connecting learning objects with rss,trackback, and weblogs alan levine (maricopa community...

Connecting Learning Objects Connecting Learning Objects with RSS,Trackback, and with RSS,Trackback, and

WeblogsWeblogs

Alan LevineAlan Levine(Maricopa Community Colleges)(Maricopa Community Colleges)

Brian LambBrian Lamb(University of British Columbia)(University of British Columbia)

D’Arcy NormanD’Arcy Norman(University of Calgary, CAREO)(University of Calgary, CAREO)

Learning Objects and RSS…. NMC Online Conference 2003Learning Objects and RSS…. NMC Online Conference 2003

or…or…

what happens when 3 guys, 2 what happens when 3 guys, 2 countries, xml, 3 weblogs, countries, xml, 3 weblogs,

iChat, a wiki, and the rest of the iChat, a wiki, and the rest of the internet all connect up?internet all connect up?

Alan LevineAlan LevineInstructional TechnologistInstructional TechnologistMaricopa Center for Learning & InstructionMaricopa Center for Learning & InstructionMaricopa Community CollegesMaricopa Community Colleges

Maricopa Learning eXchange (MLX)Maricopa Learning eXchange (MLX)

blogs @ CogDogBlogblogs @ CogDogBlog

Brian LambBrian LambProject CoordinatorProject CoordinatorOffice of Learning TechnologyOffice of Learning TechnologyUniversity of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia

LOs @ UBCLOs @ UBC

blogs @ Object Learningblogs @ Object Learning

D’Arcy NormanD’Arcy NormanSoftware DeveloperSoftware DeveloperLearning CommonsLearning CommonsUniversity of CalgaryUniversity of Calgary

CAREOCAREO

blogs @ Learning Commons Weblogblogs @ Learning Commons Weblog

““Explaining RSS is like Explaining RSS is like explaining sex. You just explaining sex. You just

don't get it until you do it.“don't get it until you do it.“

-- George Siemens, elearnspace -- George Siemens, elearnspace blogblog


Let’s bypass meta-data, schema, Let’s bypass meta-data, schema, acronym soup and followacronym soup and follow

A Scenario of Two A Scenario of Two TeachersTeachers

… who take an interest in using learning … who take an interest in using learning objectsobjects


Meet Lora, Geology facultyMeet Lora, Geology faculty

Her favorite place to teach is in the field…

But she believes in the power of multimedia to teach difficult concepts


Lora starts to find learning Lora starts to find learning objects by searching CAREOobjects by searching CAREO

CAREO

CAREO search on “Geology

rocks”

Sample Video object from

CAREO


Nigel & Linda, tech-savvy students, help Nigel & Linda, tech-savvy students, help locate educational technology sites with locate educational technology sites with

RSS feedsRSS feeds

EduBloggers

Stephen Downes

Edu_RSS


RSS? Simplest of Meta-DataRSS? Simplest of Meta-Data

What is RSS?

Killer App for Education?

Pick an Acronym


A desktop RSS aggregator A desktop RSS aggregator brings many sources to Lorabrings many sources to Lora


Nigel helps Lora create a weblog for Nigel helps Lora create a weblog for learning objects in Geologylearning objects in Geology

Lora’s “Geology

Objects” blog


A great oracle shines the light on A great oracle shines the light on RSS and learning objectsRSS and learning objects

Stephen’s Web

Intro to RSS for Education

Designers


Linda helps Lora add RSS Linda helps Lora add RSS feeds from LO sites to weblogfeeds from LO sites to weblog

Feeds from LO sites at Maricopa, HUMBUL,

CAREO, “MERLOT”

Other RSS from NYTimes, About.com,

Nature, ITPapers

Lora’s “Geology

Objects” blog


Armed with RSS, Lora adds feeds to Armed with RSS, Lora adds feeds to her WebCT course materialher WebCT course material

Displaying RSS Feeds in

WebCT

How to Get News Feeds

into your WebCT Course


MeanwhileMeanwhile

… just across campus, … just across campus, another faculty member is another faculty member is interested in using learning interested in using learning

objectsobjects


Meet Boris, Humanities Meet Boris, Humanities Professor…Professor…


On the Humanities-L listserv, Boris On the Humanities-L listserv, Boris reads about learning objects…reads about learning objects…


Tina, his technologist, helps him Tina, his technologist, helps him understand RSS and Learning Objectsunderstand RSS and Learning Objects


At his desktop, Boris gets RSS feeds At his desktop, Boris gets RSS feeds from collections with content in the from collections with content in the

humanitieshumanities

RSS Readers (Abbe Normal)


Boris creates a weblog on learning Boris creates a weblog on learning objects in the humanitiesobjects in the humanities

Feeds from Maricopa, HUMBUL,

CAREO, “MERLOT”, About.com

Boris’ “object humanities”

blog


Putting Amazon.com RSS feed Putting Amazon.com RSS feed into Blackboardinto Blackboard

Boris blogs on RSS and

Amazon.com

RSS To JavaScript

demo


Lora needs a tool for explaining Lora needs a tool for explaining correlation in sedimentology labcorrelation in sedimentology lab


Lora discovers a useful Lora discovers a useful correlation tool in the MLX.correlation tool in the MLX.

Maricopa Learning eXchange

Correlation Meter MLX

packing slip

Correlation Meter object


Lora's blog describes context for her use Lora's blog describes context for her use of this object, sends Trackback to MLXof this object, sends Trackback to MLX

Lora’s blogs correlation

meter

How Trackback

works

Beginners Guide to

Trackback


Lora downloads the object and Lora downloads the object and uses it in her own lessonuses it in her own lesson


Boris ponders how he can help Boris ponders how he can help students understand correlation students understand correlation coefficient in research journalscoefficient in research journals


Boris discovers the same MLX Boris discovers the same MLX object that Lora has foundobject that Lora has found


packing slip

Correlation Meter object


Object is used in new contextObject is used in new context

Draft Activity in Boris’ weblog


With blog tools he writes about the With blog tools he writes about the found object (MT pings the MLX)found object (MT pings the MLX)


packing slip

Boris blogs the object


The Object can TrackBack to The Object can TrackBack to different contextsdifferent contexts


packing slip

Correlation Meter

Trackback

About MLX Trackback

MLX Trackack Summary


The Missing Last (huge) MileThe Missing Last (huge) Mile

• We have collections of objects• We have RSS to help in discovery• We have weblogs for writing contexts

• What is missing?• Intuitive authoring tools to transfer LOs from

collections to instructional environments (and that could ping back their new usage)


The events and characters The events and characters depicted in this scenario are depicted in this scenario are

fictitious. Any similarity to actual fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely persons, living or dead, is purely

coincidental. coincidental.

No faculty members were harmed No faculty members were harmed in the production of this in the production of this

presentation.presentation.


Credits!Credits!

Boris….. John Arle, Biology Faculty, (Maricopa Community Colleges)

Lora….. Michelle Lamberson, Director, Office of Learning Technologies (University of British Columbia)

Tina Technologist….. Tina Emmons, Admin Assistant (Maricopa Community Colleges)

Students Nigel & Linda….. Geoff Horner & Catherine Paul (University of British Columbia)


More StuffMore StuffWhat’s the Fuss about RSS? (wiki)http://careo.elearning.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?TheFuss

CogDogBlog (Alan Levine weblog)http://jade.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/alan/

Learning Commons Weblog (D’Arcy Norman weblog)http://commons.ucalgary.ca/weblogs/dnorman/

Object Learning (Brian Lamb weblog)http://www.reusability.org/blogs/brian/

connecting learning objects with rss,trackback, and weblogs alan levine (maricopa community...

Documents

merlotother rss

learning objectsat

learning objectstina

learning objectsmeet

learning objectsmeet

mlx object

news feeds

correlation coefficient