What did I learn this term?
What did my students teach me this term, to make me a better teacher? They taught me to expect more, and still be prepared to be surprised. Oh, I do … Continue reading
How is Apple defeating the folder skeumorph?
Finally! We are leaving behind the folder skeumorph* – that old icon for organizing things. We have tags combined with searches! We don’t need folders any more. Tags let us … Continue reading
How does instructional design differ from faculty development?
Someone asked me that this week, and it is a good question. There is both an art and a science to teaching, and also to using technology to create a … Continue reading
How does “pedagogical topography” frame learning spaces?
What a wonderful turn of phrase, “pedagogical topography” (Hybrid Pedagogy, May 8, 2013)! With that metaphor, Morris and Stommel capture the concept that the design of space (virtual or physical) … Continue reading
What is the shape of collaboration?
What is the shape of collaboration? How do we produce a learning space that reflects this shape? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, as I’ve been talking to … Continue reading
What do we fear?
A fear culture is emerging in higher ed, where we only see destruction in the current disruption. I wonder if a useful aphorism for us is: “Barn’s burnt down… now … Continue reading
What is the role of persistence in the sense of presence?
I keep coming back to the idea of the sense of presence when I think about creating virtual environments for learning and collaboration. I suppose I can’t help myself – … Continue reading
Do presence, power and collaboration play together nicely?
The focus of my work has been on the development of the sense of presence in virtual worlds used for (formal) collaborative learning in higher education.One dimension of my presence … Continue reading
I am here – are you there?
In the online collaborative environment, visibility is serious issue because learners aren’t co-located or even co-temporaneous, so other affordances must provide information about availability for social interaction. To increase sociability, … Continue reading
Does a garden work as a metaphor for how and why a portfolio matters?
Metaphors are such important things – they tell a rich story with meaning we couldn’t convey any other way. So, I’ve been working away at a metaphor that reflects my … Continue reading
