Clive Shepherd tweeted a link to this research report: The Evidence on Online EducationThe study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction. Further, those who took "blended" courses -- those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction -- appeared to. MORE >>

I was reading Dave Ferguson's post, Resisting change: a phone-y example. This had me thinking. How do people in the training/learning field resist change? These are only generalizations.) Clients: Avoid trying news modes of delivering training. Refuse to understand that a learning program that is fun, can also be serious. Spend money on things they have been spending money on for so many years. Being part of the brainstorming session which will help them contribute and stay in the loop. Refuse to treat their learners as responsible adults and are always suspicious of their intentions. MORE >>

Stephen Downes points to a column by Larry Magid on the need for today's young people to develop critical thinking skills that will help them better evaluate what they read online. In it, Magid talks about the fact that in the old days" of mass media we had "trusted" news sources that we could generally rely on for the "truth." With the proliferation of media in the Internet age, this has changed. As a result, he says: Today's media environment provides an opportunity--and responsibility--for parents and schools to teach critical thinking. and "How do I know it's true? MORE >>

Do you experience traffic jams? Do you curse at other 'Monkey' drivers? Do you feel like beating the 'Beep' out of them? Do you listen to the radio hoping for the right song? Do you spend more than 1 hour traveling on the road every day? Do you feel that you are wasting your time? Do you prefer just listening to music (to relax and chill!)? Do you have an iPod or MP3 player? REFLECTING Why waste so much time basically doing nothing while getting annoyed in traffic jams. Some people could potentially have learned enough to get a degree while stuck countless hours in traffic jams. MORE >>

I’ve just finished slide:ology , a wonderful book by Nancy Duarte, which celebrates ‘the art and science of creating great presentations’. Nancy is well qualified to show us how PowerPoint and similar packages can be used to greatest effect, as Duarte Design was the firm that created Al Gore’s Oscar-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth. Although primarily aimed at those who present face-to-face, this book has great relevance to anyone who builds e-content based on slides (such as those using Articulate or Adobe Presenter) or who presents using web conferencing. So, no pressure then. MORE >>