Eye on Learning

It might appear that I've not been around long enough to sit at my desk to blog, or to have been busy with other priorities or distracted by other activities. Well, yes and no. If you've been around on the Internet and are keeping track of the various learning technologies available, you would know how it feels to be overwhelmed by the choices, resources and information available online. Since I started using Facebook (FB), prompted by a colleague from Japan, way back in 2009 (I think), I realize that as I spent more time on FB I spent less time on my blog. What this means is that either I have to create a framework for myself on how to make my presence felt in the online education community or I get "pulled" by the tools that attract my attention at that time. FB is not the only tool I focused on the last couple of years.  The FB groups I created for my students, courses and those that arose out of felt needs to support post-workshop events , have cons...

15 Inspiring Examples of Free Online Education | Online College Tips - Online Colleges OERs have now become a significant feature in higher education today.  Anyone with Internet can now access thousands of interesting videos, books, and other useful learning materials to fulfill the desire of lifelong learners.  In addition, these resources can serve as supplemental learning materials to meet the needs of students all over the world.  It's amazing.

Learning is becoming more complex, or so, it seems. Depending on how one looks at learning, it could be done in a very formal structured way ("traditional") vs a somewhat informal unstructured way ("new"). I think some students in higher education institutions are going through some very challenging times. On the one hand, they are so used to learning the JIT way which is any which way that works at a particular moment in time. It could be through any ICT device or any print media; but more likely the former, where one can quickly look up for information. Typically, information would best come from Twitter or RSS feeds or FB posts, in fact, more so than from structured or well-designed web sites or portals. The minds of individuals, especially those of the young, work differently than those who are more matured. Perhaps they have been wired differently. Or, perhaps the way their minds function is a result of their environment, which can be described as c...

Mobile learning at OUM started with the formation of an research team on m-learning in August 2008. Its first task was to determine how ready OUM learners would be for mobile learning. We surveyed almost 3,000 learners throughout Malaysia and found that more than 80 percent of the learners said they would be ready for learning through their mobile phones. We first experimented with podcasts and moved on to using sms to support the blended mode of learning at OUM and found that the latter worked extremely well. For more information on the m-learning project at OUM, three papers have been uploaded at: http://www.scribd.com/collections/3238724/MOOC-on-mobile-learning-at-OUM for your reading. More than 21,000 learners have benefited from m-learning at OUM and the SMS for selected courses continue to be sent for free (burned by the university) to the targeted group of learners.

Teachers can use this as an LO for subjects such as biology, zoology, ecology, geography, etc.

Watch the interview of George Siemens by Howard Rheingold One of the originators of MOOCs for a more detailed and interesting description of how the idea for MOOCs came about in 2008, what MOOCs are, how they operate and, more importantly, how MOOCs may benefit users or participants of courses. You may enjoy the interview below:

Want to know more about MOOCs? Watch the two videos below. The first introduces you to MOOC. The second is what makes MOOCs successful. I registered myself for the eduMOOC2011 . The topics are great and the panelists are those who you want to listen to. It has at this point in time, already has an enrollment of more than 1,800 participants from 50 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. And, the course is free.