Pros and Cons

1. Pros with ONL (positive things)
2. Cons with ONL (negative things)
3. This is what I´ve learned (…that I can use in my teaching @mah)

POSITIVE

. “Online learning is any form of learning conducted partly or wholly over the Internet.” As Dr. Tony Bates, and this is exactly what we did in this course. We were wholly over the Internet and it worked. I think that the most positive thing with this course for me is that I could see that it really worked. Even if we didn’t meet face to face, we created a group dynamic that was as interesting as it would have been in a classroom.

Some in our group where teachers and some were not and that´s the reality in a ONL environment to. The students are more various and has different conditions. So I think everybody that work with online learning should join the ONL.

It forced us to be students, it forced us to use new tools and ask for help and support and the excitement for the presentations was so great. It brought us together, It´s a way of delivery knowledge, even if we read about different methods to design courses.

A positive thing with the ONL is that you are not alone. In every campus there is someone with the same doubt and interests and this is only the beginning. All the things I´ve learned about openness etc. really changed my point of view. I´ve learnt that it makes education available for everyone.

NEGATIVE

The negative things with the ONL course was the lack of time, but I can´t find out how to change that. We had the meetings in the evenings and it was hard to find time for everybody. We can´t help when the communication is bad in some countries and we can´t help the time difference.  But I think that there would have been more information about the expectation of every person’s efforts, because there where so many that finished. Everybody that signed up for this course is interested in OER and it´s a pity that we lost them.

I´ve learned about being an online-students. I´ve found out some tools that I want to show my colleagues and the possibility to support the teachers in Malmö högskola. Paddled, powtown, moovly, googledrive, google+, Skype and sparkle. I´ll make referents to all these tools and try to keep it up to date. I´ve also learned that it´s ok to use other materials that is open.

WHAT I WILL DO WITH MY NEW SKILLS

I´ve learned about collaborating online and that is one thing I´ll focus on in my work. To make people collaborate, to use tools and became more effective.  If we want the students to collaborate we have to do it ourselves. I think the staff at Malmö högskola doesn´t keep up with the students and their digital skills.  So here is a big challenge. We are educating teachers and these teachers will educate our children so my task is to be one step ahead.

I want to find a department that is interested in onlinelearning and together with AKL asks these questions:

• Why should they have “online learning”?
• Where should they start?
• Which part of the course should be online?
• What kind of online learning will work best for my students?
• What digital skills do you need?

Ref:

Implications for Higher Education, By Li Yuan and Stephen Powell Dr Tony Bates in http://teachonline.ca/sites/default/files/pdfs/the_10_fundamentals_of_teaching_online_for_faculty_and_instructors_-_september_2016.pdf

 

 

Summarize. Topic 5

The most important thing for me was that I understood the topic and that everybody had the same goal. That we where at the same level and wanted the same output.

When I did my blogpost I wasn´t finished with the topic, I had to read others ideas and thoughts and then it came to me… little too late, but it came.

There is too much information and too many tools out there, when you search something you got too many hits and it´s difficult choose the right tool. I sometimes had the feeling that the most important thing was the presentation. Which tool to use, how to present our work. But for me I was more interested in how to collaborate, because that is a problem, even when you work together and now when we are apart from eachother.

I want to summarize everything in:

Technical issues: The first meeting was in AdobeConnect but it didn´t work out as well as we expected so we decided to try skype. I don´t think it was adobeconnect that was the problem, more the bad habit, wifi, headset and surroundings.  .

Language problems:I feel unsecure speaking english and I´ve trust at google translate 😉 It was hard understanding the others enlish accent.

The skypemeetings:It worked in the end, everybody grew and it is really good to practice, to feel secure.But when the sound doesn´t work its really hard to communicate.

The topics:I had no preconceptions so I think they where ok. But as I am not a teacher I felt unsecure with my thoughts. I have no opinions or experience thus nothing to come with.

The time:Even if it was ok to do this in my workinghour it took more time that I thought. But it was hard with the skypemeetings in the evenings. I really had to sacrifice my leisure.

The fishmodel:I liked the fishmodel. It helped to put things together and focus on the right thing, even if we didn´t always followe it the way I wanted.

My  Reflection on the course: – What is it for me/ what does it mean for me and what have the course given me? I´ve got a lot of ideas and I´ve already talken to my collegues and some teachers, I really want to keep this course going.

Blogging: I only got one word: interesting. At first I hated it, now I don´t even do the check spelling….. (As you might have noticed. It took too much time and energy. If someone don´t understand, please feel free to contact me and I can call my friend Google Translate he he)

In my webbrowser I now have a new favoritefolder: ONL. And I´ve devided it into several subfolders and categories. Some of them I´ll put in a new webside for my users so they can find them.
Creative commons – Something I´ve wanted to learn for a long time but always shoot at the future. Now I can answers theese questions ans give them all my links where to find pictures, sounds and music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YkbeycRa2A

Openess was something new for me.  But it is important for the researchers to progress and teachers to get inspirations from others. When I first started reading about it I didn´t understand why, but now its obvious for me. And it has given me a little more understanding for the teachers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW3gMGqcZQc
https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/feb/18/open-access-key-issue-university-leaders

Topic 4 Collaborating has influenced me the most and is something I´ll start working with. BPL was new for me, all methods was also new for me…The Fishmodel, The 5 stages model and Addie-model….

But I still wundering. Is there really different between creating an ONL-course and a traditional course? The goal must be to get the students motivated enough so they can take initiative on their own to find information and responsibiliti for their learning.

http://elearninginfographics.com/elearning-implementation-toolkit-infographic/

http://elearninginfographics.com/elearning-implementation-toolkit-infographic/

http://teachthought.com/learning/blended-flipped-learning/the-definition-of-blended-learning/

Topic 4

Topic4 was to collaborate online and create a course.

At the beginning we were very confused. This was a new thing for all of us,  and at the beginning we all had different view on what to do and as the moment we spoke about things to do, everybody did it, instead of planning and get everybody on-board. The result of that was that some had an overview over the topic and some didn´t.

We decided to do the topic without a “leader” because the collaborating had worked ok in the group before. But now I have another experience, it was not a good idea. 😉 We really should have had one person who summarized everything and delegated tasks.

First we Focus and Investigated:

-We decided to create a course of referencing and we all informed each other about our universities and came up with ideas and suggestions. Someone suggested the ADDIE-model and so we started.

When creating an online course it is very important to get all students motivated and really get them to understand the meaning of collaborating. I think that everybody needs to know why they shall collaborate, the meaning of collaborate and understand how to collaborate and why it will gain them. Then the motivation will come automatically.

I my case I found myself sitting alone and tried to find out what to do and how much time I should offer at this course. (– Yes, sometimes it felt so) I still got my commitment at work and the meetings in our PBL-group is in the evenings. Even if it´s only an hour its frustrating not having more time.  So I found myself trying to find interesting blogs to comment, interesting articles to refer to and became more and more  stressed not have enough time.  Then it hit me that this is not collaborate!  In Topic3 we read about collaborate online but now I was sitting all alone trying to figure out topic4.  Why doesn´t we used the output from topic3? Why doesn´t we used all tools we´ve read about?

http://www.creativebloq.com/design/online-collaboration-tools-912855

So I remembered -This is exactly how the students feel, they have to understand the meaning of collaborating before start collaborate. And you need to think of that when creating an online course if you want the students to collaborate.  And before that you´ll need to get to know the students, Who are they? What you want from them? What problems you can expect in the course? (maybe all teachers should be students now and then 😉

Back to our PBL-group we did came up with results, although we created the course instead of create a strategy after a model. We decided to use the ADDIE-model and it´s a good technique but I´m still not sure what we did according to that model. In this topic the process was the most important thing and how we came up to the result. It went well anyway but the collaborating was not so good as it could have been.

But I´ve learned a lot of new models and tools, example: the addie-model, the harvard referencing, TedEd and Open Badges –An interesting thing. I like it and I really think it could be a good thing for students to collect. Every child is familiar with this kind of rewards, all games use it to make you continue playing to the next level, and next and next….. etc.

I still ask myself why we didn´t make this topic as good as we could have. We did not have a leader, no plan, just an idea that it would work anyway. Before we knew that someone had the responsibilities but this time we were waiting each other out. So I think we need someone who holds together.

This blog is more about collaborating but about designing a course. I admit that I´ve not focused about the designing part. I am always a step behind this course. Now when topic4 is over I read all participants results and blogs and now my interesting of “designing and creating a course” is brought to life……

 

Referents:

https://gradgirl149.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/instructional-design-models-universal-design-for-learning-udl-vs-the-addie-model/

http://www.learningfrontier.org/instructional-de

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL20E84CD77B301A20

http://www.instructionaldesign.org/models/addie.html

https://www.badgecraft.eu/en/open-badges/understand-badge-meta-data/howto-write-description

https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/5-tools-and-strategies-that-support-group-collaboration-online/https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2014/apr/01/candy-crush-saga-app-brain

 

Topic 3

Learning in communities – networked collaborative learning

I had the perspective on this ONL course as a student, remember that I am not a teacher. First I thought collaborationg and meetings online was a “waste of time”. Because the skype-meetings took time before everybody was online and had good connectivity etc.

But now it´s different, after a few meetings we all found our place, we had good headsets, no annoying background noise and when some of the participants didn´t had enough bandwith he/she turned of the camera and used the chat to emphasize what she said. The meetings are effective and now we get something out of it.

It´s a long process, people think its easy but it´s not.  Especially when you only meet online and never in real life you´ll have to be prepared that it´s ok with all these imperfections in the beginning.

It´s important to inform all participants that before starting to work you have to get to know each other and this takes time. This is new to most people and it´s new ways of working and learning.

In this ONL-course we use a lot of new tools, it´s fun but it takes lot of time. People are different, people learn in different ways. In the course there is now “how-to”, it´s “try-and-fail”  we have to find information ourselfes. It’s a challenge but stil frustrating and takes a lot of time. It doesn´t suits everybody. I think it´s important to inform that you don´t have to learn all about every tool. Sometimes it´s enough just to try and see how it works. It´s always someone in the group that have knowledge of the tool and here is where collaborating starts. -To ask for help, to help each other.

In our PBL-group we always use tools that is new for us. The most important tool is the collaborative tool where everybody can follow the progress, comment and feel comfortable. One question is how does the participants work togheter? –How can we make them work together? It´s also important that even if we don´t ever meet, we can have fun.

But to ask for help you need to feel comfortable, dare to fail and admit mistakes.  So back to the beginning of this blog. –You need to make time in the beginning to get to know each other.

Instructions are interesting, Someone said: -The more instructions you get the less you understand. It´s important that the participants have access to the instructions and know how to understand them.

It´s also difficult to motivate the participants when you only meed online. Which tools shall we use to communicate to the student? How can we give feedback to the students etc.

I´ve read a lot about this topic and after reading about rizomatic http://davecormier.com/edblog/2011/11/05/rhizomatic-learning-why-learn/ I changed the way I looked at “education”. I´ve worked with a lot of teachers, seeing them as collegues. But when I think of my childrens teacher I look at them from another view. I don´t know why I do that. But now  I have a different view: Who am I –as a parent- to have opinions on their education…..? This got me thinking.

Topic 3 -Still pending

Collaborative learning in a group is interesting and I have thought a lot about my role in our PBL-group.  But the thought stops there because I just realised that because I´ve missed the beginning of topic3 I really don´t understand what the task is.  And I feel that I know too little to ask.  I´ve read so many of the members blog, but I have not commented them, I don´t know why, I just keep reading all blogs of the members trying to find out what I think.

Today there was a webinar about “learning in communities” –And now I can´t stop thinking about what I´ve learned. I didn´t understand everything in the webinar so I´ll see it again later this day. Maybe I can focus and understand more?

Also PBL is a new thing for me.  But after reading about it I really think it´s a good way. Just the thought that the students allows to become more independent and have to be more active because they get a little less instruction from the teacher. -I think that´s good. That´s the way real life is 🙂

http://www.med.lu.se/laekarutbildning/om_laekarutbildningen/problembaserat_laerande

Working in communities or groups is always interesting because the output depends on the participants.

• You have to know each other to dare
• You change roll in the group and there you find new knowledge
• You can ask each other and help each other.

Networking in the present is unlike the past, I think that all changes that takes part in a group gives your strength to help each other.

 

http://www.linkinglearning.com.au/what-is-network-literacy-and-is-it-important/ http://www.evergreen.edu/washingtoncenter/institute13/2013institute/nsilc2013docs/sessions2/iif_imapctlcs.pdf

https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/benefits.html

 

End of topic2

It has been interesteng reading about OER. I´ve already changed my wok about using files and I now have bookmarked all places where to find them.

Pictures:
https://pixabay.com/
http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/
http://commons.wikimedia.org/
http://compfight.com/
http://images.google.com/advanced_image_search
http://pixabay.com/

Music for my videos:

http://ccmixter.org/
http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Audio
http://www.freesound.org/
http://freemusicarchive.org/
http://www.musopen.com/
http://www.librivox.org/

There are a lot of educations available and a lot of information how to start with it. (https://www.oercommons.org)  It really was bigger than I thought. I´ve worked at Malmö University for 4 years, before that I worked in the private companies where the security is high. The IT-department strives for hide all documents. Safety is the most important for us. But now after understanding the value of sharing and not beeing egoistic, let all people take part of my knowledge I don´t want to get back to the private companies again. I want to stay here in the academic world and help people all over the world to get education.

I also found an interesting article about all new IT-technologies.. I want to show it to everyone

“We’re all novices. You’re not an expert in technology. No one is, because it’s already changing. You either use it or you don’t.”

http://teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/everyone-novice-technology/

Ref: http://www.distancelearningportal.com/articles/240/why-open-education-open-courses-and-oer-might-be-the-future-of-education.html

 

I surprise myself

Suddenly I find myself with a computer searching for things and writing down things I want to learn more about. -This course has really made me curious again.. .it has brought me back to the one I once was. Today after our skypemeeing I´ve been sitting at the computer reading about common licenses, I´ve investigate what the different between powerpoint and google slide is:  https://business.tutsplus.com/articles/powerpoint-vs-keynote-vs-google-slides-what-is-the-best-presentation-software–cms-26831

Since I give courses in powerpoint I don´t want to hear about any other products, but this was interesting. I asked a member in our group why she did´t use powerpoint but google slide -and it gave me another point of view. -Thanks Francis 😉

I´m learning new things everyday and I can honestly say that it´s troth. The more you read or learn the more you want to read and learn.

I really needed to wake up. 

 

Opennes

I have heard about MOOC before but I didn´t realise that it was så spread over the world and so many and availale. It´s an opportunity for everyone!  My second thought was –“I’m going to sign up for a cours” 😉

I’ve just visit websites for MOOCS, OER etc… and I can´t believe there´s so many!

It´s strange that a teacher can take courses and reuse them. At first I didn´t like the idea, but after a while I  asked myself: -why not. It´s the knowledge that matters. If we increase the knowledge all over the world, the world must be better ( I have to believe that) And if teachers all over the world could cooperate, use each others courses, they´ll have more time with their students.  Now I think teachers spend much time to create content. What if they focus on beeing an educator instead.

I am not a real teacher so I should not have any opinions, but I can´t stop thinking about it.

It will be fun to read more about it in this topic nr 2.

Continue forward….

Now topic 1 ends and I compare our results with the other groups. It is interesting to see how one perceives its task.  In our group we thought alike, but still it was very difficult to get started. It was very hard to know what to do. It was because my uncertainty I signed up as the leader. And thank you Pia for beeing there with me 😉

I thought that it was a way for me to engage me. I work best under pressure, but now after I´m not sure if it was so good idea……  Because I had no idea how to start.. To the next time I know something I´ll do better:

• I need to have a plan for every meeting
• Last thing to do before saying goodbye in skype I´ll repeat everything we said
• I´ll write down the tasks that we decide and talk about so everyting is clear for everyone

Digital literacy was an indeterminate substance for me before, but now I think I can explain it if you ask me. And really –I´m surprised myself I look forward to the next topic, to learn more about openness.

I am also surprised that the course have awakened an interest in me. I suddenly find myself surf the internet, read about e-learning etc… I hope i´ll lasts.

At last, I´m proud of our work and result in group 8!

Topic1

Now we are suppose to start with Topic1 but it´s very difficult to get started.  I forget to look at the google+ and it seems like everyone else also forget… So now I´ll activate the notifikation and add the mail to my phone.I started a new google-account for this google+ so I never read it and it´s full of advertising messages and spam.

I´ve tried to see the movie of David White but the 2´nd movie was very hard to udnerstand. Tonight I´ll lock myself into a room and try to listening again. It´s very difficult with the english language.  Men skam den som ger sig