I’ll try and keep this short; for myself as much as anyone else.

I was alterted this week to the March 2008 survey results for the Top 100 Tools for Learning via Judy O’Connell.

Here are my quick, initial observations (I’m sure I’d have more given the time):

  • Really pleased that del.icio.us is #1
  • Really pleased that I use 9 of the top 10 (sorry Skype!  I might get there one day)
  • It’s good that the list is a top 100 and not a top 10; simply because there are so many good tools from 10 down that to only do a top 10 would be an injustice
  • Facebook slid from equal 17th to equal 28th.  Am I surprised?  Not really; I know my interest in it has waned somewhat
  • Every Microsoft Office Application, yes every Microsoft Office Application has slid down the list…
    Word was 10th, now equal 22nd
    Excel was equal 22nd, now equal 48th
    PowerPoint was 5th, now 7th
    Publisher and Access don’t get a look in

    I think this says something about a decreasing reliance on these apps for learning, especially given the multitude of Web 2.0 tools (just scan the top 100 list) and the rise of online work products such as Google Docs and Zoho (11th and equal 36th respectively)

  • Finally, one can’t ignore how many of these Top 100 tools are free.  Software developers take note: school budgets are tight.  Thanks to Web 2.0, etc., your products inspire very cheaply-available replicas.  There are also many other exciting products out there that you can’t buy off the shelf.  Teachers will keep looking for cheap, exciting and useful tools to maximise learning.