Posted 7:58 PM by George Siemens
Categorizing Knowledge
Quote: "Theoretical discussions of knowledge management typically start with the distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge. Ignore the tacit dimension for a moment and consider a progression of four kinds of explicit knowledge that can shape how I collect, organize, and share knowledge."

Posted 7:33 PM by George Siemens
Structured Content: What's in it for Writers?
Quote: "Everyone has heard (or experienced) stories of CMS or knowledge management initiatives that did not work because content contributors refused to use the tools deployed or were unwilling or unable to supply content in the format required. The conclusion often reached is that writers cannot give up their WYSIWYG tools and that any attempt to make them do so is doomed to failure."
Comment: The main thrust of the article is simple: tools that match tasks get used. Instant messaging and blogging are great examples. They are not complex, advanced technologies...but they work...and for users, that's the first and greatest criteria.

Posted 7:24 PM by George Siemens
Criteria for Optimal Web Design via Column Two
Comment: Great resource...samples: how should information be positioned, using images, using text, navigation, accessiblility.

Posted 2:16 PM by George Siemens
Why Convert to XML
Quote: "XML has become a buzzword that's so over-used that it's difficult to understand when it might and when it might not be appropriate. In general, the main reason for XML's popularity is that it provides an underlying technology that gives "portability" of information across platforms, applications, and organizations."
Comment: Nice overview of the benefits and values of XML

Posted 12:30 PM by Steve
From Steve's Head

Dial M for...

You knew it was coming... M-learning (or mobile learning) has been slowly growing. As if trying to make e-learning work wasn't enough? What letter+learning combination will be next? (My Polish heritage is secretly hoping for Z-Learning...we haven't had enough consonant clusters put to use...bring on the CZs, RZs and SZs... :-) ) Despite the relatively new name, apparently we've been doing mobile learning for some time. While PDAs have become the poster child of the m-learning movement, any portable device (such as laptop computers and cell phones) can be used in m-learning. Our department has been involved in m-learning for the past 5 years! However, without wireless technology, we just haven't been doing it in a very user-friendly manner.

As George has mentioned (several times), we've recently started to test out PDAs to determine their usefulness in our programs. I have to admit, there is definitely a "coolness" factor to PDAs. Even though I haven't had this little device for long, I've enjoyed experimenting with it. However, part of me wonders whether this will last for long - can I possible continue to feel that poking at a tiny keyboard with a short stick in order to type information is "cool"? I'm pretty patient, but even I can see a time when I will begin to get frustrated with this limitation...it's on the distant horizon right now, but it's barrelling towards me pretty quickly.

While m-learning attempts to merge accessibility and convenience, just how convenient are PDAs? Aside from the fact that they're portable, do they have enough benefits to make them a worthwhile investment? I can see them being useful in our lab courses. Right now, students cannot use their laptops in our kitchens - not enough connections, and not enough room to store a dozen or more laptops at one time. PDAs with wireless network connections would allow these students to access recipes and look up information about some cooking technique for which they need some additional information. Is that enough to warrant the expense of such technology? Are there more uses that we haven't considered? Since we have only been experimenting for a brief time, I'm certain that there are more uses to discover. However, I'm still skeptical about whether these devices could ever do the same job that laptops do in our classrooms. I see far greater possibilities in tablet PCs, which are apparently set to drop in price and become much more accessible.

We'll definitely continue to keep you posted about our experiment in m-learning. In the meantime, here are a few articles to provide you with more information about m-learning and PDAs in the classroom. Before I go, I'll let you know that I'll be taking a brief hiatus from this column for the next couple of weeks - am in the tail end of the latest course I'm taking, and I definitely need the extra time to finish off my final essay. We'll be back in December.

Steve

Study: PDAs Good for Education

Quote: "Rick Ayers received 30 Palms to use with Berkeley High School stdents on the production of hteir school newspaper, the Jacket. 'It was helpful because it allowed for more efficient information gathering, fast checking -- and for interfacing with the production computer,' said Ayers, and English teacher and last year's advisor to the paper. 'They could compare information with each other, compare quotes and use the dictionary.' "

Comment: A brief article that outlines some of the findings of a study which incorporated PDAs into classrooms. Cynics might note that the study was sponsored by Palm, trying to expand market share. The optimist in me says take any relevant information you can find and try to run with it.

Ready or Not -- PDAs in the Classroom

Quote: "As with any new technology there are advantages and disadvantages to using small, inexpensive computers in the classroom. Through a number of fairy extensive pilot projects using wirelessly connected PocketPC devices at Wake Forest University, we've noted a few of both. And while the jury is still out regarding the educational use of these technologies, they are already appearing widely across our campuses, just begging for problems to solve. Ready or not, here they come."

Comment: I thought this article had a nice balance between identifying both the positive and negative attributes of trying to use PDAs in educational settings - I particularly like the "browsing the Web with one of these devices is a bit like looking at your television through a straw" comment! The theme here is to try and find appropriate uses for these devices based on their strengths and limitations, as well as those of the population that will potentially be using them. A good, quick read.

M is for Maybe

Quote: "I know. What you really want to know is what you can actually use m-learning for. Given we are talkingabout a pretty basic piece of kit, what can you realistically do? Well, one way of looking at this is to break the learning process down into phases and see how m-learning could contribute to each phase. One idea is to use m-learning to help in the preparatory phase, before the learning begins, through the use of diagnostics...The provision of information will, in many cases, be the primary use of m-learning, but it does not need to end there. The interactive capabilities of mobile devices provide considerable scope for more practical learning activities.

Comment: Here's a broader look at the field of m-learning, which means you too can get your students to start learning using their cell phones! All facetiousness aside, there are a number of ideas and links in this article, which will allow you to explore the teaching and learning potential of mobile devices. You might even want to read this article using your cell phone...sorry...couldn't resist... :-)

10 Mobile Technologies to Watch

Quote: "Technology dreamers envision a day when almost everything -- video games, chat sessions, keyboards, even advertisements -- will get beamed through the air."

Comment: Some of the technologies listed in this article are a little, well, out there. I don't know how thrill-a-minute it would be to try and prevent your snake from eating itself before it gets to food...hmmm. Some of the inventions presented have some great potential, though. I love the concept of the keyboard made of light. This would be an ideal addition to any PDA. The Zoominator (great name!) looks like another concept that could help make PDAs much nicer to use.

Posted 11:59 AM by George Siemens
Basic Computer Literacy for K-20
Quote: "Just what do people mean by computer literacy and are you computerliterate? Is it even sensible to talk about computer literacy? Is there evidence of an increase in IQ scores in the general population and if so is it due to better nutrition or perhaps the use of computers?"

Posted 11:08 AM by George Siemens
Music Labels: Streaming Is Swell
Quote: "Record companies continue to use their financial muscle to slow the growth of file-trading networks and to acquire digital-rights management technologies that limit what people can do with MP3s and other files.
To meet the growing demand for digital music, labels have turned to streaming services because they offer the one thing entertainment conglomerates want most: control."
Comment: Content...who owns it...how much can I charge for it...what do I want my users to do with it...etc. These are just a few of the concerns being grappled with at various levels of recording/content-producing industries. The problem rests in the medium itself. The Internet is (was?) a forum of freedom - sharing, communicating, linking. Now, for-profit interests are trying to bend this medium to serve their profit-oriented goals. It's a tough task...but apparently, the for-profits are making ground fairly consistently. Problem: it is altering the nature of the medium itself. Part of the reason the Internet grew as rapidly as it did was the free-flow of information.

On a related note: Charge For Web Site...get used to more of this: "Saying it wants to impose the traditional newspaper subscription business model on Internet news sites, the Spanish daily El Pais next week will begin charging for access to any part of its Web site, elpais.es...However, El Pais is believed to be the first big general-interest paper in Europe to put its entire interactive newspaper behind a paid subscription wall."

Posted 11:08 AM by George Siemens
Music Labels: Streaming Is Swell
Quote: "Record companies continue to use their financial muscle to slow the growth of file-trading networks and to acquire digital-rights management technologies that limit what people can do with MP3s and other files.
To meet the growing demand for digital music, labels have turned to streaming services because they offer the one thing entertainment conglomerates want most: control."
Comment: Content...who owns it...how much can I charge for it...what do I want my users to do with it...etc. These are just a few of the concerns being grappled with at various levels of recording/content-producing industries. The problem rests in the medium itself. The Internet is (was?) a forum of freedom - sharing, communicating, linking. Now, for-profit interests are trying to bend this medium to serve their profit-oriented goals. It's a tough task...but apparently, the for-profits are making ground fairly consistently. Problem: it is altering the nature of the medium itself. Part of the reason the Internet grew as rapidly as it did was the free-flow of information.