Student Data, Google Docs & iPhone

A good combination made real with Educate 2.1 (free download), this Australian made app is for Trainers who track students data and programs with Google Docs. I'm yet to trial this to see if it fits everything we do, but if you've got an iPhone, Student Data to manage and you already use Docs, it would be well worth a trial of your own.

Searching for elearning tools?

Learning Tools Directory : Over 3,000 tools listed

C4LPT - Center For Learning and Performance Technologies

Of particular interest to me is the mobile tools directory, which no doubt will become the fastest growing area in coming years.

2015 Mobile Web takes over

A report compilled by Morgan Stanley and boiled down by Mashable confirms that indeed mobile web will overtake desktop web by 2015. Elearning design, therefore, can not be done without considering mlearning design. Another interesting finding was that facebook is the largest repository of user generated content in the world, could it be time that FB becomes the most logical place for a powerful LMS?

Related Article - Facebook, Google, as an LMS?

mLearning Solutions Magazine

Learning Solutions Magazine has a dedicated section to mLearning which showcases new development tools while discussing compatibility issues and teaching strategies. I particularly like this article by Ara A. Ohanian, that suggests it is not only a more sophisticated set of technologies that is bringing mLearning to the tipping point of usability, but also the emergence of more sophisticated mobile users.

Speed is everything to mlearning

Mobile content is about to become that much more engaging and useful for training as users will benefit from the increased speed of 4G, set to be 10 times faster than 3G, that is a real game changer in terms of usability.

At the end of this video you will see that you can stream Video from your mobile device with only a 2second lag, to a variety of online formats.

HTC EVO video

Japanese Mobile Novel a best seller

Mobile Phones are being used by a new kind of author to generate content that has gone mainstream in the form of best selling novels. 5 out of last year’s 10 best-selling novels where written by text authors, with love stories messaging but containing little of the plotting or character development found in traditional novels.

Three of the novelists in the top 10 where first time novelists. What does that say about mobile technology allowing a new kind of content creation and with it, a new kind of content developer to reach the masses.

Read the full article @ NYT

e standards for mobile learning

Anybody working on future mlearning development in Australia, should be aware of the Australian Flexible Frameworks estandards for mobile learning. This comprehensive list of technologies best used for optimal results is a work in progress as mlearning rapidly evolves.

The standards include mobile audio, video formats, general formatting and content delivery standards for mobile browsing/learning.

mlearning Blogs and Sites

mlearning Blogs mlearnopedia David Schrag mLearning World

mlearning tools Kaywa - QR reader and Mobile Blogging Tool MOMO - mobile moodle Mobile Learning Engine W3C - CSS for Mobile Prfile 2.0

Moodle for iPhones

Moodle4iPhones Open Source project

Mobile Shoot to Go

QR codes can be used to create quick access to elearning content or experiences at a specific location, using the image "hard linking" of QR codes.

Later this year I want to test QR codes in a workshop based setting, where participants can 'shoot' to link to elearning via smart phones, preloaded with a QR reader.

Find a QR reader for you phone: List of QR Readers

Google(ing) Facebook(ing) in Class

It happened, i'd heard about it, but it had never actually happened to me. and that's not all.

I'll explain.

Today while giving a lecture on models of Youth Work, a student quoted a Google search to me as an answer from a handheld device (a slide out text/email device like the Lotus). So technology was live and well in the class room, and the students response was well timed and appropriate.

After this we found that students have been talking in class, and in public, on Facebook through Facebook updates. I'd say 1/3 of our students are connected to the web in class through a handheld device. Snap! Are educators getting a move on to be ready for what this will mean for teaching and learning? I doubt it, but neovet wants to go there.

Hard Linking

QR Code Generator Kaywa is a nice and easy way to generate hard linked codes for Text, SMS, URL's and Phone Numbers.

Here is one generated for a course site I manage.

To find a good QR Code Reader, check out this list of good QR phone apps, or visit beetagg for a proven Blackberry solution to coder reading.

I can imagine this will be helpfull when m-learning really takes off and we can orientate students to their online training spaces with one 'snap' of their mobile phone camera. This could be placed on an orientation booklet, presentation slide or for marketing your course, how about on the back of a T-shirt.

Student Feud

Survey Tool SMS Poll is a great tool for real time polling. We are trialling it this term with a group of about 100 students in a lecture session to gauge the group opinion across a number of areas.

They have free trial for up to 25 votes per poll, and you can pay a little to boost your sample. The speed is incredible, enabling you to capture responses and present a poll graph back to an audience under 60 seconds.

Live polling might be no more than a gimmick to a small audience, but uses well with a larger group, can help create a high level of audience participation and fun!.

6 Technologies to keep an eye on

The 2008 Horizon Report is
a collaboration between
The New Media Consortium
and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative.

This annual report projects about half a decade into the future, what technologies will impact our lives and there relevance for Teaching, Learning, and Creative Expression. Interstingly the technologies listed in this years report are sort of already emerged.

• Grassroots Video
• Collaboration Webs
• Mobile Broadband
• Data Mashups
• Collective Intelligence
• Social Operating Systems
  
  Def worth a read, but they don't mention the Hover Board yet so I'm still waiting for that one.
  

Blue Poles - no not the painting!

Turning Point - is a study done from othe Flexible Learning Framework that looks at mobile devices, blue tooth techology and short film making...for learning.

Blue Tooth Hubs will most likely be placed in every TAFE and Uni in Australia within the next two years. Great idea! this will kick off mlearning and i think the average handheld device is nearly up to scratch.

Mobile Learning Engine

Mobile Learning Engine has the potential to create multi-platform learning tools that can be 'tweaked' using simple XML. I have to wonder thatl MLE and MOMO for moodle will become quickly outdated with the rise of full mobile web browsing (Mac iPHONE, RIM Thunder).

But then again, is it a more accessible 'bridge' option for mlearning solutions 2008-2009. I can't see the light beyond 2010, my crystal ball broke a while back now.