWS ]
[ An information and idea service of VNU Business Media ]
[ Tuesday, May 10, 2005 ]
[ To subscribe: http://www.vnulearning.com ]

Carlos

Opensource for Windows?

2005-05-09T07:53:00.000-05:00

OK, well when I found this site … you know I had to share it. Imagine a BIG collection of software applications for Windows users, that is OpenSource … meaning it is FREE. There is even, and I know Carlos will like this, a Windows emulator for Mac X (PearPC).

Check out this partial list of categories …

video capture/processing
web browsers
webcam
web editors
web grabbers

cost - FREE
site - osswin.sourceforge.net

David

Who crafted the ADDIE Model?

2005-05-08T19:34:00.000-05:00

Compelled to solve the mystery of the origins of the ADDIE model, Molenda (2003a) completed an exhaustive review of the literature and explained the origins and process. It is interesting to note that although Molenda (2003b) refers to ADDIE as a colloquialism or an acronym synonymous with instructional design, he does trace the model back to the early works of Briggs (1970) and Branson (1973), both affiliated with Florida State University.

It was then Barbara McCombs (1986), who presented the ADDIE model in graphic form, as we are more familiar with it today. All three authors (Briggs, 1970; Branson, 1973; and McCombs, 1986) have been affiliated with Florida State University. Therefore, it would seem appropriate to credit FSU as being instrumental for articulating the ISD model which became widely used by the Armed Forces and later by business and industry (Molenda, 2003b).

Branson, R. K. (1973). Analysis and assessment of the state of the art in instructional technology.Fort Monroe, VA: Army Training and Doctrine Command. (NTIS Document Reproduction Service No. AD A010 394; ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 088 436).

Briggs, L. J. (1970). Handbook of Procedures for the Design of Instruction.Pittsburgh, PA: American Institutes for Research.

McCombs, B. L. (1986). The Instructional Systems Development (ISD) Model: A Review of Those Factors Critical to its successful Implementation. Education Communication and Technology, 34(2), 67-81.

Molenda, M. (2003a). The ADDIE Model. In A. Kovalchick & K. Dawson (Eds.), Education and Technology: An Encyclopedia.Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio.

Molenda, M. (2003b). In Search of the Elusive ADDIE Model. Performance Improvement Journal, 42(5), 34-36.

David

Flash Jigsaw Producer

2005-05-08T14:33:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen this cool little program?

By selecting the image you want to use for your jigsaw, you simply select how many pieces (rows and columns), select "make" and WOW you have a flash movie that can be delivered to your learners.

In Minneapolis (05/04/05) we compared the 3 Phases of Design model to the ISD model. This puzzle is a result of our diagram. See if you can put it all together.

[ click here ]

cost - $99
site - yavsoft.com/fjproducer/

David

VHS to DVD

2005-05-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

I have received numerous requests from others asking about the easiest way to transfer their video tapes to a DVD. Well, you might have to purchase the equipment but trust me when I tell you that the investment is well worth it. I am referring to DVD+R(s). These are stand alone DVD recorders. They work just like a VCR, so you can hook them up to your cable/tv and record up to 6 hours on ONE DVD+RW. After you watch the video you can even erase the disc and then re-record.

How much does something like this cost? I got mine (ILO brand) from Wal-Mart for about $150, not bad. You can transfer video through either an RCA connection or digital (firewire) cable. You can even record directly to the DVD through a camera hooked up, but you will need to have a monitor to use the menu.

[ click here to see the model that I purchased ... ]

Questions? Add your comments here …

David

Just some thoughts : : David P.

2005-05-06T10:29:00.000-05:00

This is our first podcast using audio blogger.

Cohort Photo

2005-05-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

I know that this is selfish of me to post, but I wanted to share the photo of my colleagues who made up my Track 1 cohort. The picture was taken during our sign-out session (05/05/05) … I think it is an omen!

David

Back to Work

2005-05-06T08:13:00.000-05:00

OK, well today is Friday and I hope that everyone returned home safely. It is time to re-engage yourself into the activities of your Spring classes. I can’t believe how little work I actually accomplished while attending the colloquia. I think it was because I had other things on my mind.

Even though it is our responsibility to promote cross platform applications (right Carlos?), I just can’t pass up the opportunity to mention BlogJet. This powerful little utility makes managing multiple blogs a breeze. I have added the information to all my blogs and can easily switch back and forth.

What I really like best? It has a spelling checker.
cost - $39.95
site - blogjet.com

David

Welcome

2005-05-04T20:51:00.000-05:00

This is the first posting to the new BLOG created just for Instructional Designers for Online Learning. This site is reserved for IDOLers to share descriptions and links to their favorite development tools. This unique group of IDOLs work in just about every conceivable setting.

You will want to subscribe to our IDxchange (Instructional Design Exchange) RSS (newsfeed) to stay current with what these leaders are using to produce the highest quality possible materials.

David