Tuesday, July 28, 2009

MyScript for Livescribe

Mac users of the Livescribe Pulse pen rejoice (well, those of you using Intel). MyScript for Livescribe is now available for the OS X users. This third-party application converts your written text into digital text (OCR).

You may want to test the 30-day evaluation before purchasing the software – in my experience the conversion process is not as accurate as I would have hoped. However, it is a step in the right direction.

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Google Online Marketing Challenge Results

Google recently published the GOMC 2009 results. This year MKT 595 had four teams competing. Our teams did not rank as semi-finalists this year, but ranked extremely competitively with three “Good Campaigns” and one “Fair Campaign.” Well done to the MKT 595 teams! You were operating in less than ideal conditions with a highly compressed timeline. I hope the experience was both fun and worthwhile. I certainly enjoyed the experience.

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Monday, July 27, 2009

The World is Open

Last year I attended the CAP (Commission for Accelerated Programs) Accelerated Online and Blended Learning Workshop in Denver, and was lucky enough to see Curt Bonk’s presentations and then share these with my Livescribe Pulse Pen (the complete details and links are on my blog). Little did I know that the experience would turn up in Curt’s next book…

Curt kindly sent me a copy this past week. I appear on page 302. You can read the excerpt whilst listening to the recording.

The book ("The World Is Open: How Web Technology Is Revolutionizing Education") operates as a response to Thomas Friedman’s “The World Is Flat” - demonstrating how learning has been flattened in such a way that "anyone can now learn anything from anyone at anytime." This is both revolutionary and evolutionary. The concepts of traditional education are challenged, as is the role of the university.

Curt positions his argument with ten openers (WE-ALL-LEARN):

  1. Web Searching in the World of e-Books
  2. E-Learning and Blended Learning
  3. Availability of Open Source and Free Software
  4. Leveraged Resources and OpenCourseWare
  5. Learning Object Repositories and Portals
  6. Learner Participation in Open Information Communities
  7. Electronic Collaboration
  8. Alternate Reality Learning
  9. Real-Time Mobility and Portability
  10. Networks of Personalized Learning

There are two versions of the book: currently available is a dead tree version, available soon will be the ebook. The ebook will have same chapter sequence and same size, but different content (including a prequel and postscript). The ebook will be available from https://worldisopen.com in two months (or less).

Here is what Curt has to say on the ebook: “With the firm belief of open education and open access, there will actually be a 2nd free e-book extension (same chapters, same size, different content) since I wrote too much as well as a prequel and postscript. https://worldisopen.com/. This will be out in 1-2 months.”

I highly suggest you take a look at the book, ebook and blog.

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Barefoot Vodcasting: Half-day Workshop

I will be presenting a half-day workshop at the 25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning on Wednesday 5th August, 2009 (1:00-4:00 p.m.).

I will assemble and distribute additional materials for the workshop on my website here.

The conference is held at the Monona Terrace Convention Center along Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin. You can register for the conference here.

About the Workshop

Learn how to vodcast ‘barefoot’—recording face-to-face lectures, workshops, and presentations without IS/IT support. Using simple tools and techniques, classes can be recorded and then broadcast from any location in the world. The equipment is low-cost and easily carried in a laptop bag. Vodcasting can transform the effectiveness of blended classes and enhance the learning experience.

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MKT 595: Internet Marketing – Updated Syllabus

I have updated the syllabus for the next iteration of MKT 595: Internet Marketing. The syllabus PDF can be downloaded here.
The next course will be taught entirely online from September 9 - November 24, 2009.
More information on the course can be found here:
Twitter will be used in the course:

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

I won a teaching award!

This happened a couple of weeks ago…. And came as a complete shock. At a Commerce function I was presented with The Kellstadt Marketing Center Distinguished Professional Educator Award” for excellence in teaching.

I was presented with a snazzy certificate and a rather nice award (which is now safely ensconced in the office). I was not expecting this, I don’t feel as if I really deserve this, but I was very happy to receive it.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

MKT 595 Updates / Free

I will be teaching MKT 595 again in Autumn (in a fun, totally online fashion). I am in the process of reviewing material and assembling new research. I anticipate that Free (the new book by Chris Anderson) will be part of the mix.
The book and an audio file are available for free (naturally enough) in a limited format:

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Social Media: Trends and Implications for Learning

I was able to tune into the AACE Global U Social Media: Trends and Implications for Learning webinar today. Some excellent links were shared, which I would like to repeat here. Participants were also frantically Twittering - you can search for appropriate tweets with the #SMTI hashtag as well. Notable links (for me) were:

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