Implementing the new blended learning

Having written, "Where is the new blended learning? Whispering corners of the forum" with Richard Francis (Francis & Roberts 2014), I and colleagues are starting to develop underpinning frameworks for communication and dissemination and to suggest programme developments and tools for teaching. The following abstract for a 45 minute workshop session, submitted to a conference … Continue reading Implementing the new blended learning

Open Learning Designs

I came late to the Teaching online open course #TOOC14 discussion on learning designs. But wanted to think about this both for tooc as well as courses I currently have a hand in designing. There were frameworks presented. Personally I take a checklist approach evolved from a number of frameworks: Chickering and Gamson's (1987) Principles … Continue reading Open Learning Designs

FutureLearn Pedagogy Platform: does big matter

Went to a webinar yesterday: OWLET - Open Webinars for Learning and Enhancing Teaching from University Campus Ipswitch. First time using Hangouts. (does not afford "proper" chat). There were according to the G+ post 9 people who "watched" Mike Sharples, Professor of Education Technology speak on "Innovating Pedagogy". Very much a "presentation" with some interaction … Continue reading FutureLearn Pedagogy Platform: does big matter

Outcomes-led learning in an open online course, #FSLT14

"Outcomes-led" is still very contentious for many (e.g. Hussey and Smith 2003; Scott 2011). On the one hand, there will be outcomes. Taking any of the reflective cycle models (Kolb in particular) allows one to anticipate some outcomes through an intentional design process. These may be expressed as "intended" outcomes or "expected outcomes". There may, … Continue reading Outcomes-led learning in an open online course, #FSLT14

Designing FSLT14 week 3 – a reflection

Week three is a fulcrum point in the #fslt14 open online course: First steps into learning and teaching in higher education. I have decided not to introduce a new tool, wiki or Google Doc at this point. I had briefly considered a doc-based exercise developing Kolb and Activity Theory. In addition to two short (4 … Continue reading Designing FSLT14 week 3 – a reflection

What you get? Tea Lab

What you test. You get what you inspect not what you expect. That said, tonight I tested my webcam and the podium computer in Brookes Boardroom 1 where we are hosting Tea Lab tomorrow. I was fully expecting it not to work on at least three fronts: the composite USB webcam/microphone, the room audio output … Continue reading What you get? Tea Lab

Musing on simultaneous remote presence for T-Lab

We (OK, I) made a bold (OK, foolish) assertion that T-Lab meetings would be live broadcast for those who wanted to participate remotely. This could be achieved with various solutions: a Wimba Classroom in a Moodle site as long as the kit in Boardroom 1 can handle it. AND as long as people could get … Continue reading Musing on simultaneous remote presence for T-Lab

A note on content, courses/curricula, and credentials

This note recounts a potted recent history of developments to do with online content and courses and speculates about the future of credentials in respect of the purpose of a university. When learning management systems (LMS) or virtual learning environments (VLEs) were in their infancy around the turn of the century, faculty opposition to their … Continue reading A note on content, courses/curricula, and credentials

Learning design for open online courses – part 1

Further to my previous post, Learning design principles: educational pragmatists, which was an abstraction of our beliefs about teaching, this post is an attempt to set out some practical implications for designing open online courses, following from our key assertion: Change is brought about through critical, experiential, social learning activity in connected communities where people … Continue reading Learning design for open online courses – part 1

A note on badges

On FSLT13 Badges were awarded for completion of each of the four activities. Participants who wanted to collect the FSLT13 badgesl needed to register and enrol on the Moodle – AND needed to sign up for a Mozilla Backpack. Badges do not carry any academic credit but are a fun way to signal engagement with … Continue reading A note on badges