The Knowledge Graph enables you to search for things, people or places that Google knows about—landmarks, celebrities, cities, sports teams, buildings, geographical features, movies, celestial objects, works of art and more—and instantly get information that’s relevant to your query. This is a critical first step towards building the next generation of search, which taps into the collective intelligence of the web and understands the world a bit more like people do.Check it out:  http://www.google.com/insidesearch/features/search/knowledge.htmlhttp://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2620861http://youtu.be/mmQl6VGvX-c

Recently, the Bulgarian foundation StartUP started using Eliademy to create a training program about entrepreneurship and the KSL Study Center (Finland) uses the online platform in adult education. E-learning is spreading fast among NGOs and is used in very different … Continue reading →

From The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning (IRRODL) Where is Research on Massive Open Online Courses Headed? A data analysis of the MOOC Research Initiative By Dragan Gašević, Vitomir Kovanović, Srećko Joksimović, George Siemens Abstract This paper reports on the results of an analysis of the research proposals submitted to the MOOC... Read More ›

Jane Hart Social Business ConsultantCentre for Learning & Performance Technologies Tuesday, June 12, 2012 | 10:30 AM Pacific TimeComplimentary for Paid Guild MembersMore and more people are using social media and networks to solve their learning and performance problems in the workplace — connecting, conversing, and collaborating with colleagues both inside and outside the organization. Jane Hart will share her experiences in, ideas about, and predictions for using social media to support workplace learning. Check it out:  http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.2241&utm_campaign=tlws1206&utm_medium=email&utm_source=elg-memberp 

I believe that education in the future may not be best achieved in schools. However, this post summarises what I think should be the components of an ideal school of the future. It is not a summary of my idea of where education should be going, or how it should be obtained. Tania Sheko is hosting the 'Green Pen Society' (GPS) writers' club over at Brave New World, for Paul Cornies at quoteflections.Her topic for October is:What would your ideal school look like?Design the school of the future - but do it now!How could I resist a topic like that?Having taught in many different schools, and in different countries, I’ve gathered hunches, likes, dislikes and theories that can help me with ideas for the design of the ideal school of the future. It is a difficult task.A secondary schoolThe ‘ideal school’ is forever a mythical artefact, for by definition a school has to meet the needs of many. No school can serve completely all learners all of the time.As well, its situational constraints must necessarily govern the functions that it can deliver and needs to provide.My ideal school would be a secondary school with a roll of learners from say, ages 12 to 18 years. It will prepare all learners for further learning. It will provide pathways to employment for those learners who, for whatever reason, leave the school to seek employment before having completed all available education levels within the school.School providers and authoritiesAssuming that the school is capable of serving all situational needs of its learners, the first requisite must be that it is affordable.Fine education costs. We should all know that by now. If it results in overspending, however, then ultimately the future availability of good education within the school will suffer.For as much as the ideal resources, pedagogies and learning environments are important, and to whatever specification these may adhere to, if they cannot be sustained, or are not seen to be sustainable by the providing authority, they cannot form the components of my ideal school.GovernanceMy school will have experienced governance, administered by a necessary board of trustees who genuinely have the future situational needs of the learners at heart. To do this, the governance must have a vision for the big picture of what education should bring to learners in the 21st century.ManagementCounterpart to governance, the school’s management will likewise have an eagerness to use such teaching structures within the school. There will be commitment to use resources, pedagogies and learning environments that foster teaching and learning that best suit the future needs of learners.The whole pictureAs boring as all of the above may seem, without them no ideal school will succeed. They are integral parts of the whole picture.The school will have classrooms, workshops, laboratories, a library, recreational areas and halls as fit the needs of its composition. If at all possible, it will have a roll of about 550 learners. From experience this size appears to find the optimum fit when it comes to timetabling and managing resources and courses, especially for the senior learners within the school.Allocation of classes should aim at an optimum size of 24 learners and a ceiling of 28, with some flexibility within reason. This is an ideal school, so depending on the needs of individual learners there may be a call for smaller class sizes for some groups.The best fitI use the term ‘best fit’ on purpose here. Education is a complex thing.I believe it is impossible to provide every factor that makes for good education, simply because of its complexity. Like other complex systems, however, it should be possible to make a best fit for ongoing situations, within and external to the school, that will be neither static nor exist in a state of equilibrium.To this end, the learning resources provided in the school must also be capable of adapting rapidly to current changes. Methods used for delivering resources to teachers and learners must likewise be capable of evolving and adapting to suit emergent themes that will trace and follow the development of the immediate society.A blended learning approach that best utilises the appropriate methods for teaching and learning to fit the learner and topic will be recognised by teachers and teacher management.Elearning platformsIf an elearning platform must be established within the school, it should be open source. The expense of any commercial elearning platform can so easily preclude further development in platforms other than open source ones, so it is best to adopt open source from the beginning. This frees up finance, much needed within the school, for non-negotiable expenses and specific resources that may have no alternatives.A stable, generic learner management system should embrace any learning content management system chosen to meet the needs of the school’s resource requirements. Too easily, the maintenance expenses on such systems can get out of hand, ending up like the tail wagging the dog. This is why good governance working closely with good management within the school is so important.I’m talking in ideal big picture stuff here and purposely not mentioning commercial brands of hardware or software. A school that’s capable of adapting through emerging requirements should not be tied to any specific commercial provider or commodity brand.And this brings me to a conclusion. The ideal school will need to be mobile, as the movement of a flock of birds. It will shift with the elements, yet remain intact as it moves bodily to meet the varying needs of the ever-changing learners within it.A Green Pen Society contribution

CEEDs by WebIT is "The most influential Digital and Tech conference for Central and Eastern Europe" according to Wall Street Journal. Over 3000 participants from 40 countries and top speakers from companies like SAP, Forbes, Philips, Google and of course … Continue reading →

Inside Search: Become a Google power searcher: (Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog ) You may already be familiar with some shortcuts for Google Search, like using the search box a...

"What we must do now is step back from self interest and let common interest prevail." - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Executive Secretary, Yvo de Boer, at the Closing Press Briefing, Bangkok Climate Change Talks, 9 October, 2009.The earth is a ball of rocky material, partly covered by water and enclosed in a capsule of gas called the atmosphere. As it orbits the sun, it is bathed in a stream of radiant energy. Some of this energy is absorbed by the earth as heat.If absorption was the only process, the earth’s temperature would rise quickly, the water would boil off and its rocky surface would melt. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen. The earth reflects some radiation away from itself. It also radiates energy out to space. Artificial satellites can take photographs of the earth by the reflected and radiated energy.There is a balance between energy the earth receives from the sun over time and energy it reflects and radiates. In an ideal world, the earth's overall temperature would be stable.A hothouseTheory has it that some factors enhance the absorption of the sun’s energy. One idea is that particular gases in the atmosphere can act like the glass of a greenhouse, trapping heat energy. It is believed that gases like these, known as greenhouse gases, can cause the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere to rise.Temperature shifts caused in this way are not necessarily evenly distributed across the globe. Some parts of the globe may even experience a lowering in the average temperature. Such is the complex nature of the earth’s atmosphere.Some earth historyI find it fascinating that a beautiful green savanna, over a period of 6000 years, became the wasteland we now know as the Sahara Dessert.Equally as curious is the desertion of a Neolithic settlement on Orkney 4500 years ago. Supposition is that a fall in temperature in the earth’s atmosphere, and ultimately a brutal storm, drove the settlers from their homes at Skara Brae in Orkney.About 1500 years ago, Britain was invaded by the Saxons. One theory for the invasion is that it happened when Saxon homelands were being flooded by rising seas caused through climate change. The Saxons were looking for land that was less likely to be threatened by rising sea levels.Earth’s varying climateDespite the blame for climate change being levelled at the production of greenhouse gases by humans, it appears that significant climate variation is part of what has always happened.All the above happenings took place during recorded history and are similar to situations that have arisen in other parts of the world today. They came about when human contribution was comparatively insignificant.Is it possible that these events would have occurred even if there had been no human contribution? Is it also possible that human intervention may have little effect on future climate change?Faithful representationThere is a deal of misrepresentation about climate variation and its consequences. Unfortunately, the cover of the most recent United Nations Environmental Programme Report is a typical example of this. Not only is the representation flawed as to what global warming is likely to do to the surface of the planet, it also conveys a completely erroneous view of possible consequences to humankind.There is a need for faithful representation of what’s happening to our planet. Attempts to provide this are likely to be subjective and are often prejudiced politically.Reasoned approachesThe Kyoto Protocol was adopted in December 1997, "aimed at combating global warming. The Protocol establishes legally binding commitment for the reduction of four greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride), and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons) . . . "Yvo de Boer expressed dismay at the current moves to "kill the Kyoto Protocol . . . by a number of developing countries . . . while at the same time there is not even something better in sight or on offer".The Kyoto Protocol attempts to take charge of those factors that may contribute to global warming and that are within human control. It represents reasoned approaches to responsibilities to the future of humankind and of other living creatures on this planet.Global responsibilityFor as much as change happening within the earth’s atmosphere is inevitable, humans apparently continue to make ruinous contributions that may well exacerbate a dangerous climatic situation.Should we strive to deal with likely contributing factors that are within our reach to control? Or do we simply leave it to ‘Mother Earth’ to take care of all this?The world’s nations are being alerted to the possible consequences of ignoring what appear to be clear signals from the planet. Talks are being held across the globe. My sincere hope is that nations throughout the world will adopt a unified approach to dangerous climate problems facing the planet - that they reaffirm the Kyoto Protocol and make commitments to take concerted action for the common good.videoGrant (us) the serenity to accept the things (we) cannot change, the courage to change the things (we) can, and the wisdom to know the difference - Reinhold Niebuhr

The University of Eastern (UEF) Finland organized last week a national training event for Student Counselors. The event was held in Joensuu, a nice Finnish city close to the Russian border and included several lectures and an amazing amount of … Continue reading →

There have been a lot of studies, discussions or even products developed around microlearning, the success factors include not only chucking learning content into bite-sized units, also weaving learning into our work and life in a way that makes sense. With the rise of informal learning, and everyone has a learning gateway in his/her pocket. Now... Read More ›

I was part of a learning team developing a new course for FEMA.  The purpose of the course is to provide the participants with best practices including tools, techniques and a basic roadmap to build capabilities in the use of social media technologies in their own emergency management organizations (State, local, Tribal) in order to further their emergency response missions.Great experience collaborating in a virtual environment.  Our team was spread out all over the country - Seattle, New York, Virginia and Texas.  We used BaseCamp to store master files, source materials and to manage the development schedule.  Drop Box was used to exchange large files.Check out the final course:  http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is42.asp

An open letter to our friends, partners and users of Eliademy. Greetings from Finland! 11th of February is a special day throughout the history - Yalta agreement was signed on this day, Nelson Mandela was freed from jail and Eliademy was launched … Continue reading →

The web image and how it operates are often misunderstood. Hypertext Mark-up Language, more commonly known as html, was invented to process text size, shape and colour on the Web.When it was realised that html and related codes could be used to handle images, the Internet became a viable commercial medium.The pixelClose examination of images, on screen or when printed, shows that they are made up of many coloured spots, dots or squares. These are called pixels. The word pixel (picture-element pix-el) can also refer to the digital information associated directly with the coloured spot, held on a computer or transferred in a download.What can be confusing is that ‘pixel’ is also used when referring to the smallest element that displays a single spot of coloured light on a monitor or TV screen. These tiny elements are permanent parts of the screen hardware. They are not the same as the pixels in the image that effect the display.Image file sizeA popular misconception is that the dimensions of an image, as it appears on the screen, are to do with the space the image occupies in computer memory or on disk. The term ‘image size’ can also be misleading, though this term refers to the capacity of an image to occupy space in computer memory or on disk. It’s more usual to refer to it as the image ‘file size’, measured in kilobytes or megabytes.Image dimensionThe physical size of an image on the screen is another property that’s often misinterpreted or misunderstood. Images are really two dimensional things. Despite tricks of design, it’s not possible to have an image that is triangular, round or any shape other than rectangular, unless there is some distortional fault with the printer or screen.An image has a height and a width, which make it easy to define its dimensions. These two lengths are measured in pixels, but can also be given in mm or cm. Though variation tends to be slight, the physical accuracy of image dimensions expressed in metric units varies with the equipment used to display the image.Optimising image file sizeDigital cameras can take pictures with file sizes of several megabytes. There has to be literally tens of millions of pixels in the files so that high quality pictures can be obtained. The fineness of detail that’s displayed from such images is particularly useful if they are to be printed in a large format or viewed with full screen in a picture viewer.Images show how pixelation increases when file size is reducedFor most web purposes, however, image files of that order of size and quality are not necessary. What’s more, huge image files can occupy valuable resource space on the host site and cause unreasonably long upload or download times.It’s often prudent to use some form of quality reduction. Adjusting the content of the image so that it gives a satisfactory display with a smaller file size is called optimisation, or optimising the image.Most image hosting websites, including blogs and social network sites, optimise images automatically. If the images are satisfactorily optimised before uploading to the host site, it can save time, and in some instances be a cost saving too. Sue Waters’ excellent post on Uploading Photos From Digital Cameras Into Blog Posts gives great instruction on using several free packages for doing this.Bitmapped imagesThe simplest way of arranging image information in a digital file is when each pixel carries its own information, as in a bitmap. This can be an inefficient way of packing image information, however, so bitmapped images tend to have larger file sizes than other image types of the same quality.Compressed formatsJPEG, PNG or GIF type images use different systems of file compression. Pixel information that is duplicated, as can happen when the same colours are used over large areas of an image, is stored in a formula within the image file. The result is a smaller file size than that of the equivalent bitmapped file with the same image quality.One advantage of the GIF compressed file type is that it can also include information on how separate image frames can be constructed. A special type of GIF file can display a cyclical series of frames like a looped movie - the so-called animated GIF.Vector graphicsThe introduction of vector graphic creation tools, such as Adobe Flash Writer, has brought new dimensions to image design and the way images can be displayed. Standard bitmapped images and related image types tend to break up, or pixelate, when enlarged on the screen.What happens on display is that the information held in the image file is stretched over a larger area than was intended. The result is an image that appears to lose detail and sharpness and may look as if it is made up of chunks of colour, which is precisely how it is composed.A vector image, on the other hand, does not lose its sharpness or detail when it is enlarged on the screen, simply because there are no pixels in its image construction. True vector images tend to be limited to line diagrams and ones with solid areas of colour, however, and cannot be created from digital camera image files.

In this paper "Lockyer, L., Heathcote, E., & Dawson, S. (2013). Informing Pedagogical Action: Aligning Learning Analytics With Learning Design. American Behavioral Scientist", it claims that learning design can be used "as a framework for design of analytics to support faculty in their learning and teaching decisions". But given the current nature of the tools... Read More ›

Effective eLearning deliverables require more than just text and a few random graphics. Good graphic design, user interface (UI) design, and user experience (UX) design aren’t optional - they’re necessary to ensure maximum learner comprehension and retention. This complimentary eBook, 62 Tips on Graphic Design, UI/UX Design, and Visualization for eLearning, draws on the experience of 12 professionals who are leading sessions in The eLearning Guild’s August 2012 Online Forum, "Graphic Design, UI/UX Design, and Visualization for eLearning."Download this complimentary eBook today and discover tips to guide you in areas including:• Highlighting Learning • Aesthetic Considerations• Tricks and Tools Download now: http://bit.ly/NWASUo

Evidence-centered design suggests that any system of assessment begins with a conception of the capabilities one wants to develop in a learner; from there develops the machinery of the assessment system, such as tasks, rubrics, and scoring models (Messick 1994). From "Analytics to Literacies: The Development of a Learning Analytics Framework for Multiliteracies Assessment"(Shane Dawson and... Read More ›

Artisan E-Learning will be offering Articulate Storyline training in September!  You can pick from a virtual format you can take anywhere, or an in-person format in Arlington, VA.Visit their website for more details.Virtual Training:September 6, 11, 13, 18 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. $495  Classroom Training (DC Area)September 20-21 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. $595 (Plus, they will be offering similar Captivate training in October.)  The course will be based on their book, E-Learning Uncovered: Articulate StorylineTopics:1. Getting to Know Storyline2. Creating New Projects3. Scenes and Slides4. Working with Text5. Adding Graphics6. Object Properties7. Arranging Objects8. Working with Media9. States & Layers10. Triggers & Actions11. Advanced Actions & Variables12. Questions & Quizzes13. Screen Recordings14. The Player15. Publishing

This month, The Big Question on the Learning Circuits Blog is to do with New Presenter and Learner Methods and Skills.Multitasking is now every presenter’s problem. Tony Karrer posits, "that there are things that presenters and learners should do to address this."Multitasking is binge thinking. It has the potential to distend the capacity of the brain so that normal thinking to do with any one task, including learning, becomes severely impaired. Tony says it all here.Scott Flansburg is a supreme example of how a person can perform amazing calculative feats. He executes thinking skills that traditionally command extremely high concentration levels and all the thinking power that permits this. His unique ability to close down areas of the brain normally associated with other peripheral tasks makes him a matchless unitasker.Thinking tires the brainI am convinced that people often shut down areas of their brains automatically to make it easier to think. For instance, it is now known that when making decisions, the brain’s executive resources can be taxed to an extent that cognitive ability is considerably impaired. To prevent this happening in some situations, fast track routines are adopted.Too much decision making over a short space of time literally tires the brain. Do people make decisions when attending a presentation? You bet they do, if they make a genuine attempt to learn from it.PowerPoint and other potential vagariesSo why is it that when the audience is supposedly concentrating on the single task of learning, the presenter insists on giving them a series of tasks to perform synchronously? Cognitive overload associated with the misuse of PowerPoint has become a talking point. It is an issue because it’s real.Learners well know that when the presenter reads the text from a PowerPoint slide, the best thing to do is to shut the eyes and listen.So why is the text on the PowerPoint slide in the first place? For the presenter? No! It’s there because the presenter knows nothing about cognitive overload. A better way is for the presenter to shut up and let the learner do his or her own reading.Take noteTony refers to backchannel as a distraction for the presenter. I’m not surprised he finds it distracting. It is nevertheless an inevitable activity if learners are engaged in taking notes, by whatever means they use.Through years at school, university and attending hundreds of seminars since then, I have learnt to take notes while giving nearly full attention to a presentation. It’s one multitasking practice that I’m good at. But not everyone has this skill.What I’ve found often helps is if the presenter provides printed notes on the PowerPoint bullets - before the presentation. This frees up the brain when it comes to taking notes. I just write my additional notes on the PowerPoint printout.Cognitive engagementBut there is another aspect to presentation - and that is of intent.What does the presenter really want the learner to take away from the experience? If the seminar has a sales pitch, it may be better not to dwell too much on the facts and details that a learner may take away.Research has shown that the verbal content of a presentation, whether in speech or text, is only a small part of the total message conveyed to the attendee. How often has a conference goer raved about a ‘keynote’, reporting that the best thing about the presentation was its entertainment value?What if the presentation was entirely lacking in entertainment, yet the same factual information was presented? Herein may lie a pedagogical message.Entertainment provides two important features to the learner. It provides the necessary breaks between learning tasks and prevents the possible onset of cognitive overload brought on through multitasking. It also adds interest and factual significance by association.

A recent study published on LinkedIn official blog showed that more than 4 "millions of LinkedIn members want to volunteer their skills for good"[1]. Increasingly popular, notably among young professionals, the skill-based volunteering or pro-bono is the activity of promoting … Continue reading →

Innovating Pedagogy 2014  This is the third in a series of annual reports on innovations in teaching, learning and assessment. The Innovating Pedagogy reports from Open University(UK) are intended for teachers, policy makers, academics and anyone interested in how education may change over the next ten years. Massive open social learning Free online courses based on social learning Potential impact: high... Read More ›

What sort of voice do you use when you write a blog post? Do you have an informal or personal tone to your writing? Or do you prefer the more formal structured approaches?Perhaps you like to adjust your writing style to suit the topic. Many good writers do, but my observation has been that even some of the top bloggers use essentially a single voice in most of their writing.Randy Olson’s book, Don’t Be Such A Scientist, slams the scientist for being too cerebral when it comes to writing for the lay reader. He explains that scientists are too literally minded, are poor story-tellers and in general tend to be unlikeable when they write about their passion, Science (check out Talk of the Nation interview).AuthorshipBill Bryson is one of my favourite authors. He has written earnestly and engagingly on Science, and often. Just read a chapter or two from his book, A Short History of Nearly Everything, and you’ll know what I mean. But he’s not a scientist.Bryson is a journalist. Yet even for me, twice a Science graduate, his ‘voice’ immediately captures my interest in the Science he writes about. He speaks as if he is talking with me, not talking directly at me.Can bloggers learn a thing or two from successful writers like Bryson?I think we can. But I also feel there’s more to it than just being able to write well in a specific style.GenreKnowing the appropriate genre to use, as well as how to apply it, is part-way to writers’ success. My literary friend and blogging colleague, Virginia Yonkers, agrees with this point of view.Is there a single genre that is appropriate to writing blog posts?Or should the genre be selected according to the topic of the post? Could genre be chosen to address a particular target group within the readership of the blog?There are six genres that embrace most of the writing styles that bloggers may use:descriptiveexpositorynarrativepersuasivepoetrytechnicalWhich would you select when you write your next post?

David Anderson,   Community Manager,   ArticulateWednesday, October 3, 2012 | 10:00AM Pacific TimeFree Webinar, Membership Not RequiredThis webinar showcases one of the most popular, best-rated sessions from DevLearn 2011 Conference & Expo, newly updated and now available to all through this special online presentation.It wasn’t too long ago that eLearning designers wanting to build interactive courses were forced to choose between one of two realities: a blissful illusion of interactivity, or the painful truth that interactivity required advanced programming skills. That’s no longer the case because today’s eLearning tools make it easy for anyone to design interactivity.This session is all about deconstructing the best corporate eLearning, multimedia journalism, and interactive infographics. Participants will learn the three most common types of interactivity and learn creative ways to apply interactivity in their own courses.In this session, you will learn: The basic elements of interactivity Rapid instructional design models that you can build with any authoring programHow to evaluate and design the right interactivityHow to reuse interactive widgets and customize them for new clients and projectsCheck it out:  http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.2507&utm_campaign=bestof1210&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=elg-120rb

Eliademy team is growing and we are looking for the hungriest to learn, coolest and sharpest wanna_be Android Developer in the globe. This is an internship position for a young fellow that wants to be coached and learn from Guru’s. We are … Continue reading →

An interesting infographic from www.businessgoessocial.net :