I think that the learning technologies timeline presents a very thorough and accurate depiction of many breakthroughs in learning technology. However, there are certain elements of it that I believe could be improved upon. The first thing I noticed was that none of the entries are really categorized in any specific fashion. While categorizing entries might not be conducive to something chronological like a timeline, I think it would be useful to categorize each entry, and then be able to manipulate the timeline to only view certain categories. For instance, if I wanted to learn more specifically about breakthroughs in computer science, I would be more interested in entries about LOGO and BASIC then entries about the Slinky and Jewelry.
Adding a categorization function to the timeline would also allow a user to create separate timelines that only contain entries pertinent to the desired topic. While this might seem redundant from the previous advantage, the difference is that one advantage is more applicable to someone looking for a specific event, and the other is more applicable for someone looking to see the progression of a specific technology over time.
I could also see a search function coming in handy for someone looking to pinpoint the development of a certain technology. I also think that in general, the addition of categorization and search functions would make the timeline more usable as a learning technology.
Another possible addition to the timeline could be a place to submit ideas for learning technologies that have not been researched yet, but are good potential candidates for a spot on the timeline. This would be ideal for someone that came up with multiple ideas of learning technologies to be reviewed, but only had a chance to do a write-up on one. It would also provide ideas for future timeline authors of technologies that could be researched that had not yet been explored.
The final thought I had was in regards to the interactivity of the timeline. I could really see a technology like Macromedia’Äôs Flash bringing the timeline to life and making it more interactive for the end user. Everything could be done in a single window on the page instead of having to launch a new page every time you click on a technology. This would increase the efficiency of the timeline as a learning technology and make it easier and more exciting to use. However, the original text timeline should always be maintained for accessibility concerns.
page last updated: Spring, 2004