The State of E-Learning in Canadian Higher Ed

Hello again, blogger and Twitter accounts. I know it's been a while since I've last posted (and, I know one of my posts last year was about not abandoning your accounts...). So, here I am, ready to renew my posting efforts! Lots has been going on...

A couple of things that I've been following lately in the world of e-Learning. One is the article from the National Post, "Students Give E-Learning a Grade of Incomplete." It seems that the jury is still out on what all is going on in the world of e-learning -- particularly regarding notions of digital natives, popularized by Marc Prensky in 2001. Reading the full report on e-learning in higher education in Canada (see: The state of e-learning in Canadian universities, 2011: If students are digital natives, why don’t theylike e-learning?) gives us a chance to begin to see some of the perplexities and complexities of e-learning today. Unsurprisingly, students like some ed tech things sometimes, and dislike other technology innovations at other times -- it's all about context, and the teaching and learning purposes for which the technologies are being used.

Google Chrome Experiment with Arcade Fire

On a recent road trip, I became entranced by the new Arcade Fire album, The Suburbs.  After listening to the creative and evocative tracks, I was even more excited to see the song "We Used to Wait" brought to life in Chris Milk's Google Chrome experiment, The Wilderness Downtown.

Photo credit: The Wilderness Downtown

The Globe and Mail's article on the experiment, "Plug in your postal code and pull out a hankie" aptly describes the nostalgia and sense of awe one gets from seeing her neighbourhood in the video.

While the Google Chrome experiment's use of many browser pop-ups can prove somewhat annoying and un-user-friendly, it's still worth catching out this interactive online music video.

Handling Bad Press

In my Blogging for Business and Non-Profits course this weekend, there was some discussion about how to handle bad press.  Air Canada recently faced fierce Twitter rage with this story:

Air Canada fixes wheelchair; Family credits viral outrage

Photo credit: the Globe and Mail

I think that this Globe and Mail article on the 5 Social Media Lessons for Air Canada shows the importance of making your social media timely and relevant, especially when facing "Twitter rage" from your customers.

Rule number one: don't abandon your Twitter or other social media account.

Blogging for Business Resources

I'm really excited to be teaching a course on Blogging for Business and Non-Profits for the Faculty of Extension this weekend.

Here are a few great resources I've found on the topic:

Introduction to Blogs

• Clay, R. (2008, May 15). 5 reasons your business needs a blog from Fast Company.
• Common Craft. (2007, November 30). Blogs in plain English. 
• Common Craft. (2008, May 28). Social media in plain English.  
• Des Jardins, J. (2005, Aug 1). Business blogging for beginners from Fast Company.  
• Yao, P. (2010, July 6). The art of business blogging from Today Online.

Basic Web 2.0 Features & Functions

• Google. (2007, May 11). Blogger: How to start a blog 
• Google. (n.d.). Blogger help.
• Madia, S.A. (2010, August 16). Five social media land mines companies must avoid from The Globe and Mail. 

Effectively Using Blog Technologies 

• Nielsen, J. (1997, October 1). How users read on the web. 
• Bellamkonda, S. (2010, July 6). How to blog effectively to market your small business from Small Business Trends. 
• Brooks, R. (2010, May 10). A blog won’t help your business from Fast Company.

Blog Technology How-To

• Gunelius, S. (2010, July 5). How to use your business blog to get people talking about your brand from The Business Insider. 
• Steinberg, S. (2010, May 3). 10 ways for your business to make headlines from The Business Insider.

Evaluating Your Blog

• Brooks, R. (2009, Aug 20). 25 ways to promote and market your blog from Fast Company.
• Cowgill, D. (2009, January 29). How to install Google Analytics on Blogger.
• Carr, N. (2006, July 18). Lessons in corporate blogging from Bloomberg Businessweek.

iPad circa 1988

The buzz surrounding Apple's iPad continues to grow, especially since it's become available in Canada this week. Reportedly, Apple's surpassed the 2 million mark in iPad sales. But is this really the "game-changer" people are touting it to be?

Photo credit: Rego on Creative Commons

It's amazing to think back to the roots of the tablet -- it's worth reading Harry McCracken's post on "The iPad. Of 2000. As Envisioned in 1988," in which he compares what some keen, contest-winning students in the late 80s told Apple a tablet launched in the year 2000 should do.

This Youtube video on Project 2000 (1988) from Apple is worth revisiting:


After reading McCraken's article, I can't help but still ponder whether the iPad is truly the "game-changer" that many imagine it to be. Sure, it looks cool -- the large screen is certainly a great asset for eBooks and eReading, amongst other things.

But, in 2010, long after the y2K mark, does the iPad really deliver on the tablet promise?

Video: The End of Publishing (?)

Worth watching and very creative -- too much said here might give it all away, but I recommend taking a look.

Dancing with a Machine

Here's a little something that might spark reflection on creativity and technology for the week's end:


Can you imagine the concept map that went behind the plans for this machine? Doesn't it make you think of a life-sized version of the game mouse trap (did you play that game as a kid?)?

The WIRED article How OK Go’s Amazing Rube Goldberg Machine Was Built is interesting too, and points out that this was done in a single, unbroken shot. There are also some interesting points about YouTube and the music label's views on this kind of online distribution.