What are we doing on the Horizon?

Hi everyone,

Today the Horizon Report is published online (Check it out!) My colleague Harry Vaessen has pointed out earlier versions of it in previous years and it always was a great resource on how things are going to change in our edutechnology world. I am always curious on which of the topics we are and aren't working at Zuyd University... So this is what we are doing on the Horizon in 2011!

Near Term (0-12 months)

• Electronic Books. There are several tests with eBooks executed within several departments of Zuyd, but none of them really has struck bottom yet. The most promising initiatives are made within our Library, which are preparing themselves to lend eBook content to our students. I see light in the future, because of the increasing usage of tablets like iPads. Competing institutes in the area (Fontys Hogeschool) are doing several projects where tablets are deployed to students. I think this development will boost the usage of eBooks, eBooks-a-like and eBook content. Hopefully Zuyd will keep up with the competition on this one!
• 
  Mobiles Same story as above. There are individual teachers which are experimenting with mobiles on quizzing in the classroom during presentations (i.e. Send2Vote). We did some tests on delivering institutional information by text messaging. But none of those projects has a broad acceptance within the institution. We are thinking on implementing BbMobile (the Learn part of it) before the next academic year. Perhaps that will boost Mobile usage? Still have do a lot here!
  

Second adaption (2 - 3 years)

• Augmented Reality. We are doing nothing on this topic, at least that I know of. I have a connection with Goal043 a local Serious Gaming company which also builds Augmented Reality solutions. It definitely is a great promising technology which is usable within several of our schools like Built Environment, Life Sciences, and Arts.
  
• Game Based Learning At the School of Hospitality we are working on a Minor Social Media. This course is develop entirely as a role playing game. It will be developed this year and we will share results on that course. At Software Engineering we are trying to make a communitygame in a real life form to boost creativity, innovation and the community. We also have a network Serious Gaming which combines the knowledge and input of several teachers from several school within Zuyd. They are investigating what is done at Zuyd on this topic and what can ben done on a broader scale. They are organizing a local conference on Serious Gaming. Most games played during lessons are management or economic games.

Far term (4 - 5 years)

• Gesture Based Learning Okay! I already bought the Kinect. And I am trying to initiate projects between my Software Engineering students and students Physical Therapy or School of Education students to make some educational software. I will keep you posted on this one!
• Learning Analytics I am not aware of any running projects on this topic at Zuyd at the moment.

Zuyd is an institute with 20 schools so I probably will not have the ultimate list of initiatives for our Horizon, but I will try to keep it up to date and I will BLOG on these subjects in the near (and far) future. And we will be checking the Horizon (Report) for changes, because Times will be changing!


Greetz MarcelKE

Electric! Collecting and combining YURLS (iGoogle, Netvibes) at our School of Education

Hello Everyone,

Today I want tell you about the way YURLS is implemented at our School of Education. There we teach the teachers for the primary schools. My colleague Ankie van den Broek (@ankievandenbroe) is the edutechnologist at that institute. As edutechnologist she teaches her peers how to use Blackboard, the Smartboard and all other technology tools for education. But she also teaches students how to use the same tools in primary schools.

Anky often experiments with her students and broadens the students view, her own view and also the view of her peers. YURLS (www.yurls.net) is such an example. You can compare it with an iGoogle or Netvibes-a-like environment where you can collect and combine webresources on a specific topic. By doing so they want to create a richer learning environment. Not only for the School of Education students, but also for the primary school students.

Lessons on YURLS are not only about how to use technology but also on topics like: which resources (websites i.e.) are legit and which are fake.
I will try to find some statistics on YURLS use in the Netherlands. Are there initiatives with Netvibes, iGoogle or a-like, like this abroad and does someone have more intel about it?
It is definitely one of the initiates at Zuyd University which are inspiring, which are energizing, which are really Electric!



Greetz MarcelKE

I've got something to say: Edusocmedia, a student-sourced social media team

Welcome!

Thanks for taking the time to view my first english blogpost on edusocmedia. It is on: Starting a student-sourced social media team at Zuyd University. Perhaps you may think: "Oooh Marcel's Software Engineering students are building him some social media tools!" Well I hope so, but that isn't the scope of this project!

The scope is to ignite our departments social media accounts. We have them all: twitter, a social community site, facebook and even linkedin (A dutch facebook clone for professionals) and Hyves (A dutch facebook clone for teenagers and spare-time activities). But they are sitting there in a big heap waiting for combustion. Content isn't provided and participation in the community is low (perhaps even zero).

So from next week on we are bringing some fuel: the student-sourced social media team. I've got a team of 5 students assembled which are going to put content into each of the social media and which are going to approach prospective students, current students and alumni to participate in our community. They are going to be online from 7:00 PM until 11:00 PM. We are starting during weekdays. I am very curious if this is going to work. I know this is not new in the world of social media or student engagement, but it is new to us. Tips or tricks are welcome.

I will keep you posted on this and other edusocmedia or edutechnology topics in the Netherlands and at our institution. Because I've got something to say!



Greetz MarcelKE