Two good links for Wednesday reading

1) New classroom tool. Traditional training and online learning are blending in more than just trainers' toolkits. Tools from one are being, and will be, used in the other. I gave some examples a few posts back in terms of augmented reality. Here's another example--a device that brings the polling capability that exists in most virtual classrooms to traditional classrooms. Will this take off? The article mentions that similar devices were installed--and subsequently removed because of lack of use--at Sanford University 30 years ago. But maybe now learners used to the fast-paced, interactive nature of many virtual classrooms will really take advantage of a tool like this.

2) "Theory and Practice of Online Learning." This extensive free PDF is aimed at the higher education market but there's much useful information in it for anyone developing or using e-learning. Canada's Open University has been doing distance learning for more than 30 years--these are their lessons learned. The 454-page book covers educational theory, e-learning technologies, teaching skills, copyright issues, and much more.