JISC e-Learning Pedagogy programme

The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) is funded by the UK HE and FE funding bodies to provide world-class leadership in the innovative use of ICT to support education and research. JISC funds a national services portfolio (e.g. JANET) and a range of programmes (e.g. Use of Technology to Support Admissions to HE) and projects (e.g. Google Generation project).

One programme of particular interest is the e-Learning and Pedagogy Programme. Its activities are broadly grouped under two themes:

• Designing for Learning (with a practitioner planning focus on e-Learning) explores the process of designing, planning, sequencing or orchestrating learning tasks which may include the use of e-Learning tools. Outputs from this theme will help practitioners to make effective decisions about the use of e-Learning, and will help to support the effective design and use of learning design tools. Read a detailed overview of these activities, together with commentary on how the outcomes and recommendations are being taken forward, in Designing for Learning: An update on the Pedagogy strand of the JISC eLearning programme [Word]
• Understanding my Learning (with a learner reflection focus on e-Learning) explores the learner perspective on e-Learning. This theme of activities focuses on issues such as perception, participation, the value and meanings learners attach to e-Learning opportunities, and learner differences. Outputs from this theme will help to inform all those involved in the support of student learning with ICT, and to promote the development of effective environments for learning. Read more about the background and rationale to Understanding my Learning [Word]

Creative Commons Open Ed

Though people and projects across the OER community frequently work together, there is no single "community" to join. Creative Commons has now created an "Open Ed" site for the Open Education Community.



The site invites you to feel free to sign up for an account on the site and edit wiki pages of interest, as well as joining the listserv. Or browse the other projects and participate there.

There is a section for the "Open Ed Community" where you can share information of interest to the community, as well as identify and coordinate with peers and collaborators from across this international movement. There is a also section specifically for "Teachers", that tells you about producing, using and finding OER; a section for "Learners", that covers using finding and participating in OER creation; and a section on how to "Find OER".

Vol 5, Issue 2 of IJEDICT published - free, open access

Vol. 5, No. 2 (2009) of International Journal of Education and Development using ICT has now been published online at http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewissue.php?id=20

The articles are available online as free open access.


Editorial
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Technology integration and adoption in education and the community
Stewart Marshall, The University of the West Indies, Barbados, West Indies
Wal Taylor, The University of the West Indies, Barbados, West Indies
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=734


invited articles
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Educational Development in Kenya and the Role of Information and Communication Technology
Wanjira Kinuthia, Georgia State University


Refereed Articles
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Action research practices and media for development
Jo Tacchi, QUT
Marcus Foth, QUT
Greg Hearn, QUT
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=560

The conditions and level of ICT integration in Malaysian Smart Schools
Wan Zah Wan Ali, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Hajar Mohd Nor, Ministry of Education, Malaysia
Azimi Hamzah, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Nor Hayati Alwi, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=618

A Problem-based approach to accounting education: Pragmatic appraisal of a technologically enabled solution
Carla L Wilkin, Monash University
Phillip A Collier, University of Melbourne
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=658

Analyzing the usage patterns and challenges of telecenters among rural communities: experience from four selected telecenters in Tanzania
Wulystan Pius Mtega, Sokoine University of Agriculture
Andrew Watson Malekani, Sokoine University of Agriculture
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=625

Development and validation of a computer instructional package on electrochemistry for secondary schools in Nigeria.
Oloyede Solomon Oyelekan, University of Ilorin, Nigeria
Adekunle Solomon Olorundare, University of Ilorin, Nigeria
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=677

Research in Progress
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Data Completeness Analysis of Malaysian Educational Management Information System
Azlinah Mohamed, Universiti Teknologi MARA
Nik Abdullah Nik Abdul Kadir, Ministry of Education
May-Lin Yap, Universiti Teknologi MARA
Shuzlina Abdul Rahman, Universiti Teknologi MARA
Noor Habibah Arshad, Universiti Teknologi MARA
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=477


From the Field
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Brazilian Teachers’ Agency in a Web-based U.S. Reform Project
Eduardo S. Junqueira, Universidade Federal do Ceará
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=617

e-Education Systems Implementation Success Model
Saadiah Yahya, associate profesor
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=601


Project Sheets
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The Computers for Education Forum COF (www.cof-cameroon.ning.com): Working with 57 rural schools (Ngoketunjia, North West Region, Cameroon)
Tamara R Palamakumbura, Partners for Community Development Initiative (PCDI)
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=684

Literature Reviews
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Growth and Improvement of Information Communication Technology in Kenya
Gatana G Kariuki,
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=667

Effective Technology Integration: Old Topic, New Thoughts
Bude Su, CSU Monterey Bay
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=620

New issue of IJEDICT published - Vol 5, Issue 1

Vol. 5, No. 1 (2009) of International Journal of Education and Development using ICT has now been published online at http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewissue.php?id=19

The articles are available for access and download free of charge.


Editorial
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special Issue on Problem Based Learning and ICT
Stewart Marshall, The University of the West Indies, Barbados, West Indies
Wal Taylor, The University of the West Indies, Barbados, West Indies
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=699

Guest Editorial
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Innovation of Problem Based Learning through ICT: Linking Local and Global Experiences
Lone Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Aalborg University, Denmark
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=682

Refereed Articles
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Managing the gap between curriculum based and problem based learning: Deployment of multiple learning strategies in design and delivery of online courses in computer science
Ann Bygholm, E-learning lab, Aalborg University
Lillian Buus, E-learning lab, Aalborg University
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=267


From the Field
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Tele-collaborative projects in Brazilian Schools
Miriam Godoy enteado, State University of São Paulo, Brazil
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=251

Multicultural and Creative On-line Learning
Katherine Judith Goodnow, University of Bergen
Verónica Córdova Soria, Universidad Catolica Boliviana
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=266

A learner-centered approach with the student as the producer of digital materials for hybrid courses
Anna Escofet, University of Barcelona, Spain
http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=262

Open Access Week, October 19 – 23, 2009

Washington, DC – March 5, 2009
To accommodate widespread global interest in the movement toward Open Access to scholarly research results, October 19 – 23, 2009 will mark the first international Open Access Week. The now-annual event, expanded from one day to a full week, presents an opportunity to broaden awareness and understanding of Open Access to research, including access policies from all types of research funders, within the international higher education community and the general public.

Open Access Week builds on the momentum generated by the 120 campuses in 27 countries that celebrated Open Access Day in 2008. Event organizers SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition), the Public Library of Science (PLoS), and Students for FreeCulture welcome key new contributors, who will help to enhance and expand the global reach of this popular event in 2009: eIFL.net (Electronic Information for Libraries), OASIS (the Open Access Scholarly Information Sourcebook); and the Open Access Directory (OAD).

“I’m participating in Open Access Week again this year because I want to shed light on the tremendous potential of Open Access,” said Allyson Mower, Scholarly Communications & Copyright Librarian for the University of Utah’s Marriott Library. “People searching for information usually consume whatever is readily available. Open Access ensures that quality information is at people’s fingertips.”

“eIFL.net works to make intellectual outputs of developing and transitional countries more visible and more easily accessible,” added Rima Kupryte, Director of eIFL.net. “We believe that Open Access contributes to improved education, teaching, and research, and accelerates innovations and economical developments in these countries. Open Access Week is a great opportunity to promote Open Access globally.”

This year’s program will highlight educational resources on Open Access that local hosts can use to customize their own programs to suit local audiences and time zones. OASIS will serve as the centerpiece of the 2009 program, delivering resources for every constituency and every awareness level. The Open Access Directory will again provide an index of participants on five continents, as well as their growing clearinghouse for all OA resources. Through the collaborative functionality of the two initiatives, OA videos, briefing papers, podcasts, slideshows, posters and other informative tools will be drawn from all over the Web to be highlighted during Open Access Week.

The organizers will also work with registrants to develop a variety of sample program tracks, such as “Administrators’ introduction to campus open-access policies and funds,” “OA 101,” and “Complying with the NIH public access policy” that take full advantage of available tools. Participants are invited to adapt these resources for local use, and to mark Open Access Week by hosting an event, distributing literature, blogging — or even just wearing an Open Access t-shirt.

“After the success of last year’s Open Access Day, we’re delighted to be co-organizing the first ever Open Access Week with our fellow collaborators, again in conjunction with the anniversary of one of our flagship journals,” said Peter Jerram, CEO for the Public Library of Science. “We ask our supporters to celebrate the fifth anniversary of PLoS Medicine by spreading the word about Open Access and getting involved in the week.”

“There’s no more certain sign of the momentum behind Open Access to research than an annual, global celebration of this scale,” added Heather Joseph, Executive Director of SPARC. “Occasions like this are the best possible way to attract attention from busy faculty members and administrators, and to demonstrate the widespread appeal of Open Access. It’s SPARC’s pleasure to be working with our partners to realize the event once again this year.”

For more information about Open Access Week and to register, visit http://www.openaccessweek.org.

WikiEducator Teacher Education Portal

Just recently there was another step forward in the OER movement. The new WikiEducator Teacher Education Portal which was launched on April 4, 2009 received a very encouraging response in the Commonwealth and beyond. Within 36 hours, over 312 educators in over 26 countries registered to be part of this collaborative effort. Additional teachers/countries are expected to come on board in the coming days and weeks.




Comments from the Ministry of Education in Trinidad & Tobago such as "...once again COL has provided a forum for collaboration...we can recall Trinidad and Tobago has benefited from WikiEducator training courtesy of COL over the past few years.....as a Ministry we take advantage of this opportunity to have our teachers collaborate to develop content, lesson plans....We have more than 100 teachers who participated in WIKI training last year...how can we build on this" and...the National University of Samoa commented that "this is a very useful and important resource and forum....It welcomed their staff to take relevant information to support their own work but also to make contributions to WikiEducator".

The WikiEducator Teacher Education Portal aims to provide teachers with a platform to share knowledge, to develop content specific to their needs, to benefit their teaching experience and/or to use in their classrooms, share ideas, collaborate on projects, and hold professional development workshops.

Educators are invited to join this Portal/forum in this major collaboration campaign, to create open educational resources that not only benefit themselves but also their own environment as well as others, by moving closer together and collaborating in subject areas of mutual interest, to develop open educational resources (OERs) on Wikieducator directly.

A new OER initiative in Africa

Educational institutions in developing countries generally do not have the finances for large scale development of course materials, but if all the institutions contribute a bit and share in the development of materials, then big strides can be made. This is the philosophy of Open Educational Resources (OER).

Here is a new OER initiative in Africa and this is what their website has to say:


OER Africa was launched as an innovative new project, under the auspices of the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE).

This pan-African project is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and envisioned to play a leading role in driving the development and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) within higher education across the African continent.

OER Africa was established in the firm belief that OER has a powerful positive role to play in developing and capacitating higher education systems and institutions across Africa. This conviction is matched by concern that – if the concept and practice of OER evolves predominantly outside and for Africa – then African higher education will not be able to liberate its potential for itself. Thus, OER Africa has been set up to ensure that the power of OER is harnessed by Africans for Africans by building collaborative networks across the continent. The premise of OER Africa is that it will facilitate the aggregation of information and human expertise that produces knowledge – an activity which can either be individual, or inter-institutional. In order to continually test this premise, OER has not only developed an action research Agenda, but also sought the counsel and support of an Advisory Group of experts in various aspects of higher education.

Seed funding has been provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, a Foundation which has successfully supported the development of a number of open educational resources initiatives such as the MIT OpenCourseWare in the United States.

Free e-book on Mobile Learning

"Mobile Learning: Transforming the Delivery of Education and Training", edited by Mohamed Ally, has just been published by Athabasca University as an e-book under the Creative Commons license.

I regard myself as a fairly early adopter of technology, but for a variety of reasons I have never moved to adopting mobile technology in education and training. It's hard to believe that the first book on mobile learning was actually published four years ago and of course there were journal articles and conference presentations before then. Since then, many applications have been created for mobile devices, including ones for education and training.

In this book, Mohamed Ally has collected thirteen chapters on current research initiatives and applications of mobile technology in learning.

More details at:

http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120155

The free e-book is available as a PDF file (4.4 MB) from:
http://www.aupress.ca/books/120155/ebook/99Z_Mohamed_Ally_2009-MobileLearning.pdf

ICT Development Index compares 154 countries

Continuing the theme of Tuesday's blog, today's blog is also about connectivity. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s new ICT Development Index (IDI) compares developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) in 154 countries over a five-year period from 2002 to 2007.

The Index combines 11 indicators into a single measure that can be used as a benchmarking tool globally, regionally and at the country level. These are related to ICT access, use and skills, such as households with a computer the number of Internet users; and literacy levels.

The Index identifies the most advanced countries in ICT as from Northern Europe, with the exception of the Republic of Korea. Sweden tops the new Index, followed by Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Norway. They are followed by other, mainly high-income countries from Europe, Asia, and North America. Western and Northern Europe and North America are the regions with the highest IDI scores, and most countries from these regions are among the top twenty ICT economies. Poor countries, in particular the least developed countries, remain at the lower end of the index with limited access to ICT infrastructure, including fixed and mobile telephony, Internet and broadband.

Globally speaking, most progress has been made on ICT access, which includes fixed and mobile telephony, Internet bandwidth, and households with computers and Internet. In terms of ICT use, which includes the number of Internet users, fixed and mobile broadband, progress has been much slower. In particular broadband, a more recent technology, still has to take off in many countries.

For further details of the full report, see the ITU press release on their website:

http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2009/07.html