Jing is a screen capture technology that offers a quick and easy way to make multimedia presentations.
Combine an audio commentary with whatever is happening on your computer screen.
Jing outputs to the standard .swf (Flash) format and is available for free at http://www.techsmith.com/jing/
Jing Pro offering additional features is also available at low cost.
Educational Technology has the potential to offer learning opportunities to a wider audience than ever before, and as such has the power to promote a fairer and more equal society. The issue of accessibility is concerned with ensuring that the opportunities offered by the technology truly are available to as large and diverse a group as possible. In particular it is concerned with ensuring that learners with disabilities, including those who may be accessing materials through assistive technologies such as screen readers, are not unduly disadvantaged.
Accessibility concerns are not solely altruistic. The number of people worldwide with some form of disability represents a massive potential audience that few educational providers (or indeed commercial operations) can afford to exclude. Additionally much educational provision is, or will soon, be subject to accessibility legislation. Continue reading »
The idea behind Learning Objects originates from Object Oriented Programming in computing. In Object Oriented Programming objects are created to represent real world entities such as products and customers. These objects encapsulate information about the object and the operations that may be performed with it.
The key benefit is that objects can be re-used in different applications. Rather than every programmer developing their own customer objects, a few programmers develop very good ones and these are plugged into future applications involving customers. Continue reading »
Learning Platforms – What is a Virtual Learning Environment?
The (synonymous) terms “Virtual Learning Environment” (VLE), Learning Platform, Learning Management System (LMS) and Learning Content Management System (LCMS) are frequently used in education and training, but what do they mean?
A VLE is an integrated set of computer software tools to support learning. The name is somewhat unfortunate as it tends to imply the learning (rather than the environment) is somehow virtual or unreal. Continue reading »
Many professional and academic journals are now published in electronic form.
These have the advantage of being searchable. Additionally they may be used by any number of simultaneous users and cannot be lost or damaged.
Institutions generally purchase a subscription providing password authenticated access and/or access by IP address, this means resources may be accessed from particular computers or networks. Continue reading »
Games and simulations are employed on the basis that learners learn best by doing.
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.” (Confucius)
“People remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they hear and see, 70% of what they say and write, and 90% of what they say and perform at a task.” (Edgar Dale’s “Cone of Experience”) Continue reading »
Multimedia technology allows concepts to be explained and illustrated in a variety of ways.
Technologies such as Macromedia Flash and streaming video and audio permit material to be viewed again and again, anywhere, any time.
Animations can be used to demonstrate continuous change over time in situations ranging from the building up of graphs to the workings of a machine or the human body.
Video can bring otherwise dry theory to life, eg footage of the collapse of a poorly designed bridge can greatly enhance understanding of the equations describing the failure. Continue reading »
The formal lecture has long been at the heart of university education. Large numbers of students form the audience while the professor holds center stage imparting his/her wisdom.
That lectures have remained for so long as a major method of education is testament to their effectiveness, however, the traditional lecture does have certain disadvantages. Continue reading »
Provision of course material in electronic form is probably the simplest application of educational technology. But is there any benefit beyond saving photocopying costs? I believe there are several.
Having material available online provides access to learning materials 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Notes cannot be forgotten or lost. And today’s busy learners can study anywhere they have Internet access.
Furthermore, material in electronic form is easily searchable. Thus learners working on assignments or revising for exams can quickly find all relevant content. Searching can also serve to identify connections between different topics, eg by demonstrating that a phrase appears prominently in several different and seemingly unconnected sections. Continue reading »