Posted 10:44 PM by George Siemens
Ozzie: Collaboration tools must be natural
Quote: "MOST collaboration software is not used as fully as it might be because it lacks a natural interface, and if collaboration tools are ever to be crucial business applications, vendors must improve the way users interact with them, said Ray Ozzie, founder of peer-to-peer technology vendor Groove Networks.
Comment: Ease of use (natural is how this article describes it) is THE most important aspect of technology use. Instant messaging and blogging are huge (and growing) because anyone can learn to use them in a matter of minutes.

Posted 3:08 PM by George Siemens
Assessment, Assessment Rubrics and Evaluation Guidelines
Quote: "Teachers make judgments about students every day, based on informal and formal appraisals of classroom work, homework assignments, and performance on quizzes and tests. Assessment rubrics listing benchmarks for student achievement assist in this evaluation by providing objective guidelines to measure and evaluate learning. These rubrics also improve learning because students who understand them before a project is due can take the evaluation criteria into account as they complete their work. For assessment tips and tools, and for help in developing, adapting, or adopting assessments that detail what you expect students to learn and evaluate what they have mastered for any given lesson, visit the following Web sites:"
Comment: Extensive links of rubric and assessment resources.

Posted 1:32 PM by George Siemens
New Crunch & What to do About It
Quotes: "Many colleges and universities are experiencing severe financial pressures – most notably at some state college and university systems. We are already seeing staff cuts in professional development and some unprecedented budget cuts for technology support... In these newly difficult times - the New Crunch -- we need cost-effective approaches to improving teaching and learning with technology. Here are my candidates, with more explanation below."

1. Collaboration
   
2. Student Assistants
   
3. Compassionate Pioneers
   
4. Low-Threshold Activities
   
5. Selective Clusters of Resources
   
6. Useful Feedback
   
7. Accommodating Disabilities
   
8. Building and Maintaining the Foundation
   
9. Selective Outsourcing
   
10. Not Sacrificing What Matters Most
    

Posted 12:09 PM by George Siemens
E-Learning: An Application Whose Time Has Come
Quote: "E-learning is becoming a mainstream application across all industries and disciplines. Enterprises want to take advantage of Web-based learning, but success requires more than moving education and learning to the Web."
Comment: Nice overview article...making the case for elearning. Includes "who's using elearning", challenges, and technology