H817 open course 2013-05-18 09:33:00

Posted by G Oliver, OU in activity 10 | Tagged | Comments Off
18May2013
Activity 10 - Sustainability


In his report for OECD in 2007, David Wiley defined sustainability as ‘an open educational resource project’s on-going ability to meet its goals’. Wiley proposed three models of sustainability, which he labelled:

·         the MIT model (all courses offered by MIT, a large organisation, with a high degree of control and high cost per course offered)

·         the USU model (many courses offered by USU, a medium sized organisation, with a small degree of control, and a smaller cost than MIT)

·         the Rice model (many courses offered anywhere, by a small organisation, at no cost and virtually no control)

Using these criteria, the four open education initiatives compare as follows:-

Change MOOC – uses the Rice model mainly, with lots of contributors and no cost, but controlled by the instigators of the course (which is the MIT model)

Coursera – appears to use the USU model.

Jorum – uses mainly the Rice model, but it has a very large number of courses, giving the feel of a large organisation.  It wasn’t obvious what degree of control there was.

OpenLearn – is the MIT model, with a high degree of control, and all courses produced by the OU

It’s not always easy to see which of Wiley’s models was used, mainly because you can’t always see the authorship of the courses straightaway.  As a student of the OpenLearn (and OU) set-up, it was easier to ‘find’ the ownership of these courses, but to a non-student, the OpenLearn set-up would not have been transparent.
 
Personal comment - not part of the Activity :-)
This is hard work now, as the course has finished, but I'd done most of the reading for the Activity, so reckoned I might as well carry on for as long as I could - but holidays, gardening, sailing, etc get in the way.  I don't know how people who work full time manage to keep up, but maybe they don't do the holidays and other stuff.  Or maybe they are more driven and dedicated!!
 

ocTEL Week 5 – Learning Styles

Posted by jim pettiward in #ocTEL | Tagged | Comments Off
16May2013

I’m currently involved in running professional development sessions for staff looking at how they can use various technologies, including our VLE (Blackboard) in their teaching and development. The aim of the sessions is to showcase what the various technologies can be used for and try to stimulate interest and enthusiasm among teaching staff, rather than ‘click-after-me’ style training sessions.

The latest session I ran was about Developing a Personal Learning Network, so I'll look at that in relation to learning styles. As staff are so time-poor, we're currently experimenting with giving a one-hour session which is largely aimed at showcasing examples, giving the rationale for using certain technologies and discussion of the issues, followed by a 'free practice' practical session which staff can choose to stay on for if they want to try things out and get support while they do so. The session is also supported by a website and a Blackboard module which contains examples of the technology tools covered in the session, links to further information (both theoretical and practical), a Discussion Forum and so on, which allows staff to catch up, fill in the gaps as and when they have time. 

For the learning styles task, I tried to breakdown the four types of learning style (diverging, assimilating, converging, accommodating) outlined by Kolb into the types of learning approach/activity related to it, then thought about how I try to include these in my sessions.

(I’m uneasy about pigeon-holing individuals into one of these specific learning styles. In my view, many learners display different traits which could belong to any of these styles, depending on what they’re learning, who they’re learning with, their level of motivation etc. I also notice that Kolb has recently expanded these 4 learning styles to 9 (Initiating, Experiencing, Imagining, Reflecting, Analyzing, Thinking, Deciding, Acting and Balancing) which makes me wonder what happened to the original 4 mentioned below…

Having said that, despite my suspicion of learning styles generally, I do think there's some merit in thinking about learning styles, and trying to identify learners who have more of one kind of style than another, even if only to remind ourselves that when it comes to learning, one size doesn't fit all.

Developing a Personal Academic Network

LEARNING STYLE                               ACTIVITY/APPROACH


Diverging
Look at things from different perspectives
Watch rather than do
Gather information
Brainstorm
Work in groups
Personal feedback

·        Start session with brief discussion in pairs / small groups to find out what they know and their ideas on the subject
·        Find out who uses which types of Social Media and what they use them for
·        Demonstrate my own Personal Learning Network

Assimilating
Logical approach
Clear explanation
Abstract concepts
Reading
Models/diagrams

·        Small section devoted to how to use a particular technology – e.g. Twitter, Diigo etc (followed up after initial one hour session)
·        Explain rationale behind building your own PLN and how it can help expand access to research and expertise
·        Provide links to further reading/theory in module and on website
·        Diagram of my PLN

Converging
Problem-solving
Technical tasks
Work with practical applications

·        Set up a tool during the session, or, if short of time, set aside time after session for questions/hands-on working with tools
·        Allow participants to try setting up instance of tools themselves and provide support where necessary

Accomodating
Practical approach
New challenges
Gut instinct
Work in teams
Set targets

·        Discussion Forum and Groups set up in Blackboard module to support session
·        Allow time after session for hands-on practice setting up/using tools (they might need less help)
·        Ask participants which tools they aim to use and to report back in next session



Could it be that I have finished a MOOC?

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15May2013

I was a bit concerned that by adding my end of MOOC video to an old blog post may have caused confusion, so here it is again for good measure.   A lot has passed since I had to leave prematurely, 3000 words on H817 and a busy week of group projects.  (Both of these encourage me more even more on my journey towards MOOC enthusiasm.)

The Final Week7 Activity gave us the option to create a video  ”Your experience of studying an open course versus traditional, formal education”.  Here’s mine:

This is based on a prior post Outed as a fan of MOOCs


Connectivism ???

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14May2013

Connectivism – George Siemens

In the world of Higher Education and among well-motivated and intelligent students there is probably a case for seeing Connectivism as one theory of learning but not the only one and Siemens conclusion that “The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe” seems almost absurd . . . I doubt whether many oil companies would concur that the oil pipe is more important than the oil that it contains . . . the oil pipe will not per se bring in revenue. The water pipe network in my house will not keep me warm in winter . . . it is, of course, one of the essential elements in my heating system but there are others equally essential, viz. boiler, pump, water, electricity and gas. Take out any of these and I will feel very cold.
“When knowledge, however, is needed, but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes a vital skill”. This statement is undoubtedly true, but this “ability” is often a skill learned much earlier in life . . . mostly, the necessary skill has been taught by a skilled tutor, e.g. learning to swim, to play a musical instrument well, etc.
Connectivism cannot be regarded as an all-embracing, universal learning theory; it is more a reminder that we have many more learning tools available to us, living in the Digital Age, and a reminder, too, that technology is changing fast.
Our five-year old children are not likely to pick up an IPad and form a social network so that they can learn to read and write – they are taught to read and write.
Furthermore, Connectivism is mostly, mediated through language and culture, and, in a universal world that is so disparate in many ways, both of these factors can impede successful learning.
Moreover, for a learning process to be successful, students need to be told (or learn) how to discriminate between worthwhile knowledge and that which is worthless or misleading – peer-group networks are not sufficient


Activity 25. Reflection on openness

Posted by gitte bailey hass in activity 25 | Tagged | Comments Off
12May2013


    To activity 25 I had to create a video, in which I had to reflect on what I learned in h817open, covering one of three elements. I chose 

    • What aspect of openness in education interests you most (and why)? 

    I wanted to create the video by remixing common licence ressources with my own stuff (photos, screen casts from my former h817open blog posts etc). By purpose I made it a little messy to illustrate the diversity, that powers the networks and learning processes. 
    Please have a look below  :)









    Tech I used to make the video:
    1. Screencast-O-Matic
    2. Pixlr.com
    3. iMovie
    4. FLV Spider Pro
    5. Jaksta

    Remixed / revised video clips:
    1. Wheat Time lapse
    2. Bean time lapse
    3. Dave Cormier, Embracing uncertainty

    Remixed / revised photos:
    1. bluebell, by Dominic's pics on Flickr
    2. Network, by Dan Zen
    3. Road, by Moyan Brenn  
    4. Class, by Trondheim Byarkiv
    5. Dave Cormier, by cogdogblog
    6. Stephen Downes, by Stephen Downes
    7. OER, by Martin Weller
    8. Smiley, by Glitter Graphics 

    Remixed / revised music:
    1. Soleil levant, Waxstar on www.jamendo.com



    Awarded with Badge 14.05.13

      Getting together to get it all together

      Tagged | Comments Off
      12May2013
      I am loving the first week of collaborating on digital diaries project #h817... as there has been a lot of activity and energy generated in getting the tasks up and running...this has dissolved a lot of my anxieties about the group project... I started to think about Carl Jung's idea of the collective unconsciousness where the individual mind merges with that of others, but this does not represent what is happening here with our individuality, diverse interests and knowledge, we are remaining individual but working together... so my image of the concentric circles represents this collective circling where without hierarchy we are all responsible for and have equal stake in the project ... in theory ... although many collectives become the place of the most dominant power struggles I have ever been witness to so hopefully this won't happen!!! ... I am mindful of those team members who may be finding it harder to take part at present and want to ensure I am able to support them into the process as there is nothing worse than being a bit behind at the start and feeling like everyone has left you at the starting blocks...image courtesy of http://www.dragonartz.net under a creative commons attribution license which I did not know anything about until the last couple of months thank you h817

      Open Learning Experience: H817

      Posted by Patricia Daniels in open education | Tagged | Comments Off
      10May2013

      I thought it was going to be like a house party and it was!

      Activity 25: Reflecting on openness

      In March,  I published a post about my expectations concerning the open section of the H817 module. I compared it to a house party where different groups assemble and reassemble in various parts of a house: free to talk about what interests them and to come and go as they please. It's all very seamless, relaxed and without apparent effort.

      Despite having had years of experience with distance learning and working with digital tools in  formal learning environments, I also needed a week to two before I felt comfortable with this form of open learning. It wasn't so much the numerous communications channels that disturbed me,  but the fact that I couldn't decide where I wanted to be and with whom I wanted to communicate. So I took a moment to step back and reflect on the whole situation. Then I jumped right back into the house party loaded with energy and motivation. 

      What have I learnt from this experience?

      Being selective is the key. Follow paths that are of interest, communicate with diverse groups and don't let yourself drown in the sea of information. Let it lap at your toes, walk in knee deep or swim in it, but  make sure you're in control. It's about making conscious decisions and remaining focussed. I found that the content acted as a catalyst for discussions which often branched off into other directions and this is where it became interesting. 
              It's certainly not a form of education that will suit everyone, but that's not the intention of the developers of such courses. I'm in favour of alternative educational methods. If we don't experiment we won't have models to learn from and improve on.

      This type of learning suits me and I'll definitely take part in other courses that are designed in the same manner when I have time. It's been an exceptional learning experience. I've created a short video here to illustrate visually how I experienced this course overall. 





      Source You Tube: H817 Open Learn (Patricia Daniels 2013)
      Music courtesy of Tim Terry: Party

      Tools used in the creation process:
      - iMovie
      - iPhoto
      - Realtime Board
      - Quicktime Player

      Sound:
      Party- courtesy of Tim Terry
      iLife sound effects
      iMovie sound effects

      Settings:
      Second Life





      Spot the Difference

      Tagged | Comments Off
      10May2013
      For Activity 11:

      Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enggul/2907240168/ | enggul | CC-BY-ND

      Compare either DS106  or the Change MOOC with offerings from Udacity or Coursera .
      (You may not be able to access a course on these sites without signing up – there is no need to do this but you do need to ascertain what you can from the information around the course and the approach of the providers.) Write a blog post comparing the courses with regards to: technology
      pedagogy general approach and philosophy.

      My choice sets DS106 (Digital Story Telling) alongside Coursera's History of Rock and Roll - Parts 1 & 11.  So taking each in turn......

      Rock & Roll  Part One & Two

      I consider myself reasonably knowledgeable and active, (as a non professional musician), in this field; so I gone, done and figured, (to use the R&R vernacular), that I might as well select a course that chimes well with my interests. 

       General approach The courses are structured chronologically into two seven week parts, covering in the first course; Tin Pan Alley to Psychedelia and the second; 60's Progressive rock up to the Alt rock of the early 90's. The 2-4 hour weekly workload seems quite light. Not surprisingly, as the progenitor of Rock,  the content appears US centric, but the importance of the the UK and its subsequent invasion is referenced. The course instructor, a Professor at a private university and professional musician is an acknowledged expert his field, as can be verified online.

      No Technology other than an internet connection, (for watching online video lectures), is required. I'm not certain of the provenance of these videos - whether they sourced from YouTube, as is the course introductory video, or created specifically for the course.  It may be the latter as the videos contain 'quiz questions' The other, (optional), recommended reading is an ebook costing $28.33 for 180 days  access or alternatively - to buy for $85 - this recommendation is reinforced seven times in the descriptive text  - and surprise!.....it's authored by the course instructor!  This seems to be a growing trend in MOOCland.


      Such course technology doesn't seem to match the technologies one might expect at least a good number of student taking a course on a cultural medium to have.  Personally, I am not a fan of DRM and I don't think it is appropriate within an 'Open' Course.

      Pedagogy The pedagogical model appears to be mainly transmissive, the synopsis of the course syllabus lists video lectures and readings from the instructors book, There are no other readings or specific study material mentioned. The course does suggest participants seek out online source available on the web, but does not recommend any online streaming, discovery, services such as Spotify specifically. Each chapter includes a quiz and the course concludes with a final exam.

      Philosophy
      You probably will know a fair amount of rock music when you begin the course, but you'll know a lot more more when you finish it. You may be surprised how much of this new music you will like, even if you initially thought you might not.?!
      The didactic nature of the pedagogy provides an interesting counterpoint to the History of Rock which is often subject to free interpretation.  It would be fair to say that Rock is a common cultural denominator, with fluid boundaries whose evolution is regularly and discussed mapped by family trees of rock. It will be interesting to see how it maps to the instructivist pedagogy inherent in the course.  I did detect a lack of reference to the blues and folk influences of rock, (perhaps they are included, and just omitted in the syllabus overview?) By the end of the course participants will have gained:
      "a deeper and broader sense of context in which to enjoy your favorite rock music. A course that helps you enjoy your favorite music even more"
      Because the course is offered on a free basis worldwide we can be confident there will be many global participants who will feel they have much to benefit from taking this course.

      DS106 (Digital Storytelling)

      General Approach
      DS106  home page employs multimodal hooks, including video and interactivity to engage the potential participant. The design reflects the web zeitgeist. The current video is a video narrative by participants, of their own  experiences on the course. This is augmented by the assignments gallery featuring example multimodal coursework. There is also a section on the history of the course and regular feedback on the developments within the course itself. All in all, a very organic process.

      Technology On signing up participants are asked to create an online identity choosing from an array of Web 2.0 and social media tools. Some commentators have noted in their posts that a degree of digital literacy is required, I am not sure if that is correct, possibly some familiarity with online tools and skills  will be helpful. I think ones interpretation of digital literacy is relevant here.  Having said that,  a degree digital literacy will be  developed by default and shaped through the course interactions. The course is also sustainable and adaptable as it will build on and develop on its  relationship with the best of breed online tools.

      Pedagogy
      DS106 most definitely employs the connectivist cMooc model enabling and encouraging knowledge building and sharing. It is important to recognise that the subject of DS106  is not based on, but on experiences their interpretation, perhaps a model not as well suited to science and technology?   Although the course does have fixed start and end time and you can joined and leave whenever you like. (I think I may have have found such flexibility useful for this course).

      Philosophy I believe the underlying Philosophy of this course is to offer students experiential models through collaborative practice using a range of digital tools. This success of the course outcomes is highly dependent on the social and pedagogical interactions of the the users.


      Activity 25: Reflecting on openness

      Posted by jillaclark in openlearn | Tagged | Comments Off
      10May2013

      My experience of studying an open course…  :-)


      #h817open Activity 25: Reflecting on openness

      Tagged | Comments Off
      9May2013

      #h817open Activity 25: Reflecting on openness

      My final post for the course!  I have enjoyed this course so much, I really feel like I've gotten a good start on  understanding what is possible with open education; and some of the tools and processes to create some courses for the museum I work for.  I still have a lot to do in thinking beyond the practical applications and many of the comments by other students have given me a lot to think about and some good starting points.  It seems to me that museums should be a natural for developing and delivering Open Education courses and I can't wait to get started.