Self Assessment

Today I read Jeffrey Keefer's post "Check in on Change11 goals and expectations" in which he reviews the 3 goals he set at the start of the Change11 MOOC and asks himself how he is doing. I am challenged to do the same. Thanks Jeffrey.

On September 30 I wrote:

"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 [learners make], follow some ideas, see how others embrace/struggle with/modify/define the process. "

This is no behaviorally written object but it was a good starting point for an emerging set of questions and learning goals.

1. I will spend less time on instructor generated material and more on participant generated.

My participation has been sporadic

• I read the Monday daily all the way through as it gives me a sense of the talk in the blogs.
• I have dipped into some of the other dailys.
• I have attempted to attend synchronous sessions
• Besides the daily and the synchronous sessions I have successfully avoided reading/watching an facilitator content. I have decided that I don't want to see the content through the facilitators eyes I want to see how others make meaning of it (or how I make meaning of what they say about their meaning making :).
• When I read learner posts I dig deeply, read the posts and any comments, reflect in my journal, often comment and follow links to the author's other posts or links to referenced writers (unless they are facilitators).

2. I want to understand the connections [learners make], follow some ideas, see how others embrace/struggle with/modify/define the process.

This is harder to answer in one sitting. Some initial thoughts and the next questions I want to explore.

• There really is a diversity of opinion here. I cannot say we are are a fully heterogeneous group. There is a high degree of education and computer facility. But I expected more agreement, more indoctrination perhaps. I am finding debate refreshing. What are the ways that we as a group diverge? How do facilitators handle difference. (I saw one very welcoming response to disagreement from George.)
• Some people are grappling with the challenge of so much content and so little direction. This too is refreshing. I wonder if practice is all that is needed to take control of learning. Or does it take specific regulatory skills, or a certain temperament? What happens to people between their first and second MOOC? Or is three the charm? What makes a learner go on to their second MOOC, if the first was frustrating.
• Some are openly reveling in the smorgasbord of knowledge. How do they stay engaged and resist the traditional expectations to do it all?
• MOOC researchers and MOOC learners have overlapping but different needs (researchers are also learners but learners are not necessarily researchers).

More reflection to come.  Would love to hear from anyone who has written or seen a post that would lead me toward answers or more questions.
#change11