Thursday, May 7, 2015

Mobile Learning

Mobile Learning Resources


By Mark Sivy


Here are links to a few mobile learning resources that I’ve used over the years. I hope they prove to be as useful to you as they were to me.


Wikipedia

M-learning or mobile learning is defined as "learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions, using personal electronic devices.” A form of e-learning distance education, m-learners can use mobile device educational technology in…

UNESCO

Today over 6 billion people have access to a connected mobile device and for every one person who accesses the internet from a computer two do so from a mobile device. Mobile technology is changing the way we live and…

Edutopia

Smartphones, tablets, e-readers -- today's students have a variety of mobile technologies at their fingertips. Here's a look at some mobile-learning resources from…

Mobile Learning Blog

I’ve been writing about QR Codes in education for the last five years, on this blog, as well as in a few published and formal papers. Recently, I have been seeing some buzz around QR Codes in education, and without meaning in any way to…

Mobile Learning Portal

This website, hosted by the Learning Technology Center in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin, is designed to be a central point of access to the wide range of research, projects, and other resources related to the use of mobile technologies in learning environments. As it continues to…

KQED News

Presents a variety of ideas for the use of mobile learning both in and out of the classroom…


Mobile Learning Handbook

This ADL Mobile Learning Handbook is a compilation of mobile learning resources. It is geared towards instructional designers, developers, project managers, and stakeholders to help them better understand the issues, opportunities, and best practices in mobile learning. It is not…

m-learning.org

Tribal is a global thought leader in m-learning. We have been active in mobile empowerment and learning since 2001, working to widen opportunities for learning through the use of mobile technologies. If you are looking for strategic advice and support with mobile pedagogy and technologies, or…

International Association for Mobile Learning

IAmLearn is a membership organization to promote excellence in research, development and application of mobile and contextual learning. It organizes the annual mLearn international conference series and manages the website to collate and disseminate information about new projects, emerging technologies, and…

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Ed Tech Resources



Ed Tech Resources

 

by Mark Sivy


Here are links to a few educational technology resources that I’ve used over the years. I hope they prove to be as useful to you as they were to me.

Educational technology, also termed instructional technology, information and communication technology (ICT) in education, Ed Tech, and learning technology, is "the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources." A closely related

This blog is an ongoing source of the latest news, events, issues, etc. that are associated with ed tech. For example here’s the latest from the Tifton Gazette - Changes in technology are changing the way we educate students. This school year marks the beginning of a new program that allows Tift County students to learn online. Blended learning is a new format in which students are taking online classes, but are doing so in a…

ICT

The Florida Digital Educator program supports the appropriate integration of technology into K-12 education…

Join our tribe of passionate educators, leaders and experts who are committed to expanding the horizons of education technology. Home to the ISTE Conference & Expo and the widely adopted ISTE Standards for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age, the association represents more than 100,000 professionals…

Directory of Learning & Performance Tools. Listed in the left hand sidebar are the main pages of the Directory of Learning & Performance Tools. There are over 2,000 tools for learning and working in education and the workplace listed. If you would like to submit a tool…

mobile technology


Building the capacity of leaders to improve education through technology. The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit membership association launched by state education agency leaders in 2001 to serve, support and represent their emerging interests and needs with respect to the use of technology for teaching, learning, and...

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Ed Tech Feasibility Study



Creating an Educational Technology Feasibility Study

A thorough feasibility analysis provides necessary information in making decisions concerning an educational technology project and much of what is needed in developing a business plan.  The following outline will help the project team capture and examine the variables that are necessary in making an informed decision concerning the investment of time and resources.

Business Plan

The details in a feasibility study for a given project are unique, depending upon the project team and objectives. One of the most important aspects through the process is the level of consideration and care that go into communication. This includes messages that are sent and received, and those that are delivered to dispersed teams, individual employees, and stakeholders.

Below is a list of feasibility study elements, followed by a brief description of each.

Study Elements

  1. Executive Summary
    Feasibility Study
  2. Introduction
  3. Scope
  4. Terms and Acronyms
  5. Project / Concept Overview
  6. Description of Objectives, Products, and Services
  7. Assumptions
  8. Consequences and Risks
  9. Alternatives
  10. Technology Considerations
  11. Product and Service Market Analysis
  12. Marketing Strategy
  13. Talent Development and Training
  14. Staffing and Organization
  15. Timeline
  16. Benefits
  17. Financial Projections
  18. Findings and Recommendations

Element Descriptions 

1. Executive Summary
The executive summary provides an overview of the content contained in the feasibility study document. This section is written after the rest of the document is completed.

2. Introduction
Describes the reasons for the concept or project and also the intended outcomes from the feasibility study.

3. Scope
Describes the scope of the feasibility study as it relates to the project, stakeholders, and those who it will impact. This is sometimes captured in the introduction.

4. Terms and Acronyms
Provides a list of the terms and acronyms used in this document and the definition of each. Working with team members and suppliers who are at-a-distance requires this section to be comprehensive and to provide a clear and common understanding. This is particularly important when members are internationally dispersed or have different cultural backgrounds.

5. Project / Concept Overview
Offers a brief overview of the proposed project or concept. This will serve as a point of reference for the remainder of the document.

6. Description of Objectives, Products and Services
This section provides a more detailed description of the objectives, products and/or services which are being considered as part of the feasibility study. The purpose of this section is to provide detailed descriptions of exactly what the organization is considering so this information can be applied to the remaining sections of the document.

7. Assumptions
Determine the project assumptions, such as operational life of the proposed system, maintenance, training, sustainability, and scalability.

8. Consequences and Risks
Includes consequences of not taking action, what delays and risks might occur during work, and what delays and risks can be tolerated.

9. Alternatives
Describes an alternative(s) to the suggested system and states the reasons why the alternative system(s) was (were) not selected.

Project Planning

10. Technology Considerations
This section should explain any considerations the organization must make with regards to technology, including hardware, software, infrastructure, skills, and interfaces. Technology may be developed or implemented internally or contracted through a service provider. This must consider the needs of the virtual organization and technologies that facilitate virtual collaboration and teamwork.

11. Market Analysis
This section provides and assessment of the existing domestic and overseas markets. It will describe who makes up the target market, who the competitors are, how products and services will be distributed, why users might select the products and services and how the market may change in the future. 

12. Marketing Strategy
This section provides an analysis of the market and a description of the marketing process. This includes considerations such as a global competitor analysis, differentiating the organization and outcomes from competitors, determining who the marketing will target, and what types of marketing will be used.

13. Talent Development and Training
This is usually not included as a dedicated element in a traditional feasibility study, but in the instance of virtual undertaking it is a crucial component. Realistically, most leaders and team members are inadequately prepared for at-a-distance operations and this is a common reason why many virtual efforts meet with unexpected difficulties, cost overruns, or failure.

14. Staffing and Organization
This examines the people who are needed to implement an idea, including skills, backgrounds, and knowledge. At this point it is also necessary to consider the international nature of the undertaking, including differences in time zones, languages, and cultures. There will also need to be a plan for integrating additional staff and responsibilities into existing organization structures and staff.

15. Timeline
This section will provide an overview schedule, which serves as a guideline and includes major milestones and estimated time frames.

16. Benefits
It is important that the feasibility study captures the most important outcomes of the products and/or services that are being considered as well as how they may benefit the organization, workforce, end-users, and clients.

17. Financial Projections
This section provides a description of start-up costs, operating costs, revenue projections and profitability.

18. Outcomes and Recommendations
This section will summarize the outcomes of the feasibility study and explain what course of action is recommended. This section may include advantages and disadvantages of doing the project and suggestion to enhance project success.

Every feasibility study has its own character and should be formatted accordingly. For other ideas on performing a feasibility study, there are many good web-based resources such as the Together Works discussion, HUD template and Wikipedia information.

Reflection Point - An absolute can only be given in an intuition, while all the rest has to do with analysis. ~Henri Bergson