Note-Taking Apps for the iPhone

Jotting down ideas and information to refer to later should be easy, and these five apps help different people do it in different ways, from the visually-oriented to Microsoft devotees. As any efficient, organized, and focused person knows, finding the right note-taking app is crucial to getting the most out of your iPhone. But the very best note-taking apps are designed help disorganized people keep their thoughts and memos in tip-top order, too. More->>

Electronic Performance Support in Learning Management Systems

It has taken nearly 20 years, but electronic performance support systems (EPSS) are finally appearing in learning management systems. EPSS are integrated, computer-based support systems (LMS) designed to provide an individual just-in-time support while the individual is performing a particular task. Help is provided to individuals in the form of expert systems, multi-modal data, software, and instructional tutorials. Electronic performance support provides a sheer contrast to training, as training focuses on preparing individuals to perform. Such preparatory approaches are not used in EPSS; these systems support individual performance.

The learning management system Canvas provides one example of electronic performance support. This LMS uses just-in-time tutorials in its Sidebar feature to support students and faculty with critical tasks at the moment of need. While the Sidebar in Canvas represents a major milestone in LMS development, innovation in LMS design is just beginning.

Paradoxes of Open Source Knowledge

These days it's just about uncommon to find something that isn't available on the World Wide Web. Paradox? You bet. Just the other day I used Google to search for video or images of a frozen turkey being dipped in cooking oil.
Boy, did I ever find it.

However, as the old adage goes, "things are not always as they seem," and the same is true for Google searches. You get what you ask for.

The search I used in Google was "frozen turkey dipped in cooking oil" and lo and behold, that's what I got. But if you look carefully, one of the sites cautions "slowly and carefully lower the turkey."

There are consequences if you don't. Take a look at this video; the first 19 seconds will be quite enough, thank you:

And how did I land this video in my Google search? By changing the search string to "frozen turkey deep frier". Once again, what you ask for is what you get. The tag line for this video was the "do not try this at home" type: It will burn your house down. No kidding. There was even a message from Captain Kirk, William Shatner, about the dangers of deep frying frozen turkey.

Perhaps this commentary would have been more appropriate around Thanksgiving, but we're heading toward Easter, so, forewarned is ... you know the rest...

But, for instructional purposes, the upshot of this commentary may very well be that Google, Bing, Ask, Yahoo and other search engines are marvelous tools for sifting for knowledge, but only if you're smart in the phraseology of what you are searching for. Composing your search string could make a huge difference in the information you harvest from the web. That is the flaw of search engines. You not only have to be careful what you ask for, you have to know, in advance, what you're asking for.

And that's why search engines will never substitute... never substitute... for the best search engine there is: your reference librarian, who can help you refine what you're asking for. And who resides in the best reputable storehouse of knowledge around: your local library; better yet your USF academic library.

How to Defend Your Android Phone From Annoying Mobile Ads

Your Android phone used to be an ad-free paradise--a place where you could play games, check email, and make a few calls, all without being bothered by those pesky sales pitches that have taken over your PC. But not anymore: As Android's popularity has grown, so too has its attractiveness to advertisers. More->>

Quality Online Discussions

Online discussions often lack substantive content that demonstrates the use of higher order thinking skills by students. Many statements that students contribute to discussion forums include vague generalizations and restatements of basic information. Little intellectual depth is provided in these statements. The lack of thoughtfulness of students during these discussions minimizes the instructional value of discussions. Therefore, many students feel that online discussions benefit them minimally.

Perhaps, students need help with the concept of substantive content. It may be possible to provide students examples of quality discussion scaffolds to enable the students to see attributes of quality student discourse. One proposal is that course instructors create fictitious students who generate quality discussion posts in the online environment. This approach establishes a culture of high expectations, forcing students to evaluate their discussion contributions.