eLearning eVolution

It’s the title of an article by Charlene O’Hanlon that was published in THE Journal in March, which is about the need for educators to adopt technology products for education. It’s not only good for the students, it makes an educator’s job even more interesting.

For me it means that it’s critical for educators to get on the bandwagon for using Web 2.0 and online collaborative technology–like Elluminate Live! and our soon-to-be launched LearnCentral social learning network–or get left in the dust.

If you’re going to NECC, stop by our booth #3542 to learn more about LearnCentral, as well as new enhancements to the Elluminate Learning Suite, like best-in-class breakout rooms.

Elluminate aside, there is so much wonderful educational technology out there, it boggles the mind! Now, I have to admit, all this blogging and twittering stuff put me off at first, but I’ve grown to understand the power and benefit of it. The same is true of tools that are designed to transform teaching and learning. So my advice, is to just jump right in. A good place to start is LearnCentral, where you get a free vRoom when you join. Tours will be starting next week.

- Beth, Elluminate Goddess of Communication

Facilitated by Project Tomorrow, the Speak Up National Research Project has collected and shared the ideas and views of
more than 1.5 million K–12 students, teachers, parents and administrators on education and
technology since 2003. The latest report talks about today’s students as a “digital advance team” leading the way about how to leverage emerging technologies effectively for teaching and learning.

Here is their wish list. Let’s see how many Elluminate can address.

1. Un-tether learning and leverage mobile devices to extend learning beyond the school day and
meet all learners in their own world. CHECK

2. Create new interactive, participatory learning spaces using such tools as online classes,
gaming and simulations, online tutors and virtual reality environments. CHECK

3. Incorporate Web 2.0 tools into daily instruction, especially those that develop collaborative or
social-based learning and provide unique opportunities for students to be content developers. CHECK

4. Expand digital resources in the classroom to add context and relevancy to learning
experiences through new media tools. CHECK

5. Get beyond the classroom walls and make learning truly experiential, such as using high-tech
science instrumentation and creating podcasts with content experts. AND CHECK

Looks like we are on the right track for the digital advance team. Your wish is our command!

- Beth, Elluminate Goddess of Communication

Many of you know that Elluminate integrates with many of the popular learning and content management systems, like ANGEL, Blackboard, Moodle, eCollege, and Sakai. But did you know that the virtual classroom is also integrated with a number of social networking and collaborative online communities as well?

Elluminate Community Partners, including Classroom 2.0, Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC), and the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA), have integrated Elluminate vRoom™ into their online communities, providing thousands of members with access to a virtual meeting room that enables them to expand educational boundaries and interact with more peers and experts. Learn more.

Get ready for EDU 2.0!

And keep on Elluminating!

- Beth, Elluminate Goddess of Communication

I recently ran across a ‘virtual paper’ (which is a great idea by the way) on blip.tv about “Collaborating by Design,” where author and presenter Hazel Owen of Unitec New Zealand discusses a process model and framework you can use to get started with ICTELT (Information, Communmication Technology Enhanced Learning and Teaching).

One of the basic things to understand about using technology for online collaboration is that you must move from a teacher-centered to a learning-centered approach. In other words, it’s more important what the student does than what the teacher does, says Owen. And while it’s tempting to just let the technology dictate the online activities, pedagogy should actually be the driving force. In my mind, the technology should be as invisible as possible to facilitate a focus on teaching and learning.

Owen believes it’s all about meeting the needs of today’s students, who are sophisticated users of technology and who expect online or blended sessions where formal or informal collaboration can happen. In fact, interactive online activities are very important to collaborative learning. Something we understand at Elluminate.

Interestingly enough, Owen tests her model at Dubai Men’s College, a great story in itself. Enjoy.

Keep on Elluminating.

Beth – Elluminate Goddess of Communication

While live interaction in the virtual classroom is key to transforming teaching and learning on a global level, Elluminate understands that the eLearning landscape is evolving to include what happens BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER the live, online session.

We believe the “next big thing” in the real-time collaboration space is a solution that addresses an entire instructional cycle that includes the design, delivery, archival, distribution, and integration of interactive content and activities on a system-wide level. At the same time, this 21st Century eLearning solution must support communities of practice where experiences are shared, creativity is embraced, and innovative ideas are formed.

In the days and weeks that follow, I’ll be sharing what’s new at Elluminate with you. So stay tuned. We hope you’ll be as excited as we are about what we call EDU 2.0!

- Beth, Elluminate Goddess of Communication

One of the early Elluminate case studies I developed was with Val Brooks of Stockton City Learning Centre in the UK. I was impressed, and so for the past four years I’ve been keeping up with all the creative programs Val and her colleagues have developed, like Maths in Motion and Rocks From Space.

Here’s an entry Val recently contributed as a new eTwinning ambassador in which she talks about some of her projects. BTW, the eTwinning concept is also pretty interesting. It’s an initiative that provides collaborative tools and access to experienced educational technology users like Val to enable schools throughout Europe to work together.

As you’ll see in the blog entry, Stockton CLC has created some case studies, videos, and presentations of their own to showcase these wonderful projects. Just go to the Stockton CLC VLE and login as a guest. Pretty cool stuff.

Keep on Elluminating!

- Beth, Elluminate Goddess of Communication

To continue on from my previous post about celebrating enabling learning technology, it’s important to remember that the technology should be transparent, allowing users to focus on communicating, collaborating, educating, and more. It’s a means to an end, not an end in itself.

That said, I’d like to introduce you to Alison Hancox, an award-winning distance education teacher at the Argyll Centre in Canada. She recently presented at one of our webinars, showing us how she and her students create learning spaces and e-portfolios using Elluminate Live!

I was blown away by how Alison’s students embraced the technology to build social presence, collaborate virtually, and build visual literacy skills. Check out the interactive session recording. I think you’ll be impressed and inspired!

Keep on Elluminating!

- Beth, Elluminate Goddess of Communication

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts – even online. In two recent webinars about collaborating online, Dr. Janet Salmons of Vision2Lead discusses “collaborative advantage,” what she calls the synergistic outcomes that could not be achieved by any participant acting alone.

Key to achieving collaborative advantage is thinking together, not just working together. And that means developing trust and pro-collaboration systems of communication.

Want to learn more? Just view the Elluminate Live! recorded sessions.

Colalborative Online Learning Part 1: Laying the Foundations

Collaborative Online Learning Part 2: Thinking Together

In addition, here’s a blog entry from Ignatia in Belgium that makes some interesting points about online collaboration and provides some tips for using simple language tricks to facilitate online conversations.

Ignatia also references SCoPE, an open, online community you may want to check out if you’re interested in online educational research and practice.

And if you have any best practices or tips/tricks for improving online collaboration, we’d love to hear from you.

- Beth, Elluminate Goddess of Communication

Facilitating an online learning community can be like herding cats. Graeme from New Zealand has some ideas about how to make it a bit easier to wrangle those kitties. In this blog entry, he lays out 7 “principles of community,” including the need for a clear structure about how to join and leave as well as a monitoring process for what takes place in the community.

While, I don’t think online communities need to follow a Robert’s-Rules-of-Order-type agenda, I do think there needs to be some structure to ensure a meaningful experience for all.

In addition, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach has some great ideas about what makes a successful community and the role of the community organizer.

What have your experiences been with your online learning communities–as participant or as facilitator? This would make a great topic for one of Elluminate’s webinars.

- Beth, Elluminate Goddess of Communication