LearningTimes Green Room

In this episode, Dan Balzer and guest co-host Jonathan Finkelstein interview Loic Tallon, co-producer of the upcoming Museums and Mobile III conference. They discuss the adoption of mobile technology in the museum world and how best to approach and implement these exciting new projects. Focusing in on Loic’s work in opening up the minds of museums to expanding the visitor experience, the discussion turns to some great examples of already successful programs and the upcoming Museums and Mobile conference.

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Loic is also co-editor of one of the leading books in this field, Digital Technologies and the Museum Experience: Handheld Guides and other media (Alta Mira Press) and founder of Pocket-Proof.

Dan starts us off by asking Loic to tell us about some of the current trends in museums and mobile technology. It’s all about the basics, it turns out. Museums that take the time to really think about what they want from these new projects have the most success. It’s all about using the technology as a way to get at the content, enhancing the learning experience.

Loic explains that the most effective way to keep things focused is to lose any preconceptions about new technologies and to open up our minds to how new projects can add to a museum visit. One way he helps museums keep their ideas flowing is through a play-doh exercise – words can be a weak tool to describe an interactive experience, and physically shaping an idea with your hands can really help inspire new projects.

Loic offers some advice to small museums interested in mobile technology but lacking the resources of larger institutions like the Tate Modern or the National Museum of the American Indian. Beware of “geeks bearing gifts” and keep very specific goals for your project, with communicating your content at the top of the list.

Jonathan turns the conversation to the recent passing of Steve Jobs, and how his influence on mobile technology can be both an inspiration and an example for museums.

Finally, the Green Room looks ahead to the Museums and Mobile III conference on October 24-26, 2011. There’s an exciting line-up of new case studies, including some great projects the Detroit Institute of Art, Boston’s MFA and the MONA in Tasmania.

Listeners, please add to this topic in the comments section by telling us about a recent museum mobile experience you had or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

In this second show on gamification, Dan and guest co-host, Jonathan Finkelstein, interview Michael Preston, Ph.D., director of Blended Learning at the Office of Postsecondary Readiness at the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE). They discuss their rollout of DIG/IT, a social and fun community learning space designed to support Digital Literacies, a course for learning about digital citizenship in schools across New York City.

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Show Notes:

Michael Preston, Ph.D.

Jonathan sets the stage by describing how the LearningTimes team approached the design of the course. He also walks through the philosophy of the underlying BadgeStack environment in which the experience unfolds for students. In particular, Jonathan extracts one piece of inspiration from games: that they allow you to substitute in a new set of “rules” to influence how people learn.

Michael describes his vision around using the platform and this new approach with non-traditional high school students to teach Digital Literacy and tech skills for life and college readiness.

Jonathan explains the four key content areas explored in the course. Learners complete Quests and earn Badges for demonstrating newly acquired skills and for supporting others in the community as they work together.

Dan probes how teachers are responding and implementing the platform for learning.

Listeners, please add to this topic by posting game-like elements you are using in your learning environments in the Comments below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

Susan and Dan are joined by Hadiya Nuriddin, author of an article entitled, “Building the Right Interaction.”

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In this episode, Susan and Dan are joined by Hadiya Nuriddin, a freelance performance consultant. Hadiya recently authored “Building the Right Interaction” for Training and Development. She lays out the basics of Michael Moore’s 3 types of interaction and breaks it down for what that means in the real world.

Listeners, please add to this topic by posting below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

If you’re not sure what a MOOC is (massive open online course) this primer might help you get started. One of the biggest and best will be offered this fall, featuring a world renowned faculty.

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Show Notes:

Details about the fall event.

Also referenced in the episode is SCoPE.

Listeners, please add to this topic by posting below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

A year after the first episode concerning mobile technology and learning, Susan and Dan review a recent conference called “Going Mobile in Higher Education.” Dan learned a few things that have had an immediate benefit in his corporate work.

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Show Notes:

Susan and Dan debrief about what they learned at the IOC 2011 Online Conference: Going Mobile in Higher Ed.

Susan talks about her inspiration from the TCC 2011 Online Conference, and the process of building her first Android app for the IOC 2011 conference.

Susan describes the “apps” versus mobile websites.

Dan and Susan talk about the session in which Brandon Bowersox was joined by Janine Warner and David LaFontaine, co-authors of Mobile Web Design For Dummies for a session on “Delivering Mobile Content Accessibly”.

Dan talks about an upcoming mobile tablet deployment he is involved in, and what he has learned so far.

How do you find new apps? Susan shares some tips.

Listeners: We want to hear from you! Where are you finding your apps? What apps are you using? Any stories of success or frustration?

Listeners, please add to this topic by posting below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

Throughout the next few months, Susan and Dan will explore the idea of gamification – taking game mechanics and elements and applying them to non-gaming contexts.

They begin with a review of the game Vanished, developed and curated by MIT’s Education Arcade and the Smithsonian Institution, with participation and production support by LearningTimes.

Susan and Dan talk with Jonathan Finkelstein, executive producer and founder of LearningTimes, which provided support for the production of the online game.

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Helpful links:

Project website:
http://vanished.mit.edu

About Vanished, with links to national news coverage and list
of the affiliated museums around the country:
http://vanished.mit.edu/about

Final illustration / summary of game’s findings:
https://vanished.mit.edu/system/files/images/theend.preview.png

Scientists @ the Smithsonian Videos:
http://smithsonianeducation.org/scientist/

How are you using elements of game design in your educational practice? What elements of Vanished could you integrate into learning experiences you create or lead?

Listeners, please add to this topic by posting below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

Vanished Game Re-cap: Virtual Graphic Facilitation

Susan and Dan take a look at cloud computing and what it means for educators and trainers. What are some ways you are availing yourself of the benefits of the cloud”?

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Susan’s brother-in-law Magello who works in IT joins the conversation as Susan and Dan discuss the cloud. What is the cloud, and should we fear it? What’s the best way to incorporate Web 2.0 services into our work?

By “the cloud” Susan and Dan mean stuff you can’t see, the space where many web-based applications reside for working remotely on documents, photos, and other files. Google Docs is a prime example.

Using an application without having to download and install software can be convenient, and Susan shares an anecdote about her daughters using the cloud to get their homework done. But it can also be unpredictable. Magello points out that some programs could be updated to new software without advance notice.

As cloud-based applications become more popular, it’s worth thinking about how much we can and cannot control. Dan and Magello both use offsite back-up services and it can be hard not to think in the back of your mind about what could happen.

Yet as Susan points out, this collection of information can be very beneficial. There’s a new program that helps teach math by using the data collected in the cloud to focus on areas students struggle with. Susan’s still looking for the article she read on this, but we’ll post it when it’s found.

Magello finally points out that while using cloud-based applications is often very helpful and convenient, it’s important for users to have choice.

But don’t be afraid of the cloud! You might even be using it already without knowing it. Let us know your thoughts and experiences working with the cloud, and keep the discussion going.

Listeners, please add to this topic by posting below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

Susan and Dan take a look at a topic close to their hearts – how to humanize online education. What are some interesting ways to make the web-based learning experience more personal?

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It seems so simple in practice, making online education more human, but it’s less common sense than you might think. How do you make sure to address not just the content of your teaching, but also your students?

To start, Susan and Dan discuss how best to exploit synchronicity. Taking time to get together online to interact in real time can create a much better sense of community and enrich the relationships between students and teachers.

Even though sometimes people are anxious or shy about interacting via video and voice, Susan makes the point that more direct interaction really helps, and literally humanizes the experience.

Dan and Susan talk about making sure to ask questions of your students, and perhaps doing a bit of a learning analysis.

You can use storytelling, humor and cartoons to reach out to your class, and Susan mentions William Horton’s classifications of activities.

Of course, all of this applies to both students and teachers. To humanize a class you too have to be human; you can’t hide behind your degree or your webpage. It’s important to have social presence and using it for instructional design, and Susan recommends a new book on the subject:

“Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners,” by Rosemary Lehman and Simone Conceiçao.

What methods do you use to humanize online education? Flood us with ways you enrich the experience for your online learners.

Listeners can add to this topic by posting at www.ltgreenroom.org or talk to us in LearningTimes! We facilitate discussion in LearningTimes.org or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada).