Category: Learning & access

In April 2009, a dozen 53-foot tractor trailers delivered the latest blockbuster exhibit — Harry Potter: The exhibition — to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The exhibit was big on magic, with 400 costumes and props from the films, including 17 wands, Harry’s famous round glasses, the Marauder’s Map, Harry’s Nimbus 2000 broom, Hermione Granger’s Yule Ball gown, and a lot of oversized furniture. The movie props were big draw. The exhibit was at the start of its tour, and the Chicago museum was the first venue. (more…)

Tina Rosenberg wrote in a blog post for the NYTimes last week, about microconsignment, which is..

A way for village entrepreneurs to sell innovative and important products for which there is no established market — such as solar lamps, water purifiers, stoves and reading glasses — without having to take on debt. (more…)

Do we need yet another online version of Economics 101? Why are universities putting courseware online, and what’s in it for students and schools? Inside Higher Ed’s post by Steve Kolowich, “Online Courseware’s Existential Moment,” discusses the world of open courseware, and what the next chapter may look like. He includes a short interview with Taylor Walsh, author of Unlocking the Gate, a new book about how universities are opening up access to courses. Here are some key points and excerpts from the article:

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Like museums in the physical world, WebExhibits presents information that is, for the most part, timeless. Yet WebExhibits also demonstrates a radical departure from physical museums, in terms of 24/7 accessibility, adaptation to support multiple learning styles, and cost-effectiveness. As of October 2010, 75% of U.S. households have high-speed Internet access, and virtually all students have Internet access at schools or libraries.

Virtual exhibits are cost effective. It costs only a few pennies to serve a WebExhibits visitor, in contrast with a typical U.S. museum’s cost of $23 per visitor.

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If you share our passion for leveraging technology to increase scientific, artistic, and cultural literacy, then get involved! You can nurture bold ideas so that they grow and flourish. (more…)

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria In summer 2008, IDEA collaborated with the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria on their Warhol: Larger than Life exhibition. Working with Jonathan Lathigee and curator Helen Delacretaz of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, IDEA helped adapt its interactive color-changer of Andy Warhol’s famous Marilyn Monroe silkscreens into a kiosk that visitors

Adding depth to online learning through hands-on experiments. (more…)

  Interactivity helps explain why the sky is blue. Problem Some subjects are naturally difficult to teach, while others are perceived as tedious. Teaching through the use of static text and images leads to a passive learning experience that doesn’t engage students. As a result, students’ attentions wane and the information isn’t assimilated. Solution Introduce

Enriching the learning experience with interactivity. Students become disengaged and learn less when information is presented passively, such as through lectures or static text. Although your web site may contain a wealth of educational information, the way the information is presented may not be engaging your visitors. When learners aren’t engaged, they don’t assimilate the

  There are 3 theories that can help guide and inform what you do online so that your final product will make sense. Interaction is a critical component of any learning environment – whether it is a school classroom, a corporate training room, or an educational website. While students may respond differently to particular learning