Earlier this month I attended FUTUR.E.S in Africa in Casablanca, the first event to connect French, Moroccan and African digital ecosystems. Startups, academics and government shared projects in various sectors, including education. MORE

UNESCO, in partnership with Pearson , has released ten case studies of digital solutions that are inclusive for people with low skills and low literacy, helping them to participate in the knowledge society in innovative ways. MORE

Chatting about Chatbots at ATD TechKnowledge Chatbots are software programs that have conversations with people either based on a set of predefined rules, or by using algorithms that include a degree of artificial intelligence. A conversation with a chatbot may be in text or voice, or a combination of the two. While chatbots have been … The post Hey Chatbot, How Can You Help Me Learn? appeared first on Float. Conferences MORE

Continuing the focus on artificial intelligence (AI) , this weekend looks at it in education. In general, there are many fanciful AI in Ed possibilities proposed to help people teach and learn, some of which are genuinely exciting and others that just look much like today. MORE

Designing for Emergent Learning Technologies When you’re in the middle of a period of rapid technological change, such as the one we are in now with no anchor points to hang onto in sight, it can seem never ending. In reality, change often occurs slowly, sometimes even imperceptibly, and is only apparent after a long … The post Punctuated Equilibrium: Shifting from the Familiar to a New Normal appeared first on Float. Conferences Mobile Development Pedagogy and Learning MORE

Last month CO.DESIGN published the 10 New Principles of Good Design (thanks Air-bel Center for the link). The article, which is based on a set of industrial design principles from the 1970s, makes for important reading. MORE

Utilizing Presence in Augmented?Reality Reality Applications to Improve Learning Outcomes Steve Richey, a software developer here at Float who focuses on mobile, augmented reality, and machine learning has written an article for the International Society of Performance Improvement on Utilizing Presence in Augmented-Reality Applications to Improve Learning Outcomes. MORE

Classrooms were developed in Prussia in the 1770s as a new technology for dissemination of information that the state wanted students to know. Its purpose was to efficiently deliver a standardized curriculum to as many young people as possible, and in the 19th century, universal compulsory education at the elementary grades was available in most … The post Rapid Doubling of Knowledge Drives Change in How We Learn appeared first on Float. Pedagogy and Learning learning microlearning MORE

There are over half a billion children living in countries affected by conflict and disasters , making them three times more likely to be out of school than children living in stable, but low-income countries. MORE

It’s nearly here! ATD Techknowledge is just around the corner. Are you attending? Come talk with us. As technology makes vast advancements we have to keep learning more and more about these changes. At ATD’s TechKnowledge in San Jose taking place from Jan 24th-26th, there will many learning opportunities jam packed into a three day … The post ATD TechKnowledge 2018 – What’s Float Got in Store? appeared first on Float. MORE

After five years researching the effectiveness of non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the USA, Stanford University lecturer Kathleen Kelly Janus found that while 75% of NPOs collect data, only 6% feel they are using it effectively. Just to be clear, these were not all tech organizations.). MORE

Creating killer content is critical to ICT4D success. One of the major barriers to digital uptake is a lack of incentives to go online because of a lack of relevant or attractive content. MORE

While ICT4D innovates from the ground up, most tech we use comes from the top. Yes, it takes a little time for the prices of commercial services in Silicon Valley to drop sufficiently, and the tech to diffuse to the audiences we work with, but the internet and mobile have made that wait short indeed. MORE

In an increasingly online world, people need digital skills to work and live productively. One of the major barriers to digital uptake is a lack of these skills. Across Africa, seven in ten people who don’t use the Internet say they just don’t know how to use it. MORE

As we saw recently, when it comes to big data for public services there needs to be algorithmic accountability. People need to understand not only what data is being used, but what analysis is being performed on it and for what purpose. Further, complementing big data with thick, adjacent and lean data also helps to tell a more complete story of analysis. MORE

In 2018 around half the world’s population will be online, which is a major achievement. It also means there is still much work to be done to include the other half. The next four billion users look different to those already benefiting from digital opportunities for livelihoods, life and work. MORE

The use of big data by public institutions is increasingly shaping peoples’ lives. In the USA, algorithms influence the criminal justice system through risk assessment and predictive policing systems, drive energy allocation and change educational system through new teacher evaluation tools. MORE

We know that the first step to good human-centered design is understanding your user. IDEO calls this having an empathy mindset, the “capacity to step into other people’s shoes, to understand their lives, and start to solve problems from their perspectives.” MORE

Artificial intelligence (AI) was one of the hottest topics of 2017. A Gartner “mega trend,” their research director, Mike J. MORE

We live in an era, according to the Economist , that is post-truth. Especially in politics, this time sees “a reliance on assertions that ‘feel true’ but have no basis in fact.” ” In 2016, post-truth was the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year. MORE

I recently attended my first Online Educa Berlin conference and found it to be very interesting. With over 2,000 attendees there are enough sessions for you to really dive into whatever is your particular edtech passion. There are also a large number of exhibitors. MORE

There is only one week left until Learning Solutions Conference & Expo 2018 in Orlando, FL. Will you be attending? Come and chat with us at the expo! As the learning industry is growing and developing we have to keep up on the newest ideas and solutions. At The eLearning Guild’s: Learning Solutions Conference & Expo 2018 from … The post Learning Solutions Conference & Expo 2018 appeared first on Float. Conferences conference eLearning Guild Learning Solutions LSCon MORE

Quartz Africa reports that last year feature phones took back market share from smartphones in Africa. The market share of smartphones fell to 39% in 2017 (from 45%), while feature phones rose to 61% (from 55%). MORE

Intrigued with learning more about how xAPI is revolutionizing the learning community? Join us on Tuesday March 20th, 2018 at 2:30pm EST for a webinar hosted by IEEE Technical Advisory Group on xAPI. The webinar will consist of a 30 minute session followed by 15 minutes after reserved for Q&A. Chad Udell will be speaking on behalf … The post TAG xAPI Webinar on March 20th, 2018 appeared first on Float. Webinars Experience API free webinar webinar xAPI MORE

UNESCO, in partnership with Pearson , has released the final batch of case studies of digital solutions that are inclusive for people with low skills and low literacy, helping them to participate in the knowledge society in innovative ways. MORE

Experience the Affordances of Augmented Reality at TechKnowledge 2018 The invention of modern classrooms in the 1770s separated information about a subject from the real-world context in which that information actually occurs. The introduction of enterprise-level classroom training after World War II, brought this trend into corporate learning. Augmented reality (AR) is a new technology … The post What Does AR for Learning Enable That Previously Wasn’t Possible? MORE

Curious about the future of Augmented and Virtual Reality? Join us for a webinar hosted by Yet Analytics on Wednesday, December 6th at 1 pm EST on the topic of Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality + xAPI: Tracking Next-Gen Learning. The AR/VR + xAPI: Tracking Next-Gen Learning webinar hosted by Yet Analytics features Melissa Milloway, Hugh Seaton, and Chad Udell. The … The post AR/VR + xAPI: Tracking Next-Gen Learning Webinar on December 6th, 2017 appeared first on Float. MORE

The rapid uptake of mobile technology in Africa has, for some time, been the source of much excitement. In less than twenty years the continent “leapfrogged” landline telecommunications to enlist half a billion mobile subscribers. MORE

Are you curious about the ways that you can use our innovative microlearning and performance support platform SparkLearn™ with other technologies in your learning ecosystem? Maybe you want to learn if SparkLearn could work for your company with platforms that you already use daily. Or do you want to learn what SparkLearn can do for your … The post SparkLearn is Now Connecting to Watershed appeared first on Float. Experience API Blogs sparklearn xAPI MORE