Category Archives: Group 12

#ONL192, Group 12, Topic 3: Learning in communities – networked collaborative learning

Together we became better than one

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Topic 3: Learning in communities – networked collaborative learning

There are two times in the past years being student in a classroom, when the group work has been collaborative;

First time was when studying to become a teacher. At a campus meeting we were put into different groups. The assignment was to discuss a book … We started out talking about our days, when we were working, when we could contribute to this assignment and how we should contribute etc. After that we worked out a contract on how we wanted to work. Back at home, we were sitting in different parts of Sweden, we worked with a chat. There we “discussed” different chapters in the book, writing about things we thought were interesting, others could add to it or come with arguments why they didn’t like it, etc. One of us volunteered to gather the information in a document with headings etc. Everyone read through it and corrected or added information. I felt it was real collaboration as everyone had read through the book and thereafter had added their thoughts and ideas to our text. Next time we were assigned a group work, we decided to meet over “link” to discuss the text we had read. It didn’t turn out as good. It was pretty good discussions, but it seemed like we didn’t give enough thoughts and effort into it, and there was no way we could have written down everything we said… We didn’t get a worked-through document as before. Even if it was the same group we suddenly got social loafers when working this way. (or perhaps we had the first time too, but we didn’t notice)

Second time was last spring when I was attending an art course, online+4 meetings on campus. I think it must have been the best group work ever. Part of it was an engaged teacher. Part of it the group dynamic; We had very different backgrounds and experiences and were of different age. Still, in every part of the assignment my peer and I discussed all possible aspects of the work, turning every idea in and out, we wrote texts and worked out different materials together. Even when one were writing and the other making illustrations, we discussed what words to use or symbols to put in, creating a common work. Both putting in a lot of effort and own ideas. I couldn’t have done this alone, my own imagination had not been enough. By combining our experiences and challenging each other we became better than one. And I believe that is what true collaboration is about.

#ONL192, Group 12, Topic 2: Open Learning – sharing and openness

Obstacles and possibilities with open learning

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During the two weeks of topic 2: Open Learning – Sharing and Openness, my group and I have had interesting discussions about the possibilities and dangers with open resources. Most of us believe that openness is very positive, as you can take part of many kinds of different open resources; education, articles, books, illustrations, codes etc. It is a possibility for you not having to create things from scratch every time. Sometimes you can use the source they way it is, sometimes you use some parts and sometimes you just need it for your own inspiration.

However, there are obstacles to overcome when you want to share something in return. For example, your own attitude, which includes your fears of how people will react on what you share or that they will interpret it in a different manner than you yourself had thought. There is also the fear that someone will use your material in a way that you did not intended. Another obstacle can be the culture of your workplace; you might not be allowed to share because of copyright issues or other, not always outspoken things.

“Steal like an artist”

In the line of business where I used to work, the graphical design industry, you often looked at things others had created and used it as inspiration. Taking bits and pieces and putting them together into something that was your own, seldom sharing where you found it…

A few years later, when teaching graphical design, I found the book “Steal like an artist” by Austin Kleon. It was a book that talked about just that phenomena. To help my students get going with their design projects, I started to read parts of the book to my students. They found it really interesting and we had good discussions after the read. Austin Kleon encourages to honor, study and credit, when “stealing” other peoples materials. The Creative Commons (CC) is a way of saying just that, and a very good way of sharing materials. As a user of cc-material, you know who to credit and how.

In the field of education, we are many that teach the same types of courses, and it is very positive for our students that they can be inspired by other people than yourself (even if you should be the best teacher ever 😉 ). We can also join open educational courses ourselves, to get better in what we teach and do.

With applying “open” more, we can “borrow” from each other or share links to what others have done. When finding materials that doesn’t properly show if you can use it, it’s a good thing to send an e-mail to the creator and ask. They are most oftenly pleased to share.

Helping others reach their dreams

All of us benefit from the OERs and MOOCs and other open materials, but some groups even more. For example people that couldn’t fullfill their schooling by different reasons . People that, when growing older, want to change their life situation, but are excluded because of this. Making education open, gives them a way to reach their dreams, to reach their treasure at the end of the rainbow…

I believe that we all benefit from being more open, sharing what we know, to inspire others. Me, I just have to take the next step, believing that what I know can be inspiration to others.

Resources

“Good theft vs bad theft”, Austin Kleon

Steal Like An Artist

Rainbow photo, my own

#ONL192, Group 12, Topic 1: Online participation & digital literacies

Changing perspective on online participation

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I’m not afraid of using digital tools, as I in various workplaces have used a lot of different tools, upgrading or changing them as time passes. But I think I use them more as a visitor than a resident  (David White, Visitor and Residents).

At work I am online almost all the time, using different tools to solve problems and sharing materials and my professional thoughts on things that isn’t about me.

Outside of work I use some social media, connecting with people that I already know, most of them that doesn’t live close to me. Posting images of things I experience, but actually chosing very neutral images and only with a short note. Honestly I rather call them to share thoughts and ideas. Am I afraid of participating online? I don’t think so, but I’m since childhood more accustomed to this way.

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On the first meeting on this topic we read the scenario and realised that most of us had the same feelings as the person described, even though we use a lot of different tools. How we share materials is different depending on if it is workrelated or private. Privately some of us use facebook or instagram, skype, whatsapp or messenger and a lot of other tools to stay connected to people we know. But none of us on this first meeting had used a blog for themselves before this course…

Why not? We had a common feeling of uncertainty and some fear with sharing our thoughts openly to strangers. At the same time, getting to know my online group we have all been sharing personal stuff, with not much hesistance. Our belief is that it’s because we can see each other and  how we react on what you say…

A course in advanced social psychology lifts these aspects on how communication differs depending on if you see the other person or not. How questions arise about what you reveal in different forums and “how we contruct our presentaton of self”. And that face-to-face meetings (oftenly synchrous) gives you the opportunity to see how the others react, but online communication can be asynchronous and then you don’t get the feedback of verbal and nonverbal cues that you like.    //Self-Representation: Face-to-Face vs Online

So if we have this feeling, how will our students feel?
I believe it is important that we give some thought about creating a positive atmospere for the participants and that we are supportive and visible. We should ask ourselves how we can engage our students and make them feel more at home and willing to invest time and effort. I have found some different guidelines on how to work with an online course. And one that I feel is very down to earth gives these 10 essential principles and practices (quotes from the article are marked with “..”):

  1. Show up to class – don’t leave the students on their own, instead you should “create a schedule for meaningful and active involvement”.  Respond to questions in a timely manner and invite to online meetings.
  2. Be yourself – “Many of us have a unique teaching persona” in the classroom, that can get lost in the online one. Try to find ways to show your students who you are; for example be personal in your writing and show some of yourself in recordings.
  3. Put yourself in their shoes – “In a physical classroom, you can pick up on nonverbal cues. When students are taking class at home, you can’t observe when you’ve lost their attention or when your instructions aren’t clear.” As a teacher you need to anticipate their isolation and plan for it in your course design.
  4. Organize course content intuitively – make it easy to find material by sorting it according to what is important now.
  5. Add visual appeal – Long texts or instructions can be hard to read. Try to add different types of media to your course page and make it easy to read by using subtitles and space between paragraphs.
  6. Explain your expectations – it is perhaps more important in the online classroom to explain to your students what you expect, not only in writing, but perhaps also face-to-face or in a short instructive video.
  7. Scaffold learning activities – “Look for ways to break down complex tasks so that students make timely progress and receive feedback while there is still time to adjust their approach.“
  8. Provide examples – you often do that in a regular classroom, so why should it be different in an online course?
  9. Make class an inviting, pleasent place to be – “When you teach in person, you do a lot of things to help students feel welcome. You greet students. Smile. Make eye contact. Apply that same principle to your online classes.“
  10. Commit to continuous improvement – Be interested in developing yourself. The importance of lifelong learning skills isn’t new and John Dewey himself said “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” (I found the quote in the blog 6 ways to build lifelong learning skills with your learners)

To me these principles feels simple and are based on common sense. I’ll try them next time I design a course…

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When listening to David White and he asked us to draw the image on residents and visitors I drew a picture of someone out walking a dog. It isn’t true that I in my free time don’t use digital tools at all. But it’s something I’m working towards; Being present. Watching. Listening. Especially important when being with family and friends. Things are happening all around you all the time, and if you’re busy listening to pod casts or music or checking the facebook status you’ll miss some of the important interaction there.