November 30, 2006
DigiLab now open in the OU Library...
The Digilab - a playspace for new technologies - opened in the Library a couple of days ago:
DigiLab is a showcase for tools, technologies and resources illustrating how today's technology can nurture tomorrow's learners. The long term aim will be to provide visitors with guides explaining how engaging interactive materials achieve successful learning outcomes. It is hoped that exploration of DigiLab will spark the creativity of the multi-disciplinary teams who develop our learning materials
As well as the room itself, DigiLab is also sponsoring the loan of Gameboys, PSPs, iPods etc etc from the library loans desk. (In fact, borrowing some of these items has been possible for a year or so now - I remember taking an OU Library iPod away for Christmas, and a PSP out a few weeks later.)
A Nintendo Wii Console is apparently on order... I think it'd be good if they got a Nabaztag WiFi Rabbit too:
DigiLab bookmarks are being collected on a delicious account with username digilab; there's also a DigiLabrarian avatar in Second Life - Kayla Vielle - and a Second Life avatar DigiLab patrons can 'borrow' - Digi May.
Anyway, now the room is open to all, I've started wondering about what sorts of thing it would be good to do in there, and how we might be able to use the room to get an ad hoc viral buzz going about different technologies.
Here's one possible format, inspired by an excellent link that I was sent a day or two ago (from someone who doesn't blog yet (...)) to a video that demonstrates the use of a beautiful tool for animating UN socio-economic data (?):
(If your feedreader can't cope with embedded Google Video, check here: Ideas Worth Spreading: Hans Rosling from TED 2006.)
When I saw this movie, I thought it was just the sort of thing to summon the troops around and watch over a coffee, followed by a bit of a play: http://tools.google.com/gapminder (interesting URL, I thought...?). You can also find more info at Gapminder.
Admittedly the lack of a coffee machine in the DigiLab makes coffee a little tricky right now, but apparently it's on the cards :-)
PS At the DigiLab launch, PVC (Learning and Teaching) let it be known that he was getting a fund together to support something along the lines of beta.open.ac.uk (or labs.open.ac.uk) which could be used to try out experimental presentation models. If I get more concrete details, I'll post them either here or on my little used Nous internal blog. If any internal readers have more info about this, please add a comment... If anyone is interested in making a pitch using tools or techniques mentioned in the OUseful blog, mail me...
Posted by ajh59 at November 30, 2006 06:45 PM