So my last post was about Launchy, with a quick video posted to YouTube.

There are two things I wanted to comment about, in conjunction with the last post. First, is the notion that with technology, I need to stop and think about the implications for learning– especially for tools.

Think about it. A tool like this, whether it is Launchy or some other program really has interesting potential in a learning environment. If I was working with a synchronous or a-synchronous group and had multiple websites, documents, etc… that I needed to access on even a semi-regular basis, I would add these to the list that Launchy pulls from. I would also have my student’s use this tool. It simplifies some of the process to quickly accessing materials.

I think it also very cool that it makes it very easy to launch an application. I think with a little become familiar with it, and a bit of regular use, it can make teachers and learners processes a bit smoother and faster.

Second Point

Maybe this is an aside, but after posting the video to YouTube, my first by the way, I was shocked to see that withing an hour there was a comment from someone:

I guess I’m not surprised, Launchy is similar to Quicksilver. Although I admit I was disappointed. I can see how someone entering into this space, trying to do something new, get involved in web 2.0 would be intimidated.

Honestly, who cares – I’m a PC user, I’ve taught classes for students at Indiana University, as grad student for both PC and Mac. Both platforms have pro’s and cons.

I think anyone that is using a forum like YouTube to try passing on educational materials probably needs to develop a thick skin, since you never know what will come your way. The idea of sharing and commenting is truly a powerful concept, but it is also can be scary and down right nasty if your materials is received negatively. In the case of this one video, fortunately, there was no cussing

So here’s the question, what do you see as the positives and negatives of posting to sites like YouTube for e-learning purposes?