How prepared are learners for elearning?

What makes a learner ready to study online? How do they know? How do they find out? In an attempt to address the issue of the higher student attrition (drop-out) rates in distance education (DE) and elearning than in face-to-face classes, it’s becoming more common for educational organisations to try to evaluate learners’ to find… Continue reading How prepared are learners for elearning?

Enabling web conferencing in Ubuntu Linux

Ubuntu Linux and other distributions like Edubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, and Xubuntu have come in leaps and bounds in recent years and are becoming more fully featured and easier to use. I think they are now getting to the stage where they are potential replacements for Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s OS X for elearning. Well, almost…… Continue reading Enabling web conferencing in Ubuntu Linux

Instant, simple video conferencing for free

The following is a quick, simple “How to… ” guide for setting up instant, free, “no frills”, easy to use, multi-way video conferencing and chat in Moodle for up to 8 people at a time. It also works on any web page as you see in the embedded room at the bottom of this article.… Continue reading Instant, simple video conferencing for free

Ratings systems on social platforms can have unexpected effects

This is a quick post to share a recently published paper, How Community Feedback Shapes User Behavior, that examines the effects of ratings systems and up/down voting on social networking platforms and services. I go on to discuss some questions it raises for online social learning. Abstract Here’s the abstract to How Community Feedback Shapes User… Continue reading Ratings systems on social platforms can have unexpected effects

Are teacher-led and learner-led approaches compatible?

As learner-led/learner-centred learning and teaching oriented methods and principles gain attention and popularity, teachers, curriculum developers, and instructional designers are incorporating them into learning activities and courses. Many report mixed results and issues when they do so. The following article examines one possible contributing factor to such results and issues. Defining terms Firstly, I’m not… Continue reading Are teacher-led and learner-led approaches compatible?

Implementing star-ratings in Moodle

Following the upsurge of interest in gamification* of learning (not to be confused with “edugames”), this is a quick “How to” article for a question that seems to come up a lot these days: “How can I implement star-ratings in Moodle?” How to implement star-ratings in Moodle Moodle already has an elaborate, editable, and adaptable… Continue reading Implementing star-ratings in Moodle

Presentation on learner-centered (self-directed) learning

In the previous article, Am I a learner-centered or a teacher-led teacher?, I compared and contrasted learner-centered (self-directed) learning with teacher-led (teacher-directed) learning, outlining some of the differences between them regarding learning and teaching theory and practice. In order to further clarify what the implications of learner-centered (self-directed) learning and teaching theory and practice are, I’ve… Continue reading Presentation on learner-centered (self-directed) learning

Specifying elearning resources and strategies

A common challenge facing those about to embark on elearning projects is knowing just what their options are and what they have to offer. Novice project managers, teachers, and curriculum developers often find themselves at a loss as to where they should start and what they should be looking into. This article is not intended… Continue reading Specifying elearning resources and strategies

Moodle.org introduce their first MOOC

This is just a quick annoucement about a project that may be of interest to teachers who are new to Moodle. Moodle for teachers: An introduction is a 4 week introductory course with a recommended total of 8-12 hours participation time. Registration opens on 19th August 2013 and the course starts on 1st September 2013. There… Continue reading Moodle.org introduce their first MOOC

Why use a Learning Management System for elearning?

Many teachers and organisations are now experimenting with collections of free online platforms and systems by commercial service providers such as Google and Yahoo! to use in their teaching practices. Some of the more popular uses are things like encouraging learners to submit course work via email, using free online discussion forums, wikis, microblogging, and… Continue reading Why use a Learning Management System for elearning?