Widgets: The Slicing and Dicing (and Splicing) of Learning Content Mark C. Marino Assistant Professor (Teaching) of Writing Writing Program, College of Letter, Arts and Sciences Susan E. Metros Associate Vice Provost and Deputy CIO Professor of Visual Design and Clinical Education University of Southern California 1

Agenda Slicing, Dicing, Splicing and Modularizing Learning Content Widgets for Education Faculty Needs Institutional Enablers 2

Modularizing Education Course Module Topic Curriculum Program 3

Modularizing Content Chapter Textbook Section 4

Modularizing Digital Content Asset Learning Object Repository Subject 5

6 Learning Objects Digital Asset Learning Assessment Learning Outcomes Learning Assessment Discipline A Discipline B Activity Learning Outcomes Activity

What are the Top Three Reasons for Using Learning Objects? 1.To improve quality of the learning experience 2.To benefit from content reusability 3.To use course materials efficiently 7 S u r v e y r e s u l t s ECAR Metros and Bennett, 2002

Modularizing Digital Content NSF Digital Libraries Academic Earth Internet Archive MERLOT YouTube Google 8

Modularizing Digital Content OER Commons 9

Modularizing Digital Content iGoogle Pageflakes NetVibes Ning Facebook 10

Characteristics 11 LOOERWidget Digital XXX Reusable XXX Sharable XXX Stand-alone XXX Media Independent XXX Open to everyone X Interoperable X Collaboratively authored XXX Trusted collections X Expert or peer-evaluated XX Easy to aggregate and use X

Learning Object with Repository Model 12 Link to Learning Object

Widget with Portal-Aggregator Model 13 Widget

Widget Providers Google Gadgets Mac Dashboard Widgets iPhone Apps 14

Widgets are Proliferating…. Widgetbox –100,000+ with over 6 billion "served” Springwidgets –36,000 + YourMinis –10,000 Google Gadgets –45,000 15

Widgetbox 16

Widget Varieties RSS Feeds Blogs News Sources Images Videos Search Tools Blog Google Swicki WorldCat Blank-a-Day Word-a-Day Quote-a-Day Image-a-Day This Day in History Quizzes Language Trivia Writing Tools Blogs Message Boards To-Do lists Post-Its Misc. Games Countdowns Badges Lists 17

Educational Widgets English Level Test Learnit: learn a language in no time Grammar Girl Quiz Eco-Calculator Step by Step Math Solving Calculator Classtools.net (online widget builder) 18

Widget Capabilities Widgets can do what the Web can do… Deliver Interactive Content Enhance Information Visualization Engage with Multimedia Presentation Provide “Real Estate” for Information Push Advertise Other Sites Network Users 19

Where to Aggregate 20

Netvibes 21

iGoogle 22

Pageflakes 23

Ning

Facebook 25

USC Topoi Widget Stats Developed July-Aug, 2008 Launched September ,000+ Widget Views 280 Installs Hosted on: –ning, webct, blogger, wetpaint, gmodules, netvibes, pageflakes, wordpress 26

Pam Hood, SFSU 27

Jarod Anthony, Spokane Falls CC 28

Michael Wesch, KSU 29

The USC Topoi Widgets 30

Standalone Widget 31

Interactive Text Widget 32

Interactive Text Widget 33

JavaScript Widget 34

Intro text Sample lesson Widget instructions Portable Widget Videos Interactive Content Widgets Flash and non Flash Notepad 35

Video Lessons Videos –Recreating in-class and office hour experiences 36

Video Tour Tour of the page’s contents Instruction on how to use the widgets 37

Faculty Needs Widget building support –Programming –Design Video production Testing Revision, Editing Porting into various formats: Widgetbox, Facebook Environment: iGoogle, Pageflakes, netvibes, portal Selection of Widgets 38

Institutional Enablers Adoption and scalability plans Sustainability and integration model Assessment plan Support resources and/or funding Authoring tools 39

Contact Information Mark C. Marino Susan E. Metros 40