Posts tagged with "vle"

One of my first findings while looking at the first app of 12 apps for Christmas is that the content viewer in the BB Student App doesn't display Blackboard Learn's own content very well:

https://twitter.com/cpjobling/status/804293517493338112

I wondered why so I did an experiment with Chrome for iPhone, and the content displays fine.

https://twitter.com/cpjobling/status/804296889629872128

In a follow up to my tweets, Sue Tucker (@sueinasp) pointed out that even the basic rich text handling is inferior.

https://twitter.com/sueinasp/status/804298022796394496

So I have to wonder why developers keep building inferior versions of their web apps as native apps in the mistaken belief that's the only kind their users will accept.

I also have to ask Blackboard why their Student App's content viewer isn't just an embedded Safari web browser? Or alternatively, why not disinvest in the mobile apps space and just make Blackboard Learn itself fully responsive?

Progressive Web Apps¶

If you want to learn more about this topic, Google has coined the term Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) to describe modern-web-browser-based web applications that are as good (if not better) than native web apps. It is also promoting the development of PWAs in its developer advocacy. See, for example, Learn How to Develop the Next Generation of Applications for the Web.

Developer Advocate Christian Heilmann (@codepo8), once of Mozilla and now of Microsoft, also promotes PWAs on his twitter feed and at conference engagements. For example see:

https://twitter.com/codepo8/status/804301835918053376

On Friday I stumbled across #GuildChat which was discussing the Learning Management System (LMS) or what we in the UK call the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

As a long-time participant in Wednesday's #LTHEchat (@LTHEchat) I expected the chat to be "storified", but as it wasn't, I've taken the liberty of making my own record. Here it is.

View the story "#GuildChat Readdress the LMS" on Storify

About #GuildChat and #LTHEchat¶

#GuildChat is a weekly Tweet Chat hosted by the eLearning Guild (@eLearningGuild)-- a US membership organization that seems similar to the UK's Association for Learning Technology (@A_L_T).

GuildChat takes place every Friday at 2:00 pm EST (7:00 PM BST).

LTHEchat takes place on Wednesdays (during term time) at 8:00 PM BST. More information is to be found at LTHE.com.

What's a Tweet Chat?¶

Tweet chats are an excellent way to build a professional network and to engage in "bitesize" Continuing Professional Development (CPD). For more information on the benefits of and how to participate in a tweet chat, I recommend Introducing Tweet Chats by #LTHEchat co-founder and colleague Sue Beckingham (@suebecks).