- My objectives: Why I wish to learn/do something, what is meaningful for me/for my group as part of the assignment I am responsible of?
- I want to deepen my knowledge, eLearning is familiar to me, but there is always something to learn more. Meaningful is my experience, maybe the courses I have done give something to this team too. Especially the wiki courses I´ve made.
- What resources will I need: What software tools and resources I am going to use? Resources can be people, different artifacts, materials.
- I most definitely need my team! I have already done one group work almost alone in the autumn ;) I will need my laptop, Internet connection, Firefox, Word, Excel, Photoshop..
- How will I do it: What is my strategy to achieve my objectives? What is the order of my actions? How will I use different resources in my actions?
- I believe some planning is to be done with Word and Excel, but maybe we also will use wiki or something (LATER EDIT: Google Groups). Laptop is the artifact to work with and I need Internet connection and Firefox to keep contact, deliver material and so on. With Photoshop I most likely do some pictures or something.
- Evaluation criteria: How do I know that I was successful? Develop measurable criteria to evaluate your activities in respect of your objectives.
- Well, the team will give feedback. And I´m quite harsh to myself as usual ;) I will rely on straight feedback, I will give myself points or something.
- Self-reflection: Did I achieve my objectives? Use the criteria what you developed to assess how well did you work. Reflect, what worked and what did not?
- For now we have been doing some planning. Of course I suspected a bit more activity, but as it has been seen so many times it´s so damn difficult. Maybe I should really study how to inactivate people to do group works via Internet / webcourses. Finding some successful ways would really help many!
Monday 31 March 2008
EMIM / E-Learning / Personal Contract
EMIM / E-Learning / Week 5 Reflection
1. What was the most important thing you learned this week?
About personal contracts, I´ve never done one before :)
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
To read about other´s personal contracts.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Noup.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
I have to use these contacts more often! They should especially be used with group works..
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (e.g. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
This blog & Moodle.
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
Well, this week was quite quiet ;) This blog and Moodle were the tools to work alone and keep up to date.
About personal contracts, I´ve never done one before :)
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
To read about other´s personal contracts.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Noup.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
I have to use these contacts more often! They should especially be used with group works..
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (e.g. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
This blog & Moodle.
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
Well, this week was quite quiet ;) This blog and Moodle were the tools to work alone and keep up to date.
EMIM / E-Learning / Assignment 4
How can a conversational personal contract improve self-directed learning?
Very shallow, but it makes you more committed :) Somehow you have promised these things for real, you have it "on paper", you need to have good reasons to slip. Well, at least this is how I feel it.
Web 2.0 has provided us some social spaces which include self-manageable tools, learning at personal spaces, continuous invasion to new spaces, distributing one’s personality between spaces, community as an identity and publishing artifacts to define communities and ourselves. Because of these we need self-direction and self-management.
A personal contract is a tool to this, with it you can make decisions and manage yourself. A conversational contract means that you update the contract, especially according to facilitators comments. It helps to sustain self-conversation with oneself about learning, it also externalizes learning conversation for the learner, passes the control back to the learner.
Very shallow, but it makes you more committed :) Somehow you have promised these things for real, you have it "on paper", you need to have good reasons to slip. Well, at least this is how I feel it.
Web 2.0 has provided us some social spaces which include self-manageable tools, learning at personal spaces, continuous invasion to new spaces, distributing one’s personality between spaces, community as an identity and publishing artifacts to define communities and ourselves. Because of these we need self-direction and self-management.
A personal contract is a tool to this, with it you can make decisions and manage yourself. A conversational contract means that you update the contract, especially according to facilitators comments. It helps to sustain self-conversation with oneself about learning, it also externalizes learning conversation for the learner, passes the control back to the learner.
Saturday 29 March 2008
EMIM / E-Learning / Week 4 Reflection
1. What was the most important thing you learned this week?
Well it´s always good to read about course design :)
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
Nothing in the course.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Noup.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
I liked the course design form in the "How to make a training course (roster example)", page 2 and also the other schemes too. Schemes are always nice, they give something new every time.
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (e.g. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
This blog & Moodle.
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
In this week I got very very angry with the still ongoing problems with my internet connection / browser. Well, today I installed new Firefox and booted my wireless box. Now everything works..
Well it´s always good to read about course design :)
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
Nothing in the course.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Noup.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
I liked the course design form in the "How to make a training course (roster example)", page 2 and also the other schemes too. Schemes are always nice, they give something new every time.
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (e.g. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
This blog & Moodle.
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
In this week I got very very angry with the still ongoing problems with my internet connection / browser. Well, today I installed new Firefox and booted my wireless box. Now everything works..
Monday 17 March 2008
EMIM / E-Learning / Week 3 Reflection
1. What was the most important thing you learned this week?
I learned some new ways of designing a course.
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
The importance of design is always interesting.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Noup.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
Actually my week was filled with frustration to my internet connection or browser problems. I´m not sure what was it in the end, now everything seems to work.
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (e.g. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
This blog & Moodle.
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
In this week I checked the blogs of my team mates, didn´t leave comments though, it was so tough even to browse..
I learned some new ways of designing a course.
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
The importance of design is always interesting.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Noup.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
Actually my week was filled with frustration to my internet connection or browser problems. I´m not sure what was it in the end, now everything seems to work.
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (e.g. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
This blog & Moodle.
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
In this week I checked the blogs of my team mates, didn´t leave comments though, it was so tough even to browse..
EMIM / E-Learning / Assignment 3
Explain, what are the components of course design!
When reading this weeks materials the document "First Principles of Instruction" was somehow most familiar to me. It contained some basic rules or how to say.
In the text there are presented four phases of learning:
(1) activation of prior experience,
(2) demonstration of skills,
(3) application of skills,
(4) integration or these skills into realworld activities
These are seen important in many current instructional models and on my opinion are some kind of ground stones. At least I´ve seen these important to my own learning. Especially the fourth one. With these the text also suggest that the most effective learning environments are those that are problem-based.
There were also these instructional design prescriptions:
Learning is facilitated when:
- learners are engaged in solving real-world problems
- existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge
- new knowledge is demonstrated to the learner
- new knowledge is applied by the learner
- new knowledge is integrated into the learner's world
And from my own experience in course design and course participation the most important things are that the course has clear goals and rules (what to do and when and how), all the needed information and materials are easy to find from the learning zone and the materials, assignments and guided discussions are relevant to the subject and support the learning of the students. How to get to this? On my opinion the list above is good. It takes the emphasis to the learner, what is needed to support his/hers learning.
A very good web course was Melissa Lee Price´s Digital Culture which I participated last autumn. There was a lot of discussions in the forums, good weekly assignments and reasonable final assignment. I really learned a lot!
Bad ones.. Hmm.. Bad ones are those which don´t have assignments which relate to the subject, there are no discussions, peer-reviews or reflections, the teacher don´t know how to activate students or the course just don´t work, there is no clear schedule, no "to do" lists or a very precise introduction.
When reading this weeks materials the document "First Principles of Instruction" was somehow most familiar to me. It contained some basic rules or how to say.
In the text there are presented four phases of learning:
(1) activation of prior experience,
(2) demonstration of skills,
(3) application of skills,
(4) integration or these skills into realworld activities
These are seen important in many current instructional models and on my opinion are some kind of ground stones. At least I´ve seen these important to my own learning. Especially the fourth one. With these the text also suggest that the most effective learning environments are those that are problem-based.
There were also these instructional design prescriptions:
Learning is facilitated when:
- learners are engaged in solving real-world problems
- existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge
- new knowledge is demonstrated to the learner
- new knowledge is applied by the learner
- new knowledge is integrated into the learner's world
And from my own experience in course design and course participation the most important things are that the course has clear goals and rules (what to do and when and how), all the needed information and materials are easy to find from the learning zone and the materials, assignments and guided discussions are relevant to the subject and support the learning of the students. How to get to this? On my opinion the list above is good. It takes the emphasis to the learner, what is needed to support his/hers learning.
A very good web course was Melissa Lee Price´s Digital Culture which I participated last autumn. There was a lot of discussions in the forums, good weekly assignments and reasonable final assignment. I really learned a lot!
Bad ones.. Hmm.. Bad ones are those which don´t have assignments which relate to the subject, there are no discussions, peer-reviews or reflections, the teacher don´t know how to activate students or the course just don´t work, there is no clear schedule, no "to do" lists or a very precise introduction.
Sunday 16 March 2008
EMIM / E-Learning / Week 2 Reflection
1. What was the most important thing you learned this week?
Team skills..
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
It was interesting to read different experiences for example using blogs.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Actually no.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
I really do think that wikis have lots of potential. Even as part of webcourses.
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (e.g. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
This blog is all the time under construction :) I also visited my group member´s blogs, made links to them from here. I used Moodle of course, to read the materials and check out what to do etc. and also to choose my group.
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
Well, I read the Moodle forum, did not feel necessary to comment, though.
Team skills..
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
It was interesting to read different experiences for example using blogs.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Actually no.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
I really do think that wikis have lots of potential. Even as part of webcourses.
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (e.g. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
This blog is all the time under construction :) I also visited my group member´s blogs, made links to them from here. I used Moodle of course, to read the materials and check out what to do etc. and also to choose my group.
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
Well, I read the Moodle forum, did not feel necessary to comment, though.
EMIM / E-Learning / Assignment 2
Which principles of groupwork, communities of practice and collaborative learning should a distributed group consider, when planning the design of an e-learning course?
On my opinion wikis are great tools when planning almost whatever. I´ve used wikis in a couple of different courses, with people from the same country and also "world wide". It works well. BUT to make the group work nice to all participants certain rules should be made. If not else, at least the group should decide who is in charge of what. And that everybody really makes their part, delivers something and comments when asked..
My experiences of these www-group works are quite different. On one course I ended up doing a huge workload almost on my own. It was very stressful time but I wanted to get a good grade from that course. On one course the team work was excellent, everybody did their part and was happy about the outcome. The rest of the courses have been/are something in the middle. I easily end up to be the facilitator and being a kind of perfectionist I also end up doing too much and get myself stressed. Now that I have my baby I´m forced to try out a bit different role in some of the courses. Feels weird to let the responsibility be in somebody else´s hands, or at least a bit of it.
SO wikis are great tools even when planning an e-learning course. And if some online conferencing tools is needed I´ve used for example Marratech, which is a videoconference tool with a whiteboard. With it you can hear and see each other and also create and edit documents, share pictures etc. But of course Skype and Messenger are also excellent tools.
(well, this went a bit off topic)
On my opinion wikis are great tools when planning almost whatever. I´ve used wikis in a couple of different courses, with people from the same country and also "world wide". It works well. BUT to make the group work nice to all participants certain rules should be made. If not else, at least the group should decide who is in charge of what. And that everybody really makes their part, delivers something and comments when asked..
My experiences of these www-group works are quite different. On one course I ended up doing a huge workload almost on my own. It was very stressful time but I wanted to get a good grade from that course. On one course the team work was excellent, everybody did their part and was happy about the outcome. The rest of the courses have been/are something in the middle. I easily end up to be the facilitator and being a kind of perfectionist I also end up doing too much and get myself stressed. Now that I have my baby I´m forced to try out a bit different role in some of the courses. Feels weird to let the responsibility be in somebody else´s hands, or at least a bit of it.
SO wikis are great tools even when planning an e-learning course. And if some online conferencing tools is needed I´ve used for example Marratech, which is a videoconference tool with a whiteboard. With it you can hear and see each other and also create and edit documents, share pictures etc. But of course Skype and Messenger are also excellent tools.
(well, this went a bit off topic)
Thursday 6 March 2008
EMIM / E-Learning / Week 1 Reflection
1. What was the most important thing you learned this week?
That Web 2.0 really effects everything.
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
It was interesting to read about future things in this field.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Actually no.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
Designing a webcourse will just get more and more complex. It´s not enough just to throw some material to the web.
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (eg. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
I refreshed this blog, now it´s in English and so id my profile and so on. I got familiar with Scuttle (wow there are quite many of us in this course..)
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
Heh, the teacher commented my blog post. Nothing else yet.
That Web 2.0 really effects everything.
2. What was particularly interesting/boring in this week?
It was interesting to read about future things in this field.
3. Was there something you didn't quite understand and want to know more about it?
Actually no.
4. What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week's activities raised for you?
Designing a webcourse will just get more and more complex. It´s not enough just to throw some material to the web.
5. Which tools did you use this week, explain what was the purpose of using these tools (eg. social talk, to regulate my team activities, to work on documents)?
I refreshed this blog, now it´s in English and so id my profile and so on. I got familiar with Scuttle (wow there are quite many of us in this course..)
6. With whom did you communicate during this week, how many times, with which tools, and for what purposes?
Heh, the teacher commented my blog post. Nothing else yet.
EMIM / E-Learning / Assignment 1
What are the trends in e-learning and how do they influence online course design?
First of all, this was in the course materials:
".. but we do need theory to help us envision how education can best take advantage of the enhanced communication, information retrieval, and management capability provided by the Net. It is all too easy to consider new innovations in a “horseless carriage” manner, and to attempt to develop new actions based on old adaptations to obsolete contexts."
This is SO true. Nowadays it´s always a hurry towards something. Then you get blinded by the new technology and just dive in. You forget to think thoroughly through the essence and idea of the technology, what are it´s strengths and weaknesses, how to harness it to your purposes and most of all: how to make a whole which actually works and gives something valuable to learners.
Web 2.0 seems to be "the thing" nowadays. It´s been in everybody´s lips for a couple of years but lately it has got more and more attention. So also with e-learning. Web 2.0 underlines collaborative and social issues, blogs, wikis and so on. Openness is the idea and it´s going to change also e-learning, no more closed and institutionalized systems. Personalization is the other thing, it will restructure the educational processes.
We will have more flexibility and freedom of choosing: tools and services when creating learning spaces. And the movement is from tutor-defined and well controlled spaces towards user-selected variability.
First of all, this was in the course materials:
".. but we do need theory to help us envision how education can best take advantage of the enhanced communication, information retrieval, and management capability provided by the Net. It is all too easy to consider new innovations in a “horseless carriage” manner, and to attempt to develop new actions based on old adaptations to obsolete contexts."
This is SO true. Nowadays it´s always a hurry towards something. Then you get blinded by the new technology and just dive in. You forget to think thoroughly through the essence and idea of the technology, what are it´s strengths and weaknesses, how to harness it to your purposes and most of all: how to make a whole which actually works and gives something valuable to learners.
Web 2.0 seems to be "the thing" nowadays. It´s been in everybody´s lips for a couple of years but lately it has got more and more attention. So also with e-learning. Web 2.0 underlines collaborative and social issues, blogs, wikis and so on. Openness is the idea and it´s going to change also e-learning, no more closed and institutionalized systems. Personalization is the other thing, it will restructure the educational processes.
We will have more flexibility and freedom of choosing: tools and services when creating learning spaces. And the movement is from tutor-defined and well controlled spaces towards user-selected variability.
EMIM / E-Learning / My introduction
Hello!
I´m Sonja, studying at Tallinn University (Interactive Media and Knowledge Environments). My favorite subjects in this field are usability issues and user interface design but also mediapedagogy/E-Learning. Actually I studied approbatur (25 ECTS points) of mediapedagogy in year 2007, in Helsinki University.
I´ve used this blog for almost a year and I also have a wiki-account. In Project Management -course we made a promotional article of EMIM to my wiki: http://emim.wikispaces.com/ I also have SecondLife-account, my name there is Constanzia Bergamasco.
What I expect from this course is another view of the subject, English vocabulary and lots of conversations :)
~Sonja
I´m Sonja, studying at Tallinn University (Interactive Media and Knowledge Environments). My favorite subjects in this field are usability issues and user interface design but also mediapedagogy/E-Learning. Actually I studied approbatur (25 ECTS points) of mediapedagogy in year 2007, in Helsinki University.
I´ve used this blog for almost a year and I also have a wiki-account. In Project Management -course we made a promotional article of EMIM to my wiki: http://emim.wikispaces.com/ I also have SecondLife-account, my name there is Constanzia Bergamasco.
What I expect from this course is another view of the subject, English vocabulary and lots of conversations :)
~Sonja
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