Using the affordances cited in Conole et al, I have considered the extent to which email and blogs are technologies which afford the characteristics listed.
I have added a couple of characteristics, which I have found to be important in my practice; Stimulate Action and Reward Action
I have made a spreadsheet on Google docs to record my conclusions.
Although several of the characteristics listed are afforded through email and blog, there are a few that seem particularly well served.
Email, because of its instantaneous capability and its ubiquitousness is good at Accessibility, Speed of Change, Communication, Immediacy, Stimulate Response/Action and Incentivise Action.
Blogging on the other hand is good for Reflection and Collaboration. The technology also enables users to be rewarded for participation when commenters post replies. The use of RSS feeds on blogs also means they can enable speed of change and immediacy.
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Monday, 3 May 2010
FSW Distance Learning Second Programme May 2010
Having run the first consultants DL programme in October 2009, there are a number of improvements that I want to incorporate in the second version, which begins on 10th May 2010.
The overall purpose of the programme is to create an extra route to market for our consulting tool, the Excellence Audit. This means that our training programme has three important strands; firstly to introduce and explain the key features of our Future Shape of the Winner Model and Excellence Audit; then to help consultants to work out how the model connects with, and hopefully strengthens their existing consulting practice; finally to help them to identify the client situations in which the model can be of most use and to consider how they can promote its use to these prospects.
On the first programme, I was not clear enough in my own mind about these three different learning objectives.
In effect, this is a progression from articulating meaning right through to making new meaning. On our first programme, one consultant has most successfully made this transition, with another two who are making progress. We would like to improve that performance on the second programme.
In creating the learning plan for Programme number 2, I will encourage participants to create their own learning journal, hopefully on their own blog, and will set assignments that draw attention to these three different strands of the Programme.
It will be most interesting to see whether I can persuade this group of mature professionals to keep a blog record of their reflections, but of the seven participants, three already have their own blog, and two of these three are enthusiastic users of blogging. I am hoping that their example to the rest of the group will encourage others to join in. I have tried to replicate my H808 experience, where an e-portfolio was a required element of the ECA, by pointing out to participants that the blog can be evidence of learning which can be included in their submission for accreditation.
I also plan to use the Elluminate Web Platform for the first time on the Programme. This will be an improvement on the previous Webinar platform that we have used, as it has a number of useful educational features, such as a whiteboard, breakout rooms, a session planner, recording and polling. It also has an audio feature which allows group discussions during a session. The educational features offer us the change to shift from a largely transmission approach to include more interaction. An option we plan to experiment with on programme 2 is to provide some of the inputs in a podcast format, again freeing up web tutorial time for discussions and questions.
The use of this platform seems very 'lumpy' at the moment, but will doubtless get smoother as we become more familiar with the technology. In order to iron out any basic sound or technology issues, we have scheduled an introductory session for all participants to try out the web platform before our first full session.
I am very pleased that we maintained the discipline on Programme 1 of writing scripts for the four web tutorials. Although we will make changes to these, we can go back to a basic structure that has run smoothly. I see that the Elluminate platform has a Planner feature which enables you to set up your session including your script, slides and choreographed actions on the web platform. I plan to begin simply with mainly script, slides and audio discussions, but to experiment with the whiteboard and breakout rooms in later sessions, assuming all goes to plan;-)
Lots to think about, but it is most exciting to have the chance to go again with the benefit of H808 in the forefront of my thinking.
The overall purpose of the programme is to create an extra route to market for our consulting tool, the Excellence Audit. This means that our training programme has three important strands; firstly to introduce and explain the key features of our Future Shape of the Winner Model and Excellence Audit; then to help consultants to work out how the model connects with, and hopefully strengthens their existing consulting practice; finally to help them to identify the client situations in which the model can be of most use and to consider how they can promote its use to these prospects.
On the first programme, I was not clear enough in my own mind about these three different learning objectives.
In effect, this is a progression from articulating meaning right through to making new meaning. On our first programme, one consultant has most successfully made this transition, with another two who are making progress. We would like to improve that performance on the second programme.
In creating the learning plan for Programme number 2, I will encourage participants to create their own learning journal, hopefully on their own blog, and will set assignments that draw attention to these three different strands of the Programme.
It will be most interesting to see whether I can persuade this group of mature professionals to keep a blog record of their reflections, but of the seven participants, three already have their own blog, and two of these three are enthusiastic users of blogging. I am hoping that their example to the rest of the group will encourage others to join in. I have tried to replicate my H808 experience, where an e-portfolio was a required element of the ECA, by pointing out to participants that the blog can be evidence of learning which can be included in their submission for accreditation.
I also plan to use the Elluminate Web Platform for the first time on the Programme. This will be an improvement on the previous Webinar platform that we have used, as it has a number of useful educational features, such as a whiteboard, breakout rooms, a session planner, recording and polling. It also has an audio feature which allows group discussions during a session. The educational features offer us the change to shift from a largely transmission approach to include more interaction. An option we plan to experiment with on programme 2 is to provide some of the inputs in a podcast format, again freeing up web tutorial time for discussions and questions.
The use of this platform seems very 'lumpy' at the moment, but will doubtless get smoother as we become more familiar with the technology. In order to iron out any basic sound or technology issues, we have scheduled an introductory session for all participants to try out the web platform before our first full session.
I am very pleased that we maintained the discipline on Programme 1 of writing scripts for the four web tutorials. Although we will make changes to these, we can go back to a basic structure that has run smoothly. I see that the Elluminate platform has a Planner feature which enables you to set up your session including your script, slides and choreographed actions on the web platform. I plan to begin simply with mainly script, slides and audio discussions, but to experiment with the whiteboard and breakout rooms in later sessions, assuming all goes to plan;-)
Lots to think about, but it is most exciting to have the chance to go again with the benefit of H808 in the forefront of my thinking.
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Notes from Video Arts Webinar: Put the Learning Back into E-Learning
Martin Addison, Martyn Sloman 7 years experience of e-learning
3 distinct waves in which e-learning has had an impact
1990s the huge availability of PC - promise of transforming training??? Stand alone cd roms did not have the promised impact
Next wave e-learning - incorporation of the internet (tom peters in ASTS Florida 2001) Very helpful
ASTD records what % is delivered through learning technology (10% plateau) progressively mover to 30% currently.
CIPD 2008 monitors progress of e-learning - latest 12% total training time delivered through e-learning. Roughly half of available e-learning is taken up.
Q e-learning = ? learning delivered or mediated through technology.
We are demanding something from the learner. It is about learning, not technology. Keep your eye on the skills that people need to learn.
Potential of e-learning is huge, but progress is patchy, a lot to learn.
Relevance drives out resistance. Good design engages the learner and embeds activity in the organisation. No good just providing product if it is not linked to what is going on in the organisation.
Good training managers will use good content (like video snippets) and incorporate into their own programmes.
"the second-generation of internet-based communities that encourage collaboration between users" Is this the killer app? I'm a sceptic.
Are learning preferences differences across the generations? Overwhelmingly the learning preferences are the same for all generations, but more comfortable sophistication with technology in younger gens.
Survey (Changing Skills at Work)
47% in the UK report computing is an essential part of their job. (three quarters of workforce use automated or computerised equipment)
What we have got now is that there are a whole series of different ways in which technology will affect learning at work; googlisation of learning, expert opinion, discussion threads, information repositiories, on-line assessment, electronic job aids, webinars, virtual worlds, online support.
EPSS (electronic performance support systems)
As people are using the pc at work, devices will pop up to help them to learn. This has not turned out to be popular (Moorfields Eye Hospital have a good example of this)
Learning is a self-directed work-based process, leading to increased adaptive processes.
We have to align organisational and individual needs.
There are lots of good practice examples.
Cable and Wireless; single portal for learners to access learning programmes. Partnered with Skill Soft. Not worried about how many people access the training - nuggets are available on demand. Search and Learn (iLearn). This assumes high degree of motivation and sophistication. Certain e-learning modules are compulsory (eg health and safety)
Learning technology interventions need to take account of the need for behaviour change.
CIPD website for more information about e-learning.
3 distinct waves in which e-learning has had an impact
1990s the huge availability of PC - promise of transforming training??? Stand alone cd roms did not have the promised impact
Next wave e-learning - incorporation of the internet (tom peters in ASTS Florida 2001) Very helpful
ASTD records what % is delivered through learning technology (10% plateau) progressively mover to 30% currently.
CIPD 2008 monitors progress of e-learning - latest 12% total training time delivered through e-learning. Roughly half of available e-learning is taken up.
Q e-learning = ? learning delivered or mediated through technology.
We are demanding something from the learner. It is about learning, not technology. Keep your eye on the skills that people need to learn.
Potential of e-learning is huge, but progress is patchy, a lot to learn.
Relevance drives out resistance. Good design engages the learner and embeds activity in the organisation. No good just providing product if it is not linked to what is going on in the organisation.
Good training managers will use good content (like video snippets) and incorporate into their own programmes.
"the second-generation of internet-based communities that encourage collaboration between users" Is this the killer app? I'm a sceptic.
Are learning preferences differences across the generations? Overwhelmingly the learning preferences are the same for all generations, but more comfortable sophistication with technology in younger gens.
Survey (Changing Skills at Work)
47% in the UK report computing is an essential part of their job. (three quarters of workforce use automated or computerised equipment)
What we have got now is that there are a whole series of different ways in which technology will affect learning at work; googlisation of learning, expert opinion, discussion threads, information repositiories, on-line assessment, electronic job aids, webinars, virtual worlds, online support.
EPSS (electronic performance support systems)
As people are using the pc at work, devices will pop up to help them to learn. This has not turned out to be popular (Moorfields Eye Hospital have a good example of this)
Learning is a self-directed work-based process, leading to increased adaptive processes.
We have to align organisational and individual needs.
There are lots of good practice examples.
Cable and Wireless; single portal for learners to access learning programmes. Partnered with Skill Soft. Not worried about how many people access the training - nuggets are available on demand. Search and Learn (iLearn). This assumes high degree of motivation and sophistication. Certain e-learning modules are compulsory (eg health and safety)
Learning technology interventions need to take account of the need for behaviour change.
CIPD website for more information about e-learning.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
What next after H808?
Having hacked my way through my toughest ever OU Masters Module, H808, I was delighted with how much of my learning seems to be transferrable to our own Future Shape of the Winner Distance Learning Programme.
There are several different angles which I hope to apply.
Point One: the fact that our learners are so varied in their backgrounds and experience, and also have different reasons for wanting to do the Programme might seem to make the design of a generic programme very tricky. However, this ought to be where the 'distance learning' element comes into its own. If we can get the right structure and the right support material, the differences could be a strength not a weakness. I found the H808 focus on creating a Professional Development Plan (PDP) was a very useful way of encouraging students to set their own framework for their learning. Providing our students with a FSW skills/knowledge template to help them create a PDP structure for FSW is well worth considering. Not only will that focus the students, but it will also give tutors the chance to tailor their inputs/discussions to respond to the objectives of our students. The process of creating that template will be a good discipline for us, as it will make us consider the key dimensions we are aiming to communicate. The PDP discipline may also give us the scope to get academic accreditation for the programme, which would add to its attractiveness to potential students.
Point Two: the 'invisibility' of what learning was taking place on the programme seems to be a weakness. Three months after the end of the first programme, we find ourselves with only one student actively using the Excellence Audit, and we are not in a position to pinpoint what - if anything - is missing from the programme. In my TMA1 I wrote the following:
Moon (2001) outlines a hierarchy of stages of learning; “noticing; making sense; making meaning; working with meaning; transformative learning” (P6). The further up this hierarchy that learners progress, the deeper the learning and the more the learner is able to apply the new meaning creatively in their own situation. Citing the research of Marton, Hounsell and Entwhistle, (1997) Moon (2001) reports “A deep approach is where the intention of the learner is to understand the meaning of the material. She is willing to integrate it into her existing body of previous ideas, and understandings.” (p5). Moon (2001) recommends reflection skills as being key in generating this deep learning.
Being able to track our students' progression through noticing, making sense, making meaning, working with meaning, transformative learning, would give us a fantastic insight into how they were getting on with their learning. Therefore, I am considering two revisions. 1. Changing the accreditation conditions to include the requirement to submit a learning log of their reflections throughout the programme. 2. Encouraging/requiring? the learning log to be kept as a blog, which will allow all the students access to each others' reflections, but also will help tutors to track progress, and make adustments as needed to programme content etc.
Point Three: A major H808 insight was around the overall pedagogy of the programme, which I now recognise is heavily influenced by the face to face bias that all the tutors have. There is still a strong desire for us to tell the students what we think they need to know, rather than encouraging them to explore and make sense of the ideas, and to work out how they might use them. I believe it would be unwise to attempt to make a U turn in pedagogical thinking, not least because we have very limited experience in this more participative virtual approach. So I think a good step forwards would be to convert all of the presentations which we made during the web tutorials into podcasts. These will be incorporated in the pre-work ahead of web tutorials, and the telephone conference will be a chance to discuss and reflect collectively - a much more participative way of using the synchronous forum.
In summary, if I can convince my colleagues that these three modifications to our approach are worth trying, I believe we will have a great deal more insight into the extent to which students are getting to grips with the new knowledge, and this will hopefully enable us to support them more actively in becoming active users of the FSW model.
There are several different angles which I hope to apply.
Point One: the fact that our learners are so varied in their backgrounds and experience, and also have different reasons for wanting to do the Programme might seem to make the design of a generic programme very tricky. However, this ought to be where the 'distance learning' element comes into its own. If we can get the right structure and the right support material, the differences could be a strength not a weakness. I found the H808 focus on creating a Professional Development Plan (PDP) was a very useful way of encouraging students to set their own framework for their learning. Providing our students with a FSW skills/knowledge template to help them create a PDP structure for FSW is well worth considering. Not only will that focus the students, but it will also give tutors the chance to tailor their inputs/discussions to respond to the objectives of our students. The process of creating that template will be a good discipline for us, as it will make us consider the key dimensions we are aiming to communicate. The PDP discipline may also give us the scope to get academic accreditation for the programme, which would add to its attractiveness to potential students.
Point Two: the 'invisibility' of what learning was taking place on the programme seems to be a weakness. Three months after the end of the first programme, we find ourselves with only one student actively using the Excellence Audit, and we are not in a position to pinpoint what - if anything - is missing from the programme. In my TMA1 I wrote the following:
Moon (2001) outlines a hierarchy of stages of learning; “noticing; making sense; making meaning; working with meaning; transformative learning” (P6). The further up this hierarchy that learners progress, the deeper the learning and the more the learner is able to apply the new meaning creatively in their own situation. Citing the research of Marton, Hounsell and Entwhistle, (1997) Moon (2001) reports “A deep approach is where the intention of the learner is to understand the meaning of the material. She is willing to integrate it into her existing body of previous ideas, and understandings.” (p5). Moon (2001) recommends reflection skills as being key in generating this deep learning.
Being able to track our students' progression through noticing, making sense, making meaning, working with meaning, transformative learning, would give us a fantastic insight into how they were getting on with their learning. Therefore, I am considering two revisions. 1. Changing the accreditation conditions to include the requirement to submit a learning log of their reflections throughout the programme. 2. Encouraging/requiring? the learning log to be kept as a blog, which will allow all the students access to each others' reflections, but also will help tutors to track progress, and make adustments as needed to programme content etc.
Point Three: A major H808 insight was around the overall pedagogy of the programme, which I now recognise is heavily influenced by the face to face bias that all the tutors have. There is still a strong desire for us to tell the students what we think they need to know, rather than encouraging them to explore and make sense of the ideas, and to work out how they might use them. I believe it would be unwise to attempt to make a U turn in pedagogical thinking, not least because we have very limited experience in this more participative virtual approach. So I think a good step forwards would be to convert all of the presentations which we made during the web tutorials into podcasts. These will be incorporated in the pre-work ahead of web tutorials, and the telephone conference will be a chance to discuss and reflect collectively - a much more participative way of using the synchronous forum.
In summary, if I can convince my colleagues that these three modifications to our approach are worth trying, I believe we will have a great deal more insight into the extent to which students are getting to grips with the new knowledge, and this will hopefully enable us to support them more actively in becoming active users of the FSW model.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Core Activity 9.1 Desktop Research into Blogs
In this activity, I studied several papers, visited Warwick University's Website and Blog listings, reviewed a number of Blog accounts on Blogger.com, and considered the Zoe Corbyn Times HE article. Several educational uses of blogging are:
Student
1.Reflection:
Individual maintenance of a blog to enhance reflective thinking. Students at universities like Warwick and the Open Univerisity are encouraged to keep a blog. These can be used to encourage reflective thinking, and to develop skills of self expression and articulation. "A blog offers interaction with reflective comments and also the ability to interlink to related ideas." (Duffy et al, 2006)
2.Organisation of Learning:
Student
1.Reflection:
Individual maintenance of a blog to enhance reflective thinking. Students at universities like Warwick and the Open Univerisity are encouraged to keep a blog. These can be used to encourage reflective thinking, and to develop skills of self expression and articulation. "A blog offers interaction with reflective comments and also the ability to interlink to related ideas." (Duffy et al, 2006)
2.Organisation of Learning:
Some students find that the structure of blogs provides them with helpful functionality to organise their ideas. Brady (2005 ) reports "For some bloggers their blog is a way of keeping notes and useful URLs in an organised way." These functions are supported by the capability of tagging of blogs, as well as being able to hyperlink to other web based documents and blogs.
Issues:
In both of the above cases there are a number of potential pitfalls;
3. Collect/Give Feedback:
Where blogging is added as part of the course structure, as it is in the OU, students can be encouraged to comment on each others' work and to provide feedback. This enables them to learn critical review skills, and also to experience the use of peer review.
Issues:
However, the same learner reluctance that was mentioned in 1 and 2 above may well come into play. The use of blogs as part of a course requires an understanding on the teacher's part of the underlying pedagogical needs of the case. Duffy et al (2006) explain "Which tools are used by learners and teachers, and whether such tools will be used at all, will always depend on the specific pedagogical needs of a teaching situation."
Teacher
4. Additional Resources
Issues:
In both of the above cases there are a number of potential pitfalls;
- the public nature of the blog raises issues of confidentiality and privacy
- learners may be reluctant/nervous to publish their thoughts
- the learner must be able to cope with the technology/software
- the learner must develop skills of self expression and articulation
3. Collect/Give Feedback:
Where blogging is added as part of the course structure, as it is in the OU, students can be encouraged to comment on each others' work and to provide feedback. This enables them to learn critical review skills, and also to experience the use of peer review.
Issues:
However, the same learner reluctance that was mentioned in 1 and 2 above may well come into play. The use of blogs as part of a course requires an understanding on the teacher's part of the underlying pedagogical needs of the case. Duffy et al (2006) explain "Which tools are used by learners and teachers, and whether such tools will be used at all, will always depend on the specific pedagogical needs of a teaching situation."
Teacher
4. Additional Resources
Some teachers use their blog to post additional information and references that emerge as being of interest from class or online discussions. In blogs such as Peter Smith's Logic Matters blog http://www.logicmatters.net/, lecturers share their latest research and engage in discussions with readers. As well as providing a forum for academic expression, this application of blogging enables teachers to model good practice in blogging to their students.
Issues:
One potential issue with this use of blogs is that a teacher may be concerned about falling foul of the politics of their academic institution, by expressing ideas that are judged inappropriate
Other academics are anxious that original research will be plagiarised by others.
In order to be willing to engage in this practice, academics require technology skills
5. Supervision
In courses in which students use blogs to record their learning, teachers are in a position to conduct formative assessment of students' work. I have myself experienced the benefit of timely and focused tutor comments on my published work, enabling much swifter lessons to be learned.
Issues:
Students who sense that their work is being checked may be more reluctant to express opinions
And in conclusion.....
Issues:
One potential issue with this use of blogs is that a teacher may be concerned about falling foul of the politics of their academic institution, by expressing ideas that are judged inappropriate
Other academics are anxious that original research will be plagiarised by others.
In order to be willing to engage in this practice, academics require technology skills
5. Supervision
In courses in which students use blogs to record their learning, teachers are in a position to conduct formative assessment of students' work. I have myself experienced the benefit of timely and focused tutor comments on my published work, enabling much swifter lessons to be learned.
Issues:
Students who sense that their work is being checked may be more reluctant to express opinions
And in conclusion.....
The explosion in the use of blogs in every aspect of life (personal, corporate, political, journalistic etc) makes their use in education increasingly compelling. "It could be argued that it is the connective and contributive attributes of blogging that has caused it to spread so virally throughout the web" (Brady, 2005) The speed of their take up seems to be turning them increasingly into an everyday tool of reflection, and as educators, we are likely to miss a trick if we do not wrestle with the incorporation of blogging into our pedagogy.
Brady, M. (2005) 'Blogging: Personal participation in public knowledge-building on the web.' In 'Participating in the knowledge society: Researchers beyond the university walls'. R. Finnegan. London, Palgrave Macmillan.
Duffy, Peter D. and Bruns, Axel (2006) The Use of Blogs, Wikis and RSS in Education: A Conversation of Possibilities. In: Online Learning and Teaching Conference 2006, 26 Sep. 2006, Brisbane.
Farmer,J. and Bartlett-Bragg, A. (2005) Blogs at anywhere: High fidelity online communication, ASCILITE, www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/brisbane05/blogs/proceedings/22_Farmer.pdf (accessed 10th January 2010)
Times Higher Education - By the blog: academics tread carefully
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=403827 Zoe Zoe Corbyn, 9 October 2008, Accessed 7th January 2010.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Evidencing Technology Related Competencies: MMM
Notes from H808 briefing documents:
- The evidence of technology-related competency you produce needs to demonstrate the ability to: learn about using a new piece of software or a new technology
- appreciate some key features as they relate to your own educational practice or context
- identify potential issues for other users
Podcasting
In Block 8, part 1, I decided to experiment with creating and uploading a podcast. This is a technology that I have not used professionally before, and looks very promising as a contribution to my PDP goal of increasing the range of technology used on my own Distance Learning Programme.
Method
I created the podcast very simply on a portable digital recorder, and then uploaded the file to my pc, tidying up the audio quality by using WavePad Sound Editor. I then converted the file from a WMA file to an MP3 file using switch pad sound converter.
The next step was to upload the mp3 file to my own website storage file, and I was then able to create a link to this file from the Technology page of my e-portfolio.
I subsequently discovered that I may have been better supported in this effort by the podbean platform, which many of my fellow H808 students used for this exercise. I certainly intend to continue to explore the podcast options after H808.
Lessons for my own practice
Reviewing the work of others and my experience of creating a podcast, I have made a number of resolutions which I am keen to apply when I incorporate their use into future Distance Learning Programmes.
- Be absolutely clear the intended audience of the podcast, and how the subject matter contributes to the DL programme
- Target the content at that audience, taking account of their existing level of knowledge and any communication or understanding issues that may exist
- Have a clear structure for the podcast, and let the listener know this
- It is preferable to have more than one speaker, and for the speakers to engage with each other using a conversational style
- Restrict the length of each podcast to no more than around 20 minutes
- Adopt and engaging and enthusiastic tone of speaking
- Offer some kind of backup notes, or document for collecting thoughts
Collaboration on Google Docs
Google Docs has been used on several occasions in H808 by my colleagues. Alice Kearly created one to help the group when we attempted to collaborate around a group discussion in Block 3, but my most successful application was when Adelaida and Eugene set up a grid to help us assess our case studies against e-learning principles.
As a result of these experiences, I have attempted to use Google Docs with my own colleagues, with varying degrees of success. My most successful was with my Distance Learning Students, who are learning about our company's organisation diagnostic model. This will need to be translated into Spanish, and the translator will require a glossary of terms to help them do a good job. I therefore posted the full diagnostic on Google Docs, and invited all the students to identify phrases that they think require greater explanation. Four students joined in, including one who was not a Spanish speaker.
Having identified the phrases to be included in the glossary, I have now invited all the students to have a go at articulating short descriptions of these phrases so that we can create a much richer glossary than I would have been able to create alone. It has also occurred to me that this is actually an exercise which all students would benefit from - it will surface just how much of what they have learned they really understand!!
Eluminate
This is a VLE, which enables synchronous as well as asynchronous communication, and which operates using VoiP. Having heard about its use from my H808 Tutor, I signed up to attend a webinar that was hosted by CMALT. Not only does this seem to be a seriously viable and less costly platform for our DL Programme, it also has additional features, such a the virtual whiteboard which offer us extra functionality. I am optimistic that the cost benefit argument will make it attractive to my (reluctant to change!) colleagues, and having made the switch, I can gradually take advantage of the extra functionality for teaching and learning purposes.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
H808 Core Activity 8.1 Learning about Technology
Becoming familiar with technology and its potential always feels rather lumpy when the application is new. So in this exercise, the awkwardness was not so much around the initial creation of material (an audio file and a video file), but in conversion of the files into a format that makes it acceptable for uploading to the internet.
In the case of the audio file the OU recommended Wave pad sound editor provided a cleaning up function, and the Switch sound file gives a number of different audio file options. The file was then suitable for uploading to my own website for broadcasting.
The video was more problematic as the original .mov file was very large, and needed to be converted into a web friendly size and format. The conversion was done on the Mac software, and could then be exported in a couple of m4 file options. It was also possible to take the Mac exported file and upload to You Tube.
I'm sure the next time around, it will be a lot easier, and it certainly makes me keen to incorporate some multi media files on our website. It also encourages me to consider creating a number of podcast files that can be used on our Distance Learning programme, leaving the tutorial sessions for discussions, rather than presentations.
In the case of the audio file the OU recommended Wave pad sound editor provided a cleaning up function, and the Switch sound file gives a number of different audio file options. The file was then suitable for uploading to my own website for broadcasting.
The video was more problematic as the original .mov file was very large, and needed to be converted into a web friendly size and format. The conversion was done on the Mac software, and could then be exported in a couple of m4 file options. It was also possible to take the Mac exported file and upload to You Tube.
I'm sure the next time around, it will be a lot easier, and it certainly makes me keen to incorporate some multi media files on our website. It also encourages me to consider creating a number of podcast files that can be used on our Distance Learning programme, leaving the tutorial sessions for discussions, rather than presentations.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
H808 Core Activity 5.4
I find myself agreeing with you, Eugene, on your conclusions about Learning Technologists.
Here is my picture of what has been going on in education. We have an established group of professionals, teachers/academics, who find themselves in situ when the biggest revolution of the modern era comes onto the scene - information technology, and its partner revolution, the internet/www.
What becomes obvious to pioneering distance educators such as the OU, is that this new medium (internet) and tools (IT) can transform the way learning is delivered. The potential of this medium is seized upon by management, but the implications of this new direction have to be delivered by the institution. Since teachers and academics are/were totally unqualified to operate in this new digital domain, someone needed to fill the gap - enter a brand new person, the learning technologist. I see this person (under 35, technologically qualified) as being the bridge between the teachers and the IT experts; someone who knows enough about IT AND enough about the specific learning situation to recommend/provide tools, platforms and support wisely.
Incidentally, this same digital transformation is going on in (every?) professional discipline today. Spreadsheets have transformed the job of accountants, CADCAM technology has transformed the job of design engineers, Enterprise Resource Planning systems have transformed the job of production planning engineers and purchasing professionals. So is education any different, or does every profession have its own equivalent of the learning technologist?
Others will have their own opinion about this, but I suspect that the individual focus of the learning process makes the job of the learning technologist much more specialised than that of an IT service provider to other professions. And, let's say that there is a separate and important professionalism called a learning technologist, is it simply a matter of time before the next generation (digital native) teachers and academics with a much more instintive feel for technology will gradually incorporate the role of learning technologist into their own role?
In my own practice, we use Tom Peters' (1999) model of Professional Service, one key element of which positions the job of a Professional Service as being one in which the Professional educates their client to be able to serve themselves. In the meantime, the Professional is developing themself to the next level, and is in a position to serve their client once again at the next level of competence.
This is a long winded way of saying that I think there will always be a role for learning technologists, but any professional accreditation that they establish must be about being the experts on what next, not what is.
Madeleine
Peters, T. (1999) Reinventing Work, the Professional Service Firm 50, Alfred A Knopf Inc, New York
Here is my picture of what has been going on in education. We have an established group of professionals, teachers/academics, who find themselves in situ when the biggest revolution of the modern era comes onto the scene - information technology, and its partner revolution, the internet/www.
What becomes obvious to pioneering distance educators such as the OU, is that this new medium (internet) and tools (IT) can transform the way learning is delivered. The potential of this medium is seized upon by management, but the implications of this new direction have to be delivered by the institution. Since teachers and academics are/were totally unqualified to operate in this new digital domain, someone needed to fill the gap - enter a brand new person, the learning technologist. I see this person (under 35, technologically qualified) as being the bridge between the teachers and the IT experts; someone who knows enough about IT AND enough about the specific learning situation to recommend/provide tools, platforms and support wisely.
Incidentally, this same digital transformation is going on in (every?) professional discipline today. Spreadsheets have transformed the job of accountants, CADCAM technology has transformed the job of design engineers, Enterprise Resource Planning systems have transformed the job of production planning engineers and purchasing professionals. So is education any different, or does every profession have its own equivalent of the learning technologist?
Others will have their own opinion about this, but I suspect that the individual focus of the learning process makes the job of the learning technologist much more specialised than that of an IT service provider to other professions. And, let's say that there is a separate and important professionalism called a learning technologist, is it simply a matter of time before the next generation (digital native) teachers and academics with a much more instintive feel for technology will gradually incorporate the role of learning technologist into their own role?
In my own practice, we use Tom Peters' (1999) model of Professional Service, one key element of which positions the job of a Professional Service as being one in which the Professional educates their client to be able to serve themselves. In the meantime, the Professional is developing themself to the next level, and is in a position to serve their client once again at the next level of competence.
This is a long winded way of saying that I think there will always be a role for learning technologists, but any professional accreditation that they establish must be about being the experts on what next, not what is.
Madeleine
Peters, T. (1999) Reinventing Work, the Professional Service Firm 50, Alfred A Knopf Inc, New York
Monday, 26 October 2009
H808 E-Portfolio: Web Tutorial 3 Review
In Sessions 1 and 2, we have focused on explaining the background to our organisation model, Future Shape of the winner, and having the students study it and get used to articulating the main features of the model.
In Session 3, we want to move on to have students start the process of integrating FSW into their existing practice. We decided to prompt this thinking by setting some background reading on how the model connects with other well known management theories, and then to explain three case studies which outline the way that we have integrated the model into our practice. These case studies elicited a number of questions, that were at quite a practical level, and indicated to me that students were putting themselves in the position of using the model and having to make sense of its findings. One contacted me after the Web Tutorial with the following comment:
"This is becoming a lot clearer in my mind and am getting a lot of confidence!"
This seems to be an example of someone discovering how to integrate this new knowledge into their existing knowledge bank.
I remain uncomfortable with medium of the webinar platform, and am not convinced that it is the best for presenting data. And whilst the telephone contact enables us to have discussions and answer questions, it is still an imperfect way of judging the audience reactions to the material.
However, the benefit of the teleconference is that the community of the programme is beginning to strengthen, and students are showing an obligation to each other to contribute. Being honest, the mindset that is probably the most important to shift is that of the tutors, including myself, whose background is almost entirely face to face training. Becoming comfortable with a style of teaching that relies much more on the learner to make sense of the material is difficult, and may not at the outset feel so personally rewarding, but is essential in the Distance Learning arena.
By the end of this first programme, I aim to be able to map the key learning inputs that are essential for the programme, and find ways of delivering that material through a more suitable medium; podcasts, videocasts, quizzes ...etc. And I would want to identify which are the most important subjects for discussion. Setting up activities that engender the right discussions will be the next challenge.
But all in all, we are managing to have the right conversations, and the confidence our students are developing for the material is most heartening.
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Activity 3.2 Second Attempt
In my business, my colleagues and I have embarked recently on a new venture which uses Distance Learning as its methodology. Since they are novices at e-learning, my colleagues are very cautious about the use of technology, and since our learners come from disparate backgrounds, and have varying capabilities, again caution seems a wise mindset.
Our Distance Learning programme is designed to train already competent consultants in our Organisation model. Weller (2005), quoting a recent JISC report, states that an e-portfolio is “‘a collection (or archive) of reflective writing and associated evidence, which documents learning and which a learner may draw upon to present her/his learning and achievements. Incorporating an e-portfolio dimension on this programme would, in my view, improve the learning experience during the programme, and give learners valuable material for incorporating the model into their practice. It would also give my colleagues much greate visibility of how learners are engaging with the material.
From my colleagues’ point of view, several factors about an e-portfolio system will matter:
• Ease of use
• Integration with other technological packages, such as Powerpoint, Word and Blogging
• Enhancing the group dimension
• Assessing the performance of the learners
• Technical support
• Costs
Learners, in addition, are likely to value features that allow them to present their finished material professionally.
I have chosen Google Apps and Open Source r/Smart to consider as options for an e-portfolio platform.
Easy of Use/Accessibility
Google is likely to be a system that is very familiar to my audience. However, the e-portfolio functions will be supplied by using various Google Apps Tools, ie. Documents, Reader, Groups and Blogging, which may make the system feel cumbersome to users
Opensource has an integrated portfolio of tools and templates which we can customise. Users are able to select from a number of preset options to customise the look and feel of their portfolio, and can set up their own templates for collecting artifacts.
Interoperability
Both systems offer equivalent interoperability with popular software packages.
Group
Google Apps have a group forum for discussions and sharing of documents and the Documents Application can be used by a group to produce documents collaboratively. The Blog is also a forum in which the group can communicate and collaborate. Opensource has much less functionality in this arena, with neither a groups forum or a blog facility. However, documents can be shared amongst a group.
Assessment
Opensource has a function which enables tutors to prompts to mark progress. There is a template which enables tutors to monitor the progress being made by learners to their learning goals. There is also a review tool for the tutor's evaluation of the e-portfolio. No such features are available on Google.
Technical Support
Google Apps offers technical support through Help Functions, FAQs and user forums. Open Sources offers full technical support.
Costs
Google Apps is available for use at no/minimal charge, whereas Opensource Portfolio r/Smart is provided via a certified license on an annual subscription.
Presentation
Google Apps does not offer any facility to create presentations. Open Source, on the other hand, has choices of templates that learners can use to create professional presentations.
If I were purely taking an educational point of view, I would recommend Open Source r/smart with its Assessment, Technical Support and Presentational features being most attractive. However the familiarity of the Google system, along with the lesser cost and the group features is likely to make Google Apps an easier first step for my colleagues to take. On balance, although this might offer fewer educational benefits in the short term, encouraging colleagues to take a step into using e-portfolios will familiarise them with this technology. Persuading them to upgrade to a better system will be easier once that first step is taken.
Ref:
Our Distance Learning programme is designed to train already competent consultants in our Organisation model. Weller (2005), quoting a recent JISC report, states that an e-portfolio is “‘a collection (or archive) of reflective writing and associated evidence, which documents learning and which a learner may draw upon to present her/his learning and achievements. Incorporating an e-portfolio dimension on this programme would, in my view, improve the learning experience during the programme, and give learners valuable material for incorporating the model into their practice. It would also give my colleagues much greate visibility of how learners are engaging with the material.
From my colleagues’ point of view, several factors about an e-portfolio system will matter:
• Ease of use
• Integration with other technological packages, such as Powerpoint, Word and Blogging
• Enhancing the group dimension
• Assessing the performance of the learners
• Technical support
• Costs
Learners, in addition, are likely to value features that allow them to present their finished material professionally.
I have chosen Google Apps and Open Source r/Smart to consider as options for an e-portfolio platform.
Easy of Use/Accessibility
Google is likely to be a system that is very familiar to my audience. However, the e-portfolio functions will be supplied by using various Google Apps Tools, ie. Documents, Reader, Groups and Blogging, which may make the system feel cumbersome to users
Opensource has an integrated portfolio of tools and templates which we can customise. Users are able to select from a number of preset options to customise the look and feel of their portfolio, and can set up their own templates for collecting artifacts.
Interoperability
Both systems offer equivalent interoperability with popular software packages.
Group
Google Apps have a group forum for discussions and sharing of documents and the Documents Application can be used by a group to produce documents collaboratively. The Blog is also a forum in which the group can communicate and collaborate. Opensource has much less functionality in this arena, with neither a groups forum or a blog facility. However, documents can be shared amongst a group.
Assessment
Opensource has a function which enables tutors to prompts to mark progress. There is a template which enables tutors to monitor the progress being made by learners to their learning goals. There is also a review tool for the tutor's evaluation of the e-portfolio. No such features are available on Google.
Technical Support
Google Apps offers technical support through Help Functions, FAQs and user forums. Open Sources offers full technical support.
Costs
Google Apps is available for use at no/minimal charge, whereas Opensource Portfolio r/Smart is provided via a certified license on an annual subscription.
Presentation
Google Apps does not offer any facility to create presentations. Open Source, on the other hand, has choices of templates that learners can use to create professional presentations.
If I were purely taking an educational point of view, I would recommend Open Source r/smart with its Assessment, Technical Support and Presentational features being most attractive. However the familiarity of the Google system, along with the lesser cost and the group features is likely to make Google Apps an easier first step for my colleagues to take. On balance, although this might offer fewer educational benefits in the short term, encouraging colleagues to take a step into using e-portfolios will familiarise them with this technology. Persuading them to upgrade to a better system will be easier once that first step is taken.
Ref:
Weller, M (2005), ePortfolios report
Thursday, 24 September 2009
What is it I am meant to be doing?
A re-reading of the H808 Course Guide and Assignment Guide has led to a bit more fog lifting for me;-)
A big 'AHA' moment came when I re-read the Diagram with the Framework for Personal and Professional Development on H808. I know I had seen the chart before, but I didn't really take it in the first time around. But now I am beginning to discover what some of the organising principles of my H808 e-portfolio need to be. I need to be providing evidence of my (and maybe other peoples'?) Skills, Reflection, Critique and Proactivity in my Research, Technology, Communication and Practice Competencies. It seems to me that I would do well to get my head around my level of competency in each of these areas before I set off on the H808 Journey.
I am, however, quite excited about one thing; the distance learning project that I am embarking on as part of my job is going to be an excellent artefact for my e-portfolio, as it is a real prototype, and I am deliberately keeping the technology to the minimum. I want to get to the bottom of what the learning issues are that can be supported by e-learning before getting too caught up in whizzy features. I guess the course itself will be a chance to use such skills as I already have.The reflection and critique I will have to do as the course progresses and completes will be essential for me to be able to be pro-active in designing programme number 2.
So I am still not sure I have quite got my head around H808, but I'm feeling relieved I can see a way through the fog!
A big 'AHA' moment came when I re-read the Diagram with the Framework for Personal and Professional Development on H808. I know I had seen the chart before, but I didn't really take it in the first time around. But now I am beginning to discover what some of the organising principles of my H808 e-portfolio need to be. I need to be providing evidence of my (and maybe other peoples'?) Skills, Reflection, Critique and Proactivity in my Research, Technology, Communication and Practice Competencies. It seems to me that I would do well to get my head around my level of competency in each of these areas before I set off on the H808 Journey.
I am, however, quite excited about one thing; the distance learning project that I am embarking on as part of my job is going to be an excellent artefact for my e-portfolio, as it is a real prototype, and I am deliberately keeping the technology to the minimum. I want to get to the bottom of what the learning issues are that can be supported by e-learning before getting too caught up in whizzy features. I guess the course itself will be a chance to use such skills as I already have.The reflection and critique I will have to do as the course progresses and completes will be essential for me to be able to be pro-active in designing programme number 2.
So I am still not sure I have quite got my head around H808, but I'm feeling relieved I can see a way through the fog!
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
E-Portfolio thoughts
I have been feeling rather overwhelmed at the prospect of compiling an e-portfolio, but in the last few days, my H808 colleagues have added some balance to this perspective.
Perhaps what was concerning me was the technology of managing an e-portfolio, such as My Stuff on the OU website. And although this technology can be a lot to take in, as I look at the way I presently organise my professional learning, I have to admit it is a bit of a shambles ;-)
When I read something of professional or personal interest in the press, I often cut out the article, or store the URL. I wish I could say that I have an orderly way of storing this information, but I can't! When I read a new book of interest, I mark up the points that seem relevant and make notes in the book; when it seems important enough, I write a summary and action list. My professional activities are stored on our work server, but are filed by customer. When I make a public contribution; press article, blog, facebook, twitter etc, these are stored on the site/journal that published the item.
When I think back to my two previous years of Masters study, the process I used to collect my thoughts was essentially manual; hand drawn mind maps, printed out articles and journals, key themes on post-it notes, word documents summarising key quotes and themes......it makes me wonder how I ever got my act together!
My photographs, professional and personal, are stored in several different places. My hobbies are almost totally unreported, even though my choral performances are regularly broadcast publicly, and receive critical acclaim. I save the programmes and sometimes cut out newspaper reviews, but not in any systematic way. Isn't it a pity I don't keep track of this?
An e-portfolio approach to my life's documentation and learning would enable me to link various learning streams together, and better still, to be able to search and find information that has influenced my thinking. It would also be excellent to have a focus for summarising key learning points and for cataloguing my development as a professional, rounded human being.
I am not sure that I have ever aspired to be an E-Learning Professional. Rather I want to be an excellent learning professional, who helps people get the most out of their lives, not just their work. Having a good grasp of how E-Learning can contribute to that ambition is, in today's world, essential, as technology is a major enabler of learning, particularly for younger generations. For this to be a meaningful exercise, I am inclined to think it needs to be focused on me as a professional human being, not just on me as a professional educator.
So, here is my latest thinking on how to organise my e-portfolio. The organising concepts will be threefold; the professional skills that I feel are important to doing a good job today; the professional skills that I feel are important to my family, friends and hobbies; how my professional and personal skills must develop in future.
I am inclined to think that I should not spend too much time looking back to collect data for the e-portfolio, but if choose the right meta categories, and then begin to break them down into smaller organisational units, I can, if I choose, add historical information for posterity.
And the sooner I set up these organising themes, the more organised I can be about making H808 matter in my life, not just in order to gain a Masters Degree;-)
Perhaps what was concerning me was the technology of managing an e-portfolio, such as My Stuff on the OU website. And although this technology can be a lot to take in, as I look at the way I presently organise my professional learning, I have to admit it is a bit of a shambles ;-)
When I read something of professional or personal interest in the press, I often cut out the article, or store the URL. I wish I could say that I have an orderly way of storing this information, but I can't! When I read a new book of interest, I mark up the points that seem relevant and make notes in the book; when it seems important enough, I write a summary and action list. My professional activities are stored on our work server, but are filed by customer. When I make a public contribution; press article, blog, facebook, twitter etc, these are stored on the site/journal that published the item.
When I think back to my two previous years of Masters study, the process I used to collect my thoughts was essentially manual; hand drawn mind maps, printed out articles and journals, key themes on post-it notes, word documents summarising key quotes and themes......it makes me wonder how I ever got my act together!
My photographs, professional and personal, are stored in several different places. My hobbies are almost totally unreported, even though my choral performances are regularly broadcast publicly, and receive critical acclaim. I save the programmes and sometimes cut out newspaper reviews, but not in any systematic way. Isn't it a pity I don't keep track of this?
An e-portfolio approach to my life's documentation and learning would enable me to link various learning streams together, and better still, to be able to search and find information that has influenced my thinking. It would also be excellent to have a focus for summarising key learning points and for cataloguing my development as a professional, rounded human being.
I am not sure that I have ever aspired to be an E-Learning Professional. Rather I want to be an excellent learning professional, who helps people get the most out of their lives, not just their work. Having a good grasp of how E-Learning can contribute to that ambition is, in today's world, essential, as technology is a major enabler of learning, particularly for younger generations. For this to be a meaningful exercise, I am inclined to think it needs to be focused on me as a professional human being, not just on me as a professional educator.
So, here is my latest thinking on how to organise my e-portfolio. The organising concepts will be threefold; the professional skills that I feel are important to doing a good job today; the professional skills that I feel are important to my family, friends and hobbies; how my professional and personal skills must develop in future.
I am inclined to think that I should not spend too much time looking back to collect data for the e-portfolio, but if choose the right meta categories, and then begin to break them down into smaller organisational units, I can, if I choose, add historical information for posterity.
And the sooner I set up these organising themes, the more organised I can be about making H808 matter in my life, not just in order to gain a Masters Degree;-)
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Key Learning Points from H802
My first year of the MA ODE programme looked at the use of technology in the learning environment.
In the final Examinable Component, I was challenged to describe the comparative strengths of using technology to enable learning, versus the medium of Print.
I focused on three aspects of learning; transmission of complex information, Interaction with Learning Material, Interaction with Learning Community. The adoption of technology as an enabler of learning becomes more valuable as interactivity (many to many) that is provided by electronic media is demanded.
The theoretical approaches that emerged as most relevant for the professional and managerial population that I serve are:
My own advice to myself is to use my forthcoming Distance Learning Programme to expose the learning processes of my professional learners using the minimum amount of 'technology', but to use the experience of observing how the learning actually happens to consider ways of scaffolding learners, and to improve the learning environment for future groups. I intend to discover whether it will be possible to substitute asynchronous communication for the combition of synchronous and asynchronous which will be used in the first version.
I will also be keen to understand what further support material and/or activities will be of use to learners.
In the final Examinable Component, I was challenged to describe the comparative strengths of using technology to enable learning, versus the medium of Print.
I focused on three aspects of learning; transmission of complex information, Interaction with Learning Material, Interaction with Learning Community. The adoption of technology as an enabler of learning becomes more valuable as interactivity (many to many) that is provided by electronic media is demanded.
The theoretical approaches that emerged as most relevant for the professional and managerial population that I serve are:
- Social Constructivism as articulated by Vygotsky and others
- Cognitive apprenticeship as articulated by Brown, Collins and Duguid
- Situated Learning as articulated by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger (First published 1991).
- Minimalism: Boyle (1997) describes the work of Carroll (1990)
My own advice to myself is to use my forthcoming Distance Learning Programme to expose the learning processes of my professional learners using the minimum amount of 'technology', but to use the experience of observing how the learning actually happens to consider ways of scaffolding learners, and to improve the learning environment for future groups. I intend to discover whether it will be possible to substitute asynchronous communication for the combition of synchronous and asynchronous which will be used in the first version.
I will also be keen to understand what further support material and/or activities will be of use to learners.
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