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Shorter, Intensive Courses Rated More Effective
Shorter, Intensive Courses Rated More Effective
Study based on survey results showing that accelerated university courses were rated higher overall by students. The press release mentions research on learning outcomes, but doesn't cite anything.
"A wealth of scholarship reveals that students seem to learn as well in abbreviated courses as they do in longer ones, but we wanted to see which format students rate as more effective. We looked at effectiveness, as indicated by course instructor surveys, and found that intensive nine- and 11-week classes garnered significantly higher overall course ratings, even after controlling for class size, probable grade in course and workload."
·utexas.edu·
Shorter, Intensive Courses Rated More Effective
ParentCentral.ca - News & Features - Where teachers learn diversity
ParentCentral.ca - News & Features - Where teachers learn diversity
Article from the Toronto Star on integrating diversity in teacher education programs, therefore fostering a sense of respect for diversity in the classroom. Nice example of integrating diverse perspectives in geometry using Moroccan tiles, plus community involvement through parent computer training.
<p>And before they set foot in a classroom, student teachers must examine their own cultural identity – race, gender, social class, even sexual orientation – so they are aware of the bias they may bring to a classroom.</p><p>"Our research shows who you are impacts how you deal with children, so the worst thing is to act colour-blind," said Solomon, whose urban diversity program has graduated more than 1,000 teachers over the past 14 years, many of whom have gone on to school leadership positions in the field of equity.</p>
"Teachers need to know more than the 3 R's; if you don't know the community your students live in – the social, the racial dynamics – you won't be as effective," said Solomon.
·parentcentral.ca·
ParentCentral.ca - News & Features - Where teachers learn diversity
90-9-1 Theory - Wiki Patterns
90-9-1 Theory - Wiki Patterns
Wiki Patterns explanation of participation in a wiki with the 90-9-1 theory. This includes some of the statistics of participation for Wikipedia and other community sites.
The 90-9-1 theory explains the percentage of a wiki's participation, breaking it down as readers being the highest percent, with minor contributors composing the 9 percent and enthusiastic and active contributors composing 1 percent of the total participants in a wiki.
While it is impossible to overcome this type of human behaviour, it is possible to change the participation distribution (i.e 80-16-4 where 80% are lurkers, 16% contribute a little and 4% contribute the most).
·wikipatterns.com·
90-9-1 Theory - Wiki Patterns
21st Century Teachers | Educational Origami
21st Century Teachers | Educational Origami
Moving from the idea of 21st century skills for learners, this post discusses 21st century skills for teachers. The proposed roles for teachers include Adaptor, Communicator, Learner, Visionary, Model, Collaborator, Risk Taker.
We know they are student centric, wholistic, they are teaching about how to learn as much as teaching about the subject area.
·edorigami.edublogs.org·
21st Century Teachers | Educational Origami
Blogging and Reading Comprehension Strategies « Classroom Tech Tips
Blogging and Reading Comprehension Strategies « Classroom Tech Tips
Applying reading comprehension strategies (questioning, making connections, inferring, etc.) and tips for students to improve blog conversations. One of the suggestions is to have a class focus together on one strategy in their comments to each other. I can see how the sentence frames would be very helpful, especially for younger writers.
·classroomtechtips.wordpress.com·
Blogging and Reading Comprehension Strategies « Classroom Tech Tips
In the Wild « Web2.0 in High School
In the Wild « Web2.0 in High School
Observations from the beginning of a high school project with Ning, Animoto, and Flickr. Most of the insight is around how Ning facilitates conversations between students and lets the teacher join the discussion. Students are engaged with Ning; they are personalizing their spaces and giving each other constructive feedback.
The ability for teachers to understand and add value to the comment ‘back channel’ is a key skill for the ‘connected teacher’. Anyone can swap an writing pad for a blog, there is no value in that. The back channel is the conversation, and is the heartbeat of thought.
I can’t think of another way in which teachers can get such immediate access to the ‘thinking’ process that is playing out in front of them.
·deangroom.wordpress.com·
In the Wild « Web2.0 in High School
Instructional Technology Program Student Resources Instructional Designer Skills
Instructional Technology Program Student Resources Instructional Designer Skills
An old (1995) list of skills for instructional designers, very focused on the corporate training side of the field. I wonder why there's so little here about working with others; communication skills are kind of tacked on the end of the list as an afterthought. Communicating and collaborating with SMEs is such a big part of instructional design that I'm surprised that's never mentioned here.
·coedu.usf.edu·
Instructional Technology Program Student Resources Instructional Designer Skills
Top News - Online insight: Challenges beat cheerleading
Top News - Online insight: Challenges beat cheerleading

Network analysis in online discussions in two classes shows, not surprisingly, that asking probing questions and challenging posts results in more learner engagement than simple "cheerleading" posts like "Great job!"

New link: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2008/05/08/online-insight-challenges-beat-cheerleading/

·eschoolnews.com·
Top News - Online insight: Challenges beat cheerleading
Working with online learning communities
Working with online learning communities
Best practices for working with online learning communities, including how to work with lurkers who may still be learning even if they aren't actively participating.
<li>online learning communities are grown, not built </li> <li>online learning communities need leaders </li> <li>personal narrative is vital to online learning communities.</li>
<p>He gives a set of mantras for teacher/leaders in any online community:</p> <ul> <li>all you need is love </li> <li>control the environment, not the group </li> <li>lead by example </li> <li>let lurkers lurk </li> <li>short leading questions get conversations going </li> <li>be personally congratulatory and inquisitive </li> <li>route information in all directions </li> <li>care about the people in the community; this cannot be faked </li> <li>understand consensus and how to build it, and sense when it's been built and just not recognised, and when you have to make a decision despite all the talking.</li></ul>
·admin.futurelab.org.uk·
Working with online learning communities
The Connected Classroom: A Lesson on Reflection: MORE Copyright Confusion...
The Connected Classroom: A Lesson on Reflection: MORE Copyright Confusion...
A teacher's reflections on using images from Flickr. Although she encouraged the use of Creative Commons images, the nature of the student work clearly fell under fair use. Even so, she got complaints from photographers about the fair use of their work. She wrote a really thoughtful response to the Flickr users and had a great discussion with her students about copyright.
·khokanson.blogspot.com·
The Connected Classroom: A Lesson on Reflection: MORE Copyright Confusion...
Will at Work Learning: FREE Research Report on Feedback
Will at Work Learning: FREE Research Report on Feedback
21 points from research on feedback summarized, plus a downloadable free report with all the details. Feedback is generally good for learners and should tell them the right answers, plus maybe why it's right. Lots of insight about what kinds of feedback to use or how to use feedback depending on the results you're aiming for.
<li>Immediate feedback prevents subsequent confusion and limits the likelihood for continued inappropriate retrieval practice.</li> <li>Delayed feedback creates a beneficial spacing effect.</li> <li>When in doubt about the timing of feedback, you can (a) give immediate feedback and then a subsequent delayed retrieval opportunity, (b) delay feedback slightly, and/or (c) just be sure to give some kind of feedback.</li> <li>Feedback should usually be provided before learners get another chance to retrieve incorrectly again.</li>
·willatworklearning.com·
Will at Work Learning: FREE Research Report on Feedback
Career Advice '08 » SlideShare
Career Advice '08 » SlideShare
Garr Reynolds (Presentation Zen) slideshow summarizing the 6 career tips from Daniel Pink's book, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. Reynolds also gives his own ideas on each of the points. I love the point about doing things that are you believe are intrinsically valuable even if they don't lead you on an obvious career path; we should learn what we're passionate about.
·slideshare.net·
Career Advice '08 » SlideShare
100 Killer Web Accessibility Resources: Blogs, Forums and Tutorials | WHDb
100 Killer Web Accessibility Resources: Blogs, Forums and Tutorials | WHDb
Annotated list of accessibility resources, including tools, tutorials, validation, and information about needs based on disability.
If you already lean toward the idea that accessible sites are good for humanity as well as for business, then this list will provide plenty of reference materials for you. If you don’t have a clue about the issues that surround Web site accessibility, then this list will help you to become well acquainted with the issues involved in this movement.
·whdb.com·
100 Killer Web Accessibility Resources: Blogs, Forums and Tutorials | WHDb
Education Week: Online Education Cast as ‘Disruptive Innovation’
Education Week: Online Education Cast as ‘Disruptive Innovation’
Book review describing online education as a disruptive technology for K-12 education. The educational system as it exists right now, the authors argue, can't adapt to new technologies and provide the individualized, student-centered approaches possible with online learning. Compares models of change in business to education.
<a href="http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0071592067"><i>Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns</i></a> predicts that the growth in computer-based delivery of education will accelerate swiftly until, by 2019, half of all high school classes will be taught over the Internet.
·edweek.org·
Education Week: Online Education Cast as ‘Disruptive Innovation’
A List Apart: Articles: Community: From Little Things, Big Things Grow
A List Apart: Articles: Community: From Little Things, Big Things Grow
One of the founders of Flickr writes about building online community. One of his big points is that if you create too many hard and fast rules, people are less creative and open to conversation. It's better to build community by providing spaces for people to negotiate the guidelines for themselves as much as possible.
The sculpture demonstrated a fascinating idea: given fewer rules, people actually behaved in more creative, co-operative, and collaborative (or competitive, as the case may be) ways.
Any time you construct specific rules of engagement, they are instantly open to interpretation and circumvention, and we want our members to negotiate their place with each other, not with The Authority.
Any community—online or off—must start slowly, and be nurtured. You cannot “just add community.” It simply must happen gradually. It must be cared for, and hosted; it takes time and people with great communication skills to set the tone and tend the conversation.
We also tried to create an egalitarian playing field. At a glance, visitors can’t differentiate a professional photographer with an enormous lens from an enthusiast just getting started in photography. There is no indication of “quality” apart from the content itself.
Participate in the community you’re trying to build. Add content, make contact, show yourself as a person and have fun.
·alistapart.com·
A List Apart: Articles: Community: From Little Things, Big Things Grow