Teoria e pratica della formazione

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<a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/(RSS)/79BAE2A530C6943CC12576640048FF2C?OpenDocument&LAN=EN">LEARN project comes to an end but the work goes on</a>

tramite <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF News</a> di il 04/11/09

LEARN, a major ETF project on teaching and learning, held its final conference at Sakarya University in Turkey on 2 – 3 November. VET specialists from seven countries of the Western Balkans joined the ETF and their Turkish hosts in reviewing the achievements of the past three years and identifying which activites may continue after the lifespan of the project.

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tramite <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/default.stm" class="f">BBC News | Education | UK Edition</a> il 04/11/09

Pupils in Denmark are given internet access in exams

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<a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/(RSS)/79BAE2A530C6943CC12576640048FF2C?OpenDocument&LAN=EN">LEARN project comes to an end but the work goes on</a>

tramite <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF News</a> di il 04/11/09

LEARN, a major ETF project on teaching and learning, held its final conference at Sakarya University in Turkey on 2 – 3 November. VET specialists from seven countries of the Western Balkans joined the ETF and their Turkish hosts in reviewing the achievements of the past three years and identifying which activites may continue after the lifespan of the project.

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tramite <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/default.stm" class="f">BBC News | Education | UK Edition</a> il 04/11/09

Pupils in Denmark are given internet access in exams

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<a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/(RSS)/79BAE2A530C6943CC12576640048FF2C?OpenDocument&LAN=EN">LEARN project comes to an end but the work goes on</a>

tramite <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF News</a> di il 04/11/09

LEARN, a major ETF project on teaching and learning, held its final conference at Sakarya University in Turkey on 2 – 3 November. VET specialists from seven countries of the Western Balkans joined the ETF and their Turkish hosts in reviewing the achievements of the past three years and identifying which activites may continue after the lifespan of the project.

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tramite <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/default.stm" class="f">BBC News | Education | UK Edition</a> il 04/11/09

Pupils in Denmark are given internet access in exams

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<a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/(RSS)/79BAE2A530C6943CC12576640048FF2C?OpenDocument&LAN=EN">LEARN project comes to an end but the work goes on</a>

tramite <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF News</a> di il 04/11/09

LEARN, a major ETF project on teaching and learning, held its final conference at Sakarya University in Turkey on 2 – 3 November. VET specialists from seven countries of the Western Balkans joined the ETF and their Turkish hosts in reviewing the achievements of the past three years and identifying which activites may continue after the lifespan of the project.

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tramite <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/default.stm" class="f">BBC News | Education | UK Edition</a> il 04/11/09

Pupils in Denmark are given internet access in exams

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<a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/(RSS)/79BAE2A530C6943CC12576640048FF2C?OpenDocument&LAN=EN">LEARN project comes to an end but the work goes on</a>

tramite <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF News</a> di il 04/11/09

LEARN, a major ETF project on teaching and learning, held its final conference at Sakarya University in Turkey on 2 – 3 November. VET specialists from seven countries of the Western Balkans joined the ETF and their Turkish hosts in reviewing the achievements of the past three years and identifying which activites may continue after the lifespan of the project.

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tramite <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/default.stm" class="f">BBC News | Education | UK Edition</a> il 04/11/09

Pupils in Denmark are given internet access in exams

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<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ScienceblogsChannelEducation/~3/dppu670t7GE/repost_theres_a_life_lesson_in.php">Repost: There's a life lesson in here somewhere [DrugMonkey]</a>

via <a href="http://www.scienceblogs.com/channel/education/" class="f">ScienceBlogs Channel : Education</a> by bikemonkey none@example.com on 8/3/09

This post originally appeared on <a href="http://drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2007/08/26/theres-a-life-lesson-in-here-somewhere/">Aug 26, 2007</a>.

<img src="http://scienceblogs.com/drugmonkey/image/bicyclingadvertcloseup-125.jpg" width="125" height="112">
BikeMonkey Re-PostA most-confirmedly ex-competitive athlete, I. The formative years, athletically, were the overall formative years and I had the benefit of some formal coaching here and there. One might debate the quality but it was certainly coaching.

I run across the later-life convert to running or cycling, now and again, and there is a common theme. The person who "gets serious" about what-have-you. Marathons, USCF type bike racin', etc. Being smart and dedicated people they go out and train a whole bunch and usually get pretty decent. Then, there is the plateau. "I want to qualify for Boston, my times are consistent but I can't get faster". "I want to do group rides but I'm not fast enough". "I got dropped from the Cat 5s".

Intensity.

<a href="http://scienceblogs.com/drugmonkey/2009/08/repost_theres_a_life_lesson_in.php">Read the rest of this post...</a> | <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/drugmonkey/2009/08/repost_theres_a_life_lesson_in.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ScienceblogsChannelEducation/~4/dppu670t7GE" height="1" width="1">

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<a href="http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=16257">Research Areas in Distance Education: A Delphi Study</a>

via <a href="http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/" class="f">Distance-Educator.com's Daily News</a> on 8/2/09

This study had three purposes: Firstly, to develop a categorization of research areas in distance education; secondly, to identify the most important research areas in distance education; and thirdly, to identify the most neglected research areas in distance education. Based on a literature review and a Delphi study, three broad levels or perspectives with 15 research areas were derived to organize the body of knowledge in distance education. Prospective researchers can use the results to identify gaps and priority areas and to explore potential research directions.Read the Full Article

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via <a href="http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/" class="f">Distance-Educator.com's Daily News</a> on 8/2/09

The purpose of this study was to examine how the mode of instructional delivery, campus face-to-face or online, affected dropout relative to students’ academic and demographic characteristics. A quantitative study was conducted to analyze the academic and demographic characteristics of newly admitted, matriculated degree-seeking students (N = 640) from Fall 2002 to Fall 2004 in the Master’s of Business Administration and Master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders at a national research university in the southeastern United States. Demographic variables analyzed were age, gender, and ethnicity. Academic variables analyzed were program delivery mode, undergraduate grade point average, graduate grade point average at time of dropout or completion, admission test scores, and number of terms to degree completion or number of courses completed at time of dropout.Read the Full Article

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<a href="http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=16255">Online Learner Authentication: Verifying the Identity of Online Users</a>

via <a href="http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/" class="f">Distance-Educator.com's Daily News</a> on 8/2/09

This paper addresses how one university has partnered with a corporation to work on the verification of online student identity and describes ongoing efforts to best verify online student identity. Through this collaboration, the university seeks to enhance the credibility of its online evaluation process by employing data forensic techniques commonly used by today’s financial services industry. Detail is presented on how user authentication strategies are being applied to verify remote learner identity during formal online performance appraisals. Additional details on how the existing strategies will be enhanced toward multi-faceted user authentication are discussed.Read the Full Article

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<a href="http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=16254">An Exploratory Study into the Efficacy of Learning Objects</a>

via <a href="http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/" class="f">Distance-Educator.com's Daily News</a> on 8/2/09

Learning objects have quickly become a widely accepted approach to instructional technology, particularly in on-line and computer-based learning environments. While there is a substantial body of literature concerning learning objects, very little of it verifies their efficacy. This research investigated the effectiveness of learning objects by comparing learning outcomes using a learning object with outcomes using a traditional textbook-based method of instruction. Participants were 327 undergraduate college students at a traditional public four-year coed institution, a private four-year women’s college, a private four-year engineering institution, and a public two-year community college. Through a series of independent samples t-tests and Analyses of Variance, results revealed mean scores for the learning object group that were nearly three times higher than the mean scores for the textbook-taught group. Gaming experience, age, gender, and learner preference were evaluated for their potential influence on the results; no statistically significant differences were found, implying that the learning object itself was central to the outcomes achieved. The future of learning objects is bright, and more empirical research is called for in the area of learning object effectiveness.Read the Full Article

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<a href="http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=16253">Assessing the relationship of student-instructor and student-student

interaction to student learning and satisfaction in Web-based Online

Learning Environment</a>

via <a href="http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/" class="f">Distance-Educator.com's Daily News</a> on 8/2/09

This study shows the importance of interaction to student learning within Web-based online learning programs. The population of this study was students enrolled in multiple academic disciplines at a private university in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. A Web-based research instrument was designed to assess students’ characteristics, their perceptions of learning, satisfaction, student-to-student interactions and student-to-instructor interactions. Regression analyses were employed to analyze the relationship of interaction variables with student learning and satisfaction. Student-instructor interaction and student-student interaction were found to be significant contributors of student learning and satisfaction.Read the Full Article

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/08/cambridge-given-key-role-in-language.html">Cambridge given key role in language online learning scheme</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 8/2/09

A national programme to motivate more young people to study languages to GCSE is to be supported by experts from the University of Cambridge’s Language Centre. Under an agreement signed earlier this month, the University will become a major partner in a two-year programme to design and develop an online language-learning resource, called the Open School for Languages.

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<a href="http://www.eslpod.com">500 - Taking Minutes of a Meeting</a>

via <a href="http://www.eslpod.com/index.html" class="f">English as a Second Language Podcast</a> by Center for Educational Development on 8/3/09

Slow dialogue: 1:23
Explanations: 3:50
Fast dialogue: 15:59

I was absent at last month’s meeting, so imagine my surprise when I found out that I had been elected the committee’s secretary! As part of my duties, I have to take minutes at each meeting. Taking minutes means I have to pay attention and try my best to transcribe what each person says, or at least do my best to summarize.

At yesterday’s meeting, the chair called the meeting to order and I conducted a roll call. Then, the chair went over the agenda and we discussed old business. We needed to vote on a couple of proposals from the past meeting, and it was my job to ask for a show of hands of those in favor of and those opposed to each one.

After that was done, we went on to new business. We talked about the first item of business for 20 minutes when someone suggested that we table the topic until the following meeting, and the participants agreed. After another long discussion about the second agenda item, we ran out of time. The chair adjourned the meeting.

Phew! That first meeting taught me a very good lesson. Never miss a meeting when new officers are being chosen!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse


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via <a href="http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk" class="f">Latest News | small business news and advice</a> on 7/8/09

Firms should promote diversity in the workplace if they are to attract and retain talented workers, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) claims.

A report by the organisation recommends that business avoid giving workers 'trendy new generation labels' but says that some differences are important in how they relate to their staff.

According to the study, companies which maintain a clear commitment to diversity are more likely to attract employees, especially those from younger generations, than those which do not attach any significance to the issue.

Dianah Worman, adviser on diversity at the CIPD, comments: 'The more you inspect the diversity agenda, the more it is apparent that focusing on people as individuals and delivering fairness for everyone is vitally important to become an employer of choice.'

Furthermore, the report suggests that firms should attempt to be more inclusive when offering schemes such as flexible working, suggesting that older employees may have an interest in it as alternative to retirement.

Worman adds that this shows businesses need to be aware of evolving employee expectations and adapt to these if they are to be successful in recruitment and retention.

Previous research from the CIPD claimed that companies are concentrating on retaining and developing their workers instead of seeking new talent, due to a perceived skills shortage.


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<a href="http://www.cnr.it/cnr/events/CnrEventi?IDn=1965">Scuola di Archeologia Virtuale</a>

via <a href="http://www.cnr.it/cnr/news/" class="f">Eventi del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche</a> on 7/7/09

Periodo: 07/07/2009 - 17/07/2009

Città: RONCADE, TV

Luogo: MASTER CAMPUS CA' TRON

Oggetto: Scuola di Archeologia Virtuale

Abstract: La scuola nasce dell'esperienza del CNR ITABC nel campo del Virtual Heritage e dei corsi di "Tecnologie Integrate" La scuola nasce inoltre dalla sperimentazione congiunta dell'Università di Padova e del CNR ITABC, maturata durante il Progetto Ca' Tron, di un metodo di lavoro innovativo che coinvolge diverse professionalità e differenti approcci, all'interno di un unico percorso di interpretazione e ricostruzione del paesaggio antico. La riflessione sul problema della comprensione dei dati e della valorizzazione delle conoscenze ha infatti condotto ad adottare tecniche di Realtà Virtuale finalizzate all'acquisizione e contestualizzazione delle informazioni, alla simulazione e verifica delle ipotesi, favorendo così la comunicazione, dalla ricerca alla valorizzazione del Bene Culturale. Obiettivo della scuola è di introdurre i partecipanti ad una conoscenza delle metodologie e delle tecnologie digitali avanzate per la raccolta, la documentazione, la comunicazione e la valorizzazione dei beni culturali, dall'acquisizione di dati sul campo alla loro elaborazione ed integrazione in ambienti di realtà virtuale<p> <p>Riferimenti: Sofia Pescarin, sofia.pescarin@itabc.cnr.it

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<a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/(RSSTendersJobV)/53A16A1C19CA99FDC12575ED0029B181?OpenDocument&LAN=EN">CFT/09/ETF/0026 - Virtualisation - Purchase of IT hardware and Software</a>

via <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF Tenders and Job Vacancies</a> by on 7/8/09

Tenders: 4724E83C5A045E19C12575ED0029B145

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<a href="http://www.mywire.com/a/TheIndependent/Thirteen-out-20-top-universities/11534899">Thirteen out of 20 top universities misspell university on website</a>

via <a href="http://www.mywire.com/topics/Life/Education/" class="f">MyWire: Education</a> on 7/7/09

Cambridge, Harvard and Yale are among the top universities found to have embarrassing spelling mistakes on their websites.


(The full text of this article is available free)


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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/07/cell-phones-used-to-deliver-online.html">Cell phones used to deliver online learning content - Dennis Carter, eSchool News</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 7/7/09

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says schools and colleges should deliver course content to the cell phones that students use to talk and text every day. Some campus officials are listening, and classes via web-enabled cell phones could be mobile learning's next evolution. "Kids are on their cell phones the 14 hours a day they are not in school," Duncan said in a recent interview with eCampus News at Education Department (ED) headquarters in Washington, D.C. With teenagers and young adults using cell phones constantly, Duncan said, technology officials should find ways to send homework, video lectures, and other classroom material so students can study wherever they are.

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<a href="http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/training/e3i8e87abf52bb8733532661863b3bb6179">Behind the Book: Podcast with "Bad Apples: How to Manage Difficult Employees" author Terry Sember</a>

via <a href="http://www.managesmarter.com" class="f">ManageSmarter.com - Training Top Stories</a> by Victoria Phillips on 7/7/09

Whether they're reading an excerpt or answering questions get up close and personal with your favorite Training authors. Check back every week for some new insight and a new podcast.

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<a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=usersite.FP7DetailsCallPage&CALL_ID=226">Role and impact of professional and scientific societies in ICT research, education and innovation</a>

via <a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7" class="f">Calls</a> on 6/30/09

Identifier: 2009/S 123 - 178561
Specific programme: Cooperation
Theme(s): Information and Communication Technologies
Type: Call for Tender
Publication date: 2009-07-01
Deadline: 2009-08-20 16:00:00 (Brussels local time)

Budget: 150,000 €

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<a href="http://www.mywire.com/a/ChicagoTribune/Q-Education-Secretary-Arne-Duncan/11504843">Q & A with Education Secretary Arne Duncan</a>

via <a href="http://www.mywire.com/topics/Life/Education/" class="f">MyWire: Education</a> on 7/6/09

Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently answered questions about his goals and relationship with the business community.


(The full text of this article is available free)


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via <a href="http://www.mywire.com/topics/Life/Education/" class="f">MyWire: Education</a> on 7/5/09

Free stuff on the web is changing everything. The new ways we communicate with each other and the resources available are amazing.


(The full text of this article is available free)


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via <a href="http://www.mywire.com/topics/Life/Education/" class="f">MyWire: Education</a> on 7/5/09

Harrow council's unsuccessful attempt to have Mrinal Patel prosecuted for fraud owing to her alleged dishonesty in applying for a school place for her child (Report, 4 July) is merely the logical conclusion of the education reforms foisted upon us b


(The full text of this article is available free)


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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/07/language-of-digital-online-learning.html">The Language of Digital Online Learning Objects: A Cross-disciplinary Study - Gulnara Sadykova and Carla Meskill, JOLT</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 7/6/09

In order to determine the similarities and differences between disciplines in how each uses the language of teaching and learning, this study undertook linguistic analysis of 1,691 peer reviews in the MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching) digital learning objects collection. Language concordancing software was used to identify trends particular to the sciences, the humanities and education. Findings specify the variation in word choice, sentence length, sentence structure and descriptive/analytic uses of language that emerged between the disciplines. Analyses suggest both points of convergence and divergence that can guide principles and standards for instructional design and cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaborations around teaching and learning.

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<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/africa/8126003.stm">Google uses SMS to give sex tips and farming advice to Ugandans</a>

via <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/technology/default.stm" class="f">BBC News | Technology | World Edition</a> on 6/30/09

Ugandans are benefiting from a mobile service which gives information on health, sex and farming from Google.

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<a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.document&EV_LANG=EN&EV_RCN=30896">Conference on research and innovation for developing Europe, Lund, Sweden</a>

via <a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/" class="f">Events</a> on 7/6/09

Event date: 2009-07-07 A conference entitled 'New worlds - new solutions - research and innovation as a basis for developing Europe in a global context' will be held on 7 and 8 July in Lund, Sweden.

The purpose of the conference is to provide input on which to base the development of the European Research Area (ERA) and the forthcoming Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

During the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Sweden's aim is to conduct a discussion on how to tackle the major challenges facing Europe. This is not only such topics as climate change and an ageing population, but also how to enhance the quality of research, how to increase the extent to which research results are put to practical use, how to increase participation by the new Member States, and the role of the Framework Programme in international research cooperation.
Quality validation date:

2009-06-11

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<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/8125331.stm">Best heads 'to run school chains'</a>

via <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/default.stm" class="f">BBC News | Education | UK Edition</a> on 6/30/09

Parents will have more rights over their children's education - and the best heads will run chains of schools, in new education plans.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/fund-will-help-students-complete.html">Fund will help students complete degrees online - BCS</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/29/09

The government is to introduce a new fund to enable students at risk of failing their degrees to complete them online. According to the authorities, the new initiative will be an expansion of the role of the Open University, which is now almost completely based online. The fund is aimed at providing additional support to the 35,000 student who abandon their studies every year. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: 'The success of distance learning, pioneered 40 years ago by the Open University, has been nothing short of a revolution for higher education.

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via <a href="http://www.ft.com/businesseducation" class="f">FT.com - Business education</a> on 6/28/09

Public business schools are stealing a march on their private counterparts

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/online-learning-history-open-university.html">Online Learning History: The Open University – 40 today, and a genius for our times - UTV</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/27/09

The OU's concept of distance learning began a genuine revolution in access to higher education that continues four decades onThe Labour prime minister Harold Wilson described the creation of the Open University in 1969 as the greatest achievement of his premiership. Four decades later, on the Open University's 40th birthday, Wilson seems not only right, but right in ways he could not have imagined. In 1969, when only 5% of Britons got a higher education and more than half of UK employees had no qualifications, the OU was a hugely innovative idea. It required no entry requirements. It welcomed part-time and mature students. It was "open", and meant it.

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via <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/default.stm" class="f">BBC News | Education | UK Edition</a> on 6/26/09

Should teachers have masters degrees?

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via <a href="http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk" class="f">Latest News | small business news and advice</a> on 6/26/09

The majority of employers believe the Train to Gain programme is successful, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills claims.

A poll carried out by the Learning and Skills Council shows that more than 90 per cent of employers and learners say they are happy with the flagship scheme and three-quarters of firms believe it has improved the performance and skills of their workforce.

The survey also finds two-thirds of employers say that the Train to Gain initiative has resulted in an improvement in their long-term competitiveness, despite it still being in its early stages, while 61 per cent claim it has boosted productivity.

Furthermore, 80 per cent report improved quality standards, with the same proportion noticing more self-confidence among learners.

Kevin Brennan, skills minister, comments: 'Behind these figures are real businesses with improved performance and real people with a brighter future and better life chances.'

The findings contrast with a poll from the Federation of Small Businesses last month, which claimed 88 per cent of respondents have not made use of Train to Gain and 78 per cent believe the scheme should be more flexible.


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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/07/us-push-for-free-online-learning.html">U.S. Push for Free Online Learning Courses - Inside Higher Ed</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 7/1/09

Community colleges and high schools would receive federal funds to create free, online courses in a program that is in the final stages of being drafted by the Obama administration. A formal announcement could come in the next few weeks. In addition to the free online courses, the plan would provide $9 billion over 10 years to help community colleges develop and improve programs related to preparing students for good jobs, and a $10 billion loan fund (at low or no interest) for community college facilities. "This is so spot on in terms of what's needed," said Curtis J. Bonk, a professor of instructional systems technology at Indiana University at Bloomington and author of <a href="http://www.worldisopen.com/">The World Is Open: How Web Technology Is Revolutionizing Education</a> (forthcoming from Jossey-Bass).

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<a href="http://www.mywire.com/a/Telegraph/Licenced-teachers-wont-be-better/11423189">Licenced teachers won't be better teachers</a>

via <a href="http://www.mywire.com/topics/Life/Education/" class="f">MyWire: Education</a> on 7/1/09

Ed Balls's teaching 'MoT' will merely bring more pointless paperwork to the profession, says Francis Gilbert.


(The full text of this article is available free)


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<a href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9135084&source=rss_news">Faux pas at virtual world discussion highlight continuing 'transitional phase'</a>

via <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/" class="f">Latest from Computerworld</a> by matthew_hamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) on 7/1/09

Virtual worlds are growing in colleges and universities despite significant problems in using them to teach courses and communicate, a panel of experts said during a virtual discussion sponsored by Cisco Systems Inc.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/07/online-learning-is-gaining-credibility.html">Online learning is gaining credibility - Iris taylor, Richmond Times-Dispatch</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/30/09

Online learning is gaining credibility and gaining ground in the higher-education field.
About 12.2 million consumers enrolled in roughly 11,200 college-level distance-education programs during the 2006-07 academic year, the latest figures available, according to the U.S. Department of Education. That's up from the 3 million consumers enrolled in 2,320 distance-learning programs in 2000-01. Most traditional colleges and universities now offer online courses as part of their regular degree programs, as well. Some, such as the University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies, offer a few specialized degree programs entirely online.

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<a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/(RSS)/C03395FC2A4749ABC12575E50035FF0D?OpenDocument&LAN=EN">From competion to cooperation: Education needs creativity and innovation</a>

via <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF News</a> by on 6/30/09

Cooperation is a significant, contributing factor to the development of business and society, and it is key that education reform policies encourage flexibility, creativity and risk-taking. This was the key message from ETF lead expert Pasi Sahlberg at a seminar on “Creativity and innovation in and thorugh VET” held at the European Commission in Brussels on 29 June.

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<a href="http://feeds.informationweek.com/click.phdo?i=db2bcfa0dd84c226bce8b2c932430fbd">Enterprise 2.0: Making Virtual Collaboration Work</a>

via <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/" class="f">InformationWeek - All Stories</a> on 6/25/09

A Volvo team's online collaboration experiences demonstrate the importance of finding a human side to virtual teams.





<a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=db2bcfa0dd84c226bce8b2c932430fbd&p=1"><img alt="" style="border:0" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=db2bcfa0dd84c226bce8b2c932430fbd&p=1"></a>

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<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ScienceblogsChannelEducation/~3/mcNbMifBKqU/i_dont_believe_in_colleges_and.php">I don't believe in colleges and universities, I believe in libraries [Confessions of a Science Librarian]</a>

via <a href="http://www.scienceblogs.com/channel/education/" class="f">ScienceBlogs Channel : Education</a> by John Dupuis none@example.com on 6/24/09

A thought experiment.

It all started with this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/us/20ventura.html?_r=1&hpw">Ray Bradbury quote in the New York Times</a>:

"Libraries raised me," Mr. Bradbury said. "I don't believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don't have any money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I couldn't go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years."

I've bolded the chunk that has resonated most strongly around the Internet, especially Twitter where it was widely tweeted and retweeted.

The <a href="http://twitter.com/timoreilly/statuses/2256201875">tweeter that most piqued my interest was Tim O'Reilly</a>, publisher of O'Reilly Books and all-round Web 2.0/Twitter Rockstar.

Now, I poked around a little on the web and on Twitter and as far as I could tell, O'Reilly has never really shown much interest in libraries or librarians before. Which is fine. Personally, I love his books, Safari is a great product for libraries and got it about digital books very early in the game. His view of publishing is very progressive and geared to an all-digital future, he's certainly at the forefront of trying to figure out a business model for technical book publishing. I buy a lot of O'Reilly books for my collection and I first got us on board with a Safari subscription for York 5 or 6 years ago. (Note to self: do this year's Safari title selections soon.)

So what drew him to Bradbury's comment, and what resonated about that comment among so many of his followers that <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%20timoreilly%20libraries">caused them to retweet</a>?

I don't believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries.

I do have some thoughts on the issue and I think it revolves around having faith in content rather than institutions.

I suspect O'Reilly may have associated libraries less with their institutional nature than with our large collections of content that are freely available to our patron communities. Libraries are thought of as places where people can engage with information, knowledge and ideas, to learn independently and freely, to follow their own muses to where great books and literature take them.

Whereas colleges and universities are thought of as large, impersonal, factory-like institutions, slow to change, ivory towers that are closed to all but a few. They focus narrowly on branding and certification rather than true knowledge and learning -- sausage factories of the mind.

You learn in libraries. You are taught in colleges and universities. Active vs. passive.

Now, I don't believe either of these facile characterizations for a minute, and I could easily reverse them to make colleges & universities come out smelling like roses and libraries, not so much. But I do think that might be the dynamic that caught people's attention, and certainly someone like Tim O'Reilly sees his future bound up in making content available outside of institutional confines.

But it's an interesting way to look at things: content vs. institutions.

(It's worth noting that I definitely believe in both IHEs and libraries; I also believe in the vital role of libraries in those institutions.)

<a href="http://scienceblogs.com/confessions/2009/06/i_dont_believe_in_colleges_and.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ScienceblogsChannelEducation/~4/mcNbMifBKqU" height="1" width="1">

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/peercasting-students-produce-math.html">Peercasting: Students Produce Math Support at NC Middle School - Bridget McCrea, THE Journal</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/5/09

If there's one thing that teachers know how to do, it's create engaging learning environments with limited resources. Take Nancy Trollinger, an eighth- and ninth-grade math teacher who recently came upon an excellent way for struggling learners to pick up complex algebraic concepts: peer tutoring ... with a little technological twist. By throwing technology into the mix, this teacher at West McDowell Junior High School in Marion, NC, has created a successful program that finds advanced students producing podcasts that explain those concepts for other students.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/securing-online-learning-at-tulsa-tech.html">Securing Online Learning at Tulsa Tech - Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/5/09

Introducing virtual learning at Tulsa Tech requires making sure instruction is delivered in whatever form the student is most comfortable with. And that, in turn, means the IT organization needs to have a firm grip on who's accessing the network, where they're connecting from, and what they're using to make that connection.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/influence-of-experience-ability-and.html">The Influence of Experience, Ability and Interest on e-learning Effectiveness - Matti Haverila & Reza Barkhi, EURODL</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/6/09

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a research conducted to evaluate the effect of learning preconceptions, prior e-learning experience, ability and interest of students on their perceptions regarding the process of e-learning. We study the effectiveness of e-learning as it relates to the level of e-learning experience. The participants came from two courses: Software business course at Tamk University of Applied Sciences in Tampere, Finland, and e-learning Professional course at Open University in United Kingdom. We use a quantitative and a qualitative research approach to interpret the results of this research study. The results imply that there are significant differences between the two groups regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of e-learning. We provide specific recommendations for the practitioners, discuss the implications for educators, and provide suggestions for further research on e-learning.

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<a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=proj.document&PJ_LANG=EN&PJ_RCN=9465963">A targeted action to support trans-national innovation policy learning</a>

via <a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/" class="f">Projects</a> on 6/4/09


Quality validation date:

2009-06-05

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<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ScienceblogsChannelEducation/~3/NCon81H8PtM/video_video_video_video.php">Video, video, video (video) [A Blog Around The Clock]</a>

via <a href="http://www.scienceblogs.com/channel/education/" class="f">ScienceBlogs Channel : Education</a> by Coturnix none@example.com on 6/5/09

Of course the Course description for JOMC 449 - Virtual Communities, Smart Mobs, Citizen Journalism and Participatory Culture is made in video. All the 'readings' are viewings of video, all assignments are video-making. So cool!

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/73dSGdGO1x0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" width="425" height="344" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>

Fall 2009 MW 3:30 - 4:45, UNC Chapel Hill, Instructor: Paul Jones

<a href="http://scienceblogs.com/clock/2009/06/video_video_video_video.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/ScienceblogsChannelEducation/~4/NCon81H8PtM" height="1" width="1">

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via <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/" class="f">Latest from Computerworld</a> by (Mike Elgan) on 6/6/09

The day is coming when the cell phone will be the dominant tool for accessing information. Announcements this week about Microsoft's Bing 411 and the Palm Pre suggest we're getting there fast, write columnist Mike Elgan.

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<a href="http://www.zylstra.org/blog/archives/2009/06/rotterdam_unive.html">Rotterdam University Learning Community Results</a>

via <a href="http://www.zylstra.org/blog/" class="f">Ton's Interdependent Thoughts</a> by Ton on 6/6/09

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonz/3600394182/" title="Rethink! by TonZ, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3376/3600394182_b7a485f8c1_m.jpg" alt="Rethink!" align="left" border="0" height="240" hspace="5" vspace="5" width="218"></a>Almost exactly a year ago I <a href="http://www.zylstra.org/blog/archives/2008/06/community_of_pr.html">wrote here about a project</a> I had embarked on at Rotterdam University with a group of a dozen or so teachers:

The aim is to let the members explore and learn in a self-steered setting, as a diversification of the internal training methods they have on offer for their employees. Subject matter is how to adapt their teaching to the digital reality their students are already living in, and the digital reality in place in the fields of work they are educating their students for.

We spent a full year exploring and Freddy Veltman worked with us the entire year, as we were her subject of empirical study for her PhD research into how professionals develop themselves. My own role was as designer of the original work format, as facilitator to the group and moderator in the group's online platform, and as subject matter expert for all things social media.
Last Thursday all members of the group presented their work to colleagues and management. A project that has been very dear to me has now ended. Time to look back for a bit.


The Big Five
During the year we realized as a group we were getting results and learning things in five different areas, that were relevant to Rotterdam University. These five areas were dubbed The Big Five by one of the group members, and the term immediately stuck:

Authenticity (Bringing your teaching as close as possible to reality. Real problems, real results, real work formats, making everything count.)
Co-creation (Involving both your students and colleagues in each and every stage of both development and execution of your teaching modules.)
Competences (What's needed for a teacher with regard to the first two points, and to do your own exploratory and networked learning as a teacher)
Knowledge Creation (What we learned that can be packaged for others and can be transferred to others in the organisation)
Work Form (How the free format self-steered learning group worked for us, how it can be used both in teaching as well as in growing professionally)

There is a lot to say about the five points above, but that warrants multiple posts, so I will not go into it now. In stead I want to focus on the effect the project had on the participants and on their students.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonz/3399032893/" title="HZap08 Final Informal Meeting by TonZ, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3399032893_480d518dbd_m.jpg" alt="HZap08 Final Informal Meeting" border="0" height="180" width="240"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlanja/3366487284/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/3366487284_f463370a09_m.jpg" border="0"></a>
Informal meet-up this spring, Working session (by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlanja/">Anja</a>)

Change your work, change yourself
I doubt that at the start the participants knew what they were getting themselves into. Most of them thought they embarked on a project to modernize their teaching. But all, including me and the project manager, ended up (re-)shaping our skills and our attitudes in unexpected ways. I'll let a few quotes taken from the final interviews with group members speak for themselves.

"I rediscovered the fun of learning. I learned that merely working to improve my teaching is a boost in enjoying my work and be motivated all by itself."
"Doing things, acting on thoughts, gives a lot of space in my mind"
"I now have the guts to experiment."
"I am sad that I don't get to lecture as much anymore, I enjoyed that so much. But I am now much more involved with my students, much more in touch with them. I've started loving my students so much more."
"The relief of being able to ask anything in the group, however small or 'stupid'. All questions were good questions."
"I've lost my fear of technology, my fear of making mistakes using technology."
"I was brought up to be modest, to think that sharing was exhibitionist. I've learned to share so much more."
"Glad we had an entire year. Real change needs time."
"I came to change my teaching module, I left having changed my world."
"I feel closer to my colleagues and to my students. The contact is much more real."
"I've learned to own my work. My primary concern are my students, everything else is secondary. I would get away with doing much less, but that would make me feel completely miserable."
"It's been over 35 years I had so much fun learning so much."
"It's amazing to learn from and connect to people all around the world. It's inconceivable how much that means to me."
"I almost exhausted myself in the first months. Spending time on this project until 2 or 3 am. But I needed to."
"This project made my entire job much more fun. The space and freedom to explore and experiment."

The list goes on. Mind you, this is all irrespective of the fact that it has been a bumpy ride for the group at times. Harsh words have been exchanged between members, frustrations and tempers flared. This was no walk in the park.

Change your work, change your students
Group members also have a lot to tell about how changing the teaching modules, changing their own teaching skills and attitudes, impacted their students and the results the students achieved. In general appreciation for the courses went up, results stayed the same or went up as well. Especially for those modules where books and theoretical material were dealt with as resources while immediately applying that knowledge in the course. Students found themselves more challenged, more involved and having more understanding of the role of the teacher. Again a few quotes, from both teachers and students to wet your appetite:

"My students don't miss my lecturing at all."
"It's amazing what you get back from your students when you let go."
"Being open to my students that I am experimenting myself, actively inviting their feedback, and the amount of recognition you get from that."
"When I met a student some time later, and asked her how the course I adapted had effect on her, she started to cry."
"Amazing what we learned in three weeks. I now understand so much better what my future profession is about."

I'll go into results on the Big Five and examples more in consequent postings. I feel privileged to have been part of this project.

Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hzap08" rel="tag">hzap08</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/communityofpractice" rel="tag">communityofpractice</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/learningcommunity" rel="tag">learningcommunity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hogeschoolrotterdam" rel="tag">hogeschoolrotterdam</a>


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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/rise-of-virtual-classroom-david-henke.html">The rise of the virtual classroom - DAVID HENKE, Northfield News</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/7/09

An online physical education course. It seems almost oxymoronic, at first. But for a handful of students at the Northfield High School who spend 30 hours over the semester exercising on their own, take all their tests over the Internet and rarely, if ever, meet with their teacher, it’s a surprising reality.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/online-learning-classes-create-demand.html">Online learning classes create demand for do-it-at-home lab kits - George Plaven, The Denver Post</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/7/09

With online education and virtual classrooms becoming more popular, an Englewood-based company is helping to bridge the gap between home-based education and laboratory experience. Hands-On Labs Inc., through a product line called LabPaqs, has adapted laboratory experiments to a smaller scale that fits in a cardboard box and can be mailed to students. The company recently relocated to a larger facility to accommodate its rapid growth and has struck a deal with a major publisher. LabPaq products range from micro- chemistry sets to kits that allow students to dissect fetal pigs in their kitchens.

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<a href="http://www.cnr.it/cnr/events/CnrEventi?IDn=1942">Giornata di studi: "Documentazione, terminologia e scienze

dell'informazione. Una riflessione sull'interrelazione cognitiva delle

scienze del testo e del documento"</a>

via <a href="http://www.cnr.it/cnr/news/" class="f">Eventi del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche</a> on 6/8/09

Periodo: 12/06/2009

Città: Roma

Luogo: aula Marconi del CNR, piazzale Aldo Moro, 7

Oggetto: Giornata di studi: "Documentazione, terminologia e scienze dell'informazione. Una riflessione sull'interrelazione cognitiva delle scienze del testo e del documento"

Abstract: Organizzata dalla Società Italiana di Documentazione Avanzata, dal Laboratorio di Documentazione dell'Università di Calabria e il Servizio Gestione dei Documenti del CNR<p> <p>Riferimenti: Paolo De Gasperis, Servizio Gestione dei Documenti del CNR tel. 06/49933225 - 3165; e mail: paolo.degasperis@cnr.it

</p></p>

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via <a href="http://www.managesmarter.com" class="f">ManageSmarter.com - Training Top Stories</a> by Curt Bonk on 6/8/09

E-learning allows for flexible, extensive, and self-directed training around the globe.

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via <a href="http://www.ft.com/businesseducation" class="f">FT.com - Business education</a> on 6/7/09

The FT will run a number of special articles this year on the future of business schools. The first, a series of features, video, podcast and online debate, will address: the future of management education

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/five-things-to-look-for-in-online.html">Five things to look for in an online school - Audie Rubin, Your Hub Denver</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/8/09

Within the last decade, the number of online learners has skyrocketed. In 2001, about 40,000 children in grades K-12 were learning online in the United States. That number is now over 1 million. In Colorado alone, the number of students learning online grows by 20-40% a year.
The number of districts, schools and institutions that offer online learning opportunities seems to be growing at a blazing pace as well. It can be difficult for parents and students to evaluate all the options available to them. Here are five things to look for when trying to find the best online learning opportunity.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/online-learning-virtual-school.html">Online Learning: Virtual school implements game-based course - eSchool News</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/8/09

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is set to pilot what it describes as the first complete online game-based course for high school students. School officials and the game's creators hope the course will help engage students who struggle in traditional classroom settings. The game is called Conspiracy Code, and it's the first in a series of online game-based courses created by 360Ed Inc., an educational game development company. The first Conspiracy Code course fulfills a full credit of history and is aligned with state and national standards.

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<a href="http://www.mywire.com/a/AFP/California-schoolbooks-going-digital/10917123">California schoolbooks going digital</a>

via <a href="http://www.mywire.com/topics/Life/Education/" class="f">MyWire: Education</a> on 6/9/09

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced plans to phase out school textbooks in favor of digital learning aids as the state looks to plug its massive budget hole.


(The full text of this article is available free)


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<a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Events_EN?OpenDocument&emb=http://www.etf.europa.eu/EventsMgmt.nsf/(RSS)/A2057D54A90C59DAC12575D1002E8458?OpenDocument&LAN=EN">Event: 25/06/2009 - Certification and recognition of formal and informal learning: top priorities for adults’ education and training</a>

via <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF Events</a> by Elena Pompilio on 5/6/09

This seminar is a follow up of the previous event organised in January 2009, which was aimed at presenting and discussing ETF feasibility study on adult learning, within the context of an overall policy for human capital development. During the implementation of the study and the January’s event, certification and validation of learning have been identified as key topics to consider when developing an adult learning strategy.

The seminar will therefore be aimed at analysing the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the presentation from the institutions and the employers and to bring as well the experience from other countries where the system is quite well advanced like the case of France. The presentation will show why it is so crucial to have the employers involved since the very beginning of the process in a pro-active way in identifying and designing the relevant certificates and the appropriate procedures for certification. It will be also important to discuss these issues in the context of developments of the European policy in education and training as well as the support that Bosnia and Herzegovina will receive through the implementation of EC IPA funded projects aimed at developing and adult learning strategy and adult learning law and piloting some training initiatives.

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via <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/" class="f">Latest from Computerworld</a> by (Maryfran Johnson) on 6/11/09

Rock stars do it before striding on stage. Actors do it before gazing into the camera. Even nervous 10-year-olds do it before arriving at their piano recitals. (Of course, their mothers make them.)

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<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tedtalks_audio/~3/gqYTcycYX_A/571">TEDTalks : Robert Full: Learning from the gecko's tail - Robert Full (2009)</a>

via <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/browse" class="f">TEDTalks (audio)</a> on 6/10/09

Biologist Robert Full studies the amazing gecko, with its supersticky feet and tenacious climbing skill. But high-speed footage reveals that the gecko's tail harbors perhaps the most surprising talents of all.<img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/tedtalks_audio/~4/gqYTcycYX_A" height="1" width="1">

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<a href="http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/training/e3ia4b7dd4f31026b7e2a499508c3b310f5">A Formula to Make Learning and Development Stick</a>

via <a href="http://www.managesmarter.com" class="f">ManageSmarter.com - Training Top Stories</a> by Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman on 6/3/09

Accountability, visibility, and follow-up go a long way toward improving implementations.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/all-hail-future-aparna-nancherla.html">All Hail the Future! - Aparna Nancherla, Training + Development</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/2/09

In promising news, the 2009 Watson Wyatt HR Technology Trends Survey found that proliferation of Web 2.0 technologies is ever more common among companies, and their reported satisfaction with its use is high. Of 181 businesses (with an average size of 15,000 employees), the most frequently deployed technology was online video at 56 percent with role-based portals coming in second at 41 percent. Social networking (23 percent), blogs (21 percent), podcasts (19 percent), wikis (15 percent), and RSS feeds (12 percent) were all clustered near each other, but somewhat farther behind.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/online-learning-jisc-welcomes-vision.html">Online Learning: JISC welcomes vision for Higher Education in a Web 2.0 world - Public Technology UK</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/3/09

The Higher Education Academy and JISC have welcome the publication of the HE in a Web 2.0 World report, which looks at the projected future trends in the use of technology in higher education. A committee of inquiry was set up after discussions between the Academy and JISC examined the online experiences of young people currently entering higher education, and how this impacts on their studies. Findings from the report show that students typically spend four hours a day online, a figure that looks set to rise as teenagers make increasing use of Web 2.0 technology in their daily lives. One of the challenges for the higher education sector is therefore to ensure that staff can keep pace with the advancing technology which many of their students rely on every day, using the technology to enhance the student learning experience.

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via <a href="http://www.mywire.com/topics/Life/Education/" class="f">MyWire: Education</a> on 6/2/09

Creative-writing programs are designed on the theory that students who have never published a poem can teach other students who have never published a poem how to write a publishable poem.


(The full text of this article is available free)


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via <a href="http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk" class="f">Latest News | small business news and advice</a> on 6/1/09

A designated Small Business Sector Skills Council is needed to help the UK's smallest companies.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) claims that micro-businesses, or those which employ less than five people, are currently excluded from the government's training programmes.

Research by the group shows that 88 per cent of micro-firms had not benefited from the Train to Gain scheme because they are not aware of it or believe they will not qualify, despite a £350 million pot being set aside to help the country's smallest enterprises.

Furthermore, 78 per cent call for the government training programmes to be more flexible and provide education in specialist areas such as health and safety, IT, marketing and other essential business management skills.

Colin Willman, FSB education and skills chairman, says that companies which employ a small number of people should not have to send them out of the workplace to meet their training needs.

'What we really need is dedicated training for the smallest firms, in the form of a new Small Business Sector Skills Council,' he adds.

Last month, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills revealed that £11 million has been invested in creating almost 3,000 new apprenticeships.


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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/online-learning-escience-in-practice.html">Online Learning: EScience in Practice - William Y. Arms, Manuel Calimlim & Lucia Walle; D-Lib Magazine</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/2/09

EScience is a popular topic in academic circles. As several recent reports advocate, a new form of scientific enquiry is emerging in which fundamental advances are made by mining information in digital formats, from datasets to digitized books [1][2]. The arguments are so persuasive that agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) have created grant programs to support eScience, while universities have set up research institutes and degree programs [3][4]. The American Chemical Society has even registered the name "eScience" as a trademark.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/twitter-goes-to-college-zach-miners-us.html">Twitter goes to college - Zach Miners, US News and World Report</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/3/09

NOTE: Visit or subscribe to Ray's Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/rayschroeder">http://twitter.com/rayschroeder</a> for daily tweets on technology, online learning, and related topics.

At the University of Texas-Dallas, history professor Monica Rankin needed a better way to get students involved in the classroom. The 90-person lecture hall was too big for back-and-forth conversation. So, with help from students in the school's emerging media program, she had her students set up accounts on Twitter—a micro-blogging service—and then use the technology to post messages and ask questions that were displayed on a projector screen during class.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/06/online-learning-bryant-stratton-to-hold.html">Online Learning: Bryant & Stratton To Hold Graduation in Second Life for Online Students - Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 6/4/09

Bryant & Stratton College graduates will receive their degrees where they earned them--online. In what may be a first, the college will host a fully online, Second Life college graduation ceremony June 10, 2009. About 40 graduates from Bryant & Stratton's online degree programs have committed to receive their hard-earned degrees in their avatar form on the college's virtual campus.

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<a href="http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/tools/partner_search_en.php">Search and find Youth partners</a>

via <a href="http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/rss/youth_en.xml" class="f">Youth</a> on 4/27/09

A list of existing partner search for the Youth in Action programme is now available

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/04/institute-for-emerging-leadership-in.html">Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 4/27/09

The Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning is a unique blended-learning leadership development program sponsored by Penn State and the Sloan Consortium. This institute is designed to serve the leadership development needs of professionals in the rapidly expanding field of online learning. The program begins with an immersive experience at Penn State beginning August 10, followed by an eight-week online program enabling the participants to apply the new skills and concepts in their local settings. The program culminates with a preconference workshop at the annual Sloan Consortium ALN conference in Orlando.

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<a href="http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/training/e3i2fea4bd91d0d44f9411198cab5535630">Measurements for Evaluation and Management of the Training Department (PART 2 OF 4)</a>

via <a href="http://www.managesmarter.com" class="f">ManageSmarter.com - Training Top Stories</a> by Dan Klein, Ph.D. on 4/27/09

You've heard of Kirkpatrick? He's not the last word on evaluation, according to one researcher. There's another way to approach evaluation that most of you have never considered.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/04/engaging-students-in-virtual-learning.html">Engaging Students in Virtual Learning - Denise Harrison, Campus Technology</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 4/27/09

A visit to the virtual campus of Greenville, NC-based East Carolina University makes it clear that this is a working campus--walls displaying dozens of renderings and peer review instructions, graphics explaining management principles, and a career services center that leads job seekers to Web pages about improving resumes, long-distance job searching, and stress-free interviewing. "This semester, we are teaching 10 courses in Second Life," said Sharon Collins, project manager for Academic Outreach Technology Services. Collins manages ECU's Second Life activities.

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<a href="http://springwise.com/telecom_mobile/txteagle/">Quick tasks via SMS for phone users in the developing world</a>

via <a href="http://springwise.com/" class="f">Springwise</a> by Springwise on 4/28/09

<a href="http://www.springwise.com/telecom_mobile/txteagle/"><img src="http://www.springwise.com/pix/spotlight/txteagle.jpg"></a>

Both <a href="http://springwise.com/life_hacks/shorttask/">ShortTask</a> and <a href="https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome">Amazon's Mechanical Turk</a> enable Internet-connected computer users to earn money performing quick tasks for organizations far and wide. Now, a new project aims to bring similar income opportunities to those in the developing world using the ubiquitous mobile phone.

Targeting the more than 2 billion literate mobile phone subscribers in the developing world, <a href="http://www.txteagle.com">txteagle</a> aims to help alleviate high unemployment levels in many rural areas of countries like Kenya with a crowdsourcing approach that offers new ways to earn extra money. The service connects corporations with small tasks to be completed—currently, the most common ones include software localization and translation into local dialects for companies like Nokia—and native people who can complete them in minutes by cell phone. Tasks are sent to multiple phone users by text message—"translate the phrase, 'address book' into Giriama," for example—and answers are accepted as accurate when the majority of users provide the same response. Compensation is determined by the number of times an individual’s response agrees with the consensus; penalties are imposed for wrong answers, while "don’t know" responses make no contribution. Over time the system learns a particular user's expertise, and can actively select the most appropriate tasks for them. It can also weight answers from long-term and historically accurate users higher than others, making it necessary to involve fewer other individuals when those users respond. Payment is made either to a bank account connected with an individual's phone number—accessible at any post office or local kiosk—or via airtime credit transfers.

The txteagle service is currently deployed in Kenya via Mobile Planet and Safaricom, and will soon be launching in Rwanda through MTN Rwanda and in the Dominican Republic through Viva. Additional partnerships in Africa and South America will be announced later this year, txteagle says. Also in the works is a version of the service that uses the commonly found Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) protocol instead of SMS. One to partner with, try out or otherwise get involved in...?

Website: <a href="http://www.txteagle.com">www.txteagle.com</a>
Contact: <a href="mailto:info@txteagle.com">info@txteagle.com</a>

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie


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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/04/importance-of-teacher-professional.html">The Importance of Teacher Professional Development - Mary Ann Wolf, Huffington Post</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 4/28/09

A stand-alone workshop has less than a 5% chance of actually changing teacher practice in the classroom. However, if you add on-going and embedded professional development, provide professional learning communities where teachers interact with their colleagues, and ensure on-going support from coaches and administrative staff, the chance of really affecting teaching and learning increases dramatically -- to nearly 90% (Joyce and Showers, 2002). Twenty or even 10 years ago, accomplishing these professional development opportunities may have seemed impossible, but the advent of online learning and Web 2.0 tools in schools makes this transformation possible.

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via <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF News</a> by on 5/7/09

On Saturday 9 May the ETF will celebrate its 15th anniversary with the citizens of Torino. From early morning to late evening, the special day will be marked by a number of activities in the capital of Piedmont: In the morning a big photo exhibition and a spectacular globe will be launched in the Torino city centre and the festivities close in the evening with a gala concert at the Lingotto concert hall.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/04/please-sir-can-i-have-some-more.html">Please Sir, can I have some more… elearning, blended learning, wikis, forums, blogs? - Francis Marshall, Training Zone</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 4/29/09

Learners are chomping at the bit to embrace more learning technologies, faster than training managers are planning on implementing them. Francis Marshall reveals some interesting findings from a European survey, which reveals that learners are not nearly so concerned about visual quality as they are about expert sources, that mobile learning and podcasts are far less popular than other delivery methods, and although the UK is leading the way when it comes to elearning, for learners it still isn't being adopted fast enough.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/04/five-questionsfor-george-siemens-lisa.html">FIVE QUESTIONS...For George Siemens - Lisa Neal Gualtieri, eLearn Magazine</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 4/29/09

George Siemens is the author of Knowing Knowledge and the recently released Handbook of Emerging Technologies for Learning. He is also associate director of research and development with the Learning Technologies Centre at the University of Manitoba and is the founder and president of Complexive Systems Inc., a learning lab focused on helping organizations develop integrated learning structures to meet the needs of global strategy execution. Lisa Neal Gualtieri interviews George.

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<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ScienceblogsChannelEducation/~3/pNXoRsoF7q8/overpaying_for_educational_und.php">Overpaying for Educational Underachievement [Neuron Culture]</a>

via <a href="http://www.scienceblogs.com/channel/education/" class="f">ScienceBlogs Channel : Education & Careers</a> by David Dobbs none@example.com on 4/29/09

As I've noted before, the U.S.'s health-care and education systems share some fundamental flaws: In both medical care and schooling we spend far more than other countries and get substandard results; in both cases, the overspending and poor results occur partly because our decentralized "systems" mean everyone does and measures everything differently, so you can't compare apples to oranges to even find out what works.

The folks at Economix <a href="http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/overpaying-for-educational-underachievement">look at this dynamic</a> in education from a return-on-investment perspective:

Education is a form of investment in a country's labor force and its overall economy. This means that educational shortcomings drag on economic growth. McKinsey estimates that:

If the United States had in recent years closed the gap between its educational achievement levels and those of better-performing nations such as Finland and Korea, G.D.P. in 2008 could have been $1.3 trillion to $2.3 trillion higher. This represents 9 to 16 percent of G.D.P.

Similarly, if the United States had been able to narrow the achievement gap between white students and their black and Latino peers, the country's G.D.P. would have been an estimated $310 billion to $525 billion higher, or 2 to 4 percent of G.D.P.

Unfortunately, throwing money at the system doesn't seem to help, either. As it is, the United States gets comparatively little bang for its buck on education spending. The United States spends more than any other country per point on the PISA math exam, and 60 percent more than the O.E.C.D. average:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60472435@N00/3486681130" title="View 'edugraf' on Flickr.com"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3486681130_40d20f845d.jpg" alt="edugraf" border="0" width="500" height="418"></a> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/neuronculture/2009/04/overpaying_for_educational_und.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/ScienceblogsChannelEducation/~4/pNXoRsoF7q8" height="1" width="1">

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<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/e_i/news/article_8903_en.htm">Showcasing regional innovation</a>

via <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/e_i/index_en.htm" class="f">Enterprise & Industry online magazine</a> on 4/29/09

The Innovation CIRCUS initiative employed fun activities to raise public awareness and appreciation of the innovative process through regional Innovation Weeks in several partner regions. Thanks to the success of the events, this idea is now going Europe-wide, with EU backing.

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<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemshortdetail.cfm?item_id=3080">Conference ''Tourism Industry: Employment and Labour Market Challenges''</a>

via <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/menu.cfm" class="f">Small and medium sized enterprises (SME)</a> on 6/9/09

The event will be organised in collaboration with the Czech Presidency. The aim of the conference is to discuss, at the European level, new challenges and problems currently facing the sector of tourism.

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<a href="http://www.istat.it/salastampa/comunicati/non_calendario/20090430_00">I nuovi indici del lavoro e delle retribuzioni nelle grandi imprese in base 2005 e Ateco 2007</a>

via <a href="http://www.istat.it" class="f">ISTAT.it</a> by redazioneweb@istat.it on 4/30/09

Ateco 2007

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<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=3083">Modernisation of EU research funding on the right track - Questions and Answers</a>

via <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/menu.cfm" class="f">Small and medium sized enterprises (SME)</a> on 4/29/09

How does FP7 work? What is its structure?

FP7 supports a broad range of research activities grouped under four Specific Programmes: "Cooperation," "Ideas," "People" and "Capacities." The total budget is EUR 54bn from 2007 to 2013 (including a Euratom budget of EUR 4bn).


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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/05/schools-tools-teaching-tech-savvy.html">Schools’ tools teaching tech-savvy generation - CLAIRE MILLER, Gainesville Times</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 5/5/09

Aaron Turpin, executive director for technology in Hall County Schools, said that schools are having to reevaluate the way they’ve been teaching for decades to adjust to the digital revolution. One of the Web tools local school districts use is the Georgia Virtual School, an online learning program run by the Georgia Department of Education. Take away the desks, walls and hallways of traditional schooling and all you’re left with is the academics, which is part of Georgia Virtual School’s appeal, Turpin said.

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via <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF News</a> by on 5/6/09

The Mutual Learning Project aims to give policymakers the chance to learn from each other and from EU developments in the areas of adult learning, quality assurance and post-secondary VET over the next three years.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/05/employer-perceptions-of-online-degrees.html">Employer Perceptions of Online Degrees: A Literature Review - Norina L. Columbaro & Catherine H. Monaghan, OJDLA</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 5/6/09

This literature review explores research regarding the perception of potential employers or “gatekeepers” about online degrees in comparison with those earned in a traditional format. This review contributes to the field of knowledge because higher education can benefit from understanding how these perceptions affect students’ employment opportunities and, in turn, affect the institutions granting the online degree. In addition, research in this area potentially contributes to the field of knowledge by helping prospective students, as consumers of higher education, make informed choices about their degree attainment paths.

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via <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF News</a> by on 4/30/09

Seventy-two education specialists from eight countries will help launch an ambitious new project on mutual learning in vocational education and training (VET) at ETF in Turin on 5 – 6 May 2009. The three-year project aims to give policymakers and experts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey the chance to learn about policy on adult learning, quality and quality assurance in VET and post-secondary VET. Using the mutual learning approach, they will learn from EU countries but also from each other.

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<a href="http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/funding/2009/call_nlls_2009.html">Support for European cooperation in Education and Training - Call for proposals</a>

via <a href="http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/index_en.htm" class="f">Lifelong Learning</a> on 4/30/09

Call for Proposals EACEA/07/09

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<a href="http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/funding/2009/call_eqf_2009.html">European Qualifications Framework (EQF) - Call for proposals</a>

via <a href="http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/index_en.htm" class="f">Lifelong Learning</a> on 4/30/09

Call for Proposals EACEA/06/09

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<a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu/Web.nsf/pages/Events_EN?OpenDocument&emb=http://www.etf.europa.eu/EventsMgmt.nsf/(RSS)/D7FCF1743B46397FC125757F0046ACC7?OpenDocument&LAN=EN">Event: 27/05/2009 - LEARN project Study Visit to CPI, Slovenia - From ‘best practice’ to ‘next practice’</a>

via <a href="http://www.etf.europa.eu" class="f">ETF Events</a> by Samuel Cavanagh on 7/5/09

LEARN project Study Visit to CPI, Slovenia - From ‘best practice’ to ‘next practice’ VET Teachers as Change Agents for the Autonomy of VET Schools - - the Role of VET Centres

Study Visit of the LEARN project network to learn of the experience of the Slovenian VET sytem and the National Institute of VET. The event will also provide an opportunity for a meeting of the LEARN Steering Committee and to focus on the LEARN project activties of benchmarking project, preparation of the strategy papers and other project documents.

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/05/stimulus-aims-to-help-close-digital.html">Stimulus aims to help close digital divide for online learning and more - Maya T. Prabhu, eSchool News</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 5/9/09

"There is a growing use of online learning in both brick-and-mortar and distance education. Anything that can provide increased broadband access to more students can only be a benefit," said Cheryl Vedoe, chief executive officer of Apex Learning, a company that provides online curriculum to high schools as well as institutions of higher education.

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<a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/714&format=HTML&aged=0&language=IT&guiLanguage=en">Praga celebra la III edizione del Premio Europeo per l’apprendimento permanente</a>

via <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/syndication/QuickRSSAction.do?id=14&lang=IT" class="f">EDUCATION, TRAINING, CULTURE</a> on 5/7/09

IP/09/714 Bruxelles, 7 maggio 2009 Praga celebra la III edizione del Premio Europeo per l’apprendimento permanente 18 progetti e iniziative di mobilità per studenti, finanziati dai programmi di istruzione e formazione dell’UE hanno ricevuto oggi il Premio ...

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<a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/2009/05/how-to-become-successful-online-learner.html">How to become a successful online learner - Lauri Harrison, Global Campus Examiner</a>

via <a href="http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html" class="f">Online Learning Update</a> by Ray on 5/8/09

The number of online learners in the United States is approximately 4 million. Online students now are estimated to represent around 17 percent (and rising!) of all college students (see <a href="http://www.sloan-c-org/">http://www.sloan-c-org</a>). With a little organization, practice and discipline, online learning is for everyone. Whether you are a first time online learner, or have taken several online courses, the tips below will help you get the most out of your online learning experience.

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<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TEDTalks_audio/~3/9H4SFrRfPxs/533">TEDTalks : A bold vision for teaching arts and sciences -- together - Mae Jemison (2002)</a>

via <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/browse" class="f">TEDTalks (audio)</a> on 5/4/09

Mae Jemison is an astronaut, a doctor, an art collector, a dancer ... Telling stories from her own education and from her time in space, she calls on educators to teach both the arts and sciences, both intuition and logic, as one -- to create bold thinker<img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/TEDTalks_audio/~4/9H4SFrRfPxs" height="1" width="1">

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via <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/syndication/QuickRSSAction.do?id=64&lang=IT" class="f">TODAY PRESS RELEASES</a> on 5/12/09

IP/09/739 Bruxelles, 12 maggio 2009 Le scuole europee si rinnovano Il Consiglio dei ministri dell'Istruzione riunito quest'oggi a Bruxelles ha preso atto, nei suoi elementi essenziali, della riforma che il Consiglio superiore delle Scuole europee ha adottato ...

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