Tuesday, April 29, 2014

LMS as Walled Garden: Observations, recommendations, insights from Ilene Frank via email to Steve Gilbert April 14, 2014


Thanks to Ilene Frank for getting us started!!!!! and connecting us to phrase “a walled garden.” According to Webopedia, On the Internet, a walled garden refers to a browsing environment that controls the information and Web sites the user is able to access. (Accessed 4/15/14, http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/walled_garden.html)

" Just jotted down some ideas while I'm at the reference desk
...
LMS

The walled garden - hard to get people in - hard to get stuff out - very limited options to share student work with the public


  • Usually streamlines at least SOME processes like getting your students INTO the course. No tracking down or maintaining a list of email addresses!
  • ...can probably... email all the students in your course with one click.
  • May integrate with grading system
  • May integrate with other services like Turnitin or the Library
  • May integrate with synchronous services like Collaborate or WebEx or Adobe Connect
  • May have the ability to create formative assessments and have the results pop into the gradebook without you having to enter anything!
  • Setting up your course might be easy (or it might be difficult) <-- I think this is a toss-up!
  • If something goes wrong with the system, most often it's not your fault! Your institution probably provides IT support for you AND for your students!
  • Harmonizes YOUR course with other courses on campus - which may be stifling your creativity, but may be great for your students since they'll know how to get around. (This might make it easier come accreditation time.)
  • If your course material and the student work is inside your school's LMS, you may have access to learning analytics that can help you assess your course.
  • May be difficult to incorporate various media and Web tools into your course.  Or maybe not.
  • Accessibility - might be ok - might not be ok.  (However most companies seem to be concerned with ADA requirements.) (How about all those Web tools you want to use instead? Are THEY accessible??)
It's my experience that no matter what platform you use to offer your course, something will break down in the middle of the semester. There will an extraordinary weather condition like a snowstorm or a hurricane. There will be a major outage on the electrical grid. IE will update itself into something useless with your current course.  Java will get an upgrade and nothing will work ever again.  
Always have a plan B.  

“Walled Garden”: LMS for teaching online beginners? Got advice, resources? Volunteer to present May 9? FridayLive! tlt.gs/frlv

“The Walled Garden” a.k.a. The Learning Management System (LMS)
Friday, May 9, 2pmET  Register (free) tlt.gs/frlv


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Parterre2.jpg/320px-Parterre2.jpg

LMS prices rise and variations proliferate.  Every LMS is a “Walled Garden” in some ways - provides protections, restrictions, privacy, and resources. Each Walled Garden (LMS) tool shed includes a few valuable selected tools and other resources.  
A Walled Garden has a gate.  Who is allowed to enter or exit?  Who decides?  Who patrols?
What is allowed to pass through the gate? Information? Tools?



Join our conversation about these and other questions:

  1. CURRENT TRENDS, FEATURES OF LMS
    What institutions are exploring, using, requiring, supporting in LMS options for their faculty? - esp faculty who teach online.
  2. ALTERNATIVES, ENHANCEMENTS TO LMS
    What non-LMS options are important for faculty to consider using INSTEAD of or in ADDITION to the LMS provided by their institution? - especially faculty new to teaching fully or partly online.
  3. IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT PEDAGOGIES OF LMS
    Every LMS reflects an underlying pedagogy - whether that pedagogy has been intentionally adopted and explicit or accidental and implied.  How can an institution or an individual faculty member decide how well the LMS’s underlying pedagogy fits their needs and goals?  To what extent can or should a faculty member adapt his/her own pedagogy to the LMS?  In what ways can an LMS be adapted or augmented to fit the users’ preferred pedagogy?  
Resources:



TGIF: Twitter, not just a simple distraction on FridayLive

Read below for TGIF with links, or you can view TGIF on the Web...Click here



Thirty-third issue Volume Seven

TLT Group TGIF 4.29.2014           
From Group World Headquarters

It will be a wild ride on FridayLive as we explore why Twitter is not just a simple distraction but can actually be used for Teaching, Learning & Research. Register Here and start tweeting your Twitter questions and insights now, #tltgFRLV.
TLT Membership
You can become an individual member for $75.00 (USD). Did you know…
  • if you have participated in or registered for TOL4B you will receive a $25 discount. Enter discount code TLO4B.
  • if you have retired you will receive $40 discount. Enter discount code RETIREE.
  • if you are a current student you will receive a $50 discount. Enter discount code: STUDENT.
Join Us, Click  here to get started.


The Teaching Online for Beginners TOL4B) MOOCow     starts in two short weeks.
May 11 - June, 27, 2014
Listen to this overview to determine if it is right for you.


    More from the TLT-SWG Blog
    http://tlt-swg.blogspot.com/
       
                                                

    Members Exchange
    TOL4B MOOCow Planning Fishbowl: Participation via Different Devices
    Date: April 30, 2014
    Time: 3-4 pm Eastern
    Steve Gilbert and others

    Description:
    Teaching Online for Beginners (#TOL4B)
    starts in 2 weeks and the design has really taken shape thanks to great input from TLT members, survey results. See working draft of the curriculum.

    What considerations do we need to make in TOL4B for people participating using various devices: online content, Adobe Connect, Twitter chats.

    Please consider joining and adding to our DIIGO Teaching Online for Beginners Repository
      All TLT Group Members and subscribers are welcome to attend and participate. If you are not a member, please email sallygilbert@tltgroup.org or dailey@tltgroup.org if you would like an invitation to participate and attend.  If you chose to share your expertise in this project, you will be eligible for 1 month free membership or a 50% membership discount.

      Upcoming Member Exchange events
      May 7: Digging Deeper into Voice Transcription
      May 14: Teaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B) Orientation to MOOCow Tools
      May 28: Easing into Twitter Chatting* about LMS Features
      June 11: Easing into Twitter Chatting* about Self Intro Videos
      June 18: Learning More about Planning, Producing, Editing and Publishing Self-Intro Videos (TOL4B)

      FridayLive!
      How to use Twitter for Teaching, Learning and Research in Higher Ed - It's not only a stupid distraction!
      Date: May 2, 2014  
      Time: 2:00-3:00 pm ET - free to all.  
      Presenters: Jeffrey Morrison, Steve Gilbert, and others

      DESCRIPTION
      How Twitter can actually be USEFUL to faculty, students, librarians in higher ed - not merely a trivial distraction.

      How to guide students to shift from distracting, trivial uses of Twitter toward constructive, educational uses.

      Will include demos/uses of Twitter as a research topic aggregator using Tweetbot, HootSuite, Evernote, and Flipboard.

      Will also include how to find information to tweet using Topsy and Zite

      A little bit about Jeff
      Jeffrey Morrison is the Director of Technology for Trinity School in Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently a Ph.D. student in Educational Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Adjunct Professor in the Bagwell College of Education Instructional Technology Graduate Studies Program, Kennesaw State University.

      Resources:
      If new to Evernote and Twitter, check out these TLT events recordings available for TLT members.  Go to the Members Only section and look for:
      • Member Exchanges Archives: Learn to Use Evernote for Educational Purposes Using the Designated Learner Approach, April 17, 2013
      • FridayLive Archives: Twitter for Beginners: for Very Smart Dummies, April 11, 2014


      Seaman, J & Tinti-Kane, H (2013, October). Social media for teaching and learning: Annual survey of social media use by higher education faculty. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions and Babson Survey Research Group  http://www.pearsonlearningsolutions.com/higher-education/social-media-survey.php

      Up-coming  FridayLive! schedule:
      May 9 “The Walled Garden” a.k.a. The Learning Management System (LMS)?
      May 16  Teaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B) MOOCow Introduction
      May 23  Recommended Practices for Building Community Online for Teaching and Learning (TOL4B)
      May 30 Using Online Student Feedback (TOL4B)

        TOL4B_TLT_logo.jpg
        MOOCs Round Six
        MOOCow Teaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B)

        MOOCOW = Massively Open Online Course (Or Whatever) -- designed to capture the flexible and experimental nature of this course.
            
        Join the planning and help further shape the MOOCow:

        • April 30: TOL4B MOOCow Planning Fishbowl - Participation via Different Devices
        Link to planning document



        Provide feedback on tools and strategies to be included.  Link to survey.



        MOOCow
        Teaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B)   May 11 - June, 27, 2014
        Presenters; Steve Gilbert, Beth Dailey and Others

        DescriptionTeaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B) is a Massive Open Online Course or Whatever (MOOCow) designed to help you, as a successful faculty member in higher education, begin to teach entirely online or include more online resources and activities in your courses. You care about your students and their learning. 

        You care about your students and their learning. You are busy and will continue to be busy. By sampling available options, benefits and drawbacks to teaching online you will cross the starting line. You will experience and experiment with a variety of easy to learn, reliable, widely accessible and least expensive tools and resources and strategies related to creating social presence and building community online.

        You will realize teaching and learning online does not necessarily mean teaching and learning alone, does not require being overworked, giving up your best teaching or losing meaningful contact with students. It can be satisfying and fun.

        The "Action" path through the MOOCow is designed to help you achieve a variety of learning outcomes and ultimately produce a self-introductory video which will become part of a more complete introductory unit in an online course, as per rubric. You may also want to chose a Design It Yourself (DIY) path to meet your own learning goals.

             #TLTGroup, #tltgFRLV, #tltgTOL4B
        Encourage. Enable. Engage.

        Monday, April 28, 2014

        TLT Group's hash tags: 2nd practice blog post from TLT Group's blog "TLT-SWG" with hashtags in title #tltgfrlv #tltg #tltg7fs2

        TLT Group's hash tags

        #tltgfrlv  For FridayLive! - used DURING and ABOUT our weekly online sessions .. more info avail via tlt.gs/blog

        #tltgtol4b  For TLT Group's MOOCOW Teaching Online for Beginners

        #TLTGroup  For general TLT Group interaction

        #tltg7fs2   For TLT Group's SCHMOOC:  Seven Futures of ...

        Friday, April 25, 2014

        Explore Competency Based Education with the TLT Group FridayLive 2 PM ET

        http://www.thinglink.com/scene/515230971499380736
        Competency Based Education has been around since the 1960's.  Join us this afternoon to talk about why it has reemerged and the connection with online learning. Terri Johnson, Associate Director, WIDS Product Development will lead this discussion.
        Click Here to register.




        Next week explore "How to Use Twitter for Research"
        Join the "Teaching Online for Beginners MOOCow"

        Wednesday, April 23, 2014

        Practice blog post from TLT Group's blog "TLT-SWG" with hashtags in title #tltgfrlv #tltg #tltg7fs2

        TLT Group's hash tags

        #tltgfrlv  For FridayLive! - used DURING and ABOUT our weekly online sessions .. more info avail via tlt.gs/blog

        #tltgtol4b  For TLT Group's MOOCOW Teaching Online for Beginners

        #TLTGroup  For general TLT Group interaction

        #tltg7fs2   For TLT Group's SCHMOOC:  Seven Futures of ...

        Tuesday, April 22, 2014

        TGIF: Competency Based Education: What Was Old is New Again on FridayLive

        Read below for TGIF with links, or you can view TGIF on the Web...Click here



        Thirty-second issue Volume Seven

        TLT Group TGIF 4.22.2014           
        From Group World Headquarters


        TLT Membership
        You can become an individual member for $75.00 (USD). Did you know…
        • if you have participated in or registered for TOL4B you will receive a $25 discount. Enter discount code TLO4B.
        • if you have retired you will receive $40 discount. Enter discount code RETIREE.
        • if you are a current student you will receive a $50 discount. Enter discount code: STUDENT.
        Join Us, Click  here to get started.

        Presentain Experiment #3 Join us just prior to FridayLive (1:30 PM ET) and test drive the presentation application that blends the use of the web and a mobile app, Presentain. Register Here


        Wondering if the MOOCow Teaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B) is right for you?  
        Listen to this overview   Register Here

             
                                                      

          Members Exchange
          TOL4B MOOCow Planning Fishbowl: Volunteers Called to Action
          Date: April 23, 2014
          Time: 3-4 pm Eastern
          Presenters: Steve Gilbert, Beth Dailey and others


          Description:
          Teaching Online for Beginners (#TOL4B)
          starts in 3 weeks and the design has really taken shape thanks to great input from TLT members, survey results. See working draft of the curriculum.


          In this planning session, volunteers will focus on 4 areas:
          • Asynch discussion options: VoiceThread, Google Community, other
          • Finalize Week 1 Learning Plan - very rough draft
          • Draft the Orientation to MOOCow Tools webinar, May 14th
          • Draft MOOCow Intro webinar, May 16


          All TLT Group Members and subscribers are welcome to attend and participate. If you are not a member, please email sallygilbert@tltgroup.org or dailey@tltgroup.org if you would like an invitation to participate and attend.  If you chose to share your expertise in this project, you will be eligible for 1 month free membership or a 50% membership discount.


          Upcoming Member Exchange events
          • April 23: TOL4B MOOCow Planning Fishbowl - Asynch Discussion Options
          • April 30: TOL4B MOOCow Planning Fishbowl -  Participation via Different Devices
          • May 7: Digging Deeper into Voice Transcription
          • May 14: MOOCow - Teaching Online for Beginners (TOL

          FridayLive!
          Competency Based Education: What Was Old is New Again
          Date: April 25, 2014  
          Time: 2:00-3:00 pm ET - free to all.  
          Presenters: Terri Johnson, Steve Gilbert, and Beth Dailey

          Description:
          Competency based education, a popular idea in the 1960’s, has resurfaced. What proved difficult in a classroom environment--is now possible with online learning.  Explore new efforts in competency based education in higher ed. Examine the WIDS competency based instructional design model and web based application as a tool for creating competency modules.


          More about Terri Johnson. Terri is the Associate Director, WIDS Product Development. WIDS, Worldwide Instructional Design System, offers, curriculum management software and instructional design services.Link to WIDS

          Up-coming  FridayLive! schedule:
          April 25 Competency Based Education: What Was Old is New Again
          May 2 How to Use Twitter for Research
          May 9 “The Walled Garden” a.k.a. The Learning Management System (LMS)?
          May 16 MOOCOW Teaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B) MOOCow Introduction
          June 27 A Conversation with Tom Angelo on Assessment

            TOL4B_TLT_logo.jpg
            MOOCs Round Six
            MOOCow Teaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B)

            MOOCOW = Massively Open Online Course (Or Whatever) -- designed to capture the flexible and experimental nature of this course.
                
            Join the planning and help further shape the MOOCow:

            • April 23: TOL4B MOOCow Planning Fishbowl - Asynch Discussion Options
            • April 30: TOL4B MOOCow Planning Fishbowl - Participation via Different Devices
            Link to planning document



            Provide feedback on tools and strategies to be included.  Link to survey.



            MOOCow
            Teaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B)   May 11 - June, 27, 2014
            Presenters; Steve Gilbert, Beth Dailey and Others

            DescriptionTeaching Online for Beginners (TOL4B) is a Massive Open Online Course or Whatever (MOOCow) designed to help you, as a successful faculty member in higher education, begin to teach entirely online or include more online resources and activities in your courses. You care about your students and their learning. 

            You care about your students and their learning. You are busy and will continue to be busy. By sampling available options, benefits and drawbacks to teaching online you will cross the starting line. You will experience and experiment with a variety of easy to learn, reliable, widely accessible and least expensive tools and resources and strategies related to creating social presence and building community online.

            You will realize teaching and learning online does not necessarily mean teaching and learning alone, does not require being overworked, giving up your best teaching or losing meaningful contact with students. It can be satisfying and fun.

            The "Action" path through the MOOCow is designed to help you achieve a variety of learning outcomes and ultimately produce a self-introductory video which will become part of a more complete introductory unit in an online course, as per rubric. You may also want to chose a Design It Yourself (DIY) path to meet your own learning goals.

                 #TLTGroup, #tltgFRLV, #tltgTOL4B
            Encourage. Enable. Engage.