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OLDaily

OLDaily is currently being produced by Barry Dahl (BD), Harold Jarche (HJ), and Gary Woodill (GW).

by Stephen Downes
July 7, 2008

Mindjet Connect Boosts Accessibility
I use mind maps in my own work, built with Microsoft Visio. This article about Mindjet, a competitive product, is interesting in its contention that the newest version of Mindjet is a new generation of this useful category of software. Peter Abrahams lists four generations of mind mapping software: 1) pen on paper where ovals were connected with lines, 2) a basic editing tool for this format on the PC, 3) added functionality by enabling connections between the map and other artefacts, and 4) a movement from an organizational method to a collaboration tool, a sort of "visual wiki" to quote commenter Dan Roddy. The ability to collaborate with mind maps is certainly something I look forward to trying out. -GW Peter Abrahams, IT.Director.com, July 7, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Visualization, Ontologies, Microsoft] [Comment]

Txtng Is Gd 4 Lrng
In this post Graham Attwell references and comments on a long article by linguistics professor David Crystal in the Guardian newspaper on the perceived dangers of reinventing language through texting. The practices and the concerns are not new, but go back a hundred years or more. The article in the Guardian cites research that shows that texting does not erode children's ability to read and write, but rather shows a sophisticated level of mastery of language. Languages in use continue to evolve, and texting is only one form of the pressure to change. -GW Graham Attwell, Pontydysgu - Bridge to Learning, July 7, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Research] [Comment]

Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Videos
Educators often hide behind fair use to justify their uses of copyright-protected content regardless of whether the criteria apply to their particular situations. "The problem with fair use as a legal doctrine is that it's defense-only. Anyone can sue you for violating their copyright and you can declare fair use, but you will still have to pay onerous legal bills to defend that claim." boyd points to a pdf report from the Center for Social Media. "This document is not a legal instruction guide, but a set of best practices." -BD danah boyd, apophenia, July 7, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Video, Copyrights, Patents] [Comment]

Should Instructors Provide Students with Complete Notes?
This short article summarizes a research report by Cornelius and Owen-DeSchryver titled: "Differential effects of full and partial notes on learning outcomes and attendance." The bottom line is that the researchers recommend providing only partial notes to students rather than complete notes. This seems extremely short-sighted to me, and somewhat old-fashioned with regard to what happens in the classroom. It sounds as though the recommendation is based on the idea that professors are going to lecture to the students so don't give them all the notes. It apparently leaves out the possibility of NOT lecturing constantly and replacing that time with active learning opportunities based on the complete notes that students could have. Welcome to 1995. -BD Maryellen Weimer, Faculty Focus, July 7, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Online Learning, Research] [Comment]

Would You Work with Micromanaging Boss, No Salary, and All Your Work Thrown Away?
This link comes via my 15 year-old son, so I had to put it in the newsletter. Shalunov says, "If you think the coming nuclear winter will make job market tough for employees, you need to hear about the job offer my daughter got recently." I won't give away the punch line, but it's a variation of a now common theme. -HJ Stanislav Shalunov, Hacking Startups, July 7, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Newsletters] [Comment]

Community As Curriculum a Syllabus
Dave Cormier begins a two-week online course on educational technology and the adult learner. "This is a course comprised of adult learners looking to acquire and refine skills directed toward teaching future adult learners. Key to this course is the concept of networking, in the community sense rather than the technological." This is a solid framework for others examining how to learn and share online, including the use of personal learning plans. -HJ Dave Cormier, Dave's Educational Blog, July 7, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Traditional and Online Courses, Networks, Adult Learning] [Comment]

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