One of the biggest hurdles facing a blended learning instructor is making your course feel like one cohesive whole, rather than like two separate courses. Students notice right away if things feel disjointed and they will immediately check out if it feels as though the professor is unprepared. In order to avoid this pitfall, it […]

Today we are happy to announce our Eliademy All Stars video interviews. The initiative aims to interview key influencers from various industries on the subject of Education, Technology, Entertainment and Venture Capitalism. We believe that those 4 industries are spearheading the … Continue reading →

On The Learning Circuits Blog, Tony Karrer’s Big Question for December is What Did You Learn About Learning in 2009?I reviewed my posts over the year, following Tony’s advice, looking for things that might be relevant to this. There are several recurring themes. Some I’ve also met on other bloggers’ posts. I've selected two main ones that are related - the quick pill and learner engagement.I’ve a lot of questions, and few convincing answers.We are often dogged by tradition when it comes to theories of learning. They are many and varied. But it’s too easy to discard time-honoured philosophies and replace them with something new and seemingly innovative.Thinking and learningOne theme that’s prominent is related to multi-tasking, among a series of other linked ideas that took my interest this year. It prompted me to think of how ideas on thinking and learning evolve in the first place.The discussions I’ve followed on the merits and demerits of multi-tasking seem to be at cross-purposes to each another. Those who believe that it can be done effectively are seemingly oblivious to hard evidence that it just can’t be done.The quick pillLearning is not often easy. It nearly always involves concentration, thought and patience. A person looking for a learning panacea (don’t all learners do this as some stage?) may end up having to make a strategic choice, and stick with that long enough to see if it works.It doesn’t always work. It’s no different for the teacher who is looking for a quick pill to offer learners.Teachers have a more difficult job in many respects, for they have first to assess the learners’ progress, and interpret these assessments to see if a method works. Teachers who believe that assessment is not required or who neglect the need for these are short-changing their learners and fooling themselves.Learners who know something about metacognition may have more facile routes to similar destinations. But they also have to assess effectively their own progress before they know if a learning technique is any use to them.The smorgasbord of tips and ideas to do with learning that learner and teacher confront, tends to be so much in-your-face - a plethora. And there are conflicting arguments in abundance over the merit of each tempting morsel - which one works for what situation, etc - everything from where the learning is sourced, to how it’s supposed to be assimilated:Are books a good idea? Should learners be able to read AND listen to mp3s? Does listening to music really assist learning? What type of music is best if it does? Is the Internet a fast option? Can a learner listen to or watch instructional DVDs and read the Internet at the same time?Does the learner have a so-called digital-immigrant’s barrier to accepting these learning technologies? If so, what can the learner do about it if they have?What other barriers to learning can impede the progress of the would-be-learner? The list goes on.Learner engagementAnother theme I’ve seen a lot of this year is learner engagement. Again, a whole set of questions arise out of this.What is it that hooks the learner? How can the hook be put to further use? Is there a way of maintaining an effective level of engagement once initiated? Is it individual engagement or is a community more likely to achieve a better level of success?What influence does the support of the learning environment have on learning? Are parents, partners or other significant people important to the learner when it comes to motivation?What circumstances are best for learning - situational or isolated instruction? Of these, are the benefits associated with either, dependent on the occasion?Where does praising the learner fit into all this?I find this difficult. I’ve covered so much ground this year, it’s a hard task to prioritise and select the most significant ideas or the most interesting thoughts, for I’m really not sure of their relative importance.They are all fascinating in their own captivating way. The practice of the good teacher is to select, revise and re-activate from past actions those that work best in the ever-changing environment of learning.

If you follow my blog, you know that the past few weeks I have been participating in a MOOC on blended learning design. This week wraps up the course with a focus on quality assurance. Here is the thing about QA in blended learning: there’s no real set standard. That said, I think the most […]

Robert Winston got it right when he corrected John Campbell on TV3's Campbell Live today. John had remarked that he was learning a lot during his interview with Lord Robert, when the surgeon politely pointed out that he too was learning a lot.Lord Robert is Professor of Science and Society at Imperial College, London. He made the point that the brain is an ever-changing organ where (learning) connections are being made all the time.He said that when he left the TV studio, his brain would be different from how it was when he came in. This is because neural connections would have been made in Lord Robert's brain during the time he was in the studio. He would have learnt new things.Empty vessels'Filling jugs' has been a favourite metaphor for teaching and learning.It implies many things erroneously. Among which is that teaching is a one way process of transmitting knowledge from teacher to learner.My teacher training lecturers at Moray House College of Education, Edinburgh, in the 70s, were before their time. They each passed on their message. But a common theme was that teachers should never stop learning.Part of good pedagogy is sharing the journey with the learner. There is as much for the teacher to learn on the way as there is to be taught.If ever there is an idea that is ‘learner centred’, that one is!

Today we review 3 courses that you should take on Eliademy. Some of them are free, some at fair price, but one thing they have in common is of good quality and excellent student reviews. Lets start! 1) Fundamentals of Accounting from Aalto … Continue reading →

A few weeks ago, the ELH Challenge of the week was to create a math game. I was very excited about this one but life got in the way. I also knew I’d be working on this little gem. The Task For those that don’t know, I recently started a position working at the Robert […]

Find inspiration on how to deliver superior hospitality experience with Eliademy. Start now a 30-day trial of Eliademy and create your first course online.

I’ve been reflective in my thoughts on where teaching and learning, training and higher education have been leading us recently.I find it curiously odd that there seems to be a cogent drift away from the value of qualification, in those who are actively engaged in creating educational and training resources. This, at a time when experience is already not held universally in high esteem.By qualification, I mean a formal standard, diploma or degree, conferred by an authorised and antonymous education or training body.By experience, I’m implying months or years actually practicing a discipline, in whatever role the position requires.I have tremendous faith in the youth of today, so I’m not denying their worth and value. They have unbelievable potential and the future of the world as we know it lies undeniably in their hands.But in the past decade or more, there has been a move away from recognising experience in the workplace. Fresh minds - and let’s not deny it, youth - and the promise of creativity coming from those, have been put above the true and proper value of experience.And now, we might be misled into believing that qualification could also be discarded.I put it to you, that by severing the effective combination of qualification, experience and innate ability of the potential appointee to a position in the workforce, we are not only doing a disservice to the workplace, we are putting the future of the world at risk.

The World of Work Training Centre offers vocational training in a range of different fields like Customer Service, Safety and Health, Teacher Training, etc. to young people and adults in the United Kingdom. With over 17 years of expertise in education, … Continue reading →