101 Free Learning ToolsOpenCourseWare and Open Educational Resources Free EduGames Printer-Friendly Version Let's explore the idea that there is at least one excellent free learning tool (or site) for every learning problem, need or issue!I want a FREE: Easy-to-use and secure Internet browser? Firefoxe-Mail system? GmailSocial bookmarking tool? del.icio.usSocial bookmarking tool with collaborative learning features (groups, forums, etc.)? Diigo Tool to translate text or a webpage? Google Language ToolsRSS reader? Omea ReaderOnline RSS reader? Google ReaderOnline Calendar? Google CalendarTool to aggregate all my resources, mail, RSS feeds, etc, in one place? Netvibes, iGoogle or PageflakesPlatform to incorporate all my favorite tools within one environment? ElggLearning Management System (LMS)? Easy, MoodleHosted LMS? Here are SEVEN!Tool to assist me in evaluating and selecting a LMS? EduToolsLearning Activity Management System? LAMSCollaboration tool? Connect with NingSocial Networking tool? Tricky one! Facebook3D online virtual world where I can socialize, connect and learn? Second LifeContent Management System (CMS)? JoomlaTool to create my own website? WebnodeVirtual Classroom? DimDimHosted Virtual Classroom? WiZiQTool to broadcast myself to the world? USTREAMTool to make calls from my computer? SkypeVideoconferencing chat service? VawkrContent authoring tool? How about two? eXe & CourseLabAlternative to Microsoft Office? OpenOfficeOnline suite of office tools? Google Docs or ZohoTool that accurately converts my PowerPoint to Flash (including animations)? iSpring Free Web authoring tool alternative to FrontPage and Dreamweaver? NvU or KompoZerPersonal online notebook? Google NotebookBlogging tool? WordPress! Why aren't you using WordPress? Good Question!Blogging tool for educators? EdublogsDirectory of edubloggers from around the world? International Edubloggers Directory Microblogging tool? TwitterWiki tool? PBwiki Encyclopedia, which I can add to or edit? WikipediaCommunity dedicated to collaborative development of free content? WikiEducator Audio recording tool? AudacityTool to record and host my audio recordings online? Odeo Studio Tool to transform media into collaborative spaces with video, voice and text commenting? VoiceThreadTool for storytelling? Here are 50!Screencasting (recording) tool? WinkHosted screencasting tool? JingMindmapping tool? FreeMind Tool to brainstorm and create mindmaps online? Bubbl.us or MindMeisterEasy-to-learn 3D authoring software tool? Google SketchUp Alternative to 3D Studio Max? BlenderPhoto/image editing tool? GIMP or Picasa Online photo/image editing tool? SplashupTool to create cool personalized images? Custom Sign Generator WidgetsImage Resizer? DosizeWatermarking tool? uMarkScreen Color Picker? ColorSchemerTool to highlight text in a webpage? The Awesome HighlighterTool to create flowcharts, diagrams, technical drawings? GliffyTool to create comics and cartoons? ToonDooTool to create animations? GoAnimateTool to make screenshots from different browsers with one click? Browsershots Tool to create PDFs from any Windows program? PDFCreatorOnline file conversion tool (e.g. Word >PDF>PowerPoint)? Zamzar Tool to share my slides? SlideShare, SlideBoom or authorSTREAM Tool to share my videos? YouTube or TeacherTube Tool to share any type of file with unlimited storage capacity? Internet ArchiveOnline science research sharing portal? SciVee Online community to share and discuss instructional teacher videos? TeacherTubeOnline community to share, discuss and learn about the uses of educational technology? EdTechTalkOnline community to test my big ideas? Big ThinkTool to download videos from any video sharing site (YouTube, Metacafe, etc.)? ClipNabberSelf-publishing tool (books, papers, articles, etc)? ScribdTool to share my pictures? Are you joking! FlickrSpace to upload and share my files? eSnipsFile hosting solution that allows me to share files up to 250MB each? FileCrunchOnline quiz tool? ClassMarkerTool to create interactive quizzes and puzzles? Hot PotatoesTool to create web and print-based crossword puzzles? EclipseCrossword Inquiry-oriented lesson tool? WebQuestMultimedia flashcard software? MemoryLifter Online polling tool with a bit of fizzle? PolldaddyOnline survey tool? Click here to choose!Tool to create Flash games (templates)? ClassTools.netInvestment Simulation Game? Virtual TraderInteractive 3D business simulator? INNOV8Game to understand cancer better? Re-MissionGame to understand the scientific method and 21st Century Skills? River CityGame to understand variable manipulations for urban management? SimCityGame to understand social studies better? Quest AtlantisGame to understand world hunger and efforts to alleviate it? WFP FoodforceGame to learn more vocabulary and help hungry people? Seriously! FreeRice Range of interactive tools to help me understand maths concepts? Shodor InteractivateStep-by-step math problem solver? Mathway Tool to create my own search engine tailored to my needs? Google Custom Search EngineHuman-powered search engine? MahaloMetasearch engine with visual display interfaces? What! Here is KartOO! Search engine that groups the results by topic via automated clustering technology? Vivisimo Science-specific search engine? Scirus All-in-one research search tool? SchoolrTool to help me collect, manage, and cite my research sources? Zotero Tool that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to my website? Google Analytics Tool to search, discover, rank and compare different sites around the world? AlexaTool to search the full text of books? Google Book SearchTool to search for scholarly literature? Google ScholarTool to search for patents? Google Patent SearchTool that sends me email updates of the latest relevant Google results (e.g. e-Learning)? Google Alerts Energy saving search engine? BlackleOnline visual dictionary and thesaurus? VisuwordsWorld digital library? World Digital LibraryTool to build and distribute my own digital library? GreenstoneSite to find and search across all OpenCourseWare (OCW) courses? OpenCourseWare ConsortiumRepository and learning network of Open Educational Resources (OER)? OER CommonsSite to get the latest updates on OER and OCW? OER BlogsPortal to non-formal OER and training resources? Open Training Platform Encyclopedia of video tutorials to help me learn any software? Edumax or Wikivide-Book to learn more about e-learning 2.0? Learning 2.0 eBook Site to learn more about rapid e-learning? The Rapid e-Learning BlogSite to learn more about Online Course Development? Hitchhiker’s Guide to Course DevelopmentCrash course in learning theory? Click here!Database of Learning Theories? Click here & here!Tool to help me understand and use learning styles effectively? Learning Styles Online.com Repository of creative and critical thinking tools? Mycoted to the rescue!Route to learn more about the 21st century skills? Route 21 Repository of how everything works? HowStuffWorksRepository of lectures from the world's top scientists? Videolectures.NETDirectory of academic open access repositories? OpenDOAR Site covering today's top social, political, and tech issues? FORA.tvSite to improve my learning skills? Study Guides & Strategies Gaming tool to help me learn ICT? ReviseICT.co.ukTool to improve my typing skills? Peter's Online Typing CourseTool to improve my reading skills? ZAP Reader Interactive courseware to improve my workplace skills? ALISONMultimedia site that enhance our understanding of war and its history? Maps-of-War3D human anatomy visualization tool? Visible BodyTool to learn languages? MangoTool to explore the World? Google EarthTool to explore the Universe? WorldWide TelescopeTool to visualize human development? GapminderTool to answer all my questions? Answer.comSite with talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers? TED is a good starting point!Article to reveal the secrets of the super-learners? Click here!Link to the most innovative web 2.0 (and 3.0) lab in the world? Google LabsTool to stumble upon and discover great websites, videos, photos, etc. ? StumbleUponDaily newsletter that keeps me updated with the latest news on online learning? Stephen's OLDaily Site dedicated to tracking the changes occurring in education today? Open EducationSite to update me on the latest free instructional resources for Higher Education? EduResources Weblog & Educational TechnologySite to discover delicious free tools, resources, and sites? ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us DiscoveriesSite to make you shut up? About time! Here we go:25 (must-have free) Tools: Professional Development Programme (Jane Knight)In short, for every learning problem (or issue) we have today, there is probably a free tool or site out there that enables us to solve it. If not, I am pretty sure some genius out there is constructing it right now. If no one is doing it, perhaps we can do it.Another challenge is to integrate all our learning tools efficiently and effectively into our learning spaces. On the positive note, more and more tools are creating integration modules to widely used systems like Moodle and Facebook, so it might not be so difficult after all. Also, with OpenID we can increasingly login to all our favorite websites without much hassle. Single-login to all our learning tools! Now that is something we all can appreciate! Remember one password! Tough one!If you want to experience my learning adventure as I discover, perhaps you should subscribe to my Del.icio.us Learning Adventure! Otherwise, you could always wait a week or two for the updates in this blog. Have fun 'Socratic Tooling' to solve your learning problems and issues :)

Link to ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us Teaching Links"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." - William Arthur WardCan anyone become a great educator (teacher or lecturer)? Or is it gift that we are born with (Nature)? Or can we become a great educator through learning, practice, feedback, reflection, etc. (Nurture)? Or perhaps it is a combination of Nature and Nurture? Or perhaps it is neither? What are the characteristics of a great educator anyway? WHAT GOOD TEACHERS SAY ABOUT TEACHING?"At the University of California at Berkeley, the Distinguished Teaching Award was instituted in 1959 to recognize and reward excellence in teaching. Since the inception of the award, over 150 faculty in forty-eight departments have been honored...although these essays (by the award winners) were prepared independently over a number of years, there are striking similarities about what good teachers say about teaching. On at least ten propositions, the contributors are in near or total agreement (Source):The teacher's main task is to guide students through the learning process, not to dispense information.The goal of teaching is to help students read, speak, write, and think critically—and to expect students to do these things.Learning is a "messy" process, and the search for truth and knowledge is open-ended.Good teachers love their subject matter.Good research and good teaching go hand in hand. Students' engagement with the subject is enhanced by knowing about the teacher's own research, and the interaction with students often provides new insights into the research.The best teachers genuinely respect students and their intellectual capabilities.Good teachers are rarely satisfied with their teaching. They constantly evaluate and modify what they do.Good teachers usually had good teachers, and they see themselves as passing on their own teachers' gifts to a new generation of students.Good teachers treasure the small moments of discovery in the classroom and the more enduring effect they have on students' lives.Good teachers do not see teaching as separate from other activities; rather, they see their lives as remarkably integrated."The interesting thing today, is that we increasingly have access (if we have Internet!) to all sorts of content about the art of excellent teaching (A short list). In addition, we can also study and reflect amazing lecturers through video lectures and podcasts from many of the most respected Universities around the world, including MIT, Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge (YouTube Channels, Podcasts and OpenCourseWare).So, why can't we inspire all our students to learn (if you can, please share your secret!)? That is a tough question beyond my intellect, knowledge and experience (I suppose because it needs two to tango)! However, let's play a bit with this question, and instead ask, "what were the least inspiring teachers we experienced during our student days?" Or more specifically, "What were the teaching habits that inspired us out of learning?"5-PART SERIES?In this 5-part series (which might evolve into a 10-part series!), I will reflect specific teaching habits practiced by some educators that I experienced personally during my 20 years career as a student (I suppose when I do my PhD I can add another 3-4 years). I am not interested in witch hunting any particular educator (I am really bad with names anyway, so that is not a problem!). Instead, I am trying to reflect back and learn from their teaching habits (and perhaps avoid them!) that made me wonder: Are you kidding me? Is this guy for real? This guy needs a life! What is wrong with him? Can't he see that we are sleeping! Don't teachers undergo training on how to teach and facilitate learning? Perhaps he doesn't care! Since I have had the privilege to experience educators from every major continent of the world during my 20-year career as a student, I suppose I will have some very interesting teaching habits to share with all of you. Whether they are bad teaching habits or not, I will leave that for you to decide. But one thing is for sure, these teaching habits certainly inspired me out of learning. Finally, before we begin this 'unlearning' journey, I have to admit I have never been an easy student to deal with. During my primary and secondary school I was rude, noisy, and spent a lot of time in detention. I literally slept through high-school, and just managed to scrape through. Once, one lecturer threatened to kick me out of class if I didn't stop sleeping, and even placed me in the front row to ensure that I didn't sleep. It didn't help much! When you are tired, and have to sit through a boring lecture, what do you expect! I suppose if I had taken more vitamin supplements, given up on football, stopped having fun, and slept earlier, things would have been different. I suppose it is a learning process!Then I moved to Malaysia, and the power of faith (Islam) brought the passion back to learn in me. During my undergraduate and graduate days, I forced myself to sit in the front row until it became a habit I am proud of. Not only did I sit in front, I also become the ultimate annoying student that always asked questions. I became the kind of smart-aleck I used to despise in my younger days. In a nutshell, that is my story as a student. Now, let's move on to the real point of this 5-part series.WHITEBOARD AND I ARE ONE! During my undergraduate studies, I had a very interesting statistics lecturer, which I will name Dr. Woody (woodpecker) for the name protection sake. Dr. Woody was a multimedia encyclopedia of statistics, and he certainly did not need to refer to any book or notes during his lectures. He had perfected every lecture he conducted. In addition, he was a caring guy and always smiled. So, what is the problem! Yeah! Hmm, got a point there!Interestingly, I had two different statistics (can't remember the names!) subjects with Dr. Woody that semester, and we only had a 10-minute break in-between the two 90-minute sessions twice a week (6 hours a week with Dr. Woody). Dr. Woody was always punctual and so was I. I remember, he would always be stressed at the beginning of each class and would be eager to start as fast as possible, so that we could complete the syllabus on time. As soon as he began teaching, he would face the whiteboard with his markers, and begin the magic statistics writing adventure. And you know what, he would just go on, and on, and on, and on, like a dog hunting a fox. His urgency to do his thing (teach!), gave him no time to turn back and assist the helpless students in shock! We managed to complete 50% of the syllabus within the first 3 weeks of a 14-week semester. Of course it was impressive to see Dr. Woody practically write the book on the whiteboard, doing it at a speed that even Ferrari would not be able to match. My fingers (and brain) used to be really exhausted after two consecutive 90-minute sessions (twice week) of nonstop writing (15-25 pages of notes each time!), trying to capture everything that Dr. Woody wrote on the whiteboard. Thank GOD many lecturers today use PowerPoint, or provide some form of course notes. However, we have to keep in mind that taking notes itself, is a skill that all students should master. Because in most working environments, there probably won't be any books or notes to rescue us, and solve all our problems. REFLECTIONIt was only after I discovered notes taken from his previous students that I realized how amazing Dr. Woody's memory was. It was as if he had imprinted the notes and formulas in his brain, and simply repeated it again and again every semester. Even a photocopy machine would be proud of such perfection. Although, we got to experience him do his thing (process flow!), it was kind of overwhelming, and I believe most of us had problems dealing with the information overload. I suppose if we could replay the lecture in slow motion (many times!), it would be more useful. Interestingly, when I revised the notes I had taken from Dr. Woody's lectures, I couldn't even remember that I had written them. Did I really write that! I suppose I had no time to think while taking the notes. Overall, Dr. Woody was knowledgeable, skillful, caring, experienced, and an expert in his subject area. However, I am not sure I learned much about statistics from him. Actually, I didn't! Though, since I had the passion to do well, I managed to do quite well anyway. But, what is important to keep in mind here, is that being an authority in a knowledge domain, does not mean that we are fit to educate and facilitate learning. Even worse, some educators have an amazing ability to make you sick of a subject (They might argue that it is self-inflicted!). Is that a natural gift, too?Although, it is important to learn new ways to improve our teaching, it is also important to reflect our own existing teaching methods, and perhaps unlearn those that really inspire people out of learning. Until Part II, let's explore our own teaching, and try to point out to ourselves (at least!) a few habits that might turn students off learning. "That student is an idiot! I have told him a 100 times and he still doesn't get it!" :)

Link to ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us Collection Link to ZaidLearn's Diigo Collection A Free Learning Tool for Every Learning Problem? "It's not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results."- Warren BuffetI am happy to announce that ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us Discovery Collection is growing fast and has now gone beyond the 500 mark. Alright, I have to admit that there are amazing dudes in del.icio.us that have managed to assemble collections that have nearly 20 times more links (URLs) than mine (e.g. ggrosseck). Kudos to them! However, since this post is about my collection, I shall say no more (about that!) :)However, if you are looking for specific suggestions on free stuff to solve your learning issues (or problems), I strongly encourage instead that you to explore my post entitled "A Free Learning Tool for Every Learning Problem?", which include more than 100 excellent free tools/resources. Interestingly, that 100+ juicy learning tool/resource list has been promoted by bloggers and sites in several countries around the world, including Canada, United States, England, Ireland and India. In short, it has less links, but perhaps more power :) DEL.ICIO.US JUICE?Although, I am still in the early stages of building my arsenal of power links, there are a few tags worth getting ourselves dirty with already. Here we go:1) Content - OpenCourseWare (OCW) & Open Educational Resources (OER) OCW_Repositories OER_Repositories Podcast LibrariesYouTube_Channels Engineering &_ICT Education Mathematics Natural_Sciences Business 2) Learning Tools Favorite_Tools Gaming Authoring Survey/Polling Graphics Learning Management Systems POWER LINKS?Please, keep in mind that my strategy is not to bookmark every single free learning tool or resource out there, but instead target those juicy links that I believe are useful, relevant, interesting, and have a long lasting value to our learning adventures. I am still exploring new tagging formulas and naming conventions, so you might find the current tag strategy messy and frustrating. However, I am still learning, and hopefully the power links will be increasingly easy to find as I master (or disaster!) the art of bookmarking and tagging.REFLECTION! During the last couple of weeks, I have begun a fascinating journey to find great courses available among OCW repositories around the world. I am certainly not interested in bookmarking every single one of them. MIT alone has now around 1800 free courses! But then again, how many of them give you learning goose bumps? Currently, there are already more than one hundred courses in my collection, and you can surely expect more in the coming weeks. When my learning adventure for full-blown courses begins to slow down, I will begin the struggle to bookmark particular free lectures and talks (videos) that give me learning goose bumps. In other words, it wouldn't surprise me, if my del.icio.us collection reaches 1000 before July 2008. Having said that, it is not about big numbers, but instead it is about capturing great learning juice out there in the fast growing information galaxy, and making it easily available to hungry learners around the world. I have to admit that I really enjoy using del.icio.us to bookmark and tag my learning discoveries. It is a brutally simple, focused and easy-to-use tool with no frills to distract you from it's core purpose, which is to help you collect, manage, and share your links (URLs) online. And that is probably why this tool is ranked the number one learning tool on the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008 (Jane Knight). Another beauty of managing your link discoveries with del.icio.us, is that when you bookmark a link, you can actually see how many other del.icio.us users that have bookmarked it. It is like searching for stars in the galaxy. When you discover one, you can check whether you are the first one to do so or not. Interestingly, I have noticed that del.icio.us users are great in bookmarking learning tools (e.g. Moodle = 6500+ have bookmarked it), but seem to lack interest (or awareness!) in bookmarking great free or OCW courses (Physics I: Classical Mechanics by Professor Lewin = 130+ have bookmarked it). Actually, most OCW courses that I have bookmarked fail even to reach the 20 mark. Perhaps, del.icio.us users focus more on bookmarking individual lectures or resources within the courses.ZAIDLEARN GOES DIIGO?There has been a lot of hype regarding 'Diigo', the new social bookmarking tool in town (it is not that new, brother!). So, to feel the hype I have also explored this tool. As Diigo allows you to import collections from other social bookmarking tools like del.icio.us, it was extremely easy to transfer my power links. Click here to experience ZaidLearn's power links in Diigo. Although, Diigo is a cool tool and has a lot more features than del.icio.us to socialize, communicate, and have fun, it does not appeal to me (at least until now!). The reason is that I want my social bookmarking tool to be brutally simple, easy-to-use and focused. I have enough of other free learning tools to socialize, communicate and have fun! Though, it would be nice if del.icio.us allowed users to provide comments to our learning discoveries, and be able to report broken links. Besides that, del.icio.us is still my first choice! But then again, I will continue to export my collections, and import them into Diigo (whenever I remember!). You never know in the future :)

Part 1 - Teaching Habits That Inspire You Out of Learning?Link to ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us Teaching Links"If you done it, it ain't bragging." - Walt Whitman"It's not bragging if you can back it up." - Muhammad Ali "He who is humble is confident and wise. He who brags is insecure and lacking." - Lisa Edmondson In the last episode, we got a taste of a lecturer that only had time to engage the whiteboard, so that he could complete his syllabus. This time around, I will have to put on my student experience goggles and transport myself back to an undergraduate psychology course (Deviant Behavior) I took in the previous millennium. For the identity protection sake, we will name this lecturer Dr. Brag.DEVIANT BEHAVIORDr. Brag was not an ordinary lecturer. No, he was an extraordinary lecturer! I used to enjoy coming to his classes, and occasionally he practiced what he preached, too. So, why are you writing about Dr. Brag? Let's begin!Although, I admired his expertise, experience and knowledge, it got kind of frustrating listening to him brag (boastful statements/arrogant talk) about all his amazing achievements every class. By the end of the course, we probably knew more about him and his family's achievements than the subject matter itself. Every class, we would hear one self-glory ego-boosting story after another, covering his greatness in sports, politics, work, family and education. Yes, he was also writing more than 10 books concurrently at that time. My best friend was assisting him in editing these books, and that must have been reasonably challenging. I wonder if Dr. Brag ever finished writing any of those amazing books. I have to feel sorry for the guy, too. He had high blood pressure and was a diabetic in a country like Malaysia. Now, that is a bad combination, especially when the classroom is hot and humid with many students who are mentally on holiday. Or sleeping with their eyes open!Anyway, I was there! Since I had already developed the habit of sitting in the front row and asking questions, the classes got quite lively at times. Although, he bragged a lot, I loved the fact that he would always challenge us. The one bragging challenge that really got to me, was that he was happy to claim that, "No student in my class has ever gotten an A!" I am not sure if that is something a lecturer should be proud of, but strangely some are. That was a challenge too good to resist. I didn't get that many 'As' during my undergraduate days, but somehow this particular challenge inspired me to get one. And I am really proud to share with you all that I was the first student at the University to achieve an A with him (Am I bragging or what! I hope he was actually telling the truth!). The glory was short lived though, as I heard that others got 'As' with him in the following semesters. Well, I am proud to be the first one at least (Bragging again!).I suppose 'Deviant Behavior' was a course that came naturally to me, so I should not think so highly of my success. It is also no surprise that I also scored an 'A' in 'Abnormal Psychology' (Oh man, can you stop bragging!). Some students scores 'As' all the way, some score 'As' in only subjects they like, and some don't get a single one. Nothing to worry about, if you believe in yourself and work hard, I am pretty sure you can succeed anyway. Also, scoring 'As' is probably not the best indicator to predict future success in life. Though, it does help to get a few 'As' on your scroll, because it could at least help you to get an interview with a top company. Why didn't I think of that earlier!REFLECTION Some argue that 'Teachers or lecturers join the academic world (of theory), because they are failures in the real (practical) world.' Such statements often drive academic staff nuts (even if it is sometimes true!), and brings laughter to students. Anyway, we don't need to go into this discussion here, because it will probably lead to no constructive alignment. Instead, we could ask ourselves, "why do we like to brag about our achievements?" Do you brag? I certainly do, but I usually feel kind of stupid when I realize it. But then again, we forget fast, because it is always nice to feel appreciated and important. The best thing is when someone else praises us about our work. But if none do, we could always do it ourselves.The best thing about teaching and bragging, is that we are guaranteed an audience, which will probably just look in shock and awe (some will already be sleeping!). I mean, no sane student is going to stand up, and tell the lecturer, "Give us a break from your pathetic achievements, and please get on with the class!" And unless one or a few students make it clear sooner or later, the lecturer will probably continue semester after semester, year after year. Interestingly, the stories will become more amazing and exciting every time they are told. There might even be 2-3 new versions every semester, especially if the lecturer is teaching more than one section.Certainly, lecturers that have a lot of experiences relevant to the topic discussed should share them with the class. However, we should also ask ourselves whether we are doing it to assist our students to understand the learning content better, or emphasize an important point, or are we doing it to boost our ego. Perhaps we do it for both reasons. If you think that your achievements are so great, perhaps you should watch a few TED Talks to put your achievements in a global perspective (do a bit of benchmarking, please!). In my opinion, the greatness of a lecturer does not lie in what he (or she) has personally achieved. Instead, a great lecturer is a person who is able to consistently facilitate AHA-moments in students (Oh, now I understand!) and inspire (or trigger) them to explore and discover their true potential. To sum up, Dr. Brag was actually a very knowledgeable and experienced lecturer, but his habit of bragging was something that was in my opinion more destructive than constructive in motivating students and facilitating learning. Do you brag in class (or at work)? Has it become a habit beyond control? Think about it! It doesn't take much effort to change. I am trying, but I want to be appreciated and feel important! Unless I tell them, they will never respect me, recognize my amazing talent, and look up to me. What was the agenda again?"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." - Dale Carnegie

Part 1 - Teaching Habits That Inspire You Out of Learning?Part 2 - I Have Bragging Rights, Because I Am ...?ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us PowerPoint Links"It's the way people depend on all those bells and whistles that come with the software to try to shore up a weak presentation." - Chris Oakes (1998) "...To critics, PowerPoint serves largely the same role in the classroom as pre-processed snack food does in the lunchroom: a conveniently packaged morsel that looks good but doesn't match the intellectual or corporeal nourishment of, say, a critical essay or a plate of steamed spinach." - Joanna Glasner (2002) "The practical conclusions are clear. PowerPoint is a competent slide manager and projector. But rather than supplementing a presentation, it has become a substitute for it. Such misuse ignores the most important rule of speaking: Respect your audience." - Edward Tufte (2003)"The use of the PowerPoint presentation has been a disaster...It should be ditched." - Professor Sweller (2007)IS POWERPOINT EVIL?Edward Tufte (2003) even explains in his "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information" book, how PowerPoint caused the destruction of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. I suppose PowerPoint is evil! Wait a minute! Isn't also the Internet evil! What about chocolate? Yes, cars are certainly evil! Motor bikes are even worse! Certainly, sex is evil! Actually, everything I can think of is evil! Should we blame PowerPoint on our own failure to create compelling content and engage students to learn? Or perhaps PowerPoint is the problem as it lacks the features needed to enable us to express ourselves effectively (Perhaps we should use Apple's Keynote)? Or is it a combination? Perhaps we could blame the students? We could probably ask questions and argue all day long without getting anywhere. If I was a psychologist, I would probably use the famous statement that is practically used for every argument: "It depends." And for this case, I would probably have to agree.But instead of getting into a logical and/or emotional argument about the constructiveness or destructiveness of PowerPoint, I will instead put on my student experience goggles, immerse myself into my learning mind, and transport myself back to a blended learning graduate course I took a few years back entitled 'System Analysis & Design', which was a learning experience worth sharing and reflecting. For the name protection sake, I will simply call my lecturer, Dr. PowerPoint.READING SLIDES"...Lecturers who know nothing else except their PowerPoint slides...They are just PowerPoint notes, not process. They have no stories, no biographies, no histories..." - Professor Bajunid (2005)As this was a blended learning course, we only had eight (8) 2-hour tutorials with Dr. PowerPoint. Four tutorials were conducted online (using Centra) and four were conducted face-to-face (F2F). Interestingly, we had to cover 17 topics in this 'System Analysis & Design' course, which means theoretically we had to cover around 2 topics per class. Although, we had 17 topics to cover, it was relieving to know that we had PowerPoint to rescue us from the giant book (It takes you one page to fall asleep!).As usual, Dr. PowerPoint would always be late for the F2F tutorials (4 out of 4!). The great thing was that we always finished classes early, too. Start late, finish early! Please, tell me a student who wouldn't love that? ME! I remember one class, she was around 15 minutes late, and managed to cover 3 topics and complete the tutorial (or lecture!) 15 minutes before time. It was amazing; it was like watching Speedy Gonzales swoosh through the slides.What is wrong with that? Just imagine. We come to class, and then we watch Dr. PowerPoint read the bullets out loud for 1 1/2 hour. As she was late and had to cover 3 topics this time, she rushed more than usual. The best part was when we reached areas in the slides that she thought we could read on our own. She would ironically say, "Oh, this part is easy! You can read this at home!" One poor student had to travel for 3 hours to attend these tutorials, and that is what he gets. Come on! This is a graduate course (Masters!), and that is what we get! And you know what, several of my graduate courses that I took, followed the same PowerPoint reading routine and pattern. If the PowerPoint slides were more attractive, engaging and stimulating, it would at least provide some fun during the learning process. Just watching bullets and text can get kind of boring after a while, especially if the lecturer can't read properly. Actually, that part was really funny. Sometimes we would come to certain parts of the slides, which Dr. PowerPoint read out incorrectly, or seemed not to understand what she read. How is that possible? Well, since all the topics of the book come with slides, I suppose the lecturer conveniently used them (guessing here!). Come on, be prepared at least!Today it is so easy to be a lecturer, if we use this formula: No need to prepare content (slides come with the book)Come to classRead the slides out loudAsk at the end of the class: "Any questions?" No questions (needed, students got the PowerPoint slides!)The END (of learning!) Come on! In short, PowerPoint is evil! Wait a minute! Can we blame PowerPoint for this?MEMORIZING SLIDESDoes reading and memorizing PowerPoint slides facilitate learning? How do you measure learning? Assessment! If we use written exams as a measure, I can share with you that with some of the subjects I took; I could amazingly score an 'A' by basically reading and memorizing the slides. Why bother reading the book, when we can score good grades by simply reading and memorizing the PowerPoint slides! Strangely, when I engrossed myself in a subject (reading and reflecting the book and required materials), my exam results seemed to suffer. I suppose information overload enabled me to forget the key points needed to score an 'A'. Luckily I learned a few tricks from my Bosnian friend. This guy never really studied, and he always did very well on exams. What was his secret? When he saw me one day stressed out preparing for exams, he told me to read a book that would unleash the genius in me (or help me score good grades without much effort): Quantum Learning. After reading that book, I learned a few cool tricks (Not telling! read it!) and exams became a breeze, but learning seemed to suffer. In the end, I decided to sacrifice a few 'As' for the sake of learning. Not kidding!If we were required to take the same exam again a few months (or weeks!) after the semester was completed, it wouldn't surprise me if we fail, or at least get a much worse grade. It is strange! I thought that when you learned something, it sticks (for a while!). Just like learning to ride a bicycle. I suppose some formal courses are more complex. THE FIVE MINUTE UNIVERSITY! The idea is that in five minutes you learn what the average college graduate remembers five years after he or she has graduated. Father Guido Sarducci's Five Minute University (video) is probably applicable until today for some courses out there (Too much focus on memorization!). If it is still happening in some of your courses, use this incredibly funny video to spice up the discussion about effective learning. Father Guido Sarducci's Five Minute University video could bring to light the seriousness with a bit of laughter. Actually, I have now watched it more than a dozen times, and I am still laughing (and crying!). Then, we can together laugh a bit at ourselves, and move on to more effective teaching, facilitation and learning. EFFECTIVE LEARNING? Today, millions of people around the world use presentation tools like PowerPoint to create content to persuade, explain, illustrate and facilitate learning. So, until something better comes along that appeal to the masses, we might as well do the best with what we have. Anyway, if you ask me, I would argue that PowerPoint is actually a constructive tool to facilitate learning, if you know how to use it (Still learning!). If you don't know how to use it, it can also be a very destructive tool (Same goes for any other learning tool!). Now, I am not going to give you a written lecture on how to get it right. The reason is that I want you to learn from the real masters in preparing and giving presentations (or lectures). Learn from them, and then reflect, adapt, and do your own thing. First, here are a few wonderful PowerPoint resource sites to explore:PowerPoint - On-Line Technology Practice ModulesA comprehensive directory of links (URLs) to tutorials, sites, game templates and articles on how to use PowerPoint effectively. Sonia Coleman's Digital StudioFree PowerPoint templates and tutorials! PowerPoint 2007 Tutorials (Florida Gulf Coast University)Including graphics, tables, charts, formatting text, printing and slide effects. PowerPoint Tutorials (Wikivid)PowerPoint tutorials are broken down by topic so that you can navigate the list to find exactly what you need or watch them all from start to finish to become a PowerPoint expert. Alright, that is the macro stuff. What about some super tips on creating compelling presentation slides?Have you heard of Tom Kuhlmann? Check out his Rapid eLearning Blog, which shares practical tips and tricks on creating excellent presentation slides. Also, download his free 46-page ebook: The Insider's Guide to Becoming a Rapid E-Learning Pro. It is an amazing resource that could spark your slides to life. He has already more than 21,000 subscribed readers (free!), so perhaps it is time to become one, too! Great, but I want to see one example of great presentation slides? Death by PowerPoint (Alexei Kapterev). Also, you might want to check out an example of presentation slides for a full-blown course: Critical Thinking (links to all the slides are included in the article). Oops, that is my article and slides. Just had to! It is not great, but I am kind of satisfied with it. I think you will actually find it quite interesting, too :)To see many more examples, I would advise you to explore Slideshare, which is an amazing repository of both excellent and poor presentation slides. If you need some inspiration to create engaging slides, that is a great starting point. Alright, great stuff! But, I want a learning resource to inspire me to become a great presenter?Have you heard of Garr Reynolds? Check this out: Google Talk - Presentation Zen. Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making "slide presentations" in today's world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Watch and Learn! Did you like it? If you did, you could always explore his juicy blog for further nourishment: Presentation Zen By the way, PowerPoint Extreme Makeover by Dean Shareski, is another excellent recorded lecture worth watching a couple of times (At least 3!). While you are getting into the groove, you could also watch: How To Create a Great PowerPoint without Breaking the Law, by Alvin Trusty.That is cool! But what if I don't want to use presentation slides, and simply want to inspire my students to learn. Any examples to benchmark myself with? Do Schools Kill Creativity?, by Ken Robinson is one great example. If you want many more, TED Talks is simply an amazing learning adventure.Here are two incredible TED talks by Hans Rosling that I wouldn't want to miss:Debunks Myths about the so-called "Developing World" (2006)New Insights on Poverty and Life around the World (2007) Now, if you are teaching statistics or need to visualize your data, Hans Rosling with his Gapminder is certainly a great role model or benchmark. Although, Gapminder is a great data visualization tool, it was Hans Rosling's passionate, energetic, and inspirational talk that really blew me away (I mean in learning terms!). He is what I call a great presenter! While you are at TED talks, check out Jill Bolte Taylor's inspiring talk: Stroke of insight. She uses a real brain to make a point. I am not kidding! Now, that is an attention (brain) grabber! Wait a minute! I am a lecturer, and I teach physics. I mean, how engaging can you be with such an inherently boring course? Well, perhaps Professor Lewin could teach you a trick or two. Whether you use PowerPoint (Windows), Keynote (Apple), OpenOffice, or no presentation tool at all, there are endless of possibilities of what you can do to create compelling content, and engage the student's mind to learn. Yes, PowerPoint or presentation slides can be destructive (and perhaps even evil at times!). But with a bit of creativity and flavor, I believe presentation slides can assist in facilitating effective learning, and awaken our creative side to express ourselves beyond words. However, if your content is poor, no fancy design or flying dogs are going to save you. Get the substance content right, be creative and passionate, and engage your students with a lot of relevant and challenging learning activities and mind boggling puzzles (embed them within the presentation slides). However, remember: If you are hopeless (Can't read, write or talk!), teaching is going to get tough, no matter how cool your slides are. Even if you are a hopeless teacher, don't worry! If you have the desire and passion to learn, you can overcome all your weaknesses, and nurture them into strengths. Learn, practice, reflect, improve, practice, reflect, etc.So, is PowerPoint evil? I don't know, and I don't care (Got better things to reflect)! Since we are stuck with it for now until something better comes along (I kind of like it anyway, so no worries mate!), we better focus instead on how to make the most of it to facilitate engaging and effective learning :) "Of course, PowerPoint is not inherently evil, it is just poorly used..."- Stephen Downes

ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us Games LinksOpenCourseWare and Open Educational Resources Free Learning ToolsPrinter-Friendly Version"Engage Me or Enrage Me" - Marc Prensky (2005) "Never play a video game that's trying to teach you something." - Justin Peters (2007) Terms like educational games, game-based gaming, and social impact games don't sound too bad. But, Serious Games sounds awful! I mean, who wants to get serious about playing games (I want to relax and have some fun!)? The name itself is capable of killing the joy of playing games before even wanting to. I suppose some innovative name rebranding could help to facilitate and globalize the idea of using games to facilitate the (formal) learning process. Though, I think the term 'Edutainment' is quite good. My favorite would probably be EduGames. But, I believe we have yet to discover an attractive term for educational gaming that reach the 'Yummy' factor.Anyway, this post is not about attacking or supporting the idea of EduGames to facilitate Higher Learning. There are tons of articles out there (Google it!) talking about the potential of EduGames (e.g. Game-Based Learning: How to Delight and Instruct in the 21st Century - Joel Foreman). Although many articles and papers talk about EduGames, they often don't include a comprehensive directory or list of juicy free EduGames. So, this post will skip all the theoretical Mambo-Jumbo, and link you right to the juice (that I have managed to discover!).In short, this article (or post) is about exploring and discovering free educational games that could be useful to embed within or across courses (and programs) to spark more engagement, challenge, mystery, exploration, collaboration, problem-solving, decision making, imagination, fun and thinking into the learning process.EDUGAMES SITES?But, before we explore 75 EduGames! Here are a few online resources that you might want to explore first (Macro-level):Educational Games ResearchResearch and discussion concerning instructional video games. Serious Games InitiativeIs focused on uses for games in exploring management and leadership challenges facing the public sector.Serious GamesA web portal to serious games news, resources and companies. Its secondary goal is to enable networking between anyone with an interest in serious games.Social Impact GamesIt is designed as a community resource for all those interested in games with non-entertainment goals. You can find more than 200 educational games here (free, commercial, coming soon, etc).The Education ArcadeRepresents a consortium of international game designers, publishers, scholars, educators, and policy makers who are exploring the new frontiers of educational media that have been opened by computer and video games.26 Learning Games to Change the WorldA great post by Jeff Cobb about 26 educational games out there that are geared towards making a difference in the world.The Top 10 Free Educational Video GamesCheck it out! If you find the list below overwhelming and stressful, this list is simply wonderful!75 FREE EDUGAMES!Initially, I wanted to compile an EduGame list, which included metadata, categories, chunking, screenshots, and tags. But, then I kind of realized it would require a lot more work from me, and less thinking and effort from you to find something useful. In other words, it would minimize the challenge and discovery aspect of finding what you want in the list (if there!). It would take way the challenge and might even hinder you from finding what you are looking for (especially, if my categorization and tagging is poor!). Yes, it would take away the gameplay challenge of mystery, suspense, joy, exploration, fun and incidental learning. "WHATEVER! Just get on with it!" Here are 75 FREE EduGames (including 3 interesting tools at the end) that sounds and looks interesting for Higher Education (Haven't tried all yet!):GwapWhen you play a game at Gwap (e.g. ESP Game), you aren't just having fun. You're helping the world become a better place. By playing their games, you're training computers to solve problems for humans all over the world.WFP FoodforceUnderstand world hunger and efforts to alleviate it. Virtual UIs a management education game, a simulation of a university, in which the user takes the role of a university administrator. It is designed to foster better understanding of management practices in American colleges and universities.RevolutionExperience historical incentives for the American Revolution from the grassroots level. Discover BabylonUses sophisticated video gaming strategies and realistic digital environments to engage the learner in challenges and mysteries that can only be solved through developing an understanding of Mesopotamian society, business practices, and trade. FreeColIs a turn-based strategy game based on the old game Colonization, and similar to Civilization. The objective of the game is to create an independent nation.FreeCivIs a Free and Open Source empire-building strategy game inspired by the history of human civilization. The game commences in prehistory and your mission is to lead your tribe from the stone age to the space age.Tropical AmericaA journey to unravel the mysteries of the Americas. Developed in collaboration with Los Angeles artists, teachers, writers and high school students, the game features a bilingual, thematic gameplay, accompanied by an online database of edu-resources.Ayiti - The Cost of LifeWhat is it like to live in poverty? Find out now in this challenging role playing game in which you take responsibility for a family of five in rural Haiti. From UNICEF with Microsoft support.EyeWitnessIs an Interactive Situation Simulation Software (ISSS) that let users experience the 1937 Nanking Massacre personally, when over the course of 6 weeks, over 300,000 civilians were killed by Japanese troops invading the city.The History Canada GameUnderstand social forces surrounding Canadian history since 1534. Modification of Civilization III Road to Revolution GameTest your knowledge about the American Revolution, and see if you can navigate your way to independence. Every correct answer gets you closer to liberty! Conflict MapIn the course of the 20th century, mankind experienced some of the most devastating wars of all times. Where, what, How, When, Why? This map gives you the opportunity to answer these questions. It displays wars with at least 1,000 military battle deaths. Prisoners of WarCan people behave as they like during times of war? No, they can't. The Geneva Conventions of written rules and articles make some acts unlawful. Play the prisoners of war game to learn more.The Peace DovesTake on the mission to disarm the world of nuclear weapons! You have eight "Peace Doves" to help you, each able to disarm one of the eight countries possessing nuclear weapons.America’s ArmyPlayers are bound by Rules of Engagement (ROE) and grow in experience as they navigate challenges emphasizing team play, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. Stop DisastersThe online game aims at teaching people on how to build safer villages and cities against disasters. Multiple languages. Good teacher resources. World Without OilAn alternate reality event, a serious game for the public good. It invites everyone to help simulate a global oil shock. People participate by contributing original online stories, created as though the oil shock were really happening.Real Life SimulationsThat let you experience life as, for example, a peasant farmer in Bangladesh, a factory worker in Brazil, a policeman in Nigeria, a lawyer in the US, or a computer operator in Poland, among others.3rd World FarmerIt aims at simulating the real-world mechanisms that cause and sustain poverty in 3rd World countries. In the game, the player gets to manage an African farm, and is soon confronted with the often difficult choices that poverty and conflict necessitate. Trade RulerBertil Ohlin, awarded the Prize in Economics in 1977, showed that countries engage in and benefit from trade if their production resources differ from each other. Play the Trade Ruler game to learn more. Wasteland AdventureTime: 3010 AD. After humans destroyed the ecosystem. The earth lost the ability to heal and the environment continues to get worse. The fresh air and clean water are polluted. Just play the game!!! Climate ChallengeA game where you are president of the European Nations. You must tackle climate change and stay popular enough with the voters to remain in office. Global Warming InteractiveIs a web based multi-user educational game which explores the relationship of global warming to economic, political and science policy decisions (intended for the high school user). Quest AtlantisHelp students understand social studies, environmental concerns, current events, and scientific standards. FreeRiceA cool game to learn vocabulary and help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free (Made possible by the sponsors who advertise on the site). AnagramaramaThe aim of the game is to find as many words as possible in the time available. Get the longest word and you'll advance to the next level.Re-MissionUnderstand cancer better and develop a positive attitude toward defeating it. The POD GameDispense drugs and medical advice to people during an emergency. Using this game, you can enhance your efforts to teach staff and volunteers to work efficiently and sensitively with the public to maximize throughput in times of crisis.Deliver The Net GameRace the sun and hand out as many insecticide-treated bed nets as you can to African families. The more nets you deliver - before the mosquitoes come out - the more lives you save. Immune AttackAn educational video game that introduces basic concepts of human immunology to high school and entry-level college students. It aims to excite students about the subject, while also illuminating general principles and detailed concepts of immunology.The Immune System DefenderIlya Mechnikov, inserted a thorn into a larva and noticed strange cells gathering around the thorn. The cells were eating any foreign substances entering the ruptured skin (devouring cells). Play the game to learn more!Whack TB (Tuberculosis)There are almost 9 million new cases of TB each year; about 500,000 of these cases are resistant to the best TB drugs available to fight them. Play this game and learn more about fighting TB!" From the Families USA Global Health Initiative. Blood TypingIn this game you have to blood type each patient and give them a blood transfusion.Virtual Hip Surgery - Total Hip Replacement SurgeryTake on the role of the Surgeon throughout a hip replacement surgery!Virtual Knee Surgery - Total Knee Replacement Take on the role of the Surgeon throughout a total knee replacement surgery. The Ear PagesSound is caused by changes of pressure in the air that is transformed into nerve impulses in the inner ear. Explore "The Ear Pages" and collect the snail shaped symbols to gain points in the quiz!The Incredible Adventures of the Amazing Food DetectiveThere has been a mysterious outbreak of unhealthy habits among kids, and we need to solve these cases. All junior food detectives will get secret training on how to eat right and exercise. Have fun playing the game! The Food Detectives Fight BAC!The game gives kids a fun way to learn about foodborne illness. From New Mexico State University. FatworldA video game about the politics of nutrition. It explores the relationships between obesity, nutrition, and socioeconomics in the contemporary U.S.WaterBusters!A game to teach tips for water conservation around the home.NitroGeniusIs a multi-player, multi-stakeholder game about solving nitrogen problems. A free single-player (demo) version is available.Binary Game (Cisco)The game teaches strategies related to the binary system, a foundation knowledge used by CCNAs to install, configure and operate networks.Plan Your Future Park!You get to plan your future New York City park, making choices that communities all over the city have been making.The Conductive ValleyWe have been taught that plastics, unlike metals, do not conduct electricity. However, plastic can, after certain modifications, be made electrically conductive. Play the game to learn more.ChiralityChiral molecules can be used to control or speed up different chemical reactions. In this game you can learn the basic principles of chirality.Invar & Steel AlloysSteel, brass and amalgam are a few examples of an alloy. Invar, from the word "invariable", is a special steel alloy - used today in toasters and CRT-monitors for example. Play the game to learn more.Heating PlasticsThere are two major groups of plastics - some melt when heated and others don't. Find out why by playing the Heating Plastics Game.The Recycler (Transistors)Shockley, Bardeen and Brattain, the men behind the transistor, were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics. Today, transistors are found in virtually every electronic device. Play the recycling game to learn more.The Laser ChallengeLaser is used in many areas, such as research, communication, industry, medicine, and environmental care. Learn more about the laser by playing this game.Fold It - Solve Puzzles for ScienceIs a computer game enabling you to contribute to important scientific research. Foldit uses spare computer time, via a screensaver, to work out how proteins fold. Players use their computers to fold proteins. Lord of the FliesThe game is supposed to be played after one has read the book "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. The aim is to introduce some basic analytical aspects concerning the book and to challenge the reader's memory through play.Find the AuthorsAmong hundreds of letters, the names of Literature Laureates are hidden. Pick a period and search for the authors mentioned on the list beside the puzzle. The names may be written in all directions.Arden - World of William ShakespeareAttain an appreciation of Shakespearean authorship and Elizabethan England. Modification of Neverwinter Nights Diamond. Globulation2Is an innovative Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game which reduces micro-management by automatically assigning tasks to units.Crash Scene InvestigationHelp the highway patrol recreate a deadly crash by examining the evidence and calculating the forces. Use trigonometry, physics, and geometry to figure out what happened at an auto crash scene.Airport SecurityYou’re an airport screener. Can you correctly identify risky items hidden in baggage? Uses actual X-ray images of dangerous devices.Bricks or ClicksYou are put in the role of CEO at a traditional toy manufacturer. The company, called ToyBlocks Co., must confront the challenges of launching an online sales channel while managing and maintaining their current traditional sales channels.HarpoonedHarpooned is a free game for Windows. It is a Cetacean Research Simulator, where you play the role of a Japanese scientist performing research on whales around Antarctica.Stop Whaling GameSteer the Greenpeace inflatable boat around the seas and intercept the dangerous harpoons from the whaling ship. To make the whaling ship stop whaling, you must try and get your activists on board the whaling ship.WolfQuestLearn about wolf ecology by living the life of a wild wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Play alone or with friends in on-line multiplayer missions, explore the wilderness, hunt elk, and encounter stranger wolves in your quest to find a mate.McDonald's Video GameYou’ll discover in this game all the dirty secrets that made McDonald's one of the biggest companies of the world. Interesting stuff man! Multiple languages. Offline version available. Corporate GreedA 3-minute mini-game about the corporate executives accused and/or convicted of greed-related crimes. Better Business GamesA basic in-box simulation game from British Telecom about managing social and environmental issues in a business. The player takes on the role of corporate CEO. The games contents are drawn from general business dilemmas across all industries. Karma TycoonIs a free Online RPG that rocks the gaming world by offering you a thrilling ride through the world of social entrepreneurship as you earn Karma in virtual communities across the US. Teachers curriculum available. GoogolopolyThe goal of the game, produced by Box.net, is to use Google shares to buy as many properties as you can without landing in the deadpool and losing your stock. You can download the game in its entirety as a PDF. SimCityUnderstand variable manipulations for urban management while having fun building a simulated city. Virtual Trader - Investment Game (UK)Virtual Trader is a free Investment Simulation Game, offering its users the opportunity to gain practical experience trading stocks under real market conditions (London Stock Exchange), against their actual and current prices. INNOV8 - Business Process Management (BPM) SimulatorInnov8 is a FREE interactive 3D business simulator (Registration required), which takes participants through the entire lifecycle of discovery, collaboration, optimization, and innovation of a fictional company’s business processes. eLECTIONS - Your Adventure in PoliticsInspired by the classic board game "The Game of Life," players will role-play their own virtual candidates running for President.My US Rep - Role Play Congress!This game enables you to play your favorite (or not so) House of Representative and help them become more popular! Based on real voting data, My US Rep allows you to discover your Rep’s hopes and dreams within an engaging game experience.WhyvilleProvide a student-centered, hands-on environment for exploring various school subjects. Hot PotatoesThe Hot Potatoes suite includes six applications, enabling you to create interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-fill exercises. jQuizShowIs based on the popular "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" TV game show. You can customize the questions to what you want. It is written in Java , and can run on any platform that supports Java.ClassTools.netCreate your own free educational games, activities and diagrams in a Flash! Host them on your own blog, website or intranet! "Oh man, I don't even have time to try one (or even read this list!), and now you give me 75. Come on!" Who said you need to try out or read this list. Just share it (the URL) with your students, and tell them the kind of game you might want for your course (Challenge), and let them individually or in groups explore, discover, reflect, select and write a recommendation report. In short, this EduGames list could be a good starting point to start the EduGame discovery journey.If you are looking for a list that will actually grow (as I discover), please go here: GAMES GALORE.This post is dead and buried (for now!), but my del.icio.us adventure will continue. Finally, please don't take EduGames too seriously, don't get addicted, but have fun playing them while learning :)

Part 1 - Teaching Habits That Inspire You Out of Learning?Part 2 - I Have Bragging Rights, Because I Am ...? Part 3 - Is PowerPoint Evil?Coaching Critical Thinking to Think Creatively!ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us 'Thinking' Links"Some people study all their life and at their death they have learned everything except to THINK"- Francois Domergue"A person who asks questions is a person who thinks."’- William Wilen In this 5-part learning series, we have already looked at several teaching habits that could inspire students out of learning, such as speed-teaching, bragging, lack of engagement, and slide reading. In part four (4), we will explore a couple of teaching habits that could be quite destructive to the students' learning process. First, I will project myself back-to-the-past to my high school days in Norway, and reflect a few learning experiences that I still can't get out of my head (Perhaps after sharing them with you, they can rest in peace on the web!). After that, I will reflect a few more incidents from my graduate days in Malaysia.The thing about my schooling experience in Norway, whether it was primary, secondary or high school, is that many of my teachers seemed so miserable and frustrated with their lives. I kind of got the feeling that the majority of the teachers I experienced, never really wanted to be teachers, but became so, because they failed in their first choice careers. I hope that I am wrong about this (Faulty memory!) and that things have changed for the better at the schools I studied (Marienlyst and Ullern). Let's transport myself back to the past...THE SPIDER...I can't remember the name of the teacher, nor can I remember the subject that she taught (high school subject). However, I do remember that she would always come to class with a serious and angry face carrying a big sulk. It was as if she hated us (probably herself, too!). Her serious and angry face could wipe your smile off with the blink of an eye. As for me, I dreaded going to her classes. Not only did she look serious and angry, she also had a great pleasure of giving us impromptu oral tests during classes. Although, I actually support these kinds of instructional approaches to encourage students to prepare for class, I believe she also had other hidden reasons for giving us such tests. She seemed to get pleasure out of giving us a BIG ZERO (out of 5, if I remember correctly!) when we couldn't answer her questions. This is how it worked: She would ask a question in class, and then students would raise their right hand if they knew the answer. Nope, she would not pick any of the raised hands, but instead she would pick one student who didn't raise the hand. And obviously that student would struggle, or not be able to answer the question. Then she would suddenly decide that this is an impromptu oral test and write a big zero in her grade book. And naturally I would get a big zero the first couple of times, but then after a few classes I would raise my hand even if I didn't know the answer. It at least saved me from a few zeros.So, naturally many students hated her guts, and wanted to take their own revenge in a less psychological damaging way! And one day a few students brought a quite big spider (Norwegian standards!) to class (I am not sure where it can from). They placed it on the top of the teacher's desk; smack in the middle. Although, I was not involved in this silly little prank, I did witness it. We all expected that the teacher would freak out and scream for help, but 'Oh Boy' were we wrong.That day she came to class holding a book in her right hand. While walking towards her desk, she spotted the spider. She initially screamed a bit in a freakish manner, and then she lifted her book with both hands and slammed that spider several times until it was completely crushed and dead. Then she picked it up with a face of rage and disgust and walked to nearest classroom window. She opened the classroom window, and threw it out! After this incident she began the class as if it never happened. "Who cares! People on 'Fear Factor' eat them alive all the time!" Yes, I also have a small phobia for spiders, and I really don't like them. But somehow for that spider I wouldn't have mind risking my phobia to save it. It was a bizarre moment and murder that I probably will never forget. So, next time you want to pull a prank on your annoying and serious teacher, think twice about using living creatures, because you never know. It is not worth the risk! Dear spider, may you rest in peace! Hopefully, we can learn a lesson or two from this story. NO STUPID QUESTIONS!Hopefully, the spider incident can rest in peace (from my mind!), and let's move on. For the next habit or behavior, I am not going to zoom in on a particular teacher, but reflect how destructive some teachers can be in discouraging students to ask questions without often realizing it (I suppose I am guilty, too!).It is strange that I need to talk about this topic in the 21st century, but I still come across teachers or lecturers that would do all sorts of things or tricks to avoid questions in class. Is it their lack of preparedness for the topic that causes this? Or perhaps they are scared to lose control? Maybe, it is that fear of not knowing the answer to a question? Perhaps they don't want to put themselves in a position, which could make them look stupid? Or is it simply a cultural or authority issue that we can't do much about (except educate the next generation). Here is a list of statements or questions to could discourage students from asking questions during class:Please don't ask stupid questions!That is a stupid question! Any other questions?That was not a good question! Ask proper questions!Anyone got a better question!Haven't you read the book!Please read the book before asking questions!I don't entertain such questions! You can find the answer easily in the book!I have already told you that! Aren't you listening!Didn't I make that clear just know!I just answered you that question! Are you making fun of me!What! How many times do I have to explain it, before you get it!We don't have time for this question! Please find the answer on your own.Think before you ask!These are some of the statements or questions that I experienced from some of my lecturers during my undergraduate and graduate studies in Malaysia. Don't get me wrong, I had many good lecturers during these years too, but this series is about the bad experiences. POSSIBILITIES!Whether we do it consciously or not, we should think a bit before making statements that might indirectly or directly discourage students from asking questions. If no one is asking questions in your class, you might actually be part of the problem. For example, some might argue that Malaysian students don't usually ask questions in class, or that they are happy with a one-way lecture approach. "No thinking required, just need to look awake! Anyway I got the slides, so there is no need to really listen." However, all students have subject related questions, and I believe it is up to the lecturer to explore creative ways on how to encourage more students to ask these questions to facilitate the learning process. If you ask me, no matter how resistant students are to asking questions and participating in discussions, there are ways to overcome it. In short, if you are creative, passionate and encouraging you can unlock any student to ask questions.Alright, I am not going to give you a written lecture of the importance and secret recipe of nurturing the students' mind to ask and reflect questions and ideas (Not qualified yet!). Instead, I will link you up with a few videos for you to reflect. The videos below are also excellent for stimulating discussion with your colleagues on how the world of technology, knowledge and learning is evolving, and the necessary changes we need to carry out to facilitate effective learning, and nurture the foundation for students to succeed in the 21st century. Here we go: Shift HappensThe impact of ICT and globalisation on education. It provides some interesting things to ponder regarding globalization and fast evolving changes we need to consider as we plan and prepare students for the future. Pay AttentionThis presentation, simply entitled Pay Attention, was created by Darren Draper in an effort to motivate teachers to more effectively use technology in their teaching. Five Minute UniversityFather Guido Sarducci teaches what an average college graduate knows after five years from graduation in five minutes. A great video to facilitate discussion about effective learning with a bit of humor. "Do Schools Kill Creativity"Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. "Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Using Us"The evolution of knowledge creation, management and sharing in creative and stimulating way.Teaching Teaching & Understanding UnderstandingA 19-minute award-winning short-film about teaching at the University. It shows examples of good and bad teaching, and promotes constructive alignment learning approach using Solo Taxonomy to test students' level of understanding (deep understanding?).Five Minds for the FutureHoward Gardner speaks about his book, Five Minds for the Future explaining why, in the future, it will be important to develop five kinds of minds, both in school and in other educational environments.In addition to these interesting videos, here are a few sites that can stimulate some new ideas on how to facilitate effective learning in your course:Route 21A one-stop-resource center for 21st century skills-related information, resources and community tools. You can even find videos here of 21st century skills in action in today’s classrooms. New Horizons for LearningPresents articles and information on special issues in education, from restructuring schools to technology and adult education.EDUCAUSEA nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. You can find hundreds of interesting resources, research papers and articles exploring everything from Second Life to lecturing.Creativity TechniquesA central repository for Creativity and Innovation on the Internet by Mycoted with a summary of tools, techniques, mind exercises, puzzles, book reviews, etc. Concise, precise and easy to digest. I love it!Mind ToolsMore than 100 free essential life, career training and management training skill-builder articles and tools to explore.Successful Learning - This e-book discusses philosophies of learning, thinking skills, presentations skills, learning strategies, e-Learning, motivation, reading/writing skills and learning styles. Published by CDTL, National University of Singapore. Brain Rules12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. Critical Thinking Web Provides over 100 free online tutorials on critical thinking, logic, scientific reasoning, creativity, and other aspects of thinking skills. This site is maintained by Dr. Joe Lau at the Philosophy Department, The University of Hong Kong. Critical Evaluation TookitGriffith University provides tips on helping students to develop critical evaluation skills.Argumentation and Critical Thinking TutorialThe tutorials consist of a series of tests to help reinforce your knowledge and understanding of some basic concepts associated with making arguments and thinking critically (Humboldt State University).Empowering the 21st Century SuperintendentOf all the challenges you face as a superintendent, technology leadership may be the one that leaves you feeling the most unprepared, uncertain and vulnerable. This site provides you with a lot of valuable resources and ideas on how to deal with it. Interactive Thinking ToolsIntel provides online tools designed to promote higher-order thinking in any subject. Each tool features an online workspace where students create and save visual representations of their thinking. CoRT & Six Thinking Hats Two wonderful thinking tools by Edward de Bono, which we can use in the classroom, at work, or any place where we need to collaboratively solve problems, make decisions, and nurture innovative ideas.Work-Learning Research Dr. Will Thalheimer's goal has been to compile research from the world's preeminent refereed journals and translate that research with practical wisdom to help learning professionals create more effective learning. Check it out!WebQuest Is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. Finally, here is an article I wrote a couple of months back entitled: Coaching Critical Thinking to Think Creatively!, which might also be useful. A FEW TIPS!"Take your course seriously! Take course preparation seriously! Take learning seriously! Take assessment seriously! Take your students seriously! But don't take yourself seriously!" - Zaid Ali AlsagoffBetter yet, have fun making fun of yourself during class, and make it a point that we all do mistakes. Anyway, the greatness of a lecturer or a leader is not whether he or she does a mistake (surely will!), but how he or she responds to it. If you are not doing any mistakes or failing once a while, you are perhaps not trying hard enough. Finally, celebrate students who ask you questions, even if you don't know the answer. Not only will they inspire you to learn and get a deeper understanding of the subject, they will also nurture you to become a better lecturer. We all say funny things and ask stupid questions in our short life on this planet, but if we learn from them and move on we might just... :)"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy."-Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859."Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."-Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895"Everything that can be invented has been invented."-Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899."Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"-H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927."I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."-Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977"640K ought to be enough for anybody."- Bill Gates, 1981"If at first, the idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it."- Albert Einstein

Printer-Friendly VersionOCW/OER Search ZaidLearn's Delicious OCW Adventure130+ Free Learning Tools75 Free EduGamesZaidLearn is back from another non-blogging vacation (Who cares!)! Excellent point! Anyway, before I get back to my wacky 5-part learning series (in 2 weeks time!), I need to settle something urgently, and that is to compile and organize all my University learning related OpenCourseWare (OCW) and Open Educational Resources (OER) links that are scattered here and there, into one smashing post. In short, this post is about smashing all free University learning related OCW and OER resources and collections discovered into an all-in-one (sounds like shampoo!) quick-to-access/find juicy compilation. Hopefully, it will satisfy my thirst for quick access to free University learning related content.Interestingly, this post will be a dynamic one, meaning that I will continue to update (and revamp!) it as I discover, or others share ideas and recommend new oceans of free knowledge. STARTING POINTSBut before we get bogged down by tons of free learning repositories, here are few good starting points to find and know more about OER and OCW:SEARCHOCW/OER SearchThis Google customed search engine enables you to search the sites that are linked from this post (with a few filters, too). Click here to view Tony Hirst's (Credit to him for the super idea!) OER/OCW search version, which also searches sites linked on this post. Click here to view Scott Leslie's upgraded version, which brings it to a Do-It-Together level by using a Wiki enabling anyone to add OER/OCW links (URLs).OpenCourseWare Finder The OCW Finder currently shows results from several collections, including MIT OCW , Utah State University, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health OCW, Tufts University OCW, Foothill De-Anza SOFIA, and Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative. OER Recommender Makes it easy for open education resource providers to provide links to related resources. A good starting point to search and find relevant OER resources. DIRECTORIESOER Commons A global teaching and learning network of free-to-use resources - from K-12 lesson plans to college courseware - for you to use, tag, rate, and review.Open Courseware DirectoryYou will find 7 groups of subject-specific open courseware, including specialized resources for each subject. It is an annotated listing of publicly available courseware (lecture notes, handouts, slides, tutorial material, exam questions, quizzes, videos, demonstrations, etc) from the world's universities, colleges and other educational institutions. OpenCourseWare ConsortiumThe OpenCourseWare Consortium is a collaboration of more than 200 higher education institutions and associated organizations from around the world creating a broad and deep body of open educational content using a shared model. Academic EarthAn educational video website with the goal of enhancing the usability and expanding the awareness of OER, focusing first on video lectures. COMMUNITIESWikiEducatorAn evolving community intended for the collaborative planning of education projects linked with the development of OER. development of free content on Wikieducator for e-learning; work on building open education resources (OERs) on how to create OERs.Wikiversity Wikibooks, Collection of open-content textbooks. Wikiversity is intended for the creation and use of free learning materials and activities. UNESCO OER CommunityThis site was originally created by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) as a place where members of the UNESCO OER Community can work together on questions, issues and documents. There are some wonderful resources here providing you with relevant information needed to understand what OER is about, how to use/contribute/collaborate, and how to move forward (e.g. OER: the Way Forward , OER stories, OER presentations and UNESCO OER Toolkit)NEWSOER BlogsAn initiative from MIT's OpenCourseWare project to aggregate and stimulate discussion about open educational resources. It is a great resource to keep yourself updated about the latest trends and developments in OCW and OER.Open Education News A number of individuals from the US, South Africa, and eventually other locations daily monitor the internet for news related to open education. It is essentially a group blog.Open Education - Free Education For AllThis site led by Thomas J. Hanson is dedicated to tracking the changes occurring in education today.EduResources WeblogThis weblog by Joseph Hart focuses on locating, evaluating, discussing, and providing guidelines to instructional resources for faculty and students in higher education (HE). The emphasis is on free, shared, HE resources.AMAZING COLLECTIONS!Why start bookmarking free learning content out there from scratch, when there are great people out there that have already assembled amazing OCW collections for us to explore (for free!). Here are a few amazing OCW collections shared by special people out there:Lecturefox - Free University Lectures (Andreas and Ellen Petersen)Free Online Courses from Great Universities (Open Culture)Intelligent YouTube Video Collections (Open Culture)30+ List of Computer Science Video Lectures (Over 200 Videos) 200 Free Online Classes to Learn Anything (Jessica Hupp)More than 100 Free Places to Learn Online - and Counting (Jeff Cobb)OER - Open Educational Resources (Jeff Cobb)100+ Open Courseware Collections for Aspiring Web Developers (Laura Milligan) 100 Free Podcasts from the Best Colleges in the World (Heather Johnson)60+ Killer Open Courseware Collections for Web Designers (Jessica Hupp)Top 100 Open Courseware Projects (OEDb)250+ Killer Digital Libraries and Archives (OEDb) 100+ Sources for Free Books & Texts Online (Alisa Miller) The Stingy Scholar's OCW Collection Online Neuroscience LecturesUNIVERSITY LEARNING & OCWThe OCW or University related learning content compilation below is organized according to Country, University and my urge to quick access. Not much metadata here about each University or repository, except quick access to the juicy links. Hopefully, it makes 'repository finding sense' to you. This compilation was influenced by this great list! Yes, some parts were even copy/paste! :)UNITED STATESMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)- MIT OCW- MIT OCW - Audio/Video Courses- MIT OCW - YouTube- MIT World- MIT TechTV Harvard University- Harvard Business Online (Podcasts)- Harvard - Homeric Odyssey..Justice (Podcasts)- Harvard - Kennedy School of Gov (Podcasts)- Harvard Law School (Podcasts)- Classics Podcasts (Harvard)- BerkmanCenter's Channel (Harvard Law School) (YouTube)- BokTube - BokCenter's YouTube Channel (Harvard) (YouTube)Berkeley- UC Irvine (OCW)- University of California, Berkeley (Podcasts)- Berkeley on iTunes (Podcasts)- University of California (Berkeley) (YouTube)- University of California Television (UCTV) (YouTube)- Berkeley YouTube Lectures- U California eScholarship Repository- CalTech Today (Podcasts)- Berkeley Multimedia Research Center (Podcasts)- Berkeley Resources (Podcasts)Princeton- UChannel (Princeton) (YouTube)- Princeton U's Event SM (Podcasts)- Princeton U's New Media Center (Podcasts)- Princeton University Channel (Podcasts)- Princeton University WebMedia (Podcasts)Stanford University- Stanford on iTunes (Podcasts)- Stanford University (Edu. Corner) (Podcasts)- Stanford University Audio/Video (Podcasts)- Stanford on YouTube- Stanford Center for Professional Development Free Engineering Seminars Yale University- Open Yale Courses (OCW)- Yale University (Podcasts)Johns Hopkins University- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (OCW)- Johns Hopkins U (Podcasts)Rice University- Connexions (OCW)- Rice University (Podcasts) Carnegie Mellon University- Open Learning Initiative (OCW)- Carnegie Mellon (YouTube)Other OCW:Tufts UniversityUMass Boston University of Notre DameUtah OpenCourseWare Alliance Utah State University SOFIA ProjectOther YouTube Channels:University of Southern California (USC)University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Vanderbilt University University of Chicago Press University of Arizona Tulane University Purdue University Old Dominion (US) Duke University NewsAuburnUniversity's Videos Other Podcast Libraries:Knowledge WhartonChicago University GSB Alleghany College American University (Law) Arizona State University Boston College (Front Row) Buffalo State College Butte College Carleton University Television Case School of Law Center for Int. Studies (Chicago) College of DuPage Dartmouth Chance Drexel University Duke University Multimedia Georgetown University Forum Georgetown University Webcasts Georgia College & State U Kansas State University (Landon) Lewis & Clark Law School Mathematical Sc. Res. Inst. Montclair State University Perdue Boilercast Rockefeller University Southwest Tech's CourseCasts St. Edward's University Swarthmore College U Lectures UCLA Bruincast UCLA Webcasts University of Arizona College of Law University of British Columbia University of California TV University of Connecticut University of New South Wales University of Oregon University of Southern California University of Texas University of Virginia University of Warwick University of Washington TV University of Wisconsin-Madison Vanderbilt University Weber University Western Kentucky University York College Lectures EUROPEUNITED KINGDOMThe Open UniversityOpenLearn YouTube Channel Humbul Humanities Hub (Oxford)Cambridge University (Podcasts)London School of Economics (Podcasts)University of Nottingham (Podcasts)Oxford Internet University (Podcasts)University of Bath (Podcasts)Times-Online MBA Broadcasts (Podcasts)Oxford University Saïd Business School (YouTube)FRANCEParisTech "Graduate School" (11 universities - French) Grenoble Ecole de Management (French)UniversitySurf (French)Insead Podcasts HOLLANDDelft University of Technology (TU Delft) (English) Open Universiteit Nederland (Dutch)SPAINOpenCourseWare Universia (10 universities - Spanish, Catalan, Galician) SWITZERLAND European Graduate School (EGS) (YouTube)ASIAAUSTRALIAUniversity of Southern QueenslandNEW ZEALANDNew Zealand Open Educational Resources Project JAPANUnited Nations University Japan OCW Consortium Doshisha UniversityHokkaido UniversityKagawa Nutrition UniversityKansai UniversityKeio UniversityKyoto UniversityKyoto Seika UniversityKyushu UniversityMeiji UniversityNagoya UniversityOsaka UniversityRitsumeikan UniversityRitsumeikan Asia Pacific UniversityTokyo Institute of Technology University of TokyoUniversity of TsukubaWaseda University INDIAIndian Institute of Technology/Indian Institute of Science (YouTube)Rai OpenCoursewareThe Indira Gandhi National Open UniversityKOREAKorea UniversityKyung Hee University TAIWANNational Chiao Tung University (Chinese) VIETNAMEduNet OpenCourseWare Fulbright Economics Teaching Program OCW HONG KONGLEARNet - Shareable Learning Resources in Hong KongSOUTH-AMERICAMEXICOTecnológico de Monterrey (Spanish) Universidad de Monterrey (Spanish)TRANSLATION AFFILIATES China Open Resources for Education (Simplified Chinese)Chulalongkorn University (Thai)Opensource Opencourseware Prototype System (Traditional Chinese)Universia (Portuguese)Universia (Spanish)OTHERSNovell OpenCourseWareNovell OpenCourseWare is a collection of educational materials developed by Novell Training Services for authorized courses and other customer training purposes. OER/FREE REPOSITORIESBelow is a list of OER/FREE learning repositories that are not directly linked with any particular university, but are still wonderful repositories or collections of free content that we can in some way or the other use for our courses:GENERALWikipediaWikipedia is an amazing encyclopedia (of anything you can think of!) written collaboratively by many of its readers.MERLOTFind peer reviewed online teaching and learning materials. WikinewsFree-content online news source where any site visitor can add or edit stories. Answers.comAnswers.com offers free access to millions of topics from the world's leading publishers. Internet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Fathom ArchiveOffers access to the complete range of free content developed for Fathom by its member institutions including lectures, articles, interviews, exhibits and free seminars. GLOBEThe Global Learning Objects Brokered Exchange (GLOBE) is an international consortium that strives to make shared online learning resources available to educators and students around the world. dgCommunitiesdgCommunities (Provided by Development Gateway Foundation) is a collaborative space for professionals working to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development worldwide (Members in more than 200 countries). HowStuffWorksHowStuffWorks explains hundreds of subjects, from car engines to lock-picking to ESP, using clear language and tons of illustrations.World Lecture HallAn entry point to free online course materials from around the world. OpenDOARIs an authoritative directory of academic open access repositories. Each OpenDOAR repository has been visited by project staff to check the information that is recorded here. AT&T Knowledge Network Explorer - Blue Web'n HomepageBlue Web'n is a huge online library categorized by subject, grade level, and format (tools, references, lessons, hotlists, resources, tutorials, activities, projects). The content categories available are: arts, business, education, English, foreign languages, health, history and social studies, maths, science, technology among others. Monterey Institute for Technology and Education National Repository of Online Courses (NROC)A growing library of high-quality online courses for students and faculty in higher education, high school and Advanced Placement. Courses in the NROC library are contributed by developers from leading online-learning programs across the US. Apple Learning InterchangeIs a social network for educators, where you can find content ranging from simple lesson ideas to in-depth curriculum units for K-12 and Higher Education. ARIADNEThe core of the ARIADNE infrastructure is a distributed network of learning repositories. CAREOThe Campus Alberta Repository of Educational Objects (CAREO) project aims to create both an online repository of educational objects for post-secondary educators and a community that both creates and supports those objects. IntuteA free online service providing you with access to Web resources for education and research. Areas: Science and Technology, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, Health and Life, and Sciences.IdeasAn initiative by the University of Wisconsin to identify, evaluate, catalog, and align to the Wisconsin education standards resources that are already on the Internet, such as lesson plans and reference materials. JORUMJorum is a free online repository service for teaching and support staff in UK Further and Higher Education Institutions, helping to build a community for the sharing, reuse and repurposing of learning and teaching materials. LeMill - Learning MillWeb community for finding, authoring and sharing learning resources. Curriki (K-12)Internet site for Open Source Curriculum (OSC), which will provide universal access to free curricula and instructional materials for grades K-12. DAREnetDAREnet is a search service which gives free access to academic research output in the Netherlands. DAREnet consists of more than 146.000 digital objects. EdNA Online (Aus)Education Network Australia (edna) is Australia’s leading online resource collection and collaborative network for the education and training community. EducaNextEducaNext is a service supporting the creation and sharing of knowledge for Higher Education. EurekaA collective catalog of teaching and learning resources gathered by various organizations involved in the production of ITC educational resources. ALISON (Workplace Skills)Including Touch Typing Skills, European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), British Computer Society (BCS) Unit E, Financial Literacy and e-Citizen.HippoCampus (High School)Multimedia and course materials that can help students with their homework and studies. Maricopa Learning eXchangeIs an electronic warehouse of ideas, examples, and resources (represented as "packages") that support student learning at the Maricopa Community Colleges. PEOIProfessional Educational Organization International (PEOI) was created, and is run by volunteers who believe that it is time for open post secondary education be made available to all free of charge. WannaLearn.comHere you can find over 350 categories of free, first-rate, family-safe online tutorials, guides and instructionally oriented Websites. LoLa ExchangeLoLa is an exchange for facilitating the sharing of high-quality learning objects. It contains materials for use across the curriculum, with a particular focus on modules for Information Literacy. EDUCATION TeacherTubeOnline community for sharing instructional videos. T4 Tips PodcastsAudio and video educational technology podcasts providing you tips, guidance and ideas on how to use different learning tools to facilitate effective learning. GEM (Gateway to 21st Century Skills)Thousands of free lesson plans and other teaching and learning resources. SuTree (Educational Videos)SuTree is a knowledge community and an aggregator of instructional & educational videos. EdTechTalkA community of educators interested in discussing and learning about the uses of educational technology. They webcast several live shows each week. SCIENCE & ENGINEERINGVideoLectures.NetFree access to high-quality scientific video lectures. Computer Science Teaching CenterA digital archive of peer reviewed resources for teaching computer science. Submission restricted to registered users. CITIDELComputing and IT Interactive Digital Educational Library Repository (CITIDEL) is a great resource to discover computer Science education and research materials. e-LEE (Electrical Engineering)e-Learning tools for Electrical Engineering. ExploratoriesA project of Brown University's Computer Graphics Research Group to create a set of exemplary Web-based learning objects (Java applets) that teach concepts in introductory computer graphics at the college and graduate level. Users can download complete Java applets, or build their own from the components collection.EEVL (Engineering, Maths & Comp.)A guide to engineering, mathematics and computing information on the internet.iLuminaiLumina is a digital library of sharable undergraduate teaching materials for chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and computer science. SMETE Digital LibraryHere you can access a wealth of teaching and learning materials as well as join this expanding community of science, math, engineering and technology explorers of all ages. arXiv.org e-Print archivearXiv, set up by Cornell University, is an e-Print archive specializing in Physics, Mathematics, Nonlinear Sciences, Computer Science and Quantitative Biology. HEAL (Health Education Assets Library)HEAL's mission is to provide free digital resources of the highest quality that meet the needs of today's health sciences educators. College of Health Professions (COHP) Online Learning ResourcesIncluding Dental Hygiene, Health Science, Communicative Sciences & Disorders Medical Technology, Nursing Radiologic Sciences, Respiratory Therapy and Physical Therapy.HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCESThe Digital ScriptoriumIs an image database of medieval and renaissance manuscripts that unites scattered resources from many institutions into an international tool for teaching and scholarly research. John Locker - Free DocumentariesEducate yourself with free documentaries online on History, Science, Music, War, Religions, Politics, Conspiracies, and more! MATHEMATICSThe Math Forum (Drexel University)The Math Forum Is a the leading online resource for improving math learning, teaching, and communication since 1992, created by teachers, mathematicians, researchers, students, and parents. It offers a wealth of problems and puzzles, online mentoring, research, team problem solving, collaborations and professional development. Math WorldA mathematical specific repository, created by Wolfram Research. Contains web based (HTML) resources about algebra, applied mathematics, calculus and analysis, discrete mathematics, geometry, history, number theory, probability, statistics and topology, etc. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYEduforgeEduforge is an open access environment designed for the sharing of ideas, research outcomes, open content and open source software for education. W3SchoolsAt W3Schools you will find all the Web-building tutorials you need, from basic HTML and XHTML to advanced XML, SQL, Database, Multimedia and WAP. EdumaxEdumax is an online learning website that provides free lessons on topics from personal development to computer programming. TEXTBOOKSGoogle Book SearchIn addition to searching, viewing and downloading books, you also receive links to reviews, references, and even a world map showing every location mentioned in the book. Gutenberg ProjectProject Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks. ScribdResearch, ebooks, poetry, presentations, schoolwork, and more are all available on this site.LearnOutLoud.comBrowse over 15,000 educational audio books, MP3 downloads, podcasts, and videos.LibrivoxLibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and release the audio files back onto the net. Their goal is to make all public domain (under U.S. right) books available as free audio books. It is a volunteer, open source, free content, public domain project. Global Text ProjectThe project will create open content electronic textbooks that will be freely available from a Web site. Textbook RevolutionAll of the books are offered for free by their respective copyright holders for online viewing. The categories of the textbooks are: Biology, Business & Management, Chemistry, Computers-Tech, Earth Sciences, Economics, Engineering, Health Sciences & Medical, History, Math and Physics. The Oxford Text ArchiveIt collects, catalogues, preserves and distributes high-quality digital resources for research and teaching. They are currently holding thousands of texts in more than 25 different languages, and are actively working to extend their catalogue of holdings.freetechbooks.comThis site offers free books, text books, and lecture notes for computer science, engineering, and computer programming students and professionals.Free Online Programming BooksA list of 300+ free programming books available on the Internet. Great Books IndexBrowse by author or title to find text for several books from the Encyclopaedia Britannica’s Great Books of the Western World. CIA World FactbookCurrent, in-depth data on every country in the world. DIGITAL LIBRARIESWorld Digital LibraryWill make available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from cultures around the world, including manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, architectural drawings, and other significant cultural materials. ERICThe Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) provides free access to more than 1.2 million bibliographic records of journal articles and other education-related materials and, if available, includes links to full text.OAISTEROAIster is a union catalog for a wide range of digital resources. They provide access to these digital resources by "harvesting" their descriptive metadata (records) using OAI-PMH (the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting).Columbia University Libraries Digital CollectionsFind more than 10 different digital collections that range from medieval and early Renaissance manuscripts to architectural drawings or visit the online exhibitions for even more. Library of Congress Digital Collections (US)It is considered the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.Universal Digital LibraryTheir goal is to preserve every printed book digitally in this resource. The library currently holds one million books in its collection.NEEDS Digital LibraryA digital library with links to online learning materials in engineering and related areas of science and math.NSDL - The National Science Digital Library (US)The Nation's (US) online library for education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. eGranary Digital LibraryProvides millions of digital educational resources to institutions lacking adequate Internet access. DIGITAL MEDIATED TalksInspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers. Big ThinkA new and growing website, currently in its beta version, with a simple mission: to move the discussion away from talking heads and talking points, and give it back to you. FORA.tvFORA.tv delivers discourse, discussions and debates on the world's most interesting political, social and cultural issues, and enables viewers to join the conversation.WGBH (Free Public Lectures)Free live and on-demand lectures given by some of the world's foremost scholars, authors, artists, scientists, policy makers and community leaders. Annenberg Media ResourcesAnnenberg Media's multimedia resources help teachers increase their expertise in their fields and assist them in improving their teaching methods. FlickrFlickr is photo distributed classification system. It is useful for managing and sharing photos over the Internet. If users want to use a photo of another photographer, if they have created an account they can contact each other through the Flickr intranet. Copyright issues are solved with Creative Commons Licences. You can find millions of free images here, which we can use to spice up our learning content.Education Podcast NetworkThe Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century. Creative CommonsCreative Commons provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from "All Rights Reserved" to "Some Rights Reserved." YOUTUBE CHANNELSGoogleTalksGoogle events featuring everyone from newsmakers to bestselling authors (Joseph Stieglitz, Obama, Richard Florida, etc.). Google Tech TalksThere are a large number of technical talks at Google. Many of these are videotaped, and some are made available for external viewing right here. The Nobel PrizeIt brings you fascinating insights into the minds of current and past Nobel Laureates.TED TalksThis is the YouTube version of TED Talks, which is a collection of inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers.FORA.tvThe YouTube version of FORA.tv, which delivers discourse, discussions and debates on the world's most interesting political, social and cultural issues, and enables viewers to join the conversation. Pulitzer Center on Crisis ReportingIt's mission is to promote in-depth coverage of international affairs, focusing on topics that have been under-reported, mis-reported - or not reported at all. The videos you see in this YouTube collection are one part of larger reporting projects from around the world. BBC WorldwideThe Best of British TV. Top Gear, Mighty Boosh, Doctor Who, Attenborough, Parkinson, Catherine Tate & the rest from BBC Worldwide!National GeographicInspiring People To Care About The Planet! WOW! Where to start! Alright, I have to admit that this post is not a smashing one yet. Give me a few weeks of reflection, feedback and smashing, and hopefully the compilation will be a useful starting point and quick access to OER and OCW (Just keep in mind that OCW is OER, but OER is not necessarily OCW! Whatever!). I am beginning to sense OER/OCW information overload here. If I am not mistaken, it would take me approximately 754 years to digest all the resources currently linked here. However, if we connect, network, collaborate, learn and reflect together we might manage to digest (to innovate and improve) these free learning resources in less than 24 hours. Let's use our connective intelligence to educate the world about OER and OCW :)Until we explore, we will never know! Have fun learning!

Link to ZaidLearn's New Learning Space NetvibesNO TIME!I have been kind of busy the last two weeks implementing a lot of work related e-learning crap, and sadly have found no time to sit down, reflect and write something that is even more crap :)Hopefully, I can complete my 5-part learning series next week.EXPLORING NETVIBESThough, I did manage to find an hour or two during this week to explore Netvibes, and to my surprise it was really fun. In short, Netvibes is a personal news aggregator with RSS and Atom support (That is how Google summarized it, or intelligently extracted it out). If you ask me, Netvibes is user-friendly, useful, fast, feature-rich, flexible, cool, and you don't need any user guide to get some results (at least I didn't!). Now, that is the kind of tool I like!However, I am still working on it, and hopefully next week I will add some more interesting content (Or RSS feeds) to my new learning space (and spice it up!). Just need to find the time! CLICK HERE to view what I am babbling about, and find tons of interesting (free) learning content, tools, edugames and blogs in a stimualting manner. Information overload? It depends! NEXT PAGEFLAKES?Hmm, I suppose I will also explore Pageflakes before I decide whether Netvibes is one of the right tools to manage my online learning adventure. I like Pageflakes's short description: "Social personalized homepage - the easiest way to read, see, discover and share your favorite things on the Web (another Google extract)."Whether it is really the easiest tool enabling us to read, see, discover and share our favorite things on the Web, I really don't know. I suppose, we will have to explore it to find out! Google, Yahoo, MSN, Facebook (hmm, Bloglines and the rest of the RSS collection dudes are also in the game!) have their own tools to shout about. In short, we are kind of spoilt for choice. The question is not "Whether there is...", but "Which one should we...". So, we still have a headache :)I suppose I will give you some updates regarding Pageflakes after completing the 5-part learning series.Until then, have fun exploring ZaidLearn's New Learning Space :)P.S. I had a few problems using Netvibes with Internet Explorer (IE), but it worked like a bull with Mozilla Firefox. Another reason for dumping IE!

Link to Slideshare VersionFlash/PDF VersionCoaching Critical Thinking to Think Creatively!THE SECRETNow, I know 'The Secret', and by believing and practicing the 'LAW OF ATTRACTION', I will one day become the Einstein of the East (Hmm, I am kind of mixed, so that might be a problem)! I watched 'The Secret', and I have to admit that it is the most disappointing secret I have ever discovered. The opening was exciting, but the rest could have been summed up in a minute or two. I am not revealing the secret, but I can tell you that if you believe in it, it might come true. Perhaps, if the movie had really discussed some of the great minds of the past, I would have appreciated it more. Instead, we are listening to a bunch of successful people sharing with us how the secret has changed their life (the Law of Attraction!). Isn't it obvious (self-fulfilling prophecy?) that if you are positive, believe in yourself, have passion, visualize your dreams, go for it, etc., you are more likely to succeed (perhaps I come from Mars!). If you ask me, there was nothing new to discover in 'The Secret', except clever branding and promotion. It is probably the most exciting, clever and exotic branding since 'Blue Ocean'. The power of 'The Secret' is not in the law of attraction, but in the word: "SECRET". Everyone wants to know a secret. In short, every single motivational guru since I don't know when has indirectly promoted the so called secret, but has labeled it in a less exotic and mysterious way. However, if it can help some of the millions of people that have watched it to achieve their dreams, then I suppose it has some value :)THE LECTUREActually, the real reason I am writing now is not because of the secret, but because I want to share with you my presentation slides for a lecture that was never conducted. Roughly, a month ago I was invited to be a guest speaker at a major workshop (250 participants!) to conduct a lecture about 'Critical Thinking'. Due to some financial reasons, the workshop was postponed. And since then, I have never conducted this particular lecture. I suppose because no one else knew that I had prepared it. Or perhaps, because I am.... (Use the force! I mean the 'Law of Attraction')Anyway, here are the presentation slides: View This lecture (or presentation slides) explores 21st century challenges and possibilities in infusing learning, thinking, creativity and innovation into the teaching and learning environment. If the presentation slides do not make any sense, perhaps you can invite me to conduct the lecture wherever it may be (The first lecture most be conducted face-to-face. Why? I don't know!). Since I am in Malaysia, it might be costly if you want me to conduct the lecture in United States or Alaska. However, if you are Oprah Winfrey or Jay Leno I might consider doing it for free. Sorry David Letterman, for you I will not do it for free.Now, you are perhaps thinking that I have gone POTTY! Nope, I am simply being positive and realistic about my prospects and practicing the law of attraction :)On a serious note, after I conduct the first live lecture (if ever! Be positive!), I will record an e-lecture using Adobe Presenter to enlighten (who ever reads my blog!) what I am trying to reveal in the presentation slides. Until the first live lecture, it will remain a secret. Just exploring the power of 'The Secret' :)