Studying: games in education stuff

Had a big party-like weekend of studying and nerding it up (which probably explains my procrastination fuelled post splurge), this was one of the things I wrote about - why using games and scenarios in education is awesome.

(And not just because I can justify xbox/ps2 time as personal development :)
(yes I still have last gen technology - if you have a spare wii/ps3/xbox360 lying around, please send it to the couchmedia tech relief fund - all donations taxable)


Scenarios make learning more engaging

Using authentic activities that reflect the situations and cultures in which learners will use new knowledge and skills makes course content more enjoyable, more relevant to them and easier to recall. In scenario based learning, learners are placed into a fictional setting where they take on roles that relate to the material being covered.

According to Brown and Voltz, “an interesting scenario will make extensive use of humour, imagination, reward, anticipation, or drama to enhance the activity. It will have topics and themes likely to be relevant and interesting to the target audience. It will make the learning activity seem like an obvious or necessary thing to undertake, given the situation presented by the scenario. “ (2005)

Brown, Collins and Duguid (1989) strongly emphasise the idea that concepts exist in a particular context which helps to shape the concept into useful knowledge. Presenting this information in a form related to its use in the real world, ideally in a form which requires the learner to act as though they are also in that context (i.e. As a historian or an educational designer), adds important layers of additional cultural meaning to the information being shared.

This is a useful strategy for me as an instructional designer as I recently worked on a project with a teacher which focused on a competency called Practice within legal and ethical parameters. This teaches nurses about legal and ethical issues within nursing practice, the law and their responsibilities. In the past, it had been taught essentially as a list of laws and policies that nurses needed to be aware of.

We created a detailed case study simulation in which nurses make decisions based on developments in a particular patient’s case, consultation with colleagues and other available information.

As the nurse progresses through the story, ethical and legal complications arise with the patient which highlight key areas of content.

This added hospital and nursing culture issues to the learning and allowed nurses to connect more personally with the course content, which to that point was considered fairly dry and boring. My approach was to use online multimedia resources to better visually represent the scenario context – something that Agostinho, Meek and Herrington (2005) didn’t emphasise, believing that “cognitive realism to the real-life task was of more significance”. (p. 231)

I have an interest in the use of games in learning, which is why this area interests me specifically and I’m currently in the process of creating an immersive 3D environment which is based around our umbrella dept at work, the Education Development Centre. A scenario based approach to this “game” seems like an effective way of structuring user interaction with it.

One factor to consider from the Agostinho et al (2005) research is that “use of scenario should be more flexible, to allow students with appropriate real-life contexts to substitute their own evaluation needs while still fulfilling the requirements of the course. (p. 241)

Brown, J., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, Jan/Feb, 32-42.

Agostinho, S., Meek, J., & Herrington, J. (2005). Design methodology for the implementation and evaluation of a scenario-based online learning environment, Journal of Interactive Learning Research. 16(3), 229-242.

Brown A.R., & Voltz B.D. (2005) Elements of Effective e-Learning Design, International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/217/300

Watching: the photoshop wonder-diet

Reasons not to trust images in magazines #45

Before Photoshop



After Photoshop



Here's the process

Watching: short films about business meetings

First up - what would happen if people commented in business meetings like they do on web forums. (I guess the boards I visit are a little more highbrow but I have definitely seen a lot of these comments at one time or another - digg.com springs to mind). (There is some coarse language - but it's hella funny)



This next one is a Saturday Night Live digital short that crams more jokes into 90 seconds than I thought possible.(And it features Dwight Shroot from The Office (U.S)) (Enjoy Captain Pyjama-shark)

Watching: Cynanide and Happiness - The Magic Hat

Found this from a link on Oldtron's blog - (which is pretty goddamned funny in it's own right I might add - love ya work) - it's the sound effect that the end that really made it for me.


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

LOLing: Stephen Colbert talks to Andrew Keen about why the internet is worse than the Nazis

I think I've found the secret to getting media attention - if you say something that is completely counter-intuitive and derogatory about the internet and the blogosphere, you'll appear to be "the other side of the argument" and in the name of balance, the media will be all over you and your irrational theories.

Fortunately the great Stephen Colbert is a little smarter than that and he got Andrew Keen, author of Cult of Amateurs, on his show to talk through his case.

Andrew Keen has been described as a "notorious spammer, failed Web 1.0 entrepreneur, blog-hating blogger, and luddite troll author" - on the boing boing blog granted but I know who's opinion I value more

Admiring: the Doona Suit (the quilt tracksuit)

I was having one of those silly chats about nothing in particular with the PC a few weeks about and the subject of pyjamas came up. I had a thought that pyjamas actually made from a doona (a.k.a quilt or duvet) would be pretty damn cool.



Then lo and behold, yesterday I discover that this wonderous beast actually exists. (Well, technically it's in the form of a tracksuit so it's more a day wear thing but still, I was on the right track)

Developed by a Melbourne company, it's called the lazypatch and it looks the goods.



They come in six colours (traditional white, navy blue, powder pink, powder blue, chocolate and army camo), are made from polyester (cotton cover) and you can pick them up at $70 for the jacket or pants or $120 for both.

The website has all the details and is nicely designed to boot.

(I have no interest in this company, I don't know them and I'm not even sure that I'd particularly want one - I just really like the idea)

Watching: The Child - Alex Gopher

This is a pretty good song but it's a fantastic video clip - I love the way that the text is used with both style and efficiency.

LOLing: Left-handed Toons comic

(Click on image for full sized version)

I found this at www.lefthandedtoons.com/72 and there's just something about it that really tickled me

Watching: Business lobby pro-Workchoices ads

I'll admit that I was concerned when I heard that the business lobby was going to pour millions of dollars into a pro-WorstChoices ad campaign - but I shouldn't have been.



This ad is so ham-fisted, with its pantomime vaguely neo-nazi looking union villains that I had to resist the urge to cry out a warning to the poor shop assistant - "they're behind you".

If you check the fine print on the stats, they come from a report clearly labelled 2003-2006 - but the "Workplace reform" only came through as WorkChoices in 2006.

The "written and authorised by" tag at the end is so long that it sounds like one of those funny disclaimers on the end of virtually every ad that the Simpsons takes the piss out of (e.g. may cause ugliness and elephantism)

Interesting also that the acronym formed by the name of the authorising organisation - the national business action fund limited - becomes n-bafl (pronounced neh-baffle)

I guess that's what happens when the good creatives are all lefties.

FFSing: God says we should vote for Howard

I respect peoples right to their beliefs, as well as their right to share these beliefs with others (in a respectful way). There are times though that this respect can be sorely tested.

I came across this letter put out by a senior Pastor of Catch the Fire Ministries - a charismatic/evangelical (some would say fundamentalist) Christian outfit - on the political news website Crikey.com.au today, in which he pretty well instructs the members of the church to re-elect John Howard because God told him personally.

Here's the story as it appeared on Crikey:

Pastor Danny Nalliah of the Catch the Fire Ministries writes:

John Howard and Kevin Rudd might have taken their message to Australian Christians through the wonder of the internet last week, but Catch the Fire's Pastor, Danny Nalliah, has stripped away the earthly middle men in his deliberations running up to election 2007. It would appear that God has a preference for PM, as Pastor Nalliah reveals in this letter sent to the Catch the Fire faithful:

Dear Family in Christ,

A few weeks ago while I was seeking the Lord in prayer, He told me that I must meet personally with the Honorable Prime Minister John Howard and the Honorable Federal Treasurer Peter Costello.

In obedience to the voice of the Lord, I set out to arrange a personal meeting with both national government leaders. The Lord spoke clearly to me about how Prophet Samuel in the Word of God was sent to anoint David as the future King of Israel. When David’s father Jesse presented all his sons (except David) to the Prophet of God, Samuel could not find the Lord’s leading to anoint any of these sons, so he asked Jesse if he had any other sons and he brought his youngest son David to be anointed by the Prophet as the future King of Israel. Although this was controversial, Prophet Samuel had to obey the voice of God! (not man’s political correctness)

The Lord told me to spend some personal time with Prime Minister John Howard and to prophetically prepare Federal Treasurer Peter Costello as the future Prime Minister of Australia. (I don’t know the exact timing, but I was obedient to the voice of God).

I thank the Lord that I just had a one to one meeting with Peter Costello on Thursday 9th August and John Howard on Friday 10th August. The Lord had given me a clear prophetic Word for both of them and I thank Him I was able to deliver His Word in addition to praying with both of these Federal Government Leaders.

Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to share the details of these private encounters, but I will boldly declare that Prime Minister John Howard will be re-elected in the November election (if the Body of Christ unites in prayer and action) and pass the leadership onto Peter Costello sometime after.

I know this prophetic declaration is very controversial, but at this critical crossroad in our nation’s destiny, it’s not time to tickle the ears of man, but to please the Father in Heaven, by boldly proclaiming His Authoritative Word of Righteousness, Justice, and Truth to the Church and Nation!

Both of these national political leaders demonstrated sincere humility, honesty and openness with me and the Lord. I thanked Prime Minister John Howard for calling the nation to pray for rain and we discussed about calling a Christian Thanksgiving Service in Federal Parliament to thank the Lord for sending the rain in response to the nationwide call to prayer. This was well received by the PM and he expressed his willingness to personally attend. Please pray for the Lord to lead us as we continue to prepare for this historic Christian Thanksgiving Service in Federal Parliament!

Truly, I give all the praise, honor, and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ for what he has done, is doing, and will continue to do by His Holy Spirit!

LOLing: Paint - the new killer app for your PC

I've been looking for something to create images on my computer - and now I've found it. :)

Reading: Curb Your Enthusiasm - the book

Curb Your Enthusiasm owns a permanent spot in my top five favourite tv comedies everrrr (and I've watched a lot of tv comedy in my time).

Created by and starring Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld (and basis for George Costanza), it follows his day to day life (playing himself) as he says and does the things that most people only wish they could.

His character works so well because while he is ultimately a moral guy (always trying to do the right thing), he doesn't really care what people think of him and one way or another he manages to get into situations that end with some kind of misunderstanding that results in someone getting really pissed off at him. (In fairness, these are very rarely Larry's fault).

These generally come about when some element of life, strange policy or another just doesn't make sense to him and he just can't quite let go of it until it does.

Why can't you use the phone while waiting to see the doctor? Do you have to give candy to trick or treaters if they aren't kids and don't wear a costume? Is a stutter enough of a disability to allow someone to park in a handicapped space?





There are three things that make this show particularly good - it's story based but the scenes are largely improvised and it's shot in a documentary/reality style that both make it seem more real than any other sitcom.

It's also from cable network HBO (the network that has also brought us The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Sex and the city, Deadwood, Oz, Carnivale, Big Love and Extras) which means that the normal restrictions on content (language etc) don't apply and they are free to go nuts.

The book I picked up on the weekend has episode by episode breakdowns of story and interesting trivia, some in depth interviews with the cast, Larry David's history and more (I'm only about a third of the way through so far) and it's bringing back a swag of funny memories.

The best news of all is that after it looked as though the fifth season was definitely the last, there is apparently a sixth season coming up

Playing: songs for Monday Sunset

I Go Hard, I Go Home Presets 5:04 Beams

Lively electronica to get the blood pumping from one of Oz's most exciting acts

Paris Brooklyn Dimitri From Paris 7:37 Cruising Attitude

Dimitri keeps the funk coming with a slick 70s sound meshed with modern beats

Maria Peripatetica Ed Kuepper 3:36 This Is The Magic Mile

Ed maintains the pace but changes the style with this lively slab of atmospheric poetic rock

Sing Me A Song Charlie Marshall 5:05 Charlie Marshall

Some beautiful violin behind this swaying tune from a most underrated oz muso

Bokura No Mazinger Dimitri From Paris 5:14 Cruising Attitude

Back to the electronic for a moment with a blend of world music and slick 70s soul grooves that sounds like it comes from a very cool kung-fu film

The Suburban Ballet Bit By Bats 2:59 Bit By Bats

Some of my favourite neo-post-punk pop

Music Is Crap Custard 3:03 Goodbye Cruel World

Catchy and clever pop from long-gone Brisbane outfit


Simple Love Hoss 4:02 Idiot Box

Pt 1 of my tribute to Joel Silbersher, Hoss frontman, singing a Saints song on the soundtrack to a fairly underrated Oz 90s movie.

My Pal Magic Dirt 3:53 Idiot Box

Pt 2 - my favourite JS track (from the band God) as covered by Magic Dirt, who make sure to bring the dirty rock.

Sleeps With Angels Neil Young&Crazy Horse 2:46 Sleeps With Angels

Neil pays his respects to Kurt with the grungiest guitar sound he's ever had


Like A Hurricane Jay Farrar 7:08 Stone, Steel & Bright Lights


Equally rock version of a Neil Young great by someone more accustomed to alt-country rock - with an arguably stronger voice (but noone could replace N.Y)

September 13th Deodato 5:17 Best Of Blaxploitation

I'm sensing a definite funky 70s vibe today - this tune simply rocks out and I wish I could see whichever movie it came from.

Love Me Like You The Magic Numbers 4:50 The Magic Numbers

Fine modern soft-voiced indie rock


The Dead Heart Frenzal Rhomb 3:46 The Power & The Passion

Great jumpy update of a song from a guy who ironically appears to be losing his passion while he works towards getting some power.

Igloo The Screaming Tribesmen 4:01 Savage Beat Of The Screaming Tribesmen

A classic from the alternative 80s oz rock scene in Sydney

Miles Away Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2:19 UNCUT - Neat Neat Neat

Something a little more contemporary this time - and all rawwwwwwk.

No Way Out Love Of Diagrams 4:05 We Got Communication

More neo post-punk stylings from a band who seem to have dropped off the radar a little of late

You're The Reason I'm Leaving Franz Ferdinand 2:47 You Could Have It So Much Better

Tasty Scottish art-school rock from their most recent album.

Playing: First time ever I saw your face

PC and I had been arguing a little in recent days but after a big emo chat we managed to work a few things out and came away feeling much better.

I dedicated the Johnny Cash version of this song to her on the show last night (and am not afraid to admit I got a little emo as it played and I thought about our first meeting) - it was nice to hear that she had the same reaction. She also told me that it's always been one of her fave songs and she choked up a little as I played it. (I could only find it in this YouTube video as the soundtrack for some other couple's Christmas/New Year in Berlin - ignore them and just enjoy the music)

I initially heard it in "Play Misty for me", Clint Eastwood's 1971 directing debut where he played a radio dj who gets stalked by an obsessive fan he had a one night stand with. The version in the film was the original Roberta Flack version, which PC tells me is her fave. (And it really is an amazingly beautiful song, I must say)



And just for the hell of it - here's an instrumental version behind a montage of anime with robots - because they're hella cool and I'm a little geeky :)

LOLing: the universe as an operating system

This is possibly the geekiest thing I've posted yet but I found myself nodding and chuckling a fair bit through it so I figured I'd share it.

It's a simple, text based animation that shows what might have happened if God was a computer programmer in the process of writing Earth. (Parts are funnier than others but if you've ever had a computer refuse to do something you told it to, you should enjoy this)

Check it out here.

(Interestingly God only seems to work an hour or two a day, must be a public servant :)

Looking forward to: Black Sheep

In the great spectrum of funny animals, sheep are way up there.

In the great spectrum of horror sub-genres, zombies are way up there.

How has it taken so long then for someone to join the dots?



Fortunately, our brilliant cousins on the other side of the ditch (the Tasman Sea, which separates Australia and New Zealand) have come up with the goods.

OK, so maybe they aren't zombie sheep as such but from what I can see in the trailer, they have the whole large, dumb, menacing, people-eating group (mob) thing working for them which is an essential element of the zombie flick.

(And like most good things out of the land of long white cloud recently, effects are done by Peter Jackson's Weta)

The website for the movie is great as well - check it out here.



This opens in Canberra next thursday - can't wait.

Sharing: Bogan Jokes

Bogan is a term that could just as easily be interchanged with redneck, hillbilly, westy, bevan, booner, chav or anyone uncultured, poor, rough and dumb. These are a bit mean but I grew up in a bogan area so I claim some right to use them.

Check out this site - www.bogan.com.au - to learn more.

Q. Two bogans jump off a cliff. Who wins?

A. Society.


Q. What does a bogan chick use as protection during sex?

A. Bus shelter.


Q. What do you call a 30 year old bogan girl?

A. Granny.


Q. Why did the bogan cross the road?

A. To start a fight with a complete stranger for no reason whatsoever.


Q. What do you call a bogan girl in a white tracksuit?

A. The bride.


Q. What's the first question during a bogan quiz night?

A. What you looking at?


Q. Two bogans in a car without any music - who is driving?

A. The policeman.


Q. What's the difference between a bogan boy and a bogan girl?

A. The bogan girl has a higher sperm count.

Updating: Day 60 No Shampoo challenge - PC's story

As you can see, my hair continues on it's merry way and I'm happy to report that the PC is finally having some luck with hers now as well.

She initially posted this as a comment but I think it deserves a post in it's own right.

PC here again. After my previous rant, I am happy to say that hair has come around to the plan now! However, this was only after I encouraged it by pouring about a quarter cup of lime juice in my hair (and then rinsing it out) to get rid of the excess oil. After this, all the gunk which was coming out has vanished and my hair does look normal and healthy now!

I also tried something else - going swimming in a chlorinated pool. Well, I didn't do that to be kind to the hair, but I figured I'id put it off for long enough and I should just go swimming if I wanted to and the hair was ok about it. Following a suggestion on the ABC messageboard, I wet it before going in the pool, so that the hair would be saturated already and then likely to absorb less chlorine. and then I rinsed it thoroughly afterwards and it really only smelled very vaguely of chlorine and by the next day it was gone. Hurrah - bye bye shampoo and conditioner! Kiss my butt, drug companies and your evil and incessant advertising!

Comparing: New Neighbours vs Old

Neighbours has changed and I don't like it.



In the face of sliding ratings and a merger with a new production company, Australian soap (sorry - tv drama) institution Neighbours underwent a major revamp on July 23rd.

A large part of this was to herald the use of new production technology - shifting to High Definition Digital Video (which the glossy and soulless Home and Away has been using for a while) and a new lighting setup. (The previous one, known in the biz as wankbank, was made up of a bunch of fluoro lights designed to flood the set with soft light and apparently hadn't been changed for 20 years.)

The new style has made Neighbours look crisper and allows for more dramatic lighting options but saps the show of it's inner beauty. It used to feel like a big, soft, warm, daggy multicoloured cardigan - kind of like comfort food for the eyes. Now it just looks slick and glossy and the same as everything else. (And who really needs the extra detail that much - I don't want to know if Harold has chin cellulite)

Here's the old style Neighbours from a few months back:



And here's the new HDTV version:



Now YouTube does funny things with the pictures so it's not the best way to see it but it's just not as friendly looking.

Ok, so boohoo, the picture isn't as soft and warm any more - get over it. But it's not just that - the theme song has changed (meh, probably due for a change) and the title sequence as well.

This is more of an issue for me as it gets us closer to the real problem with this whole thing - the show seems to have lost it's cutting edge.

The old title sequence drew heavily from the work of Howard Arkley, a Melbourne artist widely respected for his edgy, garishly neon coloured paintings of suburbia. His work celebrated while simultaneously gently mocking suburban life, which meshed nicely with some of the writing on "old" Neighbours. This wasn't something particularly overt but from time to time, characters would come out with some relatively subversive and hilarious remarks - kind of like the way jokes for adults get slipped into animated kids films.

Here are the old titles:



The new titles on the other hand could hardly be blander - very much in the spirit of chocolate box art (a term my old art teacher used to favour for anything simple and inoffensive)

Here are the new titles:



Snore.

Cast members come and go on soaps, it's a fact of life but again, with the "revamp" there has been wholesale class genocide going on in Ramsay St (can someone explain by the way why something that is clearly a court gets called a street?) with the removal of the entire, working class (aspirational if you prefer) Timmins clan to sunny Queensland.

Obviously the new faces take a little while to become familiar and comfortable but my middleclass-o-meter has just about exploded with the blandness of the new arrivals.

(Don't get me started on the whiteness of the cast either - apparently Italian heritage is the only other acceptable ethnicity in Erinsborough)

Storywise there is apparently a shift to more family driven drama (i.e who loves who) - and away from over the top antics, scheming and chicanery (evil twins, blowing up Lassiters again etc). I realise that Karl and Susan are largely backbone comic relief characters but when the dramatic highlight of an episode is whether Karl is going to stick a valium up his stressed dogs arse, you know things have slowed down a little.

In fairness, I've tuned out of this show a little in recent weeks - not sure whether it's been because I've had other things to do or if it's just become less compelling so maybe it will right itself but I'm really wondering.

Programming: Tunes for Monday

Here's a nice mixed bag

Three Dead Passengers In A Stolen Secondhand Ford Stephen Cummings & Dave Graney 3:57 Totally Wireless

Great acoustic story song from a couple of Oz greats

Blind Willie McTel Charlie Owen, Don Walker & Tex Perkins 5:48 Totally Wireless

More Oz greats with another acoustic gem

Willow tree Not Drowning, Waving 4:07 Follow the geography

Downbeat but beautiful from a band that doesn't really sound like anyone else

So Entertaining Gus & Frank 3:46 Confession of a Roooftop Killer

Picking up the pace a little with a fun Femme's-esque party song.

Blade-running Elf 4:12 Preview

Lively local electronica - I used this as the soundtrack to a bike-chase short film I made a few years back.

The Illustrated man Konrad Lenz 3:57 Living with the spirits of the dead

Local lad sings dirty bluesy track with a voice like a man with 5 testicles

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Live) Nitocris 4:00 Epic Voyage

Melbourne girls rock out.

Kiss of Fire (Allen/Hill) Monsieur Camembert 5:43 Absynthe

Quirky gypsy/French style jazz

You're Too Kind Machine Translations 3:17 Abstract Poverty

So much style and suaveness

Karma Police Easy Star All Stars 4:48 Radiodread

Fantastic version of Karma Police from an album which covers OK Computer in a reggae style - it might be a big call but this equals the original in many ways.

The Tourist Easy Star All Stars 4:07 Radiodread

More prominent reggae sounds on this track but it's still awesome

Everybody Knows Leonard Cohen 5:37 The Essential Leonard Cohen (Disc 1)

I've liked this track ever since I heard it on the Pump Up The Volume soundtrack, I wish I could be a tenth as cool as this

Roscoe Midlake 4:49 The Trials Of Van Occupanther

Unfailingly catchy lowkey modern rock

Breakthrough Modest Mouse 4:06 This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About

Louder modern indie rock

D.C. Semifinalists 2:59 Semifinalists

Solid pop with good guitars and silky vocals

Misspelt Youth The Swedish Magazines 2:09 Eat More Baby

Underrated Melbourne rock that pays tribute to the Powdermonkeys

Cheyenne Guided By Voices 2:59 Universal Truths And Cycles [Bonus Track]

Bit of an alterna-rock classic this one

Elevate Myself Grandaddy 3:43 Just Like The Fambly Cat

I really need to listen to these guys more - I'm always surprised and impressed when they pop up randomly on the iPod with their clever poprock

If you could read my mind Johnny Cash 4:30 American V: A Hundred Highways

Heartbreakingly beautiful song of love from the crackly voiced Cash on his last ever album.