H808 comes to an end, where next?

Its all been a bit quiet, I guess I have been busy. Where did the last 6 months go. Almost as soon as it started I find myself completing an ECA. And breathing a sigh of relief as the final assessment flies off into cyberspace. Hopefully to return and signal the successful completion of H808, ‘The elearning professional’. Now I have had a few moments to catch up I think a gentle reflection is in order.

It’s been a fast and furious journey how did it all fit in, we have created wikis, blogs and performed group work. A pause here on the group work because, yes it was a successful group work as a result of the contributions within the group I think. Not easy as group work across the globe is certainly a challenge. I have tutored course with group work and watched groups fail despite all my efforts, you tend to blame yourself as a tutor and think you can control the efforts of your students when you can’t.  However a couple of catalyst in the group and you can be away, the trick is plan quickly and layout a flexible structure with clear targets. Members can plan with clear aims other wise the first 3 or four days are wasted and then before you know it a week has past.

OU students are motivated not that students in full time study aren’t , there is just something different about an OU student. I am not sure it's the fact that they are paying for the course its more to do with the reasons they have for study. 'fun, it keeps the brain active, the materials are second to none, its more than just learning; just some of reasons given to me in the past for my students wanting to study the OU way. As a student myself I can add to this, its certainly not an easy option.

What else have I learnt this year.Having researched and discovered eportfolios I have changed my approach, gone is Pebblepad and in comes Google Docs, Sites and all the trimmings of working in the ‘cloud’. I have collaborated online and built a power point presentation with 5 other students. It worked well was easy and was actually effective. I have been a cloud user for over a year but a security issue at work prevents me from fully embracing it which is a pity. It will come I am sure but for now it’s a case of , steady as she goes.
Academic writing is back on the agenda, I was a bit rusty but it soon comes back, blogging is laid back, no one should read a blog and start correcting the grammar of spellings, come on peeps let the blogger just rattle it off, don't spoil it; we want more blogging and sharing of information. 

Where to next ? Quite simply a short break perhaps a little reflection and it’s off to H807 and ‘Innovations in elearning’, hoping for some inspiration from the Learning Technologies Conference in Olympia.

I almost forgot I am now Tutoring a new course T215 and all the adventures that brings, actually looking forward to it, it was time for a change and it should keep me on my toes.

CA 9.1 Desktop research

Since the start of H808 I have been more active on my Blog I have seen its use as a key component of my learning it falls quite clearly into the category of 'tool for students to keep a reflective, learning journal'. It has been used for this purpose and has developed over the course into a useful reflection and log of activity.

This reflection looks at what other uses can be made of Blogs within education and identifies a number that I feel are particularly relevant to my area of work and my personal development. I have started by forming a category list and then identifying a number of blogs that fall within these categories.

Category List

Subject Specific

Educational Issues

Educational Tools and Reference

Course specific

Teaching and Personal Development

Subject Specific:
A range of sites that are subject specific that enable research and updating of knowledge. These sites also share expertise and subject specific teaching experiences. One example lists a number of different sites therfore acting as a useful index page.  http://movingforward.wikispaces.com/Education+Blogs+by+Discipline

Educational Issues:

 It is important that educational issues are discussed and debated in as wide an audience as possible, to include international aspects as well. Education has changed considerably since the arrival of internet based resources. This site is just one such example http://kylesmodernclassroom.blogspot.com/ it tends to focus on issues relating to the modern classroom but this is a significant issue for some of the more experienced teachers that have not grown up with modern technology.

Educational Tools and Reference:

 With the many tools and skills required to to produce an effective elearning experience forever growing the sharing of these skills an experiences are paramount in order to save time yet still stay up to date.

http://terenceonline.blogspot.com/ is one example site where experiences are share and useful information has been provided on some of the tools available. Another site that is useful and updated frequently is http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/ and http://janeknight.typepad.com/pick/ covers tools and technology in a social learning environment.

Course specific:

To make the most of the accessibility of the internet many educational institutions are making facilities available to its teachers to share resources and course content within the context of an individual course. This enables group work, further learning and the sharing of experiences to access such material usually requires passwords and access control to limit its content to those actually on the course. As an example of this I have selected H808 from the Open University where the use of Blogs Wikis and group conferences are made use of.

https://msds.open.ac.uk/students/course.aspx?c=H808_2009I a second example being http://www.mathalino.com/ which provides solutions to mathematical problems.

Teaching and Personal Development: 

Every day true teachers make positive differences in the lives of other learners through their words and actions. http://www.learningandteaching.info/ is a site that contains several blogs and is a huge resource of teaching information. An additional selection is

http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/  which shows promise. By sharing ideas and reflective practice all teachers can improve their best practice and enrich the learning environment for the student.

An additional reference that I found useful as a resource for links is

http://www.blogged.com/directory/education/

CA 8.1 Using New Technology

My First Podcast
An embedded version of a short statement on the implications of security with a VLE. As an Elearning Technologist you just expect to be able to use the latest tools and facilities within the learning environment. However this is not always the case and should note be taken for granted.
'Eng College', is just one institution that won't play ball. Google Docs, Utube, Facebook according to those in the know present a security risk.
The first podcast is the edited version which was adjusted using audacity.

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The second version is the original which has unnecessary silent moments and the odd word or phrase that I replaced. Quite straightforward really and almost fun.

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Professional learning, Not sure about these models?

Although a rather simplistic model Dealtry, R (2004) it is easy to see how learning can be classed in this way. Of the four boxes in Table 7.1. 'A four-dimensional learning domain framework for making learning choices', by classify learning in this way it is also possible to determine the likely hood of success, it could be considered more challenging for a student that puts himself in box D rather than box A. In terms of H808 this year I would put myself in 'C' in that I am performing an unfamiliar learning task in a familiar work situation which implies a moderate risk.

Table 7.1

However in terms of Table 2 'Types of practice in continuing professional development', Clegg et al., (2002) it is not as apparent what use this serves. In the context of H808 reflection is very much a part of the course content and indeed the course assessment. I would expect to be in D for the course, reflection being directed within the course, with some slight deviation into C due to time constraints and the need to prioritise effort. In terms of my profession I should be in B it is important to reflect on teaching practice but in reality time is again a significant factor, if you consider less formal reflection then it is quite easy to comply with B what often happens is that reflection takes place and action may well follow at a later date. Again I am not quite sure of the significance of the second diagram, but I am open to enlightenment.

Table 2

References
Clegg, S., Tan, J. and Saeidi, S. (2002) ‘Reflecting or acting? Reflective practice and continuing professional development in higher education’ (online), Reflective Practice, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 131–46. Available from:
http://libezproxy.open.ac.uk/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14623940220129924 (accessed 19 August 2009).

Dealtry, R. (2004) ‘Professional practice: the savvy learner’ (online),Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 16, no. 1/2, pp. 101–109. Available from: http://libezproxy.open.ac.uk/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13665620410521567 (accessed 9 October 2009).

One profession to another.

Is there really a difference in professional values from one profession to another?

As an academic I am a member of the IFL HEA and IET all professional institutions so what ethical values or pprofessional values do I follow. When considering all three institutions I read word such as Integrity, Fairness, confidentiallity Professional competence are there really any differences 

The following table just serves to highlight some of the quotes from each of these institutions' professional codes of practice. Not a great deal of difference really especially between the IFL and HEA. As an engineer the professional values strive towards excellence in engineering whereas the IFL and HEA both strive toward excellence in education be it at HE or FE level.

Taking a completely different perspective though looking at the professional values in the counselling and psychotherapy profession of which I know very little. It is interesting to see the same words being used in the interest of striving 'Towards an emotionally healthy society'.

Values of counselling and psychotherapy. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (n.d.)

The fundamental values of counselling and psychotherapy include a commitment to:

• Respecting human rights and dignity
• Ensuring the integrity of practitioner-client relationships 
• Enhancing the quality of professional knowledge and its application
• Alleviating personal distress and suffering
• Fostering a sense of self that is meaningful to the person(s) concerned
• Increasing personal effectiveness
• Enhancing the quality of relationships between people
• Appreciating the variety of human experience and culture
• Striving for the fair and adequate provision of counselling and psychotherapy services

All four institutions strive for excellence, improvement of standards and actively encourage the self improvement and continual professional development of its members. To say actively encourage is not strictly true as failure to provide evidence of this could well mean the withdrawal of membership. It is reasonable to say though, that all memberships aim to improve standards and the overall experience for the customers, whether these customers are students, patients or clients.

Higher Education Academy (HEA)	Institution for Learning (IFL)	The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Our vision is for students in UK higher education to enjoy the highest quality learning experience in the world	The Institute for Learning (IfL) is the professional body for teachers, trainers and assessors across further education (FE)	Sharing and advancing knowledge throughout the global Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) community to enhance people’s lives around the world.
1. Respect for individual learners 2. Commitment to incorporating the process and outcomes of relevant research, scholarship and/or professional practice 3. Commitment to development of learning communities 4. Commitment to encouraging participation in higher education, acknowledging diversity and promoting equality of opportunity 5. Commitment to continuing professional development and evaluation of practice	1. Professionalism Strive for excellence in teaching and learning, and high levels of subject or vocational expertise, placing the interests and progression of learners at the very heart of their practice. Members have dual professionalism. Development Continually develop their expertise, individually and within communities of practice Autonomy Should be trusted to exercise informed judgement Integrity Use their skills and knowledge wisely to benefit all learners, the public and their organisation and are respected, trustworthy members of society. Equality Are celebrated for the diversity of their backgrounds and as positive role models for learners and colleagues, and should have fair opportunities for success in their career, whatever their background	Honesty How do you take advantage of business opportunities whilst making sure you are as honest as possible with your customers?  Integrity To what extent should your own moral views about war and warfare affect your professional judgement as an engineer in the defence industry? Fairness What is the fairest way to approach the allocation of a resource such as radio bandwidth? Confidentiality In what situations can a claim of "whistleblowing" justify the disclosure of confidential information? Competence How do you know whether you, as an engineer, are competent to make a particular decision which might have important personal consequences for people? Objectivity How do you give objective professional advice, whilst making sure that you don't disclose confidential information? Environmental sustainability How do you handle public and commercial pressures when called upon to provide expert advice?’ Health, safety and risk How do you ensure the safety of a workforce whilst respecting the autonomy of workers and maintaining a comfortable working environment?
Higher Education Academy (2006)	IFL (2009)	IET (2009)

References

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (n.d.) Ethical Framework (online). Available from: http://www.bacp.co.uk/prof_conduct/ (accessed 19 August 2009).

IET (2009) 'Professional ethics and the IET'. (online) Available from: http://www.theiet.org/about/ethics/ (accessed 05 December 2009).

IFL (2009).'IfL Vision and Strategy'. (online) available form http://www.ifl.ac.uk/about-ifl/ifl-vision-and-strategy (Accessed 5 December 2009).

Higher Education Academy (2006). UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education, Higher Education Academy, UK. Available from http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/professional/ProfessionalStandardsFramework.pdf (accessed 01 December 2009).