Week #12 - EDUC5101G Post - End-of-Course Reflection

In reflecting back to all that I have learned in the Digital Tools for Knowledge Construction course  with Dr. Rob Power, where does one begin.  It has been quite a journey for the past 12 weeks– a lot of work, but in return, I have reaped the benefits of acquiring tremendous knowledge that I can apply in the workplace.

The course began with Issues in Technology Integration (Module #1) where we explored some of the challenges educators face when integrating technology into learning such as educators’ resistance to change, the media effectiveness debate, how to best accommodate the 21^st century learner,  and the policies around using technology. This was an interesting module that involved lots of different perspectives which highlighted some of the challenges and opportunities educators are facing today and tomorrow.  The media effectiveness and acceptable/responsible policies were new topics for me.

Exploring the educational technology tools in Module #2 was fascinating but at the same time overwhelming.  Just when I thought I was somewhat current with my digital tools, I soon realized there was so much more out there to discover.  We studied the category of tools (although an extensive list all by itself), which I found helpful as the tools could be grouped based on their main purpose.  Exploring the different evaluation tools such as Chan’s Checklist was also a new learning for me, and I will definitely be encouraging my colleagues to leverage some form of checklist when choosing our digital tools.  Currently, I don’t believe a checklist is used at all.  It was interesting and a relief to see how the checklists evolved as our learning environment, our learners, and our technologies have changed.   My PBL team used a wide range of tools – Google Docs/Slides used for collaboration, SmartArt and the Snipping Tool for enhancing our Powerpoint slides (which I now love and already using extensively), Weebly for creating our websites (great tool which I will definitely use going forward – so easy to use), MindMup and Realtimeboard tools for mindmapping, and several others.  The course Weebly was an effective way to house all of the course materials, assignments and our individual blogs.  I found it very well organized and easy to use – loved the inclusion of the To Do List.  For my personal blog, I used Blogger – which I now feel I know quite well.  Throughout this course, my comfort level and I think effectiveness with blogging has improved quite a bit – I now can see the power of blogging.

Our Module #3 on Designing Instruction with Technology provided an effective review for me of some of the learning theories with a few new ones introduced.  I connected with George Siemen’s Connectivism theory (no pun intended!), especially when writing my final paper.  It tied in so nicely with my digital tool critique and the instructional design principles of OCL (online collaborative learning) – the work of Harasim.  It was refreshing to see recent learning theories and instructional design models that take into consideration the changing learning environment.

This is a terrific course that provides lots of opportunity for practice.  My key learning is to examine and critique the digital tools available for the specific application, don’t get overwhelmed with the options, choose the one that works best, and leverage all that is available online and in your network to help you with the decision-making and the implementation. 

We are all passionate about learning and education, so I will leave you with this quote:

“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.”  Jiddu Krishnamurti

As we wrap up this course, remember:

“The end of one chapter is just the beginning of another.  Read on…the best part is always yet to come.”  Susan Gale

Thank you class and Dr. Power for all of the knowledge shared on the topic of digital tools.  It was great fun!  Hope our paths cross again! 

Week #9 - EDUC5101G Post - Connectivism - This Theory Counts!

When deciding the topic for this week’s post, I searched for a learning theory that works well with technology.   One of the learning theories that resulted was “Connectivism” – a learning theory for the digital age.

As we learned in this week’s class, connectivism is one of the newer learning theories and the theory is based on forming knowledge networks – knowing when to tap into them when required.

Connectivism should not be confused with constructivism as they are very different. I personally like this theory.  This theory was promoted by George Siemens and Stephen Downes.  It provides new insight into what it means to facilitate learning in the 21^st century.  It is to an educator’s advantage to keep a current learning theory in mind when designing learning for today’s learner.  Technology plays a critical role in education, so it only makes sense to apply a learning theory that also considers technology.  Theories such as behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism were developed in a time when learning was not impacted through technology.

The Siemens (2005) article references a term I had not heard before - “half-life of knowledge” - which is the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete.  Half of what is known today was not known 10 years ago.  The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 18 months according to the American Society of Training Development.  To combat the shrinking half-life of knowledge, we need to develop a new way of designing instruction.

Although I knew the connectivism theory was current and relevant, I didn’t fully understand it, which is another reason I wanted to cover this topic in this post.  This learning theory seeks to explain complex learning in a rapidly changing social digital world - sounds ideal.  According to connectivism, knowledge is distributed across an information network and can be stored in a variety of digital formats.  Learning occurs when knowledge is actuated through the process of a learner connecting to and feeding information into a learning community (Kop & Hill, 2008). Based on my research, I think what’s key to remember about connectivism are the following points (Education 2000):

• learning occurs through connections with networks
• learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements
• decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations
• new information is continually being acquired
• ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital
• we need to know when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday
• learning is no longer an individualistic activity
• knowledge is distributed across networks
• connections and connectiveness within networks lead to learning

I particularly like the final point.  If it’s the connections we make that are so critical to learning, what are we currently doing as educators to enable this to take place or what should we be doing?  The application of connectivism to teaching and learning requires a thorough rethinking of the educational process and the role of the teacher, student and technology in that process.  I knew the importance of creating the opportunity for connections, but wasn’t sure what types of things could be done with our learners to enable this to happen.  I came across this list which I found helpful.  Here are a few things we as educators can do (Marquis, 2012):

1. Utilize the internet and social networking to expand classroom discussions beyond the classroom to consider the wider variety of experiences and expertise
2. Use software and database tools to explore the relationships between unrelated pieces of data
3. Allow students to lean on technology to make sense of the vast amounts of information
4. Develop strategies for continuing to incorporate new data, knowledge and concepts into the existing world – in a connectivist world, learning can never stop, there will always be something new to grasp and make sense of
5. Maintain existing connections and cultivate new ones.  Teachers need to emphasize these connections and help students create their own.
6. Stay current and develop an ability to incorporate information on the fly – key skill to connectivist learning – supported by teachers through providing authentic experiences
7. Critically examine and make intelligent decisions as new data is revealed decisions as new data is revealed

Initially I thought this theory was going to be a difficult one to apply, but now realize that there are many things that can be done to help the learners make these connections.  Hope you can get some ideas from this list as well.  I will leave you with the statement, “In a connectivist world, learning can never stop - there will always be something new to grasp and make sense of”.  This theory is an important one for the learners of today and the future.  It will be critical for them to make the required connections and networks – to know how to get the information they need when they need it.  We as educators need to help our learners develop these skills.

References:

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism:  A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_05/article01.htm

Kop, R. & Hill, A. (2008). Connectivism: Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past? The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 9(3). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/523/1103

Education 2000. (2016). Connectivism. Retrieved from http://education-2020.wikispaces.com/Connectivism

Marquis, J. (2012). What does connectivism mean for education? Retrieved from http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/01/what-does-connectivism-mean-for-education/

Week #8 - EDUC5101G Responses to Posts

Response to Mary-Ann

Mary-Ann's Post:  http://mvardakas.weebly.com/blog/week-8-augmented-reality-and-virtual-reality-wearable-devices#comments

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Wearable Devices

This is a fascinating topic – a field of technology that is still quite new, but growing so fast.  Great blog post Mary-Ann.  You shared that over 50 billion wearable technology devices will exist in 2018 – that’s only two years from now.  This is a great example of how quickly technology advancements are happening.  I have to admit, I sometimes get confused between augmented and virtual reality.  A CBC News reporter covering TED 2016 stated the difference as whether the images join you as holograms in your living room (augmented) or transport you to another world (virtual).  I found this helpful.  The CBC site makes a good point when it states, which gadget will prevail is uncertain indeed, but evangelists for this technology see applications far beyond video games – from shoe shopping to confronting your fears (Johnson, 2016).  Helping people confront their fears I thought was particularly interesting and definitely has tremendous opportunity for application.

In another M.Ed course this semester, we studied wearables.  Some of my classmates provided critiques on wearables such as Microsoft’s Hololens (augmented reality glasses that let their wearer see and interact with holograms), the Occulus Rift and Google Cardboard.  Google Cardboard is an inexpensive way to dabble in virtual reality.  This is the only wearable I have actually experienced.  Some of my classmates actually made their own Google Cardboard as one of their field activities – apparently it worked very well, so we might want to consider having students make their own wearable especially if budgets are tight (could also serve as a cross-curricular activity).

Mary-Ann, you might find this video interesting - The Future of Virtual Reality.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2681179941/

References:

Johnson, L. (2016). TED 2016: Virtual and augmented reality steal the show.  Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ted-virtual-augmented-reality-1.3453884

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Response to Shannon Brandejs – Social Media Overhaul

Shannon's Post:  http://sbrandejs.weebly.com/blog/week-8-blog-post-the-social-media-overhaul-at-my-workplace#comments

Hi Shannon!  I enjoyed your post.  What a great exercise – I think all of us would benefit from doing this – personally and professionally.  Since digital tools are being developed and updated at a rapid pace, we should step back periodically and assess what are the best tools for our purposes.  I am not surprised to see your final decisions on which tools to keep.  In a learning environment, YouTube and Twitter are valuable tools.  In an earlier Blog post, I shared the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2015 (Hart, 2015) – Twitter was #1 and YouTube was #2.  Professional networking still leads the way which is why Twitter is still the #1 tool for the 7^th year.  The year of 2015 was the year of video which is why YouTube, TED Talks, iMovie, etc. are so popular.  We are also enhancing the eLearning experience by incorporating richer content that is more visual.

You might enjoy this site.  It speaks to the pros and cons of social media in the workplace

http://www.egroupengage.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-workplace

Since I work in corporate training for a bank, there are firewalls and high security that limit us as far as what social media tools we can use.  However, we have advanced quite a bit.  We do incorporate YouTube videos into our learning programs.  You will not see tools such as Facebook and Twitter in our organization.  But we have incorporated the concepts of some of the tools, such as the collaboration tools.  Executives will share posts for others to comment, but it is all internal to the bank.  Linked in is used by our HR group for recruitment purposes.  Many employees have Linked In profiles and we can access other profiles, but it is mainly used by HR.  We use Google Chrome as one of our browsers, but are unable to use any of the apps such as Google Drive.  We use Outlook for email and Lync for messaging and presenting.   Personally, it’s time that I do a social media overhaul – thanks for the idea!

References:

Dagliano, A. (2016). The pros and cons of social media in the workplace.  Retrieved from http://www.egroupengage.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-workplace

Hart, J. (2015). 10 trends for workplace learning (from the top 100 tools for learning 2015). Retrieved from http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/blog/2015/10/02/10-trends/

Week #8 - EDUC5101G Post - Why Asynchronous Learning Works For The Adult Learner

For my final post on exploring digital tools for education, I thought I would speak about why asynchronous learning works for the adult learner. It also might serve as a nice segue for our next module when we discuss learning theories.

Working in the corporate world, it is essential that my adult learners see the immediate value to the learning they are receiving.  Every time they participate in learning, we are taking them away from their jobs, which means loss of productivity and therefore less revenue.  So it is critical that we “hit the mark” when we design and deliver the learning – ensuring the learning meets their needs.

All of us now are aware of Andragogy and Malcolm Knowles’ adult learning principles.  If we consider the adult learning principles, how well aligned is an asynchronous delivery format in supporting these principles?

Asynchronous learning is considered more flexible than synchronous learning.  The learning is not taking place at the same time that a subject is being taught – offering convenience for the learner.  Technology such as email, e-courses, online forums, audio and video recordings make this possible.

According to Peterson (2015), adults learn best when:

• They understand why something is important to know or do
• They have the freedom to learn in their own way
•  Learning is experiential
• The time is right for them to learn
• The process is positive and encouraging

When considering the above statements, does asynchronous learning support them?  As educators, we can and should ensure the adult learner understands the importance of what is being taught and that definitely can be accomplished in an asynchronous environment.  Asynchronous learning enables an educator to design and deliver learning in many ways accommodating the different learning styles - whether they are listening to experts via video, working on field activities assigned, collaborating with others on an issue, researching a topic or reading assigned articles.  The learning can be experiential with assigned projects that must be completed on their own, followed by required summary blogs or reflections based on their experience.  Strategies such as case studies and role playing are effective for adult learners.  These types of learning experiences take time to review, analyze and synthesize, which makes them ideal for an asynchronous environment.  Finally, and possibly most importantly, asynchronous accommodates the adult learner by allowing them to learn when the time is right, since they determine when they complete the learning. To refer back to an earlier point, when employees are away from the job, productivity is impacted.  So it is advantageous for the adult learner to choose the best time to complete the learning when it is least impacting the job.

Asynchronous learning offers the learner:

• Flexibility as to when you complete the learning
• Flexibility as to where you complete the learning
• Opportunity to consider all sides of an issue before offering their own individual input
• Opportunity to collaborate with classmates and professor – just do it online
• Flexibility for the adult who is working – can complete learning during evenings and weekends

In this M.Ed program, we are fortunate to have the combination of asynchronous and synchronous learning.  Most of my fellow classmates would agree with me that the combination is ideal.  With the synchronous blend, we have the advantage of meeting directly with each other and carrying out spontaneous, direct collaboration as a class or smaller groups.  So a question to ponder.  Do the advantages of incorporating some asynchronous sessions in a learning experience outweigh the learning experience of strictly synchronous learning?  If you were to ask the students in this program, my prediction is that they would say they prefer the blended approach mainly because of the flexibility it offers to those of us working full-time.

It's important that we keep in mind that asynchronous learning offers more than just flexibility.  Learners are to actively participate in their own learning, giving them the opportunity to interact with their peers, provide peer feedback and reflect on the status of their personal learning goals and outcomes.  Asynchronous technologies support learning and allow more time for student reflection, collaboration and student-to-student interactions (eLearning Industry, 2015).

According to Meloni (2010) asynchronous communication and learning is by far the more popular learning type compared to synchronous because many of the learning tools are free, require minimal hardware and are used at the student’s pace.  A sense of community is necessary to sustain the educational experience over time and this can be achieved through collaborative learning communities which is a strength of asynchronous learning.

Asynchronous learning technologies have been defined as personalized learning tools.  With these tools, the teacher can assess what students understand and adapt future course assignments to facilitate a higher level and more in-depth understanding of the content.  All of us have learned in this program that going forward, our challenge as educators will be to create learner-centred, personalized learning – this applies to all learners (eLearning Industry, 2015).

Based on the reasons discussed above, I would say that asynchronous learning works very effectively for the adult learner.

References:

eLearning Industry. (2015). Benefits of synchronous and asynchronous e-learning.   Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/benefits-of-synchronous-and-asynchronous-e-learning

Meloni, J. (2010). Tools for synchronous and asynchronouse classroom discussion. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronical.com/blogs/profhacker/tools-for-synchronousasynchronous-classroom-discussion/22902

Peterson, D. (2015). What is the difference between asynchronous and synchronous learning. About Education. Retrieved from www.adulted.about.com/od/glossary/g/Asynchronous-Learning.htm 

Week #7 - EDUC5101G Responses to Posts

Reply to Michelle Mouton

Michelle’s Post:  http://moutondigitaltools.blogspot.ca/2016/02/week-7-blog-6.html#comment-form

Hi Michelle!

I found your post an interesting one, especially when it pertains to our current PBL assignment.  It’s impressive that you located the manual that supports LORI (Learning Object Review Instrument).  I have found in the past that an objective instrument of some sort or a matrix that includes weighted criteria is valuable in helping you reach the right decision.  I have often wondered if a 3-point scale, 5-point scale or 10-point scale works best.  Based on my experience, the 5-point scale usually works well.  The 3-point scale does not allow for enough variation.  This approach is effective when several people are involved in the evaluation process – everyone uses the same scoring mechanism.  Our group decided to use an amended version of Chan’s Checklist.

I also have not written a grant proposal before.  You ask some very good questions as to the format of your proposal – one would think that you would want it to be a persuasive and memorable (in a positive way) document.  Why would you not give it your best sales pitch!  I was curious as well, so went online to see if there were any techniques to keep in mind.  I did come across a site that includes a toolkit supporting the work of preparing a successful grant proposal (overview of the grant writing process, a template for writing a grant application, plus additional tools) (Community Tool Box, 2015).  In reviewing this site, although thorough and clear, nothing exciting or different was noted for the approach.  I came across a second site whereby a teacher provides ten tips to getting your school grant funded, as she has written many grants with 38 out of 40 were funded.  Again very informative, but nothing that will “wow” the reader from a digital perspective.  The hunt continues!

References:

Bossenmeyer, M. (2015). Ten tips to getting your school grant funded. Peaceful Playgrounds. Retrieved from http://peacefulplaygrounds.com/getting-your-school-grant-funded/

Community Tool Box. (2015). Writing a Grant Application for Funding. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/writing-grant-application

Reply to Laura Smart

Laura's Post:  https://laurasmartblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/28/accessibility-within-distance-education/#respond

Hi Laura!

Designing and developing online learning to meet the required accessibility standards is a difficult and challenging activity, but obviously an important one.  We are fortunate that we now have an extensive list of tools and resources available to help us meet these standards.  Since I am in corporate training, all of our enterprise eLearning courses need to be accessible.  I do not have a lot of experience in this area, but I am aware of the following elements:

• Flash is not accessible (we use Flash a fair bit, so need to keep this in mind)
• Alt Tags are created for all images (these are noted in our storyboards)
• Div text is used for activities (explains activity since functions such as drag and drop cannot be done)
• Multiple choice questions can be done, as long as they are not in Flash
• Screen readers are used to enable the instructional designer/developer to access the training as an employee with accessibility requirements would (JAWS has been a popular tool in the past)
• for the regulatory and compliance courses, we partner with an employee who has accessibility requirements to ensure the training is meeting all of their needs - we work closely with them throughout the design/development stages

I went online to see what was currently being used for Screen Reader software, and it appears that JAWS is still recommended and is actually the world's most popular screen reader (see link below).

Reference:
Freedom Scientific (2016). The world's most popular windows screen reader. Retrieved from http://www.freedomscientific.com/Products/Blindness/JAWS

Week #7 - EDUC5101G - Blogs versus Wikis

A colleague recently approached me with a question about collaboration tools.  She is currently designing and developing a leadership program and an element of the program requires the learners to collaborate before, during and after the six-month program.  She is unsure as to the best tool to use.  I mentioned to her that we effectively use Blogs and Wikis in this M. Ed program to collaborate.  She asked what the difference was, and was particularly unsure as to the purpose of a Wiki.  In order to be able to provide her with a somewhat educated response, I thought I would do some research.  Although I have used a few course Wikis (created posts), created my own Blogs and created/responded to Blog posts, I would have to say that my usage is limited relative to the full functionality of these tools.  I want to go back to my colleague with a recommendation and state why.  If possible, I would also like to be able to suggest a few specific tools for the recommended collaboration approach.

I came across two tables that were very helpful in summarizing the similarities and differences between Wikis and Blogs (Starbuck & Orlowski, 2008).

Similarities Between Blogs and Wikis

No html computer language is necessary for basic look Simple to set up using free software Can be accessible to anyone in the world Students can express their own ideas Can last beyond the official end of a course Easy to edit in your web browser Can link to other websites, media, and insert photos  Need to be aware of the fact that anyone can type anything they want.  Entries are not necessarily reliable. Good way to stay current in your field and read about what others are doing

Differences Between Blogs and Wikis
Blogs	Wikis
·         Distinct, dated entries usually made up of text containing news, commentary, notes, and personal reflections1	·         A group of interlinked pages, each with a unique name 1
·         Suited more for individual authoring, although it can be collaborative	·         Suited for collaborative authoring, as many people can edit each page, although it can be an individual project
·         Written in reverse chronological order (newest entry is always at the top)	·         Written according to content, or any arrangement someone wants
·         Only the blogger can edit their own post	·         Have the capability to edit other people’s entries
·         Usually a signature follows each post	·         More likely to be anonymous entries
·         Outside commenting on entries such as from peers, coaches, teaching team, and others at a distance1	·         Can have a discussion function to talk about disputed points of an entry. Similar to a discussion board, but  less structured
·         No automatic saving function of previous post versions.	·         Previous versions of a page saved and retrievable in the event of mistakes1
References for this chart: 1 = http://riee.stevens.edu/fileadmin/riee/pdf/ASEE2005_Paper_Wikis_and_Weblogs.pdf

After reviewing the similarities and differences noted above, I then reflected back on my experiences as a learner in this program (I do not use Wikis and Blogs in my workplace).  How have I used Wikis and Blogs?  From a collaborative perspective, how effective were the tools?

In one course, a class Wiki was created and we were asked to browse the Wiki, contribute to it and change content to the Wiki – with the intention that the class Wiki gets bigger and better with every class. An emphasis was on quality contributions and the collaboration in the building of this Wiki.  This approach resulted in contributions from a large, diverse group of learners all with an interest in education.  It was quite impactful knowing that all of our contributions were being consolidated.  I also found the class Wiki helpful for my assignments.  This class Wiki was built using MediaWiki.  Another course also used a Wiki—this one used the tool Wikispaces.  Learners were asked to contribute six Wiki posts throughout the course.  The tool was easy to use, but the purpose was to submit posts, rather than collaborate with other learners.

From a Blogging perspective, my very first course had learners post the first assignment (personal reflection but well supported by literature) on a Wordpress blogsite with the requirement that it had to be accessible by classmates.  Another course had us create a Blog using Blogger and create five posts throughout the course.  Again our Blogs were to be accessible by all classmates.  A Weebly site was created for this course - designed for us to create our own Blogs, submit posts and respond to other posts.  It also provided a social platform for housing course materials, assignments, readings, tools and accessing blog feeds and twitter feeds.  A final course took a similar approach but uses a personalized social network called Ning.  

When I was researching to determine how one chooses – Blog or Wiki, it was suggested that you ask what outcomes you want to achieve.  In this situation, we specifically need a way for learners to collaborate online.  Based on experiences in this program and my research, I would say the Wiki approach would be the recommendation for my colleague.  It is a stronger collaborative tool, as opposed to individual authoring.  To have our leaders share insights, experiences and best practices – having all of this shared knowledge in one spot, while allowing other leaders to build upon what has already been posted, will be powerful.  It’s the collaborative knowledge and the power of many minds working together that will encourage learners to go to the Wiki when they are seeking for insights on leadership.  I would also recommend that TikiWiki and MediaWiki be considered as potential tools - they are the top two most popular wiki software on the net.

References:

Starbuck, E. & Orlowski, M. (2008). Blogs & wikis: New education tools. Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.  Retrieved from http://meblog.pbworks.com/w/page/11074186/Similarities%20and%20Differences

UNSW Australia Teaching. (2015). Blog, wiki or fWorum – which should you use?  Retrieved from https://teaching.unsw.edu.au/assessment-blog-Wiki-or-forum-which-should-you-use

Week #5 - EDUC5101G Responses to Posts

Reply to Michelle River

Michelle's Post:  http://michellerivers13.blogspot.ca/2016/02/week-5-death-of-textbook.html?showComment=1455767934799#c1741745890161651434

Hi Michelle!

What an interesting topic!  I enjoyed reading your blog “Death of the Textbook” – catchy title, got my attention!  We are definitely seeing an evolution of the textbook from its physical paper-based form.  With three kids in post-secondary education, I can certainly relate to and agree with your first bullet point regarding the high cost.  On average we are looking at approximately $400-$600 per semester for textbooks.  It appears that certain programs have larger and more expensive textbooks, such as Computer Science at university.  When a student switches to a new program, you are stuck with all these textbooks that you cannot sell because the new students do not want an older edition (page referencing would be different).  I agree with all of the points you mentioned.  I was not aware that a high percentage of students do not purchase the required textbooks (just assumed they had to) or that most of the content is provided in other ways – interesting trends.  Let’s not forget the weight of the textbooks and what that can do to a student’s back and shoulders when the knapsack that they carry around all day weighs fifty pounds.

I have a friend who works for a large publishing house – one of the big educational publishers.  Her company has changed and is continually changing.  Based on the growing demand for classroom technology, the company is transitioning from a print-based business model to customized content through subscriptions.   This shift allows for the development of adaptive learning systems, personalized learning and improved currency of content.

My thoughts are that technology has changed how the textbook market operates – the evolution has started, but many college/university students still use physical textbooks.  But we know it can happen and our M.Ed program is a great example - we can cover all of the required course content and leverage the open-source textbooks and other online resources as our material at little or no cost.  I believe we will see more of this transition over the next five years.  Is the death of the textbook imminent?  I think the answer is “yes” for most programs/ courses, but not all.  The transition requires schools determining the broadband capacity at school and how students will get connectivity after they leave for the day – so it will take time. There is an investment to be made for the transition, but large savings in the end.  I came across an interesting article titled “Why digital natives prefer reading in print. Yes, you read that right” – have a read.

Digital textbooks and digital learning should be a priority.

References:

Rosenwald, M. (2015). Why digital natives prefer reading in print. Yes, you read that right.  The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/why-digital-natives-prefer-reading-in-print-yes-you-read-that-right/2015/02/22/8596ca86-b871-11e4-9423-f3d0a1ec335c_story.html

Reply to Rachel

Rachel's Post:  http://racheleduc5101.blogspot.ca/2016/02/staying-organized-online.html?showComment=1455768034638#c252852741574560786

Hi Rachel!

I can totally relate to your blog.  I too like to be organized.  I am organized in my physical spaces at work and home, but online, my files, emails, etc. need help.  I save everything and delete nothing, hence my problem.  So your topic peaked my curiosity – how does Rachel solve her problem?  I am also a new user of Twitter, but will definitely check out TweetDeck as I follow more people.  I have heard about TweetDeck, but have not yet used it.  The two tools you mention to integrate multiple social media apps, on the other hand, I have not heard about, so will need to do a little research to determine if they can help my situation.  Zotero is a great place to house pertinent readings/articles and seems to work well for this course.  For this program, I have been saving my links of shared articles in a Links folder for each course.  It would be much better if saved in one location, with extra benefits of organizing and citing sources.  Delicious, another tool I have heard about, but was not aware what it did.  I have so many bookmarks, so will need to check out this tool as well.  So many tools to explore!

I came across a site that you might find interesting.  It focuses on organizing your research online.  The topics might help you – keeping current, managing citations, note taking, save now and read later (a list of tools to organize items for future reading, file sync and backup, collaborate and simplify (a list of tools for simplifying your workflow and help you collaborate with others and automated research.  The article also includes a video of how information organization has changed.

Thanks for all the tips!

References:

University of Southern California (2016). Organizing Your Research Online. USC Libraries, Research Guides. Retrieved from http://libguides.usc.edu/productivity