Some organizations working for a cause

1.   Mumbai Mobile Creches: http://www.mumbaimobilecreches.org/home.htm

2.   Open University Malaysia : http://oum.edu.my/oum/v3/index.php

3.   University of Ghana: http://www.ug.edu.gh/

4.   University of Ibadan: they have a distance learning department http://www.ui.edu.ng/

5.   African virtual university: http://www.avu.org/About-AVU/introduction.html

6.   Global teenage group: http://www.globalteenager.org/

7.   The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD): http://www.nepad.org/

8.   Digital Links: http://www.digital-links.org/

Effective Instructional Design

My MS in Online Teaching and learning from California State University has made me believe that effective instructional design depends on sensitivity to the cognitive load which, depends on an understanding of how the human mind works.  There are many things about the presentation of the instructional design that I was not aware of. As I began reading Clark and Moreno & Mayer’s article I came to know how pictorial and verbal material is associated with cognitive structures.

I think that a presentation should be broken down into digestible ‘sub-sets’ alternating between a few seconds of narration followed by a few seconds of corresponding animation. Moreno & Mayer found in their experiment (2002)  that people with high-spatial ability have to put less effort in holding and manipulating mental images whereas low-spatial learners may not be benefited of simultaneous presentation. This may require them to devote more time in cognitive processing to hold mental images.

Moreover, segmenting helps in making meaningful subsets of the instructional material. I find when any video/power point is presented with animation continuously, with no breaks between the segments; I can make sense from the first segment. But, the additional processes of organizing and integration of information presented in next segments become difficult to understand because my mind is still processing the information presented in the previous segment. Thus, a useful practice is to use the technique that can be called weeding. Weeding reduces load and make the multimedia narration as concise and coherent as possible.

GameMaker

This week has been very interesting. Clark brings some important points regarding the culture of transfer in the workplace. She emphasis that the training should be such that at the end participants are in a position to apply knowledge and skills learnt in real life situations. Chapter 13 further suggests selecting the instructional methods to promote deeper learning (p.342). There may be several reasons behind failure of training and the main reason can be ‘poor learning strategies and monitoring failure.’

I tried to make a game using Gamemaker.com which is free platform to develop free games. It enables users to create basic games from scratch or user can write codes to create one. I started with a game but found that it is a long process and I need to practice before I could create a good game. I tried using Classtoolnet.com to create a basic game and realised the dustbin game was the best fit for my topic. Classtoolnet offers limited options and there are few colors to choose from. But it is a very good free tool which gives teachers and students an option to create their own games, even if, they don’t know coding. Teachers do not have to rely on expensive games or game making software. They can make their own small games using this tool. The only drawback is the color scheme which may not be fit for visually challenged students.

What is MMORPG

A Flipped classroom

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

How to give and receive feedbacks

Feedback Covenant: This is the set of rules those have to be followed when you are engaged in a group where giving and receiving feedback is an  integral  part. I have tried to divide some of the points under following headings

Maxims of quality:

I will carefully consider all feedback but retain the right to use or not use what is offered.

I will ask for clarification when needed, both for my own work and that of my colleagues.

I will provide specific feedback that is concrete.

I will keep a professional tone.

Maxims of Quantity:

I will strive to respond within 24 hours to new postings by team members.

I will provide detailed feedback balancing negative and positive points

Maxims of Relation:

I will keep an open mind when giving feedback as well as when receiving it.

I will offer positive support and help in every interaction.

 I will not take feedback personally if the receiver does not use suggested changes.

I will give constructive feedback ideas that can help improve the work as opposed to criticisms.

Maxim of manner:

I will offer positive support and help in every interaction.

I will try to  avoid obscurity and ambiguity. 

Reference:

Armand, T. (2007, 11 7). Basic rules of conversation. Retrieved from http://armannd.com/basic-rules-for-conversation.html/

The Indian Mindset List 2014

The world changes – ever faster – and we realize that our younger generations have grown up with many different experiences than we’ve had.   Most of the times, we just don’t realize – how different that world truly is.

Each year Beloit College releases The Beloit College Mindset List. The list was first published in 1998, since then, it has been providing an eye-opening look at “the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college” that year.

So, I decided to create an Indian Mindset List. Please feel free to suggest more points for 2014 students, most of whom were born in 1992-93.

Students passing out their college in 2014 will know a few facts such as:

• ·         Engineering and Medicine have been the conventional professional courses.
• ·         Maruti’s Nano is an upgraded two wheeler.
• ·         Facebook is just FAD. I don’t go there any more.
• ·         Dad always bought a new camera from an online retail outlet.
• ·         Jenifer Lopez copied Bappi Lehri.
• ·         You always have to pay to get any work done in a government offices.
• ·         Pakistan and Bangladesh have always existed as independent countries.
• ·         2G spectrum  means A.Raja.
• ·         Violating traffic laws bring e-challans home.
• ·         Manmohan Singh was the finance minister at a time and he was the one who brought    the concept of   globalization to India.
• ·         Bangladesh was a part of India.
• ·         Google is  a ‘verb’.
• ·         Reality shows are very ‘real’.
• ·         Chamomile tea, a health symbol, was only sold in big stores.
• ·         Kirana mandi or local ‘parchoon ki dukaan’ is the only place where mom brings grocery from.
• ·         Facebook is a place to get into and out of the relations.
• ·         Contact lenses used to last 10-12 months.
• ·         A few TV channels are only meant for saas-bahu.
• ·         Cellphones always came with camera and touch screen.
• ·         Fiat and Ambassdor car used to run on roads.
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