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<title>I Wanna Be Canadian - powered by KickRSS</title>
<link>http://www.kickrss.com/I Wanna Be Canadian</link>
<description>KickRSS feed for I Wanna Be Canadian</description>
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<title><![CDATA[Mobile learning in developing countries in 2012: What's Happening?]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57231/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57231/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Michael Trucano , 
EduTech, February 6, 2012.



Interesting first-person reflection from a staffer at the World Bank on mobile learning in developing nations. "A long-anticipated new era of hype is now upon us, taking firm root in the place where the educational technology and international donor communities meet, with 'm-' replacing 'e-' at the start of discussions of the use of educational technologies."...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 13:57:32 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Ten meta-trends impacting learning]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57230/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57230/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Judy O'Connell, 
HeyJude, February 6, 2012.



It's easy to describe ten 'megatrends' in such a way that most people would nod in agreement, I think, but it's hard to get them precisely right. To take example that is a bugbear of mine, consider this one: "The world of work is increasingly global and increasingly collaborative." This isn't quite right. The world isn't "increasingly collaborative" - if anything, it's less so. But what collaboration there is has gone global. But that means that in your day-to-day world you will experience less collaboration with those around you - how do you get by, then? Perhaps by dog-eat-dog competition for local resources, but more likely by cooperation - pooling...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 13:54:12 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Speed Dating at the 2012 Learning Technologies]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57229/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57229/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Hans de Zwart, 
Technology as a Solution…, February 6, 2012.



When I was in Australia in 2001 I would from time to time (ie., frequently) find myself in the local public house. At one of these there was this novel phenomenon called "speed-dating" taking place upstairs. The idea is each prospective partner would interview others for short three-minute periods, and then at the bell move on to the next,...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 13:42:44 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Sleight of Hand and Data Laundering in Evidence Based Policy Making]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57228/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57228/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Tony Hirst, 
OUseful Info, February 6, 2012.



While I believe that evidence is crucial to decision-making, I am sceptical about "Evidence Based Policy Making" (or "evidence-based government" or "evidence-based education", etc.). Why, despite the apparent contradiction? Because the one is not the same as the other. In the former, you look at various claims from all sides, weigh the alternatives, take into account values and circumstances, and act on the basis of a reasoned decision. In the latter, you are led blindly by "the evidence" as presented, where (as Tony Hirst suggests) "'evidence' inherits the authority associated with the most reputable source associated with it when we wish to call on it to...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 13:36:14 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[The Virtual Trainer's Checklist by Terrence L. Gargiulo]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57227/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57227/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Helge Scherlund, 
Elearning News, February 6, 2012.



I've been think of doing something like this for MOOCs (I may well still do it, as I have a presentation scheduled in that direction in a few weeks). I think I'd want it to be a bit more practical and process-oriented that this item (the actual checklist is on page 11). 
[Link] [Comment]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 13:25:49 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57226/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57226/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Mark Wagner, 
Educational Technology and Life, February 6, 2012.



This article contains seven good tips and three plugs for commercial products. If you don't mind that, then it's a good primer for getting started in social networking.
[Link] [Comment]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 13:20:32 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[The Cost of Knowledge]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57225/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57225/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Giulia Forsythe, 
gforsythe.ca, February 6, 2012.



Not that it's necessary, I think, but I guess people should know I'm continuing my years-long boycott :) of services like Elsevier. The boycott, as the diagram shows, covers publishing, refereeing, and editorial work. But here's the challenge I have for academics: will you also refrain from reading and citing Elsevier journals? Ah, too hard!? 
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<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 13:12:58 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Twitter is harder to resist than cigarettes and alcohol, study finds]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57224/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57224/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[James Meikle, 
The Guardian, February 6, 2012.



If Twitter is harder to resist than alcohol and tobacco, why do I have to force myself to remember to check to see whether anyone has written a message to @downes? (If I miss your comment, I'm sorry, I hardly use Twitter, and use it less and less as time goes by.) Related: Dave Winer on country-specific Twitter filters: "We should have tutorial sessions at every Internet policy conference that show people how easy it is to operate your own infrastructure. It's really there now, ready to teach users how to do it. But you have to make a commitment to standing up for the Internet. It...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 12:33:17 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IRRODL – A new edition has been published]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57223/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57223/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Jenny Mackness, 
Jenny Connected, February 6, 2012.



Interesting article with the backstory to an IRRODL article on MOOCs referenced here last week. I love the bit about the reviewers ("We didn’t receive any guidance from the Editor as to which Reviewer to believe.  So we didn’t do a major rewrite :)"). Also worth noting: "Reviewer B strongly objected to our use of blog posts as sources of information, and I have to say that we rather strongly objected to his/her objection." Mackness gives three very good reasons for her position:- most of the conversations about connectivism and MOOCs happen in blogs - we were worried that our paper was going...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 11:46:49 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Samuel Youd, aka John Christopher (1922 – 2012)]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57222/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57222/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Unattributed, 
Locus Online, February 6, 2012.



My childhood was a world where ordinary people became heroes not though desire for fame or fortune but through force of circumstance and an unwillingness to turn away from what they knew was right. It was not a world filled with rock stars and football players, but rather, a world filled with earnest young men (and sometimes women) who became...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 Feb 2012 10:57:57 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smaller PNGs]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/04/15/smaller_pngs/]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/04/15/smaller_pngs/]]></guid>
<description>mezzoblue:- <![CDATA[Last week I put together an animated infographic that required some flexibility. Alpha transparency was essential, but the number of images I needed to pull it off meant that my typical way of creating PNGs wasn't going to work.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 4 Feb 2012 00:40:02 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[SSD + Photoshop]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/12/01/ssd_photos/]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/12/01/ssd_photos/]]></guid>
<description>mezzoblue:- <![CDATA[I just got my first Mac with a solid state drive. If you've heard anything about SSD performance, you won't be surprised to hear that it's fast. How fast? Well, I filmed a video.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 4 Feb 2012 00:40:02 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Embracing Uncertainty and the strange problem of habituation]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57206/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57206/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Dave Cormier, 
Dave’s Educational Blog, February 3, 2012.



Dave Cormier writes about Rhizomes and uncertainty. "The rhizome is uncertainty. That doesn’t mean it ‘isn’t’. It has no start and no ending. It is complex… and as such, it resists definition. As a model for learning, it resists ‘core principles’ or ‘final outcomes’. It is an ongoing process of growing, of surprise and of change." Martin Weller comments on this model in relation to the way experts are able to remember detailed aspects of their experience; "experts don't know they do this, but it's a by-product, or...]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 3 Feb 2012 14:00:02 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Farewell to the Enterprise LMS, Greetings to the Learning Platform]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57205/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57205/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Phil Hill, 
e-Literate, February 3, 2012.



"We are going," writes Phil Hill, "from an enterprise LMS market to a learning platform market." The difference between an LMS and a learning platform is that the latter "does not contain all the features in itself and is based on cloud computing – multi-tenant, software as a service (SaaS)." Definitely have a look at the article for a number of links to examples. "Another trend that is becoming apparent is that many of the new offerings are not attempting to fully replace the legacy LMS, at least all at once."
[Link] []]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:52:38 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Flight 1549: Expertise and how it gets there]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57204/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57204/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Dave Ferguson, 
Dave's Whiteboard, February 3, 2012.



A topic that really interests me is expertise. How do we become 'expert' and what does it look like? Dave Ferguson takes a look at what was arguably expert performance, Chesley Sullenberger's "successful ditching" of a passenger aircraft in the Hudson River (which maps to another topic that really interests me, flight). What's...]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:48:28 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[2017: RIP, OER?]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57203/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57203/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[David Wiley, 
iterating toward openness, February 3, 2012.



Before we get a little overly exuberant about the ascendence of OERs, writes David Wiley, we need to look at what's happening in the education technology space. "Can you name a single OER project that does assessment at all (and I don’t mean PDFs of quizzes)? Can you name one that does diagnostic assessment or handles mastery in any meaningful way? ... Open education currently has no response to the coming wave of diagnostic, adaptive products coming from the publishers." The crux, says Wiley, is that if it took $100 million to get to where we are in OER, how much will it take to get to that next level?Of course, the skill set...]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:32:50 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Let’s make OpenPhilosophy.org!]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57202/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57202/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Jonathan Gray, 
Weblog, February 3, 2012.



Jonathan Gray writes, "A little while ago I posted some ideas for a project called OpenPhilosophy.org, which would enable users to transcribe, translate, annotate and create collections of philosophical texts which have entered the public domain... the project has secured some funding from]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:10:57 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Can Humanities Undergrads Learn to Code?]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57201/rd]]></link>
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<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Rebecca Davis, 
NITLE Logo National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education, February 3, 2012.



I would never have though this would be an issue, but apparently "a recurring motif along the lines that coding (markup and programming) is so difficult that undergraduates trained in the humanities cannot learn it quickly or successfully." I must be a polymath then, having spent time coding pretty much through the whole of my philosophy undergrad. Or maybe the motif is just wrong. "The skills most humanities majors have mastered as part of their academic training, such as formulating research questions and reading critically, carry over easily and naturally...]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:04:29 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Creative Thinking – Joanna Maxwell]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57199/rd]]></link>
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<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Nicola, 
One Change a Day, February 3, 2012.



Creative Thinking by Joanna Maxwell is a short but beautifully presented slide show outlining four major steps to cultivating your creativity. It is also sport-on -- these are tips I use on a daily basis and which have served me remarkably well:- be curious- make connections- challenge yourself- cultivate your ideas
[Link] [Comment]]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 3 Feb 2012 05:13:54 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[A CSS3 Tip]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/07/27/a_css3_tip/]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/07/27/a_css3_tip/]]></guid>
<description>mezzoblue:- <![CDATA[I'm probably way behind the curve on this one, but I recently realized the following:]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:40:02 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[We Are More Than Algorithms]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57198/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57198/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[John T. Spencer, 
Education Rethink, February 2, 2012.



When I read a statement like "we are more than algorithms" two things come to my mind:- it depends on what you mean by "we", and- it depends on what you mean by "algorithms"Because, after all, an algorithm is, broadly construed a process or mechanism for doing something. Now if by that you mean 'a set of rules', then I agree, we are more than that. But if you mean by 'we' that there is some aspect of our comprehension that is by definition not representable through some process or mechanism, then I disagree.  Simply]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 2 Feb 2012 13:54:11 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[the man who lived on his bike]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.darcynorman.net/2012/02/02/the-man-who-lived-on-his-bike/]]></link>
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<description>D'Arcy Norman dot net:- <![CDATA[THE MAN WHO LIVED ON HIS BIKE from Guillaume Blanchet on Vimeo. so good. I need to ride hands-free more. Haven&#8217;t really done that since I was a kid&#8230; via a tweet from Momentum Magazine: The Man Who Lived on His #Bike shar.es/fher2&#8212; Momentum Magazine (@MomentumMag) February 2, 2012]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 2 Feb 2012 11:43:43 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Noam Chomsky on the purpose of #education]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57197/rd]]></link>
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<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Inge de Waard, 
Ignatia Webs, February 2, 2012.



Mostly my thinking is in alignment with Noam Chomsky's so it is not surprising to find his reflections on the subject of education reasonable and well-considered. Here are (sme of) Chomsky's ideas on education in short (as paraphrased by Ignatia at times):- There is a constant struggle between two realities: the principles of the enlightment and indoctrination. - Technology is a neutral instrument, education is a framework (note: I don't agree that technology is neutral; technology, too, is a framework - SD)Ignatia's reflections are also interetsing: "the thing I wonder about is, how can you build a critical thinking framework and ... even if...]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 2 Feb 2012 11:26:57 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Open Textbook Authoring Tools Part 1 – Mediawiki]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57196/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57196/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Scott Leslie, 
EdTechPost, February 2, 2012.



Scott Leslie explores MediaWiki as an authoring tool for open textbooks. Along the way he discovers:- D2L exports aren't very good- there's no simple way of getting from an IMS Content Package to a wiki (cynically, I would say they were designed that way)- approaches that let you output to multiple...]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 2 Feb 2012 11:14:02 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Tuition cuts won't increase university access]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57195/rd]]></link>
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<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Stephen Gordon, 
Globe and Mail, February 2, 2012.



Following widespread tutition-rate protests in Canada yesterday the Globe and Mail is trotting out the well-worn counterargument: tuition cuts won't increase university access. It's disingenuous. The author, if he chose to be accurate, would write "tuition cuts by themselves won't increase university access." They are a necessary but not sufficient condition. We need to address other costs as well (such as, say, books) and we need to acddress social equity in society in general. But that said, ti should be clear, that tuition hikes...]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 2 Feb 2012 05:29:41 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Crowdsourcing while learning]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57193/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57193/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Wolfgang Greller, 
Reflections on the Knowledge Society, February 2, 2012.



Wolfgang Greller takes a quick look at an intriguing project that has people learn a language by translating content on the web from that language into their own language. "Duolingo adjusts to your competence level and provides help on the fly, such as translation suggestions.
[Link] [Comment]]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 2 Feb 2012 04:26:54 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[An Open Educational Resource Supports a Diversity of Inquiry-Based Learning]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57189/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57189/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Catherine Anne Schmidt-Jones, 
International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, February 1, 2012.



Today I bring to you links to four of the articles in the latest edition of the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. This first paper examines how people are using open educational resources (OERs). "Most reported accessing individual modules on their own initiative, as part of a specific, immediate inquiry, rather than responding to institutional directives or following entire online courses." Part nway through the paper we read an...]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 1 Feb 2012 14:27:50 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Heutagogy and Lifelong Learning: A Review of Heutagogical Practice and Self-Determined Learning]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57188/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57188/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Lisa Marie Blaschke , 
International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, February 1, 2012.



One thing I've learned over the years in education and social science generally: for anything you can think of, someone has created a 'theory' of that thing. Thus we have heutagogy, which is "a form of self-determined learning with practices and principles rooted in...]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 1 Feb 2012 14:18:49 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Online Social Networks as Formal Learning Environments: Learner Experiences and Activities]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57187/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57187/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[George Veletsianos and Cesar C. Navarrete, 
International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, February 1, 2012.



This article presents "a case study of learners’ perspectives and experiences in an online course taught using the Elgg online social network." We haven't heard a lot about Elgg recently but it remains an important model for online learning. One weakness of the...]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 1 Feb 2012 14:02:40 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Connectivism and Dimensions of Individual Experience]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57186/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57186/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Carmen Tschofen and Jenny Mackness, 
International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, February 1, 2012.



The authors explore "the dimensions of individual experience in connective environments and to further explore the meaning of autonomy, connectedness, diversity, and openness." According to the authors, the "definitions of all four principles can be expanded to recognize individual and psychological diversity within connective environments." I can understand the authors' concern: "It is easy to see that attention to the perspective of the individual may perhaps be viewed as ultimately moot within the cumulative mass of...]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 1 Feb 2012 13:37:30 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Three Passions of Bertrand Russell (and a Collection of Free Texts)]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57185/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57185/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Mike Springer, 
Open Cultutre, February 1, 2012.



Bertrand Russel was, I think, among other things a fundamentally good man. "Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life," wrote Bertrand Russell in the prologue to his autobiography: "the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind."
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<pubDate>Wed, 1 Feb 2012 13:35:34 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Big Data's Arrival]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57184/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57184/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Paul Fain , 
Inside Higher Ed, February 1, 2012.



According to this report, "Researchers have created a database that measures 33 variables for the online coursework of 640,000 students – a whopping 3 million course-level records." Actually, 3 million records isn't a lot - wait until we start dealing with 3 billion records, or 3 trillion records. These are already the case in other fields (such as medicine) and are just around the corner in e-learning. But more - this case describes records created by students in a single system, which is really inadequate for the purpose of research or analytics. What you want is to be able to collect records from everywhere, and amalgamate them. Ah - but who will be...]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 1 Feb 2012 05:24:39 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[The place of ‘the teacher’ in relation to open content]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57175/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57175/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Jenny Mackness, 
Jenny Connected, January 31, 2012.



We've had a cancellation and as a result are collectively catching our breath in #Change11, which is probably a good thing (it allows me to pause and catch my breath in CCK12, which also got off to a vigorous start). And Jenny Mackness gets at the central question we are trying to answer with MOOCs: "Sir John Daniel  as long ago as 1996 warned that traditional universities cannot create enough supply.  So the question that was raised is, how do we scale up teaching without simply throwing content at people." After more than three years working with MOOCs, I still think it's a good question. And I'm thinking about how we can improve the existing model to...]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:58:34 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple, iBooks Author, and Open Textbooks: RIP K-12 Publishers as We Know Them]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57174/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57174/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[David Wiley, 
iterating toward openness, January 31, 2012.



David Wiley weighs in on the Apple iBooks announcement from the perspective of someone who has already dipped a toe (and both feet, and most of his body) into the world of online and open publishing. He describes the collapse of an entire industry in just a few paragraphs (which are so delicious they are worth reprinting in full):"It’s fairly clear from the Jobs biography and the publishers’ behavior that the original plan was: (1) Apple would hire some rockstar PhDs who would write textbooks (2) Apple would own the textbooks, and (3) Apple would give away the books for free in order to sell more iPads."This...]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:55:04 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Serendipity]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2011/03/08/serendipity/]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2011/03/08/serendipity/]]></guid>
<description>mezzoblue:- <![CDATA[How does a photo of a fruit fly breeding chamber lead to the discovery of one's own lineage back to 14th century France? That's not a question I'd ever have thought to ask, but this evening I found an answer after following the most fascinating click trail in, well, ever.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:40:02 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Open Textbook Challenge Wave I Winners Announced!!]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57168/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57168/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Unattributed, 
Saylor Journals, January 31, 2012.



Summarizing this press release the Saylor Foundation is announcing the release of three open access textbooks: Computer Networking: Principles, Protocols and Practice, by Olivier Bonaventure,...]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:15:01 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Testing is dead - RIP]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57162/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57162/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Maggie Hos-McGrane , 
Tech Transformation, January 30, 2012.



We're in a bit of a conundrum in online learning, I think. I certainly get the arguments for the assertion that "testing is dead," as asserted in this post. "Traditional testing can no longer assess the new skills we want our students to develop." And yet the means by which Norvig and Thrun were able to work with so many students at once was - yes - online testing. So testing is not dead. Of course from such dilemmas come the next great innovations (which is why so many people are looking so hard at learning analytics). 
[Link] []]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:49:58 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Crowdsource My Basement Design]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57161/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57161/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Karl Fisch, 
The Fischbowl, January 30, 2012.



The idea of crowdsourcing your basement design is so delicious I can't pass it by. Karl Fisch posts a number of photos of his existing space and links to a homestyler plan and encourages readers to collectively redesign it. When looking at the photos I wanted to focus on the ceiling and wall paint (or panels) but there doesn't seem to be an option for that. You really need to brighten a space like a basement because there are so few windows.
[Link] []]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:44:30 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Making universities obsolete]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57160/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57160/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Matt Welsh, 
Volatile and Decentralized, January 30, 2012.



There's a lengthy comment thread following this post from Matt Welsh describing three ways today's universities are failing:- Exclusivity - "I estimate that I taught fewer than 500 students in total during my eight years on the faculty at Harvard. That's a pretty poor track record by any stretch."- Grades - "the idea is that if you can't get through a course in the 12-to-13 week semester then you deserve to fail, regardless of whatever is going on in your life."- Lectures - "it was to boost my ego and get some gratification for working so hard on the lectures."The upshot is that online learning is challenging...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:36:25 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[How Apple Can Solve Its China Problem]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57159/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57159/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Mike Elgan, 
Cult of Mac, January 30, 2012.



Apple is on the verge of a public relations nightmare, and from all accounts, possibly deservedly so. This article looks at what Apple can to do improve its image (and by happy coincidence, conditions for workers in its Chinese factories). But I would like to make a more general point: If goods and capital can move freely from country to country, and people cannot, then people are and always will be slaves to goods and capital. We as a global society will not solve our Apple problem until people are free to live and work where they choose.
[Link] []]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:28:38 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[What Happens When You Leave Students Alone?]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57158/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57158/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Susan Engel, 
Edudemic, January 30, 2012.



I have made the case on numerous occasions that independent learning fails only because we have given our students no freedom to learn independently. Today a couple of posts come along reinforcing that argument, this one from Edudemic (summarizing a]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:16:43 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Getting Started with Drupal…01.27.12]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57157/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57157/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[RachelVacekandNinaMcHale, 
The Proverbial Lone Wolf Librarian's Weblog, January 30, 2012.



In one of my personal projects I using Drupal to set up a community web site. The learning curve is steep as it always has been but Drupal has a lot of advantages for community projects intended to support multiple users. This link is to a longish slide show introducing Drupal to web designers. Even if you're not building websites it's useful to take a look just to familiarize yourself with the concepts and vocabulary.
[Link] []]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:07:47 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[A Day in the life of an “OER Librarian”]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57156/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57156/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Scott Leslie, 
EdTechPost, January 30, 2012.



Scott Leslie describes his experience as an 'OER librarian' searching for open-access textbooks that can be used to replace the more proprietary versions currently in use. Among his discoveries: the generic Google search is nearly useless for a task like this, there's no one-stop OER reference point but a few collections are...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:53:12 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[PaintbrushJS]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/10/07/paintbrushjs/]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/10/07/paintbrushjs/]]></guid>
<description>mezzoblue:- <![CDATA[It occurs to me that I should finally mention here a project I've been working on over the past month or so. Much to my surprise, what started out as a simple foray into the canvas element's pixel manipulation APIs quickly evolved into a full-fledged Javascript library called PaintbrushJS.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:40:03 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Publishing News: Ereader ownership doubles, again]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57155/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57155/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Jenn Webb, 
O'Reilly Radar, January 30, 2012.



E-reader ownership doubled in a month. Yes, a month - from 10 percent of adults in December to almost twice that in January.
[Link] [Comment]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:32:25 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[The Squeezed Middle: Exploring the Future of Library Systems]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57153/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57153/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Ben Showers, 
JISC, January 30, 2012.



Really interesting summary of a recent two-day conference on libraries in the information age. The conference produced a list of library systems objectives, and in addition, writes Ben Showers, several themes emerged: dealing with data rather than systems; the impact of outsourcing on skills and roles; shared infrastructure; and personalization. "An example of one of the presentations can be found on Paul Walk’s blog. The other three were by Ken Chad;...]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:25:31 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[How Online Learning Companies Bought America's Schools]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57152/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57152/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Lee Fang, 
The Nation, January 30, 2012.



The problem wasn't that online enterprises bought "America's schools". The problem was that they were for sale to begin with.
[Link] [Comment]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:19:33 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[a day in the life of @dlnorman]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.darcynorman.net/2012/01/28/a-day-in-the-life-of-dlnorman/]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.darcynorman.net/2012/01/28/a-day-in-the-life-of-dlnorman/]]></guid>
<description>D'Arcy Norman dot net:- <![CDATA[I tried an experiment, where I took a photo every hour on the hour (or as close to it as I could manage/remember) to see what documenting a full day might look like. It was surprisingly fun to do. Might make an interesting @ds106 daily create project&#8230;]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:52:15 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Calculate and Learn about Percentages with Percentage Calculator]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57137/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57137/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Wesley Fryer, 
Moving at the Speed of Creativity, January 27, 2012.



Honestly, you shouldn't need a calculator to be able to figure out percentages. It's easy. I'll show you how, where a small number (say 13365) is a percentage of a big number (say 456312):- Divide your big number by 100. Eg. if it's 456312 you now have 4563. - How many times does that go into your small number? Eg., how many times does 4563 go into 13365?- If that's too difficult, divide each number by 10 and round off until it becomes simple. How many times does 456 go into 1336? Still too hard? How many times does 46 go into 137? Still too hard? How many times does 5 go into 14? Just under 2.5.-...]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:48 -0500</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[A WordPress Widget Perfect For Building Your PLN]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57136/rd]]></link>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://www.downes.ca/post/57136/rd]]></guid>
<description>Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily:- <![CDATA[Jeff Dunn, 
Edudemic, January 27, 2012.



I'm not really a WordPress user but if I were I'd probably be looking at "a widget that displays a curated list of your favorite education blogs and websites." It's created by Dell Marketing. Hm. Maybe I wouldn't be so interested. "The widget has a special crawler that goes to a pre-set list of education blogs that are selected based on content quality....]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:46:40 -0500</pubDate>
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