Friday, September 30, 2011
Making Change11 My Own
Dave, George and Stephen have emphasized that one of the defining characteristics of a MOOC is the source of the goals. While the instructors/facilitators have a plan, (and personal goals) they do not determine the learning goals for the course. Each participant set her own goals. I think this is not just rhetoric. Not a variation on the "learner centered" model. MOOC and open learning in general has the potential to redefine what we mean by learning.
I imagine that for some the goals may be clear cut from the start. For others they will emerge and morph.
Like others, I am juggling many goals and all the possible content. Today I've decided that I will spend less time on instructor generated material and more on participant generated. I want to understand the connections, follow some ideas, see how others embrace/struggle with/modify/define the process. #change11
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4 comments:
Goals are allowed to be much more fluid in MOOC than I can afford if I want to succeed in a structured course. In a MOOC, changing priorities or interest, halting contribution for a while, do not result in failure.
Hey Jim,
Thanks for reading. You said "Goals are allowed to be much more fluid in MOOC than I can afford if I want to succeed in a structured course."
What do you mean? Do you find MOOCs too unstructured for your learning needs?
Jane aka Esme
Hi Jane, Jim,
I agree, in a structured and institutionalized course, where goals are set by the teacher and assessment standards to be met, learning is like Ralley racing. You can't afford to take a detour if you race
past a luminous meadow, you can't slow down to look at the scenary, no matter how awesome it seems to you. Instead, you gotta pass the pre-set checkpoints and you gotta be quick.
So if you want to succeed, you better be interested in what the institution/teacher finds to be worth learning.
In a MOOC, I decide for myself what I am interested in. In #change11, the focus of my interest is on the MOOC concept in its relation to academia and academic writing.
Everything else the MOOC produces is of minor importance TO ME. Success FOR ME means I get ideas on how to apply the MOOC concept to my seminar on Learning and Writing in Web 2.0 in the upcoming winter term and meet people interested in literacy management.
So I set my own assessment criteria and targets. What are yours?
Hi Jane,
Your goal of following participant generated material sounds really neat, I would be interested in what your findings are, what you learn out of it, etc. I hope you post something on that.
Having followed some individuals in change11, I have noticed there's significant variations with the types of activities each individual does. Some are more active on twitter, while others on blogs.
Umair
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