Dear all,
Having seen Sam's 'Christmas' reading I'm looking forward to his views
on simulation, gaming and modelling. I would welcome online and face-to
face discussions if there is sufficient interest.
S,G&M has been a relatively neglected aspect of e-learning over the last
15 years but in the 1970s-80s was one of the main uses of computers in
learning and teaching. For instance, SAGSET dates back to those times:
http://www.ms.ic.ac.uk/sagset/ and much was published on games,
simulations and learning in those days: paper, board and whole-class
games as well as computer-based ones.
Why the recent low level of interest in S&G? One reason may be that
early microcomputers couldn't handle large amounts of text, let alone
multimedia or communications, so there were few practical alternatives
to the use of computers to support simulations and games (based on
compact, mathematical and logical models). As ICT evolved, so more
e-learning options became available.
A cynical view is that teachers and lecturers of the 1970/80s, young
sixties-types in an expanding education system, enjoyed the enthusiasm,
opportunities and time to innovate in their learning and teaching (with
implicit and explicit state funding for bottom-up curriculum
development). Since then, the government has discovered the curriculum
(Callaghan 1977?) and invented the RAE. Now e-learning and curriculum
development are driven from the top-down and are sub-ordinated to
government and administrative/managerial priorities - efficiency gains,
consistency, compliance with legislation...
The good news is that what goes around... and S,G&M are ripe for a
comeback.
Regards,
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Brenton [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 15 December 2003 14:20
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: E-PBL
Dear Colleagues,
I was wondering if anyone had any experience with e-Problem Based
Learning.
We're having a go at seeing if we can adapt pbl in the medical
curriculum
into an e-friendly shape. It strikes me that a mode of study which
involves and encourages independence, collaboration, harvesting and
evaluation of materials, could be well suited to the online medium, but
I
know of few available examples of other peoples' attempts to model this.
If anyone knows of any work in their institution, or of any shining
examples of it having been published, I - and I'm sure the group - would
love to hear of them.
Another quick question is: has anyone here considered whether
institutional
membership of ALT and concluded in the negative? Conversely, has anyone
found that institutional membership really helped spark off or build on
existing interest?
We didn't manage to meet this last quarter, but let's see if we can come
up
with something useful together for a Jan/Feb get together. See the
archives for some prompting questions about what may be useful.
Happy Almost-Christmas,
Sam
........................................................................
.......
Sam Brenton, Learning Technologist
Educational and Staff Development
Queen Mary, University of London
Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS
Tel: 020 7882 5309
Fax: 020 7882 3159
http://www.admin.qmul.ac.uk/esd/ltech
Any post-ALT-C ideas you'd like raised at the next M25 get together?
Email the list with your suggestions.
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