[CfP] The PLE Conference

I like to announce the Call for Papers for the first „PLE Conference“ in Barcelona, Spain this year.

Personal Learning Environments (PLE) include the tools, communities, and services that constitute the individual educational platforms learners use to direct their own learning and pursue educational goals. The idea of the PLE represents a shift away from the model in which students consume information through independent channels such as the library, a textbook, or an LMS, moving instead to a model where students draw connections from a growing matrix of resources that they select and organize. Because they emphasize relationships, PLEs can promote authentic learning by incorporating expert feedback into learning activities and resources. A PLE also puts students in charge of their own learning processes, challenging them to reflect on the tools and resources that help them learn best. By design, a PLE is created from self-direction, and therefore the responsibility for organization—and thereby for learning—rests with the learner ….

[publication] Microblogs in Higher Education – a chance to facilitate informal and process oriented learning?

We are happy to announce that our publication „Microblogs in Higher Education – a chance to facilitate informal and process oriented learning?“ published in Journal Computer & Education is now online available.
Abstract:

Microblogging is one of the latest Web 2.0 technologies. The key elements are online communication using 140 characters and the fact that it involves “following” anyone. There has been a great deal of excitement about this in recent months. This paper reports on a research study that was carried out on the use of a microblogging platform for process-oriented learning in Higher Education. Students of the University of Applied Sciences of Upper Austria used the tool throughout their course. All postings were carefully tracked, examined and analyzed in order to explore the possibilities offered by microblogging in education. It can be concluded that microblogging should be seen as a completely new form of communication that can support informal learning beyond classrooms.

Reference: Martin Ebner, Conrad Lienhardt, Matthias Rohs, Iris Meyer (2010), Microblogs in Higher Education – a chance to facilitate informal and process oriented learning?, Computers & Education, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 4 January 2010, ISSN 0360-1315, DOI: 10.1016/j.compedu.2009.12.006.
Online available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VCJ-4Y34W8F-1/2/799ab0b1112d5696a251fca84be472c3

[book] Looking Toward the Future of Technology-Enhanced Education: Ubiquitous Learning and the Digital Native

BuchBevor der e-Learning Blog in die Weihnachtsferien geht, freut es mich besonders, dass ich unser Buch „Looking Toward the Future of Technology-Enhanced Education: Ubiquitous Learning and the Digital Native“ ankündigen kann:

Looking Toward the Future of Technology-Enhanced Education: Ubiquitous Learning and the Digital Native
Edited By: Martin Ebner, Graz University of Technology, Austria; Mandy Schiefner, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Description:
The World Wide Web is changing the way we use technology, bringing e-learning and teaching to a whole new dimension of collaboration and communication. Looking Toward the Future of Technology-Enhanced Education: Ubiquitous Learning and the Digital Native bridges the gap between technology and education by presenting innovative research on the future of education. An essential reference on e-learning, this scholarly publication examines current research in technology enhanced learning, provides new didactic models for education, and discusses the newest technologies and their impact on education.

Der Flyer beinhaltet auch die Inhaltsübersicht über die zahlreichen Autoren, bei denen ich mich ganz herzlich bedanken möchte für ihre guten Beiträge. Ein Dank gilt auch den Reviewern die wesentlich zur Qualität dieses Buches beigetragen haben, sowie dem Verlag (Link zur Homepage des Buches).

Amazon – Link:
Looking Toward the Future of Technology-Enhanced Education: Ubiquitous Learning and the Digital Native

Wir freuen uns auf folgende Diskussionen, Rückmeldungen und Kritiken und ich wünsche noch ein schönes Weihnachtsfest, sowie einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr.

[call] iKnow 2010 und ECTEL 2010

Der Call for Papers sowohl für die iKnow 2010 hier in Graz

I-KNOW 2010 brings together international researchers (in the English speaking scientific part) and practitioners (in the German speaking Praxisforum) from the fields of knowledge management and knowledge technologies. Opening and closing keynotes and a conference-wide exhibition complete the I-KNOW conference program.

als auch die ECTEL 2010 in Barcelona sind online:

ECTEL 2010 will bring together technological developments, learning models, and implementations of new and innovative approaches to training and education. The conference will explore how the synergy of multiple disciplines, ranging from Computer Science, Education, Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Social Science, can provide new, more effective and more especially more sustainable, technology-enhanced learning solutions to learning problems. The conference welcomes researchers and developers from European and Non-European countries and industries to present recent advancements from technologies, applications, and learning models in all areas of technology enhanced learning.

[paper accepted] SITE conference 2010

We are very happy that we can announce that both submitted papers for next year SITE Conference are accepted:

We are pleased to inform you that the Program Committee of SITE 2010, after rigorous peer review, has decided to ACCEPT your submission for presentation.

The titles of our papers are:

  • Is Twitter an Individual Mass Communication Medium?
  • Teaching and Learning in Higher Education – An Integral Approach

Looking forward to see you there 🙂 .

Google Wave replaces Twitter at conferences?

Nachdem wir nun seit längerer Zeit Twitter bei Konferenzen auf Twitterwalls einsetzen und durchaus gute Ergebnisse erzielen, steht man eigentlich mit dem Aufkommen von Google Wave vor der Frage ob diese Applikation vielleicht besser geeignet wäre.
Der Kollaborationsaspekt für das Auditorium mit der Möglichkeit dies danach zur Verfügung zu haben könnte durchaus für Google Wave sprechen. Hier gibt es bereits einen ersten Bericht und ich denke es wird nicht der letzte bleiben.

[publication] Can Weblogs and Microblogs Change Traditional Scientific Writing?

Our article on „Can Weblogs and Microblogs Change Traditional Scientific Writing?“ was published in the Open Access Online Journal Future Internet.
Abstract:

This paper describes a follow-up Web 2.0 approach to a technology enhanced master course for students of Graz University of Technology. The lecture “Social Aspects of Information Technology” has a long tradition for using new didactical scenarios as well as modern e-Learning technologies. After using a blogosphere one year ago, this year microblog channels helped to expand the traditional lecture. Students choose (on a voluntary basis) whether they want to participate in a blogging/microblogging group instead of using conventional methods called Scientific Writer/Scientific Reviewer. This study addresses the question whether this method can change the learning outcome into a more reflective one. Furthermore, peer-reviewing groups judge the quality of essays and blog contributions. In this paper we examine if microblogging can be an appropriate technology for assisting the process. This publication comes to the conclusion that an amazing potential and a new way to work with information is opened when using microblogging. Students seem to be more engaged, reflective and critical in as much as they presented much more personal statements and opinions than years before.

Reference: Ebner, Martin; Maurer, Hermann. 2009. „Can Weblogs and Microblogs Change Traditional Scientific Writing?.“ Future Internet 1, no. 1: 47-58.