September 25th, 2008 by Robin Green
One Coggno learning management system feature to consider using prolifically is the Quiz Creator. It may sound like a small asset, but don’t be deceived. What makes the simple, old-fashioned quiz so vital?
Quizzes have the power to separate the slackers from the serious learners. True, those not paying close attention to the content in a learning management system may cram for big tests and do well. But only focused learners are naturally prepared for short, frequent quizzes.
Whether it’s in a learning management system or not, studies show that students who process information over a longer course of time (rather than ingesting it all in one fell swoop) will retain it in their long term memories with much greater ease. Using Coggno’s Quiz Creator is doing your learners a big favor!
September 25th, 2008 by Robin Green
Though the school board is responsible for choosing learning content material, throughout history there have been issues of censorship in the U.S. Some of the disagreements about learning content have led to Supreme Court decisions. For example, in 1975, three members of the school board of a school district in New York attended a conservative conference, and were given a list of “objectionable” books. Afterwards they found that nine of those books were in their high school library, and another was in the middle school.
Their order for the books to be removed lead to a narrow 1982 Supreme Court decision that the school board is not allowed to remove books from school library shelves just because they don’t like the ideas contained in those books. This has set a standard for the preservation of learning content that is already in place in school libraries.
September 25th, 2008 by Robin Green
Given the overwhelmingly positive effects of uniforms in school, why haven’t U.S. public schools adopted the policy yet? The rest of the world certainly has. Their schools enjoy a deeper sense of student unity, greater attention to learning content, and economic benefits for their students’ families.
Besides the denial of uniform policy’s influence on effective learning content, one argument I’ve heard–usually from students themselves–is that uniform policies infringe on their right to freedom of expression. But economic differences already infringe on students’ ability to express themselves, to an often damaging degree.
Anyone with experience with uniforms will say that when distractions like fashion are eliminated, learning content itself becomes more central in students’ experience at school. Another practical advantage of uniforms is the lift of the economic burden families face each school year in the purchasing of new school clothes.
September 25th, 2008 by Robin Green
We’ve all been exposed to dress codes, whether at school or work. Does what we’re wearing affect our ability to concentrate on learning content? Most educators and employers would agree learners’ attitudes are directly influenced, whether to small or great degrees, by the kind of clothes they’re wearing. Dress-down days at work may be a tad more lax than normal days, for example.
In schools–perhaps especially in middle and high school–the dress code has an even greater role in eliminating unnecessary distractions from learning content. But what about dress codes that prevent children from expressing themselves and their cultures? Does the wearing of things like Christian cross pendants or Muslim headscarves affect learners’ ability to focus on learning content? If not, should they be allowed?
September 24th, 2008 by Robin Green
Besides sites offering self-help learning content, what about other free programs? A group known as the “Free Culture Movement” believes that as the world evolves into an information society, strict copyright laws and intellectual property rights should be more lax. Such restrictions are, according to the movement, part of a “permission culture” that hinders creativity and is not healthy for the success of an information society. According to them, learning content is just one of many types of information that should be made available to the public.
Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford University professor who founded an organization associated with the movement, suggests in his book Free Culture that a compromise may be made between copyrights and intellectual property rights and the right to access information, including learning content. What do you think?
September 24th, 2008 by Robin Green
One realization you may have had if you’ve ever sought online, self-help learning content, is that there are many people out there who are very kind. People who want to share what they’ve learned with you, people who want to support you, and people who offer advice out of the goodness of their hearts, their basic motive to provide help for whoever needs it.
For example, maybe you’re interested in quitting smoking. Search keywords “quit smoking” and you’ll find not only a world of sites with free how-to-quit learning content, but online support groups with other quitters and many people who have already quit, who are there to be your supporting quit partner or cheerleader throughout your process. Websites that offer services and learning content like this are enough to restore your faith in human compassion and community.
September 24th, 2008 by Robin Green
Have you ever experienced difficulty using a program, but the “help” link led you to a jargon-infested page that was equally difficult to decipher? How did you ultimately find a solution to your problem? Coming to a brick wall in a learning management system is a frustrating experience, regardless of user age and context.
If you’re a business using a learning management system, don’t forget that your trainees may experience difficulty using the system. Making it user-friendly is essential, but some form of help should be available to users at all times, should they experience difficulties. And regardless of whether it’s a learning management system or a simple program, though written help may involve some complicated language, making the language as accessible as possible will help prevent seemingly dead-end situations for your users.
September 24th, 2008 by Robin Green
In a regular, face-to-face classroom, what happens when students don’t agree with the learning content? Ideally, teachers provide a space of trust and confidence in which students feel comfortable enough to raise a hand and voice their opinions. Moreover, teachers should encourage students to question the learning content they are studying in order to sharpen their critical lens. A competent teacher is able to foster a healthy sense of skepticism and allow for alternative perspectives, while being able to demonstrate that the information he/she presents to the students is worth their time and consideration.
One obstacle to overcome, then, with online learning is making it optimally interactive for its users. How would you design an online course that allows its user to challenge the learning content presented therein?
