The Open Education Revolution

The Open University

http://www.open.ac.uk/about/main/

Open Education is an international movement about making educational resources freely and openly available for educators and students to use, modify, and share for teaching and learning. It is mainly about expanding educational opportunities worldwide free of charge. Institutions and individuals are increasingly sharing digital learning and teaching resources over the internet without cost. One such place that is in agreement is the Open University.

The Open University's mission is to be open to people, places, methods and ideas.

The OU promotes educational opportunity and social justice by providing high-quality university education to all who wish to realize their ambitions and fulfil their potential. The OU was founded to open up higher education to all, regardless of their circumstances or where they live. The OU has students of all ages and backgrounds: school students wanting experience of university-level study, students who choose to begin their careers while they study for a degree, people wanting to develop or update their skills, or change careers entirely, and retired people wanting to explore new interests and keep mentally active.

 

Open to all: What is meant by open admissions

Nearly all of the undergraduate courses have no formal entry requirements, either prior qualifications or experience. The OU allows people who have missed out on education to fulfil their potential and achieve a university-level qualification.

Supporting students with disabilities

The OU has more disabled students than any other UK or European university: the flexible nature of the OU and their experience in harnessing technology enables almost 12,500 people with a wide range of disabilities - including mental health issues – to study with the university each year. The OU has an Access Centre dedicated to ensuring that wherever possible students with disabilities are provided with additional support to enable them to take part in every aspect of university life. Support can range from special computer software to sitting exams in their own home, having a personal assistant at day or residential school, and advice on available funding support.

Open access to the OU's learning materials

As part of the OU’s mission they are making an increasing amount of Open University teaching and learning resources available free of charge to anyone with access to the internet, no matter where in the world they live. The four biggest open access schemes are:

 

The multi-award-winning website OpenLearn makes OU course material and other educational resources available free of charge to potential learners anywhere in the world. They don't need to register as students.

The Open University on iTunes U extracts from Open University broadcasts and teaching materials can be viewed on YouTube, along with videos on OU research and student life.

OUView on YouTube More than 15,000 research publications are now freely available to view and consult via Open Research Online, one of the largest university research collections in the UK.

Open Research Online

The Open University has already begun to enhance adult education. The OU is living up to its mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas at any time and any place. There are no boundaries. Open education has arrived at a time when dissatisfaction with the way some courses are taught in higher education is growing. The cost of education is going up and dropout rates are climbing. New technologies are bringing online tools that are completely reshaping the industry. Such entities as the OU may not solve the major issues around expanding higher education in and around the globe but they might be able to entice public and private universities to follow the trend and develop online learning and more open educational resources.

 

 

 

Games, Simulations & Virtual Environments for Learning

Video games may improve brain power in older adults

NeuroRacer helped healthy older adults sharpen their memory. Video games may seem like a mindless way to waste time, but a growing body of evidence suggests that if they are carefully designed to meet certain standards, they can dramatically improve brain power. Studies have shown that specially made games can help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), early stages of dementia, brain injury, stroke, "chemobrain," addiction and other conditions. After 12 hours of playing a road game designed to improve attention and focus, healthy people ages 60 to 79 performed as well as people a half-century younger. The improvements were still evident six months later, and they extended beyond the skills learned for the game. Similar games might help older people improve their driving skills, for instance, or keep middle-aged people from losing their ability to multitask as they age. This is not to justify a young person's obsession with Grand Theft Auto, scientists said.

To be beneficial, a game has to be designed with a specific goal in mind (like, improving attention), meet certain criteria and be proven effective through research, said Adam Gazzaley, a neuroscientist and director of the Neuroscience Imaging Center at the University of California-San Francisco, who led the new research. "I don't want people to conclude that video games are some panacea for all that ails us”. But brain scans confirmed that the 16 older people who played the game for 12 hours at home on a laptop got better at multitasking, paying attention in dull situations and remembering things short-term. At the start of the study, the older people's performance on the driving game fell off by 65% when they had to point out certain street signs in addition to staying on the road. After practice, their performance dropped just 16% with the extra task — less than the falloff for 20-somethings. Brain scans and cognitive tests confirmed the improvement.

Surgical Science Simulation

For more than 13 years, Surgical Science has pioneered the development of state-of-the-art virtual reality laparoscopic medical training simulators, focused on usability, applicability in clinical education, and continued technological and instructional advancements.

Surgical Science’s mission is to develop and deliver cutting edge medical simulation training products with unequaled graphics, usability and skills transference from VR (virtual reality) to the OR (operating room) in an effort to improve performance through practice.

Dr. Hyltander and his co-founders built Surgical Science with a clear vision – to benefit patients and the medical community by bringing a comprehensive, rigorous and dynamic instructional system to surgical trainees. With a legacy rooted in surgical medicine and technology development, Surgical Science is helping medical professionals around the world train faster, safer and more efficiently than ever before.

References

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/04/video-games-brain-power-dementia/2762523/

http://www.theesa.com/games-improving-what-matters/education.asp

http://www.surgical-science.com/surgical-science/about-us/

http://www.surgical-science.com/company-news/lapsim-gynecology-myoma-suturing/

 

Mobile Environments for Learning

Mobile Devices for Learning

The mobile revolution is here. More and more schools are moving toward mobile learning in the classroom as a way to take advantage of a new wave of electronic devices that offer portability and ease of use on a budget. Netbooks, iPads, cell phones, iPods, e-readers and even PDAs are increasingly becoming the tools of choice for today's educators, and it is easy to see why.

Mobile learning technologies offer teachers and students a more flexible approach to learning. Computer labs are great, but do your students use technology in the classroom, in the school garden, in the study hall, in the gym, and on field trips? With mobile learning devices, you can do all this, and more.

The research that has been done on the use of mobile apps like these has been very promising. For example, a recent study funded by the Department of Education, looked at the link between learning, and the PBS Kids educational gaming app, Martha Speaks Dog Party. The study found that after children had used the app every day for two weeks, the vocabulary of Title 1 children between three and seven years old improved by as much as 31 percent. Studies like this help to confirm the academic potential that mobile learning devices can have to enrich the learning process for students. They are versatile, motivating, and active learning tools. Students with learning differences benefit greatly from mobile learning, as such opportunities allow them to feel more like their peers, and foster a sense of normalcy. One example of mobile technology for children with special needs is Proloquo2go, an assistive technology app available on iTunes. Students with autism spectrum disorder, and others who may have difficulty speaking, can use the app's library of symbols and text-to-speech conversion to communicate easily and naturally with others. This type of assistive app helps broaden students' horizons both in and out of the classroom.

iPod Touch

One device many educators are already using in their classrooms with great results is the iPod Touch.  This mobile device from Apple combines wireless Internet connectivity with the company's iPod music player functionality. The iPod touch shares many similarities with the Apple iPhone, with two major differences – the iPod touch lacks the iPhone's mobile phone capabilities, and it's significantly slimmer than the iPhone as a result. Instructors are using iPods to support second language learners, address the needs of diverse learners, motivate struggling readers, as well as to support their own professional development.  And, because the iPod is mobile, administrators, teachers and students can learn where and when they want. 

IPod Touch makes it possible to deliver large quantities of content to students in an efficient manner.  Using iPods in the classroom can also assist in helping learners master content standards.  Audiobooks can be readily used with iPod.  The iPod Touch with its built-in WIFI students can access the Internet, take notes, keep track of their calendars communicate via email, blog, and track expenses or access a scientific calculator.  They can also access hundreds of educational applications in the iTunes App Store as well as other sites.  Many educational institutions are discovering the power of giving all students access to an iPod Touch and are seeing how having mobile devices literally at students’ finger tips transform teaching and learning.

The Netbook 

Another very popular option is netbooks. These light, portable computers have the ability to run a huge number of free websites, and are increasingly cost-effective. A netbook is a small, light, low-power notebook computer that has less processing power than a full-sized laptop but is still suitable for word processing, running a Web browser and connecting wirelessly to the Internet. 

Netbooks fall into a category of what vendors refer to as “small form” computers. Such computers have been known by various names, including subnotebook, ultra-portable, mini-notebook, mini-thin client, cloudbook and ultra-mobile PC. The generic name netbook, however, is currently the most popular marketing buzzword. Typically, a netbook will have a slimmed-down operating system, a smaller-than-usual keyboard, a smaller-than-usual screen and very little (if any) storage space. Technology commentator Ross Rubin argued that "Netbooks never got any respect”. While Steve Jobs rebuked the netbook at the iPad's introduction, the iPad owes a bit of debt to the little laptops. The netbook demonstrated the potential of an inexpensive, portable second computing device, with a screen size of about 10 inches. 

There are many interesting ways to incorporate netbooks into your lessons and projects. Netbooks can be used to add differentiation.  One of the most efficient ways to use netbooks is to first ensure your students have access to email, so you can email the assignment to them at the appropriate time.  This way, your students can refer to their email as often as needed, while practicing their technology skills. You can also:

*Have your students to create animations, slideshows, or videos to add to a science fair    project.
*For group projects, have your students use Google Docs to practice their collaboration skills.

*Use the netbooks to collect scientific data. USB-powered digital microscopes are great for the classroom because many students can participate at the same time.

 

References

Ø  http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/

Ø  https://c21cl.pbworks.com/w/page/29939544/Integrating%20iPod%20Touch%20in%20the%20Classroom

Ø  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook

Ø  http://news.cnet.com/what-is-a-netbook-computer/

Ø  http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3754742

 

 

 

Social Networking for Learning

Social Network Technologies

https://www.google.com

Google+ integrates social services such as Google Profiles, and initially introduced new services identified as Circles, Hangouts and Sparks. Google+ was integrated into the account creation process for other Google services, such as Google Mail. According to independent analysis of its growth in December 2011, the site was adding an estimated number of 625,000 new users a day. Basically, Google+ is an amalgamation of several services we already use. Google Circles are groups of friends you organize by topic: Friends, Family, College Buddies, Roommates, etc. Sparks is like Google Reader, except it brings content to you automatically based on your interests. Hangouts are virtual rooms where you can video chat with people in your circles. Huddles is group messaging for people within your Circles. There's a mobile app available for Android now that lets you send messages from your phone. Google+ is invite-only right now. You can visit the Google+ home page to request one.

Google is a great site to create a blog. Keeping a blog is a great way for students to work on their skills as a writer. By requiring students to keep a blog can make your job as an instructor easier and you can assist in helping students to establish their digital presence as a critical thinker and writer.

https://saywire.com

Saywire provides the convenience of having one central place to access both online and blended learning activities. It gives the freedom to explore, identify, and engage indifferent methods for sharing knowledge from simple blogs to elaborate networks of learning communities. Saywire may be a safer option for students since it’s closed to individuals outside of class and allows the teacher to closely monitor interactions. According to Dr. Richard J. Light (Harvard School of Education), social media, as a technology that is deemed “cool” can attract young learners. Social media platforms enable many engaging classroom activities, including “communities of practice” where learners can interact and share ideas. This group learning format appeals to younger, socially conscious learners and is built around the notion that ‘many minds are better than one’.

Saywire can be used, for instance, in a literature class. After reading a book, this site can be used to promote discussion and share resources related to the book. Additionally, students can post assignments for classmates to evaluate and provide feedback.

Why consider posting images or video to the Web in the first place? What better way to celebrate the good work that students do every day than by putting it online for all to see. In essence, regardless of how you do it, the idea that we can now use social networks to tap into the work of others to support our own learning is an important concept to understand. It’s changing the way we work and learn (Richardson, 2010, p.99).

References

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

https://www.google.com

https://saywire.com

 

 

Educational Technologies Blog

URL: http://www.qwiki.com

Qwiki is multimedia search tool/encyclopedia that creates an interactive presentation of information. To utilize Qwiki, enter a topic in the search box and/or select a featured topic on the homepage and then watch as the query is answered with a dynamic collage of relevant content—images, video and text—woven together from a variety of sites including Wikipedia, Google, Fotopedia, and YouTube. The presentation is even accompanied by a computer generated voice narration (and subtitles if the user so desires)—a concept that transforms a traditional web search into a story about the chosen topic. Users will also see a selection of related entries below each Qwiki that can be utilized for continued learning. There’s also an app for that.

Rationale: Qwiki is basically a slideshow style presentation that can turn memories into movies. With today’s craving for rich media on the web, watching is quickly becoming the new reading. Qwiki can be use to enhance basic curriculum content. This is an amazing plus for visual learners. Students can independently explore topics in a more engaging way than just by what’s offered in a traditional textbook. Struggling readers or ESL students would benefit greatly also.

Professional Practice: Instead of having students to read a chapter on ‘The Great Depression’, the Qwiki app can transform the chapter into an amazing movie of that time all while being narrated.  

 

URL: http://www.watchknowlearn.org

WatchKnowLearn is a site for finding videos to use in school. All of the videos on the site have been reviewed by educators, and you can find out about the content of the videos through summaries. The vision behind WatchKnowLearn is to provide a world-class, online domain on which educators can store, categorize, and rate the best, K – 12 educational videos on the Internet today. And to make this service FREE so teachers, parents and students everywhere may have access to those videos. The videos are the highest quality found on the Internet, cover all major educational topics from elementary to secondary schools (or age range 1 – 18), and are Kid Safe because they are vetted by teachers.

Rationale: It’s FREE! The videos are available without any registration or fees to teachers in the classroom, as well as parents and students at home 24/7. WatchKnowLearn has created three Common Core classrooms that have aligned videos in our main directory with the ELA and Mathematic standards for grades K-2.

Professional Practice: My students have watched several videos from WatchKnowLearn for class discussion. For example, they watched the video, ‘No Child is Born a Terrorist’. When we were on the section of Cultures of the World, this video was shown to students in order for them to understand that life for all teenagers is not the same. This video showed the anger and frustration of children in Palestine who were forced into violence.  

 

References

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

 

 

Why Should You Use Multimedia in the Classroom?

Multimedia has permeated every part of our society. As the 21st century progresses further, it will be even more important that students understand multimedia and transition from passive consumers to active, thinking users. As a teacher, you have the opportunity to engage your students like never before. Through interactive games, video clips, and podcasts, you can help meet the needs of your students.

So what are some reasons for using multimedia resources in the classroom?

v  Mobility: We are a world on the go. Cell phones, iPads, and laptops are in the hands of the vast majority of adults and are increasingly in the hands of most students. It’s becoming apparent that these devices are quickly becoming the primary means by which we communicate. In fact, for cell phones, most of the communication among students happens not with the actual phone but rather with text messaging. Learning can happen anytime and anywhere with these devices. For homework, rather than having your students complete a worksheet, have them watch a video revolving around a specific lesson and come prepared to discuss it the next day in class.

www.pbs.org/services/mobile/  (A few PBS mobile resources)

v  Individualized: Multimedia resources can help you meet the needs of your students. Your visual learners may learn best with a short video, while your auditory learners may prefer an audio clip or podcast, and your bodily-kinesthetic learner may succeed with an online interactive. In each case, the same topic could be covered, but each student would work with his or her strengths to maximize learning. www.pbs.org/teachers/resourceroundups/  (Learning tailored for individual students)

v  Collaborative:  Blogs, social networking sites, and wikis allow students to interact with and teach each other, not only within their own school but with learners across the country and the world, as well. On top of that, sites like Twitter can be an invaluable professional development tool. Follow other teachers and experts to gain insights into the latest trends, lesson plans, and ways to integrate technology into your curriculum.twitter.com/#!/IPTVEducation  (Follow IPTV Education to join a new type of classroom community.)

v  Flexibility: Back in the day, you were married to your textbook, and if there was something you thought would help elaborate a specific concept or lesson, it could be extremely difficult to find a way to implement it into your class. Today, the world is at your fingertips: you can have your students research online; bring experts into your classroom with podcasts or ICN sessions; display interactive models; find apps relevant to your lesson on a smart phone; and have your students design something that is real and meaningful.

www.pbslearningmedia.org/
(With PBS LearningMedia search for interactives, videos, audio clips, and much more to make your lessons flexible rather than rigid.)

v  Global: Making schools globally competitive is a theme that is constantly explored in the field of education. By connecting your students to a global community, they can learn about new cultures and countries in authentic ways. Additionally, multimedia will help broaden your students’ view of the world, preparing them to interact with a broader community in an increasingly collaborative global market.

www.iptv.org/video/detail.cfm/20592/ittv...
(Watch a variety of educational specialists discuss students competing globally.)