Announcing Professional Learning Communities

In collaboration with the Library, ITS and the College of Education, we’ve created a new opportunity for you to exchange ideas and learn from one another. PLCs are voluntary, monthly gatherings of 8-12 members focused on course design topics the PLC defines. They’re open to all faculty, administrators and staff redesigning courses to improve student learning. See the attached invitation for details.

If you’re interested here’s what’s next:

By September 5th, reply by to this email with your general availability. It’s enough to say something like: “I’m available Mon, Wed Fri, 2-5pm; Tues and Fri 8-3pm.

Then wait. . .

  1. I’ll put the group(s) together based on your availability and contact you.
  2. At that time, you’ll also receive a very short questionnaire asking about what topics you’d like to cover. (If you wish, you may include them in the reply to this mail.)
  3. From there, the facilitators will schedule your first meeting, at which time you all will discuss and set your PLC topics and “agenda.”

Facilitators are Mark Laumakis, Faculty/Faculty in Residence ITS, Carolyn Baber, Library Faculty; Pam Jackson, Library Faculty; Keven Jeffery, Library Faculty; Andrea Saltzman, Faculty Consultant.

Note: While being a member of a PLC is voluntary, we ask that members commit to monthly meetings. Also, PLCs are in addition to our Friday OverLunches and CTL/ITS Luncheon series on various topics.

Please feel free to contact Suzanne at 4-2953 or pict at rohan.sdsu.edu

Download the invitation plc_invitation.pdf

Does Facebook really make us more connected?

COLORADO LEARNING & TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE’S
INTERACTIVE THEATER PRESENTATION

“An Open (Face)Book,” asks
the question: Does Facebook really make us more connected? Facebook, the
social networking tool, has gone from a novelty to a necessity in the eyes
of today’s college student.  We invite colleagues from across the country
and around the world to join in and interact with the student performers as
they explore the phenomenon of Facebook and how it affects them and their
lives as students. View the performance via Adobe Connect, and submit your
questions for the actors.  Go to the COLTT 2008 Broadcast Room at
http://realeyes.acrobat.com/coltt/, click “Enter as a Guest” and enter your
fist name and last name to join in the fun. Come listen, come watch, come
interact!

Wednesday, August 13, from 2:45-4:15 MDT, that’s UTC - 6 hours
and 1:45-3:15 PDT.

How’s it going 2008 Fellows?

It’s the middle, ok more than middle of the summer and Faculty Fellows have been beavering away at their projects. I emailed them to check in and hope some will share with comments here.

Ed Media/Academia meets Instrusty Summit

Conference Notes

I generally focused on topics around web 2.0, virtual environments, and gaming. Connections to the people behind some of these presentations you’ll find in my Twitter and Facebook friends.

Here are my notes for EdMedia. I have too a CD of the proceedings papers and abstracts for anyone to use.
(World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications)
I also attended a small conference on the visual web and Academic Meets Industry a summit where academics and the gaming industry talked about big picture trends and issues. Here are my notes

Games for education and the industry

  1. There are already gaming platforms available that can be used to redesign curriculum
  2. Inquiry/problem based design are two approaches
  3. Example of a Computer Science game-based curriculum is at RIT
  4. Games are successfully used in Language learning, training, fitness,health,
  5. Hunter Hoffman uses games for young burn victims. Instead of morphine, they play immersive games while getting treatments
  6. A great game can become a cultural phenomenon.
  7. There is way too little assessment or evaluation of the outcomes of games for learning.
  8. It’s also not clear that they are effective, educational games tend to take the fun out of the game. And there’s some evidence that the learning that does happen, takes place during associated activities

The Talent Crunch

  1. It’s hard to find students with the STEM skill
  2. Students who are trained in “traditional” computer science, the arts and graphic design are better prepared than students who are in poorly designed game design curriculum. “IF students don’t have the core competencies in art, cs and design, they can only go as far as the tools will take them.
  3. There’s a concern in academia that the industry is too focused on vocational training
  4. At the same time, there are no good models for educating students to work in this industry. Looking at film schools and art schools is useful.
  5. Some companies like Electronic Arts have their own curriculum to train new hires.
  6. Everyone agrees that industry needs to be more actively involved in working with academia to meet the demands of industry
  7. Although engineering leads designs, the field is very creative, with artists, cinematographers, composers.
  8. And while technical and creative skills are very important, communication skills are considered extrememely important.
  9. Casual games see the largest and fastest growth
  10. High Definition may detract from storytelling which is the kingpin in good game design
  11. Universities can provide a context that adapts to the shifts in Industry and technology and as such developing students core competencies in CS and the ARTS is a good strategy.
  12. It is very difficult to say what technologies will take hold and how they impact the field.

Learning in Virtuality Archived Session

Access the archived Horizon Wimba session go to Blackboard>Course Design Institute>Communications>Live Classrooms>Learning in Virtuality Archive.*

* A string of links with the greater than symbol “>” inserted is a simplified way of showing the path to a link that’s a few levels into a website. The links are often, but not always in the main menu of each level.