OLTD 504: Final Project
"How can Learning Management Systems (LMS and/or Non-LMS) help me develop courses where students learn in the best way for them (teacher-structured/personalized), while providing me with the tools I require for efficient and efficacious presentation, moderation, support, and assessment (for, as, and of learning)?"
Using the quote above to guide my final project for OLTD 504, I designed and built this course using Wix. I was interested in learning more about the creative process of designing a course. I wondered how a non-LMS could support the design process; provide tools for effective presentation, moderation, support and assessment; and create a learning environment which personalizes a structured learning program.
Digital Communication: A Meditation on Experience and Perspective
By Laura Mann (and Friends)
Digital Communication: A Meditation on Experience and Perspective
By Laura Mann (and friends)
This visual project is a meditation on the experiences and perspectives of digital communication users. My intention was to expand my thinking outside myself and explore the experiences of others with respect to digital communication. I embarked on this project because I’m aware that we all have different experiences with communication in general - that it occurs in the digital world adds a whole new layer of complexity.
My process was organic, responsive and spontaneous. My curiosity about this subject inspired me to post a question to my friends on Facebook: “As part of the course I'm taking, I'm interested in learning about your experiences of digital communication. What word, image or metaphor would you use to describe *your* general experience with digital communication?”
The responses I received were diverse and ranged from the positive to the negative. Each came from an honest place. Each response brought an image to mind. I decided to represent my informal survey visually. Being a visual learner, this was a natural choice.
The slideshow presentation that grew from my initial curiosity speaks to more than the word or sentence upon which each image attempts to expand. In its simplicity it connects to the deep thinking of myself and my classmates throughout our course on digital communication, as well as to the philosophers and educators who guided our learning path throughout our course.
References
Brokenleg, M., Brendtro, L., S. V. B. (n.d.). Reclaiming youth international. Retrieved from http://www.reclaiming.com/content/about-circle-of-courage
Glasser, William. (2010). Retrieved from http://wglasser.com/
King, T. (2003). The truth about stories, a native narrative. Toronto: House of Anansi Press Inc.
Palmer, P. J. (2008). The courage to teach, exploring the inner landscape of a teacher's life. (10th Anniversary Edition ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub.
Pink, D. H., & Pink, F. (2006). A whole new mind, why right-brainers will rule the future. New York: Riverhead Trade (Paperbacks).
Saint-Exupéry, A. D. (2001). Le petit prince. Mariner Books.
Siemens, G. (2004, December 12). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
Turkle, S. (2011). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. (1 ed.). New York: Basic Books
Turke, S. (2012). Sherry turkle: Connected, but alone?. TED Conferences, LLC. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together.html
My eLearning Theory (Sept. 2012)
My eLearning Theory Rationale
When trying to imagine a model to represent my understanding of eLearning I knew it must be three-dimensional. Learning of any kind is never flat and linear.
What I try to show with my model is its 3D structure, its cyclical nature and its connectivism.
I draw on the work several theorists.
Parker Palmer (Courage to Teach) inspired me to put the concepts and/or subjects at the centre of my model (the red centre circle). I have long considered this decision, as a big part of me wishes to put the learner at the centre. However, I would like to move away from a hierarchical understanding and representation of learning – I don’t believe that people should stand ahead nor behind one another. Instead, in collaboration, we should investigate concepts and subjects with curiosity and wonder. The learner therefore becomes a part of the learning community made up of her/himself, the teacher and his/her surrounding community. In an online learning situation this community could extend around the world.
The yellow circle is inspired by Daniel Pink’s work. In A Whole New Mind he suggests that the necessary abilities, or senses, of the 21st century are not reason and logic as they have been throughout the industrial era. Instead: play, meaning, design, empathy, story and symphony are the abilities learners should develop.
Learners connect with, explore and reflect upon the concepts and subject of their learning with tools (the blue layer). I have suggested a few in my model but of course these are limitless possibilities, especially with access to the web.
Communication throughout the learning process is essential which and represented by the outside circle. Communication occurs in many forms: reflection, self/peer/teacher assessment and feedback. It can be formal or informal, written or oral
The “crucial model layers” create the 3D effect of my eLearning model.
The middle (red circle) layer is based on Martin Brokenleg and William Glasser’s work. It is an essential layer as it clarifies fundamental emotional needs in any learning context (online or face-to-face): a sense of independence (freedom, choice), mastery or a sense of control, a sense of belonging and a sense of having fun and being generous and giving toward others.
I draw upon the Siemens’ theory of connectivism with the web layer. It suggests that all the circles and parts of the circles are in fact connected in various and sometimes surprising ways. We are the web! As learners we contribute content and then create patterns from the vast amounts of information we access. We make web-like connections between each other, the concepts/subjects we explore and use various web-like tools.
Finally, the spiral is a representation to which I always return: I don’t see learning as linear and uni-dimensional. Like the spiral (Fibonacci’s golden ratio) we return to ideas, re-think them, make new connections…and, like the spiral, this process never ends. I love the symbolism of the spiral, which is why I included it as part of an essential layer for my eLearning model: education (as art) imitating nature.
When trying to imagine a model to represent my understanding of eLearning I knew it must be three-dimensional. Learning of any kind is never flat and linear.
What I try to show with my model is its 3D structure, its cyclical nature and its connectivism.
I draw on the work several theorists.
Parker Palmer (Courage to Teach) inspired me to put the concepts and/or subjects at the centre of my model (the red centre circle). I have long considered this decision, as a big part of me wishes to put the learner at the centre. However, I would like to move away from a hierarchical understanding and representation of learning – I don’t believe that people should stand ahead nor behind one another. Instead, in collaboration, we should investigate concepts and subjects with curiosity and wonder. The learner therefore becomes a part of the learning community made up of her/himself, the teacher and his/her surrounding community. In an online learning situation this community could extend around the world.
The yellow circle is inspired by Daniel Pink’s work. In A Whole New Mind he suggests that the necessary abilities, or senses, of the 21st century are not reason and logic as they have been throughout the industrial era. Instead: play, meaning, design, empathy, story and symphony are the abilities learners should develop.
Learners connect with, explore and reflect upon the concepts and subject of their learning with tools (the blue layer). I have suggested a few in my model but of course these are limitless possibilities, especially with access to the web.
Communication throughout the learning process is essential which and represented by the outside circle. Communication occurs in many forms: reflection, self/peer/teacher assessment and feedback. It can be formal or informal, written or oral
The “crucial model layers” create the 3D effect of my eLearning model.
The middle (red circle) layer is based on Martin Brokenleg and William Glasser’s work. It is an essential layer as it clarifies fundamental emotional needs in any learning context (online or face-to-face): a sense of independence (freedom, choice), mastery or a sense of control, a sense of belonging and a sense of having fun and being generous and giving toward others.
I draw upon the Siemens’ theory of connectivism with the web layer. It suggests that all the circles and parts of the circles are in fact connected in various and sometimes surprising ways. We are the web! As learners we contribute content and then create patterns from the vast amounts of information we access. We make web-like connections between each other, the concepts/subjects we explore and use various web-like tools.
Finally, the spiral is a representation to which I always return: I don’t see learning as linear and uni-dimensional. Like the spiral (Fibonacci’s golden ratio) we return to ideas, re-think them, make new connections…and, like the spiral, this process never ends. I love the symbolism of the spiral, which is why I included it as part of an essential layer for my eLearning model: education (as art) imitating nature.
Education Happens: A Pecha Kucha on Learning
George & Paulo: A Conversation about Learning
George and Paulo: A Conversation about Learning (Text Version)
*Note: The views described in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of George Siemens and Paulo Freire. Their work is the vehicle of inspiration for the author, Laura Mann.
Once upon a time two great thinkers (and doers!) dissolved notions of time and space and met at a café sometime in the early 21st century to discuss the state of education in their world. Their names were George Siemens and Paulo Freire. This is their conversation:
GS: Paulo, I’m concerned. Despite everything research demonstrates, as well as calls from educators like Sir Ken Robinson, there continues to exist the “banking model” of teaching and learning in schools. I came across a blog post by an education student who echoes my feelings: “The science (and pedagogy) of memory that dominate education and that students have mastered is not just ineffective, it’s harmful.”
PF: Ah...the banking model. Harmful indeed. This model sees students as containers or vessels needing filling with the content of the teacher's narration. It creates a hierarchy in the classroom wherein the teacher is the authority and the students are the oppressed. In such a learning situation, students aren't able to develop the critical and creative thinking skills needed to become agents of transformation and change.
GS: Students cannot participate openly in an oppressive learning environment. They become slaves to memorization and are unable to create connections between themselves and each other, let alone between themselves and the world in which they live.
PF: Exactly. You must have read my books. I once said that "implicit in the banking concept is the assumption of a dichotomy between human beings and the world: a person is merely in the world, not with the world or with others; the individual is spectator, not a re-creator. "
GS: Here we are in the 21st century, attempting to educate our children to solve problems that do not yet exist, and we are using a model fit for the early 19th century industrial revolution. The physical space of classrooms themselves support the dichotomy of which you speak. It is difficult to be with the world when one is expected to sit still, be quiet and listen to the authority for the answers.
PF: The 21st century requires problem-solvers, designers, storytellers, and innovators capable of connecting with empathy to others. Erica Swallow summarized in 5 points the ways in which “the culture of schooling as we all know it is radically at odds with the culture of learning that produces innovators:”
These are the problems wherein change is required:
1. Individual achievement is the focus
2. Specialization is celebrated and rewarded
3. Risk aversion is the norm
4. Learning is profoundly passive
5. Extrinsic incentives drive learning
GS: Well identified. Something must change.
PF: Change will come when students become active participants in their learning environment. To quote myself again: "Attempting to liberate the oppressed with out their reflective participation in the act of liberation is to treat them as object that must be saved from a burning building."
GS: I'd like to propose a solution: online learning.
PF: We are in the 21st century after all.
GS: Online learning can be different than traditional F2F classroom learning as it removes the dependance upon the phyiscal space of the classroom.
PF: And the domination of the lecturer as the all-knowing authority figure.
GS: Online learners can work at their own pace. Learning can be personalized. Knowledge becomes connected and relevant. But most importantly, learners can be agents of their learning through connection-making and networking.
PF: Connections and networks become a way of organizing the vast amounts of information available in our world. It is absurd to imagine that the teacher-authority can be solely responsible for choosing and disseminating knowledge.
GS: In an online learning situation the teacher becomes a guide as opposed "the authority" to the connection-making learning process. Each learning web becomes unique while being connected to other learners.
PF: Online learning then helps to shift the importance from "knowledge possession" to how knowledge is accessed and then connected.
GS: I've been known to quote Vaill (1996) when explaining my position: "Learning must be a way of being - an ongoing set of attitudes and actions by individuals and groups that they employ to try to keep abreast of the surprising, novel, messy, obtrusive, recurring events."
PF: You describe all the fragmented knowledge that the internet provides well.
GS: It’s anything but tidy. But check these out: twitter stream visualizations. We have all experienced the chaotic use of twitter where ideas fly fast and hard and one wonders where went the equilibrium. And yet this twitter visualization is a fine example of connectivism in action. The sharing of ideas, connecting to ideas and generating new ideas builds a web.
PF: Online learning liberates. Domination and hierarchy cannot exist within a connected network.
GS: Through online learning, students can overcome the barriers to innovation and become agents of transformation with the world. Through online learning, collaboration replaces individual achievement as the focus.
PF: The crossing of disciplinary boundaries is valued over specialization
GS: Risk is encouraged rather than avoided.
PF: Learning is active and dynamic rather than acquiescent and compliant.
GS: Students in online learning environments are motivated internally by belonging and contributing to something bigger than oneself.
PF: Well, now that we’ve come up with a solution to the banking model of education what else can we tackle? Health care? Seems like we have a good thing going here.
GS: Hear, hear!
References:
https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/voke-philofeducation/2011/10/10/the-banking-concept-of-education-paulo-freire-hits-the-nail-on-the-head/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericaswallow/2012/04/25/creating-innovators/2/
Vaill, P. B., (1996). Learning as a Way of Being. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Blass Inc.
http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
Pink, D. H. (2006). A Whole New Mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. Riverhead Trade (Paperbacks).
Music: First Snow by Emancipator
Text: Laura Mann
*Note: The views described in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of George Siemens and Paulo Freire. Their work is the vehicle of inspiration for the author, Laura Mann.
Once upon a time two great thinkers (and doers!) dissolved notions of time and space and met at a café sometime in the early 21st century to discuss the state of education in their world. Their names were George Siemens and Paulo Freire. This is their conversation:
GS: Paulo, I’m concerned. Despite everything research demonstrates, as well as calls from educators like Sir Ken Robinson, there continues to exist the “banking model” of teaching and learning in schools. I came across a blog post by an education student who echoes my feelings: “The science (and pedagogy) of memory that dominate education and that students have mastered is not just ineffective, it’s harmful.”
PF: Ah...the banking model. Harmful indeed. This model sees students as containers or vessels needing filling with the content of the teacher's narration. It creates a hierarchy in the classroom wherein the teacher is the authority and the students are the oppressed. In such a learning situation, students aren't able to develop the critical and creative thinking skills needed to become agents of transformation and change.
GS: Students cannot participate openly in an oppressive learning environment. They become slaves to memorization and are unable to create connections between themselves and each other, let alone between themselves and the world in which they live.
PF: Exactly. You must have read my books. I once said that "implicit in the banking concept is the assumption of a dichotomy between human beings and the world: a person is merely in the world, not with the world or with others; the individual is spectator, not a re-creator. "
GS: Here we are in the 21st century, attempting to educate our children to solve problems that do not yet exist, and we are using a model fit for the early 19th century industrial revolution. The physical space of classrooms themselves support the dichotomy of which you speak. It is difficult to be with the world when one is expected to sit still, be quiet and listen to the authority for the answers.
PF: The 21st century requires problem-solvers, designers, storytellers, and innovators capable of connecting with empathy to others. Erica Swallow summarized in 5 points the ways in which “the culture of schooling as we all know it is radically at odds with the culture of learning that produces innovators:”
These are the problems wherein change is required:
1. Individual achievement is the focus
2. Specialization is celebrated and rewarded
3. Risk aversion is the norm
4. Learning is profoundly passive
5. Extrinsic incentives drive learning
GS: Well identified. Something must change.
PF: Change will come when students become active participants in their learning environment. To quote myself again: "Attempting to liberate the oppressed with out their reflective participation in the act of liberation is to treat them as object that must be saved from a burning building."
GS: I'd like to propose a solution: online learning.
PF: We are in the 21st century after all.
GS: Online learning can be different than traditional F2F classroom learning as it removes the dependance upon the phyiscal space of the classroom.
PF: And the domination of the lecturer as the all-knowing authority figure.
GS: Online learners can work at their own pace. Learning can be personalized. Knowledge becomes connected and relevant. But most importantly, learners can be agents of their learning through connection-making and networking.
PF: Connections and networks become a way of organizing the vast amounts of information available in our world. It is absurd to imagine that the teacher-authority can be solely responsible for choosing and disseminating knowledge.
GS: In an online learning situation the teacher becomes a guide as opposed "the authority" to the connection-making learning process. Each learning web becomes unique while being connected to other learners.
PF: Online learning then helps to shift the importance from "knowledge possession" to how knowledge is accessed and then connected.
GS: I've been known to quote Vaill (1996) when explaining my position: "Learning must be a way of being - an ongoing set of attitudes and actions by individuals and groups that they employ to try to keep abreast of the surprising, novel, messy, obtrusive, recurring events."
PF: You describe all the fragmented knowledge that the internet provides well.
GS: It’s anything but tidy. But check these out: twitter stream visualizations. We have all experienced the chaotic use of twitter where ideas fly fast and hard and one wonders where went the equilibrium. And yet this twitter visualization is a fine example of connectivism in action. The sharing of ideas, connecting to ideas and generating new ideas builds a web.
PF: Online learning liberates. Domination and hierarchy cannot exist within a connected network.
GS: Through online learning, students can overcome the barriers to innovation and become agents of transformation with the world. Through online learning, collaboration replaces individual achievement as the focus.
PF: The crossing of disciplinary boundaries is valued over specialization
GS: Risk is encouraged rather than avoided.
PF: Learning is active and dynamic rather than acquiescent and compliant.
GS: Students in online learning environments are motivated internally by belonging and contributing to something bigger than oneself.
PF: Well, now that we’ve come up with a solution to the banking model of education what else can we tackle? Health care? Seems like we have a good thing going here.
GS: Hear, hear!
References:
https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/voke-philofeducation/2011/10/10/the-banking-concept-of-education-paulo-freire-hits-the-nail-on-the-head/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericaswallow/2012/04/25/creating-innovators/2/
Vaill, P. B., (1996). Learning as a Way of Being. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Blass Inc.
http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
Pink, D. H. (2006). A Whole New Mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. Riverhead Trade (Paperbacks).
Music: First Snow by Emancipator
Text: Laura Mann