Author Archive for Susan Smith Nash

Web 2.0 Mashup Projects: A Review

Published by Susan Smith Nash on February 8, 2008 in Tech Trends. 1 Comment

Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.

Although dynamic, integrated web applications (often called “mashups”) are increasing in number and popularity, very few manuals or guides exist that take the user step-by-step through the process of creating them. PHP Web 2.0 Mashup Projects, by Shu-Wai Chow, and published by Packt Publishing (http://www.packtpub.com), provides valuable step-by-step instructions. With this book, uses will have strategies for using the customizable homepage platforms such as iGoogle and MyYahoo, which allow users to take advantage of the client-side Javascript scripting language and the always-growing list of “gadgets,” which are applications that retrieve information from a database and then display them in the central site. It could also enable a user to build gadgets that could attract venture capital if they could form the basis of a viable business.


The term, “mashup” can be misleading. After all, ordinary web users who copy and paste code into their blog templates in order to add search tools, questionnaires, polls, maps, and links to products in order to provide functionality and entertainment for their visitors may not realize they are creating mashups. They may not have any idea that the functional chunks of code they’re importing can be called “gadgets” or “widgets” and that the dynamic links to books and products illustrate a “long tail” approach to marketing.

What those web users would acknowledge is that they appreciate how exciting it is to be able to generate your own dynamic web applications and to put them on a single page. They would love to be able to do more. For those users, Mashup Projects is ideal.

PHP Web 2.0 Mashup Projects starts from the beginning and defines a mashup as an application that allows users to “remotely consume services like Google Maps, Flickr, Amazon, YouTube, MSN Search, Yahoo!, Last.fm, and the Internet UPC database, not to mention the California Highway Patrol Traffic data” (preface) and more. The author acknowledges that many users will not really want to have to write PHP code, nor will they necessarily have server-side privileges.

Typical dynamic, integrated web applications / mashups fall into a few well-established catagories:

Maps
Social Networks
Photographs
Demographics
Financial Information
E-Commerce
Ads
Calendar
Dictionaries
Language Translation

Mashup Projects explains which platforms enable users to bring together already written scripts in order to have the functionality of a mashup. Examples include iGoogle, MyYahoo, amazon, MySpace and others. This is a kind of mashup “lite” since the user will not actually be writing any scripts to create a unique gadget, or to modify an existing gadget.

Mashup Projects begins with Amazon, one of the friendliest databases around, which actively encourages individuals to dynamically retrieve information in order to sell it. Chapter 2 shows the user how to work with an XML-RPC structure, which forms the core of the dynamic retrieval function of mashups. The request and retrieval functions are clearly details. In addition, the chapter discusses how to use other types of requests, including REST.Readers will be able to practice projects in by following the Chow’s step-by-step instructions. The user can make his or her own search engine using PHP SOAP, and then can build his or her own Video Jukebox. The process is clear and it moves from the simple to the complex, starting with writing the application and then “mashing up.”

Chapter 5 shows the user how to create a mashup using public safety data and maps to predict traffic snarls and situations. Chow very responsibly discusses the ethical issues involved in a “screen scrape” and that one should always seek approval to pull data from that is displayed on one’s website and importing it into one’s own site.

Chapter 6 shows how to integrate maps and image repositories (Google maps and Flickr). Chow builds the mashup around data on the London Tube.

For the more sophisticated web user and web programmer with experience with servers, creating mashups can be one of the most satisfying activities around. It allows one to demonstrate very creative thinking by being able to bring together unrelated clusters of information — unrelated databases, unrelated web applications - and to uncover really amazing and unique aspects. For example, shmapplets.com (http://www.shmapplets.com) brings together city maps, photographs, cultural information, and personal information to create virtual tours. As an example of a mashup that has been created by a user and made available for the public free of charge, schmapplet is pretty typical. It’s a great application, but it has a number of rough edges and limitations, which I found when I started to create my own schmapplet of Oklahoma City: http://www.schmap.com/published/beyondutopia/1267/

However, very effective mashups exist, with and without glitches, and they provide the user with very valuable information. There are a few very important considerations, which should be mentioned.

First, there are ethical considerations in developing some mashups. Chow discusses issues involved in “screen scraping” and he touches on the questions one should ask oneself when putting together information that could be confidential or lead to security and/or privacy breaches.

Second, there are important data quality issues that must be addressed. The mashups are only as good as the information that is retrieved. How do you know that the information is valid? Are important business decisions being made on the basis of the information retrieved in a mashup? Some serious errors could be made if the maps are out of date, the customer reviews are biased (or completely inaccurate), and other information is flawed.

Caution should be used when creating mashups. Good planning is of paramount importance. Shu-Wai Chow’s PHP Web 2.0 Mashup Projects (Packt Publishing 2007) is a valuable tool.

(first appeared in a slightly different form on elearningqueen.com. posted by susan)

Educational Mashups and You

Published by Susan Smith Nash on January 22, 2008 in Online Learning and Tech Trends. 0 Comments

A variety of web 2.0 applications from flickr to google map and across to rss feeds are being combined to create one seamless and integrated user experience. New software tools are being mixed and mashed together this article explores ideas about how one might combine tools to achieve educational objectives. Bottom line: Web tools and content are being mixed and matched to create interactive tools and content. What seemed to be a very 2005 kind of concept is getting “legs” due to the fact that google, yahoo, and others are making their web applications more amenable to integration. They are providing platforms and/or are encouraging the use of AJAX (asynchronous javascript and xml) that is rather rough around the edges, but produces results.

Let’s take a look at what a mashup is. A mashup combines web applications so that several can be integrated and viewed at the same time. Typical mashups import data that somehow relates to each other. For example, Frappr.com allows you to see where the visitors to your site are coming from. In certain ways, it is no different than the web traffic statistics you already get, but Frappr goes a bit further by providing actual graphics and information drawn from the various social networking sites.

Cautionary Note about Mashups: The quality is only as good as the quality of the information you’re incorporating. Case in point: mibazaar.com’s mashup of the highest paid college presidents. The information is dated – there are now $1 million college presidents – Union College in Schenectady, NY is one, RPI in Troy, NY is another.

Are they truly useful? Or, do they simply create “fun facts”?

Uses of mashups:

1—Increase participation and interaction with your social networking spaces
2—Create interesting interactive activities as a project
3—Excellent display for presentations for school or work
4—Quality control of information, sharing methods, etc.

Easy-to-Use Aggregators that Allow you to Combine Feeds:

Google Personalize Homepage: http://www.google.com (click on iGoogle)
Add a gadget for the google reader – this will allow you to get the feeds you want and need and to see them in a single place. You may choose from the menu on iGoogle, or add your own. http://www.google.com/ig

Netvibes: http://www.netvibes.com/

MyYahoo: http://my.yahoo.com/

MyEarthlink: http://my.earthlink.net

Mashups that Combine Maps and Social Networking
Frappr: http://www.frappr.com

Mashups with Audio Books
Project Gutenberg:
Librivox: http://librivox.org/
Learning Portal: http://www.learningportal.com
http://www.learningportal.com/Detail.aspx?id=WOuEzOJLJCZd59SDD%2fLY5g%3d%3d

Mashups with Podcasts:
Smithsonian Institute Podcasts: http://www.si.edu/podcasts/default.htm

Maps Mashups:

Schmapplets: http://www.schmapplets.com/
Free map mashup application

Outstanding maps mashups: http://www.mibazaar.com/
Word of caution – be aware of the source of the data. Some data is flawed, resulting in a flawed mashup.

Flickr Mashups:

AlphaLearnr: http://www.rapidmonkey.com/alphalearnr/
Helps children learn the English alphabet via Flickr photos.

Science and Data Mashups

Chemistry Quiz:
http://labs.insideflex.com/flextraining/chem101/bin/chemistry101.html
Chemistry quiz that uses strikeiron

Take a look at StrikeIron’s Data Pack
With the Super Data Pack developers can leverage multiple data sources for use within a diverse set of rich applications with no cost or commitment. StrikeIron provides the first 10,000 hits per month across all of the Web services within this Super Data Pack for FREE!
http://www.strikeiron.com/ProductDetail.aspx?p=257

posted by Susan (post first appeared, in slightly different form, on e-learning queen)

Interview with Jane Hart, Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies

Published by Susan Smith Nash on January 8, 2008 in Online Learning. 0 Comments

This week’s interview is with Jane Hart, director of the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies.

What is your name, and what is your involvement with e-learning?

I am Jane Hart. I run the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies – www.C4LPT.co.uk where I provide a free online information service about e-learning as well as consultancy and advice to businesses and education. Freely available resources at the Centre include: Directory of Tools for Learning, E-Learning Handbook, a Conference Calendar and the Top 100 Tools for Learning activity.

How did you get interested in distance education?

I have been working in the education and training world for nearly 25 years. I spent 14 years teaching in Further and Higher Education where I promoted online learning, but left in 1997 to offer professional e-learning services. This work has been focused on helping organisations understand the full potential of e-learning to address job and business performance problems.

What is your favorite new trend in distance education?

As part of my work at the Centre I keep track of new trends, technologies and tools. My favourite trend is informal learning, by which I mean realising that informational e-learning can be just as powerful and as effective as instructional e-learning – and much easier and less costly to create. The key, however, is understanding which is the most appropriate solution for any given learning or performance challenge or problem.

What is your favorite technology?

I have many favourites; but currently I very enthusiastic about the use of file sharing tools like Slideshare, YouTube, VoiceThread, Scribd, etc, which let authors embed resources into web pages to share them with others.

What kinds of instructional materials do you use in elearning?

I help my clients build a range of materials; and recently have been building screencasts, Flash-based narrated presentations, as well short tutorials.

How do you use textbooks in e-learning?

E-Book technology is a great way of making textbooks available. But more interesting is the ability to use the technology create course readers – and make these available to on-demand online or to print

What are your favorite social networks? How do you view them in e-learning?

Although I am a member of public networks like LinkedIn and Facebook, I prefer the smaller private networks that can be built with tools like Ning to invite members with common interests. For instance I am a member of Jay Cross’ Internet Time Group community where members can share their experiences of working in the e-learning profession.

Do you have a few favorite mashups or web applications that work together in innovative ways? Please describe them.

Following on from my previous response, I do like apps like Study Groups, which makes Facebook a useful tool for education. After all students are probably already members, it’s just about harnessing the technology for educational purposes!

What is your favorite quote? or, what’s a book that caught your eye recently?

“Learning is not compulsory … neither is survival” (W Edwards Denning)

interview first appeared at http://www.elearningqueen.com

Ruby on Rails: Helping Bring Together E-Learning Content and User Databases

Published by Susan Smith Nash on December 31, 2007 in Online Learning and Tech Trends. 0 Comments

A new book, just released by Packt Publishing, can help make elearning solutions more efficient by using the Ruby on Rails web development framework. Ruby on Rails (Rails for short) has become a very popular web development framework for business applications. It is ideal for training solutions because it can enable applications that do not commuicate with each other to interface in a productive way. While such a statement may not seem to mean much at first glance, a closer look into the typical corporate training environment or elearning organization yields a situation where test results, certifications, instructional materials, assessments, registrations, records, and payments are just a few of the data repositories that must communicate with each other. Ruby on Rails Enterprise Application Development: Plan, Program, Extend by Elliot Smith and Rob Nichols provides information about development as well as deployment of solutions.

The problem with canned commercial solutions, or even customized solutions by a provider such as Oracle, is that the organization changes, objectives redefine themselves, and needs emerge — all outside the capabilities of the “off the shelf” product.

Ruby on Rails is open source, and readily available for download. While there are a number of sites that provide help with installation and getting started with Rails, there are few resources for the mid-level user who would like to start using Ruby on Rails to help with both mundane tasks as well as more complex ones.

Rails is a very clear, easy-to-use framework that can be written in a text file (using notepad, for example, in Windows), which makes the creation and modification of templates a very simple task. Rails also lends itself to more complex tasks, such as data mining from several different databases that are housed in different servers and accessed using different protocols. So, in addition to making the elearning organization’s life easier with respect to organizing and integrating elearning user and content information, Rails can also help make life easier with respect to marketing, tracking, and auditing information.

One of the main advantages of using this book is that it guides the user from installation, deployment, and development (and testing) of applications.

Chapter 2 begins with a typical day at the office, and a computing task which turns out to be much more complicated and time-consuming to do than the boss who wants it yesterday would dare to imagine. The programmer is panicked, until she realizes that Rails will allow her to easily do what the boss wants, which is to gather and organize client information from multiple sales rep accounts. The chapter describes the typical database problem, the nature of the challenges, and different strategies for organizing a solution.

Chapters 3 and 4 show the user how to build a foundation for Rails and then to start to work with the web framework, which includes setting up a new Rails application, connecting Rails to a database, and migrating records to complete a database. The chapters are very detailed and contain specific code and instruction.

Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8 deal with the application experience. The Rails programmer must understand the user and how the user is going to need to use an interface in order to obtain the best results. For the daring developers, the chapters also discuss how to integrate AJAX libraries, which constitute ready-made scripts for integrating web applications. I would say that this is not for the faint of heart. AJAX scripts are notoriously finicky — just look at all the mashups that limp along and do not play nicely with the various applications they are attempting to integrate. This is most definitely the case when it comes to formatting and display. The chapters continue to roll out the most useful and most-sought-out enterprise needs, which include authentication, task tracking, and catching missing records.

Chapters 9 and 10 help refine and improve deployment of the Rails applications, and guide the user in the best way to build on one’s initial success in developing a Rails application. The tips and pointers are pragmatic. They urge the programmer to keep it simple, and to try to keep the applications as object-oriented as possible, as well as streamlined and granular.

In addition to encouraging the user of Rails to be pragmatic and to not attempt what is not feasible, the book guides the Rails application developer to a balanced philosophy — develop what you need to, to it elegantly, and don’t develop what you don’t need.

While the Ruby on Rails application manual provides specific solutions which not meet the needs of all readers, the overall organization and the discussion of how to analyze a problem and to bring it into development are extremely helpful because the tips and pointers are universal.

Ruby on Rails: Enterprise Application Development is highly recommended for corporations and elearning organizations seeking to improve quality, efficiency, and marketing of their learning solutions.

Smith, E. and Nicols, R. (2007) Ruby on Rails: Enterprise Application Development. Packt Publishing. http://www.packtpub.com/ 508 p. $49.99 US

Revew by Susan.

New Online Program Offers Chinese Language Lessons Online

Published by Susan Smith Nash on December 21, 2007 in Online Learning. 0 Comments

Chinese language learning is now possible through a coordinated series of wireless broadcasts and online podcasts. China established its first Confucius Institute on the air here Thursday at China Radio International (CRI), offering Chinese language teaching in 38 foreign languages worldwide. Uniform study materials have been compiled by the Office of Chinese Language Council International.

The reason for providing online and wireless broadcast access is to meet the surging demand overseas for Chinese language instruction. The Chinese Ministry of Education estimates that currently 30 million people overseas are learning Chinese and the figure may hit 100 million by 2010.

This step marks an expansion of the existing programs offered by on-ground, site-based Confucius Institutes, which are located throughout the world. In fact, 200 Confucius institutes have been set up in more than 60 countries to spread Chinese culture. The Beijing Confucius Institute sets up organizations known as “Confucius Institutes” to teach and spread Chinese in foreign countries.

The CI supports Chinese language education around the world, provide convenient and high-quality study conditions for students of Chinese among the general public and increase understanding among other countries of the world about Chinese language and culture.

The Confucius Institutes were named after the famous philosopher, Confucius.

Apart from the broadcast institute, the country also plans to set up a television Confucius Institute and an online database of Chinese language education.

The Office of Chinese Language Council International also announced that quality standards on Chinese language education for non-Chinese speakers would be developed and implemented. The Teaching Quality Evaluation Division will oversee quality standards for teaching, assessing, and evaluating instructional materials used in teaching Chinese as a foreign language.

This is an exciting, pioneering venture which could transform the way that people learn Chinese as a second language. It could also revolutionize the pedagogy of distance language-learning. While the precise pedagogical approach is not defined yet on the Chinese Language Council International’s website, it will be interesting to see just how the instructional materials, the activities, and the assessment will take place. It will also be very useful to see how cultural elements are integrated into the language instruction.


Confucius Institute Project: http://english.hanban.edu.cn/market/HanBanE/412360.htm

Office of Chinese Language Council International: http://www.hanban.edu.cn/en_hanban/jgsz.php

Confucius Institute at Michigan State University: http://confucius.msu.edu/

CRI Talk China: http://enpf.chinabroadcast.cn/TalkChina/

posted by susan

Interview with Franklin King: E-Learning Leadership Series

Published by Susan Smith Nash on December 13, 2007 in Online Learning and Programs and Research. 0 Comments

This week’s interview is with Franklin King, Associate Vice President for Distance Education at Jacksonville State University. His leadership has expanded educational opportunities for many individuals from diverse backgrounds and contexts. This interview is a part of a series of interviews with e-learning and distance professionals.

What is your name, and what is your involvement with distance education and/or technology?

My name is Frank King. I am the Associate Vice President for Distance Education at Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Alabama . I am also a Professor of Instructional Media.

How did you get interested in distance education?

Our regional university serves a rural area in the northeast section of Alabama . Many of our students are employed and are non-traditional. Some are involved in shift work and require flexibility in their scheduling.

On a personal level, in the early 90s a mother contacted me about her son that had been paralyzed in an accident. She desperately wanted him to continue his education and to feel that he was still a part of a learning community. At that time, there were fewer options. Her desperate cry for help completely changed my attitude towards technology and the need to search for new answers.

Similar requests have come from parents of young men and women who have been incarcerated. I believe that no one should be denied the right to learn and to belong within an educational community based solely upon an unfortunate event or bad decision.

What is your favorite new trend in distance education?

A willingness to explore new options to reach students in which the best use of a variety of technologies is utilized. I remain confident that there is no one best way to reach all students.

What is your favorite technology?

My favorite technology, on a personal level, remains interactive video-conferencing. I feel that it is underutilized and is an excellent augmentation to existing internet based courses that can result in a well balanced hybrid.

What kinds of instructional materials do you use in elearning or distance education?

Like the State of Alabama with its pioneering Alabama Connecting Classrooms and Educators Statewide (ACCESS) initiative, we make use of both the Internet and IVC. We utilize Blackboard as our course management system.

Do you have a favorite social network (LiveJournal, MySpace, FaceBook, etc.)?

FaceBook Its popularity among students ensures its vibrancy.

How do you view them in e-learning?

While not having a personal site on one of the social networks, I see the merit and the benefit of such utilization. It certainly augments the use of e-mail, cell phone usage and other personal formats in a very convenient way allowing for general postings and the sharing of information. In many ways, it is a social eportfolio that can be used effectively, or it can serve as a future detriment to the student when unwisely used.

Do you have a favorite web application (Google Scholar? MapQuest? iGoogle? Del.icio.us?).

I do use Google Scholar. For much work, however, Google is sufficient and the materials are more readily available.

What is your favorite quote? Or, what’s a book that caught your eye recently?

“A perfection of means, and confusion of aims, seems to be our main problem,” Albert Einstein

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Please scroll all the way to the bottom and check out the blogroll.

Posted by Susan

Interview with Karen Locke: Interviews with E-Learning Professionals Series

Published by Susan Smith Nash on November 27, 2007 in Online Learning. 0 Comments

What is your name, and what is your involvement with e-learning?

Karen Locke. I work at EdVisions Off-Campus High School in Minnesota. We are a project-based school associated with EdVisions, which is a nonprofit company helping to promote the use of project-based learning in different states around the country. The “parent school” was Minnesota New Country School, and we are kind of an online “offshoot”. We are a charter school and we also get money from a Gates grant from the Gates Foundation.

How did you get interested in distance education?

The opportunity to spread education based on projects (as opposed to education based on pre-written curriculum) to students at home was very exciting, so I joined the group that was designing the program.. Students in our school work at home and in the community, logging hours on projects in a variety of areas so they can get credits and graduate from high school. We help them design the projects, but they are truly self-initiated (as much as possible, since they also need to fulfill distribution requirements).

What is your favorite new trend in distance education?

I like to help students use video and/or audio presentations to show their learning. I’m also interested in the Ning network (our school has its own site) , Elluminate (our school meets there), and Classroom 2.0 (see http://classroom20.ning.com ) where teachers help introduce each other to different online resources.

What is your favorite technology?

Elluminate has been wonderful - we teach math, hold advisory meetings, see student presentations, and our students have meetings like Movie Madness (discussing current movies)

What kinds of instructional materials do you use in elearning?

Students tend to do internet research, interview experts, and we use Accelerated Math for most of our math. I also use themathworksheet.com site for designing math review sheets for special ed kids

How do you use textbooks in e-learning?

Occasionally individual kids use textbooks on something they’re interested in, but otherwise we don’t use texts.

What is your favorite quote? or, what’s a book that caught your eye recently?

Quote: “This life is a test- it is only a test. If it had been an actual life, you would have received further instructions on where to go and what to do”. (anonymous)

Book- “The Deep Democracy of Open Forums” by Arnold Mindell. This isn’t about online education, but it’s about helping organizations (including schools) to become more aware of what is happening there, raising issues that need to be dealt with and showing how to deal with them.

Interviewed by Susan Smith Nash

New E-Learning Teaching Techniques Book Useful for All

Published by Susan Smith Nash on November 26, 2007 in Online Learning. 0 Comments

Although Packt Publishing’s book on teaching techniques contains specific technical guidelines for use with the open-source learning platform, Moodle, the book is immensely useful for online instructors, designers, and administrators of other platforms. It also helps individuals integrate flash-based products (including Xplana products such as XplanaBook and XplanaVoice) into Moodle. This book helps make Moodle more accommodating to instructional content.

Packt Publishing’s Moodle Teaching Techniques (2007) by William H. Rice, IV, is a welcome addition to course developer and designers’ libraries. For example, it would work well XplanaCourse users. What sets this book apart from other texts that discuss ways to develop courses and to teach effectively online is the fact that it has a heavy Web 2.0 orientation, which means that it incorporates interactive web applications and encourages sharing and interaction, which in turn accommodates multiple learning styles and also facilitates the development of a robust, active learning community.

Moodle Teaching Techniques - Packt Publishing

Schools, not-for-profits, training institutes, and corporations that are turning to Moodle to host their online learning. They have gone to Moodle because they like the fact that it is open-source and very customizable. Many people are finding that if they use a hosting service like Site Ground (http://www.siteground.com) the hosting service is very helpful in getting the user started with exciting user applications.

If one does not have the time an energy to configure Moodle for their server, one can also use a service such as Moodle Rooms (http://www.moodlerooms.org), which exists to help individuals and organizations put together Moodle sites.

Here are the specific areas addressed in the book. Please bear in mind that what appears below is not a table of contents, and the actual content in the book is arranged in a different way. I’ve simply categorized the content along instructional lines.

The book does an outstanding job of connecting the ways to teach with specific instructions of how to do the activities in Moodle. Screenshots and captures help the reader follow what is happening.

Learning Community Activities:

Moodle Forums

Moodle Chat

Content Mastery Activities:

Quiz set-ups, solutions, and deployment

Proctored, Timed tests from Secure Locations

Content Presentation:

Lessons Settings

Lesson Instructional Materials

Sequence of Activities

Wiki: Interactive content

Supplemental Activities:

Glossaries

While the organization and presentation of the instructions is very clear, concise and easy to use, it is possible that the reader will be left asking “why” to a number of the suggestions and guidelines.

For example, in the section entitled, Need for Sequential Activities, the book states: “We don’t want our students to ‘meander’ or wander through course items. We want to enforce a specific order of resources and activities” (Rice, 2007, 88). My immediate question was, “Why? What’s wrong with meandering?”

Such questions would be well answered if the author provided a rationale, and at least two underpinnings from learning theory – one pro and one con- to help the reader gain a sense why decisions are made, and how learning is enhanced.

This book helps course developers, instructors, and administrators put together very effective Moodle-based courses that include asynchronous as well as synchronous activities.

Reference:

Rice, W. H. (2007). Moodle teaching techniques: Creative ways to use Moodle for constructing online learning solutions. Birmingham and Mumbai: Packt Publishing.

Rate Learning Management Systems

Published by Susan Smith Nash on November 24, 2007 in Online Learning and Tech Trends. 0 Comments

Interactive and Customizable Virtual Tours with Schmapplets.com

Published by Susan Smith Nash on November 23, 2007 in Online Learning. 0 Comments

With the advent of new programming that allows web applications to interact with each other, mashups are becoming more complex as well as flexible. Schmapplets.com’s map-text-image mashup is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It pulls in maps, directory information, and user reviews to create fun, interactive maps and virtual tours of many of the world’s cities. What makes it even more unique is that you can create your own virtual tour, or “schmapplet,” and share it on the web with the world.

schmapplets.com

Here are a few examples of Schmapplets:

Walking tours of famous cities. The city map guides you, and as you mouse over the locations, you get photos and text for a nice virtual tour. Unfortunately, there is no audio… yet.

Locations of restaurants in certain districts of cities. Are you looking for a Moroccan restaurant in Tribeca? There’s probably a schmapplet that will help you find it. Here’s Josh Hubbard’s Guide to Boston: http://www.schmapplets.com/joshatbc/199/

Reviews of restaurants and shopping: People can post reviews. You can post your own review of restaurants. For example, here’s Simon Mildenberg’s reviews of NYC restaurants: http://www.schmapplets.com/simon.mildenberg/213/

What makes schmapplets different than, say, hotels.com, is that you can even post a photo and more information. A word of caution, though – the experience is only as good as the data that underlies the experience. Out-of-date and incorrect information render a tourguide pretty useless. This could be a problem for Schmapplets – they need to have a dynamic database rather than a static one. I am hoping that dynamic database is exactly what they have.

Create your own virtual tour. This is what I like best about schmapplets.com. It’s a great mashup because it gives me the chance to create a virtual tour that’s visually attractive, easy to follow, and easy to use. The only downside is that the detailed maps (from google maps) are only available for a limited number of places, and so it’s hard to take a tour outside the boundaries of the premade map.

For example, I wanted to do a tour of Oklahoma oil and gas exploration and production, but was not able to go outside the boundaries of Oklahoma City. I did a “work-around” and put in stops in downtown Oklahoma City, but I actually described something else. I am sure it will confuse people, but I could not think of any other way to describe something 50 miles east of Oklahoma City.

Here’s my schmapplet, Oil and Gas Exploration in Oklahoma, located here: http://www.schmapplets.com/beyondutopia/1267

The possibilities of schmapplets underscores the reality of Web 2.0. The fact is, most people are expecting interactivity and functionality in their web experiences, and e-learning programs that do not include Web 2.0 experiences will begin to annoy and bore their students.
Posted by Susan Nash.