This is a great set of resources from the BBC series "Click" Here are some that are quite relevant at the moment for 3D printing, Augmented reality, Language learning, modeling and simulations   Making Movies with your smart phone Keywords: Mobile, Apps, Video http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01sxpqq   3D Printers reviewed Keywords: 3D, Printers, Models http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01nrvtk   Whats next after the 3D printed gun Keywords: 3D, Printers, ethics, digital citizenship http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01nc4y6   Inside the worlds largest 3dPrinting factory Keywords: 3D, Printers, business, employment, commercial, factory http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01m9vvz   3D printing Chocolate and Pasta Keywords: 3D, Printers, business, employment, commercial, factory, catering, food http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01m2544   Augmented reality app brings drawings to life Keywords: Augmented reality, tablet, AR, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01nkyxy   Learning a language with help from your peers Keywords: language, learning, Aquisition http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01w0c0t   Trying to predict traffic jams in Singapore Keywords: Modelling, Simulation http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01kgw6q

I have been working on a tool for students to do a self assessment/reflection and feedback. There are two version of the tool, though the difference is more in layout as the core content is the same. The tool is based around the work of Stephen Dinham which is used by DET NSW and  New Zealand educators John Hattie & Helen Timperley. Both works are created under the creative commons share and share-alike license. Acknowledgement is appreciated References Dinham S. May 2008. Feedback on feedback. Teacher, the national education magazine issue 191 Art 6. Australian Council for Edducational research (ACER) Timperley,H. Hattie,J. 2007 The power of feedback. Review of educational Research p77-87 self assessment & feedback landscape self assessment & feedback

Turkey vs Twitter - Draconian measure to silence the scandal Keywords; Politics, Government, social media, security, twitter, democracy, freedom of speech http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11228106 The future on NZ banking + Video Keywords: Business, employment, commerce, ATM, Bitcoins, banking http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11227640 Who determines the value of a sources? Keywords: Education, digital citizenship, validity, wikipedia, opinion piece, literacy http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=11227820 IT goes DIY - the sidelining of the IT department Keywords: Business, employment, BYOD, tablet, Cloud computing, teleworking http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11227722 Ray ban and oakley frames for google glass Keywords - home leisure, wearable, convergence, smart technologies http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11226130 Anonymity apps on the rise Keywords: privacy, anonymity, business, security, digital citizenship http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11225875 NZ Cyber law change articles Keywords: Digital Citizenship, safety, cybersafety, politics, government, legal 1. Judges warn cyber-bully law may flood the courts http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11228413 2. Microsoft opposes cyber law channge http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11227098 Smartphone overuse may ‘damage’ eyes Keywords: Smartphone, health, safety, damage, over-use, digital citizenship Opticians say people are so addicted to things like smart phones there’s increasing risk of damaging their eyes. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/26780069 Preschoolers health put at risk keywords: preschool, education, digital citizenship, technology, health http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/30025725/preschooler-health-put-at-risk.html

This is a very interesting interactive page produced by the antivirus/malware company Kaspersky. It looks at the real time threats to cyber safety. Real-time cyberthreat map. No. 1 infection-ridden country is Russia, No.8 Indonesia No. 30 Philippines No. 118 New Zealand To use: click and drag to look for your country. Click on the country to see real-time statistics. Click on the tab at the lower right (labeled "About Detection Types") for an explanation of the kinds of viruses infecting the country. http://cybermap.kaspersky.com/

What will the Internet Look Like in 10 years? Elon University & Pew Internet Project Ask the Experts. Keywords :Internet, future, Pew internet project http://www.elon.edu/e-web/imagining/surveys/2014_survey/2025_Internet_Impact.xhtml Global cloud future seen for workforce Keywords: Cloud computing, teleworking, business, employment, future http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/60032363/Global-cloud-future-seen-for-workforce Consult your kids before posting pics online Keywords: social media, digital citizenship, cybersafety, ethics, privacy, anonymity http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/60033307/Consult-your-kids-before-posting-pics-online Smartphone case could prevent strokes Keywords: Health, smartphone, apps, monitoring, stroke http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/60033454/Smartphone-case-could-prevent-strokes Hate With Friends, fun new Facebook tool Keywords: Social media, digital citizenship, ethics, safety, cybersafety http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/60033636/Hate-With-Friends-fun-new-Facebook-tool Google pays $1.6m Italian StreetView fine Keywords: Google, privacy, surveillance, politics, government, streetview, data collection http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/60033973/Google-pays-1-6m-Italian-StreetView-fine Narrative Clip logs your life in photos Keywords: privacy, future, digital life, home, leisure, privacy, social media http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/60033649/Narrative-Clip-logs-your-life-in-photos Engineers unveil bionic kangaroo keywords: robot, robotics http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/60034272/Engineers-unveil-bionic-kangaroo Robot mannequin to test army kit Keyword: robotics, robot, testing, military The Ministry of Defence is to test armed forces’ protective suits using a £1.1m robotic mannequin named the Porton Man. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26892771 Read all about it Keywords: ebooks, epublishing etc http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=11232977

On December 29th 2014, the extraordinary man who inspired me to be a dreamer, a fighter, a creator, a writer  left me alone with only emptiness and so much darkness in my heart. My dad passed away and my whole world just collapsed… My father … Continue reading →

I recently had a conversation with a game developer who was interested in becoming a subcontractor for us. While we do almost all of our development in-house, I thought I would entertain the conversation to see his capabilities. This developer shared several examples of games he had developed. All the sample games featured gorgeous graphics and lots of "action" in the games with things flashing, scores popping, and new game elements introduced as I advanced through levels. On the surface, it was quite impressive! "Candy" Isn’t Enough The trouble was that, while these game elements can be very addicting and engaging in a commercial game, they can get overdone and distracting in a learning game. The commercial developer’s goal is to keep players engaged in their game. The problem is that game developers tend to use a lot of "wow" factor and eye candy to keep the player interested. They will intentionally try to frustrate the player just enough to be motivated to make in-app purchases so the player can more easily progress through levels. And, if it’s well-done, this approach works well. Heck - even when it is NOT that well-done many players stay connected. Candy Crush is a game that exemplifies "sensory overload" and millions love to play it. Other mobile games have followed the Candy Crush format, some more successful than others. I evaluated various commercial games, including a lesser-known game that is very similar to Candy Crush, here. However, when devising a learning game, you have to carefully balance the complexity of your game mechanics and elements with the learning needs of the game. And your game developer needs to understand this and believe that less really is better. When it Comes to Learning, Less is Better "Less is better" is one of the four lessons of game design that I explained in my ATD blog post, Lessons from the Trenches of Digital Game Design. Less is better is all about managing learners’ cognitive load. Novice learning game developers often design a very "fun" games that make learning harder rather than easier. They load their games up with rules, pile on different game elements, and incorporate multiple dynamics (e.g. the "how" of achieving a game goal) to keep player interest high. However, in typical corporate environments, players may have limited time to play and multiple distractions competing with their attention. Game play that is too complex will either frustrate learners if it’s too hard to learn quickly, or distract them from the learning they need to do. They can become engrossed in winning the game while failing to focus on the learning. Instead, they get distracted by collecting resources, competing against time constraints, or accumulating lots of points. The learning gets overshadowed by rule complexity or too many game elements. The job of a learning game designer The job of a learning game designer is to combine solid instructional design and game design so the learning gets woven into game play. The game rules support the learning need and the game elements function as reinforcers. Commercial game developers may not embrace this "less is more" philosophy. There is a misconception with learning games that it’s the fun of the game that keeps learners engaged. It’s almost as though we’re trying to hide the learning…sort of like chopping up vegetables and pouring chocolate sauce over them so no one realizes they are eating vegetables. This typically doesn’t work. Even if we do eat the concoction we made, the "bad" of the chocolate sauce outweighs the benefit of any vegetables we might have consumed. When I play test learning games, I always see that engagement comes when players love the challenge and goal associated with the game - not whizzy-wig game mechanics, graphics, or game elements. A learning game with well-managed complexity provides solid game play AND an optimal learning experience. Be cautious of any "learning game design" that has people do a bit of "learning" and then offers up game play as a reward for doing the dull learning part. Instead, look for (or try to design) a learning game where the learning is woven into the game play experience itself. Learners will appreciate it - and be engaged by it. Build Your Skills at Learning Solutions 2016 Want to build your own skill set at learning game design? Join Karl Kapp and me for a one-day learning game design workshop at Learning Solutions 2016 on March 15th. We’ll walk you through the game design process and how to weave the learning into the design. We’ll share best practices to follow and pitfalls to avoid (such as making a game too complex). Best of all, you’ll get practical experience designing a game. Register Here The post Commercial Games vs Learning Games: Avoid the "Bling" appeared first on .

Gartner Group, which monitors trends across many industries, has labeled gamification as a trend that is sliding into the "trough of disillusionment" within the education industry. Does that mean that it—and its cousin learning games—are dying? The short answer is "No"… at least not the good applications of these learning methods. Instead, it means that gamification and learning games are moving toward mainstream usage and beyond early adoption stage. It means that bad uses of them will become more apparent… as will effective uses. It means that companies who are more conservative—who are the "let’s wait and see how this shakes out" kind of decision-makers—will likely be ready to jump on board soon. Products that were mediocre and not grounded in good instructional design are going to disappear. Those with strong underpinnings will remain. Custom initiatives will also get better as people make more thoughtful choices on what type of game or gamification to implement… and when to do it. Here’s a quick list of things to think about as you consider ways to gamify or incorporate full-fledged games: Use a portal: A portal is a web-based access point that shows leaderboards, achievements, levels, etc. With a portal, you can gamify non-game activities and let people earn points or badges based on what they complete or how they progress.  For example, you could gamify your entire onboarding experience by letting new employees earn points for completing specific activities such as an eLearning course, execution of a particular project, etc. Gamifying an entire experience such as onboarding program can work if the experience will be of fairly short duration (weeks, not months).  Their weakness can sometimes be that people tire of them fairly quickly if they are intended to last for long periods of time. They also run the risk of focusing more on completion of activities than the quality of performance when doing those activities. Create an immersive game or simulation. Immersive games or simulations are terrific for helping people learn and practice new skills while receiving continuous feedback. People get pulled into them and even feel real emotions as they play. They also lay a very strong foundation for extensive post-game discussion as people evaluate the experience and share insights. Immersive games are best when they function as part of a learning experience rather than being the learning experience. Produce mini-games focused on reinforcement. Mini-games that require only minutes to play can serve as strong reinforcement tools, helping people to retain what they may have learned as part of a formal training component or helping them to prepare to learn in a more formal way. Where does Knowledge Guru fit in? Companies have used Knowledge Guru as a way to prepare people for learning or to reinforce learning. We have some terrific success stories of companies who used Guru to help people prepare for launch meetings, companies who have used Guru as a game activity during a live meeting and companies who use Knowledge Guru as reinforcement. It can be played in small increments, so it has the ability to mimic the value of a mini-game while also having value as a more robust experience, too. Background on Gartner’s hype cycle Gartner’s hype cycle refers to the cycle that emerging technologies go through on their way to mature usage. There are five stages in the evolution of a technology that makes it to maturity: Technology Trigger - the new technology or concept comes onto the scene. Early proof of concept stories emerge and the media grabs hold. Peak of Inflated Expectations - early adopters start sharing success stories. While failures occur, too, these tend to get ignored… for awhile. Trough of Disillusionment - Interest wains if experiments fail. Producers of technology start to shake out with some providers disappearing. Slope of Enlightenment - More instances of how the technology can benefit the organization start to emerge. Conservative companies initiate pilots and the concept/technology gains broader acceptance. Plateau of Productivity - the technology finds its place and becomes mainstream. Criteria for viability are clear. The post Gamification and Serious Games Headed to the Mainstream appeared first on .

Bottom-Line Performance (BLP) is the proud recipient of two awards in the 2015 Horizon Interactive Awards competition. The prestigious competition receives thousands of entries each year, and only 65% of all entries receive a Gold, Silver, or Bronze distinction for excellence in interactive media. These award-winning solutions build on BLP’s recent success in the Horizon awards: BLP has now won six Horizon Awards since 2013, including two awards for the Knowledge Guru platform. The Knowledge Guru mobile reinforcement and gaming app earned a Silver designation in Mobile Apps - Education. The new app allows learners to start playing Knowledge Guru on their smartphone and finish on their laptop. Scores and achievements sync seamlessly between the web app and native app version of Knowledge Guru. "The Horizon Interactive Awards competition has always been about excellent design" said Sharon Boller, President of Bottom-Line Performance. "Winning this award with our Knowledge Guru app is a great honor and reflects the efforts of our product team to bring the full Knowledge Guru experience to mobile devices." BLP also won a Bronze Horizon Interactive award for Password Blaster, an arcade-style game that helps Cummins, Inc. employees learn how to create secure passwords. Players must "blast" the bad passwords while letting the good passwords pass by. It is part of a larger Information Asset Protection curriculum design to help Cummins employees protect sensitive information. "BLP helped develop resources to address and mitigate global threats facing employees, facilities and information assets. They created a multitude of interactive modules that fit within a one-stop-shop Security Toolkit designed to help our employees access and navigate our security resources and learning portals" said Bryan Langley, Global Security Manager at Cummins, Inc. "Their product has been globally acclaimed and we look forward to continuing our future collaboration with them." The Horizon Interactive Awards is a prestigious international competition recognizing outstanding achievement among interactive media producers. The competition recognizes and awards the best web sites, videos, online advertising, print media and mobile applications. Each year, the Horizon Interactive Awards receives thousands of entries from all over the world. A panel of industry professionals, from diverse multi-media, graphic design and marketing backgrounds, review the entries to determine the work that is to be recognized. BLP showcases Knowledge Guru, along with award-winning custom solutions like "Password Blaster," at the 2016 ATD International Conference. Learn more and register here. About Bottom-Line Performance The Knowledge Guru platform is imagined by Bottom-Line Performance, a learning design firm serving a wide range of corporate clients. Since 1995, we’ve helped clients choose the right learning solutions for their learners, while also helping them to design and develop learning tools effectively. Areas of focus include product launches, customer training, internal process training, safety & compliance and more. The post BLP Wins 2015 Horizon Awards for Knowledge Guru Mobile and Custom Game-Based Solution appeared first on .

Don’t let the title fool you…   So, while sitting in a team leaders meeting at the end of January, I was psychologically accosted by my administrator with the following statement (well, we all were, but I think I was the only one that had to restrain myself) I have a bunch of really great … Continue reading →