Personal Blogs

I can understand why people use blogs for different reasons.  For example I would say that for the blog I approach it as 'Self-sufficient blogging'.  I am neither avoiding or encouraging comments but instead use the blog as a central resource to record key finding or thoughts that I feel may support TMA's later in the course and if others find the content useful then I am really pleased to share this.

However (and importantly for me), I see the activity threads within the course for H800 as an extension of the blog and I like to interact and share thoughts/ideas/experiences and views, but chose to do this in the threads where they allow a full conversation across the learners as a group rather than independantly in multiple places.  If comments were made on all the individual blogs as much as we do in the threads it would take a load of time to read and review each of our blogs.  Plus the threads offer a building of ideas and summarised points.

I am currently in the process of trying to encourage my learners (who are apprentices) to blog to reflect on their activities at work, as this will offer ideas on evidence that can be developed to demonstrate their competence.  So initially the hope is that this will be a 'self-sufficient' blog.  This is then supplemented by chat-rooms and forums on our VLE.  However, I really am engaged with the power of personal learning networks and connectivism so would like to reach a point where blogs are 'support networks'.  This is important for my cohort of learners which totals approx. 100, all remote from each other and seen by a tutor face-to-face every 6 weeks over a 12-18month period.  The use of blogging is a valuable tool within the blended delivery.

I find that not many of my learners currently do blog, but they are aware of them. I think the lack of uptake is much  due to confidence or fear of negative comments.  Therefore an initial target for me is for them to to set up a personal blog.  I then hope to demonstrate the benefits this will offer in terms of supporting:

a) helping them identify opportunities to develop evidence to progress their competence qualification

b) make them feel part of a larger community. The learners are more engaged and comfortable with using the VLE forums so I may look to create an activity on this forum on 'the benefits they feel they can gain from using a blog' and then sharing a link to this on the forum thread as part of the activity.

References:

Lucinda Kerawalla , Shailey Minocha , Gill Kirkup & Gráinne Conole (2008)  Characterising the different blogging behaviours of students on an online distance learning course Learning, Media and Technology, 33:1, 21-33, DOI:10.1080/17439880701868838

I can't say I have much experience of using either.  With regards to Citizendium the issue seems to be that although there may be weaknesses in some aspects of wikipedia, when this is resolved someway with the approach adopted by Citizendium, it breaks the key strengths and therefore, overall becomes less relevant and of interest.  The previous article for Activity 1 talks about the enjoyment and fun elements of wikipedia, something which seems to get lost in Citizendiums approach.

As for delicious, I have to be honest and say I have always wondered what it exactly is (as you see the logo regularly on websites) and was interested on how it could make things better or easier for me.  I have just watched this video (link is here) and to be honest I am still thinking the same.  The features offered are available through other systems I use day to day and although I can appreciate that there is a collection of information, it seems like an additional process I don't  really need.  Maybe useful for some but I don't personally feel the benefit of using this feature/product/service!

Its useful to review less successful features though as it reminds me of the marketing/sales concept of WIIFM (What's in it for me?), in that you can have the best features and products, but what consumers want to know is how it is going to make their life better and if you can't get that message out then success may be limited.

CSCL = Computer Supported Collaborative Learning

Instructional Design = Process and steps and methods that guide and provide structure, mainly content to support teacher activities

• Moving from a behaviourist to a constructivist approach.
• Increase the chances of success in the teaching-learning process.
• Structuring the process of learning and focusing on activities
• Content + Teachers + Learners + Activities
• Complex field that requires a methodology to create new materials at the very least
• Learning design can support and make more explicit the process elements and the structural elements
• Needs to allow for creativity, improvisation and quality
• Scripting = the idea of guiding and provide scaffolding
• Continuum required that can allow for strict instuctional design through to an improvised creative environment
• Allows for personalisation of learning
• Need efficient tools and concrete practices that can be followed

References:

John Pettit and Yannis Dimitriadis. (2009). Yannis Dimitriadis Transcript. Available: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=553247. Last accessed 30th March 2015.

My Role:  I support a team in delivering Apprenticeships across a broad geographical region, focusing on Sport, Fitness and Leisure.

Situation: We deliver Advanced Anatomy & Physiology to prepare the learners for an external assessment (Multiple Choice test) as part of the Apprenticeship.

Task: The delivery of this learning relies on a blended learning method with limited contact time.  A total of 2 hrs is available face to face so the majority of the learning takes place through and facilitation of a Virtual Learning Environment.

Action:  I designed a number of learning resources to support a range of learning preferences and through development focused on collaborative tools to encourage the learners to learn by sharing ideas and research learning objects.

Results:

• Crib revision notes supported with MP3 and WMA Audio Revision Notes
• Popplet Mind Maps
• Mural.ly Web 2.0 Collaborative Resource
• Quizdini Games
• Kahoot Quizzes
• Utilising OER's (Videos)

The results have been great.  Learners love the range of learning tools and feel empowered to select and individualise their learning path.  Tutors enjoy having access to a range of learning tools and being able to express content in different ways to support their learners.  The college likes it as it is encouraging collaborative work with the learners, building a community, reducing face to face visit but improving the overall learning experience.  Achievements have been strong since the developments with the last year performance over 10% above national benchmark.

Reflection - The two key things I have learnt from this design:

1 - Get learners to connect and collaborate - they can learn so much from each others ideas, experiences, research and discussions.  Provide platforms that allow them to connect both in simple forms (forums/chat rooms on moodle) and through collaborative tools such as Mural.ly where learners can upload learning objects and together form a collage of learning opportunity

2 - Utilise Open Educational Resources - information is out there in abundance.  The key is identifying Big and Small (High and Low Production Values) resources that can contribute to a strong learning experience

Extra content

Collaborative discussion could be seen as a double edged sword.  In one aspect it is great for creativity that allows for space for the participants to express their ideas with limited constraints and this can lead to an evolving nature of curriculum that is driven by the participants.  The discussion may start at one point but very quickly move to a whole new topic area.   This then moves on to what could be perceived as the potential issue.

The discussion may move away from the original topic to an area that has limited connection to the original activity brief.  This may be negative if it moves too far away or gets too focused on another factor raised in the discussion (or not depending on the learning outcome!).  This perception of usefulness is  very individual.  One participant may find the discussion direction useful and of interest, whereas others may find the direction confusing or unhelpful. 

This is where participants can select specific individuals within a group to support their PLN (Personal Learning Network), if they have particular similarities or ways of working that makes their collaborative work beneficial.

Competitive Debate, although potentially less creative, it may reach a more conclusive point or highlight two extremes on a continuum of thought and views, that then allows others participants an opportunity to select where they sit on that spectrum and reflect upon others views.

Just watched some parts of the ‘Triumph of the Nerds’ videos on youtube.  Wow, that was a real 80’s revisit!  I just had to go and get my smart phone to order my groceries and listen to streamed radio on my tablet to bring me back to the modern day!

Ok, so lets start at the end and work back.  The videos ultimately are working through the history of personal computers with the conclusion at the point where, and in the videos words ‘Apple no longer sets industry standards’ and presents Microsoft as the clear winner in the technological developments and commercial success. 

It just shows how technology is continuously moving on and it would be a fascinating episode to develop this series to include the developments made in the 21^st century.   I wonder what the producers conclusion would be now of the major contributors to technological developments and Apples contribution and influence.

The videos have significant production value with contributions from so many of the key players of the personal computer evolution.  This is an impressive collation of their thoughts and paints a picture of a couple of key things:

1. That the product has those who were technically brilliant and those who were brilliant at brand/sales.  By combining these skills at a small time of history brough great opportunity it resulted with an explosion of success.  Steve Jobs said that at 23 he was worth $1 Million; at 24 he was worth $10 million and at 25 he was worth $100 million
2. Moving on from point 1, after Jobs summarises his financial success he goes on to say it didn’t even matter as that was not the motivation.  Bill Gates was motivated by success and not necessarily the financial reasons too.  It was just success itself that was his motivation and this included taking other businesses under to succeed.  Therefore, although a range of motivations, it is always the same quality…passion and not financially motivation by those individuals who first saw the potential of personal computers

The videos gave expression to the content that the written text might have struggled with, especially as there were so many interviews and contributions.  Hearing it from ‘the horses’ mouth’ gives, I feel added value.

Going back to my introduction, although ‘tongue in cheek’ it did have a point to be made regarding the feel of the video.   It had a real feel for that by-gone era which we can easily forget as having such relevance to the modern laptop that I am using to type this blog post.  It also reminds us how early it still is in terms of our development of technology and that if this is how far we have gone in one generation, where will we be and what impact will technology have on our lives in say two more generations?

References:

Oregon Public Broadcasting. (1996). Triumph of the Nerds. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuBXbvl1Sg4. Last accessed 23rd March 2015.

My initial views of watching the video included:  An Open Education Resource (OER) with good production value that was complex with advanced content; Creative and Visual;  Clever techniques to explain technical content (such as HTML) by demonstrating it in an authentic way; Busy and quick content with pop ups, scrolling, minimising and maximising(reflective of media use today); Web 2.0 explained with an explanation of the ripple effect this has on the world outside of  technology itself.

I then watched the video again but without sound.    I found that my engagement with the content was lower and I found myself being distracted onto other tasks and therefore missed much of the content.  For my own experience, I found the music an important factor to ensure that I was immersed into the content.  The choice of music had synergy with the content being covered, being both technical and digital in sound.

Accessibility is a key point.  I have had a few issues of Web 2.0 tools that some learners have struggled to access due to technology such as use of browser and which version they were using.   Also video content relies on fast broadband (buffering is neither fun or engaging!).   Many of my learners live in a rural setting where connection is still an issue in terms of speed.  Therefore you have to offer alternatives.  For those that can access video learning objects then they can benefit from this but there needs to be the consideration of offering alternative formats be it transcripts or resources that are less data heavy.

In terms of design, videos can be created to have visual messages to support the content.  Such as in the video ‘The Machine is Us/ing Us’.  This technique ensures that the visual message is as strong as it can be for those that cannot access the audio content.

References:

Michael Wesch. (2007). The Machine is Us/ing Us. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g. Last accessed 10th March 2015.

1. Do you prefer certain forms of  representation to others?

I lean on visual resources such as videos (TV) and audio over the written word.   My instinct is that I absorb information better than a heavy text article.  I am however able to transfer this information and create written work.  If I am asked to read a lengthy article (such as the ‘Of Mind and Media’ (Solomon 1997), I always have to print and then with a selection of colour highlighters read and highlight key points with added symbol for key points.  This gives the text form that I am then able to interpret easier.

2. If so, why?

The article talks about ‘social conditioning’ and I think there is an element of truth with this.  I do automatically think that watching a video presentation will be less taxing on the brain than say a transcript of the same presentation, so if given a choice I will always watch the video. 

I agree with the articles comment on learning outcomes and that this not necessarily based upon the media selected.    For example, if I was asked to watch a presentation but without an assignment brief,  I would probably be carrying out other tasks at the same time and be viewing it ‘lightly’.  However, if I am asked to summarise the presentation and highlight key points being made, or answer specific questions,  I would watch with focus and take notes to support this process.  I would give the same energy to the task than if I was asked to read the transcript  of the video.

3. Does this preference apply to everything you attempt to learn?

Not really – I think individual conditioning to absorbing information in day to day life to create a personalised preference model occurs.  For example, I like to learn about the day’s news from reading on the BBC mobile news site on my phone.   I would far prefer to use the laptop for my OU study.  If I was required to learn about advanced anatomy I  would select videos everytime.  This preference fits into my lifestyle and the times allocated within my daily life and the media available to me at that time.  Additionally, I do feel that having a selection of media that relies in various ratios of auditory and visual content to be valuable options and choices available to us.

Note any implications for you as a teacher or as somebody who supports the learning of others. For example:

1. Does the article make you think differently about what you do?

If anything it supports  my logic and approach in teaching.   For example, when teaching advanced anatomy,  I offer a range of resources that include:  Mind Maps, Audio Notes, Written Documents, Videos, Web 2.0 collaborative tools and online games.   They all cover the same content but in different methods.  I am not challenging why learners prefer certain media or learning objects but instead wishing to give the options to my learners so that they can personalise their learning experience and choose the media that best meets their preference, which may be influenced on that specific day’s activity as much as a highly developed learning preference.

2. Can you describe any specific examples of how different forms of representation are an important influence on teaching and learning      situations with which you are familiar?

I will continue my examples of advanced anatomy.  I had a number of learners who were struggling to absord the content through written form.  After completing a VAK’s assessment it resulted in that many had a strong preference to Auditory learning.  I took the same written notes and recorded them to MP3 files.  The content/transcript was exactly the same – only the media was different.  The feedback from learners was very positive in that they felt comfortable with this form as it could be placed on their own device and be accessed whilst undertaking other activities.  It could be argued therefore that the focus and energy whilst accessing the resources was low but the learning outcomes were very strong and demonstrated strong learning progress.

3. To what extent do assessment methods constrain or privilege certain forms of      representation (for example, how much does a written examination reveal      about a learner’s competence in communicating effectively in a second language?).

This relates somewhat back to the authentic assessment that we covered last week.  Using the example given above (second language),  it could be argued that a written examination may not sufficiently assess the ‘ebb and flow’ of language, with the ability to listen to the spoken word at a pace realistic for that language, or the ability to then internalise to form a suitable extension of the conversation.  The written form may indicate a learners understanding of the theory of the language but not necessarily the implementation in a practical setting.

Reference:

Salomon, Gavriel, Phi Delta Kappan. (1997). Of Mind and Media. Available: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/ehost/detail/detail?sid=1785d8b5-18e6-4c89-8b71-e57db171a853%40sessionmgr4005&vid=1&hid=4111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=97013. Last accessed 9th March 2015.

• Many methods of didactic education assume a separation between knowing and doing
• The primary concern of schools often seems to be the transfer of knowledge
• The activity in in which knowledge is developed and deployed is now seen as integral part of  what is learned
• Learning and cognition, it is now possible to argue are fundamental
• KEY POINT – Suggest that by ignoring the situated nature of cognition, education defeats its own goal of providing usable, robust knowledge
• KEY POINT – All knowledge is, we believe like language (I.e. experienced readers implicidly understand that words are situated.  They therefore ask for the rest of the sentence or context before committing themselves to an interpretation of a word.  Therefore a concept, like the meaning of a word is always under construction
• Consider conceptual knowledge as similar to a set of tools
• Tools share significant features with knowledge:  They can only be fully understood through use
• People who use tools actively rather than just acquire them, build an increasingly rich implicit understanding of the world in which they use the tools and of the tools themselves
• KEY POINT – Learning and acting are interestingly indistinct, learning being a continuous, life-long process resulting from acting in situations
• The Community and its viewpoint, quite as much as the tool itself, determine how a tool is used
• It is not possible to use a tool appropriately without understanding the community or culture in which it is used – just as carpenters and cabinet makers used chisels differently, so physicists and engineers use mathematical formulae differently
• Students are often asked to use the tools of a discipline without being able to adopt its culture.  To learn to use tools as practitioners use them, a student, like an apprentice, must enter that community and its culture.
• KEY POINT-  learning is a process of enculturation
• People pick up relevant jargon,behaviour by being part of a community and gradually start to act in accordance with its norms
• Authentic activity can be deeply informative
• Much school work is inauthentic ad thus not fully productive of useful learning
• KEY POINT - Authentic activities are simply defined as the ordinary practices of the culture
• Authentic activities are not just for experts
• School activities too often tend to be hybrid (framed by one culture but attributed to another) with many of the activities not being the activity practitioners would make sense of or endorse
• KEY POINT – When authentic activity is transferred to the classroom, their context is inevitably transmuted – they become classroom tasks and part of the school culture
• KEY POINT - The idea that most school activity exists in a culture of its own is central to understanding man of the difficulties in learning in school
• Schooling seeks to encourage problem solving but disregards most of the inventive heuristics that students bring to the classroom
• Authentic Activity is meaningful and purposeful to the culture
• You need the machine to understand the manual, as much as the manual to understand the machine
• KEY POINT – The concept of indexicality is that it indicates that knowledge, and not just learning, is situated and that authentic activity are not merely useful, they are essential
• KEY POINT - Cognitive Apprenticeship methods try to enculturate students into authentic practices through activity and social interaction
• By beginning with a task embedded in a familiar activity, it shows the students the legitimacy of their implicit knowledge and its availability as scaffolding in apparently unfamiliar tasks
• KEY POINT - The development of concepts out of and through continuing authentic activity is the approach of cognitive apprenticeship – a term closely allied to the image of a tool as knowledge
• Apprenticeship enables apprentices to acquire and develop the tools and skills of their craft through authentic work within their trade – the apprentice enter the culture of practice.
• Cognitive emphasises that apprenticeship techniques reach beyond the physical skills to the kinds of cognitive skills more normally associated with conventional schooling
• KEY POINT - Cognitive Apprenticeships attempts to promote learning within a nexus of activity, tool and culture
• Learning advances through collaborative social interactions
• Within a culture, ideas are exchanged and modified and belief systems developed
• The increasingly role of the teacher as a master to apprentice, and the teachers’ use of authentic domain activity as a major part of teaching will perhaps, once and for all, dismiss George Bernard Shaw’s criticism of teachers ‘he who can, does.  He who cannot, teaches’.  His comment may be replaced with Alexander Pope’s hopeful ‘let such teach others who themselves excel’
• Epistermology – ‘the study of knowledge’

The central message of the need for social interaction, realistic and authentic learning activity all hold strong in the current world of teaching where they is a continual shift and balance between ‘acquisition’ and ‘participation’. 

The role of the teacher is still being explored in many areas of education with the movement from being a ‘teacher’ and ‘all wise knowledgable individual’ whose job is to transfer this knowledge and instead move towards a position of ‘expert participant/learner’ and support and facilitate the learners own exploration through experience and collaboration with other learners.

There is a quite a level of criticism aimed at schools and their approach to activity and I not in a position to note whether this holds up today.  I can certainly, from my own experience identify a major shift in terms of the assessment activity for apprenticeships and their technical certificates which has adapted significantly over the last 14 years that I have been involved with their delivery.  They are led much more industry and a include realistic activities and assessment to what is undertaken within the industry.

The key arguments of the author I summarise as:

• Suggest that by ignoring the situated nature of cognition, education defeats its own goal of providing usable, robust knowledge
• Learning and acting are indistinct, learning being a continuous, life-long process resulting from acting in situations
• Learning is a process of enculturation (‘the gradual acquisition of the characteristics and norms of a culture or group by a person, another culture’)
• Authentic activities are simply defined as the ordinary practices of the culture
• When authentic activity is transferred to the classroom, their context is inevitably transmuted – they become classroom tasks and part of the school culture
• The idea that most school activity exists in a culture of its own is central to understanding man of the difficulties in learning in school
• The concept of indexicality is that it indicates that knowledge, and not just learning, is situated and that authentic activity are not merely useful, they are essential
• Cognitive Apprenticeship methods try to enculturate students into authentic practices through activity and social interaction
• The development of concepts out of and through continuing authentic activity is the approach of cognitive apprenticeship – a term closely allied to the image of a tool as knowledge
• Cognitive Apprenticeships attempts to promote learning within a nexus of activity, tool and culture

In terms of the validity and relevance of the apprenticeship model for learning, it is now more than ever seen as a great way to learn and demonstrate industry readiness, with the ability to transfer the skills and knowledge in a creative way that meets the needs of industry.  The government has encouraged Sector Skill Councils to invest in the development of Higher Apprenticeships, developed in conjunction with industry to ensure the suitability and function and ‘fit-for-purpose’ for specific roles.  This is extending further in 2017 with Trailblazer apprenticeships (with a number of vocations already developing new pathways) where the industries are taking a leading role in the development of the framework, developing the learning outcomes.  Additionally apprenticeships are being seen as an alternative to the traditional progression of school, college  and university.  With the development of the QCF (Qualification Credit Framework) the level of academic study linked to apprenticeship study is more transparent with the ability to demonstrate potential ‘graduate’ standard learning achievement.

References:

John Seely Brown, Allan Collins and Paul Duguid . (1989). Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning. Available: http://www.jstor.org.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/stable/pdf/1176008.pdf?acceptTC=true. Last accessed 2nd March 2015.

1. What were your experiences and feelings during the session? If you have impaired vision, or are D/deaf or hard of hearing, how did this affect your participation?

I would agree with Baynes (2005) that as a participant I do experience increased anxiety by using the OU Live Room.  This isn’t necessarily due to it being technology as I do not have the same anxiousness of the asynchronous tools such as the forums.  I think that main aspect of the OU Live Rooms are the Synchronous nature and that voice is the major communicator on the system.  I sometime need the written word or visual support to make sense of the content and feel a little vulnerable with having to translate and understand complex detail in voice only.

2. What did you learn about the Sfard paper itself? Were some parts of the session more useful than others in this respect?

I spent significant time reading and reflecting (through my blog) on the Sfard paper before this session so this activity was more useful in seeing other peoples experiences and seeing how the metaphors fit into other learning experiences and areas of provision for which I have no experience.  It also cemented and gave me confidence that my interpretation of the metaphors were valid and relevant.

3. Can you come to any (perhaps tentative) views about the pros and cons of OU Live for the task you were set, in the context of a Masters module of this kind? Do you feel, for example, that this synchronous event carries more status when compared with online forums? (You’ll remember from Week3a that Goodyear (2006) argues that this is the case.)

The easy answer here for me is to say, no the synchronous event did not help significantly with further learning but that it more due to my preference vulnerabilities in learning.  I do accept that for the benefit of networking with others, getting to know the community who contribute to the forums is all really valuable and as mentioned in the last question hearing other examples helps place your own examples in context.  Plus I  do also enjoy getting to know people better so it was great for that.

4. How far, if at all, would OU Live or a similar tool be useful in your own context?

My learners are based generally in their own workplaces with no college based classroom time.  The use of a Live Chat Room or forum would allow them to grow their own Personal Learning Networks and engage with other like-minded individuals to share ideas and talk through concerns.  The peer support is something they may be more receptive to than an educatory figure.

5. How would you design the activities?

By undertaking an OU course last year I was really surprised about the power of learning by allowing learners to speak to each other and find their way with the guidance of an ‘expert participant’ being me (the educatory role within the delivery).  This was a ‘game changer’ and I realised  the pressure of always being the ‘expert of the knowledge’ was not the point.   We are all learners in this world and with a world where information is in abundance , ever growing and adapting there is the need to support life-long learning skills.  By creating both forums (encouraging learners to start new threads) and a live chat room it offered the learners both Synchronous and Asynchronous tools.  This has evolved the delivery with the feedback and suggestions of learners driving forward the learning objects in development.  I am an absolute convert and as one example this new model has changed one of the course I deliver from a 24 month/24 visit schedule course to an 18 month/11 visit schedule.  All due to a far more utilised eLearning platform that engages with learner communications.

6. If you are already using a tool of this kind, how do the activities you run compare with the session you have just completed?

I use the moodle tools of chat rooms and forums and they more than meet the initial developments.  We do have plans to develop online workshops but plan for these to be recorded rather than participatory at that specific time (mainly due to the feedback that our learners shift work makes it very difficult to coordinate a live event).  However, I do see the power of participation so will be ensuring participation and interaction through asynchronous forums which can be accessed and contributed at a time suitable for the individual learners.

On reflecting upon the metaphors of learning I considered both an informal and formal example of using technology to support my learning and have detailed below including referencing back to the metaphor qualities:

Informally – my 4 year old son is constantly asking me questions for which I don’t have the answer.  I made a decision very early in my parenthood that I would always look to find out information to support his desire of information and support his understanding of the world.  On this particular occasion we were in an Italian Restaurant and he asked what do they call the tool that is used to put in and collect the pizza into the oven (he was colouring in a picture of one given by the waiter.  I encouraged him to ask the waiter but the waiter didn’t know the answer either so  I used my smart phone, used google and found the result being ‘pizza peel’.  Three people learnt something that day through one 4 year olds desire and investigation to understand something he saw in a picture.

• Knowing More
• Gaining Something

Relating to the metaphors AM and PM – The initial motivation was someone wanting to ‘know’ something or ‘acquire’ new knowledge so therefore I would place this example as being more on the ‘acquisition metaphor’.  However, because we built new connections with the waiter and shared knowledge and ideas there was some concept of the Participation Metaphor too.  Additionally I didn’t have the ‘knowledge’ so I too was a learner and acted as an expert participant rather than a teacher or facilitator. 

Formal – I used Powtoon to create a presentation on ‘reflective practice’ as part of a group activity within my last OU course.  I hadn’t used powtoon before but I did have an idea of the content I wanted to include within it.  I learnt by trial and error and gradually over the course of two lengthy sessions created a ‘first draft’ of the learning object to share with others.  I gained feedback from the group on what was good and which areas could be improved.  I reflected on that feedback and during a 3^rd session was able to strengthen those weak areas to improve the final  outcome.  The result being that I had a better understanding and ability in how to use Powtoon and also strengthened my understanding of the content being covered within the presentation.  The feedback gave me confidence and confirmed that I was heading about the project in the right way and contributing to the group work in a positive way.

• Being able to do something
• Participating in new activities and a group

Relating to the metaphors AM and PM – Strong influence on Participation Metaphor.  As the learner I had become a participant by developing a learning object for the whole group.  It was community building as the group themselves decided what to develop and which areas had strengths or improvements required.  I was an apprentice in terms of understanding what it meant by ‘reflective practice’  but as were the other students – by sharing our understanding and ideas we were able to form some outcomes which supported our learning.

I also reflect further on the question raised that a learning experience is at it's best when a combination of the acquistion and participation metaphors.  With this in mind I designed a sliding scale diagram so that I could place (for each of the key headings within the table that distinguishes between the two metaphors) a marker of where I feel each example fits as it is not as simple to say this it is entirely AM or PM.  By designing this it allowed to to visually see if it is a spiked profile and if the profile shows a strong trend towards one of the metaphors.  For my two examples it  did seem to work well and support my understanding of the application of this knowledge into learning scenarios.

Rationale

Canadian National Railways – Sir Henry Thornton saw the commercial reasons to offer radio as an incentive to use the network over the main competitor CPR.  The large scale of Canada, scattered population, difficulty in accessing remote areas, disparity of education between rural and urban areas and the need to access vast areas with a minimum infrastructure were all drivers to use radio as an educational medium.   These factors and Thornton’s understanding of the social value as well as the commercial value all contributed to the development

Educational Purposes

Initially developed for young children education.  Then developed to reach those who were deemed learning disabled. 

Role of the teacher and learners

The teachers were sent activity packs before the broadcasts so to be able facilitate the lessons.

There was a focus on encouraging participation from the learners to retain and recruit new listeners (schools and their learners).  This included sending in skills and knowledge that they could share (guests) and also responding to questions at the end of broadcasts.

Advantages and Limitations

Utilised the existing rail network as a network of transmitters for radio broadcasts across a broad geography.   The limitations included the lack of funds for schools to invest in the radio as any lack of finances often was prioritised to text books.  Additionally there is provincial responsibility of education in Canada.  Many Provinces didn’t like the content developed outside as it may not align well to their curricula.  Another negative factor was the issue of time difference which impacted on broadcasting time/listening time for some schools

South African Radio Learning Programme

Rationale

The key Millennium Development goal of achieving universal primary education had particular focus.  The programme formed part of the ‘English in Action’ programme.  There was the need to roll out a large scale programme that did rely on expensive ICT.  Radio was seen as suitable method for a low-cost multi-channel programme

Educational Purposes

The distance learning programme (radio) evolved into Open Learning that used Radio as a base and as one form of the delivery combined with and enhanced: Workshops; lesson observations; working groups.  Over time the teacher engagement become more prevalent and the curricula grew from one (for the learner) to two curricular (to include teachers). 

Role of the teacher and learners

The role of the teacher became more important throughout and teacher development was a fundamental part of the project.  New roles were includes such as a Regional Coordinator and ‘Teacher Development Coordinator’ that shifted the pedagogy from distance learning to open learning.  This included teachers being encouraged to network and form working groups.  Teachers received the audiotapes with classrooms posters, activities and guidance from the Regional Coordinator.

The learners received a range of audio lessons on audiotape each of 30mins duration.  In 1993 the focus was on Grade 1 English with 118 radio lessons.  14500 learners were involved.  Those who completed this level them progressed in 1994 with 130 radio lessons for Grade 2 English.  The teachers supported the process (mediated-guided learning).

Advantages and Limitations

The feedback developed the programme from Distance Learning pedagogy to a more comprehensive Open learning programme that developed new curricula for teachers.

The project did achieve large scale distribution although it is accepted that those schools involved early in the programme embedded the curricula with more success that those who were involved later on.  This is much due to the lack of funds and having to support a larger scale usage group but without increased funds.

The radio did support to enhance the learning and form the central communication.  It did require though the combination of other learning activities such as: print materials, workshops, classroom visits, teacher support groups and new roles such as Regional Coordinators to engage with teachers to ensure the continued progression of the programme.