eBook Scenario and Semester Assignments
Summary: eBook Scenario and Semester Assignments
According to the department's course description, "eLearning Concepts and Techniques" is supposed to be a corporate-based course but I realize there are education-based participants as well. I have created a scenario to tie the corporate-based eLearning and the education-based eLearning together, allowing for exploration into as well as collaboration across both areas. In addition, the scenario may help provide context for the assignments for this semester.
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eBook Project Scenario
Bifurcation Point, a corporate entity, would like its Division of Training and Development (the corporate-track students) to look into moving Bifurcation Point's corporate training to an eLearning environment. Bifurcation Point employees will partner with the faculty and staff of Bifurcation University (the education-track students).
The list of project participants will be announced in the next few days.
Preliminary analysis identified eleven topics that require further research and discussion. A working group will be formed to look into each of the following:
- What is eLearning?
- Instructional Design Models for eLearning
- eLearners
- eLearning Tools
- Instructional Strategies for eLearning
- Information Ownership
- Developing eLearning
- Delivering eLearning
- eLearning Testing and Evaluation
- Managing the Data
- Web Standards
Each project participant must join at least one of the working groups. The members of each working group will be responsible for collating all findings related to their specific topic into a chapter for the final report (The working groups are the chapter editors for the eBook). Chapters are due May 9th (2006).
Each project participant will choose a specific area of interest relating to one of these topics. The participant will do research and submit a summary of the findings along with a list of sources to the applicable working group. Articles are due April 25th (2006).
Smaller special-interest groups will be formed. Each project participant must join at least one special-interest group. Special-interest groups will produce a podcast. Podcasts are due April 18th (2006).
The Department of Instructional Technology is now doing a monthly IIT podcast. At least one podcast created by Bifurcation Point and Bifurcation University personnel will be featured in the IIT podcast series.
Please submit a memo with your choice or choices regarding the eleven working groups to pberman@bloomu.edu by close of business Monday, February 6th (2006).
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eBook Link
"Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology", Michael Orey, Editor, is only one example of many excellent eBooks available. An excellent description of this eBook is available on the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Web site.
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Communication and Podcasting Tools
Gizmo, Skype and Google Talk are free communication tools. Gizmo has one-touch recording to record interviews for podcasts.
Audacity, a cross-platform tool, is a free multiple-track audio editor that can be used to create podcasts. GarageBand, for the Mac, is also an excellent tool.
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Getting Into Wimba
To participate in a Live Classroom (Wimba) session:
- Log in to Blackboard
- Once in the eLearning course, choose "Communication" from the menu on the left.
- Choose "Live Classrooms".
- Choose the title of the session you want.
- Choose "Enter Room".
Live Classroom is a cross-platform application by Horizon Wimba and can be accessed using many of the popular browsers.
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