Category Archives: Online Learning

BT-1 Bluetooth Wireless Webcam No Longer Works (After OS X El Capitan‎ Upgrade)

Gadgets, Online Learning, , , ,
Ecamm BT-1

Ecamm BT-1

I updated my MacBook Air to OS X El Capitan‎ (OS X 10.11) last week, and subsequently hit two issues.

The first issue was that Outlook would not work. This luckily has been fixed with an adapt from Microsoft.

BT-1

The second issue is unlikely to be resolved. The Ecamm BT-1 Bluetooth Wireless Webcams that I use with ScreenFlow to record class presentations no longer work after the El Capitan upgrade. Ecamm discontinued the camera several years ago, so I don’t see any options beyond reverting to an earlier version of the OS. There don’t seem to be any viable alternatives yet. The Logitech Broadcaster Wi-Fi Webcam does not have an El Capitan driver, the HuddleCam Air HD is too expensive.

Sigh.

Notes from The Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning

Internet, MOOC, Online Learning, , , , ,

I was at The Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning last week. The conference seems to get better each year, and I needed the weekend to think a little deeper about what I saw and heard. This here, is both a prompt and a reminder (so that I don’t forget what I saw, and work on the projects that I want to).

As usual, several of the participants used Twitter for back-channel conversations. This became a useful tool to aggregate comments and resources  via the #UWdtl hashtag. Hopefully more participants get onboard next year.

Speed Sessions

I managed to catch a couple of Speed Sessions Tuesday afternoon, only the last four, but these were helpful. The “speed” part of the speed sessions was hurt a little when presenters had difficulty getting their laptops to work with the HDMI connection to the projector in the room, but luckily those with recalcitrant laptops were able to borrow working MacBooks. Of the four sessions that I saw, Moses Wolfenstein‘s “Finding a Place for Gamification in Learning” was the most entertaining,  but Laura Bunte of Stratagem had some very useful formulae and templates to share for projecting the cost of developing online content.

Information Sessions

The Conversation Prism

The Conversation Prism

I was lucky enough to see a series of information sessions that met my interests and needs:

  • “Using Game Design Theory To Develop A Faculty Self-Assessment”
    • Susan Manning shared four game design elements (story, mechanics, technology, and aesthetics) that could be used by instructors to help inform their instructional design.
  • “Social Media in Education: So Many Choices!”
    • Ronald Hannaford posited that Social Media in Education has many of the same amorphous aspects of online learning fifteen years ago. I particularly liked the Conversation Prism image he used. He suggests a strategic plan for campus-wide integration.
  • “Are Games And Simulations A Good “Fit” For Your Curriculum”
    • Penny Ralston-Berg demonstrated some great examples and games. The one I will be looking at in more detail is Quizlet.
  • “Voice And Screencasting Feedback”
    • John Orlando started his session with my favorite video of the conference (Hexaflexagons). More interestingly, he shared research on the amount of time some faculty spend on student feedback – more on textual feedback, and less on audio feedback. However, the audio feedback contains more “words,” so is both more efficient and more detailed. I am pondering running some research along these lines at work.
  • “MOOC Development And Delivery From The Support Staff’s Perspective”
    • Hui-Lien (Sharon) Hsiao and Norma Scagnoli shared their processes, challenges, and merits of facilitating courses at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am very, very curious to see how these business courses pan out.

 

Do’s and Don’ts For Conference Presenters

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Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts

Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts

I am going to be at the 31st Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning (11th – 13th August, 2015) this year. DEPD Director Les Howles has some great tips for presenters, highlighting do’s and don’ts. This is based upon feedback from conference attendees, and is well worth watching and reading.

The handout has 10 things that a successful presenter should do, and 10 things a successful presenter should not do. Ultimately, your presentation should should provide lots of practical tips and advice. You also want to share “plenty of relevant real-world examples and lessons learned”

Les also shares my bugbear. I hate it when I encounter  “session descriptions that don’t match the content presented.”

If you have not done so already, you can register for the conference here:

https://dtlconference.wisc.edu/

(Full disclosure: I am on the 2013-2015 Planning Committee for the conference)

What To Pack When Teaching in China

Gadgets, Online Learning, Travel, , ,
Great Wall of China

Great Wall of China

I was in China recently (first time!) showing Chinese teachers how online learning is conducted in the U.S. Before leaving for China, I diligently checked on what to pack. I made some good decisions. I made some bad decisions. This post hopefully helps others about to make that long journey to a fascinating country.

My style of presenting and teaching is to use a MacBook Air, recording myself with a BT-1 Bluetooth camera (positioned towards the back of the room) and ScreenFlow.

Clothes

I was in Beijing in June. Hot and humid. Definitely worth checking the weather before visiting. Chinese culture is not particularly bothered about formal attire, so no need to pack a business suite or dress shoes. For teaching in June, lightweight hot-weather clothing is the way to go:

  • Plenty of short-sleeve shirts
  • Semi-formal trousers (TravelSmith has a range designed for heat and humidity, or you can go Outlier)
  • Performance trousers (for visits to all the tourist sites)
  • One pair comfortable walking shoes. Go for something lightweight and breathable.
  • Underwear
  • Hat
  • Umbrella (keeps off both the rain and sun)
  • Packable rain-jacket

Technology

Chinese airport security is more restrictive than in the U.S., you may be able to bring something into China, but taking it back on the airplane may be more difficult. One of the most useful gadgets I had on the trip (HooToo TripMate Wireless N Portable Travel Router with 6000mAh Battery Charger) was confiscated as I was leaving Beijing Capital International Airport. The reason was that it had a battery that lacked “proper wording” (officially declared capacity). My understanding is you want to have less than 100 watt-hours, and for this to be clearly stated on the device.

Typical Chinese Electrical Outlet

Typical Chinese Electrical Outlet

Whilst teaching, I was in typical Chinese classroom. Projectors worked with either VGA or HDMI connections; so having adapters for both was a must (which is where the Cable Matters® Mini DisplayPort to HDMI/DVI/VGA Male to Female 3-in-1 Adapter comes in very useful). Internet speeds could be slower than what I was used to, and WiFi could be slower than a wired connection – this is where bringing my own router and Ethernet cable brought dividends.

Essential iPhone Apps

Explore Beijing Subway Map

Explore Beijing Subway Map

Explore Beijing Subway Map

Beijing’s Metro is fantastic (and rapidly expanding). New lines and stations are coming to service. This app helps you navigate, and has maps for each station

Express VPN

Express VPN

Express VPN

A VPN is required in China to access sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google.

Learn Chinese – Mandarin Phrasebook for Travel in China

Learn Chinese

Learn Chinese

English is not commonly spoken in China. A phrasebook is essential.

Miscellaneous

MOOCs In China

Internet, MOOC, Online Learning, ,

I was in China recently, and towards the end of the trip a Chinese a teacher shared these example of Chinese MOOCs with me. I cannot speak for the quality of the courses, but here they are:

http://class.hujiang.com/course?cate=121834

mooc-example-01

http://www.icourse163.org

mooc-example-02

http://www.icourse163.org/university/pku#/c

mooc-example-03

http://www.icourse163.org/course/pku-21016#/info

mooc-example-04

http://www.ouchn.cn

mooc-example-05

http://www.ouchn.edu.cn

mooc-example-06

Open-Sankoré Alternative: OpenBoard

Gadgets, Online Learning, , , ,

Open-Sankoré does not work with OS X Yosemite. If you run the program in OS X 10.10, Open-Sankoré closes immediately. The only workaround I have discovered is rolling back to OS X 10.9 (Mavericks). The Open-Sankoré website does not provide much insight on when this issue might be fixed. However, it looks like there may be an alternative…

OpenBoard

OpenBoard

Using Google Translate, I can see that SEM-Logistics and Christian Oihenart have released a version of OpenBoard that works on OS X Yosemite (although there is apparently a small bug in the display of the dock). I have not installed or tested OpenBoard, and have no idea how well this might work, but it is now on my radar.

Update: 30th July, 2015

The old link to OpenBoard is dead. This new one seems to work.

Distance & Learning Conference: Call for Proposals Now Open

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Call for Proposals

The Call for Proposals is now open for the Distance Teaching & Learning Conference that takes place Madison, Wisconsin from August 11-13, 2015.

The deadline to submit your Call for Proposal is: Monday, January 26, 2015 at 4pm CST

The Distance Teaching & Learning Conference welcomes hundreds of distance education and online learning professionals every year to share effective practices, research, strategies, and new tools/techniques.

  • Share your data on established practices
  • Present a hot new topic in distance learning
  • Have your results published in the proceedings publication
  • Network with experts from around the world

Some suggested topics include: New course design models, mobile & social learning, learning analytics,

competency-based learning, gamification & badges, open educational resources

More information can be found at:

https://dtlconference.wisc.edu/call-for-proposals/