The UK’s Open University has launched a free online gamified learning interaction to help users learn about web privacy. Web privacy and surveillance are serious and overly ignored issues in education and elearning which I’ve highlighted in a previous article here. The OU’s page says: “Have you ever thought about what your personal information might… Continue reading OU releases new web privacy awareness game
Author: matbury
Free talking picture dictionary for Moodle
I’ve just finished putting together a Learning Content Cartridge which I’m releasing for free under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) licence for anyone to use, edit and redistribute as they please. There are 28 entries (33 including plurals) and each one has a corresponding image and an MP3 audio recording. The package… Continue reading Free talking picture dictionary for Moodle
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?
Using the C-Test generator for self testing in extensive reading programmes
There’s growing interest in Extensive reading (ER), sustained silent reading (SSR), free voluntary reading (FVR), or reading for pleasure programmes for second language acquisition. They can be highly effective for second language acquistion and have been shown to significantly improve the fluency, complexity and accuracy of learners’ language use in authentic, real world tasks. If… Continue reading Using the C-Test generator for self testing in extensive reading programmes
Diaspora* goes public
Hi, I don’t normally repost other people’s articles but in this case I believe I should make an exception. Diaspora* is a project I’ve been watching closely and it’s finally coming into fruition. It’s an open source, distributed, social networking alternative to closed source, profit driven, corporate networks like Facebook and Google Plus. If you’d… Continue reading Diaspora* goes public
Listen and select Multimedia Interactive Learning Application
What is it the Listen and select Multimedia Interactive Learning Application (MILA)? It’s software for learning English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) written in Flash. When deployed in Moodle 1.9 using the SWF Activity Module, it has access to Moodle’s grade book and can save learners’ grades as well as other useful information.… Continue reading Listen and select Multimedia Interactive Learning Application
Using the Moodle Chat activity module for learning
The Moodle chat activity module is a simple, basic chatroom platform specifically designed for learning and closely integrated with Moodle courses. Learners can chat, teachers can monitor and participate. Chats can be whole class or in small groups. Moodle saves the transcripts of all chat sessions. This means that teachers and learners can copy transcripts… Continue reading Using the Moodle Chat activity module for learning
Using Moodle for written corrective feedback
Learning management systems such as Moodle have many advantages over classroom and email based writing programmes. One such area is in corrective feedback and in this article I’m going to explore some of the possibilities for providing written corrective feedback for EFL and ESL learners. What are the advantages? Firstly, learners can do their writing… Continue reading Using Moodle for written corrective feedback
Dr. Rod Ellis: TESOL Written Corrective Feedback
Professor Rod Ellis, gave a presentation which is available on YouTube.com. In it, he focuses on written corrective feedback. I’ve written a basic summary below. Get a drink, a snack, your notebook, make yourself comfortable and enjoy an allusive, informative explanation of the current state of affairs regarding written corrective feedback; the types and strategies,… Continue reading Dr. Rod Ellis: TESOL Written Corrective Feedback
Safe social networking alternatives
In a previous post that I co-authored with Jeff Dionne, A thorny issue: Protecting teachers’ and learners’ right to privacy, we highlighted some of the ethical and legal risks of using popular commercial social networking and micro blogging sites such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter for educational purposes. Although modern LMS’ built on Social Constructivist… Continue reading Safe social networking alternatives