OLDaily

By Stephen Downes
March 28, 2005

Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement
David Tosh recommends this paper and in particular a diagram relating increased choice with increased motivation. I would agree that choice impacts motivation, but probably a lot more besides (for example, relevance). Barrett approaches the subject of portfolios from the point of view of assessment, but distinguishes between "Positivist Portfolios [where] the purpose of the portfolio is to assess learning outcomes" and "Constructivist Portfolios [where] the portfolio is a learning environment in which the learner constructs meaning," thus highlighting the tension between learning objectives and institutional objectives. "How do we create an Institution-Centered Assessment and Accountability System without losing the power of the portfolio as a student-centered tool for lifelong learning and professional development?" Good paper. By Helen Barrett, The REFLECT Initiative, Spring, 2005 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

AAHE Announces Closing
The American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) is ceasing operations later this year. Communities of practice and projects will be would down; members will still have access to the website and publications. FAQ. Via Matt Pasiewicz. By Press Release, March 24, 2005 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

Personal Learning
An article that is winning wide praise, this item asserts that "The key to learning is not the medium nor the message, it is the quality of the dialog with your peers that really matters." The author also echos a growing dissatisfaction with the usual way of doing things. "The traditional practice of determining information needs and competency gaps seems more and more a hollow exercise." Unfortunately brief, and the sketch of some basic principles needs much more filling out. George Siemens comments, though, "while I'm very fond of the notion of learning communities, I'm afraid that we'll ignore the values of personal reflective/contemplative learning in our rush to embrace this concept." I think this argument leans in the right direction. But we need to understand that by dialog (or conversation), we don't mean merely chatting back and forth. Reading a book and writing a review is a dialogue, even if it's a solitary activity. By Denham Grey, Knowledge-at-work, March 27, 2005 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

How to set up a Free Videoblog
Link to an excellent set of instructions on how to create a free videoblog. Note that Ourmedia can be used to upload video as well as Internet Archive (it ends up in pretty much the same place). The item also links to a site with tips and techniques. By Rebecca MacKinnon, Global Voices Online, March 26, 2005 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

Japanese Study Finds No Negative Impact From P2P
Another study, this one from Japan, adds to the pile of research deflating the myth that file-sharing hurts sales. "The use of 'Winny', the most popular P2P application in Japan, has no effect on CD sales. In fact, the study found that P2P helps to promote music sales and allows for new music discovery were indicated by the research." By Michael Geist, March 27, 2005 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

IncSub Redesign & Relaunch
James Farmer redesigns his site, which specializes in blogs, wikis and content management for educational applications, adds hosting and tacks on a consulting service. By James Farmer, incorporated subversion, March 28, 2005 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

Watch TV Stations From The World Around: Online TV Player
Something like this makes me think back to the good old days of 1999 when ICraveTV lit up the internet. This, though is slightly different - it is syndicating existing online feeds. Robin Good comments: "Clearly, all of these TV stations are accessible also from their own web sites. The advantage here in fact is in having a simple and unthreatening interface to access easily any preferred channel with just a click of the mouse." By Luigi Canali De Rossi, Robin Good, March 26, 2005 [Refer][Research][Reflect]

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