Ein weiterer Artikel mit dem ich mich im Zuge der Lehrveranstaltung “Technology Enhanced Learning“, abgehalten an der Technischen Universität Graz (TU Graz), beschäftigt habe, ist: “Information and communication technologies in the life of university freshmen: An analysis of change“ [1]. Die Studie versucht Antworten auf die folgenden Fragen zu finden:

What is the self-perception of ICT competences among freshmen and is there a change in this self-perception 6 months after entering the university?

How often and for what purpose do freshmen use a computer and is there a change in the frequency of the use of the computer?

What factors might influence this attitude, behaviour, and possible change?

Es wurde eine Studie mit 714 “freshmen” einer großen Universität durchgeführt um die Antworten auf diese Fragen zu finden. So wird gezeigt, dass der Computer ein persönliches Lernwerkzeug für Studierende wird und Studierende konnten einerseits nach 6 Monaten ein höheres Wissen im Umgang mit dem Computer aufweisen, womit auch die Internetkompetenz geschult wurde.

Autoren:
Jef C. Verhoeven and Dirk Heerwegh and Kurt De Wit

Referenz:
[1] Jef C. Verhoeven and Dirk Heerwegh and Kurt De Wit. Information and communication technologies in the life of university freshmen: An analysis of change. Computers & Education, (55)1:53 – 66, 2010. [BibSonomy: communication information lifetechnologies tel2010 university] URL

Related articles

• [publication] Interactive Lecturing by Integrating Mobile Devices and Micro-blogging in Higher Education (elearningblog.tugraz.at)
• Teaching and Learning in Higher Education – An Integral Approach (slideshare.net)

In the following video Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) presents an impressive way to teach applied mathematics. I hope that some of our professors will watch this video and keep some of the ideas in mind.

(via e-Learning Blog)

At this years International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques (SIGGRAPH2009) a touchable holography was presented by the University of Tokio. It is a kind of holography that you are able to feel and interact with. Great development that you can see in the following video:

The first page of the presented scientific paper called “Touchable Holography” can be downloaded here.

One of the highlights of October’s Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco was the emergence of ‘Semantic Apps’ as a force. Note that we’re not necessarily talking about the Semantic Web, which is the Tim Berners-Lee W3C led initiative that touts technologies like RDF, OWL and other standards for metadata. Semantic Apps may use those technologies, but not necessarily [ReadWriteWeb 2007].

ReadWriteWeb has published a great list of 10 interesting semantic apps at the end of 2007. Now in year 2009 some of them have matured. Check out Freebase which let’s you access a huge space of linked open datasets.

First BarCamp in Graz November 2008

This weekend the first BarCamp of Graz, Austria is going on. Location is the Karl-Franzens University and today it is going to start at 10.00 o’clock am. BarCamps are a growing type of events. A BarCamp is a so called unconference. On wikipedia you can read:

BarCamps are organized and evangelized largely through the web, harnessing what might be called a Web 2.0 communications toolkit. Anyone can initiate a BarCamp, using the BarCamp wiki.

The procedural framework consists of sessions proposed and scheduled each day by attendees, mostly on-site, typically using white boards or paper taped to the wall. This is a form of the open-space approach and has been dubbed, with another play on words, The Open Grid approach.

While loosely structured, there are rules at BarCamp. All attendees are encouraged to present or facilitate a session. Everyone is also asked to share information and experiences of the event, both live and after the fact, via public web channels including (but not limited to) blogging, photo sharing, social bookmarking, wiki-ing, and IRC. This open encouragement to share everything about the event is in deliberate contrast to the “off the record by default” and “no recordings” rules at many private invite-only participant driven conferences.

Well it’s my first BarCamp and I am very looking forward. If you would like to participate, just come to the location and participate. Registration is free and everybody who is interested is welcome. If you cannot participate you can follow the BarCamp on Twitter, TwitterSearch, or on my Weblog.

Additional information about the first BarCamp in Graz, Austria can be found at the BarCamp Graz Wiki.

Tomorrow I will write the first mathematical analyis exam for this term. By now I solved all the exercise sheets and I think that I am well prepared. Need to pass this lecture this year since it is the last term of my undergraduate studies. Professor Grabner presented us this video about the mathematical analyis:

What do you think about this video? I think it’s weird. Well wish me luck for tomorrow. For further Information check out the website of the lecture “Analysis T1“

I have found a very interesting video on YouTube regarding the history of the European Union. Please have a look at it.

Europe Union New and Old?

The seminars of the European Forum Alpbach have started today. One Seminar that I am attennding is called “Europe Old and New?” held by Fraser Cameron, Senior Adviser, European Policy Centre, Brussels and Gregor Woschnagg, Retired Ambassador, Republic of Austria, Vienna. Today we are briefly discussing the past 50 years of the European Union as well as some present issues for example the Reform Treaty.

I will post fotos regularly on my Mobile Blog, please have a look at it!

One book that I would like to recommend you is “An Introduction to European Foreign Policy” written by Fraser Cameron. It gives you a very good introduction to the European Foreign Policy, please have a look at it.

The European Forum Alpbach has started and is going on for the next two weeks. I am really looking forward in participating in different seminars as well as fireside talks.