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iTV

[2005-01-24 13:22:16 | avatar]

European researchers are looking into the possibilities with interactive TV. Based on existing standards (MHP and MPEG), the GMF4iTV project, deals with the complete broadcast chain, from the content side to the end-user side.

Taking a plain MPEG-2 video, the content provider decides to associate some additional information to a predetermined object for interaction. Such information can comprise MPEG-4 audiovisual clips, MHP applications, images or HTML.

The production of interactive content is complex and the speed of the tracking may take 20-30 times the real-time to play. Currently the system cannot be used in real-time - because of the authoring process :(

Source: On track with the latest iTV moves

Social aspects of tele-working

[2005-01-17 15:53:27 | avatar]

The eGap EU-funded research projecthas analysed the reasons why, "within specific professional working environments, telework and tele-activities in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face difficulties or meet success in implementation".

The project does not look so much at specific technologies but moreover on the social aspects and difficulties of implementing them: in short, "the overall objective of the project is to highlight ‘best practice’ for implementing adequate, positive and sustainable telework within SMEs".

More, along with a link collection on the subject, on egap-eu.com.

Tacit learning

[2005-01-17 15:45:30 | avatar]

Among the many IST projects is one named ACTIPRET. It is aimed at developing "a technology capable of recording and interpreting the object-handling actions of an acknowledged expert in any one particular area, and turning them into a user-friendly method of training":

"The project, completed in October 2004, focuses on recording, onto video, the hand and arm actions of an expert carrying out a particular task. The system then interprets the various actions, breaks them down into their individual behaviour components and stores them in a form suitable for easy learning."

Find out ways to transmit tacit knowledge online, read the project summary or watch the (less convincing) demos online: actipret.infa.tuwien.ac.at :-)

Coollab

[2005-01-07 15:45:35 | avatar]

Came across Robin Goods (RG) predictions on the ten technologies that will work for future ICT-supported/based learning. Among

search technologies
data vizualization tools
RSS and P2P
blogging

he also mentioned "Real Time Collaboration Tools" and link to one of his own sites focusing on that particular subject. I looked it up and found it - say - worthwhile visiting since it gives an overlook of some of the tools currently available.

In Denmark, groupcare has recently launched advanced groupware services. Another player in the local market is cyberling.

RG also predict so-called collective and collaborative filtering tools and mention del.icio.us, "a social bookmarks manager [that] allows you to easily add sites you like to your personal collection of links, to categorize those sites with keywords, and to share your collection not only between your own browsers and machines, but also with others".

Sources:
kolabora.com/tools.htm
Ten technologies that are going to change the way we learn :)

Interactive

[2005-01-04 00:44:00 | jesper]

In December 2004 the Danish e-learning association FLUID held a conference on the use and integration of interactive and virtual media in physical environments in Danish Public schools.

In the FLUID newsletter the following phrases resume the conference:

QUOTE
Han (Professor Kaj Grønbæk, Center for interaktive rum og bygninger) holdt et meget levende foredrag om, hvordan man i folkeskolen bevæger sig mere og mere over i benyttelse af virtuelle værktøjer og i en integration af IT i de fysiske miljøer.

Der blev vist mange spændende anvendelsesmuligheder for såvel mobiltelefon, tablet pc’er, og trådløs gps til at knytte teori og praksis endnu tættere sammen. Med de nye værktøjer er eleverne i højere grad uafhængig af klasselokalet og læreren. Der arbejdes efter disse principper såvel ud fra projektpædagogiske tanker som ud fra meget individuelt baserede metoder.

Et gennemgående træk i de nye udviklingsmuligheder har været, at eleverne er meget involveret i afprøvning af muligheder og i afdækning af begrænsninger.

Der arbejdes lige nu på at gøre skoletasken til et interaktivt medie med såvel gps, trådløs kommunikation via mobiltelefon med camera og tilsvarende med indbygget computer.
UNQUOTE

Link to Center for interaktive rum og bygninger's website (in English): interactivespaces.net
Slides presented at the conference (in Danish): AvataHvaForNoget (PPT)

Augmented Reality

[2004-12-21 11:46:22 | avatar]

European research has delivered another (prize-winning) 'augmented reality surgical simulation system':

“It enables users to learn the basic skills and techniques of minimally invasive surgery without having to practise on patients. So for example, trainee surgeons can practise with virtual and physical models, and receive accurate and comprehensive feedback on their performance.”

The ProMIS system is a combination of a physical model of a torso, a PC and multimedia software. Users practise with real-time surgical tools in the torso and the computer screen displays the view that they would normally see from a laparoscopic video camera. It is designed to integrate into existing curricula and to facilitate localisation and customisation (LMS).

ProMIS surgical simulator

SNA

[2004-12-08 13:37:06 | avatar]

Social Network Analysis (SNA) illustrated: Checked out this interactive about the connections that exist between the Greatest Canadians as it illustrates the nodes in simple visual format.

- A beginners guide to network theory... ;)

cbc.ca/greatest/interactives

Kaleidoscopic

[2004-11-23 00:27:57 | jesper]

Reading the latest newsletter from learningcitizen (learningcitizen.net/newsletter) I came across, firstly a foreword by Principal Scientific Officer Jens Christensen of DG Information Society on the current status of the EU's 5th, 6th and even 7th Frameword Programme, and secondly, information about a recently established network of excellence which aims at integrating not less than 76 European research units, or teams, in technology-enhanced learning.

I googled the network, and found interesting stuff:

1. a letter of interest from CBS (JAN 05: link fjernet, linkrot /bot) (WP 7-2004)(PDF),
2. the site of Kaleidoscope,
3. the link to a soon-to-come "Virtual Doctoral School", and
4. the birth of a new concept, the "Collaboratory" (deep link fjernet)(a Shared Virtual Laboratory)

A reasonable piece of research adding to the discourse on (social) 'Technologies for Enhanced Learning' (based on i.a. Ambient Intelligence, Virtual Reality, mobile technologies, learner support,
brokerage systems, etc.) :-D

Wanted - LinkedUp

[2004-11-22 22:45:19 | jesper]

Today on LinkedIn I received a request stemming from somebody that was

---three degrees away from me, and - I suppose, a full
----four degrees away from the person wanted!

The guy asking to be linked-up with the person in request was looking for job opportunities within e-learning or learning management: The e-learning market surely is tough!?

RIMSAT

[2004-11-22 22:33:27 | jesper]

A new IST project, CRIMSAT, had the objective to develop methods and tools that would "help fire-fighters share the lessons learnt from hazardous incidents with their colleagues in other forces as well as their own, and to build a knowledge database that would assist in the education of young trainees."

It sounded very interesting, but a quick review of the site indicates, that the knowledge sharing has yet to take place. A lot of folders have been structured, ready to be filled with the hard-gained experiences of fire-figthers :o

The ambitions seemed really very high

QUOTE
The prototype RIMSAT system runs on a normal PC. However, states Lewis, the ultimate ambition is to make it available as an ‘at incident’ decision-support tool, in which the information could be displayed via a sophisticated interface such as a drop-down screen mounted onto a fireman’s helmet.
UNQUOTE

but in reality the current version of RIMSAT seem completely devoted to words - words only, no pictures, no live documentation to learn from, no nothing - or am I wrong. It sure takes well trained fire-fighters to find their way through RIMSAT - or very big helmets: All resources are PDF's or word-documents!?

Find out yourself: rimsat.com

MILK

[2004-11-15 11:51:02 | avatar]

Knowledge management and - production has become a critical task for many organisations. Social software systems are continually being developed to overcome barriers in forms of tima and place. One of several projects exploring solutions is the "MILK project":

"MILK (Multimedia Interaction for Learning and Knowing) therefore devised a knowledge management system that could be accessed in multiple formats depending on the device employed by users. In the case of knowledge workers who are frequently on the move the databases and tools can be accessed from a mobile phone or PDA, while in social situations such as during meetings with colleagues, the platform can be accessed communally over wall screens and interactive displays."

milkforum.com (JAN 05: site under construction !?)

R&D augments reality

[2004-11-08 16:31:33 | avatar]

IST features eight new research projects focusing on technology-enhanced learning methods, in subjects as varied as astronomy, space research, physics, mathematics and the earth sciences, i.a.:

- simulation and 3D visualisations
- making the invisible visible (Augmented Reality)
- enabling distance cooperation (Digital Experimentation Toolkits)

IST feature: Using technology for learning & teaching science

LinkedIn (iii)

[2004-10-28 21:34:12 | jesper]

"Are you getting too popular on LinkedIn" then use "Invitation blocking"... I recently received an email from the LinkedIn Team asking whether I was getting too popular :o)

Although my network in less than a month has grown to

51 connections ("trusted friends and colleagues")
1000+ "friends-of-friends" (second degree connections)
55,100+ third degree connections, and
375,600+ fourth degree connections

In addition, my "network also includes 39,000+ users who can be contacted without a referral. In total, you [I] can reach 470,800+ professionals."

Disregardingly I had not (yet - could still hope for it) experienced any problems with being "too popular", and thus felt no need to "prioritize my inbox to reduce the number of invitation messages" I received - at least not from LinkedIn. True, my inbox is often crammed with spam messages - clearly spam is a major threath to communities like LinkedIn. Hopefully the mail adress list is well protected!

- Are people fed-up with online communities: Apparently not, at least not in Denmark where 15,300+ new users have recently joined LinkedIn. In fact, Denmark is the top 10 most popular region - after San Francisco Bay Area, UK, Brazil, Greater New York Area, France and Greater Boston Area.

Go: linkedin.com

LinkedIn (ii)

[2004-10-06 13:02:18 | jesper]

After some time I have actively launched myself in the socalled "LinkedIn" universe. After a couple of months as an observer, I have recently sent out invitations to those people who were

a. in my Outlook address book, or
b. on the linqx|dk mailing list, AND
c. already members of LinkedIn.

The result is very positive: after having had just two connections (those two who originally invited), I have already 18 connections and a global network of 122,300+ users (up from some 40,000 users last week). Although the number of users have gone up dramatically, the marginal increase is limited: Whether I had 12, 14, 16 or now 18 'connections', the number of 'users' were about 120,000 (dont ask me how it is calculated). The limited marginal increase indicates that the people I know, all know more or less the same people - otherwise my global network should increase. I do not cover my structurual holes :o

An interesting observation was that with 14 connections I do not have a bigger network (of 2nd., 3rd. or 4th degree 'users') than one of my connections who have only 5 connections. Evidently it depends on how connected ones connections are.

- Disregardingly, if everybody accepts my invitation I shall soon be rich in 1on1 connections (social capital) and perhaps be able to bridge the structural holes in my emerging network. Information, knowledge and wealth shall come my way pretty soon :-D

Presence/ANT

[2004-09-24 00:06:46 | actant]

"Presence is the killer app. [...] [b]ecause presence ultimately is seen as a real-time communications, messaging and routing infrastructure that not only supports collaborative applications for user-to-user interaction, but also supports communication between applications and users. It also supports application-to-application integration, whereby presence infrastructure is used to announce which applications are up, what their functions are and what types of protocols they accept."

- It sounds hot and I guess it is. For me :o it rings a bell - I recall the fascinating readings of Bruno Latour. In his "doctrine of symmetry" Latour neutralizes the distinction or antagonism between man and machine: "As a rule [nr. 4], a quasi-object should be thought of as a moving actant that transforms those who do the moving, because they transform the moving object."

ANT is around the corner: Actor Network Theory

Network World Fusion: Presence applications poised for takeoff

LinkedIn / LockedOut

[2004-09-18 14:35:04 | jesper]

Peter Busch, der med virksomheden Crealize fungerer som selvstændig konsulent inden for videndeling og organisatorisk har til CW udtalt sig om netværkstjenesten LinkedIn. Han siger til CW, at de sociale online-netværk, der skal gøre folk i stand til at fremme karrieren, bygger på en forkert forestilling om, hvordan sociale kontakter knyttes.

Artiklen tager udgangspunkt i services som "Six Degrees" og "LinkedIn", en relativ ny internet service, der globalt har mere end 1.000.000 registrerede brugere - heraf åbenbart en del danskere.

Netværksteorien er omfattende, men har i hvert tilfælde to primære eksponenter: Ronald S. Burt, der arbejder med et begreb kaldet strukturelle huller, og James S. Coleman, der stod fadder til begrebet social kapital. Et strukturelt hul betegner ifølge Burt kort sagt det forhold, at der mellem to aktører (A og C) forekommer et "missing link" i form af en manglende kontakt, et strukturelt hul. I Burt's udlægning kan den strategiske aktør (B) udnytte dette hul, ved fx som mægler at skabe forbindelse mellem A med B.

LinkedIn tillader A at identificere B's netværk, og dermed selv opsøge C - hvilket for så vidt er en spændende tanke - men den praktiske betydning er for de fleste medlemmer givetvis begrænset. Personligt blev jeg på opfordring tilmeldt LinkedIn denne sommer. Interessen har primært været faglig - men indtil videre uengageret.

En søgning på LinkedIn viser, at jeg er fire led fra henholdsvis Peter Busch fra Crealize og advokat Martin von Haller Grønbæk (de to herrer der duellerer i CW). Det skal man imidlertid ikke lægge for meget i, for hvad angår førstnævnte, så har vi allerede stået ansigt-til-ansigt - på LLD's "Vidensalon", såmænd...

Hvad angår advokaten med de 393 "Connections", så har han endvidere et netværk der ifølge LinkedIn tæller hele "649,800+ users". Det bemærkes, at advokaten i sin portefølje tæller virksomheder som Vizion Factory A/S :o.

CW: Sociale web-netværk virker ikke
Opret din egen profil: linkedin.com
Mere om netværksteori: Samarbejde i virtuelle netværk - teori

Trust

[2004-09-17 09:50:21 | avatar]

IBM has published an executive technology report - a personal essay, i.e., on trust builing in virtual teams. According to the author three key questions need to be answered:

"Basically, it comes down to team members being able to answer three questions about each other in the affirmative:

1. Do you have anything to offer me?
2. Can I count on you?
3. Will you get it straight?

Trust-building for a virtual team

Social interfaces

[2004-09-10 10:52:14 | cyborg]

Long tale about design issues and usability of social software systems, the social interface: interfaces for social networking, e-mail, discussion boards, and the like.

Unfortunately the writer does not give much instruction or advice on what he means by good design. Neither do his personal discussion fora...

It's not just usability

INTUITION - a roadmap

[2004-09-06 17:58:26 | avatar]

A workshop on virtual reality will be held on 22 September, in Athens, Greece by the IST FP6 project INTUITION.

The event tries to help overcoming the lack of knowledge transfer from research labs to industry, and the limited number of collaborations among the academia and industry community.

To overcome fragmentation a roadmap towards future initiatives and developments should be defined based on a common framework establishment and a common understanding of technology potentials and limitations.

More: INTUITION Workshop on Virtual Reality

WAVE - an award-winning VLE

[2004-08-30 14:23:12 | avatar]

Partners in the WAVE project developed an award-winning virtual welding environment to improve training optimising gesture learning and the concentration required by welders. :-)

Virtual reality training sparks welding success

Other entries on simulation in the dangerous industries: VIRTOOL

(p. 2/11)