Category Archives: Concepts

Intertwined Systems

Posted on November 27, 2017 by julianstodd

There’s an illusion of a woodcut that you may have seen: look at it, and you see the silhouette of an old women, but then, the image shifts, and you see a young woman’s face. Concentrate hard, and it shifts … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Complexity, Concepts, Control | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Learning from art: social learning in museums and the difference between virtual and real

Posted on March 20, 2013 by julianstodd

Seeking inspiration yesterday, i ventured into the Stedilijk museum in Amsterdam. It promised to help me in two ways: a world class collection of modern art and unlimited free WiFi. The perfect destination. We appreciate art on two levels: the … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetics, Art, Collaboration, Community, Concepts, Creative, Environment, Experience, Exploration, Formal Spaces, History, Knowledge, Learning, Meaning, Museum Education, Narrative, Nuance, Social Learning, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Music and learning: drawing my conclusions

Posted on February 21, 2013 by julianstodd

Today i’m finishing the first draft of my book on ‘music in learning’. In this chapter, i’m drawing the ideas together: in many ways, it’s the most fun part to write. This is the first draft of that chapter: This … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Aesthetics, Book, Communication, Concepts, Creative, Dance, Experience, Knowledge, Learning, Message, Music, Painting, Performance, Poetry, Publishing, Songs, Stories, Teaching, Technology, Words, Writing | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Learning, knowledge and meaning: Singapore Diary day 1

Posted on October 22, 2012 by julianstodd

As i’m sat in the departure lounge of Heathrow airport, waiting for the flight to Singapore, my mind turns to meaning. Take Starbucks: i’m drinking my skinny latte out of the familiar paper cup with the green logo on it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Collaboration, Community, Concepts, Culture, Global, History, Knowledge, Learning, Meaning, Stories, Words, Writing | 4 Comments

Fables or Thrillers? Why some things are harder to remember than others

Posted on August 21, 2012 by julianstodd

Some things are just easy to remember, whilst others are much harder. I was listening to an audiobook yesterday about consciousness. It gave a really fascinating view of ‘the democracy of self’, talking about how low level ‘zombie’ systems constantly … Continue reading →

Posted in Complexity, Concentration, Concepts, Curiosity, Learning, Neurology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Exploring Learning Styles: does an understanding of them make us better able to design learning?

Posted on July 17, 2012 by julianstodd

The notion of learning styles is interesting: that we can identify different ways that people learn and, through this understanding, design materials and experiences that best suit each of these styles. It’s appealing: an engineering approach that tells us we … Continue reading →

Posted in Barriers to Learning, Concepts, E-Learning, Education, Instructional Design, Learning, Learning Design, Learning Styles | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

A week of writing: Day 3 – Lego

Posted on June 27, 2012 by julianstodd

Yesterday ran in fits and starts. The morning was easy, charging through a section on the role of the guide in learning, but from there it got harder. Whilst i was putting words down, it started to feel unstructured, rambling, … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, Concepts, Learning, Meaning, Words, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Why small details make a huge difference: how do you drive a Toyota Prius?

Posted on March 29, 2012 by julianstodd

Today, i am saving the world, one mile at a time. You see, i’ve got a long journey to make and i hired a Toyota Prius, the eco pioneer vehicle of choice, with it’s ground breaking ability to run on … Continue reading →

Posted in Challenge, Complexity, Concepts, Design, Global, Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Periodic Table: using storytelling to bring a subject to life.

Posted on March 16, 2012 by julianstodd

Did you know that you can make your own sodium from seaweed? Or that the first transatlantic copper cable was laid in 1866 from Brunel’s steamship, the Great Eastern? Or that we used to be able to buy radioactive wool … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Just in time' learning, Accessibility, Book, Concepts, Effectiveness, Engagement, Information, Journalism, Knowledge, Learning, Learning Design, Learning Journey, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Heading North: Painting in perspective

Posted on March 6, 2012 by julianstodd

I realise that i’m grumpy when i paint. It’s not that i’m in a bad mood, it’s just that i’m very focused. The thing about watercolours is that they’re alive, or rather, they are until they dry, so you’re on … Continue reading →

Posted in Concepts, Creative, Ideas, Message, Narrative, Painting, Permanence, Perspective, Reflection | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments