Archives For Learning
Clayton R Wright reminded me about Jane Hart’s Top 100 Tools for Learning 2014 is in it’s 8th edition. If you click any of the items on the list, http://c4lpt.co.uk/top100tools/analysis-2014/ you will be able to view additional information such as website URL, cost, availability, and comments from respondents to the annual survey regarding why they found the tool useful.
I find it very interesting that PowerPoint is the only non web or cloud-based tool in the top 10. The future of Educational technology is cloud-based.
2014 Top 100 (Only the first 10 are listed below. Go to Jane Hart’s site to see the complete list.)
1 – Twitter
2 – Google Docs/Drive
3 – YouTube
4 – PowerPoint
5 – Google Search
6 – WordPress
7 – Dropbox
8 – Evernote
9 – Facebook
10 – LinkedIn
Brown-Martin discusses six key areas in his talk:
Context
Environment
Engagement
Technology
Assessment
Future
He concludes that revolution in education we need a revolution in society that is focused not on GDP and global competitiveness but on the real challenges faced by our children and their children in this century.
Wearable Teaching? College to Experiment With Apple Watch as Learning Tool – Wired Campus – Blogs – The Chronicle of Higher Education via kwout
The educational technology services group at Pennsylvania State will be exploring how we use wearable technologies like the Apple Watch to help students think about and reflect on how they learn. Collecting data while this happens is perhaps one of the best ideas proposed so far for using the Apple Watch in learning environments. The research will use the Apple Watch as a reflective tool to capture how the students are engaging with their classmates, the content and the learning environment in general. The researchers posit that because the watch is worn it doesn’t have to be interacted with in the same way as the iPhone so it will not get in between what is being taught and the learner.
It will be interesting to see what this “Fitbit” type of measurement will reveal. Measuring performance with wearable devices like the Fitbit or the more advanced Freelap is central to speed training in many different sports. Coaches and athletes in these discipline are always looking for that competitive edge and understand that what gets measured gets improved.
Looking at new technologies and ways to enhance learning is always beneficial, but not everyone holds this belief. The comments section on the post is filled with the typical detractions:
Just another gimmick and with zero influence on student outcomes.
Wouldn’t it be nice if teachers and administrators (and the Chronicle) focused their resources (and our time) on the bread-and-butter of teaching and learning, instead of jumping on every gadgety distraction that comes along?
What about the thousands and thousands who do not have disposable income to waste on the latest trendy consumer status symbol?
I lived through the Mobile Learning initiative at Abilene Christian University several years ago where we pioneered using the iPhone and then iPads in the learning environment and since I started teaching fully online back in 1996 I have already heard all these criticisms and many more, so I am not surprised by all the detractors. Online learning, blended learning, mobile learning and now wearable learning all have one thing in common: a group of dedicated educators who are willing to explore how technology can be used to enhance the learning environment. If we really want progress then we need to keep up this spirit of exploration.
This reminds me of the proverb:
Those that say it can’t be done should get out of the way of those doing it.
Accenture Newsroom: Majority of Students Cite Digital Capabilities and Services at Universities as Key Factor in Higher Education Choice, Accenture Survey Finds via kwout
The Accenture Higher Education Will Never Be the Same! The Digital Demand on Campus and Beyond survey of 1,500 students in Australia, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States found:
Eighty-five percent of high school seniors, 81 percent of higher education students and 72 percent of higher education graduates say that how well a higher education institution embraces innovation is an important factor in deciding which institution to attend.
Because Universities, Colleges, and Polytechnics still control the parchment (degrees, diplomas and certification) we haven’t seen the same sort of external disruptive forces taking students away. What we are beginning to see is a shift in where students choose to attend within higher education. Institutions that have gone digital and provide fully online, well designed blended programs, or other innovative and flexible approaches to learning are drawing students who are looking for flexibility and relevance in their learning experience. The Accenture survey revealed that just over 50% of students are still considering a traditional education, so if your institutions is part of the Ivy League or other highly regarded brand then you may still have a strong draw. If you are offering the same traditional courses as your competition across town or across the state or province then you may be in trouble.
The report authors suggest that to remain competitive higher education must engage, satisfy and sustain relationships with always-on students by doing the following:
- Delivering on-demand learning. As digital natives, students expect on-demand, self-led learning with access to content and instruction online at any time. Institutions must enable a type of learning via mobile and social tools that involve video and content curation that make learning highly engaging.
- Working with new teaching partners. Education innovation such as on-demand learning models requires different educational delivery systems. No higher education institution will have access to a variety of models without building partnerships and strengthening its ecosystem by collaborating with other universities, the private sector and government.
- Cultivating lifelong learning. By using digital tools, higher education institutions can extend and strengthen alumni relationships through online and on-demand learning.
This is a very positive opportunity for higher education. Institutions that are proactive and use digital technologies to enhance learning are going to find that to do this well they must focus the learners needs and create significant learning environment rather then just deliver content.
Read the full report – Higher Education Will Never Be the Same! The Digital Demand on Campus and Beyond
