The Student-Information Relationship

An excellent conference presentation from the perspective of a Warwick medical student, who implemented an entirely paperless resource workflow during his studies, and why he thinks the methods he used made very effective use of some of the tools and resources available via tablet devices.

mLearning Authoring Platform for the School of Medicine

CORTEX has released a first working-prototype in efforts to acommodate mobile access to self-directed learning in the School. The platform combines latest mobile development languages such as HTML5 and jQuery for mobile devices. The present version (1.0.0) features:

• Adapts to any screen resolution
• Adapts to screen rotation
• Table of contents
• Back/forward navigation
• Smart screen-responsive image resizing
• 'Collapsible' content
• Info page

The next prototype aims to feature:

• True/false formative assessment
• Multiple-answer formative assessment
• Improved page loading speed

Click here for a sneak preview.
Please feel free to leave comments/suggestions. All feedback is greatly appreciated and will be used to shape future development!

The School of Medicine e-learning team.

Sharing Files using Dropbox

In addition to email, you can now share files with the medic e-learning team via Dropbox. Dropbox is a cloud-based file sharing service which allows two computers to edit and share content using dedicated space on Dropbox. This means that there is no need to manually upload or download a latest copy of whatever file you have been working on with someone. Share your files now with medic e-learning.

Instructions:

1. Install Dropbox on the computers and/or mobile devices you use
2. Put files in your Dropbox folder
3. Share your folder with others

Pros:

• Automatic synchronise
• Un-delete option
• Revert to old copy
• Share files with two or more users
• Install on mobile devices

Cons:

• Limited storage
• Registration required

Good News for e-Bookworms

Did you know the Google Chrome webstore offers an app which converts any web page into an EPUB file or Kindle eBook? Now you can collect and organise all the web articles you wanted to read and save them on your mobile device for times when using your laptop and accessing the internet is not so easy, such as on train journeys. Visit site...

Enhancing Content Accessibility

MEDIC e-learning are to invest in a resources upgrade enabling the access to module content from platforms such as the iPad. The increased use of non-Adobe Flash enabled devices means focus has been directed on adapting development whilst maintaining the level of interactivity previously only possible through use of the Adobe Flash Player plugin. Students using the self directed learning area in the new Cochrane building have been making extensive use of the Clinical Skills modules for OSCE revision, with many frequently using iPads to do so.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is commonly referred to as a second generation of services available on the web, allowing users to do more than just retrieve information. Social software is considered a key web 2.0 development, since it encompasses services which facilitate collaborating, sharing, meeting and communicating with others online. Although much of this activity is currently social, there is a huge education potential in these tools, particularly with students who are not campus-based.

While there is no set definition of Web 2.0, the phrase generally refers to the use of interactive and collaborative web applications as social media platforms, where users participate by generating their own content alongside the content provided by the websites themselves. This characteristic is often stated as being the primary difference between Web 2.0 and the original World Wide Web (Web 1.0).

Web 2.0 applications allow students to easily create their own content and also to actively share information, opinion and support across networks of students. They are relatively easy to use requiring little or no technical expertise and there are many free an Open Source versions availble that offer flexibility and convergence options with a number of systems. In addition, they provide educational opportunities for students ‘any time, any place’. The collaborative and engaging nature of these tools can then be used to support a number of educational processes such as reflection, knowledge building and encouraging student participation and discussion.

Web 2.0 Terminology
Web 2.0 literacy is increasingly important, so here is a glossary of social media terminology to help you get the ‘gist’ of the jargon.

• Tags - The categorization of content by users adding tags (short, usually one-word descriptions or keywords to facilitate searching). As opposed to a classical taxonomy-based categorization system (e.g. MESH), they are usually non-hierarchical, and the vocabulary is open
• Tag Clouds – Give you a visual idea of tag frequency for a blog or other social media site. The more popular a tag, the bigger the text appears in the cloud.
• Folksonomies – These are collections of tags created by many users within a single system
• Syndication – allows websites to ‘push’ new content to users. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works, such as blog entries, news headlines, audio and video in a standardized format. RSS benefits users who want to subscribe to multiple feeds using a feed reader. To provide a single point of access for updates to content from multiple sources. An increasing number of medical journals have RSS feeds available
• Mashup – involve the merging of information from multiple sources. For example, Google maps and BBC traffic data
• Open Source – Open Source refers to software that is available to the general public at no monetary cost. However, there may still be restrictions on what you can and cannot do with the software

Web 2.0 Software Tools
An outline of different social software tools follows. However, it is important to note that there is a growing trend for services which combine different features in one package, such as services which enable you to join online communities, set up blogs and wikis and share photographs all via one website.

Blogs
Blogs (short for ‘weblogs’) are personal websites that allow rapid updating by the author and can be most easily described as a web-based diary. Content can be easily created (listed in date order) and shared. They are designed to be interactive, allowing others to post comments about the blog entries; however, it is usually not possible for anyone to alter the content except the owner. Syndication options enable users to subscribe to blogs and digests. Increasingly, blogs incorporate multimedia, and you can also upload and read them via mobile devices. Examples of blog platforms include: Learning Central, edublogs. Microblogging – allows users to send brief text updates e.g. Twitter.

Wikis
Wikis are similar to blogs but allow the text of the website to be edited by others, with the creation of a common document that can be shared between individuals. Examples of wiki platforms include: Learning Central,  MediaWiki (the platform that wikipedia is based upon). wikis give an opportunity for users with different types of knowledge, confidence and communication to contribute equally to a joint publication. Collaborators who lack confidence to argue a case in a ‘live’ face-to-face debate can feel more comfortable making the same points in a wiki environment where the pace of discussion is slower and the quality of the thinking is more significant than force of personality.

Podcasts
Podcasts are audio recordings made available on the internet, which can be played on computers or downloaded to hand-held devices such as MP3 players, providing the potential for ‘anytime, anywhere’ mobile learning experiences. Users can subscribe to podcasts using RSS feeds, so that any new broadcast in a series is automatically downloaded to their PC or device. Podcasts have been embraced by the education sector, since they offer a lively method of communicating with different audiences – whether for lectures, discussions, audio guides etc…

Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking allows users to save online resources as bookmarks, which can be accessed from any device with an Internet connection, both by the bookmarker and by the wider community. Most  bookmarking sites also allow bookmarks to be tagged to make finding them easier later. In these systems, bookmarks represent ‘links’ to web resources (they do not attach a copy of them). Examples of social bookmarking platforms include: digg, diigo

Media Sharing – Visual media can be uploaded and stored on a website and shared with please ensure that you refer to consent and copyright policies. Examples of media sharing platforms include: Flickr , You Tube

Social Networking – Involves the process of building online communities, often accomplished both through ‘groups’ and ‘friends lists’ that allow greater interaction on websites. Several approaches can be combined in these sites to make them extremely versatile e.g. blogging and file sharing. Examples of social networking platforms include: Cardiff University Connections Service, My Space, Facebook
Social software tools can provide significant support to both traditional teaching and distance education programs by facilitating interaction, collaboration, and the formation of
social networks among students.

Further Resources
Cardiff University Learning and teaching support
Learning Central
JISC e-Learning Programme
Donald Clarke “Don’t lecture me”
JISC Report “Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World”
www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/heweb20rptv1.pdf
HEA e-Learning Programme
JISC Advance – Guide to Digital Media
7things you should know about… Podcasting
7 things you should know about… Blogs
7 things you should know about… Wikis

Mobile Devices

Laptop/Tablets
Laptop/Tablets – The most complete and functional system of all the portable devices, laptop/tablet PCs come Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Ethernet enabled. Tablet PCs offer additional features such as handwriting recognition and voice-to-text conversion as part of their operating systems.

Instructional Uses - Students can:

• Download audio and video lectures and podcasts
• Create and edit course-related assignments
• Surf the Web
• Send e-mails, instant messages (IMs), and text-messages
• Log on to the course Web site at home or while on the road
• Provide a high level of interactivity for global collaboration and research

Pro’s

• Great for students who need to take their work home with them
• Provide the most power and capabilities of all devices

Con’s

• Still relatively expensive
• Size makes them cumbersome while travelling
• Unlike some smaller devices they cannot be used while walking

i-Pods©
The iPod© portable media player from Apple© allows users to download music, audio books, podcasts, photos, and video. It has an address book and calendar that synchronize with Microsoft’s Outlook or Outlook Express. It can also serve as a mass-storage device.

Instructional Uses – Students can:

• Download podcasts of relevant instructional material along with audio and video lectures
• Exchange information files, collaborate on projects and share project results
• Review coursework and prepare for exams
• Provide visual, step-by-step directions that are difficult to convey with words only (applies to instructors too)
• Students or instructors can add a microphone to their iPods to capture material for educational use

Pro’s

• With a large market share, the iPod has already proven its popularity with students
• The iPod’s many apps increase its functionality, and it’s great for students on the go

Con’s

• An iPod may not be affordable for all students, and requires Apple’s iTunes program (free) for downloading files
• It provides one-way communication, not interactivity, although it can record material
• The screens are generally too small to use sophisticated applications or to read quantities of text (although this will probably change in future versions)

Smartphones
A smart phone combines telephone capability with a PDA, camera, video, mass storage, MP3 player, Internet access, and networking features in one compact system.

Instructional Uses – Students can:

• Download audio and video lectures and podcasts to their smart phones
• Play audio, video and Flash movies
• Display and edit text documents
• Access e-mail and Web content
• Send instant messages (IM) and text messages
• Use the phone for mass storage
• Collaborate and research as they can access information globally. Smart phones thus support interactive learning

Pro’s

• Very popular with students
• Combines a multitude of communication and computing features in one compact system

Con’s

• Small screen makes web browsing and reading difficult
• Small keys or a virtual keyboard make text entry inefficient for longer e-mails or texts

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
The PDA combines computing capability, internet access, and networking features in one system with a calendar, notepad, address book, and productivity tools. It is a programmable, Bluetooth-enabled, Wi-Fi–equipped device with a pen/stylus input interface.

Instructional Uses - Students can:

• Play audio, video, and Flash movies
• Display and permit editing of text documents
• Let users access e-mail and Web content as well as support Instant Messaging (IM) and text messaging
• Be used for mass storage
• Support interactive, collaborative learning – students can use them to present projects, conduct research and take notes in class

Pro’s

• Large screen (for a portable device) that makes reading easier
• Combines several computing and communication tools in one device
• Text and data entry are possible through the screen keyboard, a stylus, or external peripherals

Con’s

• Bulky compared to other portable devices and won’t fit in a standard-sized pocket, although packs, purses, and other carriers will accommodate them
• They are not efficient for entering long e-mails or texts without using a peripheral input device

e-Book Readers
e-book readers are used to download text-based materials. They can store hundreds of e-books, newspapers, journals and magazines. Magnification and highlighting features facilitate easy reading and marking of texts, and full-text search makes it easy to find specific passages.

Instructional Uses – Students can:

• Download and store text-based instructional materials and electronic textbooks
• Read resources on demand
• Conduct research

Pro’s

• Large screens for easy reading, while backlighting facilitates reading in dark places
• Digital bookmarks and highlighters let users mark their texts, and full-text search capabilities make it easy to find specific passages
• Can store all the content and textbooks for several courses

Con’s

• Single-purpose device with limited computing capabilities
• It may require proprietary text formats
• A limited number of e-book titles are currently available

MP3 Players
This digital audio player plays music and audio files. Some models have an integrated voice recorder and line-in recording.

Instructional Uses - Students can:

• Use an MP3 player to download and listen to podcasts and audio lectures
• Review course material and study for exams
• Stay informed about course content
• Listen to audio books
• Record information such as a lecture on some devices

Pro’s

• Compact and lightweight
• Have no moving parts which increases their battery life
• Feature excellent audio quality and are upgradeable

Con’s

• Replaceable by other devices that also play audio files
• Encoding files and transferring data can be time-consuming
• These players provide one-way communication, not interactivity

USB Drives
The USB drive is a mass-storage device that attaches easily to many computers and other devices.

Instructional Uses - Students can:

• Store coursework, audio and video files
• Share files for collaborative projects
• Transfer work to and from computers at school
• Save their work
• Submit work to the instructor

Pro’s

• Small and portable
• USB interface is compatible with all newer computers

Con’s

• USB drive is a single-purpose device
• Loss of data -you need to comply with secure data storage guidelines, especially if patient data is being transported
• Other devices can also serve for mass storage

Click here for tips on constructing mobile learning.