mLearn 2010 – Open Thinkering

Weeknote #25

Posted on October 30, 2010 by Doug Belshaw

This week I have been mostly…

Reading mobile-related stuff

I’ve been reading some fantastic stuff this week, the highlights being the Proceedings of mLearn 2010 and Education in the Wild: contextual and location-based mobile learning in action. I shall be synthesizing them at On The Horizon next week and writing the draft of my JISC Mobile & Wireless Technologies Review the week after.

Playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2

I very rarely buy full-price video games but I was so impressed by the online, multiplayer Battlefield:1943 that when my brother-in-law and family came to visit this week I bought Battlefield: Bad Company 2 whilst it was on offer in the local supermarket. I’ve played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (albeit briefly) but prefer Bad Company 2 for some reason.

Demoing Google Apps for Education

JISC infoNet, for whom I work (via Northumbria University) is part of an umbrella organization called JISC Advance. The latter includes JISC’s Regional Support Centres, of which there are 13. One of these, RSC South West asked me to demo Google Apps for Education to IT managers as I’ve experience with it both in my previous position as Director of E-Learning at an Academy and in my current role within JISC Advance.

I decided to create a video for people to go back to. Here it is, for what it’s worth (bearing in mind someone else had already gone through the email and technical side of things…)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVtsK9Wlx8A?rel=0&w=640&h=390]

Thinking about emigrating

Previously, when it hasn’t been half-term, this week before the clocks go back to GMT has been the worst for me. It’s just so dark and depressing. I can guarantee that this time next year, in 2011, we’ll either be on holiday somewhere sunny or have moved abroad! :-p

Weeknote #23

Posted on October 16, 2010 by Doug Belshaw

This week I have been mostly…

Becoming a toyboy

Once a year, for a period of nine weeks, my wife appears to be a chronological year older than me. It was her 30th birthday on Thursday, for which I bought her 29 presents and took her to Jesmond Dene House Hotel for afternoon tea. I took yesterday off work as well and, in fact, with some organisation around mLearn 2010, am managing not to return to the office until Tuesday 25th!

Restructuring my thesis

Whilst my original target of submitting my Ed.D. thesis on 1st January 2011 (the earliest date I’m allowed) now looks less likely, I have written more than half of it now. High time, therefore, to be firming up a title and a structure. More on that over the weekend.

Fixing my Mac

I’ve had all manner of problems with my MacBook Pro recently. It’s a work machine and IT services at Northumbria University couldn’t sort it. Taking it to the Apple Store they recommended a reinstall over the top of the existing operating system. Seems to have done the trick (fingers crossed!)

Getting angry

I very rarely get shouty-shouty, stampy-stampy angry any more. I’m far too civilised and philosophical for that. On the other hand, if something was going to tip me over the edge it would be the Browne Review of Higher Education. For those under a rock in the UK or international readers, some of the recommendations:

Removal of cap on fees
Students since 1998 should pay ‘real’ interest fees on their student loans
Public money to be targeted at STEM, Business and MFL

Further details here.

I could write several essays on this, but I’ll have to be satisficed by observing that, overall, the recommendations would make it less likely that my offspring attend university, whilst my subjects (Philosophy, History, Education) would be marginalised. Oh, and that £16,000 loan I took out to pay for my tuition? That which the Student Loans Company reckon I’ve still got over £15,000 left after 8 years of repayments? That would be increased. I think they call that changing the contract after signing. Bar. Stewards. 🙁