Archive for the ‘eLearning’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

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.

Three Technology Trends to Keep Your Eye on in 2012

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Here on our blog, we like to keep our readers in the know on the latest eLearning trends.  Our first article of 2012 discussed several eLearning predictions for the new year.  As January is quickly coming to a close, we would like to share some technology trends to keep your eye on in 2012. As anyone in the field of eLearning knows, technology is an ever growing and ever changing entity and below are three of the hottest trends in technology that will affect how people work, live, play, and, of course, learn in the upcoming year.

Trend: Mobility and Portability

It seems like anyone who is talking about technology trends for 2012 lists mobile technology or portable technology as the number one trend.  While mobile and portable technology is nothing new by any means, this is considered to be a trend to watch because many technophiles agree that there is going to be an explosive increase in the number of consumers, businesses, and organizations that use this type of technology.  For the world of eLearning, this means that many of the tools and applications used for course creation and delivery will need to be adapted for use on mobile and portable devices.  This could also mean that the mLearning (mobile learning – using a mobile device as a source of course content or creation) will also expand rapidly alongside the ever-increasing mobile and portable device consumer base.

Trend: Augmented Reality

Almost every technology trend report we came across for 2012 mentioned augmented reality as well.  Wikipedia defines augmented reality as “a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality.”  While is seems like many people are talking about what augmented reality can do for marketing and advertising, do not discount the impact it can have on eLearning.  With augmented reality, learning a great deal more about something you have encountered in your environment could be as simple as snapping a picture with your smartphone or tablet to electronically retrieve information tied to the object of interest.

Trend:  Voice Command

Voice command technology is another trend that has been around for quite some time but is expected to seriously expand in the upcoming year.  Apple’s introduction of Siri for the iPhone 4S is probably the most notable advancement in voice controlled interaction in the recent past and is expected by many technology professionals to bring voice command technology into the mainstream.  This technological trend will most likely have its largest impact on eLearning in voice to text applications.  Using tools such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, Google Voice, or several other applications, spoken word can be transcribed to text fairly easily.  This could streamline many eLearning tasks, especially if the eLearning is taking place using a mobile or portable device.

eLearning News: Worldreader

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

As we have discussed in previous articles, one of the great benefits of eLearning is the ability to deliver educational and training materials all over the world without having to worry about geographic constraints. Thanks to current and emerging technology, access to information can be as convenient as your nearest WiFi hot spot.  With all of the technology and technical gadgets we have at our disposal today, it seems as if an education for all people across the globe could be more than just a dream.  One organization, Worldreader, is doing everything it can to make that dream a reality.

Worldreader is a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to make books available to every person on the planet using e-reader and e-book technology.  One of their goals is to make e-books accessible to 1 million children by the year 2015.  Worldreader works with publishers, book and e-book retailers, and government agencies to achieve this mission.  According to the Worldreader website, “Worldreader.org’s mission is to make digital books available to all in the developing world, enabling millions of people to improve their lives.  Emerging e-book technology is sharply reducing the cost and complexity of delivering reading material everywhere. We are developing the systems and the partnerships to get e-readers — and the life-changing, power-creating ideas contained in e-books — into the hands and minds of people in the developing world, where profit-seeking entities are not focused.” They believe that when you remove the difficulties that traditional paper books present (transportation, cost, storage, tracking and management, logistics, etc.), sharing knowledge via e-books and e-readers makes education and literacy for all people possible.

Education and literacy are two major driving forces behind economic growth and Worldreader hopes to support these two key factors with its iRead program.  The iRead pilot study launched in November of 2010 at the Orphan Aid Primary school in the village of Ayenyah, Ghana.  The pilot study was overwhelmingly positive.  Teachers and students were provided Kindle e-reader devices and given training on how to use these devices.  The sixth grade students and teachers were able to successfully use the Kindles within a matter of days.  The students were not distracted by the novelty of the Kindle device and quickly became absorbed in what they were reading.   The built-in dictionary was found to be very useful by the students, especially those who were learning to read and those who were new language learners.  It was also found that the students in this pilot program ended up reading more often and in higher quantity than their peers who were not involved in the program.  While the overall results of the pilot study were positive, there still remain some technological and logistical challenges that will no doubt be fairly simple to alleviate.

If you would like to view a detailed report of the iRead pilot study or to learn more about the Worldreader program itself, you may visit the Worldreader website at www.worldreader.org.  You may also follow their progress on Facebook at facebook.com/worldreader and Twitter @Worldreaders .

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »