Highlights From mLearnCon 2013

main stage at mLearnCon 2013

Despite being a "first-timer" to the Mobile Learning Conference and Expo (or "mLearnCon"), I thoroughly enjoyed my time.  Now that I have not only successfully attended the conference, but also given two presentations, I believe I qualify as a "seasoned veteran".  Maybe.  :)

So, with that in mind, here are some brief highlights from my interaction at mLearnCon 2013 (in no certain order).

Conference Backchannel
mLearnCon has created a wonderful way to follow the events, information, and thoughts of the presenters, vendors, and general attendees.  Fueled by attendees' Twitter hashtags, the backchannel provides great insight to the constantly-changing technological flavor of the conference.
This is further enhanced by Hashcaster (http://mlearncon.hashcaster.com/), "a real-time Twitter curation platform setup by your mLearnCon organizer to help you find the best content tweeted at mLearnCon and to help you easily identify and connect with top influencers."

mLearnCon2013 presentation #1

Presentation #1
Despite occurring immediately after lunch - making both the speaker and the audience slightly lethargic - my presentation was a success.
Attendees to "B.Y.O.L.: Touch & GO: Quickly Enhancing Lectora for Gesture-based Interaction" were able to get some technical tips on specific projects they had in mind.
Discussion continued even long after the presentation was over (...my apologies to the person presenting directly after me..!), as an attendee and I traded notes on 3D software and how to best implement JavaScript code for gestures in Lectora and other HTML5 projects.

Presentation #2
With a great turnout and good audience participation/interactions, "Nuff Said: Tips and Tricks from Digital Comics to Breathe Life into Your HTML5" went smashingly.
Several Tweets were fired off that focused on various aspects and info nuggets from this  presentation ... and another long discussion after the end made this event a great one to be part of.
Thanks to everyone that came out and contributed to the discussion.  You all rock!

And finally...

artsy...AND mysterious

Hotel paintings that make me think they're really QR codes
I still think it's a code...

Which is better - jQuery Mobile or Sencha Touch ?

Mobile created with jQuery Mobile

Sure.  Despite maintaining a level of professional agnosticism (the right 'tool' for the job is the one that works at the time), I have my own preferences on which code to use...doesn't everyone?  But which one - jQuery Mobile or Sencha Touch - is "better" for creating content for mobile apps?

DZone's Mitch Pronschinske offers his take on which is best, based on a group discussion / comparison of the two frameworks, in his entry, "Cage Match! Sencha Touch vs. jQuery Mobile" (http://css.dzone.com/articles/sencha-touch-v-jquery-mobile).

Mobile created with Sencha Touch

While there are no "spoiler alerts" needed, Pronschinske warns readers that the end result (of which one is better) is subjective, at best.  However, he does offer vast insite and discussion of the two frameworks, that goes beyond the simple, 'surface scratching' most websites provide.

Go on...go read it and get more information about the nuts and bolts of these code-sets.  Then, let us know what you decide is best !

Adventures at MLDC2012

mLearning DevCon 2012 (http://www.mlearningdevcon.com), happening in Philadephia, PA, October 2-5, 2012, is sure to be an exciting event this year with many great topics and speakers.  As we close on the final hours before the big event, ICF will be well-represented with three speakers and four topics.

Greg Gardner will present two separate topics:

• 10-03 S5 - How to skin mLearning content with your own CSS
• 10-05 S29 - Creating iBooks Content for iPad

Mike Raines will present:

• 10-03 S3 - A 'Flash' of Freshness: Repurposing Existing Flash Content for Use in Mobile

Michael Sheyahshe (that's me!) will present on:

• 10-04 S12 - Nuff Said: Tips/Tricks from Digital Comics to Breathe Life into Your HTML5 mLearning

Here's what you can expect to see with my 'Nuff Said' presentation topic:

• Stan Lee (well...not 'in the flesh', as it were...)
• Print Comics
• Digital Comics
• Comic Book 'Language'
• Theoretical Ideas of Visual Rhetoric/Presentation
• Comic Book 'Apps'
• The Hulk !
• The Android Logo (heh)
• Real-World HTML5 Examples
• JavaScript/jQuery Code
• Advanced Online Examples
• ...and so much more !

Be sure to join us at MLDC2012, if possible.  You can also follow our Philly adventures on Twitter: @mas_edev, @eLearnDevGeek, & @gardelearndev.  Excelsior !

HTML5 or Flash ?

Ok. I'll admit, right up front, that I'm not going to take sides on this one.  I've been a long-time developer using both HTML-based and Flash-based solutions. I'm quite comfortable using either technology to get the job done.

To use a mechanical analogy: Say you hand me either a pair of needle-nose pliers OR a pair of lineman's (or "combination") pliers. These are certainly different tools and have different functions...but, I can sure squeeze/pinch/etc. the heck out of something with either one. The same can be said for HTML5 or Flash; each have their own specific set of advantages, but both come in quite handy, when it comes to getting the job done, especially from a software solutions perspective.

A recent blog article on http://www.trainingindustry.com further discusses HTML5 and Flash's differences, but supports the above idea that either/both technologies work well. The article goes on to discuss "HTML5 in Learning Solutions" and highlights some advantages. Namely, Semantics, Multimedia, Graphics, Device access, and Offline Storage. I'd suggest viewing the article at http://www.trainingindustry.com/learning-technologies/articles/using-html5-in-learning-solutions.aspx to get the full description behind these.
One part of the article stands out to me, which I will quote here:

HTML5 in Learning Solutions: Collaborative Learning
There is yet another aspect to the learning equation and how HTML5 can play a role that is quite distinct in the world of learning solutions, with respect to social collaboration. Just about everyone is familiar with social networks these days and the benefits of staying connected in the personal and professional world. HTML5 makes it easy to build solutions around collaboration among a group of experts and learners. Collaboration in the online world is so powerful that it can change the way everything works.

I agree with much of this. Thinking towards social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or other, it becomes clear that we developers need to plan for implementation of these technologies, not matter what platform for which we are creating content. Take the JSFiddle example below, showing how easy it is to grab Tweets using jQuery. Click the 'Result' button to run the simple script.

 Of course, this is a rudimentary example, but think of the possibilities implementing the social aspect for our clients, as we deploy to desktop units or even mobile devices, using HTML5.  Certainly, I am not taking sides here - I will continue to use both Flash and/or HTML5 where needed...however, I use the example above to remind us, as developers, that we can continue to think past our current technological reach.


For now, we'll see how the comparison between the two solutions work out. I'd wager that both will be around for quite some time, for us to all argue over, even if one dies on the vine. (...I mean, there are still developers out there programming in Authorware, right?)