Gadzooks I missed the PLENK2010 online session

Now with all this linked together tech you would think it would be easy to remember to turn up - I don't even have to leave my desk BUT still I find it ever so hard to remember to stop doing the task I'm currently engaged in and log into the online session.

This is an interesting enquiry for me because I am quite good at committing to turn up to stuff but repeatedly find it difficult for online events. It is possible that for online learning I view that it should always happen at my own pace and timeframe and so the online events are more optional than physical ones? Or I know there will be a recording so I get a second shot? Perhaps it is just that the ease of access means I do not have to devote thought to planning my route to the venue and thus I don't schedule it so clearly.

I am struggling with this same issue when running teleconf/virtual seminars for PMRI. The academics are quite good at turning up if they say they will, but not so the practitioners. I am thinking that even with e-reminders, if you are at your desk right up to the moment (or even during) the engagement you are seen to be interruptible and free to work on other things.

So, I guess there is a question here: who (which type of participant) has the best attendance record for turning up for online events? [I am guessing participant categories to be: (1)physically present at a shared location (school); (2) self selected work location (home office, library, coffeeshop); (3) at workplace; (4) at home (leisure time).]

I'd love to know if there is any research on attendance and participation rates for both information and for credit events. A job for PLE methinks.

So I've been away for a while

it's true - I have been offline as far as blogging is concerned - seemed a little too dull to be writing about the everyday all the time and well real life was just too interesting (erm... busy is more like it).

But (terrible grammar) now as an experiment into the world of online learning I am trying on the idea of PLE (personal learning environment) an PLN (personal learning network) for size. It seems I may have been doing this already to occupy my monkey mind with its many interests but I am well open to learning new ways to aggregate and make this environment work easily for me in my time crunched world. [Excuse the typos am trying to get this done before the small person returns form school.]