The teacher is no longer the one who teaches, but one who is himself taught in dialogue with the students, who in turn while being taught also teach.

-Paolo Freire

How To/Show Me:

1. How To Create an Online Portfolio Part 4: Bottom Page Navigation and Information
2. SHOW ME!: FTP to McDaniel student server

Required Readings:

• Gillani: "Text, Color, Images, and Icons" (p. 153-175)

Required Web Perusings:

• EduTools: Online Learning Platforms
• Comparison of Online Learning Delivery Products This link is so old that there is little sense in paying attention to the actual comparisons in the table; but the the list of categories for comparison is still quite useful as a discussion prompt (see the Discussion Forum).

ASYNCHRONICITY

There have been, in recent years, increasing movements in online educational circles to the use of synchronous (real-time) systems; that is, using technologies for real-time interaction via audio or video. And with broadband increasing throughout much of the developed world, realtime audio and/or video connections among small groups via computer networks are becoming increasingly feasible.

And we will indeed investigate some synchronous systems later in this class.

That said, one of the dynamics that helped change the universe of teaching and learning in the mid-to-late nineties was asynchronicity.

It (the new asynchronous dynamic) started out in the late eighties and early nineties in message boards and list-servs, where people in widely dispersed geographical spaces and time zones communicated through online networks; but with the advent of the Online Learning Platform (OLP) in the mid to late nineties, this dynamic matured into shared virtual spaces, places designed for learning where students and faculty could come to, be in the same "virtual space," and interact beyond the bounds of geography and time.

Before the OLP, there was, obviously, no online teaching and learning; but there was Distance Education. DE, however, was mostly a pedagogy of delivery.

The institution is "here." The students are "there." The task of the institution is to deliver instruction to students who are "not here."

Throughout most of the 20th century, the term "distance" was the defining term in "Distance Education." But with the OLP, "distance" became irrelevant. Almost overnight. With an OLP, it no longer mattered if the student was in the same building, the same city, the same state, or the same country.

What matters now is that students and teachers can all come to the same place--a virtual space created by asynchronous systems. And of course, as we discovered in OTL 501, this has significant pedagogical implications. Our technologies no longer force us into pedagogies of delivery, but actually allow us to design environments for student centered learning.

And what has allowed that?

Asynchronous systems.

Platform Independent Designs

Discussing the different online learning platforms can get a little touchy. People sometimes get almost ideologically attached to OLPs, just as they do to Computer Operating Systems (Mac vs. PC). And currently, there is a huge debate on Open-Source vs. Proprietary Systems.

We'll take no stand on that issue here, but simply say that one of the reasons OTL 502 exists is to give teachers/trainers/instructors/faculty the skills to develop learning activities (or classes, or learning objects) that are, essentially, platform independent.

As big a gorilla as Blackboard is, things do change. Institutions can change platforms over the years. And if everything you create is done using input boxes and Blackboard/WebCT/D2L wizards, for instance, you may be limiting the use/reuse of your learning material in the future.

It is true that competing Online Learning Platforms offer conversion tools. But it would be risky to depend on them. (At this writing--fall 2006--Blackboard is suing D2L over, essentially, a technology D2L used for converting Bb classes to D2L classes.) Further, depending on the institution, you may or may not have archive/import/conversion rights as an instructor.

At the very least, platform independent designs offer teachers/trainers--as well as institutions--the most options and the most opportunities for the learning content you create.

So what does platform independent design mean?

Basic HTML.

Basic text and graphics.

And basic learning material that is, or can easily be packaged into, a (yes--we have to say this yet again) 508 compliant and SCORM compliant package.

Our argument in this class is that the same basic skills required for building a basic online portfolio are the same basic skills you need to build platform independent learning activities.

The Reading

Don't overlook the reading assignment. It is short, sweet, and, we think, offers a very good "least you need to know" overview about "text, color, image, and icons," along with some excellent rules of thumb for design. If Gillani annoyed you with theory, you may at least finally appreciate his discussion of more practical matters on such things as colors and fonts.

Three points, though.

1. He probably should have emphasized more that GIF and JPG are really the only image formats you should use for the Web. (PNG is increasingly okay, but still not recognized by some older browsers).
2. GIF is no longer the choice of images on the internet; few want to restrict their images to 256 colors
3. 640 x 480 hasn't been the standard screen size since the 20th century; Windows XP considers 800 x 600 to be the minimum. Currently, 1024×768 and 1280×1024 are the most common screen resolutions.

FTP

Ok. This is the module where you start putting all your files online.

In this class, we are requesting that all class portfolios be uploaded into one primary OTL 502 folder.

Each class participant has a subdirectory--first initial first name plus last name. No spaces. All lower case. For instance, Steve Kerby's username is skerby.

FILE NAMES

• All file names for your portfolio should begin with your username. This keeps participants from accidentally overwriting someone else's files.
  • For instance, Steve Kerby's portfolio home should be named: skerby_portfolio_home.html
• You can name additional pages whatever you like. Just make certain they all begin with your username.
  • For instance, skerby_benchmark_critique.html
• All file names should have no spaces.
• All file names should contain no special characters such as $ or % or & or * or # or @ or /
• Best practice is to keep all file names in lower case. The URLs are case sensitive.

The primary reason we are using subdirectories in the shared OTL502 folder (instead of each of you having just your own folder) is so it will be easier for us to troubleshoot. We can access your files without having to get your username and password.

The downside is that someone could accidentally overwrite or delete someone else's files, so please--BACK UP EVERYTHING YOU UPLOAD!

SEE LINK ON MAIN MENU IN CLASS for FTP username/password information