RSS explained

Winer points to a piece by Paul Stacey which explains the power of RSS.  There are some really good links which help explain "what is under the hood" regarding RSS.  Especially useful is a Stephen Downes piece entitled "RSS for Educational Designers".

[Jim Flowers: Blogs and Education]

One more piece in the movement that is shaping up. No name for it yet; I've seen "viral learning", "web of ideas", and any number of others lately. It's a different model than the traditional U.S. "ad hoc" industrial-training approach. More community-based and constructivist than individual and collaborative. Interesting -- where are we going?

9:43:19 AM    

Redundancy bites.

In his article in this week's The eLearning Developers' Journal, Michael Allen observes, "It's important for learners to know that their task isn't to wade through all the media and all the redundancies you can provide. Their task is to reach performance proficiency. Redundancy isn't there to slow their trek toward mastery. It's actually there to shorten it."

As I read this, it struck me how often instructional designers, intent on applying a particular learning model through a particular ID template, assume that every learner must go through every element provided in the design. How often do we forget that the learner's task is to reach performance proficiency. The learners know that. Any wonder that they don't "finish" our e-learning products (if by "finish" is meant "jump through all the hoops")?

A learning sequence is there to facilitate mastery, not to enforce the sequence. Give the user of the learning sequence a way to demonstrate mastery, and make that demonstration easily available at any time. The criterion test should be as easily accessed as the redundant content.

11:24:50 AM    

The elearningeuropa.info portal gathers information on the use of multimedia technologies and the Internet for education, training and lifelong learning in Europe. The portal is open to all the relevant actors and communities for sharing experiences, disseminating projects and discussing ideas.

A major goal of the portal is to enhance co-operation and exchange among all players in the field, by offering various services and resources. The portal relies on the active participation of a broad range of users.

The "elearningeuropa.info portal" was initiated by the European Commission. It is an integral part of the eLearning Action Plan, which is managed by the Multimedia Unit of the Directorate General Education and Culture.

Quoted from the about page.

12:31:47 PM    

The "elearningeuropa.info portal" has recently launched an open Forum about Quality in e-learning. Brian Holmes, from the Directorate General for Education and Culture, is moderating the discussion. Questions to be discussed:

• We know that quality is important, but how should we define it in an e-learning context? How should it be assured, measured and improved?
• Who should be involved and what processes, tools and standards are appropriate?
• Indeed, is quality in e-learning any different to quality in learning in general?
• And could too much focus on assuring the quality of the tool lead to reduced creativity and innovation in the practice?

Quoted from announcement messages by the elearningeuropa.info team.

12:31:02 PM    

Sebastian writes "I believe that skill development of and support for self-organized learning is a worthwhile goal." because

• it is increasingly difficult to keep up the notion of "obligatory curriculum" because of the pace of production of concepts and artifacts, a growing individualization of needs and purposes, and a fragmentation of knowledge domains in general
• we will face more and more situation where there is nobody around who would "set the agenda and to decide what knowledge might be considered and in what sequence"
• in emerging knowledge domains it is not quite clear yet what "comprises the knowledge, skills, and values of the educative experience that meet criteria of excellence that make them worthy of study"
• it is then very hard or impossible to find expert teachers who are "well versed in both the material and the criteria of excellence used in the area of study"
• because of the individualization of learning needs and a growing dependance on digital artifacts it is increasingly difficult to actually design, and therefore control, the "milieu" or context in which learning experiences take place for others

So, what do we do in a situation like this? Do we simply want to sit back and wait until "teachers" or "curriculum" comes to rescue us? How can we deal with all the uncertainties and the lack of guidance we are confronted with? This is where personal Webpublishing offers some interesting potentials for the self-organized learner... [Seblogging News]

12:24:48 PM