Learning products Archives - Page 8 of 8

Video Games vs. Curricula vs. Asking the Right Questions

January 30, 2020June 14, 2013 by Tim Gifford

Book map. Sequence. Contents. All of these terms suggest that the course book is a predetermined learning journey for students; their participation or engagement is not required, they only need to listen and turn the page to the next activity when instructed. Learners are bystanders to their own learning journey rather then active participants.

The great EdTech disruption in ELT

January 30, 2020June 12, 2013 by Laurie Harrison

To some extent, the whole concept of EdTech is based on the possibilities for disruption engendered by online and mobile tech. The belief is that the “education space” (ugh) is ripe for disruption, and the “factory model” of education we currently impose on our youth is rightly about to be swept away by an EdTech revolution. But what does EdTech disruption mean for ELT?

Playforce: The Language of Learning Through Games

January 30, 2020June 11, 2013 by Tim Gifford

So it’s one thing to avail oneself of the endless blogs and sites that tout the ‘Top 10 Games For the Classroom’ or ‘Top iPad Apps for Learners’, but it’s entirely another to create a forum and approach for users to comment on the learning experiences they have encountered through the various games they play. This is … Read more

Gamification With and Without the Tech

January 30, 2020June 7, 2013 by Jonathan Sayers

So, you think gamification is only for the tech savvy? You think you couldn’t incorporate it into your classroom without having all the latest tech tools? Well, think again! Here are 3 ways to gamify your classroom with and without tech.

Hugh’s Reviews: Snappy Words

January 30, 2020June 6, 2013 by Hugh Dellar

As the dash towards digital becomes ever more frenzied, so Scoop It and other ‘curating’ (how I loathe that term!) mechanisms become ever more clogged with uncritical propaganda bombarding decent teachers with endless things that we’re all supposed to be keeping up with if we are to survive as teachers in the 21st century . . . and, perhaps predictably, many of them are utter dross and not worth wasting teachers’ time on, let alone students’ precious spare moments! Or do I mean extra moments? Or redundant ones? Or excess? All will be soon be revealed!

Hugh’s Reviews: Lingro

January 30, 2020June 2, 2013 by Hugh Dellar

Hello there –

Welcome to Hugh’s Reviews. This is the first in a series of posts that aim to explore and consider a range of different tech tools and sites aimed at ELT practitioners and at EFL students. As the number of such things seems to increase exponentially week on week, it becomes ever harder to simply keep abreast of what’s out there, let alone to find sufficient time to digest them and critically appraise them. I shall be exploring things I’ve seen touted and praised – and seeing if they merit the hype.

To begin, I’m going to talk about a site I first encountered courtesy of Russell Stannard called Lingro. It modestly proclaims itself as “the coolest dictionary known to hombre“! And Russell himself was almost as enthusiastic, calling “this fabulous tool” “the best website” he found in 2011.

It’s In The Game: Gamification and Language Learning Pt. 2

January 30, 2020May 31, 2013 by Tim Gifford

Following on from our part 1 post I’m taking up the question that was left hanging in the air: what does gamification really mean for language learning?

The answer, as unsatisfactory and contradictory as it may sound, is: it means what it’s always meant. ‘Good’ language teachers will always instinctively apply such concepts to engage and help their learners. The technology utilised in this approach could range from a piece of paper to a room full of iPads. The tech is the vehicle for delivering the solution, not the solution itself.

It’s In The Game: ‘Gamification’ and Language Learning Pt. 1 of 2

January 30, 2020May 24, 2013 by Tim Gifford

Interested observers of developments in the field of Edtech will undoubtedly be aware of the snowballing sexiness of the term ‘gamification’ as its advocates look at ways of transferring it from the world of business into the world of education.

What is emerging as the term gets shared and amplified is the fact that it is being interpreted differently and in increasingly erroneous ways. If the concepts and opportunities that the gamification proposition offer are to get effective traction within the education community it’s vital that teachers and learners are clear on what it actually entails (as well as what it doesn’t).

The 5 EdTech trends of ELT part 2: Alternative credentialing platforms

January 30, 2020May 19, 2013 by Laurie Harrison

In part one of this mini-series, we looked at online learning in ELT as one of the 5 key EdTech trend identified by Edudemic. In part 2, we look at what are described in the US education system as ‘alternative credentialing platforms’, and see if they have any relevance to ELT.

What the hell is an alternative credentialing platform?

Read more

GlobalEnglish makes its play

January 30, 2020May 18, 2013 by Nick Robinson

Image by Flickr user pennstatenews. Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic

The next time you’re sat opposite that businessperson on the train engrossed in their BlackBerry or iPhone, don’t assume they’re frantically trying to get to Inbox Zero. It’s just as likely they’re trying to get to the next level of Angry Birds.

Or so GlobalEnglish might have us believe.

(Out)Source Code: Kaplan’s EdTech Accelerator To Success

January 30, 2020May 14, 2013 by Tim Gifford

On a previous eltjam post we talked about Pearson’s ingenius scheme designed to attract the best and brightest the edtech-osphere had to offer. Pearson – the educational publisher of Biblical proportions – is inviting submissions/product concepts/pitches from whomever has the wherewithal to realise that creating effective and lucrative digital propositions is no longer the exclusive territory of publishing’s Old Boy set. The company will fund the successful candidates’ travel to and from Planet Pearson and in doing so bestow upon them their expertise, contacts and blessings.

The 5 EdTech trends of ELT part 1: Online Learning

January 30, 2020May 12, 2013 by Laurie Harrison

Edudemic recently identified The 5 Biggest Education Technology Trends To Know About.

The 5 trends are:

That’s great, but the angle is very much focussed on US higher education and K-12. So, in this mini-series, let’s have a look at what they mean in the world of ELT.

Duolingo: Simply Better Than University?

January 30, 2020April 30, 2013 by Tim Gifford

Duolingo, the online learning platform that provides free language courses, has published a paper measuring the effectiveness of its learning model in comparison to a traditional university language course. Its findings are worth some consideration.

See you later, incubator: Pearson invests in Edtech startups

January 30, 2020April 23, 2013 by Tim Gifford

Educational publishing behemoth Pearson is putting its dollar into the Edtech startup sector in order to help propel the company further into the 21st century and away from its long-established yet out-dated business models. This move follows hot on the heels of Kaplan linking up with TechStars to offer an edtech accelerator program in New York City. Pearson Catalyst is a new … Read more

Education now 4th highest earning category in iOS App Store

February 4, 2020April 17, 2013 by Laurie Harrison

The App Annie market index, released today, has tons of interesting stats on the iOS and Google Play app markets: the two platforms are now neck and neck when it comes to downloads, but iOS still dominates in revenue; China is now the second biggest app market; the biggest category by far is still Games; … Read more

2013: The rise of the smartwatch?

January 30, 2020April 17, 2013 by Laurie Harrison

A new report from ABI Research predicts that over a million smartwatches will be sold in 2013. Forget (for now) that apart from the Kickstarter phenomenon, Pebble, there aren’t really any available yet. What would really change the landscape would be if Apple’s rumoured iWatch does actually make an appearance. You never know, but it … Read more

The Grading Game: birth of the “first person tutor”

January 30, 2020April 17, 2013 by Tim Gifford

The Grading Game is an addictive action word game centered around the pursuit and eradication of grammar and spelling errors. The game’s levels take the form of students’ papers, with a fresh set of errors generated for each play. Meanwhile, the papers themselves cover the most interesting and unusual topics, from the history of ramen to … Read more

10 tips to make $700k from education iPad apps

January 30, 2020April 14, 2013 by Laurie Harrison

Here’s a happy tale of how Pierre, an independent French developer made nearly $700k in two years from his portfolio of education iPad apps. What was the secret to his success? From reading his story, we’ve identified the 10 key things that made the difference.

Chinese primary schools introducing tablets

February 3, 2020April 5, 2013 by Laurie Harrison

Beijing local government has invested $500k to trial the introduction of tablets in primary schools, with one device per child. The aim is to replace books with what they are describing as an ‘e-bag’. The first schools have started trailing this Spring. In one school where the tablets are being used for Maths, Chinese and … Read more

Tablets to outsell laptops in 2013

February 3, 2020April 4, 2013 by Laurie Harrison

A report from IDC shows that sales of ‘smart connected devices’ (PCs, smartphones and tablets) broke through the 1bn barrier in 2012, with Apple and Samsung each taking about 20% of the market. Tablets represented 128m of those devices. This is expected to rise to 190m in 2013, while PC sales are flatlining. The big … Read more