Here's my initial foray into Xtranormal - A staged interview to spout my praise for a course with no professor and no grades.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
We're doing SOMETHING right
While Reading Fiedler & Väljataga's paper, "Modeling the personal adult learner", I thought, these five layers (systems) of organization ring true to my own experience. I’m not sure I could have understood this at age 21 though. Besides some well-developed foresight, it requires a degree of hindsight not readily available to college freshmen. I think this model can also provide insight, or at least context, to the questions raised about MOOC engagement drop-off in the discussion forum.
When I got to page eight in the paper I got excited. "Here finally," I realized, "is an area where Adult Literacy and Basic Education (ALBE) is ahead of most HE."
Fiedler & Väljataga say: "Many educators and educational researchers seem to maintain the view that it is quite appropriate to limit their efforts …(to)… learning activities on system one
We hold an alternative view.
…we first need to make an attempt to re-configure learning activities … in a way that allows the individual personal adult learner to actualize and execute control and responsibility … by modeling and actively shaping her own learning activity and its specific environment."
ALBE maintains that its responsibility is as much preparing learners for life as teaching academics. Essential skills to participate in today's world and attitudes for success are at the forefront of shaping the educational offering. This is because the majority of learners in ALBE classes have a history that has led them to regard themselves as failures. It's beyond the scope of this post to examine the legacy of Aboriginal residential schools, but it still informs a certain fearful expectancy that many adults bring to an educational setting. Their need for healing, and complicated life occurrences are some of the major issues that prevent academics alone, no matter how skilfully delivered, from meeting their needs. It’s still necessary to keep things interesting in class to motivate a learner, but it's essential to recognize that most of the drop-out occurs because "life happens", not boredom or difficulty in comprehending. That these students will put formal learning on the back burner, what Fiedler & Väljataga call System 2 and System 3 educational management decisions, is inevitable. That they should be penalized for it by denying them further access to education is unconscionable.
To address this situation we have, at the community level, made innovations that may not be possible at a central campus setting. Continuous intake, individual learning paths, and especially non-punitive attendance policies, all remove barriers to re-engaging with learning after a life event (e.g. childbirth, temporary employment, or judicial intervention) has interrupted schooling. Digital technology makes multiple individual learning paths much easier to manage than in the past, but buy-in on the part of the Institution and the individual instructor is key to allowing ALBE students to shape their learning activities to fit their complicated environment.
When I got to page eight in the paper I got excited. "Here finally," I realized, "is an area where Adult Literacy and Basic Education (ALBE) is ahead of most HE."
Fiedler & Väljataga say: "Many educators and educational researchers seem to maintain the view that it is quite appropriate to limit their efforts …(to)… learning activities on system one
We hold an alternative view.
…we first need to make an attempt to re-configure learning activities … in a way that allows the individual personal adult learner to actualize and execute control and responsibility … by modeling and actively shaping her own learning activity and its specific environment."
ALBE maintains that its responsibility is as much preparing learners for life as teaching academics. Essential skills to participate in today's world and attitudes for success are at the forefront of shaping the educational offering. This is because the majority of learners in ALBE classes have a history that has led them to regard themselves as failures. It's beyond the scope of this post to examine the legacy of Aboriginal residential schools, but it still informs a certain fearful expectancy that many adults bring to an educational setting. Their need for healing, and complicated life occurrences are some of the major issues that prevent academics alone, no matter how skilfully delivered, from meeting their needs. It’s still necessary to keep things interesting in class to motivate a learner, but it's essential to recognize that most of the drop-out occurs because "life happens", not boredom or difficulty in comprehending. That these students will put formal learning on the back burner, what Fiedler & Väljataga call System 2 and System 3 educational management decisions, is inevitable. That they should be penalized for it by denying them further access to education is unconscionable.
To address this situation we have, at the community level, made innovations that may not be possible at a central campus setting. Continuous intake, individual learning paths, and especially non-punitive attendance policies, all remove barriers to re-engaging with learning after a life event (e.g. childbirth, temporary employment, or judicial intervention) has interrupted schooling. Digital technology makes multiple individual learning paths much easier to manage than in the past, but buy-in on the part of the Institution and the individual instructor is key to allowing ALBE students to shape their learning activities to fit their complicated environment.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Educational Games
I believe it was Maria Anderson who said that many educational computer games are done badly. I've been wondering if any educational game could ever be done well enough to hold students' attention the way wildly popular role-playing games do. Perhaps we've been looking in the wrong direction. What if we could find ways to leverage the huge appeal of well executed games for educational purposes?
Kay Novak's PLENK introduction mentions a Second Life Unsymposium, which lead me to Rockliffe University's "World of Teachcraft". Using World of Warcraft (WOW) as a focus for collaboration, a half dozen teachers are meeting in Second Life to plan and support each other in learning how to use the world's most popular Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG). Within WOW they will collaborate as a team to complete quests and build up the level of their characters. Asynchronous discussion takes place in the course Moodle.
WOW is much more than just combat. Defeat is not final. Players learn through repeated attempts to complete complex tasks which then allow them to advance to higher levels. Characters have different abilities (such as healing, superior strength, damage at a distance, and magic) that complement each other in battle, making cooperation the key to advancement. A wide array of virtual goods that give an advantage to one character or another are bought and sold on open markets, making economics an important part of the game as well. Within the game, players communicate with each other by text and voice to coordinate attacks, tutor newcomers, barter for assistance, and share information about hidden dangers. There is an active community on the web that further supports players with information for solving difficult quests through forums and FAQs as well as facebook groups and twitter. There is even an in-game twitter client called "Tweetcraft"
This combination of multiple channels for learning to play a game, that itself includes multiple levels of learning, with the need for cooperation and collaboration makes this project one of the more intriguing ones I have seen. It's not quite enough to get me playing WOW, but it's mellowed my condescending attitude toward gaming. In the Unsymposium, several of the professors told how they used WOW in their real life classes on economics and other subjects that meshed with the themes of the game. Now they are taking it a step farther, bringing in teachers new to WOW to see if they can discover other ways this highly engaging MMORPG can complement educational goals in and out of the classroom.
Kay Novak's PLENK introduction mentions a Second Life Unsymposium, which lead me to Rockliffe University's "World of Teachcraft". Using World of Warcraft (WOW) as a focus for collaboration, a half dozen teachers are meeting in Second Life to plan and support each other in learning how to use the world's most popular Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG). Within WOW they will collaborate as a team to complete quests and build up the level of their characters. Asynchronous discussion takes place in the course Moodle.
WOW is much more than just combat. Defeat is not final. Players learn through repeated attempts to complete complex tasks which then allow them to advance to higher levels. Characters have different abilities (such as healing, superior strength, damage at a distance, and magic) that complement each other in battle, making cooperation the key to advancement. A wide array of virtual goods that give an advantage to one character or another are bought and sold on open markets, making economics an important part of the game as well. Within the game, players communicate with each other by text and voice to coordinate attacks, tutor newcomers, barter for assistance, and share information about hidden dangers. There is an active community on the web that further supports players with information for solving difficult quests through forums and FAQs as well as facebook groups and twitter. There is even an in-game twitter client called "Tweetcraft"
This combination of multiple channels for learning to play a game, that itself includes multiple levels of learning, with the need for cooperation and collaboration makes this project one of the more intriguing ones I have seen. It's not quite enough to get me playing WOW, but it's mellowed my condescending attitude toward gaming. In the Unsymposium, several of the professors told how they used WOW in their real life classes on economics and other subjects that meshed with the themes of the game. Now they are taking it a step farther, bringing in teachers new to WOW to see if they can discover other ways this highly engaging MMORPG can complement educational goals in and out of the classroom.
Friday, November 5, 2010
In Defense of Big
There’s been some dissing of the “big names” in computing and networking. I’d like to say a word in favour of using a ubiquitous provider. Stephen Downes offers to show us how we can do everything Microsoft does for free. I like free, but I also like the convenience of the integrated suite. I have openOffice.org on my netbook, but don’t use it at work. I’m not quite arrogant enough to think my work is more important than innovation, but my employer expects me to be productive. Sure there are hacks and patches that will make Ubuntu faster at almost everything than Windows, but I went months without seeing my granddaughters because my son couldn’t find Linux drivers for his webcam. People worry that if Facebook or Twitter fail they will lose their network of connections. I can’t quite see the value of moving to more obscure services where there are far fewer subscribers. Where’s the “enhanced serendipity” in that? I like the polished feel of Second Life. Open Sims may be attractive to education because of lower prices, but I’ll stick to SL if I want to invite someone new. Our recent safari to ReactionGrid was definitely a learning experience. Malcolm Knowles would love the determination, patience, and dedication exhibited by the group. But most of my colleagues would be never try a virtual world again if it was that difficult. Skype is another “big” connector that gets dissed. It was fun talking to Tony on tinychat this morning, but I would never have found him without our “PLENK in SL” Skype group to give me the link. I can ask most contacts, “Can I call you on Skype?”, and seven times out of ten they have an account. If they don’t, they’ve at least heard of it and are more than willing to give it a try. If I’m testing an unknown service, I have to spend a lot of time reassuring them that it won’t harm their computer.
Ease of use, universality, ubiquity, integration: these are the features that make the “big names” attractive. I admire the frontierspersons who boldly go. I’ll delight in the new territory they show me. For now though, boring as it may sound, I also need a proven, predictable environment that frees me to concentrate on getting work done.
Ease of use, universality, ubiquity, integration: these are the features that make the “big names” attractive. I admire the frontierspersons who boldly go. I’ll delight in the new territory they show me. For now though, boring as it may sound, I also need a proven, predictable environment that frees me to concentrate on getting work done.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Deliberating Over Success
I can assess my learning subjectively, based on how successfully I feel I am grasping new concepts, and by the degree of satisfaction I get from the connections I’m making.
I can assess my learning objectively, based on whether I’m using digital tools in a new way to solve problems, whether I’m finding new ways to draw in adult students to engage with learning, whether the new connections I’m making with people are to our mutual benefit, and whether my blog & discussion postings get responses.
To all of the above I’d give a qualified “pretty well”. New connections are certainly the most exciting. Conviviality Corners in Second Life brought me closer to individuals with similar interests. The prospects of having a few of them connect with my adult literacy class via Skype in the near future made PLENK seem suddenly very rewarding. (And hence extra disappointing to have to miss the SL interaction Friday. I misjudged the amount of help my adult literacy class needed for that "independent" learning activity I had prepared for that time slot.)
But to continue with evaluating the successful use of my PLE, there doesn’t seem to be one single indicator of success, nor are all the indicators quantifiable. Blog responses could just as easily be flaming reactions (Not in PLENK of course). New twitter, delicious, evernote, and trailmeme accounts may lose their shine quickly. Whether the new connections last or fade, or produce value after the course, still remains to be seen. Taken together however, the sheer volume of new ideas, tools, connections, and innovative uses of old ones assures me that I am succeeding by my standards. For coming into PLENK not knowing what to expect, I have more than met my goals.
That does not mean I’ve necessarily succeeded by anyone else’s measure. While my own satisfaction is an important motivating factor, there are other important considerations.
I've already mentioned longevity. Stephen Downes encouraged us to keep writing. To paraphrase him: Even if
it's absolute garbage, keep writing for a month, for six months, for a year, and then after awhile it's no longer absolute garbage. His "How To Be Heard" post (referred to in the Week 6 Facilitator Session) shows I have much room for improvement, even while assuring me that I'm on the right track. I believe it was also Stephen who told us, "If it's worth writing, blog it." On the other hand, I identify so strongly with what Steve LeBlanc wrote in Friday's Elluminate chat, "I work too hard to write well, so hard that I censor most of what I write." I can spend a week writing & re-writing a piece, and still go back and make more changes after posting it. I’m not yet sure whether I'll even desire to maintain a regular blog after the larger PLENK community disbands.
Cartoon lifted from http://donstuff.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/
But as for judging my PLE learning success by the degree to which I'm heard, by the number of comments on my blog, I have reservations about that. It might be an indicator of learning if my reflection resonates with someone else's experience. It's certainly gratifying to know, given how hard I work to write, that someone placed enough value on what I said to spend their time writing a comment. It encouraged me to comment on other people's blogs and posts more frequently. But I write because it helps clarify my own thoughts about what I'm learning. The temptation to write for audience reaction, to reach for fame or influence rather than writing a reflection, could hijack my learning. That's why I'm reluctant to place too much significance on voice or presence.
I'm a pragmatist. Ultimately the success of my PLE must pass the practical test of whether it can deliver the learning I need to become a better person and teacher. I believe PLENK is making changes in how I approach teaching. It may be difficult to judge by any objective standards whether it made any improvement at all in my students' learning experience.
I felt like I was a week behind again, still writing about assessment while PLENK had moved on to success, until I started to draft this blog post last week. I realized as I wrote, that success and assessment would be closely linked. On Friday I read Dave Cormier’s blog “My PLE model…” and my insight was validated. (I felt just a bit smug that I’d actually thought of it BEFORE reading Dave. He usually says just what I’m thinking, but before I think it, or at least before I realize I’m thinking it.)
I can assess my learning objectively, based on whether I’m using digital tools in a new way to solve problems, whether I’m finding new ways to draw in adult students to engage with learning, whether the new connections I’m making with people are to our mutual benefit, and whether my blog & discussion postings get responses.
To all of the above I’d give a qualified “pretty well”. New connections are certainly the most exciting. Conviviality Corners in Second Life brought me closer to individuals with similar interests. The prospects of having a few of them connect with my adult literacy class via Skype in the near future made PLENK seem suddenly very rewarding. (And hence extra disappointing to have to miss the SL interaction Friday. I misjudged the amount of help my adult literacy class needed for that "independent" learning activity I had prepared for that time slot.)
But to continue with evaluating the successful use of my PLE, there doesn’t seem to be one single indicator of success, nor are all the indicators quantifiable. Blog responses could just as easily be flaming reactions (Not in PLENK of course). New twitter, delicious, evernote, and trailmeme accounts may lose their shine quickly. Whether the new connections last or fade, or produce value after the course, still remains to be seen. Taken together however, the sheer volume of new ideas, tools, connections, and innovative uses of old ones assures me that I am succeeding by my standards. For coming into PLENK not knowing what to expect, I have more than met my goals.
That does not mean I’ve necessarily succeeded by anyone else’s measure. While my own satisfaction is an important motivating factor, there are other important considerations.
I've already mentioned longevity. Stephen Downes encouraged us to keep writing. To paraphrase him: Even if
it's absolute garbage, keep writing for a month, for six months, for a year, and then after awhile it's no longer absolute garbage. His "How To Be Heard" post (referred to in the Week 6 Facilitator Session) shows I have much room for improvement, even while assuring me that I'm on the right track. I believe it was also Stephen who told us, "If it's worth writing, blog it." On the other hand, I identify so strongly with what Steve LeBlanc wrote in Friday's Elluminate chat, "I work too hard to write well, so hard that I censor most of what I write." I can spend a week writing & re-writing a piece, and still go back and make more changes after posting it. I’m not yet sure whether I'll even desire to maintain a regular blog after the larger PLENK community disbands.Cartoon lifted from http://donstuff.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/
But as for judging my PLE learning success by the degree to which I'm heard, by the number of comments on my blog, I have reservations about that. It might be an indicator of learning if my reflection resonates with someone else's experience. It's certainly gratifying to know, given how hard I work to write, that someone placed enough value on what I said to spend their time writing a comment. It encouraged me to comment on other people's blogs and posts more frequently. But I write because it helps clarify my own thoughts about what I'm learning. The temptation to write for audience reaction, to reach for fame or influence rather than writing a reflection, could hijack my learning. That's why I'm reluctant to place too much significance on voice or presence.
I'm a pragmatist. Ultimately the success of my PLE must pass the practical test of whether it can deliver the learning I need to become a better person and teacher. I believe PLENK is making changes in how I approach teaching. It may be difficult to judge by any objective standards whether it made any improvement at all in my students' learning experience.
I felt like I was a week behind again, still writing about assessment while PLENK had moved on to success, until I started to draft this blog post last week. I realized as I wrote, that success and assessment would be closely linked. On Friday I read Dave Cormier’s blog “My PLE model…” and my insight was validated. (I felt just a bit smug that I’d actually thought of it BEFORE reading Dave. He usually says just what I’m thinking, but before I think it, or at least before I realize I’m thinking it.)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Motivated to Tweet
I couldn’t get motivated to investigate all the hype about Twitter until yesterday. Open Access week at Athabasca University featured topics relevant to PLENK; and I suddenly had the urge to spread the word. Skype was too limited – only a handful of contacts. It’s not really a topic for discussion forums. Ah well, perhaps the time had come to put aside my uncritical prejudice against the silly name and see if Twitter would deliver. Tweeted my first tonight. I’m xb7r.
This led me to thinking about the role motivation plays in my PLE. I pursue some things because I’m interested, other things because they promise to be useful. With limited time available, these two motivators play a large role in where I invest it. A quick search found several PLENKers Tweeting about Open Access week. Maybe it wasn’t important for me to add my 140 characters. Whether I decide to continue with this new tool will depend on how useful or interesting I find it.
My friends and family have long maintained that I'm a Twitt. Guess it's official now.
This led me to thinking about the role motivation plays in my PLE. I pursue some things because I’m interested, other things because they promise to be useful. With limited time available, these two motivators play a large role in where I invest it. A quick search found several PLENKers Tweeting about Open Access week. Maybe it wasn’t important for me to add my 140 characters. Whether I decide to continue with this new tool will depend on how useful or interesting I find it.
My friends and family have long maintained that I'm a Twitt. Guess it's official now.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Still Casting About for Lasting Connections
Vahid blogged and several others have commented about desiring to form sub-nets in growing our PLE but finding it difficult. I can identify with that desire, but also appreciate the facilitators' reluctance to "herd" us into groups. From the beginning we've been urged to find people with whom we naturally connect. Dave Cormier mentioned in his blog, " you’ll likely have found some people that are doing what you are doing, who are interested in what you’re interested in, or with whom your ideas seem to connect easily."
I've not been very successful at this apart from some give & take in the discussion forums. Three possible barriers (excuses?).
1. lack of synchronicity.
I'm still figuring out how to have my class of adult literacy learners work on their own so I can concentrate on the live sessions, if I get to log in at all. Reading the back channel while listening to the recorded version isn't' the same as having the opportunity to participate live.. I did manage to join the Second Life group at Chilbo last Wednesday. Very enjoyable; the group warmly welcomed me and it has great promise, but the RL class needed me and I had to leave just as our discussion was getting started.
2. lack of confidence
I'm hesitant to write off-the-cuff responses in the forums, self-conscious of the rustic sound of my written voice (even after careful editing) in comparison to the effortless erudition of the academics. I've previously mentioned the time it takes me to write a post or comment, and most of my reading and writing is relegated the limited evening left after work, exercise, supper, and life – when I choose to have a life instead of PLENKing.
3. lack of colleagues
The majority of active PLENK participants are in HE whereas I am teaching basic literacy to disadvantaged adults. Don't get me wrong, this is a fascinating MOOC. I'm meeting intimidatingly talented people, gaining further insights into my own learning and self-imposed limitations, pushing the boundaries of my skills, and generally having a difficult time disconnecting. I have not yet been able to devote enough time, or exercise sufficient discipline, to narrow my focus on locating individuals with whom I have something in common. Or maybe I'm like the fourteen year-old too shy to ask for a date (OK I was still almost too shy at 21, but she has been worth infinitely many times over, the 15 agonizing minutes this nerd stood at the pay phone, dime in hand, getting up the courage to actually call. Now get back on track now, Jim :) It's possible I won't find cross-cultural adult basic education instructors in PLENK, but I am getting the idea of how to look for them in the wild. Meanwhile, it's a stretching and intriguing experience to "walk the PLENK" as someone put it.
Learning Theory
I was encouraged to see some lively discussions and clarifications about learning theory after an initial display of ambivalence toward the subject. Studying formal learning theories for the first time (when I started teaching adult literacy a few years ago) was like installing shelves in a messy garage. I'd picked up bits and pieces of understanding about human learning behaviours during my years as a missionary, but suddenly I was presented with a system for organizing this knowledge. It opened my eyes to probable reasons why I'd had better success at communicating some things than others.
Labeling something does not mean I have to pigeonhole or limit it. The fantasy/magic story genre frequently uses a plot device where learning the true name for a person or thing gives one power over it. Having a name for a concept allows me (to believe I have) more control over the way I can use it. Knowing that I am a cognitive thinker not only explains why I feverishly desire to understand every why and how; it also helps me recognize that my fascination with explaining everything to death might actually bore the tactile learner to distraction. Understanding learning theories enables me to critically re-examine my assumptions and adjust my practice.
One outstanding link from Week 4:
Trailmeme and Eva Birger's example
– a great improvement over the traditional page of links. A must-try for the next time I need to lead a colleague or student through a series of web artifacts.
Yeah, I know this was last week's discussion topics. I decided to have a life on our Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend, so only completed it tonight.
I've not been very successful at this apart from some give & take in the discussion forums. Three possible barriers (excuses?).
1. lack of synchronicity.
I'm still figuring out how to have my class of adult literacy learners work on their own so I can concentrate on the live sessions, if I get to log in at all. Reading the back channel while listening to the recorded version isn't' the same as having the opportunity to participate live.. I did manage to join the Second Life group at Chilbo last Wednesday. Very enjoyable; the group warmly welcomed me and it has great promise, but the RL class needed me and I had to leave just as our discussion was getting started.
2. lack of confidence
I'm hesitant to write off-the-cuff responses in the forums, self-conscious of the rustic sound of my written voice (even after careful editing) in comparison to the effortless erudition of the academics. I've previously mentioned the time it takes me to write a post or comment, and most of my reading and writing is relegated the limited evening left after work, exercise, supper, and life – when I choose to have a life instead of PLENKing.
3. lack of colleagues
The majority of active PLENK participants are in HE whereas I am teaching basic literacy to disadvantaged adults. Don't get me wrong, this is a fascinating MOOC. I'm meeting intimidatingly talented people, gaining further insights into my own learning and self-imposed limitations, pushing the boundaries of my skills, and generally having a difficult time disconnecting. I have not yet been able to devote enough time, or exercise sufficient discipline, to narrow my focus on locating individuals with whom I have something in common. Or maybe I'm like the fourteen year-old too shy to ask for a date (OK I was still almost too shy at 21, but she has been worth infinitely many times over, the 15 agonizing minutes this nerd stood at the pay phone, dime in hand, getting up the courage to actually call. Now get back on track now, Jim :) It's possible I won't find cross-cultural adult basic education instructors in PLENK, but I am getting the idea of how to look for them in the wild. Meanwhile, it's a stretching and intriguing experience to "walk the PLENK" as someone put it.
Learning Theory
I was encouraged to see some lively discussions and clarifications about learning theory after an initial display of ambivalence toward the subject. Studying formal learning theories for the first time (when I started teaching adult literacy a few years ago) was like installing shelves in a messy garage. I'd picked up bits and pieces of understanding about human learning behaviours during my years as a missionary, but suddenly I was presented with a system for organizing this knowledge. It opened my eyes to probable reasons why I'd had better success at communicating some things than others.
Labeling something does not mean I have to pigeonhole or limit it. The fantasy/magic story genre frequently uses a plot device where learning the true name for a person or thing gives one power over it. Having a name for a concept allows me (to believe I have) more control over the way I can use it. Knowing that I am a cognitive thinker not only explains why I feverishly desire to understand every why and how; it also helps me recognize that my fascination with explaining everything to death might actually bore the tactile learner to distraction. Understanding learning theories enables me to critically re-examine my assumptions and adjust my practice.
One outstanding link from Week 4:
Trailmeme and Eva Birger's example
– a great improvement over the traditional page of links. A must-try for the next time I need to lead a colleague or student through a series of web artifacts.
Yeah, I know this was last week's discussion topics. I decided to have a life on our Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend, so only completed it tonight.
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