How is it?
Blogging has opened up an avenue that in the past has only been for me a gut feeling. So this blog represents some of my thoughts, at the moment in time as well as representing my feelings.
Have read through this report several times now and I keep coming back to a section under JISC (2009). (p6). Learner expectation... Is this from a student centered perspective ? Something in this section attracts me.
We looked at expectation from the perspectives of nature and level prior to entry to higher education and then response to the actuality on course. Our key findings were that:
- Present-day students are heavily influenced by school methods of delivery so that shifts in educational practice there can be expected to impact on expectations of approaches in higher education
So we, being the school, have a major influence on methods of delivery, and if, as we are moving towards engaging in the living curriculum era, also influence how we are to approach higher education. So we had better get this right, as learning is for life, and the experience that these students get from us on day one help set the scene towards the future.
- Face to face contact with staff – the personal element in study – matters to students
Face to face (f2f), if this is not a good model of student centered learning then I don't know what is. We are social animals, part of the journey of learning is with others, as this is a safe place to access knowledge when required. We need to ensure that students have, as a right, access to f2f when required. We as staff choose to allow this to happen or not, but if this f2f matters to students, then both will be worst off if this does not occur constantly throughout the journey of study. I'm need to be in a save place before I allow this to happen. Trust needs to first be built. I have been asked by my teachers ... if your require f2f then make an appointment. No thank you not at the moment!
- Imagining technology used for social purposes in a study context presents conceptual difficulties to learners as well as a challenge to their notions of space. They need demonstration, persuasion and room to experiment in this context
Making sense and giving purpose to the "whole" is one off our key roles as educators, when being so focused on detail some times we need to step back and take a good look at the bigger picture, and in modelling this regularly to the student, we are giving exemplars of learning. Being brave enough to expose ourselves and try to model what could be. So we construct the space and for the student this space is full of boats, but wait there's more, also in this space is learning. Good learning at different levels and at different times. The boats are vessels that support, as well as create learning. We look at the end product with great satisfaction and endearment, seeing what we have created, knowing intimitely that has gone on, during the process of creation.
- Staff capability with ICT is a further dimension of the digital divide, and effective use of technology, ie to enhance learning, is as much of an issue as practical operation, ie getting it to work
This takes me straight away to the part of the living curriculium that is Self-Efficacy. I have blogged on this in Blogger( another blog site I use) this blog I have cut and pasted below.
Self-Efficacy
Learning is focused on the development of confidence and capability
I've been having problems knowing how to set up pages...
Tried googling and found in the end a good web site. So I cut and pasted this site and placed it on my blogg. With the cut and paste came the links...
One of these explained how to add pages... there is no add pages icon or button in blogger... but what you need to do is go to the dashboard ( if you don't know how to do that then contact me) and in the dashboard pick on... edit posts...then... edit pages... this then takes you to the place where you see the option to add a new page!!!
See I can do it myself... well sort of...
• Teachers ensure that learners are supported to develop foundational knowledge to aid their learning
• Learners are helped to become independent self-monitors of their learning
• Teachers engage in ongoing development of their teaching practice
- Students’ practical skills with ICT can be harnessed by staff to good effect in both domains – operation and effective use in delivery
Learner expectation = student centered learning (SCL)
or
Learner expectation = Teacher centered teaching (TCT)
I'm in a quandary at the moment. Shall I organise how the next course shall look?(not SCL)
Or do I wait and help the students construct the outline, with me coming onboard as and when required by them? They have the course document and we have, as a class looked at what this means. Perhaps some have a better understanding of the document than others.
We have had two pre-course disscussions and to date... more to come on this as and when learning occurs...
My teacher Thom was right, again,... I have cut and pasted from a document (one of the suggested readings) and am blogging my thoughts on this... He said in class that we need to correctly reference and we should do this as we go...( he stated that "this is a level seven course and correct referencing is expected of you") he spoke here I think from past experience as he said that re-finding were/ tracking down source material is very time consuming... don't you just hate it when someone tells you not to do and then you go ahead and do it anyway... then look back when you then know its wrong and hear them saying ... I told you so... or... If only I had listened... So this lesson here I've learnt about the value of referencing. Lesson two is learning how to do it ! I've seen the assessment rubic and guess what? Yep referencing is part of it.
So there is a process that will allow this to happen, I need to practice this and get the correct sequence sorted out. I'm thinking that when this happens then my grades will go up.
So what can I take from this?... Is the assessment on the correctness of the product or on the learning that is and has taken place?
I have easybib now available and intend to use this in the future. I need to get it to work!
References
"Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World : JISC." JISC : Supporting education and research. 28 Sept. 2010 <http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/generalpublications/2009/heweb2.aspx#downloads>.
JISC (2009). Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/heweb2.aspx): JISC.
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