Archive for the ‘eLearning’ Category

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The Basics of Open Educational Resources

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

At the rate technology progresses these days, it is almost impossible for even the most tech savvy among us to keep up with every change and advancement.  Often, people hear of a new technological tool they may be interested in exploring but for one reason or another this idea never comes to fruition.  This can be unfortunate because there are many tools out there that could greatly improve the way we live, work, play, or learn if we would take the time to learn more about them. One such resource that should not be overlooked is Open Educational Resources.

Open Educational Resources (OER) is a term used to describe educational resources created by various individuals and organizations that are made available for use by students, teachers, and other educational staff free of charge.  We have written articles about OER here before; one article was about a great website for finding OER, the Open Educational Resources Commons, and the another article was about a set of guidelines for using OER written by the Commonwealth of Learning.  Today, we are going to take a step back and talk about a fantastic resource for explaining the basics of OER so readers may have a clear understanding of what OER are and how useful they can be in teaching and learning. Two international organizations interested in promoting and supporting education and technology, The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), created a document titled “A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER)” that is perfect for anyone who is interested in taking the first step in learning more about OER.

This document opens up with a section that is set up in a “Frequently Asked Questions” format that essentially answers all of the questions someone new to OER would have.  This section explains the basic premise of OER and continues on to cover questions about OER and eLearning, why OER are free, how to find OER, modifying OER, and several other topics.  The next section in this publication is called “Making the Case for Open Educational Resources.”  This section explores in the concept of OER in a more in depth manner and discusses the potential benefits and impacts of OER in various learning environments. This section also examines the implications of OER for educational planners and decision makers as well as the potential policy changes that OER may bring about.  This publication concludes with nine informative Appendixes discussing topics such as open licenses, well functioning distance learning education systems, technology applications, open source software in education, the OER online terrain, a list of OER-related websites, policy issues with OER and eLearning, OER policy review process, and skills required for working with OER.

As you can see, “A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER)” is a well-organized and extensive overview of OER and related topics.  This document is an excellent starting point for anyone wishing to educate himself on the topic of OER and also a great resource for anyone already familiar with OER who wishes to fill in some knowledge gaps.  If you would like to learn more about this publication or read “A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER)” in it’s entirety, click on http://www.col.org/PublicationDocuments/Basic-Guide-To-OER.pdf .

Apple Introduces iBook Textbooks

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Electronic books, or e-books, have been a popular tool for eLearning for quite some time now and Apple hopes to capitalize on the popularity, convenience, and features of e-books with their new textbook line.  Just a few days ago, Apple announced it would be offering a line of textbooks for their iPad in Apple’s iBookstore.

On the Apple website, the usual case against traditional paper books is made.  Traditional books are expensive, experience wear and tear with continued use year after year, and can be cumbersome to haul around.  They also point out the issue of many textbooks containing out of date information due to the difficulty in keeping information current in a traditional print book. (Apple offers updates to their iBook textbooks free of charge.)  Also, three major elementary and secondary education textbook publishers (McGraw-Hill, Pearson Education, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) have already created textbooks for the iPad that are available now in the iBookstore.  Given that e-books are already wildly popular thanks in part to the very popular e-readers such as the Kindle and the Nook, the Apple iBook textbook line will most likely be very successful.

If you visit the Apple website, you will find a slick and savvy information page dedicated to the new iBook textbook line.  The introduction of the iBook textbooks on the company site sums it up nicely: “A Multi-Touch textbook on iPad is a gorgeous, full-screen experience full of interactive diagrams, photos, and videos. No longer limited to static pictures to illustrate the text, now students can dive into an image with interactive captions, rotate a 3D object, or have the answer spring to life in a chapter review. They can flip through a book by simply sliding a finger along the bottom of the screen. Highlighting text, taking notes, searching for content, and finding definitions in the glossary are just as easy. And with all their books on a single iPad, students will have no problem carrying them wherever they go.”

The interactive nature of Apple’s iBook textbooks is one of their most impressive features.  Readers can manipulate images of three-dimensional objects allowing for a fully rotatable view of many objects.  Other interactive images include pan and zoom features and callouts containing additional information.  Another additional interactive section of a iBook textbook could be image galleries which hold several pictures to scroll through rather than simply one picture to illustrate a concept or idea.  To explore the interactive features of the iBook textbooks, you can visit the Apple website at http://images.apple.com/education/ibooks-textbooks/gallery.html .

The iBook textbooks also have several features that will aid students with their studies.  A student can highlight an important passage or concept by simply swiping a finger over the desired text in an iBook textbook.  By tapping on a highlighted section, further options are available such as changing the color of the highlighting or instantly adding a note.  There is also a “Notes View” that allows students to easily access all of their highlighting and notes in one convenient place.  The notes are converted into Study Cards that can be used to study course material.  Students can even choose to include chapter vocabulary words and definitions from the glossary if they wish.

Based on the success of most Apple endeavors, we will surely be seeing and hearing much more about Apple’s iBook textbooks in the future.  If you would like to learn more about them, visit the Apple website at

http://images.apple.com/education/ibooks-textbooks/ .

Computer Games Used for STEM Training

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

It has been well documented that education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is critical to the future of all those wishing to remain competitive in a worldwide market.  In a recent article in US News and World Reports, Allyson Peerman writes about the connection between computer game design and STEM training.  Research has shown that over 90% of teenagers today engage in some sort of computer game playing as a regular pastime.  Additionally, a significant amount of research suggests that game-based learning has great potential in elementary and secondary education.  Therefore, it only makes sense that computer games designed with STEM training in mind would be beneficial to students and educators alike.

One company, AMD, has made this idea a reality.  AMD’s Changing the Game initiative is an educational program that encourages young people to learn through gaming.  According to the AMD website the Changing the Game program, “teaches kids how to create their own video games on subjects such as energy and the environment and other important social issues. By creating games, students learn science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills as well as problem solving, critical thinking, language skills and teamwork. They are so engaged in the process they don’t realize how much they are learning.”  To showcase how Changing the Game can support learning in the STEM subjects, AMD recently conducted a two-week workshop on their program in Abu Dhabi for Emirati youth.  The teachers and students participating in the workshop were able to see how the program guides STEM education as well as improves skills like problem solving, collaboration, and communication.  Ideally, additional software and technology companies will follow suit and create programs that support STEM education through the engaging medium of gaming.

If computer game design is something that appeals to you, consider taking one of Gatlin International’s newest eLearning courses, Computer Game Design.  Gatlin International’s Game Design Virtual Internship experience is appropriate for those who are interested in learning the basic skills of programming and game design. This course is ideal for anyone who would like to experience the thrill of creating a video game and who might like to see if a career in game design or programming is a fit. This course is also perfect for the game enthusiast who has never had the chance to create and program their own game, or someone who would like to add to their experiences for their CV or resume.

Upon completion of this computer game design course, students will receive a Certificate in The Basics of Programming and Video Game Design. Two complete game production projects, a portfolio documenting your creative process, and a personal experience working within an industry setting will showcase the technical and soft skills employers are looking for. With Gatlin International’s unparalleled comprehensive training program, master the skills to open doors in the growing video game industry.  To learn more about Gatlin International’s Computer Game Design course, visit http://gatlininternational.co.uk/catalogue today.

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