OCTEL | Grant | Activity http://octel.alt.ac.uk/members/gdoug/activity/ Activity feed for Grant. Mon, 02 Nov 2020 10:33:07 +0000 https://buddypress.org/?v=6.3.0 en-US 30 hourly 2 f9d14f769194931ba189d34c06745085 Grant wrote a new post, ocTEL 2014 Badge Collection, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=25128 Sun, 15 Jun 2014 07:05:03 +0100 ThumbnailI have found the idea of being issued badges for completing different activities a highly motivating factor throughout this MOOC. I think it is something that I could also incorporate into the way I structure some […]

]]> 0 713cbf8482c7be56a7d3f74bf11335a7 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 5: If you only do one thing, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=24919 Fri, 13 Jun 2014 16:23:56 +0100 ThumbnailObviously planning is an essential part of the project lifecycle, but it is amazing just how easy it can be to forget this, at least partly, when people decide to jump in feet first and get carried away by their […]

]]> 0 0e356b485362046c8a018adeacfd6b65 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 4 Only One Thing, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=23564 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 09:19:33 +0100 ThumbnailOk, I’m not sure this is 100% on target for this week’s “if you only do one thing” but I’m sure there are people on the MOOC who might have some useful suggestions or insights for me. This year one of my short […]

]]> 0 c605c4ad065c56cbcf9ed65b7df7ca0c Grant wrote a new post, ocTEL Week 4 Activity 4.1: Reading and reflection, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=23055 Thu, 05 Jun 2014 09:45:12 +0100 ThumbnailRead Effective Assessment in a Digital Age (JISC, 2010). Choose either one of the case studies listed on pages 26-29 or an example of assessment design from your own experience and –

consider how the case study […]

]]> 0 5675bc987aebc170b111934ee3ddcc5a Grant wrote a new post, ocTEL Week 4: Supporting learners through assessment and feedback using TEL, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=22870 Wed, 04 Jun 2014 14:15:10 +0100 ThumbnailSo, after a week “off” here we go again on week 4 of the ocTEL MOOC.
The focus this week is to “look at how learners can be supported through assessment and feedback, and how technology can help.”
Here is the […]

]]> 0 c80a32a5b6745894f31953b0558e83c5 Grant wrote a new post, ocTEL Week 3 – Universal Design for Learning, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=21874 Sun, 01 Jun 2014 11:28:23 +0100 ThumbnailThis is an extension of the post about learning styles where I mentioned the idea of Universal Design for Learning. I wasn’t aware of this concept and so I thought it might be a good idea to cluster some resources […]

]]> 0 0be7118be27f76f6215a1f8fd03f7048 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 3 Explorer Activity 3.4: Learning styles, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=21868 Sun, 01 Jun 2014 10:31:31 +0100 ThumbnailThere are many theories about learning styles that define and describe the different ways learning occurs. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory is based on experience and conceptualization. The learning modalities […]

]]> 0 7308447fceebbacf1693f393d0c88fdc Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 3 Introduction and Objectives, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=21865 Sun, 01 Jun 2014 09:28:09 +0100 ThumbnailThis week we’re looking at materials, platforms, and technologies for enhancing learning. We will explore digital learning resources that ‘fit’ with your learners and their different needs, and some technologies […]

]]> 0 fdc90ca759664627ae8d5f14c0b2c224 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 3 Activity 3.2: Technology Selection, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=21866 Sun, 01 Jun 2014 09:26:10 +0100 ThumbnailI have not really been able to take advantage of the “week off” in the way that I had hoped – my empty diary just seemd to fill up as it so often does and family visits because of the Bank Holiday also meant that […]

]]> 0 6567cdec7d342eef02aa8d989233346b Grant replied to the topic in the forum http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/forums/topic/questioning-learning-styles/#post-21106 Mon, 26 May 2014 19:19:21 +0100 Thanks for this post. I found it quite reassuring after some of the things I had read about learning styles in week 2. I have always been quite partial to Kolb’s learning styles model and LSI and believed that a well-constructed class should involve elements from the different styles. I suppose I need to dig a bit deeper and think about the…[Read more]

]]> 0 f039792311f584b0af66c7f409ef8032 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 3 Resources, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=21057 Mon, 26 May 2014 08:05:16 +0100 ThumbnailResources and more to watch, read, and research
Sources on OER and re-use:

Jisc/HEA OER Infokit https://openeducationalresources.pbworks.com/w/page/24836480/Home
JISC Case Studies of OER use <a […]

]]> 0 3377405fce1b73721ff19c477b7efc74 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 3 Only One Thing, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=21012 Sun, 25 May 2014 08:37:09 +0100 ThumbnailTake the perspective of a learner and spend some time using:

one resource from Khan Academy’s YouTube videos
one resource from ElearningExamples e-learning games
the iEthiCS simulation

As usual, when I’m […]

]]> 0 1677a08db149b2169cdf810d369e0dd8 Grant replied to the topic in the forum http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/forums/topic/touchcast/#post-20987 Sun, 25 May 2014 07:42:05 +0100 I was very excited about trying this out and downloaded the programme. I have been able to watch some of the sample Touchcasts but as soon as I try to do anything with it the programme crashes. Very frustrating. I will try reinstall the thing but it’s always a pain when the technology fails – especially when it looks as if it has so much…[Read more]

]]> 0 ed98754b282d24536fdd924e9e5dc358 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 3 Activity 3.1: Creating your own materials, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=20939 Sat, 24 May 2014 20:35:27 +0100 Have a look at one of the following tools (choose one you are not already familiar with) and consider its application in your context.

Xerte
Glomaker
Cmap (click the small document and tool icons), Popplet (iPad/iOS) or Mindjet (web, iOS, Android)
Touchcast (iPad/iOS) mobile video production
Camtasia or Jing
Screencast-o-matic.

How easy was it to understand how this tool worked?
How quickly and easily would you find it to use?
How could you apply this tool in your own teaching?
What does this tool offer that has advantages over your current practice?

The choice here of a tool with which I was not familiar was very easy as I had never heard of, let alone, tried, any of them. So, having not much else to do on this rainy, grey Saturday morning, I threw myself with great gusto into trying them out.
The first deception came quite quickly. At first glance, Xerte looked like a really interesting option with a whole suite of tools and some very encouraging comments by happy users on the home page. So, without further ado, I set about downloading it. I figured that the smart thing to do would be to start with the most recent version. I downloaded that but didn’t get any invite at the end to execute the programme. After messing around looking for exec. File on my computer, I decided to try downloading the other programmes that were on offer. After doing that, I finally decided to take a look at some of the other pages and came across instructions of how to do this – already feeling quite peeved by the whole experience, being told that I had to install something else, reconfigure something or another and then move some files from one place to another… well, let’s just say it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. So, for the moment, and until I build up the courage and find the time to go back to this, Xerte is inert on my computer and I have no idea what I could potentially do with it.
I don’t expect to have to go through this kind of manipulation now to install software. I can do it, but I really don’t like to have to do it – especially for the sake of evaluatiing the potential usefulness of the thing 😉
So, I decided to have a look at another one and took a logical, linear approach moving straight to Glomaker. I checked out one of the samples about referencing work and, yes, I could see possibilities with this. Again there were technical glitches with the questions – most of them didn’t work on my computer. However, it already had an « old-fashioned » feel about it so I didn’t stay around too long.
Cmap, Popplet and Mindjet are not for me at the moment. I don’t seem to think in a way that fits into this kind of mapping and I quickly decided that I didn’t want to spend any time with these – I have played about with this kind of thing in the past and still have some software that I unstalled and which has remained untouched since my initial trials. Oh, yes, the other thing about these programmes that put me off was that they weren’t all  free.
Next came Touchcast and that had me REALLY excited. I wanted to get stuck into that immediately. By the time the preview video was finished I was already thinking about how, when and where I could use this. Then the fun and games started. It’s a beta version, no direct download etc. Anyway, I signed up received the email, created my account and got ready to start. I was able to watch one sample Touchcast and then clicked on the create button. The programme crashed and an error message was sent. I tried 3 times and 3 times the programme crashed. I rebooted the computer and tried again, it crashed. I gave up and moved to the next one on the list – Camtasia.
Camtasia – thanks, but no thanks. Same for Jing. Paying, free trials etc. I tjhink I’m becoming really addicted to the idea of « open ». Nothing like the buzz that I had when arriving on the Touchcast site. It already felt « old » – it’s starting to remind me of the last time I was in Berlin moving from the old eastern side to the western and vice versa.
Screencast-o-matic – Lots of things I didn’t like about some of the others, rolled into one ! Probably way too harsh, but I’m done with looking at these things for one day.
I was looking forward to this activity. It ended up eating up my whole Saturday morning (and now part of my Saturday evening) and I haven’t really been able to evaluate anything or answer all the questions posed. I will try and go back to Xerte as something tells me that it’s worth making the effort and I will definitely persevere with Touchcast as I think this has huge potential. Anyway, I think I deserve a badge today just for hanging in there 😉  Quite seriously, this activity – without really having produced anything tangible (activity, video etc.) has taken me more like 3-6 hours than 30-60 minutes 😉
Here are some cool things other participants have suggested:
A French tool – coccoricco, as they say over here – that I will check out. Thanks to Julie Tardy for pointing this one out on her blog.
http://scenari-platform.org/projects/scenari/fr/pres/co/
Thanks to Elizabeth E Charles for this one : http://www.scoop.it/t/everything-open
A nice example of how Screencast-o-matic can be used to change a Powerpoint presentation into a different format : http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c2hYDNnaW9
Thanks to Moira Sarsfield for sharing this.

]]> 0 3f4608747fef02003be028b82768bb1e Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 2 Active Play, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=18612 Mon, 19 May 2014 08:08:33 +0100 ThumbnailOver recent decades, game-based learning has grown as a form of TEL. It encapsulates many principles of active learning, such as engagement in an authentic context, learning by mistake-making and reflection, […]

]]> 0 11a2836e077606e6bbb33789f344c2c9 Grant and jsrichinda are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/5511/ Thu, 15 May 2014 11:21:37 +0100 0 9502616699d3eb70f5651fd7fc7e211e Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 2 Only One Thing, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=16954 Wed, 14 May 2014 07:06:09 +0100 ThumbnailI like this model, which I hadn’t come across before. I can see straight away where many of my students are and how I apply different strategies at different times. I’m going to enjoy thinking about […]

]]> 0 42c92cbbd67337dd0ea099a0e578d55c Grant and katepr00 are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/5311/ Tue, 13 May 2014 17:29:36 +0100 0 632bdc8383d73f6b827f44648a96e8c4 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 2 Activities and Resources, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=15281 Mon, 12 May 2014 13:08:04 +0100 ThumbnailJust when I thought I was going to be able to ease off a little and re-focus on some of my initial objectives (getting to grips with Twitter), the week 2 activities and resources have been published and this looks […]

]]> 0 a9234d4a8011489f7d619b256b04b7c5 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Activity 1.3: Champions and critics of teaching machines, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=15282 Mon, 12 May 2014 12:57:57 +0100 ThumbnailI enjoyed watching the short video on “Teaching Machines” presented by B.F. Skinner (exact date is unverified but believed to be in the 1950s). It reminded me of many of the discussions I have taken part in (and […]

]]> 0 2fedf27c3f67c3416cfe05a659afad31 Grant replied to the topic in the forum http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/forums/topic/concrete-examples/#post-15066 Mon, 12 May 2014 11:10:45 +0100 Hi Dustin,

Thanks for these thoughts and tips. I’ll definitely try and incorporate this into what I do in the future. I’m also going to go and have a look at Sarah Honeychurch’s presentations. The idea of Facebook PALs sounds like something that I could use.

]]> 0 87efefed856adbb06ad003552c6887a5 Grant and Paul Rettey are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4988/ Mon, 12 May 2014 07:35:39 +0100 0 07574f1c4bd45e0417d427ed5d334904 Grant replied to the topic in the forum http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/forums/topic/concrete-examples/#post-14342 Sun, 11 May 2014 11:17:37 +0100 I’m not sure exactly how we do this but I think it passes by creating a sense of community and belonging that can create trust and openness. In almost all the online courses I have previously participated in, they began with face-to-face sessions that allowed for the creation of this trusting community spirit. That is challenging enough. How you…[Read more]

]]> 0 d5715cbde3d5ccb31cf8ce86ebb0b221 Grant and drdianajd are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4833/ Sat, 10 May 2014 11:51:12 +0100 0 32d21ac59b09b2ac88a460901662ac87 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Explorer Activity 1.4 What’s the Theory?, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=15283 Sat, 10 May 2014 07:13:42 +0100 ThumbnailHere are five stories about how technology has enhanced learning.

How Eric Mazur brought peer instruction into the lecture theatre using simple ‘clicker’ technology in his lectures – watch Mazur’s 2012 keynote […]

]]> 0 58c83baf2d8751d9235b735583f17bb1 Grant wrote a new post, Online Learning Readiness Tests, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=14036 Sat, 10 May 2014 06:54:56 +0100 OK, so I took all of the tests to see if I was ready for an online course. And, guess what? 3 out of 4 of the tests said that I was ready for online learning , whilst what seemed to me to be the most probing test (University of Houston) decided that I still had some way to go before being ready. I will look at that one again 😉 Anyway, 3 out of 4 isn’t bad!
Here are the links to the tests, done in order by Penn State University, San Diego Community College, Illinois Online Network and the University of Houston:
https://esurvey.tlt.psu.edu/Survey.aspx?s=246aa3a5c4b64bb386543eab834f8e75
http://www.sdccdonline.net/assess.htm
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/selfEval.asp
http://distance.uh.edu/online_learning.html
Houston 1
Just to prove that I am (almost) ready for online learning:
Online readiness check 3
Joking aside, I really can’t imagine using these tests (except perhaps the U of H) with my students, given their level and the subjects they study (engineering and business). At the same time, I am quite impressed with the level of accuracy of the UofH and the State Penn tests. The other two which said that I was 100% ready and would have absolutely no problem with online learning were too optimistic. The Penn State said that I would need to make a bit of an effort (dead right) and U of H suggested that I do some prelimnary preparation before thinking about doing online courses (I have identified where I replied differently on the two tests). I will perhaps try out the U of H test at the start of the year with one of my very international groups and link it with some more general reflexion around learning styles.
The tests all basically look into learning style and preferences, computer skills, time management and work environment. As a number of the #ocTEL participants pointed out, it would also be a good idea to have a test along the lines of “Readiness for Online Teaching”. Apparently, in some places this exists already and James Kerr talks about this on his blog: http://learning-technologically.blogspot.fr/?view=magazine
Just in passing, I love the way the presentation of this blog can be changed. James Kerr also points to this very useful resource for anyone interesetd in assessment in the digital age:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning/assessment/digiassess.aspx
One of the great things about this course – even if it does mean it takes up a lot of time – is just how quickly people react and provide answers to questions that others have raised. A number of people had expresse the idea that a “Teacher Readiness Check” would be useful. Colin Hynson points to two useful resources for this on his blog, one in the form of an advice page and the other with an online test (which, to be honest, seems to be very closely based on one of the tests I took for learner readiness). Here they are, starting with the advice page:
http://marylandonline.org/coat/documents/Are_you_a_good_candidate.pdf
Here is the online test:
http://www.pueblocc.edu/Academics/AlternativeEducation/Faculty/Teach_Online.htm
And here is my score:
Online teacher
So, perhaps not totally ready to be a student on an online course, but definitely ready to teach an online course 😉
 

]]> 0 e9b2965c590518eb6ffc5d22e3314f63 Grant and c.collis are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4757/ Sat, 10 May 2014 01:09:28 +0100 0 4af9dfe7c04b8860d9bafce008d53986 Grant posted a new activity comment http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4670/#acomment-4750 Fri, 09 May 2014 21:07:28 +0100 Thanks for initiating all this. How will I find Diana? It’s nice to have friends here, but I’m still not clear what we’re supposed to do with them. Do you have any ideas?

In reply to - cafict posted an update I need friends ;( ]]> 93fb10054c4c51893d48e2d7cf187d7d Grant and glenn are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4737/ Fri, 09 May 2014 15:20:58 +0100 0 8fe2513c08566c0c3fc84b29336c5fa1 Grant and Uwe Matthias Richter are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4728/ Fri, 09 May 2014 14:03:33 +0100 0 f2a6ea443ba8355b4be78e5633e9ea90 Grant and dominicennis are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4714/ Fri, 09 May 2014 12:35:53 +0100 0 22c327c09b57b9ab05828928dafe7a38 Grant and Gary Vear are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4698/ Fri, 09 May 2014 10:52:22 +0100 0 233c3513923771b48b140af4751c37da Grant and Tracey Madden are now friends http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4679/ Fri, 09 May 2014 07:39:25 +0100 0 1287ef17b4db3cc8d65d7dc9c14b25d2 Grant posted an update in the group Paul is looking for participants: Activity 0.2: Small group reflection: Hi, Not quite sure what it's for, but I thought it might be […] http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4676/ Fri, 09 May 2014 07:28:16 +0100 Hi, Not quite sure what it’s for, but I thought it might be an idea for the members of the group to become “friends”. What do you think?

]]> 0 2ba2017d749f450f3b57531706e7ae13 Grant posted a new activity comment http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/4670/#acomment-4675 Fri, 09 May 2014 07:24:26 +0100 Hi cafict, I was thinking the same thing. Happy to be your friend. Will you introduce me to your other friends? 😉

In reply to - cafict posted an update I need friends ;( ]]> 662aa8f3e0f52c898eedf4d7e4afef53 Grant replied to the topic in the forum http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/forums/topic/concrete-examples/#post-13513 Fri, 09 May 2014 07:06:24 +0100 Most of my students – they range from 1st year bachelor’s to 2nd year master’s – seem to stuck with Facebook (closed FB groups for their group work), Skype and a small number on Google docs. They also use the VLE basically to pick up documents and occassionally drop off documents. I think this is very much because of the way higher education is…[Read more]

]]> 0 59b379b966d0942d1152c5dd066af9db Grant replied to the topic in the forum http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/forums/topic/activity-1-1-2/#post-11579 Wed, 07 May 2014 06:12:48 +0100 Hi Stuart,

I can relate to a lot of what you are saying. I teach a lot of international students on scientific master’s programmes and my rôle is to help them learn how to efficiently communicate, work and generally interact with each other beyond the cultural differences. A lot of this is about them developing skills that allow them to adapt…[Read more]

]]> 0 202e68ea7ec25936b8e590b1186a6f25 Grant replied to the topic in the forum http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/forums/topic/concrete-examples/#post-11577 Wed, 07 May 2014 05:48:32 +0100 Hi, I don’t actually use the “technology enhanced” version of the activity at the moment. I am a fan of Kolb’s learning (and teaching) styles model and try to incorporate it into my lesson plans. I’ve been thinking a lot obout Twitter recently as I have been trying to use ocTEL to get to grips with it. I’ve been amazed at the amount of information…[Read more]

]]> 0 7385630eb7d72275007ead0d0bba7db5 Grant started the topic in the forum http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/forums/topic/concrete-examples/ Tue, 06 May 2014 16:21:30 +0100 I have decided to take the concrete example of an activity that I have been using quite successfully for some time in order for students to become familiar with one of the common theoretical models of cultural dimensions. It is a group activity in which, after I have given a short presentation of the background to the model, the students…[Read more]

]]> 0 d55aba51ea0430032c06d0054fda9f83 Grant earned a week 0 badge: TEL Explorer Badge: There are three activities outlined in the Week 0 TEL […] http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/3836/ Mon, 05 May 2014 10:30:49 +0100 week-0-tel-explorerThere are three activities outlined in the Week 0 TEL Explorer section and this badge can be earned up to three times. Click on the badge to make your each of your submissions for Week 0’s TEL Explorer badges.

]]> 0 bf20e6682d325e5fe8316ca9f6fba54d Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 1 Resources, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=10186 Mon, 05 May 2014 08:30:57 +0100 So, the course material and objectives for Week 1 are finally up on the site – I’ve been watching impatiently for them to appear since yesterday. I must be enjoying the course 😉
Here they are: This week we’re looking at concepts and strategies for the effective use of Learning Technology – approaches that can benefit learners and enable you to keep pace with innovation. If you are new to the theories underpinning TEL, this may be a chance to ‘ground’ yourself within the learning landscape by exploring the examples in this week’s resources. If you are not new to this it is an opportunity to explore strategies for Learning Technology, the approaches they take and the outcomes they achieve.
 This week’s aims
By the end of this week, we aim for you to:

review a range of concepts and approaches relevant to TEL (activity 1.3, explorer activities)
start reflecting on how different approaches could be applied with your learners or to your own learning (activity 1.1)
reflect on a strategy relevant to your own context (activity 1.2 and webinar)

I will be using the blog much as I did last week as a place to “cluster” the information and resources I pick up and also to doucment my contributions to some of the forums and discussion groups. Not sure how much time I will be able to put in this week as work is beckoning a bit more insistently that it did last week.
The first resource I have been provided this week, and which I will be looking into in some detail as soon as I have 10 minutes, kindly came from Sue. She provided a link to a presentation she did for a workshop on an introduction to Twitter: http://www.slideshare.net/suebeckingham/getting-started-with-twitter-23557615
It seems to be exactly what I have been looking for.
I like this concept map tweeted by Ed l Bremner:
Learning Theory
Some nice resources this morning that have been tweeted, as most things seem to be here in ocTEL land:
Three working models to integrate technology in your teaching : http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/05/three-working-models-to-integrate.html
Incorporating the Maslow model. Addressing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs with technology: http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/addressing-maslows-hierachy-of-needs-with-technology/
The flipped classroom: a full picture: http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/the-flipped-classroom-model-a-full-picture/
The last two resources come from the blog of Jackie Gerstein which is full of interesting articles. I particularly like this one about empathy as a top skill for educators:  http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/author/jackiegerstein/
I have just caught up with yesterday’s webinair which I had to miss because of work. Fortunately, today is a bank holiday but the lousy weather is keeping me away from the garden and giving me a bit of time to spend on the course. The full webinair entitled “Strategies For Learning Technology” is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHEeB4VKjog
Here are some excerpts of what I took to be the main points:
Pyramid
Useful model
Drivers for change
22 drivers for change
SAMR model
Technologies in context
The 3 Es aooriach
Summary
Here are a few things I came across yesterday. The first is a webinair presentation by Stephen Downes at ocTEL 2013 about “The Cultures of Learning” which I found interesting. He certainly has an off-beat presentation style that will either seduce you or irritate you: http://www.downes.ca/me/index.htm
Slack a (nother !) new tool : http://venturebeat.com/2014/05/08/5-reasons-slack-will-change-the-workplace/
To open a free  account:  https://slack.com/
Slack only makes sense for working in groups, not for individual use. I am hoping to join a group being set up by one of the participants on #ocTEL to try it out. Perhaps if I do this with someone who knows what he’s doing I’ll be able to get to grips with it quite quickly. Watch this space 😉

]]> 0 ee8ca909f6ab2b174e9d4ec8a20adb32 Grant posted a new activity comment http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/3764/#acomment-3766 Mon, 05 May 2014 07:02:12 +0100 Hi Sue,

This is perfect. Thanks for sharing.

In reply to - suebecks replied to the topic in the forum Hi Grant I put together these slides for an intro to Twitter workshop last July. http://www.slideshare.net/suebeckingham/getting-started-with-twitter-23557615 ]]> 08f6a421ea7679503321611be52ecf08 Grant wrote a new post, #ocTEL Week 0 Group Discussion, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=9431 Sat, 03 May 2014 07:33:22 +0100 Here is a bit of a résumé of the activity in our small group during this first week of the #ocTEL MOOC. This is all part of my “cluster” policy and also a pretext for me to play around with some of the platforms and media to get a better idea of how they work. I’m quite pleased that I was able very quickly and easily to link my ScoopIt to WordPress. I just need to figure out now if there is a way of keeping the different content separate.
Anyway, here is the résumé:
Grant: Hi, I’m not a technology expert, just a lecturer with an interest in the technology. I’m also just going with the flow at the moment. I’ve used this kind of platform before but with small numbers of participants and after an initial face-to-face session. This is different and a bit bewildering. I’m also hoping that the webinair will pull things together. Anyway, nice to “meet” you all.
Paul: Nice to meet you Grant! I know the platform is Mahara. LIke you I’m exploring a bit, not sure if there is page where I can customise my feeds ‘n’ such as there seems to be forums all over the place. If people are new this the it’s a lot to take on board. This is why I created a group straight off the bat, so others wouldn’t have too and it takes a bit of the stress out of the situation.
Sounds like you’re already doing some good work with the technology where you teach, were the forums well used?
c. collis: I appreciate your take-up of my comment about this group’s becoming medium-sized, hellycorke and Paul Rettey. Is a “small group” a scalar entity relative to the size of the overall MOOC? Or is there a small group limit that applies regardless of the size of the larger course of which it’s a part? It’ll be interesting to see here if there a size at which the small group becomes incoherent or too large. Thanks for triggering thought about this.
Grant: As c.collis indicates, whether or not the group is small is quite relative. I think my question at the moment is “Now we’re here, what do we and how are we going to go about doing it?” Any thoughts?
Glenn: I think one of the challenges that “always” appears and I feel did do today during the live webinar, was that although we are advocates of new technology, the technology is quite often not reliable, leading to those who are new to online learning or more frequent users, frantically searching their own machines for the slightest thing that they/we could have caused to fail, this in itself can put people off using the technology due to the bad experience that is caused and so often remembered.
During my time as a learning technologist, I too have ran a week “0″ to allow users to check the systems work correctly and to iron out glitches. This has been well received, but on every other session that followed I still spent a lot of time at the start of the session helping users to “get started”. So long as you approach this with a smile and are flexible within the set time limits things normally settle down and by week 10 of 10 things are running like clockwork!
Grant: @glenn I agree, and there are often little things that can/should be anticipated and prepared for (like the short confusion today over sound quality until everyone muted their mics) that can reduce some of the initial frustration.
Dominicennis: What can we tell about the range of experiences and preferences among ocTEL participants?
What challenges does this present for the course?
In what ways is a MOOC like this one well or poorly suited to these challenges?
Hi, thought I’d paste the reflection topic to keep me on track.
The range of experiences: well just getting a flavour of that, seems very wide. encompassing many different professionals with correspondingly different motivations for being here! However it is difficult to form a clear picture of this? Is there a summary profile page with names, roles, institutions and reason for attending course? Or could one be created perhaps as a self enrolling group?
How are the aims of a ‘teaching’ participant different to developer or multimedia resource creator? Is there a clear line between teacher and those who support online teaching and learning. And what of the trainer or facilitator who directly assists or inspires students to try novel technological approaches to their learning? Are we all travelling in the same direction on different vehicles and arriving at different destinations at different times. How are the commonalities articulated and made useful?
Perhaps a MOOC like this with such a diverse membership enjoying multiple channels of input and modes of participation is a rich and effective way of addressing such challenges? The ability for parcticipants to indvidualise their own learning pathways must also be a positive facet of such a course in light of the diverse nature of fellow travellers.
Paul: In response to Grant, I missed the webinar! Darn it..
The questions to explore for Activity 0.2 are:
What can we tell about the range of experiences and preferences among ocTEL participants?
What challenges does this present for the course?
In what ways is a MOOC like this one well or poorly suited to these challenges?
In all honesty I don’t know about the first point, but I can surmise.
What can we tell about the range of experiences and preferences among ocTEL participants?
That we all have a background in education and/or training and/or IT/Computers
Some people have been in e-learning since the advent of computers and networks (PLATO)
Some people have recently joined education/training.
People take different routes into e-learning / Technology Enhanced Learning / Learning technology, some have been teachers in the past, others have come straight into the industry.
Some people still don’t get what ‘it’ is and it’s confusing.
My own preference during online activity is to try and be organised and considerate of other users and I definitely don’t like things being overly complicated or in the wrong place. Einstein said it best ‘Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler’. Good course design is about providing good usability and clarity. Everything in a course must have a clear reason and purpose for being there.
What challenges does this present for the course?
People will come with differing / conflicting views about aspects of e-learning (see I did it again, it’s taking time to get used to the term TEL) and what it is supposed to do. There is likely to be an expectation that everyone knows how to use the technology or understand how behaviors change between online to offline. With around 270 members in this course, I’ve yet to see evidence of this amount of people in the forums. The challenge is ‘could more be done to engage each participant?’ after all teachers must do this in the classroom to ensure that everyone has been engaged, why should this be any different online?
The other challenge is the sheer volume of communication / information, I still get this feeling I’m missing out somewhere as this is my first MOOC (i’m not a veteran) that I’m actively engaging with mainly to see what will come of it. I’ve managed to gain one very good piece of information which is the SAMR model.
In what ways is a MOOC like this one well or poorly suited to these challenges?
Going back to my earlier point of the amount of people on the course vs the amount of participation. I’m glad the group members in this forum are conversing. As I’ve noticed other forums have 1 or 2 members, this is a flaw. In theory you could end up in a group that has members who never participate or drop out. There are strategies to avoid this and it’s about getting engagement going ‘hitting the ground running’ I call it. Forum Moderators have to work very hard during the first few weeks to establish rapport and provide the fertile ground for these activities to be achievable or to ensure that there are enough people in groups to ensure success. They also need to ensure that people are guided to success.
What I have noticed is that a number of people have already created forums based on location or status, To use an analogy
It’s a bit like a big conference room where people have left the main discussions area, gone to a room, put a notice on the door that it’s for people only from ‘xyz’. They’ve then shut the door, instead of leaving the door open and inviting people in they’ve ended up on the own.
There maybe a reason why this happens, but it strikes me as odd.
In summary my view is MOOC’s are still developing as a concept, but the success of MOOC’s rests in the hands of the people running them.
Could it be that high drop out rates are a direct result of people being allowed to fail? because not enough is done to chase low attendance or the lack of contribution.
Grant: Hi, Thanks to Paul and Dominicennis for posting the questions to explore, it will certainly make it easier to stay on track. Pail, there is a recording of yesterday’s webinair available. Today is a Bank Holiday in France so I am going to muse over the questions as I potter around in the garden. I will post the results of this later
Stuart: Having watched the webinar recording and still trying to get my head around the course, I see there are a wide variety of people from all walks of backgrounds taking part. The difficulty is that we all have reasons for taking part and you may eventually end up by not getting the answer(s) you are looking for. MOOC is a great way to learn, flexibility, drives participation and collaboration, the only challenge I see is that the system is up to scratch. At the moment, it’s a bit hard to navigate. I guess this will improve in time. I do like how emails are being sent with the task, this is something I want to bring into my work place.
I am concerned more with how, through exploiting technology, can I drive behavior change, how it can be sustained, and then linking it back into business results. This is a big topic for me at the moment and I hope to find some answers here.
Grant: As others have said, it seems clear that there is a great range of experiences and preferences among the participants. I don’t know if this is just my perception, but it does seem to me that there are more “technologists” than “teachers” here. I think this may have advantages and disadvantages for me personally. So far the advantages have been in the sharing of so many technological resources and the quick and effective help of fellow participants which has allowed me to finally start getting my head around Twitter and get a blog going. What I have perhaps missed so far is exchanging with other teachers about how they use this technology to successfully enhance the learning experience of their students and their own teaching experience. However, I’m sure these conversations will take place over the coming weeks once everything gets going and we start getting a bit more organized.
I think it’s still early days to say how a MOOC like this one is well or poorly suited to these challenges. Everything so far is suggesting that it is well suited to doing so. I think it will be largely up to the individual participants to make sure they have a clear idea of what they want to get out of the course and find strategies that allow them to construct the best way of reaching their objectives. I’m counting a lot on the Dave Cormier model I came across earlier in the week: Orient, Declare, Network, Cluster and Focus.
I think the badge system and the one-thing-a-week approach might help. It’s my first experience of a badge system and so far I’m enjoying it and feeling quite motivated by it.
Belinda: We’re all interested in learning, to have joined ocTEL (or we really like badges, and being online :-)). It seems that there are participants from a range of backgrounds and experiences. Some are educators looking to bring ‘something special’ to their teaching, others are keen to share their expertise and make new connections, others are interested to experience online learning for themselves, and others bring a more technical perspective – all have a different level of skills. I think that this brings the challenge of how to enable each individual to participate in ways that they feel comfortable with, yet at the same time feel challenged by. I believe the course team are addressing this by aggregating the Various channels of communication that participants have chosen, so that the choice is up to the individual – bloggers, tweeters, google+rs (is that even a word?!), and advising us to try something new….. Which means it will help many of us in our roles of educators to empathise if or when we introduce new (and hopefully innovative, fun and sound) ways of Learning.
c.collis: “Hi Grant: I’m also particularly looking forward to hearing and learning from teachers about their TEL experiences. I’m benefiting from the participation of many ‘technologists’ here because this is their world and they have a wealth of resources and references to share. In practice, I find that sometimes technologists and teachers work at cross purposes: technologists are rightly more focussed on the tech and all the things it can do and how great it would be if we implemented it in our teaching; teachers are more focussed on the subject content and how it can be taught effectively, whether this involves TEL or not. Teachers sometimes feel beseiged by what they perceive as overzealous technologists bombarding them with things they need to add to their already full courses; technologists sometimes feel frustrated at what they perceive as stubborn academics who refuse to try new things that the technologists know could enhance their students’ learning experiences. I can see the frustrations of both groups (and I know the lines between these two groups are nowhere near as clear-cut as this post indicates). It wil be interesting to see how these two groups interact in this MOOC, or whetehr they are in fact identifiable as two groups in this environment. I’m learning from both. “
c.collis: As a result of thinking that through, I’ve come up with one new initiative: I’m going to invite one of the Learning Designers to attend each of my department’s monthly departmental meetings. The LD will have a standing agenda item each month: s/he will either give an update about a piece of tech that is working particularly well in our areas at the moment, and/or take questions from academic staff about tech ideas they have. Could be a neat way to bridge the sometimes gap between techs and academics, a way to get us working together.
 
 

]]> 0 def0dc6a2fcd21f6457abcdd3f9b1484 Grant posted an update in the group Paul is looking for participants: Activity 0.2: Small group reflection: As others have said, it seems clear that there is a great […] http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/3112/ Fri, 02 May 2014 09:19:26 +0100 As others have said, it seems clear that there is a great range of experiences and preferences among the participants. I don’t know if this is just my perception, but it does seem to me that there are more “technologists” than “teachers” here. I think this may have advantages and disadvantages for me personally. So far the advantages have been…[Read more]

]]> 4 d4de29c6a15f8a3480c2e01ce3b47849 Grant earned a week 0 badge: TEL Explorer Badge: There are three activities outlined in the Week 0 TEL […] http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/2723/ Thu, 01 May 2014 13:45:57 +0100 week-0-tel-explorerThere are three activities outlined in the Week 0 TEL Explorer section and this badge can be earned up to three times. Click on the badge to make your each of your submissions for Week 0’s TEL Explorer badges.

]]> 0 c1693e95cc7be7c30c7fa6b47eb3d497 Grant posted an update in the group Paul is looking for participants: Activity 0.2: Small group reflection: Here is the link to the recording of the webinair: […] http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/2470/ Thu, 01 May 2014 09:06:55 +0100 Here is the link to the recording of the webinair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7eBEZd3ous

]]> 0 bcdbad4439a64ec7d770733e1a3068e1 Grant posted an update in the group Paul is looking for participants: Activity 0.2: Small group reflection: Hi, Thanks to Paul and Dominicennis for posting the […] http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/2466/ Thu, 01 May 2014 09:04:50 +0100 Hi,

Thanks to Paul and Dominicennis for posting the questions to explore, it will certainly make it easier to stay on track. Pail, there is a recording of yesterday’s webinair available. Today is a Bank Holiday in France so I am going to muse over the questions as I potter around in the garden. I will post the results of this later 🙂

]]> 0 8d9d2e1ed58faab504eac9520e3fd907 Grant earned a week 0 badge: TEL One Badge: Each week we award a TEL One badge for completing 'If you […] http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/2442/ Thu, 01 May 2014 08:18:21 +0100 Each week we award a TEL One badge for completing ‘If you only do one thing…’. As week 0’s one thing is to join/watch the webinar this badge is awarded to TEL One (other thing), which is to record your reflections for Activity 0.1 Big and little questions. Click on the badge link to enter your submission.

]]> 0 800d5ceccb7e0c58f53ce12c36cf16bd Grant earned a quest: Week 0: Topic - Expectations, Familiarisation & Practice: Automatically earn this topic badge for completing at least […] http://octel.alt.ac.uk/activity/p/2441/ Thu, 01 May 2014 08:18:15 +0100 week-0-topicAutomatically earn this topic badge for completing at least three of the badged activities from week 0.

]]> 0 fee37c89ea2b5ef4e69e0c7efa4b4457 Grant wrote a new post, Be an #ocTEL Explorer, on the site ocTEL 2014 http://octel.alt.ac.uk/2014/?p=7208 Thu, 01 May 2014 07:23:07 +0100 ThumbnailSo, the next stage is to experiment with and reflect on different ways of communicating with fellow ocTEL participants. These include Twitter, a blog if you have one, the ocTEL JISCMail list, the ocTEL forums, […]

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