“Embracing the fog” (Caroline Cruard during PBL8 online meeting)
The approach on which this course is based (problem based learning) relies on problems actually being authentic (Hmelo-Silver 2004). The scenario for Topic 1 could not have been more authentic to me! I had technical difficulties at the beginning of both of my online meetings in the office. I got to know about a new potential presentation source (Google Tour Creator) but could hardly follow what was done to create the presentation. Not a start to inspire confidence!
It is not that I felt completely literate in this digital age before the course began. I have always found it difficult to navigate different programs and remember how they work, are linked, etc. I am also not sure it suits the way my brain works. I find I am much more distracted by things and stray off task when I have to jump from one page to another and I am more likely to lose track of things when they are all in different places (Google +, Drive, ONL171 webpage). In addition, I suspect I will never enjoy the way information flows in a tweet chat. Alistair said that it is like dipping a tow in a flowing river, and I like that idea, but I want to know the content of the water in total and have it provided in an organized fashion. J
If I think of my digital identity, I would say it is only halfway formed. I was quick to get online and use email and software for specific purposes, but slower to adopt social media. ONL participants have been writing and talking a lot about the importance of attitude. It is true: being curious and positive about the digital world helps. I recently read that social media is one of the main tools of social activism these days, and that made me a lot more inspired about exploring the digital world.
So, attitude is important, but I also wonder how high our expectations should be. Digital literacies are those capabilities which fit an individual for living, learning and working in a digital society (Jisc info net). Individual’s lives and needs can look so incredibly different. I don’t think most people learn for learning’s sake (after finishing their education anyhow), but rather learn what they need to know. This means that until this course, my digital literacy was super high—because I had the capabilities to live my life in the digital society. I may never be a natural “resident”, but I have been able to survive quite well as a “visitor” (White & Le Cornu 2011).
I think this first topic was challenging not only because of expanding my own digital literacy but because of figuring out how to do PBL with a group of new people. Our group was very small (only 2 or 3 in each meeting), but the members themselves were great and the facilitators very helpful. I read on another ONL18 member’s blog about the six thinking hats (de Bono 1985) and after reading about this approach I think it could be quite interesting to pair with the FiSH model. Something to consider…
Source: https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=611321&chapterid=100453
Even if I have found this course uncomfortable at times, I have already learned new things. I will be able to use many new tools after this course. And now I am writing my first blog. Exciting times! But it will be nice when some of the fog clears.
References
de Bono, E. (1985). Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management. Little, Brown, & Company.
Hmelo-Silver, C.E. Educational Psychology Review (2004) 16: 235. https://doi.org/10.1023/ B:EDPR.0000034022.16470.f3
Jisc info net. http://web.archive.org/web/20141011143516/http:/www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/digital-literacies/
White, D., & Le Cornu. A. (2011) Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday, Volume 16, Number 9 – 5 September 2011.