SocialLearn presentation in Elluminate
I did a presentation for George Siemens last night on SocialLearn. It was an open (naturally!) session in Elluminate. George recorded it and you can relive it in all its mumbling glory here.
I think it gives a reasonable overview of where we’re at, and I tried to broaden it to wider issues also. George tries manfully to make me sound coherent by asking intelligent questions, but in case you hadn’t twigged it, I’m a better writer than I am speaker, so it’s a bit rambling in places I fear. Enjoy?
5 Comments
AJ Cann
Thanks Martin, I enjoyed that, especially the demo.
Technical comment: you definitely need to invest in a better microphone. Even with the compression, George’s voice was much clearer. I strongly recommend: http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/35872
Please could you discuss the tension between institutional branding (e.g. the s:l site) and the risk of loosing contacts in the transition from existing networks (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc). Exactly HOW do we avoid the creepy treehouse?
Martin
Thanks Alan – I think the reason George’s voice sounds clearer may be that George has a clearer voice 🙂 But you’re right, if I’m to take this educator as broadcaster stuff seriously I should get a decent mic.
I don’t see people having to migrate from sites, we’re talking about developing a FB view for example. SL will use open standards like opensocial, so hopefully you can import a lot of that data.
But institutions may well want to run their own version, which does raise the creepy treehouse syndrome. I think being upfront – this is a social network for learning is part of the solution. Providing good tools, making it useful is another. Mainly it’s by allowing the user, not the institution to maintain control.
George Siemens
Hi Martin,
Thanks again for a great presentation. I’ve read great comments about the presentation on several blogs today – obviously what you’re doing is striking a cord.
Btw – As Canadians, we expect first deferral in self-deprecation. The order is something like: Canadians first, then British, Australians, Europeans, and so on (to be honest, I’m not sure how the list should look after Canadians – I just know we have the first spot :)). Americans are generally not on the list – they have more confidence than the rest of the world. The rule is, then, to first refer to the list. When dealing with a Canadian, you must permit them first opportunity. If they wave that right, you can then pick it up.
Anyway, you did a fantastic job. I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to provide an overview of your important work.
George
Carolyn Campbell
George asked good questions but you gave great answers. If SocialLearn takes hold, it’ll really change the elearning landscape. Thanks for sharing what you’re doing. (And I loved the creepy treehouse metaphor. Definitely works for me.)
Peter Miller
I found the talk very interesting too. Trivial point but could I suggest that you stick to the s:l abbreviation (as per Alan’s comment) or you’re going to have significant overlap in search space with Second Life?