Education Focus

"Stock images with txt; Unedited blocks of txt; Unnecessary animation; Txt plus identical audio; Inconsistent navigation (...)" Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog.

“There is only one good reason for learning Latin, and that is that you want to read what is written in it….”

Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog.

"Ecclesiastes, that most idiosyncratic book of the bible, says ‘there’s nothing new under the sun’ and so it is with MOOCs. We have yet to see the serious use of high-end, adaptive techniques, AI, different species of high-end simulation, gaming and the many more adventurous forms of online learning experiences. The use of peer learning has been patchy and the use of social media has been peripheral. To be fair we can already see that the investment and commitment is there to see MOOCs evolve and start to push the pedagogic boundaries. They are a breath of fresh air, albeit the same air."

Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog.

"The danger is that we are being lulled into believing that tablets are appropriate by qualitative reports from students (who let’s be honest don’t mind doing less!). What’s needed is more hard-headed research, not on attractiveness but on attainment."

"Good technology always has an allure and iPads have tons of allure, but it’s an allure that appeals to adults not children. I can see a use for tablets with young children 3-9 and perhaps in special needs. Once beyond the basics of play, the iPad is a luxury that schools cannot afford. Neither are they desirable in terms of the type of learning that schools largely deliver. These initiatives are often technology and not learning-led...."

Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog.

"Some argue that games may turn out a generation with better IQs, better skills, more attuned to technology with a more enlightened learner-centric attitude towards learning than any previous generation. Many also argue that we should harness the strength of games, while setting their weaknesses to the side. In any case Prensky was a pioneer and tireless campaigner for games in learning."

MOOCs may be rising in popularity, but find out if they are worth all the hype and your time.

"Norman’s books constantly illuminate the design process. A consistent critic of inconsistent and gimmicky web design as well as common mistakes in the design of hardware and interfaces, he was a pioneer in seeing user-centred design as a game changing force, not only in real-world objects, but also on the screen. We are only now starting to see the importance of his advice in online learning and web design with interfaces which are truly invisible in the sense that that they allow learners to learn, avoiding the cognitive effort taken to use a cumbersome interface."

Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog.

Custom e-Learning course don't have a single set cost because every course is unique in regard to its requirements, content, and the need of the learners it serves. Would you be interested to review The Cost of an e-Learning Course Infographic?

"Like all great technology the humble hyperlink has become so well loved and used that it has become all but invisible. We use them constantly but are barely aware of their immense power. They are literally intuitive extensions from the web that is our brain to and from the web and eventually to the internet of things. Above all, hyperlinks enable personalised learning. It’s wonderfully simple and may turn out to be one of the greatest inventions in the history of communications and learning."

Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog.

The basic idea behind online learning is simple: enable more people to learn for less money. What does this mean for you, the avid student?

"This flurry of activity in MOOCs has produced summative assessment that takes us forward in our thinking:

1. Has different degrees of certification based on demand2. Caters for different types of learner3. Offers anytime assessment4. Offers anywhere exams at home5. Offers network of test centre exams6. Sees education funded by volume certification7. Can be cheaper8. Pushes Innovation in online testing, like essay marking9. Makes us see that certification is not always desirable"Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog

"I’m not against the use of tablets in schools, I just think that turning it into a ‘movement’ is a mistake and that too many of these projects are poorly planned, badly procured and lack proper evaluation."

Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog.

My colleague, Clark Quinn, recently wrote a blog post, Yes, you do have to change, in which he explained how he felt that “the elearning industry, and the broader learning industry, is severely und...

"Nielsen is not afraid to challenge those who see the internet as a medium for designers as opposed to users. His user-centred research confirms, time and time again, that real people want simpler, more consistent and less elaborate models and content. His advice, informed as it is by research, is invaluable for e-learning and web designers alike. But we should be cautious about seeing everything solely through the Puritan eyes of the usability expert as there are other qualities that matter in some contexts. On the whole however, he’s just plain right."

Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog.

"Sperling is a provocateur, constantly at odds with the establishment views on education and other topics but has always been committed to students from poor backgrounds. [...] unorthodox approach to education and business has broken the mould and shown that online education works on scale for adults who won’t or can’t conform to traditional timetables and courses. As one of the most successful examples of online learning on the planet Sperling is a true innovator in online learning." 

Selected by www.CogBooks.com - the leader in adaptive learning for critical needs - from Donald Clark's Plan B blog.

Young people can't find jobs. Yet employers can't find people with the right entry-level skills. How can governments, educators, and businesses begin to close this gap?

Adaptive learning, collaborative learning, Learning Record Stores (LRS), re-purposable learning, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Open Education Resource (OER) management which is your hot pic for the eLearning Industry 2013?

What are the myths about online learning? That there isn't group interaction or that it's not the future? Weigh in with the Edudemic community!

Taking classes online used to be something that was done by people who couldn't afford to go to college, or perhaps didn't have time.