Month: March 2009

What’s the presumption?

Univeral Design in Higher Education
Universal Design in Higher Education

I am working on converting a typical syllabus into one that is in a universal course design (UCD) format. One of the standard sections in the UCD guide is called “Academic Honesty”, and it suggests you enter a link to the appropriate university policy if one exists. The course I am working one will be an offering in an online program, and I was surprised to find that the appropriate section  is entitled “Academic Dishonesty.” [emphasis mine]

I am aware that some people feel that too much is made of sematics, but in this case it makes me feel that the assumption in the policy is one of guilt rather than not.

Gen F. vs. Fortune 500

Facebook
Facebook

It strikes me that there are WORLDS apart from what is now being Generation F (Facebook Generation), and the Fortune 500. The very first characteristic held by Gen F is that all ideas compete equally. Seems to me it is the rare organization in which this is true, unless it is one recently formed by younger people.

Review the complete list of 12 characteristics yourself http://tinyurl.com/c4vld5
and see if you can figure out how those of us teaching in MBA programs can help bridge this gap.

Cloud Storage

Even though I told myself I was only going to blog one posting today, I can’t help but comment on Robin good’s article about how to send learge files w/o email.

I discivered the need to dor this kind of application a while ago when I needed to give people access to some Powerpoint point and other image files which were just too large for email too handle. Robing Good, who I love as a resource for a current and relevent take on what is happening in the today’s crazy [insane] world of communicaiton, has compiled a list of 15 different apps that provide the ability to

  • send large files quickly
  • store files online

I haven’t used any of the services Good writes about, but I have been using box.net as a location for file storage. I have often uploaded files that were too large to email, and then either gave selective access to people, or just uploaded files with open access for others.

I’d love to know if you have used any of the services and tools described in the article.

Degree in Social Networking

Another social networking applicaiton
Another social networking applicaiton

If you doubted that social networking is more than just a passing fancy, consider that Birmingham City University (UK) will be offering a one-year Master’s program beginning next year.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/5073683/University-offers-social-media-degree-about-Facebook-Twitter-and-Bebo.html

There is apparently disagreement as to whether or not the program content is really going to have an audience. While the program’s creator has created the program “nor for freaks or IT geeks”, it has been criticized as being too simple and “…a complete waste of university resources,” according to one student.

Personally, I think the focus on the tools is the wrong approach to education. It seems shortsighted to me to teach people how to use Facebook and Twitter and other social networking tools as an end unto itself. The technology is always changing, and it seems to make most send to use technology as tool to help achieve instructional goals and objectives. the technology should be “subservient” to the higher good of learning.

Why Another Blog?@?!*?#!?%

Hi.

I’m Elaine Garofoli, the Educational Technologist from the Sawyer School of Business, [insert photo], and I’m Michelle Bolser, Educational Technology Coordinator from the College of Arts and Sciences. [photo]

Since there are now two of us working at the University in this similar capacity, we thought it would be great if there was one location where we could post our thoughts, ideas, and “finds”, and also have people who read the blog have the opportunity to offer their comments, thus extending the conversation.