Evaluate two e-learning websites: 2) Ole BB
After waxing lyrical about the effectiveness of VBUS as an e-learning tool, I would like to contrast it to the Ole Blackboard, located at http://ole-bb.tp.edu.sg, which of course this CDS uses as its e-learning tool.
I first used Ole BB in my first year of study, for another CDS, and initially I was baffled by its confusing layout and cluttered display. I personally don't know which school in TP uses the blackboard as its primary elearning website, and as my school doesn't use it, I initally found it rather pointless to have to visit an entirely different website just to look for notes for one solitary subject that I was taking.
After overcoming this initial hurdle, I managed to navigate to the page for my CDS, and I was surprised by the sheer lack of organisation that was presented to me. The layout is simply unintuitive - the main page of announcements looks messy and isn't conducive for students who are looking to get information quickly. To find what I needed to do for this assignment to hand in, I had to scroll down and filter through a lot of extraneous information, when I personally feel that such important news should be displayed very prominently, as it would be what most students coming to the site would be looking for.
Furthermore, when I was looking for documents like lecture notes, I found them buried under layers and layers of menus, and it took a while to find and download what I thought was essentially simple documents. I personally feel that after my extensive experience with VBUS, where such documents are presented happily on the front page, this was a bit ineffective and rather rubbish way of giving course notes to the students. I am not trying to criticise your efforts, dear teacher, I feel that it is simply a flaw of the system that shouldn't have been ignored.
In sharp contrast to the clean, minimalist layout of VBUS, Ole BB is extremely cluttered and I feel that it simply isn't good enough as a website that students need to access everyday.
Perhaps I am missing subtleties in the system that more frequent and regular users can see, but as far as I am concerned, there is a sharp contrast between the two sites, and it isn't in Ole BB's favour.
Once again, this isnt a criticism of the way this subject has been laid out for us, but more in the system. It is simply unacceptable that two such websites can exist, for the same polytechnic, with one simply so much more well-designed than the other. Perhaps lessons can be learnt from VBUS.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Week 6: Evaluate two E-learning websites
Evaluate two e-learning websites: 1) Vbus
The first website dedicated to e learning that I will evaluate will be the Temasek Polytechnic Business school website, VBUS, located at http://vbus-elearning.tp.edu.sg/vbus/.
As a business school student, where sometimes lecturers need to urgently give documents to every student, VBUS stands as an incredibly effective website in delivering the content that business students need to succeed in their academic careers.
Signing in is simple and intuitive. Simply key in the student's admin number and password, and the website immediately loads whichever courses and subjects the student happens to be enrolled in.
Organisation is one of the strengths of the VBUS website. Enrolling in whatever subject you are taking is simply a matter of clicking on the enrolling link and choosing the subject, and after entering an enrollment key that should have been provided earlier by the lecturer, you are enrolled in the course immediately.
I feel that this is a very simple and effective system, and even though it may not seem like much, it actually takes quite a bit of effort to produce a system that is so easily understood and accessed by hundreds of students. The enrolment key system is one that I feel is both secure yet not so convoluted that students would be confused. The security that it provides gives students the assurance that private documents like lecture notes cannot be assessed by people who have no right to access it.
Once in the course page, the organisation once again stands out. Important information such as course guidelines is immediately visible, and the page is organised neatly into weeks, showing which documents have been uploaded for each week's lectures and tutorials. To find the latest documents that they need, students simply have to scroll down to the latest week and download the data.
I feel that again, this system may be overlooked because of how easy it looks, but it is actually very very intuitive and effective in delivering content to e-learning students. There is simply no confusion to be had here, and even important upcoming events like deadlines and guest lectures are displayed prominently, so no student will forget.
However, I personally think that the key to the success of this website is the commitment of the lecturers themselves in uploading relevant documents. If lecturers neglect VBUS, and do not post lecture notes, student guides and tutorial worksheets, there is simply little point in visiting the course's site, and I think lecturers should not neglect this important part of the course package, as it is utterly crucial in allowing students to learn as and when they please.
Although most of the courses on VBUS are normal courses, I have undergone an e-learning course, Media Management Principles, in my first year of study, and I felt that it was an extremely effective way of learning, as the teacher uploaded notes which were all paired with audio narration for the student to learn easier, along with interactive elements like quizzes. After seeing first-hand how the website can be used very well as a fully e-learning tool, I have no doubts that the site is extremely good for e-learning, and I give it my highest recommendation as a platform for students and lecturers alike to reap the rewards that effective e-learning gives.
The first website dedicated to e learning that I will evaluate will be the Temasek Polytechnic Business school website, VBUS, located at http://vbus-elearning.tp.edu.sg/vbus/.
As a business school student, where sometimes lecturers need to urgently give documents to every student, VBUS stands as an incredibly effective website in delivering the content that business students need to succeed in their academic careers.
Signing in is simple and intuitive. Simply key in the student's admin number and password, and the website immediately loads whichever courses and subjects the student happens to be enrolled in.
Organisation is one of the strengths of the VBUS website. Enrolling in whatever subject you are taking is simply a matter of clicking on the enrolling link and choosing the subject, and after entering an enrollment key that should have been provided earlier by the lecturer, you are enrolled in the course immediately.
I feel that this is a very simple and effective system, and even though it may not seem like much, it actually takes quite a bit of effort to produce a system that is so easily understood and accessed by hundreds of students. The enrolment key system is one that I feel is both secure yet not so convoluted that students would be confused. The security that it provides gives students the assurance that private documents like lecture notes cannot be assessed by people who have no right to access it.
Once in the course page, the organisation once again stands out. Important information such as course guidelines is immediately visible, and the page is organised neatly into weeks, showing which documents have been uploaded for each week's lectures and tutorials. To find the latest documents that they need, students simply have to scroll down to the latest week and download the data.
I feel that again, this system may be overlooked because of how easy it looks, but it is actually very very intuitive and effective in delivering content to e-learning students. There is simply no confusion to be had here, and even important upcoming events like deadlines and guest lectures are displayed prominently, so no student will forget.
However, I personally think that the key to the success of this website is the commitment of the lecturers themselves in uploading relevant documents. If lecturers neglect VBUS, and do not post lecture notes, student guides and tutorial worksheets, there is simply little point in visiting the course's site, and I think lecturers should not neglect this important part of the course package, as it is utterly crucial in allowing students to learn as and when they please.
Although most of the courses on VBUS are normal courses, I have undergone an e-learning course, Media Management Principles, in my first year of study, and I felt that it was an extremely effective way of learning, as the teacher uploaded notes which were all paired with audio narration for the student to learn easier, along with interactive elements like quizzes. After seeing first-hand how the website can be used very well as a fully e-learning tool, I have no doubts that the site is extremely good for e-learning, and I give it my highest recommendation as a platform for students and lecturers alike to reap the rewards that effective e-learning gives.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Audacity and Hot Potatoes
Today another duo of new program were introduced for our e-learning project, Audacity and Hot Potatoes.
The freeware audio editing program Audacity showed me that it was easy to record and modify your own voice. I've used it previously for another project where I had to create an audio recording with recorded voice, music, sound effects and other modifications like cross-fading etc. That time, I didn't use the Record function of Audacity so I was happy to see that it was as simple as easy as clicking one button and talking. I really hope my previous experience of using Audacity, limited though it may be, will help me when it comes to finishing up my final project.
Hot Potatoes, on the other hand, was completely new to me and therefore I had expected a learning curve while I got to grips with the software. However, it was surprisingly easy to create detailed, challenging and helpful exercises like cloze passage, mix and match games and quizzes which would provide a more interactive element to my e-learning package. Personally I feel that these exercises are the most fun that users of the packages will have, and it would give them incentive to pay attention and learn from the powerpoint slides and audio narration, so they would be able to do well for the quizzes and other assorted exercises.
All in all, the full capabilites of an exhaustive e-learning package are slowly being opened up to me and I look forward to exploring all the possible avenues. I have realised that with a full complement of additions, like audio narration and exercises like quizzes, an e-learning package can be both fun and yet extremely educational at the same time, perhaps having that interactive challenging aspect that normal teaching seems to lack, which causes boredom among many students.
I hope to unlock the e-learning treasure chest and benefit from the gold within.
The freeware audio editing program Audacity showed me that it was easy to record and modify your own voice. I've used it previously for another project where I had to create an audio recording with recorded voice, music, sound effects and other modifications like cross-fading etc. That time, I didn't use the Record function of Audacity so I was happy to see that it was as simple as easy as clicking one button and talking. I really hope my previous experience of using Audacity, limited though it may be, will help me when it comes to finishing up my final project.
Hot Potatoes, on the other hand, was completely new to me and therefore I had expected a learning curve while I got to grips with the software. However, it was surprisingly easy to create detailed, challenging and helpful exercises like cloze passage, mix and match games and quizzes which would provide a more interactive element to my e-learning package. Personally I feel that these exercises are the most fun that users of the packages will have, and it would give them incentive to pay attention and learn from the powerpoint slides and audio narration, so they would be able to do well for the quizzes and other assorted exercises.
All in all, the full capabilites of an exhaustive e-learning package are slowly being opened up to me and I look forward to exploring all the possible avenues. I have realised that with a full complement of additions, like audio narration and exercises like quizzes, an e-learning package can be both fun and yet extremely educational at the same time, perhaps having that interactive challenging aspect that normal teaching seems to lack, which causes boredom among many students.
I hope to unlock the e-learning treasure chest and benefit from the gold within.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Powerpoint
Today I attempted to make a hasty presentation using Microsoft Powerpoint 2007, the newest update in Microsoft Office. Despite a rubbish topic that I had not much interest in, it was a learning experience and I was surprised to find how easy Powerpoint is to use after so many years of neglect.
Even though I don't fully understand the master slide concept, I can see how it would be useful when using a custom template, and trying to apply that throughout the slideshow. I have yet to grasp the subtleties of the software though.
Also, I was pleased to see how easy it was to use Publisher and create a slideshow online. I have had online lectures in my other subjects, with audio narration, and I always thought it would be a chore to record voice, create slides and upload it for people to see. Happily, it is easier than I thought and I am sure that I will use audio for my final project.
All in all, today's e-learning lesson was a pleasant experience and I am glad to have got in touch with my powerpoint skills as I know that will probably be essential in the future. The decision to choose this CDS seems to be paying off after all.
Even though I don't fully understand the master slide concept, I can see how it would be useful when using a custom template, and trying to apply that throughout the slideshow. I have yet to grasp the subtleties of the software though.
Also, I was pleased to see how easy it was to use Publisher and create a slideshow online. I have had online lectures in my other subjects, with audio narration, and I always thought it would be a chore to record voice, create slides and upload it for people to see. Happily, it is easier than I thought and I am sure that I will use audio for my final project.
All in all, today's e-learning lesson was a pleasant experience and I am glad to have got in touch with my powerpoint skills as I know that will probably be essential in the future. The decision to choose this CDS seems to be paying off after all.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
EELD: First post Week 2
My personal definition of elearning is any learning done where the learner uses solely technology to learn, without the traditional pen and paper. There are different levels, the one we are using now is a quite mild type of elearning, contrasted with the extreme type of elearning where there is no face-to-face interaction with a teacher or fellow students at all.
Nowadays elearning is used very widely, as can be seen from many students accessing their lecture notes through their laptops in lecture theatres. I would rather type out my own thoughts than blindly copy and paste definitions from random websites as I'm sure you'll encounter a lot, so hopefully this will be a refreshing change.
Despite the numerous benefits I still prefer traditional forms of learning, but it is clear that both types of learning can cohabit peacefully, and ultimately it is up to the student to decide which is ideal for his or her learning style.
Nowadays elearning is used very widely, as can be seen from many students accessing their lecture notes through their laptops in lecture theatres. I would rather type out my own thoughts than blindly copy and paste definitions from random websites as I'm sure you'll encounter a lot, so hopefully this will be a refreshing change.
Despite the numerous benefits I still prefer traditional forms of learning, but it is clear that both types of learning can cohabit peacefully, and ultimately it is up to the student to decide which is ideal for his or her learning style.
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