Who Put the ALE in ALEX?

Class Presentation April 16, 2008

Putting the Project in Context:

ALE in ALEX

NYU Medical School ALEX

NYU ALEXSakai

Two Implementations of ALEX:

The NYU School of Medicine Implementation of ALEX Designed for All Courses in School

5 Tools

9 Tools

7 Tools

6 Tools

NYU, ALEX, and the NYU School of Medicine

Sakai founded by 5 universities joining individual efforts, 2004

NYU now one of 70 Sakai partner institutions

NYU SoM developed ALEX in part as a test pilot for NYU (as a possible BlackBoard alternative—2006)

Currently 3,243 registered ALEX users in 75 courses (6,367 logins in the past 7 days)

Lessons learned by NYU SoM Div. of Educational Informatics:

Education should drive technology (not vice versa)

Faculty development an essential component

Inter-institution needs very similar; collaboration works

What Professor needs to do? (Course content)

Course info Syllabus Schedule Readings /Assignment

What Professor wants to do? Show additional materials, Group activities in class

such as in-class activities: job advertisement exercise

What Professor has to do? (Administrative tasks)

Attendance, Grades, Roster, Respond to student questions

What student needs to do? Obtain course info, Get readings.

What student wants to do? Space for group project collaborations, Ask questions of professor or other

students, Request additional course materials,

ppts, handouts, Deadline reminders and extensions. Share class work of others

group projects. In class activities

What student has to do?

Post assignmentResearch linksAnnotationsGroup Project report Final paper

Use Our Alex Environment Activity 1

Go to alex.nyu.edu and login with your NYU net ID and password

Go to Discussion-C Upload your Research Link by copying

from blackboard Activity2

Browse other functions and let us know about your advise and any ideas (go to Forum-C and Click New Topic )

Thank you for cooperation !!

Affordance Facilitate collaborative learning environment

Enhanced spaces to construct knowledge through social interaction(e.g wiki, blogger)

Flexibility Customized taxonomy Flexible features

• Wiki – glossary, group project• Blogger – classLog

Gives more control to users User-centered design

Findabiity Usability

Aesthetically pleasing design

Limitation Rigid navigation bar Ramp-up transition Inadequate user instruction

VS