Indigenous knowledge management event

"I'll be courting some disasterWith the Melbourne wrecking crew" - The Indigo Girls (God bless them)

I have just returned from a master class in indigenous knowledge management held in Melbourne.

This is an area I am really interested in partly because I want to learn more about the history of my new home and partly because I think that the desert knowledge, in particular, is going to become really useful as things heat up here and elsewhere. (You can learn more about desert knowledge from the program of the 2008 DESERT INNOVATION FESTIVAL.)

There are many other issues involved in the area of indigenous knowledge management. For example

• how western corporations can learn from owners of indigenous knowledge without exploiting them
• how IT professionals can interact ethically and professionally with owners of indigenous knowledge.

Our track record in both cases is not good. Looking to the future, I hope to integrate indigenous knowledge management into the BIM and L&IM programs I direct at the University of South Australia.

In terms of e-learning, indigenous knowledge is hard to represent for a good many cultural reasons, not least of which is the permission to use knowledge that developers do not own. Also, within some cultures, representing people with multimedia can mean that the material cannot be used when these people die. I think that all of us will come to rely on a good deal of indigenous knowledge for our future survival. There are many challenges ahead. We need to start thinking about the ethical and educational issues before the sun sets.

Interactive Technology and Smart Education - Call for Papers

"Baby this a new age ... maybe we can start a new phase" - Ayo Technology, 50 Cent

As an Emerald assistant editor, I am always interested when Emerald picks up a new educational technology journal and they have just made the following announcment.

Interactive Technology and Smart Education - Call for Papers

Emerald Group Publishing Limited is pleased to announce the acquisition of Interactive Technology and Smart Education (ITSE) and invites authors to submit a paper to the journal.

Interactive Technology and Smart Education (ITSE) is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed journal, which provides a distinct forum to specially promote innovation and human-/user-centred approaches. This is through a passionate emphasis on the need to seriously employ solutions from Human Computer Interaction (HCI) to technology and education. It also encourages combining solutions from HCI with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or multimedia and the Web technology to advance innovation in interactive technology generally and its applications in education. The journal also promotes evaluation as a continuous and an integral part of the development cycle of usable solutions/systems (rather than a final stage in the development cycle). By bringing together these specialist fields, the journal aims to bridge an existing gap in interactive technology and educational technology research, which would help advance innovation in these areas.

CoverageContributions are solicited in any of the two main broad themes - interactive technology and SMART education - covered individually or combined. Possible topics include, but are not limited to the following:

• Novel approaches
• Participatory approaches for design and development
• Ergonomics and Human factors
• Interaction, usability and accessibility issues
• Approaches providing solutions for users with various special needs
  Related social and psychological issues
• Other cultural issues (e.g. multilingual and multicultural issues)
• Pedagogical methods and quality assurance
• New emerging technologies (e.g. Multimedia and the Web)
• Computer-supported co-operative approaches and Mediated communication
• Assessment and evaluation techniques and methodologies
  Design (e.g. user interface design, types of interfaces, principles of good design practice)
• Interaction and Interaction Styles
• Usability engineering methods and concepts
• Usability evaluation

Submissions should be emailed to the Editor itse@emeraldinsight.com.

Institute of Change Management

"Or else your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards" - Bob Dylan

The University of Brighton Business School has announced a formal launch for the Institute of Change Management ™.

When: 18th June 2008
Where: University of Brighton, Sallis Benney Theatre, Grand Parade, Brighton
What time: 5.30pm onwards

This gathering will be the first in a series of networking events, where change management practitioners will be able to mix, exchange experiences, renew old friendships and make new ones. A varied programme of guest speakers, information about the role and activity of the Institute and facilitated networking will be buoyed along by food and refreshments.

If you would like to attend the event from 5.00pm 18 June, please respond to Business.Services@brighton.ac.uk or telephone + 44 (0)1273 643222.

Special issue of Quality Assurance in Education on Assuring Quality in E-Learning

The Editor of Quality Assurance in Education invites submissions for a special issue of the journal on Assuring Quality in E-Learning, guest Edited by Dr Alistair Inglis.

With growth in the capability of Internet, interest in e-learning amongst education and training providers, and national accreditation and quality agencies has grown exponentially. Delivery of courses is a multi-faceted activity. Consequently, the process of measuring quality in education relies on addressing the range of factors that impact the learner’s experience and measuring those appropriately. While in many countries, moves to measure quality are often controversial, in the developing nations particular difficulties are experienced because of the relative lack of sophistication of governmental and institutional administrative infrastructure.

Over the years, Quality Assurance in Education has carried a number of articles dealing with particular aspects of e-learning. The aim of this special issue is to present in one volume, perspectives on a variety of matters faced by education providers in relation to quality assurance in electronic delivery of education.


Articles are sought on any of the following topics:

• Pedagogical and assessment strategies for quality in electronic educational delivery,
  
• Effective strategies for incorporating e-learning into campus-based courses,
  
• Monitoring and improving quality of education in an electronic environment,
  
• Benchmarking for electronic educational delivery,
  
• Optimising systems for electronic educational delivery,
  
• Developing and validating quality frameworks for electronic education, and
  
• Transnational issues and policy development for electronic educational delivery and accreditation.
  

Articles submitted for consideration should be research-based looking at different aspects of, and approaches to quality in e-learning. An article may take a critical look at the issues from an institutional perspective or in terms of some aspect of educational theory, or alternatively may examine the social and national policy issues involved in developing/monitoring quality assurance systems.

Submissions should preferably be sent as email attachments to jqae@rmit.edu to arrive no later than 15th December 2008. For a general submission guidelines see: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/journals/qae/notes.jsp. Manuscripts will be reviewed and a decision on acceptance will be made within 12 weeks of receipt of a submission.

Village Records News Blog

"Eight miles high ... and when you touch down" - The Byrds

This is off topic but ... Village Records, who are the best online source of CDs for educational technologists of a certain age, now have a blog: http://villagerecordsnews.blogspot.com/. It is a great place to find news about music like that pictured on the right. I just bought some great live albums from them by Gene Clark, Tift Merrit, Southside Johnny and Tom Russell. Plus a great disc of Tom Russell obscurities. Go treat yourselves!

Campus-Wide Information Systems- Special Issue on ePortfolios, employability and lifelong learning in the knowledge society

This year CWIS will publish a special issue with the highest ranking academic papers from the ePortfolio conference 2007, which was held in October 2007. (cf. http://events.eife-l.org/ep2007). ePortfolio is the key international event for the growing community of professionals interested in, and working with, ePortfolios. It brings together policy-makers, researchers, teachers, trainers, human resource managers and technologists. As a thematic event devoted to one domain, it allows an in-depth and broad exploration of the issues - and results in real outcomes. The special issue will be guest-edited by Professor Rob Koper and Dr Steven Verjans (click here for Steven's blog).

I am managing the issue for CWIS and having seen the papers I know this will be another excellent issue.

CALL FOR CHAPTERS: Online Learning Communities and Teacher Professional Development: Methods for Improved Education Delivery

Prof. Ken Fernstrom of ICICTE asked me to post this call. He is on the EAB for this project. So you *know* it is going to be interesting!

CALL FOR CHAPTERS

Proposals Submission Deadline: 5/31/2008

Full Chapters Due: 9/30/2008

Online Learning Communities and Teacher Professional Development: Methods for Improved Education Delivery

A book edited by J Ola Lindberg, Mid Sweden University, Sweden and Anders D Olofsson, Umeå University, Sweden

Introduction

In today’s society, teachers need professional development due to the constant change in working conditions and the impact that information and communication technologies have in teaching practices. Teachers must be prepared to adapt to the future demands of their workplace, and consequentially, their knowledge and skills are in constant need of improvement. Teacher professional development (TPD), anchored in participation, collaborative activities and dialogue, allows for such professional development by offering a way to bridge theory and practice. Online communities provide productive arenas for TPD for teachers, teacher trainees, and school leaders. In such enterprise, technology as innovation will have a crucial place both as leverage and catalyst of change, and as a pedagogical tool in itself.

TPD is often constricted by a number of barriers, such as the following: top-down decision making, a lack of ownership of the professional development process, an inaccessibility of professional development opportunities, and the lack of support in transferring professional development ideas to the classroom. Other barriers that have been recognised are, for example, that TPD is arranged and carried out in a single session or in short sessions which the teachers attend in person.

In order to interconnect TPD and the online community, TPD will be discussed in terms of change. Change is understood as a consequence of innovation and pedagogy. In this book, TPD in online communities will therefore be examined in terms of innovation and pedagogy. Teachers from all levels of education, from pre-service to in-service education up to university teachers may be included.

The book’s discussion on the innovations of technology will focus on different aspects of the need for teachers to develop the knowledge and skills for integrating technology into their everyday teaching practices. In particular, the book will discuss how technology itself can serve as an important resource in terms of providing arenas for professional development together with colleagues in online communities. The book will also focus on pedagogy and the intertwining of education, teaching, learning, ethics and morals and how these aspects are affected by technological innovations. The main objectives of the manuscript will be to shed light on different aspects of the continuing need for teachers to develop professionally, to discuss and share with colleagues new knowledge and understandings of the recent pedagogical research in order to inform their own teaching practices, and to investigate the possibilities for teachers to share such knowledge, understanding, and practices in online communities. Overall, these objectives could be seen as an attempt to both understand TPD, framed within online communities, and to understand the design of virtual arenas in which teachers have possibilities to develop into professionals who have the capacity to not only respond to changing conditions, but also anticipate future technologies, and, in the process, re-define their practice.

Objectives, Contribution and Potential Impact of the Book

Three key objectives of this book are as follows:
· To present the most recent advances in TPD in online communities
· To examine the possibilities to enhance TPD by a critical discussion about the role and scope of technology
· To participate in an international dialogue about TPD and ICT

This volume will thereby contribute to a wider and deeper understanding of the potentials of using ICT and internet resources such as online communities in TPD, both at the level of pre-service teachers and in-service teachers and also at the policy-making level as the content will show a way of bridging the otherwise separated groups of professionals concerned with learning to teach and actually teaching.

In this book, ideas will be offered concerning how to move away from TPD-barriers, such as top-down decision making and the little to no support which is provided in transferring professional development ideas to the classroom.

Target Audience

This book is intended for professionals who, on a daily basis, work with issues concerning TPD, ICT and the internet. Teachers, principals, educational researchers, curriculum developers, teacher professional associations, teacher training staff, teacher trainees, universities, colleges and potentially also parents will find that the content of the book is firmly anchored in the inner lives of schools and universities. It will also be helpful for those who will design for TPD through the use of different media and technology. Even though the book will have an explicit focus on teachers and their joint efforts for professional development, the basic ideas in the book are grounded in learning theories possible to apply to numerous adult learning situations and vocations where beginning professionals can be helped by being guided by more experienced peers. The content of the book can also be of interest for a broader, local or national audience of policymakers and politicians.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
· Theoretical foundations of TPD
· Theoretical foundations of online communities
· The theory and practice divide in relation to TPD
· Learning in Networks in relation to TPD
· Models of online communities in TPD
· Different accounts of online communities
· Innovations in the use of technology and TPD
· Different accounts of technological use
· Web 2.0 and TPD
· Pod Casting, mobile learning and TPD
· Pedagogies afforded by technology in TPD
· Case studies and examples on successes and failures of TPD and online communities
· Different accounts of pedagogical use of technological affordances and constraints
· Pros and Cons of the use of technology in relation to online TPD
· Future Trends

Submission ProcedureResearchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before May 31, 2008, a 2-3 page chapter proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of their proposed chapter. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by June 30, 2008 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by September 30, 2008. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. The book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), http://www.igi-global.com/, publisher of the Information Science Reference (formerly Idea Group Reference) and Medical Information Science Reference imprints.
Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document) or by mail to:
J. Ola LindbergDept. of EducationMid Sweden University, 871 88 Härnösand, SwedenTel: (+46)61186291, Fax: (+46)061186100ola.lindberg@miun.se

From Silo to Assimilation: changing corporate perceptions of records and information management

I am proud to be presenting a paper at the 25th International Convention of the Records Management Association of Australasia 7th - 10th September 2008, Sydney, Australia. The paper will be writen in collaboration with Professor Paula Swatman and will be based upon Professor Swatman's original abstract, which is available on the conference web site. Here is an extract:

"This paper will discuss the changing perceptions of managing corporate information: from the 20th century’s silo-based approach, where individual specialists jealously guarded the borders of their own territory – to the 21st century perception that information is the most significant in strategic asset of any organisation. Beginning with a brief survey of the drivers which have changed our perception of information and its management, this paper will review the major issues, enablers and obstacles to achieving a unified and effective approach to managing corporate information across the organisation – whether that be a public sector agency or a private corporation."

Presentations at the 25th International Convention of the Records Management Association of Australasiawill discuss the ways in which records & information managers adopt new methodologies and processes as they adapt to new technologies in an effort to maintain their knowledge in a fast changing and dynamic environment and the challenges that face them in doing so.

Fame at last

"Fame, (fame) what you like is in the limo ..." - David Bowie

James Dalziel wrote in the LAMS Newsletter:

"Why does Australia produce such good educational software? An articleSimon Shurville, originally from the UK, but recently arrived in Australia, has written an article with Barry O'Grady and Peter Mayall of Curtin Business School for Campus Wide Information Systems called 'Educational and Institutional Flexibility of Australian Educational Software'. It is an attempt to answer the question of why Australia seems to produce such good educational software, based on an analysis of LAMS, Moodle and Harvest Road Hive. This is a question I get asked all the time as I travel, so it's great to have a new perspective on this. For details and a link to a copy of the article, see http://lamscommunity.org/dotlrn/clubs/educationalcommunity/lamsresearchdevelopment/forums/message-view?message%5fid=583156."

To subscribe see: http://lamscommunity.org/notifications/manage.

ATN Assessment Conference 2008: Selected papers to be published in Campus-Wide Information Systems

"96 tears" - Question Mark and the Mysterians

The ATN Assessment Conference 2008 will be held at on 20-21 November at the University of South Australia in Adelaide.

"The theme of engaging students in assessment is an opportunity to explore assessment in the context of an increased focus on student engagement and recognition of the increasing diversity of student cohorts.

The conference provides participants with the opportunity to explore ways to maximise student engagement through effective assessment policies, procedures and practices. Participants will engage with colleagues across disciplines as well as students and employers.

Topics will include:

• Transforming assessment and feedback for student engagement
• Cultural and academic diversity: designing assessment to engage all students
• Discipline-based practices in engaging students in assessment
• Using technology to enhance engagement in assessment.

The ATNConference08 committee is calling for for YOUR contributions to what is shaping up to be an exciting conference with some highly-regarded national and international keynote speakers (details soon).

The key dates for papers are:
Call for papers: May 2008
Abstracts due: 1 June, 2008
Notice of acceptance: 20 June, 2008
Full papers due: 18 August 2008

The conference will be held within the landmark new UniSA Hawke Building, City West Campus, North Terrace, Adelaide."*

Campus-Wide Information Systems have agreed to publish a special issue based upon the conference, which will be guest edited by Dr Diana Quinn and myself. The issue will focus on the theme of using technology to enhance engagement in assessment.

* The quoted text is from the conference web page

Australians love of gadgets means they make great educational software

"Go gadget ..." - Inspector Gadget Theme

In our recent paper 'Educational and Institutional Flexibility of Australian Educational Software', we advanced the thesis that Australia’s historical strength in distance learning has created a culture where academic and industrial entrepreneurs now offer a range of educational software that is well aligned with the demands of flexible education such as the Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) (which we rated highly).

Professor James Dalziel the inventor of LAMS sent me the following: "I agree with your observations, but would add to this a more general factor in Australia culture which is that we love gadgets and new technology, adopt them quickly, and actually use them a lot right from the start ... I think it is some sort of confluence of this rapid Australian tech adoption and use factor together with [our history of] distance learning, etc that have provided fertile soil."

Having lived in Australia a little longer now, I have to say I agree with James' observation. Australians do love and use new technology. Plus the free-to-air HD TV here is great!

ICICTE special issue of Campus-Wide Information Systems is now published

"He's just a stereotype" - The Specials

The ICICTE 2007 special issue of Campus-Wide Information Systems is now published. This is an Australasian issue and it provides a snapshot of e-learning in Australasia for international readers. It was edited by Ken Fernstrom, Barry O’Grady, Michael Henderson and me. This may be the first special issue in the history of academic publishing to go to press four months early and come out a month late.

Paper on 'Educational and Institutional Fexibility of Australian Educational Software' published by Campus Wide Information Systems

"Bend me, shape me, anyway you want me,

long as you love me, its all right" - Amen Corner

Campus Wide Information Systems have just published 'Educational and Institutional Flexibility of Australian Educational Software', a viewpoint paper which I wrote with Barry O'Grady and Peter Mayall of Curtin Business School. The heart of the paper is the identification of these categories:

"Well-designed educational software can be a key enabler for flexible education, although embedding it at an institutional level brings its own demands for change management. Here
we define flexible educational software to mean applications that provide both educational and institutional flexibility. Educationally flexible software should enable educators to design and manage effective learning experiences and materials and provide an interface that is appropriate for educating. Meanwhile it should provide students with opportunities to learn at their convenience and provide an interface dedicated to learning. Institutionally flexible software should provide institutions and their developers with facilities to adapt and integrate the product with local administrative processes, IT platforms and teaching culture. It should also help universities to join effective federations and partnerships with other institutions, which requires adherence to open standards and tolerance of diverse coding languages and platforms, including those that are popular in other nations ... The three [Australian] educational software packages we introduce below each match our informal definitions of educationally and institutionally flexible educational software and provide solid support and training to domestic and international clients." (Shurville, O'Grady and Mayall, 2008, p 76-77).

The paper is part of a special issue on Australasian E-Learning which I co-edited with Professor Ken Fernstrom (University College of the Fraser Valley, British Columbia), Dr Michael Henderson (Monash) and Barry O’Grady (Curtin). The papers were sourced from ICICTE 2007.

Reference

• Shurville, S., O'Grady, B. and Mayall, P. (2008) 'Educational and Institutional Flexibility of Australian Educational Software', Campus-Wide Information Systems, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp 74-84.

Submission posted by the ALIA workforce summit

"Do you believe what you read?" - The Boomtown Rats

The ALIA Education and Workforce Summit has accepted my submission entitled ‘The business information management and library and information management programs for the future: a partnership between Fuji Xerox, the State Library of South Australia, State Records of South Australia, and the University of South Australia’. It is available online.

I thank the partners who commented on the document and the original authors of the program documentation, some of which was adapted for the submission.

Campus-Wide Information Systems Indexing

"Searchin'.... for so long" - Change

Campus-Wide Information Systems is now indexed and abstracted in:

• Current Awareness Abstracts
  
• Emerald Management Reviews
  
• ERIC
  
• The Informed Librarian
  
• Information Management and Technology Abstracts
  
• INSPEC
  

The BIM and LIM programs at University of South Australia

"Teachers teach that knowledge waits" - Bob Dylan

I am now program director of the business information management and the library and information management programs at the University of South Australia.

The BIM program

The business information management suite of postgraduate programs have been developed to meet the needs of the 21st Century and are offered, together with associated applied research, to educate technically skilled:

• administrators


• archivists


• information system designers


• internet/intranet coordinators


• knowledge and information officers


• librarians


• records managers

Click here to see the current program outlines from Graduate Certificate through Graduate Diploma to a fill MSc by coursework or research.

The LIM program

Newly qualified librarians in the 21st century need to be familiar with standards and technologies for information management and also require mature capabilities to collaborate across allied professions, such as archives, information systems and records management, as well as the diverse cultures of business and public service. Ideally they will also bring experience from the workplace. Moreover, understandings of change and innovation management, human resource management, organizational learning and project management are becoming ‘table stakes’ for all knowledge workers. Hence, postgraduate education for librarians must augment the core curricula necessary for ALIA accreditation with key knowledge from multiple disciplines and also encourage networking and teamwork with fellow professionals. Further, due to the rate of change in processes and technologies, it should foster skills for lifelong learning and continuing professional development. The problem is that providing such a range of knowledge and experience is beyond the capability of a single institution. So, the collaborative capability that we seek to foster needs to be a fundamental part of designing, delivering and improving such educational offerings.

Collecting and managing information is increasingly vital in all areas of modern life: from small businesses and multinational organisations, to schools, universities, libraries and museums. Among the many professions that deal with information - record managers, archivists, librarians and information officers - the need for a new type of information manager has emerged!

The library and information management programs are designed to provide replacements for the current, Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)-accredited programs currently offered by the School of Communication .

All courses will be available totally online, part-time or full-time depending on your circumstances. The choice is yours! To make the programs even more exciting some of the teaching staff are actual industry based lecturers who can bring real-world experiences to your studies.

The new programs provide a continuing path of learning from the Graduate Certificate in BIM (Library Management specialisation) through to a Graduate Diploma or Masters qualification in Library and Information Management.

There is an increase in interest for both the Business Information Management and the Library and Information Management programs from industry sectors. Employers and employees wanting to be retrained to meet industry requirements along with career minded employees.

Now a professional member of ALIA

"Just can't find the way" - Mary Gauthier

I am proud to say that I have just been accepted as an associate of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), which is the professional organisation for the Australian library and information services sector. ALIA seeks to empower the profession in the development, promotion and delivery of quality library and information services to the nation, through leadership, advocacy and mutual support.

I have three papers accepted by ICICTE 2008

"We three ..." - Patti Smith*

I have three papers accepted for ICICTE 2008 this year:

• Building a Variety of Educational Technology Worth Wanting by Dr Simon Shurville, Dr Sue Greener and Pericles ‘Asher’ Rospigliosi.



• Embedding Educational Technologists within University Structures by Dr Tom Browne, Dr Marian Whitaker and Dr Simon Shurville.



• The Extended Mind and Learner Generated Contexts by Dr Simon Shurville.
  

Henk Eijkman and I are also running a symposium at the conference on the philosophy of educational technology. I hope to see lots of regulars at the conference and look forward to co-editing the Campus-Wide Information Systems special issue based upon it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

* "Every night on sep'rate stars, before we go to sleep, we pray so breathlessly. Baby, please, don't take my hope away from me."

If you have not heard We Three sung by Patti Smith (or Bob Dylan), then do yourself a very big favour and buy Patti's Easter album then take out an hour or three to engage with a Rock N Roll poet at the top of her game. Finding the Dylan version takes a bit longer with a torrent search engine but as Stan Lee would say "it qualifies you as a true beliver".

ICICTE 2007 special issue of CWIS gone to press

"... its a wide open road" - The Triffids

The ICICTE 2007 special issue of Campus-Wide Information Systems has now gone to press. This is an Australasian issue and it provides a snapshot of e-learning in Australasia for international readers. It was edited by Ken Fernstrom, Barry O’Grady, Michael Henderson and me. This may be the first special issue in the history of academic publishing to go to press four months early.

Here is a snippet from the editorial to whet your appetite:

The issue features papers presented at the International Conference on Information and Communications Technology in Education (ICICTE). ICICTE addresses the many challenges and new directions presented by technological innovations in educational settings. Each year academic and professional participants at ICICTE gain an excellent overview of current thinking and practices in applications of technology to education. This was exemplified in 2007 by our keynote speaker Professor Rob Koper of the Open University of the Netherlands, who gave an overview the €10,000,000 pan European TenCompetence project (see Stefanov and Koper, 2007): “The aim of the project is to build a European Network for Lifelong Competence Development by establishing a technical and organizational infrastructure for lifelong competence development. The infrastructure will use open-source, standards-based, sustainable and innovative technology to support the lifelong development of competences by any citizen, team or organization” (TenCompetence, 2007, online). Although TenCompetence is a European Union funded project, it is important that contributions from the accession countries and beyond Europe have been included in the research and dissemination agenda. For example Richards, Donkers, Hatala and Dufresne (2007) have contributed work undertaken in Canada. Such cosmopolitanism shows that the educational technology community is taking strides towards the internationalist goals set by Papandreou at ICICTE in 2006 and practical steps toward global interoperability.

Informal discussions of Koper’s keynote throughout the conference noted that TenCompetence seems to be as concerned with fostering international networks as it is about pioneering new educational technologies. Such multi-cultural activity is also a hallmark of ICICTE. While the conferences are based in Greece, they are co-organized between local universities and the University College of the Fraser Valley in Canada. Throughout the conference delegates can find themselves networking with colleagues from all five continents. Conspicuously, despite the travel costs, Australasian delegates have loyally attended year after year; making sizable contributions to the both academic and social life of the conference. Indeed, it is fair to say that ICICTE just would not be ICICTE without them. So the organizers thought it appropriate to acknowledge the dedication of the Australasian contingent by selecting papers from the 2007 event that offer overseas readers a snapshot of current developments in Australasian e-learning and flexible education. This is a timely decision as Australasian institutions have made considerable inroads into Asian higher education and are now turning their gaze towards China. As a forthcoming themed issue of this journal will attest, the Chinese market for e-learning is set to grow considerably and China’s choice of platforms and partners could decisively affect international standards and technologies. With its new Mandarin speaking prime minister taking a public interest in educational technology, Australia is particularly well positioned to enter this emerging market. Competitors and potential collaborators are therefore advised to follow developments in Australasian e-learning closely.

Homepages at UniSA

"Home thoughts from abroad" - Clifford T. Ward

Dr Simon Shurville has a new homepage at the University of South Australia. There is also a page about my work on the BIM and LIM programs.

Wanted to study in Australia and thought you couldn't?

"Your kind of country; good as it gets" - Shane Howard

International students wishing to study Business Information Management and Library Information Management at University of South Australia can now apply! The CRICOS codes for the Master of Library and Information Management program have been approved - Fast Track - 062517B OR Standard Track 062518A

Depending on student background, the program may be completed in either the Standard track option (4 study periods over 2 academic years) or fast track option (3 study periods over 1.5 academic years). The standard option requires students to complete 13.5 units of courses per study period over 4 study periods or part-time equivalent. The fast track option requires students to complete 18 units of courses per study period over 3 study periods or equivalent.

Find out more about international application!

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business is now online

"I found her diary beneath a tree ..." - Bread

The first issue of the International Journal of Managing Projects in Business has just gone online. It provides broad coverage of all aspects of project management, from strategy to planning and implementation. With a unique and practical focus on project management in business, it is an essential resource for all those involved in the field of project management. I think that e-learning could stand a robust infusion of project management knowledge!

I am a member of the editorial board for this journal and I am currently working on a book review and a paper for submission to it.

Started at Uni SA today

"... it will be a start!" - The Jam

I have started work a Senior Lecturer in Information Systems in the School of Computer and Information Science at the University of South Australia.today! I am based at the City West Campus and my new e-mail is Simon.Shurville at unisa.edu.au. My home page at Uni Sa is http://people.unisa.edu.au/Simon.Shurville. I am program director of Business Information Management and Library Information Management.

I flew in from Perth a couple of weeks ago to start the reno on our house in Brighton. I have lifted a lot of dusty carpet so far. Marian flew over a few days later and has been busy stripping wall paper. The reno is going well and our furniture from Brighton, Enfgland and Fremantle arrived this morning. Fairly soon we will be able to relax in the pool and watch Skippy the cat slide on our newly polished floors into our newly painted walls. Bliss.

ICICTE 2008: Call For Papers

"Call me, call me any anytime ..." - Blondie

The call is now open for papers for plenary sessions examining the theoretical and practical applications of technology in education at all levels in both the public and private sectors. All proposals and papers are peer reviewed by members of the Scientific Committee. If you wish to present at ICICTE 2008 and have your paper published in the conference proceedings submit your proposal to Nancy Pyrini at nancypyrini@icicte.org by February 21, 2008. Papers from the conference will be published in special issues of Campus-Wide Information Systems (here is the 2007 issue), the UCFV Research Review and Interactive Learning Environments. Conference papers will be considered by each publication’s editorial board and authors will be invited to submit journal-length articles.

Proposals should be in MS Word and include title, purpose/objective section, and a 250–300 word summary. Papers must be suitable for a 15–20 minute presentation at a plenary session. Please include name, position and department, institution and contact information (mail, phone, fax and e-mail).Each proposal will be double-blind reviewed by the Scientific Committee. Notification on whether the proposal has been accepted will be sent by February 28, 2008.Completed manuscripts must be submitted by April 15, 2008 and will be double-blind peer reviewed by the Scientific Committee. Comments will be forwarded to the authors, and final manuscripts, with editorial changes, must be received by May 26, 2008.

Papers presented at the conference will be published in the proceedings under the title Information Communication Technologies in Education. Papers received after the deadline will not be included in the proceedings.Papers must not exceed 10 pages (including abstract, references, tables, figures and diagrams). Papers exceeding the stated limits will be returned to the authors for revision. Please consult the Manuscript Preparation Guidelines at the conference web site before submitting the final version of your paper.

On linked in

"Are you in or are you out?" - Ani Difranco

You can find me on linked in by following the linked button at the right. It has been great fun finding some old friends and colleagues. I would really like to track down Stephen Pantlin from Hampton Court if he is around. I suspect he moved to Australia a long time ago. Also David Wilshin from Epsom.

Paper on Learning Design Published in Kybernetes

"Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake" - Bob Dylan

Ranulph Glanville has just edited a special issue of Kybernetes: The International Journal of Systems, Cybernetics and Management Science (voume 36, isue 9/10) on Cybernetics and Design. The hard copy arrived in the post today and it is a very interesting read. I have a paper included co-authored with Bernard Scott, Piers MacLean and Chunyu Cong called 'Cybernetic Principles for Learning Design'.


Title: Cybernetic principles for learning design
Author(s): Bernard Scott, Simon Shurville, Piers Maclean, Chunyu Cong
Journal: Kybernetes
ISSN: 0368-492X
Year: 2007 Volume: 36 Issue: 9/10 Page: 1497 - 1514
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to present an approach from first principles to the design of learning experiences in interactive learning environments, that is “learning designs” in the broadest sense. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is based on conversation theory (CT), a theory of learning and teaching with principled foundations in cybernetics. The approach to learning design that is proposed is not dissimilar from other approaches such as that proposed by Rowntree. However, its basis in CT provides a coherent theoretical underpinning. Findings – Currently, in the world of e-learning, the terms “instructional design” and “learning design” are used to refer to the application of theories of learning and instruction to the creation of e-learning material and online learning experiences. The paper examines the roots of the two terms and discusses similarities and differences in usage. It then discusses how the processes of learning design fit into the larger processes of course, design, development and delivery. It goes on to examine the concept of a “learning design pattern”. Originality/value – The paper contends that, whilst learning design patterns are useful as starting-points for individual learning designs, learning designers should adopt the cybernetic principles of reflective practice – as expressed in CT – to create learning designs where received wisdom is enriched by contextual feedback from colleagues and learners.
Keywords: Cybernetics, Design, Learning
Article Type: Conceptual paper
Article URL: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/03684920710827445

There are a wide range of papers in this special issue that should appeal to anyone with an interest in cybernetics or design. I hope that the cross over between design theory and learning design will be investigated by other researchers. There is too much good design research to be ignored by learning designers.

The Extended Mind

"Keep on playing those mind games together ..." - John Lennon

My old mate Matthew Knight recently turned me on to some interesting work by Philosopher Andy Clark (who taught us both back in the day) and David Chalmers. The extended mind is a radical extension to situated cognition that sprang from Clark’s research into cognition (Clark, 1989) and Chalmers’ (1996) research into consciousness. It postulates an “active role of the environment in driving cognitive processes” (Clark and Chalmers, 2003, p 7) to the extent that “if, as we confront some task, a part of the world functions as a process which, were it done in the head, we would have no hesitation in recognizing as part of the cognitive process, then that part of the world is (so we claim) part of the cognitive process. Cognitive processes ain't (all) in the head!” (ibid, p 10).

References

• Chalmers (1996), The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory, Oxford: Oxford University Press.


• Clark, A. (1989), Microcognition: Philosophy, Cognitive Science, and Parallel Distributed Processing. Boston, M.A.: MIT Press.


• Clark, A. and Chalmers, D. J. (2003), The Extended Mind, Analysis, 58, pp 10-23.

ICICTE 2008 Web Site Launched: Clear July 10-12 in Your Diary

"Moonlight in Vermont" - Bill Evans' version played here for Ken

This year, ICICTE 2008, the best and most intimate e-learning conference in the history of civilisation, will be held on July 10-12 in Kanoni, Corfu (see below).

Papers from the conference will be published in special issues of Campus-Wide Information Systems (here is the 2007 issue), the UCFV Research Review and Interactive Learning Environments. Conference papers will be considered by each publication’s editorial board and authors will be invited to submit journal-length articles.

If you have not been to ICICTE before then, as the Aussies say, 'give it a go' --- you are in for a treat!

The new web site

Heroic action by new web master Ġorġ Mallia means that ICICTE 2008 has a handsome new web site.

Most of what follows is cribbed from Gorg's site. Hey Gorg, I'm sure there will be a beer in it for you in Corfu!

The conference

ICICTE 2008 will seek to address the many challenges and new directions presented by technological innovations in educational settings. Following in the tradition of previous ICICTE conferences, ICICTE 2008 will bring together an international community of scholars and practitioners in a forum setting. Opportunities for discussion on current thinking and practices in applications of technology to education are enhanced by the limited number of participants. The key note will be professor Gilly Salmon. Conference themes include:

• Institutional and national responses to technological change




• Political economy and educational technology: Intersections




• The architecture of learning; accessibility; the evolution of the classroom




• Pedagogy in the evolving tech environment




• Informal and formal adult education




• Multi-grade education




• Instructional design and delivery; evaluation and assessment




• Strategies and tools for teaching and learning, simulations and gaming




• Effects on training institutions and industry




• Impacts on educational institutions: effects on faculty, staff, administration, and students; curriculum and program development




• Intellectual property




• Ethical considerations in the use of information technology in teaching and learning




• The internationalization of institutions and of education




• Open/Distance learning




• Building communities of teachers/educators; cooperative learning




• Teacher training




• The use of technology in education to promote democratic ideals, freedom, equality.
  

This year the conference will be held at the Corfu Holiday Palace Hotel in Kanoni, Corfu. Located in Kanoni, 4km from Corfu town and 4 km from the airport, the location of the hotel is one of outstanding beauty with elevated panoramic views of the Ionian sea.
On one side overlooking the picturesque Convent of our Lady Vlacherna, the fully renovated hotel is the only one with a direct view to the famous “Mouse island”, the trademark of Corfu island. On the other side, a beautiful view of Lake Halikiopoulou and distant hills.

Organizers

ICICTE is lead by Professor Ken Fernstrom (above right) the Canadian with the best jazz appreciation out of B.C. if you are ever stuck in the Greek countryside without a ride home, Ken is your man. The conference director is Nancy Pyrini (above right) who could manage a moonshot for half what NASA would charge. Nicole Levinsky is the conference registra (somewhere above on the left!). Nicole could get mankind to Mars and then fish for salmon to feed everyone once we got there!

P.S. I am proud as punch to be named a friend of the conference alongside Ġorġ Mallia (a talented cartoonist) and Marcie Boucouvalas.

The Design-Based Research Collective

"Black skin, red skin, yellow or white ... Everybody needs to read and write ... Everybody needs an education" - The Kinks

I came across The Design-Based Research Collective through Jan Herrington's excellent keynote at AARE 2007. They are "... a small group of researchers who engage in design-based research, often in technology enhanced learning environments. In our own work, we have come to recognize the need to better define the nature, methods, and outcomes of design-based research so that we may more easily share our own research and build on the work of others." You can read more at their excellent web site. You can read more about design-based research, "which blends empirical educational research with the theory-driven design of learning environments, [and] is an important methodology for understanding how, when, and why educational innovations work in practice." in their paper "Design-Based Research: An Emerging Paradigm for Educational Inquiry".

New Job in a New Town

"We live in the city of dreams ..."
- Talking Heads

I have been offered and have accepted a post as a Senior Lecturer in Information Systems in the School of Computer and Information Science at the University of South Australia. Marian and I love Adelaide and I am chuffed to bits to be working for Uni S.A. It looks like I am going to be leading a program this year, which is really exciting.

I flew over from Perth to Adelaide this week to view a house and spent a sunny afternoon on Brighton beach swimming around the pier and reading a science fiction novel. It would be fun to move from Brighton, England to Brighton, South Australia. I can only hope that Mike Harvard will ome over and open the Full Moon, Brighton, S.A.!

My Better Self

"Everybody Knows This is NOWHERE!!!! La, La, La, La, La, LAH"

- Dar Williams and Marshall Crenshaw

I don’t usually write about music here but I am making an exception as I have been astounded by two comeback albums. Spookily, as Dame Edna would say, they are both by singers called Willams.

Dar Williams was a favorite of mine back in the mid 90s. She sang great folk pop that invariably made me feel glad to be alive and had me jumping from Brighton pier into the English channel on hot days. Change is inevitable though and her last album ‘The Green World’ dragged a lot. So I grew up and lost interest. The other day I was shopping for second hand cds in Fremantle and came across her 2005 album ‘My Better Self’. It features Marshall (oh cruel world why was he never mega) Crenshaw on vocals and guitar and an astounding version of Neil Young’s ‘Everybody Knows this is Nowhere’. There is also a surprisingly good version of ‘Comfortably Numb’ featuring Ani DiFranco. It is not often that I play imaginary mandolin to folk pop and wake up the cat but there is a time and a place and this album is definitely it.

I thought I gave up on Lucinda Williams a few years ago when she changed styles from narrative to chant. In fact I sold her last two albums before I left the UK. So I was surprise d to find myself buying a second hand copy of her new album ‘West’. Genius. Yes sheer wanton Genius with 300 kinds of hot sauce to spare. The album is worth buying for the opening track ‘Are You OK?’ and it builds and builds. It is not often I lift an imaginary bourbon glass in an equally imaginary after hours Antone’s in Austin but there is a time and a place and this album is definitely it.

The other unexpected soundtrack to my back yard this summer is a compilation by the Flamin Groovies which just oozes the grease like the cheese from a chilli dog. Go buy some mirrored aviators and 'Shake Some Action'!

Launch of the International Journal of Project Management in Business

"Through the mirror of my mind ... Time after time ... I see reflections of you and me" - Holland, Dozier, Holland

Emerald are now publishing a new journal called the International Journal of Project Management in Business. The journal is edited by Dr Derek Walker who is Professor of Project Management at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. I am very proud to be on the editorial board.

Derek describes the journal’s mission as follows “The International Journal of Managing Projects in Business (IJMPiB) is a peer reviewed journal that is focussed upon stimulating improved project management (PM) knowledge generation, transfer and practice. Its content will appeal to reflective PM practitioners and academics interested in current PM theory and leading edge empirical work. PM has moved beyond being a narrow technical speciality to a way of conducting business—be that for commercial enterprises, not-for-profit organisations or for government and administrative support agencies (Crawford, Morris, Thomas and Winter, 2006). The journal embraces the study of how these organisation currently manage portfolios, programs and projects, and more importantly it offers insights into how PM may be better undertaken to generate value (in its broadest sense) to stakeholders who should gain benefit from project outcomes. … This journal arose out of recognition of the need to extend available sources of published peer-reviewed project management theory and practice. Two well established and well respected journals (the International Journal of Project Management and the Journal of Project Management) are widely available to academics and practitioners in electronic and hardcopy form through library electronic data bases. The International Project Management Association (IPMA) also publishes an annual volume of peer reviewed papers through its member organisations e.g. the Project Management Association Finland. While these existing publications provide a current outlet for the serious review of project management theory and practice, it lags other disciplines in the general management and engineering arena where there are literally dozens of journal titles that are accepted and valued for their knowledge supporting contribution. Further, many of these journals rarely address the practical issues of how scientific, engineering, public policy, health services, and the entertainment for example, actually deliver benefit through projects. Delivering beneficial change through projects lies at the core of value generation and so the aim of this journal is to focus on how a range of industries undertakes and directs the business of project management in delivering its programs of projects within its portfolios of strategic activities. This broadens the business of managing projects well outside its traditional engineering and business ‘home’ disciplines.” (Walker, forthcoming).

I am really exited to be able to read (and be associated with) a project management journal where Argyris and Schon are foundational references.

References

• Argyris, C. (1977). “Double Loop Learning in Organinizations.” Harvard Business Review. 55 (5): 115-125.


• Argyris, C. (1982). “The Executive Mind and Double-Loop Learning.” Organizational Dynamics. 11 (2): 5-22.


• Crawford, L., Morris, P., Thomas, J. and Winter, M. (2006). “Practitioner Development: From Trained Technicians to Reflective Practitioners.”. International Journal of Project Management. 24 (8): 722-733.


• Schön, D. A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner - How Professionals Think in Action. Aldershot, UK BasiAshgate ARENA.


• Walker, D. (forthcoming). “Introduction to the first issue of the International Journal of Project Management in Business”. International Journal of Project Management in Business. 1(1).
  

Deezer: Free Music You Can (almost) Embed on a Teaching Page

"Nice one ... Geezer!" - Pulp

The promise: http://www.deezer.com/ is a *legal* site that enables you to listen to free music on demand. In theory it should enable users embed tunes on web pages. If this worked then it would be a *great* teaching and learning tool. For example, my partner recently wanted to play her students "Joe Hill" by Joan Baez as part of a lecture on the history of American unions. Theoretically she could then embed the song on the course web page so that the students could listen to it at their convenience. Students could also embed songs for in presentations and personal / shared learning environments. Yes, I know you can do this from You Tube but … see below.

In practice: Deezer generates code that you can insert onto a web site or blog. I tried (see the embedded player below) and cannot get it to work yet but I am going to investigate further as this is such a great idea. I will edit this post if I can work our what went wrong.

Reflection: Of course you can do this with You Tube but I remain skeptical about the morality of You Tube and I think we have to set a digital rights management example to our students. This is a very grey area. I would claim that the quotes and pictures used on this site are examples of ‘fair use’. But I am not a lawyer. However, I was recently struck by something one of David Mamet’s characters said on ‘The Unit’ to advise someone with a moral dilemma: “If you knew the answer, then what would it be?”. My answer is that You Tube is built on shakey ground, I realize that the law and the younger generation think otherwise.

Susan Bull and Open Learner Models: Special Issues of IJAIE

"Turn the pages you didn't open ..." - Gene Clark

I shared an office with Susan Bull at the University of Brighton in the late 1990s. Susan, who has now moved to the University of Birmingham, is one of the most imaginative and hard working people I ever met and she has produced umpteen trillion papers on Learner Modeling and in particular Open Learner Models. I wish I had thought of open learner models myself but at least I was lucky enough to co-author a couple of papers with Susan (Bull & Shurville, 1999a, 1999b).

So what are open learner models? Over to Susan and her co-authors ...

• "The learner model is central to an adaptive educational system, as it is the model of the learner’s understanding (and possibly also other attributes such as their goals, motivation, learning preferences, etc.), that enables a system to adapt to the individual user’s current learning requirements. Traditionally, the learner model has been closed to the learner since its primary purpose, as indicated above, has been to allow a system to adapt to the individual’s needs. For several decades now, the Artificial Intelligence in Education community has been developing methods for modelling learners, and dealing with the dynamics and potential inaccuracy of learner models. One promising approach to improving the accuracy of the learner model is to open the contents of the model to the learner it represents, to allow them to suggest additional information, or to propose corrections to entries, thereby helping to maintain the accuracy of a system’s model of the user’s knowledge and other attributes relevant to the specific educational context. A second benefit of this interactive approach to learner modelling is that the learner model now plays a new role – not only can the learner contribute information to help increase the accuracy and therefore the utility of their learner model for adaptation purposes, but the model can also become a learning resource for the student in its own right. Such an open learner model (i.e. a learner model accessible to the learner modelled) offers the learner a perspective on their understanding that is not usually available to them, which can facilitate reflection on their knowledge and on the learning process more generally, as students must carefully consider their knowledge state before suggesting changes to their model. Furthermore, even non-interactive open learner models (that is, learner models that are inspectable but not changeable by the user) have the potential to prompt learner reflection and metacognition in a similar manner, as they confront the learner with information about their understanding which is likely to provoke some kind of cognitive reaction from them." (Bull, Dimitrova, and McCalla, 2007).
  

That more or less says it all. My only comment is that open learner models herald a way for artificial intellgence in education to embrace constructivist and student-centred approaches. To my mind reflection and metacognition have to outshine passive grazing of knowledge. It would be trendy to mention that open learner models have potential in personal learning environments and connections to learner-generated contexts. As Lyn Pemberton used to tease, I'm so a la mode that I'm going to do it anyway.

Susan has just co-edited a pair of special issues of the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education that introduce the state of play and current research issues in open student models. I recommend that anyone with an interest in AI and education should read the first and second parts of the introduction (Bull, Dimitrova & McCalla, G, 2007; Dimitrova, McCalla & Bull, 2007). Susan's has a paper in the issue with Judy Kay of the University of Sydney 'Student Models that Invite the Learner In: The SMILI
:-) Learner Modelling Framework' , which takes us toward a common framework to compare and contrast open learner models. Phil Agre argues that research in AI goes through neat and scruffy phases and both are necessary to make progress. It is good to see the emergence of a neat framework to tie the field of open learner models together. Now people can get on with some wild and scruffy research!

With further progress in mind, I notice from her home page that Susan has some PhD opportunities available and is particularly interested in supervising PhD students interested in open learner modelling, adaptive learning environments, mobile learning or computer-assisted language learning. If you are setting out in educational technology then having Susan as a supervisor would be a grand way to start. I certainly learned a lot sharing that office.

References

• Bull, S., Dimitrova, V. & McCalla, G. (2007). Open Learner Models: Research Questions (Preface to Special Issue of the IJAIED Part 1), International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education 17(2), 83-87.
• Dimitrova, V., McCalla, G. & Bull, S. (2007). Open Learner Models: Future Research Directions (Preface to Special Issue of the IJAIED Part 2), International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education 17(3), 217-226.
• Bull, S. & Kay, J. (2007). Student Models that Invite the Learner In: The SMILI Open Learner Modelling Framework, International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education 17(2), 89-120.
• Bull, S. & Shurville, S. (1999a). Cooperative Writer Modeling: Facilitating Reader-Based Writing with Scrawl. In Morales, R., Pain, H., Bull, S. and Kay, J. (eds), Proceedings of Workshop on Open, Interactive and Other Overt Approaches to Learner Modeling, International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education 1999, pp 1-8.
• Bull S. & Shurville S. (1999b). Online Reader, Writer and Student Models to Support the Writing Process. In Kay J. (ed.) The Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on User Modeling 1999, Banff, Canada, pp 295–297.

Ranulph Glanville on cybernetics, design and education

" Who will provide the grand design? ... What is yours and what is mine?" - The Eagles

Ranulph Glanville kindly sent me a couple of very interesting columns he has written for Cybernetics and Human knowing on second order cybernetics and education. I find myself a fellow traveler on Ranulph’s shirt tails on the importance of design disciplines and practice to the construction of knowledge. I am also in agreement that studio-based learning should be imported from design education to mainstream education. I just wish that he had not thought these thoughts ten or twenty years before I did. So I recommend tracking down his columns from Cybernetics and Human Knowing on ‘A (Cybernetic) Musing: Cybernetics and Human Knowing’ and ‘A (Cybernetic) Musing: Some Examples of Cybernetically Informed Educational Practice’. The second paper features excellent descriptions of studio-based and problem-based learning.

Asher Rospigliosi and I applied elements of the studio-based approach when teaching Digital Entrepreneurship, i.e. embedding information systems within SMEs, to entrepreneurs at the University of Essex iLab. We integrated the studio-based approach with action learning / research. So there *were* consequences to the learner's actions. Working together and ‘pinching’ ideas certainly seemed to help the learners to combine experiences in tasks such as authoring change and innovation plans and thus avoid reinventing wheels. My learning from the experience was that eclecticism is important in learning design. Although leaning designers should not be dilettantes, they should select the most appropriate aspects of the available approaches. This requires staying in contact with developments in learning and teaching and being a reflective practioner. As Van Morrison sang “No guru, no method, no teacher …” but perhaps that over states the case. Some of Ranulph’s advice from A (Cybernetic) Musing: Some Examples of Cybernetically Informed Educational Practice’ quoted below can help a learning designer/teacher to remain grounded.

• "Treat students as you would be treated yourself: show concern for them and for their vulnerability. Thus we relearn generosity.
• Remember, if we have to present in “preaching” modes (e.g. lectures), at least to entertain. Lecturing, especially “educational” lecturing at university, is a performance art (that’s why it’s so hard). Tell a good story well!
• If you wish to be interesting, you must be interested.
• Education is involved in helping others learn. It is concerned with the learner, first and foremost. It is not an opportunity for a teacher to display his/her knowledge/authority.
• We, as teachers, are also learners. There is an endless conversation to be had between us all." (Glanville, 2002, p 8).

Further reading

You can download both columns from Ranulph's web site.

Postgraduate Courses in E-Learning at Brighton and Sussex

"Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name ..." - Theme from Cheers by Lance Mannion

As there is a dearth of education and training opportunities for e-learning specialists, I would like to mention a course that I always hear good things about. The University of Brighton and Sussex University have joined forces to offer a Post Graduate Certificate in E-Learning Design. The following information is quoted from the course web site at Sussex:

“The PGCert in E-Learning Design is a part-time programme aimed at those working in or intending to work in the e-learning industry. Two potential awards are available: a 60 credit and a 90 credit version. The 60-credit PGCert in E-Learning Design is suitable for students with a background in education, multimedia or computing. This programme provides a means of augmenting their skillsets to fit the needs of the e-learning industry. For those already working in the industry, the 90 credit PGCert in E-Learning Design (Professional Practice) offers opportunities to strengthen and expand existing knowledge and skills, and to demonstrate proficiency in a professional setting. Areas covered by the programme include e-learning design, learning technologies, project management, and theories of learning (60 and 90 credit versions). The full 90 credit PGCert in E-Learning Design (Professional Practice) provides an opportunity to develop effective reflective practice in the workplace. Successful graduates from either version may choose to use credits gained in this course towards an MSc in Learning Technologies offered by the University of Brighton.” (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/publications/pgrad2007/areasofstudy/Computing,%20artificial%20intelligence%20and%20IT/16376)

The Brighton MSc offers the following topics: User-centred Design and Development, Research Design and Evaluation, Project Management, New Media Applications Development, Theories of Learninge, Learning Development, and a Major Project.

As an ex-employee and graduate of both universities I know many of those involved in teaching these courses and can thus highly recommend them. If you are looking for a qualification in E-Learning then these are great courses to investigate. Of course if I have my way they will soon face some additional competition from down under ...

Learner-Generated Contexts

"Mercy, mercy me ... the ecology" - Marvin Gaye

Should we conceptualize learners as tourists in zoologicalgardens curated by educators or as explorers in open environments fraught with danger and reward? In other words do we see ourseves as Johnny Morris or our learners as Steve Irwin?

Rose Luckin and her colleagues Jon Akass, John Cook, Peter Day, Nigel Ecclesfield, Fred Garnett, Matt Gould, Tom Hamilton, Andrew Whitworth have published some interesting and much needed theoretical work to frame discussions of education and web 2.0 grounded in ideas of self-organization and ecology. I think they would opt for Steve Irwin!

In 'Learner-Generated Contexts: Sustainable Learning Pathways Through Open Content' they write: "The proposal of a Learner Generated Context arose initially from the suggestion that an educational context can be described as a learner-centric ecology of resources and that a learner-generated context is one in which a user or group of users collaboratively marshal the available resources to create an ecology that meets their needs (see Luckin, R. 2006; Luckin, du Boulay, Smith, Underwood, Fitzpatrick, Holmberg, Kerawalla, Tunley, Brewster & Pearce, 2005; Luckin, Shurville & Browne, 2007 for more detail on the learnercentric ecology of resources framework and for more detailed examples). Through the discussions of the Learner Generated Context group fresh perspectives on thiscontention have developed. For example, both spatial and process issues emerge. These could be described as Changing the learning context and generating learning spaces, and Changing the learning process and the learning context.” (Luckin et al, 2007 p 90).

Elsewhere writing as the The Learner Generated Contexts Group, Luckin et al provide a nice pithy definition: "“A Learner Generated Context can be defined as a context created by people interacting together with a common, self-defined or negotiated learning goal. The key aspect of Learner Generated Contexts is that they are generated through the enterprise of those who would previously have been consumers in a context created for them." You can find out more and add to discussion at the wiki.

I think that the concept of a Learner-Generated Context helps us to start thinking about personal learning environments from a learning and teaching perspective rather than a purely technical one. Supporting approaches like mode two, participative action learning / research and enquiry-based learning with web 2.0 will require its own ecology of models and frameworks. For example, second order cybernetics becomes a useful tool to study and reflect upon Learner-Generated Contexts once we start to view learners as conscious modelers of their own learnings and learning environments. As educators we can teach reflective practice, perhaps using some form of scaffolding, to help learners to become second order cyberneticians in their own right.

Turning to materiality, I think that the ecological metaphor helps to make it clear that virtual learning environments, personal learning environments and other forms of technology mediated learning are part of a wider and more tangible world of books, museums and coffee bar conversations etc that learners inhabit and animate. Sometimes ‘hidden learning environments’ are only hiding in plain sight. Perhaps learning technologisits should get out more ...

Further reading: You can download a great powerpoint on learner-generated contexts. A smart addition to anyone's ecology.

References

• Luckin, R.; du Boulay, B.; Smith, H.; Underwood, J.; Fitzpatrick, G.; Holmberg, J.; Kerawalla, L.; Tunley, H.; Brewster, D. and Pearce, D. (2005). Using Mobile Technology to Create Flexible Learning Contexts, Journal of Interactive Media in Education, Special Issue on Portable Learning .
• Luckin, R. (2006). Understanding Learning Contexts as Ecologies of Resources: From the Zone of Proximal Development to Learner Generated Contexts. In T. Reeves & S. Yamashita (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Elearning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2006 (pp. 2195–2202). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
• Luckin, R., Shurville, S. and Browne, T. (2007) Initiating elearning by stealth, participation and consultation in a late majority institution, Organisational Transformation and Social Change Volume 3 Number 3 and Volume 4 Number 1 pp. 317–332.
  

Further reading

• Judy Robertson attended the recent London Knowledge Lab event on learner-generated contexts (I missed it as I was busy migrating) and her reflections on the event can be found on her previous blog. Judy has now moved her blog to typepad. It looks like an interesting platform. http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/~judy/blog/2007/09/learner-generated-contexts.html