By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Professor Pans 'Learning Style' Teaching Method
It is true that there are good reasons to question the doctrine of learning styles, at least as presently formulated. But the Telegraph does not inform us why we should believe Baroness Greenfield, a professor of pharmacology at Oxford University, when she says so. Does peerage confer psychological insight? Still, Frank Coffield has a point. "I came across labelling such as 'activists' versus 'reflectors', 'globalists' versus 'analysts' and 'left brainers' versus 'right brainers'. There is no scientific justification for any of these terms." There is no good understanding of learning styles as it stands. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Going After Grandma!
I think I like the term 'Platform of personal Expression' (PPE) better than 'Personal learning Environment' (though of course I will continue to be indifferent about the terminology. I generally agree with Dave Berlind that Dave Winer is a pioneer in the field, and basically understood all this before most people - but as someone who has been working with this stuff for just about as long, I would hardly call Winer overlooked or overdue for recognition. People know well who he is and what he has done. Is he the first this or that? "Who cares!" I think he would say, as he points to Berners-Lee as the first blogger. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Top-Ten Teaching and Learning Issues, 2007
The top technology-related teaching and learning issues as identified by the EDUCAUSE Advisory Committee for Teaching and Learning. The very top issue, "establishing and supporting a culture of evidence," is more political than technological. What's even more interesting, several of the remaining nine issues are all variations of the first. Issues like "demonstrating improvement of learning" and "translating learning research into practice," for example. That technology should demonstrate its effectiveness is a given, I think. But I think it has done that - kids today are prohibited from doing things that could not even be imagined by their parents. If that's not progress, I don't know what it. And this is key. Demonstrating progress is not a matter of filling it in the checkbox assessments administered by unknowing officials. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Battle at Kruger
I know this has been all over other media, but after having visited Kruger National Park myself less than a year ago the sounds and images of the video resonate with me (I have my own videos of wildlife at Kruger, which I haven't posted yet - but nothing like this, but the sounds and the settings are very similar). More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Money Trouble in Second Life
"Well, there goes the Second Life economy." That was my reaction after gambling was banned in Second Life a couple of weeks ago. "Claiming it means the end of the economy is a bit premature," said a commentator. Hardly. According to today's report, following a run on Second Life banks, "the entire Second Life economy--which could affect more than 8.5 million players--is in trouble." Via Liberal; Education Today. Meanwhile, Second Life is still reeling from the drubbing it took as Chris Anderson explains the feeling of emptiness and why he gave up on Second Life. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Blended Learning?
Interesting. If you consider the concept of 'blended learning' you soon realize that many things can be 'blended', not just delivery models. Things like role, focus, and curricula. And if you can blend many things, then there is the possibility that different overt and covert curricula can be blended. "From this perspective the key affordances of e-learning, flexibility, community and individualisation are problematic. Against flexibility might be set a return to piecework and insecurity". More...