Archive for June, 2008
Learning in MMORPGs – Constructivism in World of Warcraft
Please read this draft and give me your opinion/suggestions in the comments area.
Thank you.
Add comment June 26, 2008
Open Source Alternatives to Web 2.0 Services On Your Local Server
Please visit the link above and give me your feedback in the “comments” below. Thank you. 
Add comment June 26, 2008
Metcalf’s Law and Semantic Web?
Interesting post trying to adapt Metcalf’s Law to the Semantic Web context. They are looking for feedback.
Add comment June 26, 2008
The 3G iPhone as a More Versatile Mobile Platform
The new iPhone 3G is bound to take an incredible new step toward more freedom for the user. While the first versions of the mobile device (I’m hesitant to call it a phone) were pre-loaded with applications and wouldn’t let the users add more unless were willing to risk their device’s “health” to jail-break it and install third party apps, the only official but “crippled” option was to download a link to a Web App (Web Apps are self-explanatory: applications that run on the Web and not on your local machine/phone).
Besides the 3G Wi-Fi speed, the new iPhone will offer the ability to actually download and install new applications. Apple already has a website up explaining that and they have some examples of applications on their website. The release of their Software Development Kit (SDK) is promising to the educational world also for the freedom it gives developers to create learning applications that work natively on the iPhone.
Some examples of applications they highlight on the Apps Store website include Microsoft Exchange capabilities (push mail)
Loops, an application that lets you find your friends on a Google map mash-up.
And the innovative Super Monkey Ball, which responds to your movements by means of the Accelerometer (movement detector on the iPhone) to create a more “interactive” experience. This has a lot of potential for serious games…
4 comments June 24, 2008
TubeMogul – Video Distribution To Multiple Websites
I was informed by Sumaya Kazi from Sun Microsystems about TubeMogul, a Web video distribution and analytics company, offers the opportunity for uploading one single video to multiple video sharing communities at the same time. This is the future of a more user-centered content sharing strategy that takes into consideration the hassle of uploading content multiple times to different services. It also offers a video tracking feature that comes in handy when you want to know how “popular” your content is.
The possibilities for instructional content distribution can as promising as those of direct marketing and brand awareness…
PodTech’s entry about TubeMogul.
Here is a link to a blog post from WillVideoForFood.com which describes many other video distribution services.
1 comment June 23, 2008
Another buzzword: EduPunk
It is ridiculous… it seems like all people focus on these days is on coming up with the next stupid “buzzword”… even if all it means is to dress up old concepts in to new clothes… seriously… I feel sorry for those who are still trying to come up with Web 3.0 and such… or should I call them WebPunks?
The definition of edupunk, as see in Lisa Neal Guatieri’s article on eLearn Magazine from July 2008: “an educational approach that combines creative drive with a maverick attitude…in which the educator—or possibly the student—designs the tools for teaching and learning.” While a valid definition for innovative and creative educators/learners, this creation and re-creation of technology for learning situations, as also stated in the same article, has been happening for quite sometime (if not throughout all of mankind). It is called Instructional Technology, being the people involved innovative or not, being the technology being flawed or not… I, particularly, see no need for such buzzword… But that is just my humble opinion…
From Steven Downes’ blog.
From Wired Campus.
4 comments June 21, 2008
Sun Microsystem’s Project Wonderland and The Immersive Education Grid
The Media Grid Immersive Education Initiative led by Aaron Walsh from the Boston University has been on the cutting edge of virtual environments experiments for a learning purpose. They hold constant meetings in Second Life, have been experimenting with different virtual worlds and not was Wonderland’ turn for a more “official” educational event run by the Immersive Education participants.
I’m pasting some of the thoughts fellow bloggers have had on their posts about the event:
First Educational Gathering in Wonderland
By timwang
(…) over 60 avatars gathered on the Sun’s island in Secondlife, cuing up to get a “ticket” for the first experimentation of the Wonderland Project by Sun’s Microsystems. The event was organized by the MediaGrid which is a computational grid platform that promotes 3D virtual learning environment. (…)”
On Tim Wang’s eLearning Blog
Wonderland Works!
By Katherine W. Prawl:
“Friday was a red-letter day. I attended an event in Second Life for an education group, hosted by Sun Microsystems, which was intended to introduce the group members toProject Wonderland. Especially exciting was the fact that Sun and its partners (which include NMC) are exploring the possibility of allowing avatars to navigate from theEducation Grid running on Wonderland servers.”
On the NewMedia On the Go blog
Sun’s Wonderland & Education Grid Demo
by Chris Collins
“Today the Media Grid Immersive Education Initiative launched the Education Grid onSun’s Wonderland platform.
Aaron Walsh from Media Grid launched the initiative from within Second Life and the island quickly filled up with many more avatars waiting to get in to join the demonstration.”
Fleep’s Deep Thoughts blog
2 comments June 20, 2008
Excellent Post on the State of eLearning
Ok, I love posting my own thoughts here, but sometimes things can sound redundant with all the great posts out there. So I prefer to post some of that information here, as my own information repository.
This is a post on the state of eLearning and things we need to consider when creating learning experiences. What I like about this post is that the author also links to some other relevant posts and images. There is a link to a post criticizing Gagne and his “commandments” in a present-day perspective. Worth reading:
http://incsub.org/soulsoup/?p=673
Add comment June 12, 2008
Interesting Post on “Net-Geners”
Not exactly a post about net-geners, but a post about age and the creative process. The author goes on explaining the differences between some early inventors (Web developers) and some late bloomers.
Very interesting indeed.
http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/09/its_not_too_lat.html
Add comment June 12, 2008
