How does one even begin to keep up with the fast pace of evolving learning technologies and practices? Here are a few suggestions that may be useful to get you going, or lead you down previously undiscovered paths …
Join a community of practice – this could range from a more formal association such as the eLearning Guild through to less formal eLearning groups on LinkedIn.
- The eLearning Guild are great value – they have their own freely available eLearning Insider newsletter and Learning Solutions magazine (regular columnists include Marc Rosenberg and Joe Ganci – see note on ‘gurus’). They have various levels of paid membership, but many of their reports and articles are available at no cost.
- A bit closer to home there is a current initiative to explore the possibility of mounting an African eLearning Network – this is a small feasibility project (funded by Carnegie) led by Tony Carr of the Centre for Educational Technology (CET) at the University of Cape Town, and involves Alice Barlow-Zambodla and Brenda Mallinson of Saide.
- Even closer to home, the eLearning Update organised by Johannes Cronje is an annual event moving between Gauteng and Cape Town in alternate years. I went to the Gauteng version last year, and it was very worthwhile.
Find out who the eLearning ‘gurus’ are and follow their activities – most of the real eLearning leaders have their own web pages, newsletters, contribute regularly to eLearning Magazines, share their keynotes from conferences etc. You may want to follow Stephen Downes and George Siemens amongst others.
Keep an eye out for activities at various prominent Higher Education Institutions known for their interest and research in learning technologies – you could start with TEKRI, Athabasca University (Canada), and Australian Digital Futures Institute, University of Queensland.
This is just a sample and by no means an exhaustive list of what can be read or who one could follow in this field. I invite discussion and additions to these suggestions – if you have found anything of interest to those engaged in or wanting to move into eLearning please share with the rest of us.
This is really great. I wish this information could be made available to a wider audience. In Africa we are falling behind the digital race because there are options for avoiding digital media. Its interesting to note that in other communities ordinary people interact with the internet for their evry day life experience. Mentorship perhaps is the best way to use digital media in education.
Thank you for your comment, Charles. Your point on mentorship is a good one.
Keep an eye out for the African eLearning Network which is currrently in a feasiblity/planning stage. We will be happy to include UNISWA in any questionnaires etc to elicit information concerning the best way to set this up.
I’ve put together an article discussing some of the current trends we’re seeing in the US regarding accredited online colleges and eLearnig in postsecondary education in general. If you’re interested you can check it out at http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.net/.