Teaching into the third space

I had a penny-dropped moment observing a series of tutorials in Oxford Brookes University's Interior Architecture group. The language being used by the tutors echoed, for me, the language of activity theory, actor network theory and - most importantly - third space theory. I am probably over-interpreting but until this moment I hadn't realised quite … Continue reading Teaching into the third space

My big question for #ocTEL and #fslt

It has to be fostering collegiality and community; how can collegiality and community - or a sense of community - be developed in open online courses? #ocTEL has a strong institutional, first person plural voice and a buttoned down registration process. Very professional but not warm. "Here are the aims we set." It is We … Continue reading My big question for #ocTEL and #fslt

FSLT Open Online Course Accredited!

In a very positive move, Oxford Brookes University has accredited two open online courses to our Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PCTHE). The two courses are: First steps into learning and teaching in higher education (FSLT) Teaching Online (TO) Both courses are offered as open online courses and the accreditation commences in semester … Continue reading FSLT Open Online Course Accredited!

Drop ins: MOOCs and the price of learning

As an undergraduate in the US in the early 1970s, it was not uncommon for there to be people in our classes "auditing" the course. (Auditing in the sense, "listening", i.e. attending but not enrolled.) While auditing was supposed to be governed by regulations there were a range of practices from entirely informal dropping in, … Continue reading Drop ins: MOOCs and the price of learning

MOOCs Stadium Rock or folk clubs

Choose your metaphor. The discourse around MOOCs is congealing around a set of qualities. Bigger better; inherited authority; transmitted knowledge; cognitivist construction; solitary interaction with content. To some extent it is a matter of taste. Or learning preference. Or community. I saw the Police play Twickenham once. It was OK. Entertaining. But nothing was challenged. … Continue reading MOOCs Stadium Rock or folk clubs

How do we sustain participation in open online courses

First, sustaining participation is a design question. Thought has to be given to this question. You have, at least to consider the do-nothing option. This question was asked in etMooc over here (maybe) in a Google+ community. I replied: Tell me about it, and I am an experienced MOOCer & online course runner of things. … Continue reading How do we sustain participation in open online courses

The reification of Learning Design

This is a reflection for the OLDS-MOOC on the  underpinning principles that I apply when designing and developing educational interventions at various scales. When IMS LD was developed it aimed to address what were seen as limitations in SCORM (or here)  and IEEE LOM. Learning Design (LD) as a learning technology software specification was intended … Continue reading The reification of Learning Design

Launch of the OLDS MOOC

Well things didn't look promising at 1600. Cloudworks database error, and YouTube livestream not streaming. The QT feed from the OU worked. But the uni-directional presentation with no back channel or discussion forum (well there is Twitter!) made it a bit well... lacking? Twitter was sort of engaged but mostly with the tech problems for … Continue reading Launch of the OLDS MOOC