The following is a story board which shows how I intend to run a two-week training course in Java Programming. Items 1 to 5 will be done in the first week while items 6 to 9 will be done in the second and final week.
Storyboard for Java Programming
1
Video Presentation on Java Programming and the structure of the course
2
Text presentation of course outline and course calendar
3
Video presentation on discovering computers, computer fundamentals and program design and assignment
4
Presentation of resources on web links. Students reading all prescribed materials. Presentation of practice exercises in text form
5
Video presentation on program control and brief assessment (test)
6
Video presentation continues on the Branch statement and iteration and loops
7
Presentation of resources materials on web links and text on classes, methods and objects
8
Group project to develop a small program written in Java and using the content which were covered in course
9
Presentation of more links and texts on arrays. Final examination
Video presentation to close project
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Collaborative Interaction
Collaborative interaction has become a major strand in the social Web learning network. Today, it is not necessary to be in physical room to work on and collaborate on a project. This has been made possible with the advances made in technology and the availability of several different applications on the web. Some of these tools are free and the enable users to do video and teleconferencing, collaborative writing, information and desktop sharing and instant messaging among others.
Before ICT became the main platform for collaborative work, the process of online collaboration was expensive, it lacked established standards and users had to undergo intensive training to collaborate. The early tools were limited in functions and features and the were browser dependent so based on what browser you were using on your computer, you would have had problem communicating online. As early as 1876 Graham Bell gave us the telephone which became the most popular collaborative tool at one time. In 1956, the Invention of Bell picture phone made video conferencing possible and the quality of collaborative work did improve. By the time the email and the World Wide Web were invented, the stage had been set for very good collaborative exchanges. Today, almost every university and business use online collaboration in very cost effective ways.
Once, we were limited to how many persons we could collaborate with at any one time. Today, collaborative work has improved to the extent that any number of person may collaborate at once. Collaboration is more widely used in Universities today but I predict it will become common in most business places.
Before ICT became the main platform for collaborative work, the process of online collaboration was expensive, it lacked established standards and users had to undergo intensive training to collaborate. The early tools were limited in functions and features and the were browser dependent so based on what browser you were using on your computer, you would have had problem communicating online. As early as 1876 Graham Bell gave us the telephone which became the most popular collaborative tool at one time. In 1956, the Invention of Bell picture phone made video conferencing possible and the quality of collaborative work did improve. By the time the email and the World Wide Web were invented, the stage had been set for very good collaborative exchanges. Today, almost every university and business use online collaboration in very cost effective ways.
Once, we were limited to how many persons we could collaborate with at any one time. Today, collaborative work has improved to the extent that any number of person may collaborate at once. Collaboration is more widely used in Universities today but I predict it will become common in most business places.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Authors on distance ed compared
The three articles which were written by Moller, Foshay, Huett discuss e-learning from three different
perspectives: - corporate, higher education and K-12. Dr Simonson on the other hand presents some background on the concepts of e-learning and distance education. He dissects Distance education to show its component parts so that people better understand the concept. All four authors share the view that distance education is growing at a tremendous rate and that it is about the reach its critical mass. While distance education is about to reach its critical mass, there are hundreds of people out there who do not quite understand and appreciate the value of distance education. How many of them realize that distance education gives everyone a fair chance at succeeding? In distance education you can access the best instructors, have more options in your program and you can effectively advance your studies without leaving home. This is good for you family, your employer who has access to your expertise and for you financially as well. Distance education is customizable and affordable so it is a very good option for poorer countries as well as the rich.
There is a slight contradiction between Simonson’s discourse and the writing of Moller, Foshay and Huet. Simonson postulates that distance education will continue to grow but Moller et al hold the view that structural changes needed to be made if distance education ought to be successful.
My View:
I am of the view that distance education is still evolving even though it is bringing huge successes to countries all over the world. Contrary to the view held by Moller, et al, distance education will grow and be driven economics and access. In other words, whether or not educators, educational administration, and business managers re-evaluate e-learning and its policies, e-learning will continue grow at an impressive rate.
References:
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1) Tech/Trends, 52(3), 70-75.
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2). Tech/Trends, 52(4), 66-70.
Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3). Tech/Trends, 52(5). 63-67.Simonson, M. (n.d.). Distance Education: The Next Generation. [Study video]. Retrieved Sept. 12, 2009, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3206859&Survey=1&47=5050260&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1.
perspectives: - corporate, higher education and K-12. Dr Simonson on the other hand presents some background on the concepts of e-learning and distance education. He dissects Distance education to show its component parts so that people better understand the concept. All four authors share the view that distance education is growing at a tremendous rate and that it is about the reach its critical mass. While distance education is about to reach its critical mass, there are hundreds of people out there who do not quite understand and appreciate the value of distance education. How many of them realize that distance education gives everyone a fair chance at succeeding? In distance education you can access the best instructors, have more options in your program and you can effectively advance your studies without leaving home. This is good for you family, your employer who has access to your expertise and for you financially as well. Distance education is customizable and affordable so it is a very good option for poorer countries as well as the rich.
There is a slight contradiction between Simonson’s discourse and the writing of Moller, Foshay and Huet. Simonson postulates that distance education will continue to grow but Moller et al hold the view that structural changes needed to be made if distance education ought to be successful.
My View:
I am of the view that distance education is still evolving even though it is bringing huge successes to countries all over the world. Contrary to the view held by Moller, et al, distance education will grow and be driven economics and access. In other words, whether or not educators, educational administration, and business managers re-evaluate e-learning and its policies, e-learning will continue grow at an impressive rate.
References:
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1) Tech/Trends, 52(3), 70-75.
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2). Tech/Trends, 52(4), 66-70.
Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3). Tech/Trends, 52(5). 63-67.Simonson, M. (n.d.). Distance Education: The Next Generation. [Study video]. Retrieved Sept. 12, 2009, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3206859&Survey=1&47=5050260&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Helping others benefit from Emerging Technology
Emerging technology can be made valuable to others if these are aware that those technologies exist and they are prepared to leverage their benefits by learning how to use them effectively. I will conduct staff development sessions with colleagues at work to show them new technologies which exist in their fields of work and how those technologies can bring positive impact on them. I will also arrange to have various vendors and developers of new technologies visit my work place and make presentations to the entire staff. From time to time, I will facilitate field trips so they can see those emerging technologies at work as this can help to convince them of the need to adapt to new ones too. My intervention will on a basis or need, equality and development of people not just at my work place but wherever they are.
Once my colleagues are exposed and maybe have access to the technology I will work with them until they become conversant with the emerging technology. Greenhill (2009) believes that people need to be coached to make full use of Emerging technologies. I can therefore work out a study plan for them to follow and that will help them master the use of their technology. This is important as there is a learning curve in every new technology and without good support and scaffolding some colleagues are likely to give up trying. Writing articles in the local papers, holding sessions with community groups and joining online communities are just a few ways of achieving that goal without offending or prejudicing anyone.
Reference:
Greenhill Kathrine (2009). Why Learning About Emerging technology is a Part of Every Librarian's Job. Murdoch University, Western Austrailia. Retrieved November 19, 2009 from
http://www.caudit.edu.au/educauseaustralasia09/assets/papers/tuesday/Kathryn-Greenhill.pdf
Once my colleagues are exposed and maybe have access to the technology I will work with them until they become conversant with the emerging technology. Greenhill (2009) believes that people need to be coached to make full use of Emerging technologies. I can therefore work out a study plan for them to follow and that will help them master the use of their technology. This is important as there is a learning curve in every new technology and without good support and scaffolding some colleagues are likely to give up trying. Writing articles in the local papers, holding sessions with community groups and joining online communities are just a few ways of achieving that goal without offending or prejudicing anyone.
Reference:
Greenhill Kathrine (2009). Why Learning About Emerging technology is a Part of Every Librarian's Job. Murdoch University, Western Austrailia. Retrieved November 19, 2009 from
http://www.caudit.edu.au/educauseaustralasia09/assets/papers/tuesday/Kathryn-Greenhill.pdf
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Video on Demand Vs DvD Which Will Win?
Before I looked at Paycheck I had to order it from overseas since it was not available in local stores here. I tried using video-on-demand but the speed of my internet connection did not support it properly.
There is a fierce battle going on between providers of DVD and those of video-on-demand (VOD). According to Skelton (2009), the main advantages of using VOD are that of convenience and no late fees. But the author also cited the cost of bandwidth, the cost of operations and the limits of VOD have made it a second choice. Hawke (2005) also shared similar views when he said that is much cheaper to store DVDs than to keep data on a server. Hawke also warned that the cost of bandwidth should not be overlooked.
DVDs are cheaper than VOD and generally their quality is better (Hawke 2005). There maybe issue with picking the DVD at the store and the need to store them and return them but so far they still remain more popular than VOD among users. The competition is purely related to financial returns since this is what business is about.
Certainly both VOD and DVD have improved the quality of images that was shown to us from the old VHS tapes and players. The VHS tapes and cassettes and their players have been made obsolesce by the presence of DVD and VOD. We had lost the ability access movies on different media but with DVD and VOD the computer and several other peripherals can be used to access movies on those media. People are demanding more every day and as the movie production increases and its demands rise, there is likely to have additional needs. It is likely that movies in the next few years will be stored on very small objects they may be made for multi viewing across telecommunication lines.
Sources:
Skelton Chad ( 2009). Shaw Video on Demand vs. DVD rentals. Retrieved November 11, 209 from
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/parenting/archive/2009/05/20/shaw-vod-video-on-demand.aspx
Thomas Hawk ( 2005) The Staying Power of the DVD vs. VOD. Retrieved November 11, 2009 at
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/2005/04/23/the-staying-power-of-the-dvd-vs-vod/
There is a fierce battle going on between providers of DVD and those of video-on-demand (VOD). According to Skelton (2009), the main advantages of using VOD are that of convenience and no late fees. But the author also cited the cost of bandwidth, the cost of operations and the limits of VOD have made it a second choice. Hawke (2005) also shared similar views when he said that is much cheaper to store DVDs than to keep data on a server. Hawke also warned that the cost of bandwidth should not be overlooked.
DVDs are cheaper than VOD and generally their quality is better (Hawke 2005). There maybe issue with picking the DVD at the store and the need to store them and return them but so far they still remain more popular than VOD among users. The competition is purely related to financial returns since this is what business is about.
Certainly both VOD and DVD have improved the quality of images that was shown to us from the old VHS tapes and players. The VHS tapes and cassettes and their players have been made obsolesce by the presence of DVD and VOD. We had lost the ability access movies on different media but with DVD and VOD the computer and several other peripherals can be used to access movies on those media. People are demanding more every day and as the movie production increases and its demands rise, there is likely to have additional needs. It is likely that movies in the next few years will be stored on very small objects they may be made for multi viewing across telecommunication lines.
Sources:
Skelton Chad ( 2009). Shaw Video on Demand vs. DVD rentals. Retrieved November 11, 209 from
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/parenting/archive/2009/05/20/shaw-vod-video-on-demand.aspx
Thomas Hawk ( 2005) The Staying Power of the DVD vs. VOD. Retrieved November 11, 2009 at
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/2005/04/23/the-staying-power-of-the-dvd-vs-vod/
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Second Life
Second Life is a disruptive technology because of the drastic change it has brought in the computing life style of computer users. People have moved into this virtual world called Second Life by the millions. They have left whatever they were using before and have become residents in this virtual world buying property and doing business so it can be considered a disruptive technology because of the drastic change it brought on users of technology.
Second Life has replaced the video conferencing technology as really does expose business people, students and teachers to an interaction that is more vivid and captivating than the ageing video conferencing.
Source:
Linden Lab (2009). Virtual World: Real Change
http://secondlifegrid.net/casestudies/IBM
The world has become very competitive and innovative and I guess Second Life may last for another five years before another disruptive technology replaces it in the same way it replaced those technology that were before it.
The social benefits can be many but Collaboration, sharing, reducing on cost and interacting are the ones that come to mind immediately.
One social implication is that people could get caught up in that virtual world and neglect to interface with real people in the real world in which we live. People are likely to socialize less.
Second Life has replaced the video conferencing technology as really does expose business people, students and teachers to an interaction that is more vivid and captivating than the ageing video conferencing.
Source:
Linden Lab (2009). Virtual World: Real Change
http://secondlifegrid.net/casestudies/IBM
The world has become very competitive and innovative and I guess Second Life may last for another five years before another disruptive technology replaces it in the same way it replaced those technology that were before it.
The social benefits can be many but Collaboration, sharing, reducing on cost and interacting are the ones that come to mind immediately.
One social implication is that people could get caught up in that virtual world and neglect to interface with real people in the real world in which we live. People are likely to socialize less.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology
We live in a world where more emphasis is placed on normal people than people who have some form of disabilities. There is a technology called Assistive technology that does help to make life much more comfortable for persons who are physically challenged. Assistive technology exist in several forms and more continue to evolve as time passes. The following are some of the assistive technology available on the market today.
Iriscom is a system that enables the total control of a computer through the movement of the eye. People who are not mobile and who have little or no use of their limbs than control the computer through their eye movement.
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/information_technology/report-23600.html
Light signaler alerts monitor computer sounds and alert the computer user with light signals. This is useful when a computer user can not hear computer sounds or is not directly in front of the computer screen. As an example, a light can flash alerting the user when a new e-mail message has arrived or a computer command has completed
Braille embossers transfer computer generated text into embossed Braille output. Braille translation programs convert text scanned-in or generated via standard word processing programs into Braille, which can be printed on the embosser.
The talking calculator is one with voice output that speaks aloud what is on the screen of the calculator.
Text to speech is a powerful tool that allows learners the option of listening to text rather than reading it. Some text to speech software will simply read the text from the screen while others will allow you to convert the text to MP3 format which can then be used away from the computer.
When one considers and examines those few assistive tools listed above one has to agree that truly assistive tools are helping in the lives of people with disabilities. I still think it is an evolving technology and maybe we will see much more advanced ones in the years ahead. Unlike Dr Thornburg who speaks about embodiment, restructuring and co-dependence, I think co-dependence is the most visible component of assistive technologyhttp://www.microsoft.com/enable/at/types.aspx
We live in a world where more emphasis is placed on normal people than people who have some form of disabilities. There is a technology called Assistive technology that does help to make life much more comfortable for persons who are physically challenged. Assistive technology exist in several forms and more continue to evolve as time passes. The following are some of the assistive technology available on the market today.
Iriscom is a system that enables the total control of a computer through the movement of the eye. People who are not mobile and who have little or no use of their limbs than control the computer through their eye movement.
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/information_technology/report-23600.html
Light signaler alerts monitor computer sounds and alert the computer user with light signals. This is useful when a computer user can not hear computer sounds or is not directly in front of the computer screen. As an example, a light can flash alerting the user when a new e-mail message has arrived or a computer command has completed
Braille embossers transfer computer generated text into embossed Braille output. Braille translation programs convert text scanned-in or generated via standard word processing programs into Braille, which can be printed on the embosser.
The talking calculator is one with voice output that speaks aloud what is on the screen of the calculator.
Text to speech is a powerful tool that allows learners the option of listening to text rather than reading it. Some text to speech software will simply read the text from the screen while others will allow you to convert the text to MP3 format which can then be used away from the computer.
When one considers and examines those few assistive tools listed above one has to agree that truly assistive tools are helping in the lives of people with disabilities. I still think it is an evolving technology and maybe we will see much more advanced ones in the years ahead. Unlike Dr Thornburg who speaks about embodiment, restructuring and co-dependence, I think co-dependence is the most visible component of assistive technologyhttp://www.microsoft.com/enable/at/types.aspx
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