eLearning It CoP

Case Studies on the Use of Online Social Networking in Formal Education

2013-03-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

As the use of online social networking (OSN) sites by young people continues to grow in popularity, researches have been focussing mainly on the benefits and dangers of such sites on the young generation. However, due to privacy and safety concerns, online social networking sites are normally blocked in schools in Mauritius. This article presents two experiments carried out on the use of a social networking site in education.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Virtual Presenters

2013-02-22T19:37:00.001-05:00

Inspired by Steven Covey's famous book, these specific skills are developed by Darius Lahoutifard for those wanting to be better at presenting in 3D Virtual Conferences.

HEBBIAN LEARNING

2013-02-20T14:24:00.000-05:00

How Far Can You Go with Hebbian Learning, and When Does it Lead you Astray? James L. McClelland This paper considers the use of Hebbian learning rules to model aspects of development and learning, including the emergence of structure in the visual system in early life. There is considerable physiological evidence that a Hebb-like learning rule applies to the strengthening of synaptic efficacy seen in neurophysiological investigations of synaptic plasticity, and similar learning rules are often used to show how various properties of visual neurons and their organization into ocular dominance stripes and orientation columns could arise without being otherwise pre-programmed.

Ethnography of Online Role-Playing Games

2013-02-13T02:29:00.000-05:00

Ethnography of Online Role-Playing Games: The Role of Virtual and Real Contest in the Construction of the Field, Simona Isabella Abstract: This paper invites the reader into the world of MUDs (Multi User Domains). Its underlying goal is to analyse certain social challenges associated with computer mediated communication (CMC), specifically with respect to the concept of the game; the process involved in the construction of the online Self or personality, potentially perceived as the final culmination of the frequent "comings and goings" between the game and reality; the concept of community that develops between two different frames—the virtual world and the real one; and, finally, the concept of both online and offline "experience".

Autoethnography: An Overview

2013-02-13T02:21:00.001-05:00

Autoethnography, by Carolyn Ellis, Tony E. Adams & Arthur P. Bochner, is an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyze personal experience in order to understand cultural experience. This approach challenges canonical ways of doing research and representing others and treats research as a political, socially-just and socially-conscious act.

Avatar Watching

2013-02-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

Avatar Watching: participant observation in graphical online environments, Matthew Williams, 2007, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University.~~~ This study addresses the impact of graphical pseudo-presence, avatar representation, physical online boundaries and multiple online sites upon the practice of participant observation are examined.

Demographics of Virtual Worlds

2013-01-26T21:58:00.000-05:00

By Jeremiah Spence, Department of Radio, TV & Film, University of Texas at Austin. Virtual worlds, as both a concept and an industry, has changed radically over the past 10 years, from a toy for the technological elite, to an over-hyped marketing phenomenon, to a needed reexamination of the uses and utility of virtual world technologies and experiences, as provided in this paper.

Horizon Report > 2012 Higher Education Edition

2013-01-26T21:07:00.001-05:00

The internationally recognized NMC Horizon Report series and regional NMC Technology Outlooks are part of the NMC Horizon Project, a comprehensive research venture established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact over the coming five years in education around the globe.

A Museum of Virtual Media

2013-01-26T17:13:00.000-05:00

By Jim Blascovich and Jeremy Bailenson

Natural History Magazine presents a synopsis of the book "Infinite Reality: Avatars, Eternal Life, New Worlds, and the Dawn of the Virtual Revolution" © 2011 Jim Blascovich and Jeremy Bailenson. ( video )

2013-01-22T09:42:00.000-05:00

Training Evaluation in Virtual Worlds:Development of a Model

In the abstract, many organizations have adopted virtual worlds (VWs) as a setting for training programs; however, research on appropriate evaluation of training in this new setting is incomplete. In this article, they address this gap by first exploring the unique issues relevant to evaluation faced by training designers working in VWs. At the macro-organizational level, the primary issue faced is an organizational culture unreceptive to or otherwise skeptical of VWs. At the micro-organizational level, two major issues are identified: individual trainees unreceptive to VWs and general lack of experience navigating VWs. All three of these challenges and their interrelationships may lead to poor reactions, read more...

How do Researchers in the Humanities Use Information Resources?

2012-10-25T13:56:00.000-04:00

Several factors influence how researchers engage with information throughout the research cycle. These might be grouped into two broad categories. Continue by reading 'How do Researchers in the Humanities Use Information Resources? by Ellen Collins , 2012.

Connectivism and Connective Knowledge

2012-10-07T18:44:00.001-04:00

An ebook offered by Stephen Downes of Canada on Connectivism and Connective Knowledge, Essays on meaning and learning networks.

The Wiley Wiki

2012-10-07T18:31:00.003-04:00

For those who are interested in viewing how open-source learning can be achieved. Here is the Wiley Wiki, pioneering the idea of open online content that can be edited by course participants. Like a wiki, like Wikipedia,and this page, the massive open online course (MOOC) begins with the idea that participants can add to and change the learning content.

Periodic Table of Visualization Methods

2012-10-07T18:10:00.000-04:00

Coming from the Visual Literacy Organization is the "Periodic Table of Visualization Methods." This table is amazing and fun to review...

Conducting empirical research in virtual worlds: experiences from two projects in Second Life

2012-10-03T13:20:00.000-04:00

We have been asked for more Second Life/Virtual Worlds empirical studies. Here is The Researcher’s Toolbox posting for November 2010. The Open University in the UK, has conducted empirical qualitative research in Second Life, a virtual world. The first project is in the education domain in which they are investigating the designs of learning spaces in Second Life, while the second project is related to shopping and consumer behavior of users in Second Life. In this paper, they discuss their experiences of conducting empirical research in virtual worlds with a specific focus on the following aspects: ethical norms, real-world and virtual identities, privacy of the participants, communication modalities (voice, text and use of gestures), logistics of conducting user-based studies, and skills and training needs of researchers. (contributed by SL Scarlett Sismondi)

Designing an Interactive Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with a Learner-Centered Approach

2012-09-19T16:55:00.001-04:00

Li Wang of the University of Auckland, shares, in her paper, the experience in developing an interactive virtual learning environment with a learner centered approach. Many related URLs of related tutorials included.

Why We Play Games – The Player Experience

2012-09-17T14:17:00.003-04:00

Gamification is the latest tool for educators to understand better. This study is one of future topics on the subject... They are curious about what could be said of all computer and video games and what, other than story, triggers emotions... What types of internal and external experiences (inside and outside a player’s head) do players appreciate and expect from games and wanted to learn what adult players thought made good game experiences, after all, not all games with good graphics and advanced features are fun and consider how to do it better...

Second Life and Academia – Reframing the Debate between Supporters and Critics. Journal Of Virtual Worlds Research

2012-08-18T19:03:00.000-04:00

the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA presents the 'Second Life and Academia – Reframing the Debate between Supporters and Critics in the Journal Of Virtual Worlds Research" paper. Take a moment to review the data shared on this debate...

Thru the Looking Glass

2012-05-08T20:56:00.000-04:00

Why virtual worlds matter, where they are heading, And why we are all here. Dr. Larry Johnson’s keynote address to The Federal Consortium on Virtual Worlds April 24, 2008

Thru the Looking Glass PDF

Second Life and Other Virtual Worlds: A Roadmap for Research

2012-05-03T09:09:00.002-04:00

Virtual worlds like Second Life are becoming important tools for, among other activities, socialization, social networking, entertainment, collaboration, and business_development. These environments offer_information-systems researchers a unique opportunity to study_how these environments are built and managed by operators, how they are used and misused by users, and the impact that they have on users, communities, organizations, and societies at large. This paper summarizes the discussion of this_topic...

A Model of Learning Objectives-Revised Blooms Taxonomy

2012-04-30T13:31:00.002-04:00

Iowa StateUniversity, among other modifications, Anderson and Krathwohl’s (2001) revision of the original Bloom’s taxonomy (Bloom & Krathwohl, 1956)redefines the cognitive domain as the intersection of the Cognitive Process Dimension and the Knowledge Dimension. This document provides a three-dimensional representation of the revised taxonomy of the cognitive domain.

The implementation and evaluation of a new learning space: a pilot study

2012-04-23T15:25:00.001-04:00

A dramatic, pedagogical shift has occurred in recent years in educational environments in higherEducation, supported largely by the use of ubiquitous technologies. Increasingly, emphasis is being placed on the design of new learning spaces, often referred to as “Next Generation Learning Spaces” (NGLS) and their impact on pedagogy. Click here to read more...

Pedagogical Considerations in Developing an Online Tutorial in Information Literacy

2012-04-23T15:16:00.003-04:00

The Didactic relation model was seen as useful not only for planning online-learning tutorials but also for planning teaching in general. Check out these slides here...

Implications of the Information Visibility Model in Information Literacy Research and Practice

2012-04-23T14:59:00.001-04:00

A fun and informative_paper on the introduction and background to, “Information Visibility,” integrative model of information seeking and information visibly, and some implications for information literacy. Click here to read more...

Information literacy at the Service Desk: the role of circulations staff in promoting information literacy

2012-04-23T14:53:00.002-04:00

Thetopic of information literacy seems dominated by themes at the formal end of the spectrum,such as academic~collaboration and defining information literacy. In practice however, teaching and promoting information literacy happens at a number of levels. Read more here...