#ocTEL Learning styles: I am a kinesthetic learner and I tend to incorporate a lot of ‘doing’ activities in my teaching practice!— Karen Dolman (@Podling) May 29, 2014

#ocTEL @ NoWAL Ac Lib’s meeting yesterday Edge Hill Uni Lib’ns talked about using Blackboard Collaborate to enhance their learning offer!— Karen Dolman (@Podling) May 16, 2014

#ocTEL
I’m doing a MOOC again, this time about Technology Enhanced Learning. I have to admit, we don’t do a lot of this at my institution; the focus is still on face-to-face or traditional lab learning. However, some colleagues have made inroads into webinar teaching, with varying results.
My impression of TEL is that it is very subjective to the area of study. For example, our A&D students (unless they are doing GD or some such course) probably won’t be using much in the way of technology as most of their stuff is still in printed form (I know this because, as manager of the serials collection they cause me some considerable headaches!). Whereas our tech students in Computing or Science, say, do engage more with the use of technology for learning.
So saying, I’m part of the Social Media Team and we are very aware that our students don’t use these platforms for studying. They will tweet if it’s too noisy in a study area, but generally if they have an information query they will come to the helpdesk to speak to someone. I’ve encountered very few information enquiries via twitter or FB, and these tend to be from overseas or distance students who are using these communication channels generally to be pointed in the direction of the relevant subject librarian.
One of the reflective questions this week is ‘[Am I] leaning towards one approach in particular on ocTEL, and if so why might that be? Perhaps you are employing strategies from more than one approach?’. The approaches to learning under discussion are ‘deep’, ‘strategic’ and ‘surface’.
I’ve always been a strategic learner: maximum gain for minimum effort. So, I use knowledge already acquired and assimilate this into a strategy for expanding on this learning without too much effort! Ergo, this blog post! I know quite a bit about social media and learning and so I am reflecting on this bit of TEL; the use of social media as a learning tool (discussed a bit further down in the post The Joy of Facebook).
For the purposes of this MOOC, my approach is mostly strategic, with a bit of surface thrown in, as I havent got too much time to devote to it. Plus, I wont be graded on it, so I am not too worried about being top of the class, as that isn’t the point.
As to social media being a valid learning tool…well, again, I suppose this is completely subjective and moves into the area we will be exploring in more depth next week. Watch this space…

#ocTEL: MOOC(ing) Around Again! http://t.co/Qov4yjZhAX via @Podling— Karen Dolman (@Podling) May 14, 2014

#OcTEL http://t.co/Kp9wixLp7a— Karen Dolman (@Podling) May 01, 2014

#ocTEL have managed to pinpoint myself on the map!— Karen Dolman (@Podling) April 30, 2014

#ocTEL have tried to share my location on the map and it isnt saving it. Help?!— Karen Dolman (@Podling) April 30, 2014