Growing through collaboration....

I found it a little odd, but incredibly inspirational, to find that communicating through Web 2.0 was actually helping folk in rural communities, especially those working in agriculture, share and improve their practices.

The full report can be downloaded from the IAALD blog ( http://tiny.cc/aNGS ) and covers issues such as literacy and connectivity, as well as describing the results from specific case studies.

Peter Ballantyne (the IAALD President) concludes:
"Where information and knowledge in agriculture once comprised rather linear processes managed by specialists, tomorrow’s harvests will spring from more organic approaches where innovators of all types become active creators and managers of information and knowledge. This is already happening as researchers and farmers become bloggers, extension workers build wikis, and librarians become film makers. Underlying it all, the new ‘social’ Web 2.0 acts as a catalyst for people to interact, for knowledge sharing and communication to flourish and for innovators to connect and act together." (p. 19, The Participatory Web -
New Potentials of ICT in Rural Areas)

Well worth a read if you are interested in ICT enhanced learning and teaching, literacy, the potential of Web 2.0, or anything to do with climate change and sustainability.

If you wondered: Desktops Vs Laptops in Education

Desktops Vs Laptops in Education

From: barbwit56,
2 years ago

Desktops Vs Laptops in Education

View more presentations or upload your own. (tags: education desktops)

Presented to school board to gain support for purchasing laptops.

SlideShare Link

Approaches to developing a programme for educating students (and staff) about academic conduct and misconduct

Abstract: Sensitive consideration of general guidelines at the planning and subsequent stages of implementing an innovation, as well as the development of associated 'support' programmes, can lead to greater uptake (Bonk, Cummings, Hara, Fischler, & Lee, 2000). This report considers some underlying considerations and then suggests and critiques two approaches to developing a programme for educating students (and staff) about academic conduct/misconduct and possible strategies to avoid plagiarism.

Please reference as: Owen, H. (2007). Approaches to developing a programme for educating students (and staff) about academic conduct and misconduct using Turnitin. Auckland: Unitec New Zealand.

Approaches to developing a programme for educating students (and staff) about academic conduct and misconduct

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Reports Academic Work strategies assessment

Something for the holiday season :-)

Sitting at home in sunny Auckland catching up with emails having been away from any sort of computer for 2 weeks. I'm still on holiday which means I have time to browse through some links to videos and music that I wouldn't usually have the luxury of time to do so. This video on Vimeo caught my attention...an esoteric mix of the abstract and the everyday, underpinned with a sublime choice of soundtrack ("Lost in a Moment" by 'Shrift' myspace.com/shriftspace):

lost in a moment from dennis wheatley on Vimeo.

Tertiary Assessment Symposium Revisited

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On Thursday 27 November 2008, Hazel Owen and Helen Martin (Centere of Teaching and Learning Innovation) re-presented their Tertiary Assessment Symposium paper - "Using online tools to provide relevant, authentic and timely assessment". The paper represents an extended version of that given in Wellington, with more detail and discussion invited.

Below is the abstract for the paper:
"Assessment practice is at its most rich when assessment events are relevant, authentic and timely.  Relevant assessment is that which is inextricably linked to learning outcomes designed to meet an agreed graduate profile (Biggs, 1999).  Authentic assessment requires students to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential skills and knowledge.  Timely assessment provides students with the opportunity to apply skills and knowledge gained as they learn.  Teaching and learning in a blended format enables relevant, authentic and timely assessment that is greatly facilitated by the use of online tools, including self-grading, simulation and problem-based approaches, activities that require reflection and peer-review and the electronic delivery of assessment tasks.  Drawing on Bloom's extended taxonomy of cognitive development (Anderson, Krathwohl & Bloom , 2001) and sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1934) this paper will demonstrate the value of designing and using e-assessments to enhance student learning.  Examples will be explored that illustrate some of the benefits to teaching and learning offered by moving toward assessments based in flexible, mobile, collaborative learning technologies".

Please cite as: Owen, H and Martin, H. (2008, November 27). Using online tools to provide relevant, authentic and timely assessment. Paper presented at The Tertiary Assessment Symposium Revisited: Unitec Lunch Time Series. Unitec: Auckland, NZ.
 

Getting the most out of your text books...

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This is a video that was developed especially fo the School of Natural Sciences at Unitec New Zealand. It is part of the institutions initiative to help students improve their academic literacy skills, starting from a basic 'finding your way around a book' stance.

Well - here I am. In Australia. In Melbourne. It has been a somewhat turbulent journey though and I am now sitting in not so sunny Geelong North....

Prior to my arrival in Australia, I was a little hasty in embracing wholeheartedly (and without reference to a map) the great accommodation Kelly found that was within my budget. As the owner of the motel assured us (and she is very nice) there is indeed a Deakin Uni about 20 mins walk away...just happens to be the Geelong Deakin Uni Satellite campus rather than the one where the conference is actually being held!

When I arrived on Sunday at Melbourne airport I began to be concerned after, having not found a shuttle bus to Geelong I hopped in a taxi which bowled along, and along.... About an hour and a half later and $AU 125.00 poorer, I arrived. Having found a map of Geelong I located the uni (great relief), but then could not find the correct road names - 'bugger' I thought, sulked, had a little tantie, and then set off to see if I could figure out what to do.


So, here I am about 100km away from where I should be, but luckily there is a train into Melbourne (takes about an hour - and it's only about $AU15 return, so it shouldn't blow the budget too much more) and then I'll hop on a tram to Burwood (another hour)...to where the conference is. Oops.

Geelong is rather attractive down by the Bay. It has an esplanade which I have run along several times now, on the first morning during sunrise which was breathtakingly beautiful. Unruffled sea, dyed blue, green and gold.