advice on eLearning in FE and HE

in terms of further education institutions, subject dependant, the use of eLearning is vital. the fact that one could use broadcasting software like skype and Whatsapp to broadcast lectures to those who canot make it to lectures is fantastic. if used correctly, there can be no reason to see downsides in using electronic devices in the classroom. mobile phones seemed taboo in the classroom, untill now that is, because they seem to be miniature versions of tablets and iPads.

live broadcasting:

the skype logo, representing what could be an amazing tool for FE colleges and HE institutions...used in the correct way. another good point about skype is, that with the right pluggins, the lecture can be recorded with typed notes.

another thing we as lecturers can do, is record lectures and publish the finnished product as a podcast. these can be free services to students which can be put up on the institutions VLE.
Good examples of this can be found on iTunes U. ( the education central hub of iTunes)

its not just for broadcasting though, eLearning can include wireless contact to interactive whiteboards and live forums. for sites like todaysmeet and many more.

embedding gadgets on a VLE is simple, this means, revision quizes and flashcards, calenders and reminders, message boards and notifications can be sent to the students and lecturers and keep people on cue for exams and special events.

 

Benefits of E-Learning

"Good teaching is good teaching, no matter how it's done."

'Features of E-Learning

• Learning is self-paced and gives students a chance to speed up or slow down as necessary
• Learning is self-directed, allowing students to choose content and tools appropriate to their differing interests, needs, and skill levels
• Accommodates multiple learning styles using a variety of delivery methods geared to different learners; more effective for certain learners
• Designed around the learner
• Geographical barriers are eliminated, opening up broader education options
• 24/7 accessibility makes scheduling easy and allows a greater number of people to attend classes
• On-demand access means learning can happen precisely when needed
• Travel time and associated costs (parking, fuel, vehicle maintenance) are reduced or eliminated
• Overall student costs are frequently less (tuition, residence, food, child care)
• Potentially lower costs for companies needing training, and for the providers
• Fosters greater student interaction and collaboration
• Fosters greater student/instructor contact
• Enhances computer and Internet skills
• Draws upon hundreds of years of established pedagogical principles
• Has the attention of every major university in the world, most with their own online degrees, certificates, and individual courses'

Kaplan University

Visit www.kaplan.edu

Matching School Ads

The old adage still rings true, and e-Learning brings with it new dimensions in education. Some of the unique features of e-Learning are listed below.


this quote sums up everything eLearning entails. but as stated in my essay, there are bad points.

Yes, spam. it can get its way into any website , so the best action to take is to install anti virus software in your machines.
hopefully i have covered a few things both in my blog post and my essay!

New patch for GR5 for anyone interested!

https://soundcloud.com/pensalemstudios/apache

the patch for the guitar sound i used is here


hank edge guitar rig 5 patch

hope you guys like it

Forums

as part of the VLE, I included a forum which could have been used with students on the course (wondering if i could have still done it, as i thought that the uni wouldnt have liked the idea of a forum outside of moodle)
the idea of the forum was to get students to ask questions about the course and have me answer them and also have live group chat on the VLE itself. it is powered by Google Groups so the participants would be invited by their email addresses. this will then allow them to fully interact on the site

(a screenshot of the Google Groups forum on my VLE)

technology for eLearning

so i have taken another look around the internet and realized i could revisit the Presentation aspect of lecturing,

Prezzi: one of the better alternatives to PowerPoint (which to be fair has its uses, given the right situation) is relatively interactive, meaning to say you can zoom into and pin point any given slide at any given time.

Spicy nodes:
another useful tool for presentations, similar to prezzi, the lecturer can set different spider diagrams to evolve from a central spider. the central point of each spider can be an image or embeded video.

Emaze:
this software is a wonderful alternative to powerpoint as it has an easier, more aesthetically pleasing layout

a link to the website is available here
http://www.emaze.com/

VLE information

the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is an area of either Ethernet or Internet (on or off campus) which deals with the reviewing of course details, university attendence forms, administration, coursework submissions etc.
for the design of mine at:

https://sites.google.com/site/bscmusictech23/

i took inspiration from what i thought would be a good design for a VLE, simple yet effective.
within the site, i have put a page with a list of the staff members, course locations, documents, modules and a forum designed for questions and answers which includes a Quizlet quiz based on music technology studio terminology.

this is a screenshot of what my VLE looks like (not in use at the placement because of usage restraints.)

Google Hangouts

Again, like skype, google hangouts has a lot of fantastic features to allow eLearning to come into its own. these include

Screen shots of work
emoticons
messaging
live video streaming with multiple members
file exchange

  

as you can see in the picture, Hangouts can be accessed from all devices, which is a bonus for people on the go.

skype for lecturing

in my own opinion, this would be an ideal way of conneccting with an absent learner, this is because the lecturer can call through with the seminar or similar activity with the group and the learner will not miss out on seeing and hearing the topic.
another advantage of skype is the Text typing, so during the group disscussion, the learner can formulate answers/opinions and send them in for screen display.

so for skype in education, it is a rating of 5/5

connecting with learners Pt1

i have often considered why university lectures (especially the Music technology ones!) cannot be streamed live?
for example if someone is ill on a certain day and it was an important day to attend, the student could in effect join a chat room which connects with the students or lecturer, or a webcam feed directly from the seminar or small classroom/workshop. there is absolutely no reason why this method couldnt work.

in these nexr few posts i will try and find some good examples of live streaming methods and group contact methods for live classrooms.

VLE so far

As you can see, i have linked the home page to sub categories about the modules and course documents with a brief introduction on the home page...so far! this is due to change in the near future

A Little Confession

whilst i have been keeping up with the other parts of the E-Learning assignment, i have forgotten to keep up to date with my blog, but over the next 2 weeks i will make it up, somehow. thanks for the understanding, Adam

Save the ELYSIUM theatre

guys and gals, the more signiatures i get on this, the better. we need to preserve this piece of history!