E P I C T H I N K I N G
Issue 29: April 2004
This month:
1. New white paper: Higher education and e-learning
2. Think Tank: Games & e-learning
3. Show report: QCA’s Vocational e-learning
and e-assessment
4. Book reviews: Bok on universities, Salmon on e-moderating
5. Case study: FA blends it past the post
6. News: Donald Clark debates with R4’s Naughtie,
talks
blended to defence
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WHITE PAPERS
1. Hidebound by history? For nearly 1,000 years, the university
has been an enduring force in society. It has weathered major religious,
political and social revolutions, adapting slowly but surely to
changing circumstances. But is it adapting too slowly, and perhaps
not surely enough, to the challenges that face it in this new millenium?
Chief among these challenges is an extraordinary growth in demand.
Global demand for HE in 2003 is 70 million globally. This will rise
to 160 million in 2025, with growth especially strong in Asia. It
is difficult, if not impossible, to see how a requirement on this
scale can be met with the traditional face-to-face model of teaching
alone.
In this new white paper, Donald Clark discusses how e-learning
can help HE meet these challenges, reviews some research into initiatives
that have already taken place and looks towards the future.
White Paper: Higher education and e-learning
To get your free copies contact
us
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THINK TANK
2. Games and e-learning
‘Now where did I leave that tank?’ Steve Rayson, personable Sales
& Marketing Director of Epic Group plc, did a suspension-crunching
right-hand turn across the oncoming traffic in Birdcage Walk (seriously
injuring a pedestrian) and barrelled into a fenced-off enclosure
where he brought the car to a skidding halt. Getting out of the
car (and shooting the hapless policeman who was attempting to apprehend
him) he got into the tank that he had parked there earlier and drove
it off in the direction of Whitehall.
‘It’s got a gun as well,’ he smiled. Small grins visited the corners
of several public sector mouths as the stuccoed headquarters of
one government department after another came under Rayson’s screeching
hail of fire...
Calm down, dear, it’s only a commercial. Steve Rayson is really
a very safe driver. And this was, of course, not real life but an
Epic Think Tank event, on the subject of Games and e-learning.
Read
more
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SHOW REPORT
3. Vocational e-learning and e-assessment, London, March 2004
Charlie Brown: I taught the dog to whistle. Lucy: I can't hear
him Charlie Brown: I said I'd taught him, I didn't say he'd learnt
it!
Donald Clark reports from QCA’s ‘Vocational e-learning and e-assessment’
conference and finds it well-chaired, packed full of interest –
but curiously lacking in a chance to ask questions (for an event
partly devoted to assessment!). Read
show report
Selected Presentations:
Steve
Molyneux
Ann
Limb
Ron
Harding
Marc
Prensky
Donald
Clark (reviewing himself!)
Jane
Massy
Ken
Boston
BOOK REVIEW
4a. Universities in the Marketplace: The Commercialization of Higher
Education Princeton University Press, April 2003
Author: Derek Bok
Review by Donald Clark, Epic Group plc
‘The triumph of the market economy has led to pressures on universities
to see themselves as corporate entities in which everything is up
for sale. In Bok’s view, the Academy should not be extending its
reach too far beyond the campus, for the simple reason that it’s
not very good at it. The values, organisational structures, types
of people and habits of Academe are, in his opinion, ill suited
to commerce... His solution is for them to stick to what they know
best: research and teaching.
’ Donald Clark reviews the most recent publication by the ex-President
(1971-92) of Harvard, ‘arguably the most important university on
the planet’. He finds it strong on ‘don’ts’, weak on ‘do’s’ – and
smacking slightly of ‘high table’.
Read
the review
4b. E-moderating: The Key to Teaching & Learning Online RoutledgeFalmer,
January 2004
Author: Gilly Salmon
Review by Mark Harrison, Epic Group plc
‘Gilly Salmon first captured her experiences of e-moderating in
the first edition of this book back in 2000. Back then, the use
of tutoring online was confined primarily to academic learning support,
but her five step model became one that many fledgling e-moderators
adopted.
‘Three years have passed since, and the world has moved on (a little!)…
’ Mark Harrison, Learning Consultant at Epic, reviews this revised
edition of Gilly Salmon's e-moderating bible, and answers the following
key questions raised by its appearance: * If you didn't read the
first edition of E-moderating, should you rush out to buy the new
one? * If you already own a copy, should you upgrade? * If you are
from the training world, does the new book give you greater guidance
for supporting workplace learning online?
Read
the review
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CASE STUDY
5. Football Association blends it like Beckham
(Yes I know we’ve used that pun before, but we love it so much!
Ed)
‘Psychology for Soccer Level 1’, the first ever online qualification
to be launched by any governing body in world football, was launched
on 13 January 2004.
Designed by Epic, this is an accredited blended learning course
(centred around e-learning) aimed at coaches, parents and teachers
of 7-12 year olds on soccer psychology.
In its first four weeks alone, over 450 students enrolled, and
it has been hailed around the globe. ‘The FA Psychology qualification
sets the standard for all of us to follow..’ (Jim Sheldon, Executive
Director, National Soccer Coaches Association of America)
Read
more
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NEWS
6a. Epic CEO in debate with BBC's James Naughtie
Is e-learning a weapon of mass distraction?
Epic CEO, Donald Clark, is taking part in a debate with fellow
scot James Naughtie, presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The Great E-bate, which takes place at HRD 2004 conference held
by the CIPD, looks at the state of the e-learning industry. Read
more
HRD2004
Olympia
London 20-22 April
Epic exhibits – Stand 122
6b. Epic CEO talks blended at defence conference
Donald (who is is a busy man this month!) will also be talking
about Blended Learning and Knowledge Management at the UK's major
defence conference ITEC.
ITEC
22 April Excel, London
Other Epic news this month:
Shares
magazine: Epic stronger than expected
Techinvest:
Brown’s budget favours Epic
Evening
Standard: Epic profits better than forecast
Epic
exceeds expectations
Are
you research-minded?
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RETURN OF POST
If you have:
* a question to put to the Epic Thinking user base
* a response to any of the points raised here
* a suggestion for a topic you'd like to see covered
mail us right now
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