An update on MOOCs

My twitter feed has lead me to read two articles on the subject of MOOCs  and a couple of interesting points have been made. I am currently sitting through a couple of MOOCs online one at Future Learn and another at edX just to get a real feel.

According to  Norris and Soloway (2014) 'Personalized instruction, flipped classrooms, video watching, etc., etc. are the last gasps of the old, "education as acquiring stuff" model; they are attempts at putting a patina of new on an old, outmoded, broken and ultimately ineffective educational model'. Implying that HE have got it all wrong. The drive towards flipped classrooms and the utilization of videos etc have been added to the model that supports "education as acquiring stuff". Yes our learners learn differently these days we all know that but they still have to learn 'stuff'. An engineer that reverts to the wonders of the web to solve problems is all very good but there comes a time when fundamental knowledge must be readily available from acquired knowledge built on foundations by solving problems during their education. Therefore if  as Norris and Soloway, (2014) state,'Social learning, inquiry learning, just-in-time learning, and yes, learning-by-doing, will become the dominant pedagogies' , where do our learners learn the fundamentals? I see scope in 'Learning by doing' I am all for that problem based learning is a strength in engineering, but there has to be some knowledge base. An effective way of acquiring this is by way of  the good old fashioned lecture.

The second article that leapt out at me from the reading over breakfast was Falkner(2014) as he states, What about the current Higher Ed context – let’s look at “The Avalanche Report“. Basically, the education business is doomed!!! DOOOMED, I tell you!  He goes on to give a good account of a MOOC and the benefits it can bring. It's a detailed article that goes on a bit but well worth a read if you want a good reflection on the introduction of this learning method. Interestingly he shares his thoughts on the role of the lecture, it could well be the end 'especially as we can use the MOOC for content and flip to use the face-to-face for much more valuable things'.

I agree but we assume our learners are actually reading and doing in order to 'learn stuff', whereas many want that easy ride do as little as possible its a fine balance. This leads me onto another point nicely covered in a video. ‘Teaching Teaching and Understanding Understanding’. This 20 minute film is available in three parts at: http://www.daimi.au.dk/~brabrand/short-film/
Points to ponder over
- What is the balance of Susans / Roberts in your classes?
- What implications does the balance have on how we should teach and assess?
- Note the way ILOs are used to define teaching and assessment in part 3. How might this help focus students?



References

Falkner,N (2014)'CSEDU, Day 2, Invited Talk, “How are MOOCs Disrupting the Educational Landscape?”, (#CSEDU14 #AdelEd)', Learning and Teaching in ICT at The University of Adelaide and across Australia, April 2014 [Blog]. Available at http://nickfalkner.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/csedu-day-2-invited-talk-how-are-moocs-disrupting-the-educational-landscape-csedu14-adeled/ (Accessed 5 April 2014).

Norris,C.and Soloway,E.(2014) the Journal, 'Personalized Learning, Flipped Classrooms, Video Watching: Last Gasps of the Old Education'[Online]Available at http://thejournal.com/Articles/2014/03/31/Broken-Educational-Model.aspx?Page=1#LovTyJAPGmOsMzYE.99 (Accessed 5 April 2014).

Fairly Obvious Left v Right side of Brain

Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics

Webinars some examples.

What is a webinar

Short for Web-based seminar, a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web.A key feature of a Webinar is its interactive elements -- the ability to give, receive and discuss information. Contrast with Webcast, in which the data transmission is one way and does not allow interaction between the presenter and the audience. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Webinar.html)

Probably best watching live but most events are recorded for viewing at a later date.

An example from Learning Technologies

https://www.timetag.tv/learningtechnologies/play/22916

Description:
The internet and smart mobile devices have fundamentally changed how we look at learning and performance programmes. And now another technological advance is coming; one that will once again change some of our definitions and how we address performance issues: wearable technology. This technology will come in various forms, but the one that is blazing the path is Google Glass.David Kelly is one of the Glass Explorers (individuals exploring Glass before its public release) and has been investigating the different ways that Glass can be used for learning and performance improvement. Join David for a journey of discovery, and explore how the next wave of technological advances will impact the learning and performance field.

This session covers:What is Google Glass?What is the Glass experience like for the user? How do people react to Glass?What doors does Glass open for learning and performance?How are people already using Glass for learning today?Many more available from https://www.timetag.tv/learningtechnologies

Webinars at the IET

http://eandt.theiet.org/videos/webinars/index.cfm I quickly selected one as an example but you will need to register before viewing. This is a more traditional webinar which includes guest speakers and is presented in a online format.

Inspec: Great Minds On Innovation presents The Smart Grid, Smart Homes, Smart Roads And Beyond Jeff Reinke 2012-11-16 00:00:00.0 Inspec Channel >> go to webcast>> recommend to friend

Some additional readings on webinars

https://smartblogs.com/social-media/2011/01/05/what-makes-a-webinar-great-a-q-and-a-with-ann-handley/
http://blogs.cisco.com/home/top-reasons-why-using-webinars-is-good-for-business/

http://spearmarketing.com/blog/are-webinars-a-waste-of-time/
http://www.mhub.tv/why-live-webinars-are-a-painful-waste-of-time/

Ahh some peace and quiet

I have been taking some time out and reflecting and something I have been meaning to do for some time now is make better use of my garden. So it was a case of dropping the technology reducing the workload and spending some time in the garden. It has after all been a great summer. So early evenings have seen me smash up and burn the old shed and a new summerhouse  has been erected in a prime location at the top of the garden. A bit of gentle pruning with the aid of  a rope saw, what a blessing this was only a tenner on amazon and saved having to climb, much safer, I'm getting on a bit now. I was able to launch the rope up several meters and chop a few over-hangers, great fun. Family members saw me chuckling as huge branches came crashing down, revealing a blue sky. If only the conifers were in my garden :-( they have got to go.

  

The plan is to sit here overlooking the meadows marking instead of sitting at my desk. Of course it sits proudly at the top of the garden looking over the valley surrounded by trees. The only negative is there is a main road 20 meters away but now the 'Man Hut' has been completed it is actually not to noticeable as it is behind.

  

Yes I have been the subject of some banter at work but all good fun, and now the ideas are free flowing. With the shed all but complete it was time to move in, the cross-trainer was first in followed by the ipod and LED lighting. The chiminea should keep me warm in the winter. The next stage is to start clearing further ground for an outdoor sitting area and create a home for the BBQ. The plan is to sit in the late afternoon sun and watch it go down whilst cooking tea and relaxing. A marking hideaway it is too and I am sure my OU students will be grateful that I am marking their work in a relaxing environment :-).
Next stage is to find a way of venting the chiminea so I can have a log burner going otherwise I might have to explain the rosie cheeks.

 

A special thanks to Matt for laying the foundations and giving me a nice level platform on which to build and for helping an old man complete the erection that he thought he could do on his own. A big thanks to the delivery man, the look on his face when I showed him where the shed was going was well worth waiting for. Needless to say it was dropped at the roadside as expected but it was very manageable I soon moved it up the garden.

So watch this space as I add a few more pics, whats this got to do with technology ? wait till you see the LED lights flashing from miles away video to come shortly there just a few too many leaves at the moment..

Summer House
http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/Summerhouses/The-BillyOh-4000-Tete-a-Tete-Range

Web-tex Warrior Survival Saw
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Web-tex-Warrior-Survival-Saw/dp/B0025ZAGZW/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

Update on my PLE

I thought it was worth revisiting my PLE to see how much has changed since I first completed my reflection on tools that I use on a regular basis. Back in 2011 my PLE looked like this. A few years down the road and its surprising how little has changed considering how fast things change on the internet. I guess this is because I choose tools that were effective from the off. Yes there have been some changes Google reader has gone being a significant change and I was quite annoyed to see Google also announce the end of  iGoogle leaving egg on my face.

However Feedly was an easy transition from Reader and Symbaloo just became more prominent as a bookmarking tool. An addition to my toybox is a Nexus and the use of evernote looks very promising. I have also experimented with publishing on YouTube and Elluminate/Blackboard collaborate is noew well embedded into my teaching and support of online learners.

I am also very please to have kept adding to my Diigo library it now has several hundred useful articles available through a search engine, its just a pity I didn't spend more time on the tagging to make them more consistent.

OK so here is my PLE Version 2