Another Student Feedback from a Project - Authentic Learning and Web 2.0

I was a student enrolled in the Certificate of Boat building
program at the Institute of Applied Science, Unitec. One of those exciting
things during the course is the elearning perspective based on Web 2.0
technology and applications, which was introduced and promoted by Vickel.

Despite the concept of Web 2.0 sounds quite complicated or specialized,
this new educational approach actually uses daily computer software and
program, online applications and resources, and other IT technologies we
use everyday, such as 3G network on our mobile, recording video and taking
pictures with camera or smart phone, etc.

Based on this approach, we (tutors and students all together) established a
comprehensive Web2.0 e-learning platform. Everyone got their own Blog. In
the blog, students can write down what they have done today, what are they
thinking, or what kind of help they need. Other students and tutors can read
his blog and make comments on it. Moreover, blog is also used to create
students’ portfolio (now we call it e-portfolio). Students are asked to take
photos and videos during the workshop, and upload them to the blog. Other
internet applications and webs, such as Google Docs, Buzz and YouTube are
used as well as useful tools to improve communications between students
and tutors.

I really liked this Web2.0 concept and I think its application in the CAT program
is quite successful. I think it has following advantages:

1. Improved communication between students and tutors with little or
no limitation of time and place. Compared with face-to-face meeting
and communication, students and tutors now can communicate online.
You can post your ideas, thoughts, suggests or comments at anytime,
anywhere. You do not have to be in the workshop in order to discuss
with your mates and the tutor.
2.  An effective way to record work and study. As pictures and videos are
made during the workshop, students can upload them onto their blog.
This provides a dynamic and expressive source for constructing their e-
portfolio online.
3.  More progress-oriented and better supervision on students’ work
and study. Students are asked to write their blog based on their daily
learning process. Tutors can see how each student is doing all the
way through the course. This gives opportunity for tutors to make more
comprehensive and flexible assessment on the student on the basis of
his learning process, not only on the basis of the final outcome.
4. Students are more motivated. Well, as a student, your assessment
and portfolio will be based on what you have put on your blog. So you
need pay more attention on your daily study. Moreover, you can also
help other students if they post any questions on the blog and make comments on their works. And remember, other students can do the
same to you.
5.  It does not increase the cost of study. Software, applications, websites
and other devices and technologies used in the Web2.0 educational
approach are mostly free. You might need a cellphone that can take
pictures and videos. If you happened to have not got one, do not worry.
You can borrow the camera from the institute.

(Former student in the Boat Building course, Unitec New Zealand)
 

this blog post by Vickel Narayan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand License.

Future of Computing and Learning ...iPad,iPhone - iDock

iDock concept

The problem

Okay so in brief this is the story ...... I have an iPhone, iPad, a Netbook (Dell mini 9), MacBook Pro and and Mac Mini ....you would ask where do I use all this technology and what for:

1. iPhone - almost everytime, probably the best investment of all the technology
2. iPad - in meetings and as an entertainment unit
3. Netbook - sometimes use it, haven't used it for a while now .... but are handy in conferences due ti its portability
4. MacBook Pro - @ work and home when I need something decent to work on
5. Mac mini - well again use it only when I feel I don't need to use the MacBook pro ......have to start it up, connect to power ........ Mac mini is always convenient, just jump on and get started....

So where does the iDock concept fit in the already long list of things at home and work?

Well the iDock is to solve the problem. The new iPhone 4 comes with a A4 processor (1GHz speed), 512MB RAM ...... well if this is the way than future phones will be much faster with bigger RAM meaning almost as powerful as a normal desktop or a laptop or even faster ...... let's put it this way, there is more potential .... the number of apps on Apple store for iPhone is growing at an exponential rate ... not just growing but growing with more features enabling the ability to do more on a cellphone. For example things possible on an iPhone: editing Videos, Audio, Pictures, Edit/Create Documents (excel, ppt, word an more), eMails, web browsing, entertainment (high end graphics better than same desktop and laptop games, geo-tagging, and more)

The iPhone (or other smartphones) will have the capability to perform complex and big tasks almost the same as a computer ...... the iDock concept does what a docking station for a laptop does .... provides more power and ability such as USB ports, monitor out, printer port etc. The iDock will do the same and in doing so convert the iPhone into a desktop computer .... better, it allows the user to carry important documents and data on the phone and still have to power to do anything at anytime...... the iDock will provide a DVD drive, USB, Firewire and monitor out this of-course depends on Apple and other smartphone manufacturers to open the platform and upgrade the hardware in future handsets to allow these capabilities ...... it's not that we don't have the technology or ability it's more that we need time and perhaps vision from leading phone manufacturers to take this further.

How it will work?

Dock your iPhone on the iDock and away you go. Plug in the peripheral devices you use for example, USB keyboard, an external monitor and perhaps an external harddrive. The iDock is a dumb unit (meaning it has no operating system), the iPhone and the apps on the iPhone is the main unit. Although the iDock may have RAM and a processor to ease the load on the iPhone processor, it is to 'enhance' the ability on the iPhone. The apps on the iPhone are like apps you have on a desktop or laptop.

The way things are moving at the moment, you wouldn't really need a huge processor to perform your tasks. Cloud computing is growing at the same rate as the smartphones are growing in power and ability perhaps leveraging off each others success and complementing each others strengths and weaknesses.

What is the future than?

The future is cloud computing and in mobile technology like smartphones. Ubiquitous computing - being everywhere and having the power of a computer and more in your hand.