My big question from the start of the course was ‘How do we use technologies to enrich teaching and encourage our students to use them to enrich their learning, while still respecting individual differences and preferences?
While I don’t think I have answered this question during the 11 weeks of participation, I have widened my appreciation of some of the issues, and become aware of some recent literature and projects (mostly published since I paused my MA studies in 2011) that provide a tapestry of ideas for future projects. My Delicious social bookmarking has got a lot of reading material in it from ocTEL!
I have got far more from this course than I imagined – not so much in terms of themes, which as an OU MA in Online and Distance Education student were largely familiar, but in terms of the overall experience. It’s been great to ‘meet’ some peers doing interesting projects and share our knowledge and experiences. I’ve even ‘met’ some people in my own institution, who I would not have otherwise come across!
I’ve enjoyed being a MOOC participant, and I think the course has run pretty smoothly, which is due to what seems like a lot of work behind the scenes from the course team. The course has also given me some focus for my edtech blog, which I had started before the course, but which has been very useful to reflect my thoughts for some of the activities.
I’ve even learnt to dip in and out (although some of this was forced by lack of time in what has been a busy teaching semester), a ‘buffet’ approach which isn’t possible with my assessed studies, but which has reminded me of the joys of studying without some of the pain! All in all, it’s derveloped my knowledge a bit, but more importantly got me back into studying again online, in preparation for my final MA module which starts in October.
If people have an interest in educational technology, education as a whole, and their professional development, then future iterations of ocTEL would be a good place to start!
