Group work, How to Assess ?

It’s always difficult to get a group of people to collaborate online towards a single goal. In this case it was a presentation which was used to identify good practice in elearning. The case study was  taken from the Gallery Of Teaching and Learning (?) and the group work process was as follows:

·         Identify one or two cases between us to focus on

·         Using the cases identify the key principles demonstrated

·         Get screen shots to backup key principles identified

·         Decide on the presentation media

·         Construct the presentation

·         Post to forum.           

Its now been successfully completed over the period of two weeks, but how can we present this for individual assessment and measurement of competence? In this case it was not difficult as the outcomes required an individual slide to created by everyone wit additional slides being created as seen fit by the group. To get to this outcome there was a number of debates and decisions that were made based on research. So it was possible to enter the arena late on in the activity and still complete the task. This was not a bad thing as no one should be excluded just because they have other commitments in fact it was a clear benefit in this case. How then can we determine if any learning has taken place additional competence earned. Quite easy really write a reflection and justify your own learning as long as evidence can be collated it is quite possible in this case. Considering the supporting evidence in this case is a wiki, group conference and a presentation.

Gallery of Teaching & Learning (?) ‘KEEP Toolkit case studies’ (online), The Carnegie Foundation. Available from:http://cms.carnegiefoundation.org/gallery_of_tl/keep_toolkit.html(accessed 18 August 2009). 

'Academics and established professionals'

According to Beetham, H., Jones, S. and Gornall, L. (2001), I would fit myself quite nicely into the category of 'Academics and established professionals'.  I would like to think I had a secure positions in the institutional infrastructure, I am an 'individual that has incorporated an interest and formal responsibility for learning technologies into my existing professional identity although I perhaps would not class myself as a learning technology specialist.

However the more I read on H808 the more I am inclined to feel the more knowledge I am aquiring but having been involved in education for so many years I have naturally embrassed some of this technology.

In contrast a  They tend to be younger, 20s and 30s (thats good, make me feel old) but the more I read about their role the more I can see myself. Within my discipline I have developed, researched  and produced elearning material. It has been a gradual progression from using powerpoint, web pages and now content management systems and a virtual learning environment all this whilst still performing the role of a Senior Lecturer. (Sounds quite good I might put that on my CV).

'New specialist' was a 'true' learning technologists: multi-skilled and peripatetic but with learning technology work at the core of their professional identity.

Whilst I perhaps would not go so far as to say I am a 'new specialist', maybe I could say I am an 'old specialist'.


References
Beetham, H., Jones, S. and Gornall, L. (2001) ‘Career development of learning technology staff: scoping study final report’ (online), JISC. Available from: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/cdss_final_report_v8.doc (accessed 18 August 2009).

Just what is a 'Learning Technologist'

Learning technologists form a link between the academic or teacher and the technologies available to to enhance the learning experience. Whilst it would be nice to think that educator has the time to take each lesson and consider how technology can be used to enrich it, in reality their time is taken up mainly performing the role of teaching.

In practice this profession has grown as the tools have developed and in many ways teachers that have experimented or tried to keep up to date with new methods have gradually introduced the technologies as part of their own personal development. In essence what I am trying to say is that many educators are in fact learning technologists. It is now apparent that there is a role for someone with knowledge of the technologies to call themselves a 'Learning Technologist', but I would expect that most come from the teaching environment.

Its only now that tools are becoming more commercialised that there would appear to be a need for a specialist with a much wider knowledge to help the educator. My experience of this so far has been that the tools have been selected and put in place and the teaching staff have been left to put the tools to use.

I believe it is an emergent profession but at the moment it is really an additional task for an educator to take on board and utilise the tools available as they see fit.

CA 5.2 - Definitions 'elearning professionals'

profession
A skill requiring specialised theory based knowledge, this skill is then used in order to receive financial reward. The more difficult or specialised the task the more reward can be expected.

elearning
Learning using electronic applications via the Internet or a standalone computer. Elearning applications can include audio, video, social websites, electronic conferences webpages wikis blogs etc the list goes on.

elearning professional
An elearning professional is someone who is aware of the technologies and practices available for the implementation of learning in an electronic manner. They engage in reflective practice with other elearning practitioners in order to further develop good practice and enhance the learning experience for the student.

CA 5.2 - Is Perkins view of modern society justified?

The third social revolution (Perkin)

http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=264620

In the current climate I would agree with Perkin but I don't think it is as straight forward as this. He states the major trends to justify his argument, which include:

High living standards for all
The rise of service industries
Class into hierarchy
Meritocracy
The incorporation of women
The welfare state
The centrality of higher education
The rise of the giant corporation
The global economy.

It is difficult to argue that this is not the case however, is it really this clear cut? We are in no doubt a society that entrusts the running of the country to the learned occupation, although democratically selected. Whilst we hear we are in a classless society not many people would agree. We are also driving more of the younger generation towards universities complete with student loans and long term debts. City workers still seem to get fat bonuses despite the fact that we are in a recession.

A network society is a society that is shaped around a number of social and media networks such as facebook and twitter. There is no doubt that these networks are becoming increasingly a way of life for many people. The millennial student has grown up with technology experiencing a positive economy during their school years whilst they have also seen the introduction of a safety to an extent that is perhaps wrapping them in cotton wool. To an extent we could consider our society to be a risk society, constant reminders of the greenhouse effect and how humanity is destroying the world, implies a society increasingly preoccupied with the future.

There is also no doubt that modern society has become very dependant on information. There is a need to create, record and manipulate data in an electronic form in all we do. A vast amount of data is being stored and manipulated for all sorts of dubious reasons and we are like it or not becoming dependant on this information. Is it however a significant economic, political, and cultural activity?
 
There are elements of a risk society, information society and certainly a network society encompassed in the overall picture making it difficult to argue any of these being the predominant one. As to the future? I'll leave that to the learned occupations I think, with tongue in cheek.

CA 5.1 - Definitions 'elearning professionals'

Just what is an elearning professional. I read an article that proclaimed when referring to a 25 page ebook, 'What I’ve covered in this book is more than enough to get you started on your new career as an eLearning professional'. Could I therefore read a 25 page book that would be everything that I need to be a teacher? I don't think so.
Once one has qualified to be a teacher, solicitor, barrister or similar profession as a result of all that hard work, one could class themselves as a professional but surely this is just the start and true professionalism will follow when experience has been gained and further development continues. How professional is a teacher that trained in the 70s and still refuses to use anything other than a blackboard.
Is an elearning professional someone who designs elearning packages using some fancy software? Or a teacher that is trying to improve the learning environment for their students by diversifying and providing blended learning.

As for 'professional', what really warrants the use of the word professional. I do not believe you have to have a qualification to be a professional, many professional footballers, are certainly not qualified and some I would say are not very professional. Marlon King was sent to prison only recently, hardly the act of a professional.

As fellow student, Alan puts it Sewell, A(2009).

'You need to practice your profession
You need to actively participate and contribute to a community of practice.
Be accepted by your profession as a professional'.

A couple of scenarios to help explain. Every morning I arrive at work the cleaner, has been in my office and cleaned my desk and emptied my bin. If I am in early enough she is always friendly, polite and discrete. She does a good job and although there may be sensitive information around the desk she would not read it. Is she a professional? She certainly goes about her job in a professional manner.

A teaching assistant in a classroom is a vital part of the smooth running of a class, he/she may not be qualified in any way (Although I do appreciate many are these days) The TA works by the same rules as a teacher and acts in the same professional manner as the teacher. Just because the TA doesn't have a teaching qualification it doesn't mean they are not professional IMHO.

So going back to Alan's three points I think in this case all three could be upheld. Providing the TA does the job well, seeks to improve, stays up to date with current practices, takes part in discussions etc long gone are the days when a TA was there for sharpening pencils and taking children to the wc.

Just some thoughts

Sewell, A. (2009) H808 Trevor’s Tutor forum, eLearning and professional development, 6 November 2009, 08:47 Available from:http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/forumng/discuss.php?d=810