[Jilly]

Some really interesting points here!

The first thought I had when watching the clips was that the design seemed slightly chaotic and definitely idealistic – underpinning the course design was the assumption that learners would actively seek out the best ways to interact and collaboratively form knowledge. This seems a somewhat technological determinist approach: in that having access to different social media is assumed to be all that is needed for students to open up and engage with the content, and particularly with one another.

Whilst this model clearly offers potential for already confident users of technology (and confident communicators!) to explore new platforms for collaboration, I sincerely doubt it would work with students who were either not self-selecting, or who fell short of the high level of digital literacy that this approach to collaboration hangs upon. As Joe and Phil both mention, the ability to interact as ‘fraingers’ is a specific skill in itself.

I compared this example to Mitra’s e-learning ‘ecosystem’ approach. I was particularly interested by the fact that both of these examples shared the same objective, of promoting collaborative learning, but that their audiences and methods were so different. In contrast to the MOOC example, Mitra’s ‘ecosystem’ retained more scaffolding around student interactions, and this was integral to its success: as Mitra indicated in his speech, screen size was key to promoting effective in-group discussion and orderly interactions between groups.

I found the latter example easier to follow, not least because the process was so much more structured – unsurprising, given it targeted ten year olds rather than teaching professionals!  But for me this comparison highlighted a feeling I tend to get with MOOCs, that we are in some ways running before we can walk, and trying exciting new forms of collaboration that are really only effective for a select group of people at present. Perhaps use of Mitra’s learning ‘ecosystems’ in primary schooling might help to build in the next generation of learners the skills needed for effective MOOC participation?

[Jilly]

Hi,

Information literacy is an area of interest for me too -I think it’s central to enabling learning technologies to add value to learning. I am currently a full-time undergraduate  (mature!) student of social policy but recently completed an internship with my university’s technology enhanced learning support team and discovered a passion for TEL. My background is in basic skills and employability teaching in the lifelong learning sector, so I am familiar with and a strong advocate of the idea of promoting basic literacies to support higher learning. My main area of interest on this course is the ways in which learning technologies actually add value to more traditional teaching and learning practices, and digital and information literacy seems, to me, to be absolutely central to this. I look forward to some lively discussions!

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