Two Online Journals for IDs and Learning

In the 20^th century, the final frontier was space, but perhaps in the 21^st century our greatest challenge is not far away “out there,” but so close to home that it strikes to the core of who we are-the home of our thoughts and emotions, the human brain. The faster things change with technology, the greater need there is to figure out exactly how the brain and the mind work, and how we can best learn and problem-solve. I took a look at a couple resources, websites and online journals, that purport to improve our understanding in this area.

            Journal of Online Learning and Teaching aka JOLT by MERLOT (http://jolt.merlot.org/currentissue.xml). I had a previous professor recommend the MERLOT website to me, and I have had it bookmarked for some time. I was unaware, however, that they also create an online journal with excellent articles using Creative Commons licensing. [A side note: I’m a fan of Creative Commons, as it helps to further innovation and creativity while appropriately loosening the draconian rules of capital “C” copyright laws; with CC rules like Share-Alike, Attribution, what would be “stealing” becomes borrowing with giving credit where it is due to the author of the source material]. The articles are all relevant to the field of learning, training, and teaching. In the current issue, one article from Johnson and Galy (2013) reported on the efficacy of E-Learning to reach the Hispanic demographic in a Bachelors Business Administration classroom; it reports that self-efficacy and time management are among predictors of success in an Online setting. The articles cover several aspects of both classroom and online teaching and challenge notions in the industry with richly researched and referenced writing. It’s a solid journal from a reputable organization (MERLOT).

            Journal of Problem Solving (JPS) by Purdue University Press (http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/jps/). Purdue University is another organization that I use a lot for their Purdue Owl site that helps with the various writing formats for professional papers, and I check my APA there for the most current information. The JPS is no less relevant, however light it may be on articles per issue (just three in the last issue). Since the focus is more specific on problem-solving while also being an interdisciplinary, touching on psychology, the computer sciences, and other fields. One recent article by Jäkel, Frank, Schreiber, and Cornell (2013) claims that problem-solving research and techniques have stagnated on account of lack of innovation from scientists, or their lack of belief in it. For the trainer, both metacognition and consciousness is essential to problem-solver. I think this journal is useful, but it seems a little short on practical problem solving tips, and it is an academic blog, for sure.                                                               

            All in all, they are both solid resources At some other point I would like to review Luminosity.com, but I have only a limited exposure to it. Some say that the neuroscience simply isn’t there to determine if this sort of gameplay actually improves brain functioning in the future. But possibly more on that later…

References

Jäkel, Frank and Schreiber, Cornell (2013). "Introspection in problem solving." The Journal of

Problem Solving. 6 (1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7771/1932-6246.1131

Johnson, J. & Galy, E. (2013, September). The Use of E-Learning tools for improving hispanic

students' academic performance. 6 (1). Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol9no3/johnson_0913.htm.

3 Blogs/Resources for Instructional Design Info

            I was recently talking with Sarah Gilbert, owner of meLearning—a mobile training and development company, at an ASTD meeting. She was telling me that she likes to get most of her information from blogs and microblogs like Twitter because they give you the most up-to-date information. Meanwhile books can take a long time to read and may be outdated. It’s true in many cases. Things move that fast in the mobile world (Personal Communication, February 12, 2014).

To help me get more into designing for mobile, I use a blog by RJ Jacquez called “The mLearning Revolution.” The mLearning revolution covers a lot of technical considerations that need to be addressed in order to design well for mobile devices. One of the articles is about the new Kindle Fire, and how it is quietly reintroducing Flash. Jacquez argues that since the newer browsers are moving away from pulg-ins. The blog link is here:  http://rjacquez.com/

Instructional design is not just about the technology, however, but the experience of the learner that needs to be created with and for them. Enter Cathy Moore.  Cathy Moore’s blog states that training need not be boring. Also, one article reminds us that learning is not about what the learner needs to know, but what they need to DO! She also has some practical entries on how to get into ID, which I’m using now to help me get into training and development. Find Cathy Moores’ blog here: http://blog.cathy-moore.com/

Finally, a good article or two on the science of learning from a neuroscience standpoint, or catching up on the latest best practices of IDs everywhere can be found on the website for The Learning Solutions Magazine. What’s great about this site is that you don’t just get one opinion or writer, like on a blog, but many voices all at the top of what they do. It also gives information on upcoming conferences and notable authors. Find the Learning Solutions Mag here: http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/

What blogs do you rely upon for your ID information? Be sure to check out the links and let me know what you think.