BlogDale

Was at a demo of various impressive (though expensive, for me) software today. I really liked the integration behind Open Mind, the ways that a mindmap can easily transmogrify into an eportfolio or a Gantt chart or whatever. It’s a real timesaver if you know the direction you want to go in. Also on demo were Screenshot and Mediator.

I have some misgivings though, including that I’m sure learners all over the world are using it successfully but I struggled to see a time when they would be using all these interlinked features after they left school. How widespread is this software in sixth form, or university, or industry? If pupils learn the generic elements from which it is built up then clearly they will be able to make abundant use of the interlinking and equivalence features of the software, but it would be a shame if they learned things the other way around ie that they thought that the only way to produce a Gantt chart was from a mindmap. Similarly, although some of the features of the software are undeniably useful in the lower school, it would not be until the time for GCSE and eportfolio building that the interlinking features would come into play and even then, I would think it unlikely that they could all be used in other subjects. And then you’d have to spend time teaching firstly the principles of timelines, Gantt charting, mind mapping and site building but all within the context of the software - and the learners may not come across that software ever again, and potentially would be flummoxed when presented with something generic that might be used Out There, like Gantt Project or Open Workbench or even that M$ product for project planning (cough splutter - I wouldn’t expose kids to Open Workbench unless they were really keen on learning workflow and planning techniques), or CMap for concept mapping, or even Freemind for mind mapping. I haven’t used Visio for years but I seem to remember a project planning template in it somewhere.
All that being said, if they can come up with copy that’s price-matched to these few I mentioned I’ll gladly take it off their hands.

Also on display were some other outstanding products, including Screenshot for capturing screenshots and screencasts. Using software such as this, learners can produce on-screen annotated user guides and training videos. Would these be acceptable to the GCSE Boards in place of paper documentation? I shall endeavour to find out.

But again my reluctance to pay for software for which there is a free or open source equivalent got me twitching - isn’t the excellent Wink or Camstudio (you’ll have to Google for that one yourself) still available, and don’t they do the same thing? There might not be the same polish or panache in their execution but the end result is still dependent on the effort in making the movie in the first place.

Mediator’s a great package though. I’d have a piece of that if I could justify the cost. All donations gratefully received.