Elluminate session with OU AL's (tutors)

Well I held my first Elluminate session today for Associate Lecturers who work for Open University in my region. We unfortunately never got our own room so ended up in the General Access Space which was OK but not ideal. As guests we were unable to fully explore all Elluminate has to offer in terms of moderator privileges.
There were a couple of problems with microphones not working so two participants voiced their ideas and opinions using Chat.
I felt it was important that the session was very informal so that the tutors (AL's) could decide for themselves whether Elluminate suited them and their learners or not. The overall outcome was that they really liked it but needed more practice using it.
We covered the basics of how Elluminate can be used and then discussed the relevance of using Elluminate in the AL's contexts. We were all agreed that as we have learners throughout Europe that Elluminate allows for synchronised tutorials and greater possibilities for collaborative work by learners. We also felt that there was an opportunity for learners to use Elluminate as a chat room in order to gain peer support and feel part of a team. With this in mind we felt the same opportunity could be used by tutors not only to support each other and to share tips and advice on using Elluminate but also to share good practice.
The group decided that we would have further informal sessions where we could practice using Elluminate at our own pace and gain confidence in its use. I am now arranging the next session to hopefully be held in November and have requested use of our own room.

And hello Elluminate!

As I blogged at some earlier date I've been asked to carry out some Elluminate sessions with Open University Associate Lecturers from my region. The first will be held on 10 October. It will be a very informal session to allow the AL's to explore what Elluminate has to offer. I was hoping for an Elluminate room of my own but that doesn't seem to have materialised.....maybe I'm just not important enough! Anyway I think there will be about 6 of us in total which is a manageable number. I want them to decide for themselves whether Elluminate is a tool that will work for both them and their students rather then being told that they have to use it. Hopefully we may do another session later depending on how well this one does!

Farewell MAODE....I hope!

Well the ECA finally left the building over a week ago!!! It has felt strange suddenly having nothing to study after 2 years. It was also strange not to be part of a learning community anymore. However those feelings didn't last too long. OU provided me with 18 (now 21) students for the final run of E124. It's lovely having a whole group of students who are experienced at studying with OU...hopefully no surprises! The course materials have all changed so that's given me some bedtime reading. As E124 is integrated into new course E100 there are one or tow training sessiosn to complete....think tomorrows telephone conference should iron out most of the kinks.
Then I only went and got swine flu...still feel like death warmed up!

I must say some thank you's to one or two people who have helped me with this MAODE.
Firstly my brilliant hubby who took all my rantings on the chin when the damn internet crashed, went to work in unironed shirts and provided copiuos ampounts of chocolate and wine. My 3 fantastic kids who have practically brought themselves up these past 2 years and have done a better job than I could!! To Enda, my fab study buddy, who along with Clive and Rick cheered me on and on and on practically carrying me to the finish line. To all my MAODE peers over 4 courses....you are all brilliant. To my great OU tutors and the MAODE course team and to OU for paying for it all....huge thanks!!!!!

Final ECA!!!

I can't believe this is the end of the MAODE and my last ECA. It's been two years but feels a lot less. It's not been easy but I've loved every minute of it. Studying at Masters level has been way better than studying at BSc level.
So now the last hurdle has to be jumped! 6000 words by next Monday....yikes! I have actually started and I'm looking at Blogs and Elluminate. My activity (part C) will be related to blogs rather than elluminate which was my initial choice. This is because my learners would likely to be overwhelmed by elluminate but more likely to see that blogging can be related to their learning and practice.
I think I've finally got my head around Part B (thanks Alan!!) and none of my recommendations will be high otherwise OU would likely to have already implemented them.
Part D seems fairly straightforward.....until I actually start writing it of course! Initial feeling is there will always be a need for both individual and collaborative learning.
As this is the last ECA I seem to be almost savouring it...there's no panic yet and I actually quite like the content. I am dreading no more study as I know I'm pretty addicted to it...so I've made sure I have lots to do to fill the void. Decorating son's bedroom, whole bunch of new E124 learners starting in October, arranging elluminate sessions for OU AL's in October, got a trip to Ontario at the end of October to look for a house, putting this house on the market, collecting and sending documents off to the Canadian High Commission by November..oh and Xmas shopping!!
Not too sure what happens to this blog though once H800 finishes and do I still tweet as I won't have anything to contribute to elearning? No point in worrying about that now..... best get this ECA written!!!

TMA 04 and ECA

Well the result was way more than I expected! All that moaning and whining I did and I came away with a very respectable mark indeed. I did actually state in Part A that I had struggled to get past the academic language in Thorpes paper in order to fully appreciate what it was about!
So now its the ECA and the final part I need to do to complete the MAODE. I'm going to look at blogs and elluminate....context will be my own learners. I had thought of elluminate for the design part but blogs would fit in better with my learners, more realistic for them. I found a really nice blog on baby care http://www.ababycare.com/ and I'm looking at how I could incorporate course material into a blog. But I haven't fully read whats required for the design part of the ECA so may need to adapt this....not like I haven't had to do that before in an ECA lol!!
Forgot there's a Bank Holiday this Monday so feel I've lost a day already and littlest one isn't back to school for another week so not chance of getting much done...sigh!

TMA 04...groan!

Last week was a really bad week. TMA 04 was due in yesterday and its not like I've never done a TMA before but I really struggled with this one. I think I was a bit loath to start it as this is my last ever TMA...just an ECA to do and I've finished my MAODE!! So I think I was feeling a bit sad it was nearing the end. I've loved doing this Masters and have worked with some great people. Also I don't think joining Twitter helped me. I seemed to spend more time on there checking on how others were doing than I did on writing the damn TMA...its become an addiction! I struggled big time reading Mary Thorpes research paper.....I just couldn't make sense of the academic language no matter how many times I read it and when I was asked to sum up the intro as a requirement of the TMA I could have cried...hand on heart I'm still not 100% sure what the hell the paper was about! For me, as with the other TMA's in H800, there were just too many components. The TMA seemed to jump from one thing to another so just as I settled into writing Part A I had to jump to Part B and start all over again. I haven't experienced this in any of the other courses. In H808 there was a research piece and a reflective piece which enhanced each other so they worked well. So my last TMA has been the worst and not how I expected to round off MAODE. Just have to hope that the ECA is a better experience.

Week 25

My focus this week has been less on course work and more on TMA 04. This was helped greatly by an elluminate session at the beginning of the week which consisted of just a few of us students. It worked really well, very relaxed and thoughts and ideas easily explored. It's nice to hear that others are thinking along the same lines or can clarify areas that are sometimes grey. I've decided that this will be the focus of my ECA.....l had already considered that for my students elluminate could provide them with a better, synchronised forum in which to support each other...almost like a chat room facility. I feel my students would use this and benefit greatly from it. I'd still consider its for tutorials especially for my students who are based in Europe and cannot attend f2f.
So I'm now looking at Kennedy (formal/ informal learning) and Thorpe (not just the tool that needs to be taken into account when researching.....need to account for environment, type of course etc)....well I think that's what they're about!! Then its on to ownership of learning....is there really such a thing....I'm not convinced. We discussed this in the elluminate session and agreed that we were all dubious at this point in time as to whether students could actually gain ownership of their learning. But now I'm rambling......

Week 24

Activity 7
Well this week didn't fair much better. Very slow start so decided to jump in and attend the Tuesday night Elluminate.....well I didn't really have much choice as I wasn't available for this mornings! We discussed Thorpe (2009) ‘It is through practices with technology, rather than the direct effect of the tools themselves, that we create learning contexts.’ exploring what it means and the implications for practitioners. There were only 3 students and the tutor but the session seemed to go pretty well though sometimes I'm not sure what the objective of the session is or what outcome if any has been achieved by the end of it.
So after bouncing to activity 7 I'm now having to work through the rest of week 24. It all seems rushed at the moment because TMA04 and the ECA are looming and I can't seem to grasp the point of the last couple of weeks in relation to the two assessments...fells like I'm meant to be swimming Olympic style but all I can muster is the doggy paddle:( Think I'm lacking the adrenaline buzz..too lethargic!!

Weeks 21/22/23

I take one week off from study in the last 2 years and its a disaster!! Took me ages to get back into the swing of studying again, not helped by having the kids at home all day. Weeks 21 and 22 were combined over a 2 week period but that was no help to me. So after reading and looking at all 3 weeks I don't feel very far forward.
Weller and Sclater don't seem to see eye to eye...its as if Weller is the son that wants all the new top of the range toys to play with and Sclater is his dad who reckons they're far to expensive and by the time Weller gets round to playing with them a whole batch of new ones will be in the shops. Also Sclater feels that some of the toys Weller wants will alienate his friends as they won't know how to play with them as they're too advanced. I agree with Sclater...not because I'm a mum but because I can see that if a Uni implements lots of new technologies then apart from the expense there is the likelihood of alienating some learners and tutors due to their lack of confidence in technologies.
Activity 1 in Week 23 required collaboration in the wiki. Problem was when I work within a wiki I need a purpose...I couldn't fathom out what we were trying to achieve. There was no chair person, no time limit, no stated outcome.
The rest of week 23 looked at metaphors......research papers discussed birdwatching and fungus what??? Still have no idea what it was all about. Tried posting to the forum but there's no one about not even the tutor.....perhaps they're all on holiday?! I know from Twitter that many couldn't fathom out Week 23 and so moved on to start on TMA 04. My concern is if they are all using preferred technologies such as Twitter or blogs to communicate by how will I find the time to track them all down and if I can't then the tutor probably can't either. Whilst ownership of learning is a great thing surely there also needs to be some facilitating of that learning? For me personally I need peers and a tutor to succeed.

Catch up time!!!!

Have just got back from a fantastic week in Spain where I will admit to doing no study at all!!! First time since September 2007. In fact I wrote a TMA on the last family holiday so I reckoned I deserved the break!

So I'm now home and there is no pool, no stunning view, no 30+C heat :-(

Instead there is Week 21/ 22 to catch up on and everyone will now have started Week 23...aaargh!! Doesn't help that the house is full of kids with no school or college to go to. However this happened last year and I coped!!

Got TMA03 back which was fine...now know where I need to focus so not too bad.

New contract

Travelled through horrendous rain to get to Gateshead and OU in the North this afternoon. Had an interview for a new course which is E100 in Early Years. My previous two courses have reached the end of the line (ah bless!) and my contract has now ceased. Lucky for me it looks like I'm getting a new contract this October for a large group or two....yeah me!!!!!!! The new course is now 4 eTMA's and an ECA with all new updated course material...very exciting!
Lesley at OU is going to send an email out to the AL's in the north to see who would be interested in some Elluminate practice sessions with me. Looking to start end of July when I get back from a much needed week long break in Spain....villa, pool, bottle of cava with a straw in it!!!!!

TMA 03

Finally decided on use of Blogs and Elluminate for the ECA. The design will be looking at how Elluminate could be used as a substitution for f2f tutorials for my European students.
Going to have to get a wriggle on with the next week of course work as I'm off to Spain for a week and want to have some quality time with the family....so no study allowed!!!!! I haven't taken a break since starting on H808 in September 2007!!
I'm enjoying twitter just for the info updates and the sites they've suggested for blogs and elluminate. Not sure I'll continue with it was I've completed the MAODE though.
Beginning to dread the end of September and ECA submission day....not because I'm unduly worried about the ECA (which of course I am!!) but because the studying will stop and then what the heck do I do with my time?!!

Twitter

Oh blimey...yet another technology to take up my time!!! Well I've tried to avoid it but as part of H800 I have to get myself an account which I have dutifully done. I've decided not to use my phone but just stick to using it on the web.
I was surprised that there were people I could follow who were linked to Elluminate, blogs, elearning etc and that some of them decided to follow me. I'm being quite picky about who I allow to follow me...had to block a couple of very dubious people already!!!! Not sure what, if any, value I'm going to get from this in the long run but for the moment its given me a couple of links to some helpful websites.
With regard TMA03/ECA I seem to have fathomed something out thanks to my tutor...designing an intro to Elluminate for European students...well something along those lines!!

TMA 03 (ECA proposal)

TMA 03 is due in next week and I need to decide on the 2 technologies to discuss. At the moment it looks like I 'll focus on Blogs and Elluminate but that could well change. I also have to come up with a designing a learning activity, or creating a specification for a course or training package, that uses this technology!!! Going to go back over E123/4 course material and see if there is a way of designing an activity that could be used in Elluminate/Blog.........

Week 19

Activity 5 cont

In reading the chapter in Activity 4, and doing the searching in Activity 5,

• what evidence have you found that mobile practices are blurring the distinction between formal and informal learning? I think the previous post demonstrates this in a small way but I think it will depend on how reliant the courses are on the mobile technology (ies) to support the learning. I'll wait until the Elluminate tutorial tomorrow and see what others in the group post about it.
• Is the ‘ownership’ of learning changing? Yes, students can access information anytime, anyplace, anywhere through mobile technologies.

Week 19

Activity 5
So this week the focus is mobile technologies. Have to say that when I first started reading into this I was dubious. I already mentioned in the last post, I don't really use any. My students are unlikely to use any either. I then found this piece which In used for the tutorial...

......In 2007, students were given T-Mobile MDA Varios for mobile learning and assessments during work placements. Tutors were able to upload assessments to the device for students to fill in while they were taking part in work placements. Each assessment could be customised to individuals, so that they were relevant to course and learning style. Using T-Mobile’s Web’n’walk service, students could also use the mobile to access learning resources from a central virtual learning repository and reflect on their work experience on a blog built into the assessment programme. Assessors used the system to log in to a secure area, connected to the university’s virtual learning environment teaching and business systems, to record and store the student’s assessment. This is possibly the next step on from using eportfolio's in NVQ assessments. In H808 I had looked at Health and Social Care students using eportfolio's as part of assessment. This still needed Internet access, not always easily available in care homes etc, as well as a lap top. Using a mobile phone would make the assessment far more accessible to students and assessors as wella as examining boards.
Success will depend upon mobile phones fitting the purpose, care being taken not to overwhelm students/tutors and meeting the needs of the student. Awareness of the devices limitations is desirable. Students need to know how to use the mobile and access the support on offer.....can’t be assumed. However as more students are likely to own a mobile over any other technology they are likely to have more awareness of how to use it. Many schools and Colleges/Uni’s already use SMS (short message service) for sending information e.g. exam results to students.
Armatas, Holt and Rice (ascilite 2005)
Williams (2007) http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2192952/apls-mobile-learning

I can see now how mobile phone alerts to my students would be really beneficial. OU could send them to let students know TMA hand in dates, tutorial reminders etc. The majority of my students have mobile phones so would probably welcome these alerts.
I discussed this in a recent Elluminate session with my tutor and one other student attending. This session worked well for me....probably due to the small number of people which made it more relaxed. Tried to paste the above info on mobile technologies to the white board but it was having none of it. Obviously I was doing something wrong but there was no time to fathom it out....still have no idea how to paste to the damn board lol!! Any way I managed to paste the URL into Chat so everyone was able to access the site. The sound had problems this time too....feedback if more than one microphone on at a time and I pretty sure when the others were speaking their voices got higher almost like they were inhaling helium!!

Weeks 17 to 18

Blimey I am sooo far behind and we're now starting week 19!!!
Have just spent the last couple of weeks marking and verifying over 100 ECA's...first time marking so took a while to get into the swing.
Had a quick look through week 18...definitely need to go back and do some reading. But I have looked at Google Reader......hmm......may use it may not.....not sure yet.
There are not enough minutes left in my day to start using Twitter.....its a bit frustrating that you just get a snippet...don't think this ones for me at all. Mind you I do say this about most technologies and then I seem to love them lol!!
In terms of social networking I've used social networking via the University of Manitoba which has worked well but I have to admit that I still tend to visit the blogs and websites and not rely on RSS feeds/Google Reader or Twitter.
In terms of personal use as I'm moving to Ontario I've used two social networking sites for research
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=33 and
http://www.mymuchmor.com/home.php .....I'm 'Northernlass1'on both.

Have had a look at TMA 03 and the ECA....have a few ideas which are waiting to be ok'd by my tutor.
Off to check through the course work and make sure I can catch up this week.

Week 16

After the busiest week I managed to submit TMA 02 early, changing one of the activities at the last minute which is pretty normal for me!! Then it was off to Milton Keynes for an ECA markers meeting. Spent the lovely sunny weekend in the car on the M1 and then in the OU building...but the food was good. Also the overnight stay at the Hilton was clean, no kids, tv to myself, peace and quiet...bliss!!
I've had a look at week 16 activities/quiz. As far as changes to TMA 02 are concerned I would have suggested doing part 1 as a collaborative activity within small groups. I'm now looking at TMA03 and the ECA. Have an idea about what I'd like to do but need to run it by my tutor. About to start some work on Elluminate for OU in the North with a view to exploring its uses for tutors who have European learners so may use this.
Have just received 104 ECA's to mark over the next 2 weeks so it will be busy but at least there's no big TMA to write for H800. Have also been asked to do some work for an Early Years project but will have to turn it down as I've too much on.
I've added a new gadget...a countdown to ECA submission. As this is my final course on the MAODE its great to see that I'm really near completion. However I have no idea how I'll cope without anything to study as its been my life for the last 2 years!!!!

Week 15 TMA 02

After chopping and changing my mind I think I've finally settled on my 4 activites for the TMA:

• Week 10a Activity 5 Blogs
• Week 11 Activity 1f Debate
• Week 12 Activity 5 Elluminate
• Week 13/14 Activity 3b Wiki's

Also wanted to use Week 4 Activity 12 Richardson (online vs f2f) and may still exchange it for the Debate but at the moment thinking of using Richardson for Part 2 of the TMA as well as LEX (JISC) etc. Blogs/wiki's and now Elluminate are the tools I definitely use as a student but also would like to use as a tutor in the future. I also liked the idea of using an online debate with students. In the past with FE students I have got them to debate smacking. As early years workers its illegal for them to smack in the UK so it's important they understand the consequences of smacking for both themselves and the children in their care. Its easy in a traditional classroom setting but online would be more tricky. Hopefully the online debate could meet that need. It opens he doors for many debates in Early Years.
Trying to complete the TMA by the end of this week (no chance!!) as it's half term next week and family are staying, then I'm at OU in Milton Keynes for an ECA marking. Have just finished 4 weeks of marking and now its that student panic time when they have to sbmit their ECA next week.....my email box is on the verge of collapse and my telephone has resorted to cowering in the corner afraid of its own ring!!

Weeks 13 and 14

Activity 3b

Read Minocha and Thomas (2007) ‘Collaborative learning in a wiki environment: experiences from a software engineering course’.
Reading through the article should take you about an hour and a half. It provides a very good example of planned and systematic course evaluation, where the focus is on the intentions behind the design of a course using a wiki as a key tool, and on the evaluation of the evidence about the students’ response. As you read the article make notes in answer to each of these questions:

• What was the rationale for the use of a wiki, in terms of real world practice and in terms of the learning outcomes for the course? The wiki allowed collaberation by different students in different geographical locations, different time zones and between different prganisations. It also allowed for ideas and opinions to be expressed. The wiki could also be edited at any time by any one of the stduents involved.
  'The wiki activities involve a group of students contributing requirements to the groupwiki, discussing the requirements, identifying conflicts and ambiguities within the requirements, and resolving the conflicts through discussions from the perspectives of different stakeholders, to produce an unambiguous requirements specification'. (Minocha and Thomas, 2007)
• Which areas of learning theory do the authors draw upon specifically? Salmon (2002) 5 stage model, Keirnon et al (2003) role of e-moderators and Tuckman and Jenson (1977) model of team working
• In what ways did the course designers seek to persuade students to view the wiki positively? Introductory paper on wiki's to read and analyse, provided with guidelines on hoe to use the wiki, ice breaker session to use the wiki and to get to know each other as a group.
• How effectively did the wiki function in relation to key features of the learning requirements; e.g. the need to track individual contributions, to publish written contributions, to edit a single, collaborative text and to discuss and collaborate? On the whole it was effective but there was a pressure on time when decisions needed to be made so the group could move on or when discussions need to take place. Some students also negatively criticsed others contributions
• What role did the assignments play in shaping the students’ use of the wiki? The wiki was integrated into the TMA's.
  'The wiki activities involve collaborative development of the requirements specification for the case study in the TMAs'. (Minocha and Thomas, 2007)
• What conclusions do the authors come to in relation to:
  a. the ways in which the wiki worked well? Enabled collaberation, develped communication skils and team work
  b. the main disadvantages of the wiki?There needed to be additional discussion fromats available eg forums, telephone tutorials etc
  c. the software changes that would improve the wiki for this purpose? The window was too small, there was poor navigation, alerts needed for when someone has contributed, absence of a locking mechansim
  

I'm an Elluminate convert!!!

Well it had to happen eventually I guess!!
I attended a staff development day at OU in the North yesterday. The session was mainly on Elluminate. I actually took part in the demonstration... I don't think I disgraced myself too much!! I was the student in the same room as other AL's. I used the microphone but the audio was put through to the rooms speakers so everyone could hear. A roving AL In Holland joined in the session though her microphone didn't work. Graham, the Elluminate Champion, took the role of moderator and he was in a separate room.
The session definitely gave me more confidence in using the tool. Graham also gave us moderator privileges so it was nice to see what was available from a tutor point of view. I really liked the tool for students to be able to select multiple choice answers. The tutor can also switch off a microphone should a learner be hogging the discussion too much.
I hadn't realised that I could text a message to just the moderator if I wanted to, preventing the other participants from seeing.
Also discussed was Elluminate Plan...where resources and tutorials could be planned in advance to use in a later Elluminate session. Also Elluminate Publish where recordings can be saved but unlike now they can be looked at and if good enough could be shared for others to use in their sessions.
Everyone was impressed by Elluminate but agreed that it wouldn't work for all levels of learners or for all courses. We did feel it would be useful for tutors to use to share ideas etc or for learners to use for study groups. In fact the follow up to this development day will now be held using Elluminate.

Weeks 13 and 14

Activity 1 YouTube.
As you watch the video consider and make notes on how it relates to the more general findings from the broader research literature discussed earlier.
Also consider the following questions:
Is the message being presented in this visual way any different from the primarily text-based presentation of findings used so far this week? This was a really good interactive way to get info across to other learners. It's also likely to have given learners ownership. However for me it was a disaster. The camera wobbled so much I felt sick. By the time the words came in to focus I either didn't have time to read them or couldn't read the handwriting. It was too distracting to focus on the topic at times...great for some learners but for those with a disabiltiy it could be a disaster. Anyway I've taken so long to do this activity I've forgotten what the earlier research is!!
How important is the medium and the technologies themselves in terms of conveying messages about this research area?
What are the implications for your own practice?

Elluminate

Last Saturday was an Elluminate tutorial. It was very good but still took a while for everyone to feel confident to participate....not sure if this was still due to people being unsure if they should speak in case someone else also did. Would I use Elluminate as a tutor? I ask this as I'm attending a CPD day at OU this week on Elluminate. I think as the time is restricted...1 may be 2 hours....the tutor has to ensure that the subject for discussion is well prepared using questions or activities. In f2f tutorials I feel more can be covered in the 2 hours...this may be because students have awareness of how the tutorial is structured. I wonder if Elluminate could be used as an enhancement to the f2f tutorial. It could also be a tool to use for those students who are unable to attend f2f. For my students in particular they could use it almost as a chat room to give each other support, share ideas etc. Some tutors use Facebook but Elluminate would incorporate students being able to hear each other......I'm warming to it lol!!

Week 12

Activity 5

Identify a form of technology used in an educational context.
I'm choosing Elluminate
Then make notes in your blog about the following issues:

• What do you think is the likely impact of this technology on the students’ perceptions of the quality of their courses, their approaches to studying and their academic performance? I feel now that Elluminate can enhance the learning experience, the quality of their course and that this could have a positive effect on their academic performance. However having said that Elluminate won't suit all level of students, all tutors and all courses. It is just a tool of choice
• What do you think is the likely impact of this technology on the teachers’ perceptions of their teaching context and their approaches to teaching? Could well scare the life out of many teacher's and make them defensive. Others may embrace Elluminate and incorporate it into their teaching
• Do you think this technology embodies particular assumptions about the nature of teaching and learning in higher education? It doesn't to me but may do to others. I suppose it could be assumed that HE is advancing due to the use of technologies, enabling enabling more diversity but think I may be waffling here for the sake of answering the question!
• Are these assumptions likely to promote more positive perceptions, more desirable approaches to studying and better performance on the part of the students? It may to some students but not to all

Activity 4
As an example of a study that found few differences between students’ experiences of face-to-face and online tuition, read the article by Richardson (2009), ‘Face-to-face versus online tutoring support in humanities courses in distance education’. It is concerned with the use of online tuition in distance-learning courses in the arts and humanities.

Bearing in mind what I said earlier about the role of rhetoric in reports of educational research, do you find my conclusion – that institutions can feel confident about exploring the use of online forms of tutorial support – a convincing one? Yes, provided there is appropriate guidance and training available.
How do the accounts given in these two papers fit with your own experience of online tutorial support in H800? Mine has been trial and error. As a student starting the MAODE I had never really participated in online forums or emailed a tutor for help. I have done a BSc with OU but I had f2f tutorials and telephoned a tutor when stuck. However the nature of the courses (MAODE) meant that I was aware from the start that I would have to participate online and that I would be tutored online. I started tentatively, mainly lurking online and then posting messages. I now send queries out to the group and not just my tutor as they often give great advice and there's nearly always a student online whereas the tutors time can be limited. Tips/advice/guidance on online tutorials would, in hindsight, have been beneficial from the start.
I see new students to this course (H800) often unsure about participating. I'm not 100% sure making participation carry 10% of the TMA marks is really necessary either.

Week 12

Activity 3
Read the article by Price et al. (2007), ‘Face-to-face versus online tutoring support in distance education’.
Make some notes in your blog on whether the evidence regarding online tuition in Price et al.’s paper fits your own experience of online communication in general and your own experience of online tuition on H800. With my own students I provide both telephone, email, conferencing and f2f tutorials. There is low participation in all of these but I would imagine if they had taken part in this study their responses would be the same. I think it may come down to personal expectations that students have about their tutor and how they feel tutorials should be carried out. For many their only experience is of years of traditional classroom learning whilst at school.
As a online student myself I prefer online tutoring to f2f and the discussion forums are a connection to my fellow students which is important for me.

Then check what other students in your tutor group have written.
Do you agree with Price et al. that online tuition is a pastoral activity and not a purely academic activity? I think it is both. Tutors facilitate the learning online by also supporting the student...they go hand in hand.
Do you agree that the absence of what the authors call ‘paralinguistic cues’ in an online environment can limit the effectiveness of online tuition? It can....I wonder what, if any, difference it would have made to the study if the online students were given a photo of their tutor at the start of the course? Perhaps they need to feel a visual connection to that tutor. My students will often say that its nice to put a face to the person on the end of the email or the telephone.

Week 12

Activity 2
Read the article by Richardson (2005), ‘Students’ approaches to learning and teachers’ approaches to teaching in higher education’.
I didn't find anything new in this paper. I did however have problems with the terminology...what is it about people insisting papers are written in academic language that alienates half the readers....so unnecessary. What the heck does...'effects of contextual factors'.... actually mean?
As for using questionnaires there is no mention of how many actually filled them in comparison to the number of participants in the study. As an AL my students are asked to fill in a questionnaire towards the end of each course regarding their learning experience. Out of approx 20 students 5 usually oblige!!
Who were the students taking part in the research.....gender, age, demographics, reasons for studying, new learners etc???
Who were the tutors taking part....gender, age, new to teaching, first time teaching the course etc???
I would agree that the 3 predominant approaches used by a student are likely to vary during the course depending on the course demands.

Week 11

Activity 3b
Almost all of the studies cited in the previous section measured impact, or the lack of it, according to marks obtained on standardised tests. Daniel’s criticism is also based on such findings. However, advocates of elearning would probably say that it conveys many other learning advantages, especially in the field of open and distance learning, which should also be taken into consideration.
These advantages could be grouped under the following headings:

• Access to more/better sources of information
• Greater flexibility in how/where/when one learns
• More collaborative learning
• New/better ways of learning using Web 2.0 tools
• Better/more tutoring
• Better assessment methods

Spend a few minutes considering your own professional situation.
Are these possibilities mentioned above being realised? I think most of these possibilities are in the process of being realised. Not sure you could claim that they are already being realised as all of these advantages are constantly changing and evolving.I
Do you think that open and distance learning is the main beneficiary? I'm a bit confused as to what this question is actually asking. If its that open and distance learning is the main beneficiary of these advantages then no. I've worked in FE using traditional f2f tutoring/facilitating and these advantages were in the process of being realised there. But maybe I've misunderstood the question.

Week 11

Activity 1a and 1b
Quite often in these types of debate a vote is taken before the discussion. This did not happen here but I would like you to:
1. spend about ten minutes considering the proposition, given your current knowledge and beliefs
2. take notes on how you would vote and why.
I can actually see both sides of the arguement and feel they are both valid. My feeling has always been technology cannot increase the quality of education alone but that some technologies do work wonders. I think boh speakers did actually agree on this.
However reading the propostions Daniels was written well and I could relate to it. Kozma's was written in 'computer' language...what the heck was he on about.....he lost me in a sea of studies!! Therefore because of this I may be swayed to vote for Daniel......new technologies add little quality to education..however I believe that the right technologies used in the right way at the right time can add quality and so will vote for Kozma!!!

Hectic few days!

I'm now marking E123's TMA 03 and next week E124's is due in so that's 4 weeks of marking....yippee! Had ECA tutorials at Northumbria Uni all day yesterday for both groups....it was the last one for all of them as they will be completing end of May so won't see any of them again....aah! Just have the last tutorial to do on Wednesday night at the Jewish nursery.
Told my boss on Friday that I couldn't apply for the new E100 course as I probably wouldn't be able to see it through due to moving to Ontario. She was really nice and there's a possibility of picking up a contract this October for those students who may still need to finish E123/E124....so all good!!
Have to go to Milton Keynes at the end of May for an ECA marking day....thought I'd apply to mark this year and got the E124 marking!

Week 10b

Activity 6
The ‘OER Roadmap’ publication (Geser, 2007) is an essential information guide about OERs for individuals and institutions interested in providing or using open content. You might just want to take notes for yourself at this point.

Read the introduction to the OLCOS report on pages 12 and 13.

Read sections 3.0–3.2 (pages 20–24) and think of the ways in which OERs could be useful for different types of users.

Read the section ‘Creative Commons licensing is firmly established and increasingly used’ on pages 58 and 59 and reflect upon the advantages of using an open licence to provide and share content.
Ok not really sure why I put this in here as I'm not going to add anything to it at the moment...won't delete it as I may come back later!

Loving Week 10!!

After what I would say has been a bit off a rocky start to Block 2 (Block 1 wasn't exactly a bed of roses either!) I am loving Week 10. This is probably due to less activities so there's more time to concentrate and work on them. Also I've discoverd Delicious...how sad am I that I've been studying MAODE since Sept 2007 and only just fathomed out its use!!! Really like OpenLearn http://www.open.ac.uk/openlearn/home.php ...as an AL I'm sure the OU will have directed me to this but I either didn't have time to look or didn't understand its use. There are actually resources for the courses that I teach....as far as I'm aware they've never been recommended in the AL discussion forums. Not much use now as the courses are ending this July and amalgamating into one starting this October.
Anyway I've atually jumped forward in the activities so I need to go back to Week 10b Activity 6 and read through the OER Roadmap. I'm aware that my time will be limited over the next few weeks as I have TMA's to mark for two courses, tutorials, CPD day (on Elluminate!!!) and ECA markers day at Milton Keynes!

Week 10a

Activity 5

Read the paper from which the quote above was taken. It is ‘Characterising the different blogging behaviours of students on an online distance learning course’. Allow up to an hour to study it and to make notes in response to the following questions, before moving on to the second part of the activity.
1. What if anything surprises you about the findings from Kerawalla and her colleagues? Have to say that there were no real surprises as I have studied on the course in question and feel that the findings were as expected. I found the OU blog difficult to use and personalise. I now use Blogger as I can make it more personal in the same way a diary would be. I also have ownership of my blog! Half the fun of blogging has been creating and enhancing the blog!

2. Of the purposes for blogging identified in the paper, which purpose is most likely to encourage you to blog if you don’t already?
And, if you already blog, which of those purposes is most important to you? Or do you do it for some other reason? I mainly fit into the category of 'self sufficient' blogger. I do follow other bloggers though not many. I use the blog to carry out activities as this was compulsory on course H810 and still suits me. I'm not necessarily looking for comments nor do I really need an audience. I also use the blog to help with reflection.

3. If you work with learners who blog, how do their motivations compare (as far as you can tell) with those of the students in this paper? None of my students blog. It has been considered but where would I find the time to check 40+ blogs!

4. Based on the recommendations in the paper, or your own experience of blogging, how would you design activities to encourage learners to blog and to read and comment on each other’s blogs? As the paper stated students have different reasons for blogging...they can't be made to blog successfully, for some blogging is a very personal experience, you can't make students share either. I'll need to think some more on this question.

When you’re considering this, you may like to think back to the papers from Kennedy et al. that you read – one in Week 1, and one in Weeks 13–14. You may recall that in their research of first-year students at three Australian universities, the authors found that relatively few kept a blog, even though there are claims that this generation has an appetite for blogging. The authors argue that:
there is a real danger that such commentary will create a vague but pervasive feeling among tertiary educators that every student who enters the higher education system is a blogger.
(Kennedy et al., 2007, p.522)

Week 10a

Activity 2
This activity asks you to find out the following by doing some online searching via Google, GoogleScholar, Wikipedia, Citizendium or other tools:

• What do their different editorial policies imply about differing approaches to authority and to the role of the ‘expert’? Comparing Wikipedia with Citizendium.....Wikipedia is open to anyone to post and they do this anonymously. There is vanadlism and a trend that posters post for their own personal gain. Moderators are not always experts. Citizendium uses posters (authors) actual names and has actual experts who moderate. It appears to be an enhancement of Wikipedia, it has built upon the idea of Wikipedia but does not claim to be better then it.
• What are the most important differences between Citizendium and Wikipedia in terms of their editorial policies? As stated earlier......unlike Wikipedia Citizendium uses actual names of people posting, they must agree to a set of terms, there is policing of bad behaviour and it encourages respectability.
• How far is Citizendium meeting its goals, as far as you can tell from recent reports?
  These reports may come from Citizendium (what it says about itself) and from commentators.

Week 10a

Activity 1
Please read Baker’s How I fell in love with Wikipedia. As you do so, consider the following:

• Is there anything new for you in the article? There was nothinbg that I didn't already know but I liked the way the article shared thew experiences of using Wikipedia how obsessive a person can become when contibuting to it.
• Does it make you more or less likely to consult Wikipedia, or does it make no difference? I'll continue as I did before. I've always taken what is in the Wikipedia as being an 'open to discussion' forum, even being based on hearsay so I don't rely heavily on it even though I know its moderated. I don't usually reference from the Wikipedia.
• If you have used Wikipedia in the past few weeks – whether for H800 or for other reasons – review your use of it. Its given interesting info which I take with a pinch of salt!
• Where have you found it most and least valuable? I've found it more valuable when searching for general info that would be found in the public domain as its quick and concise and can lead me to more detailed info. I find it least valuable as a reliable tool for academic research.
• Are there certain types of topic that you feel happy looking up in Wikipedia? For example, do you consult it for factual information such as names and dates, and/or explanations of technologies, and/or insights into broad topics such as ‘learning’? Tend to use it for personal use rather than for work or study.
• Why is a Wikipedia entry not generally regarded as acceptable as a reference in an academic journal? For one view on this, you could search on ‘citing Wikipedia’ within Wikipedia itself! Although moderated it unlikely the moderator is an expert in that field.
• And if you are involved in supporting learners in some capacity – interpreting ‘support’ very broadly to include professional and personal contexts – what advice would you give them about how they could use Wikipedia? It gives a good overview but it may be based on hearsay or personal opinion rather than on fact or research. No harm in using it but keep an open mind.
• How does your use of Wikipedia compare with, say, your use of Google or GoogleScholar? You may like to think back to your tutor group discussion of the graph in Week 1a Activity 4.
  And if you haven’t used Wikipedia recently, think about why that is. Are you using other online sources, or books, or…? I use it far less than google or books etc. This may just be because of habit or I'm more comfortable in the way I research at the minute.

Weeks 8-9

Well the first TMA is done and dusted and has passed...phew! Knowing that this is the last course seems to be knocking my confidence a bit...bizarre! Not that I ever been overly confident...I remember talking to another AL a while back and we both felt that someone would rumble us at some point and reveal us as to be unworthy of the title...well I'm feeling a bit like that at the moment.
As I was behind I decided to work through the activities but just couldn't grasp what the aim was. I couldn't get past the fact that to me this was simply about creating lesson plans. Decided to post to the tutor site for help and a fellow student came to my rescue.... you're a star Philip!!. He gave me a great paper by Conol to read that managed to cover just about all the activities but most importantly i understood it!!!
I now get the different purposes for social networks......You tube=sharing videos, Facebook=finding similarities in profiles, Cloudworks and Phoebe= sharing educational design. It's way more than just creating lesson plans and sharing them. The sites can become a repository for those in education to share or to find ideas/plans/designs/tools/resources that do not necessarily have to be confined to a particular institution but could be shared globally.

Week 6

The last week or two has been hell...gastric flu then laryngitis...I never get ill but this floored me. My boss was great and gave me an extension on my marking...even offered to send it out to another marker but that didn't seem fair on my students plus I like to follow their journey through the course. So today is the first time I've had a chance to see where I am with H800....way behind by the looks of things!!!!!
Now up to week 6 and that means TMA 01. So need to sort out my plan....luckily I'd looked at the TMA a while back and has decided on which activities to focus on. Still have to go through forum discussions...it's although a lengthy TMA.
One good thing this week....I passed H810!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was convinced the ECA would need resubmitting after the hand in drama but it passed with a fairly respectable mark! I now have a Post Grad Diploma so feel pretty smug!

Week 4

Activity 1
Write out your own definition of ‘learning’.
This should be your first thoughts; i.e. how you might respond without any research if asked: ‘What is learning?’ Take some time doing this and consider what wider implications your definition might have.
Gaining knowledge and understanding.
Being able to put that knowledge and understanding into practice.
Acquiring new skills.
Developing as a person.
Sharing opinions and ideas with others.
It's an ongoing process, it's lifelong.
Post your definition (no more than a single paragraph) to your tutor group forum. Allow about half an hour to write your definition and post it to the forum.
Now search for ‘definitions of learning’.
We suggest you use the Web initially and we would like you to record your impressions of the definitions you find. Begin with the definitions you find from simple searches and progress to making more systematic searches of the Web for sources you consider to be of a higher quality. For example, search using the OU library online.
Once you have done this, make use of any definitions you have to hand in books, journals or in other non-Web accessible sources.
Here are some questions that might help you frame your review of available definitions:
Are the definitions similar to your own? Yes. Although many include cognition and experience.
Do they carry any particular implications for what is thought of as learning?
Are the references you find on the Web skewed to any particular kind of definition? If so, how would you describe this bias? It appears they see learning in an educational context.
Write a short report (500 words maximum) of your search. Comment on:
The kinds of definition you find in the different sources. Are there variations according to where the definition was found?
The variations in the definitions and their similarity to or difference from your own.
Post your report to the tutor group forum and read the first definitions posted by other students in your tutor group and the reports they have posted. Allow about two hours to write your report and read other contributions.
Finally, we would like you to go back to your initial definition and to either revise it in the light of what you have read or to provide a brief account of why your definition stands up and is preferable to the found definitions.
Post your final definition to the tutor group forum and read the definitions posted by the other students in your tutor group.
Allow about an hour to revise your definition, post it to the forum and read other contributions

Week 3

I'm well behind on keeping this blog updated...ahven't put my answers in to half the posts so will probably do it retrospectively when doing the TMA as usual!!
Elluminate discussion

As soon as possible after the session with your tutorial group has finished, reflect on and make notes about each of the issues outlined below:

• What were your experiences and feelings during the session? If you have impaired vision or hearing, how did this affect your participation? Hearing and vision fine. I'm not really sure if I like Elluminate. I haven't needed to use it up till now and have done just fine on all the other courses. I think its a tool that will suit some learners but not all. For me I found it a bit laborious and frustrating. There's a lot to keep an eye on...chat, whiteboard etc. At times I did find myself staring out the window. I'm also not given the same time as a forum discussion to sort out my replies and that makes me feel a bit vulnerable. I'm also concious of being 'made' to work with people at a level that perhaps I'm also not comfortable with....can't hide behind my written words so perhaps it hits my confidence.
• What did you learn about the Bayne chapter itself? Were some parts of the session more useful than others in this respect? Didn't really come away with anyhting other than we were just about all in agreement with each other. Not sure I needed the session as not much was gained. Also feel a bit miffed that I spent 2 hours on the session without gaining a great deal!
• Can you come to any (perhaps tentative) views about the pros and cons of Elluminate for the task you were set, in the context of a Masters course of this kind? Nothing more than I already have. At this point in time I feel pretty negative about it...maybe just tired. Perhaps later in the course I may feel more positive. Felt like this about the eportfolio and a year later I still feel the same!! Do you feel, for example, that this synchronous event carries more status when compared with online forums? (You’ll remember from

Week 3a that Goodyear (2006) argues that this is the case.) Right now absolutely not!

How far, if at all, would Elluminate or a similar tool be useful in your own context? not useful at all. Most of my students don't log in, have are offline and those who are online cannot find an hour free to commit to this type of session as they work full time, study and have families.

How would you design the activities? N/A

If you are already using a tool of this kind, how do the activities you run compare with the session you have just completed? N/A

Week 2c

Activity 8a
Make some notes about the two audio case studies, focusing on these questions:

• What was the rationale for using audio in each of the case studies?
• What educational purpose(s) was audio intended to serve? Did these change over time?
• What audiences were served by projects?
• Was the experience for learners synchronous or asynchronous? And was it individual or group-based?
• How would you characterise the roles of teachers and learners in the programmes described?
• What model(s) of learning was/were primarily involved?
• How active or passive were learners expected to be?
• How was the use of audio ‘interactive’? Did this change over time?
• What educational limitations of audio were identified?
• How did the projects described in the case studies relate to formal education provision within their respective countries?

Finally, summarise what you think were:

• the main advantages or benefits that audio offered for education in each of the case studies
• the main disadvantages or limitations (for learners and teachers) of using audio for education in each of the cases.

Activity 8b
1. Now that you have had the opportunity to consider the two case studies, what have you learned about why and how audio has been used for educational purposes?
2. Do you think that it is possible to generalise your findings to other educational developments or innovations involving the use of technologies?
3. To what extent were there similarities between the advantages or benefits that you noted for each case study?
4. To what extent were there similarities between the disadvantages or limitations that you noted for each case study?
5. What do you think were the primary reasons for using audio in the two cases?
6. What assumptions about (or models of) teaching and learning underpinned each of the cases?

• Note any implications for you as a teacher or as somebody who uses technologies to support learning (e.g. does it make you think differently about what you do?).
• Post your notes to your tutorial group forum and read the contributions of other students (this will spread over a few days). What can you learn from their experiences?
  

Week 2

Blimey its been chaotic this week. There are so many flippin activities....are they sure they've got the study time right??!! This is the 4th MAODE course I've done but I keep running out of time. As usual OU has totally ignored half term....three kids plus a hubby at home does not equal good study time. Had to go to London for a couple of days then came back to chair activity two....forgot about the ton of marking winging it's way to me...oh well!!! Also seems every student of mine plus other tutors' students have decided to ask for additional support this week too and I had face to face tutorials Wed night which were a tad chaotic when the babysitter didn't show for 13 children belonging to 2 students! For the first time I've had to chase up students for TMA's and this has resulted in referring a number to learning support.
OK end of my whinge...feel better all ready!!!

Week 1b

Activity 10
First, post your reflections and responses to those three key questions to your tutor group forum so that you can share them with other members of your tutorial group.
As you read other postings think of your responses to the following questions:

• How do your experiences and any outcomes from your reflection compare with those of other members of your group?
• How might you account for any important variations you identify within your group? To what extent might these arise from factors such as:
  – variations between subjects/disciplines or sectors within education and training
  – curriculum design and accreditation procedures (at local, regional or national level)
  – different levels of resource availability, support and infrastructure
  – differences in cultural practices and norms?

You should discuss in your tutorial group what your experiences as learners and as supporters of learning suggest about the changes associated with technologies over your lifetimes and in different contexts
Activity 9

1. To what extent have the teaching practices you encountered and your own ways of behaving as a learner influenced the ways in which you now support the learning of others?
I'm more aware of individual learning differences.

2. How have your practices (as a learner and/or as a supporter of learning) changed over time, particularly in terms of your use of various digital technologies and resources?
I'm more confident in using technologies but only those relevant....I don't use technologies/resources just for the sake of them

3. Can you derive any useful lessons from your personal experiences about the impact of technologies upon teaching and learning practices?
Technologies don't always make the learning experience better, there are so many now but they need to be relevant to the learning. Don't assume that all students/tutors know how to use technologies.

Week 1a

Activity 5

Listen to the 23-minute interview with Gregor Kennedy, the project leader, noting down key points for your own context.
I agree with Kennedy that it cannot be assumed that students know how to use technologies and that it is more important to know your students. I have students from different cultural and language backgrounds which may affect which technologies are used. I also wonder if disability was accounted for and how within this research.

Clearly we cannot assume that being a member of the ‘Net Generation’ is synonymous with knowing how to employ technology-based tools strategically to optimise learning experiences in university settings.
(Kennedy et al., 2008, pp.117–18)
1. What are the authors’ reasons for saying this?
Students are likely to use one or two of the same technologies but not all of them
These skills may be basic and unsophisticated so do not lend themselves to other technologies so easily
All students are different
Need to know your students...do not assume what they are capable of.
2. How strong do you consider their evidence to be?
Fairly strong

Activity 6

Answer the following questions:
1. Which part(s) of the argument are most relevant to you as a reader and a student?
2. Which part(s) of the argument are most relevant to you as a teacher, trainer or other practitioner or potential practitioner?
3. What for you are the strengths and weaknesses of each form of presentation – reading from the report in Activity 4, and listening to a webcast lecture now? We will return to this issue in Week 5.

Week 1a

Activity 4
What follows is a quick exercise to focus your thinking about the Google Generation.
Below are four statements about that generation. Two statements have been described as myths by the authors of the study from which the graph is taken: please try to identify those two statements. And, in your view, how accurate are each of the other statements?

• ‘They [the Google Generation] need to feel constantly connected to the web’
• ‘They are the “cut-and-paste” generation’
• ‘They pick up computer skills by trial and error’
• ‘They are expert searchers’

These pages discuss/assess each of these statements and several others. Notice the star ratings the authors use to show their level of confidence in their assessments.
Which of Statements 1–4 above, if any, apply to you? The first 3.....not the last one!
Which method in the graph above do you depend on most? Searching GoogleScholar
Post a message in the Activity 4 forum, and compare your position with the positions of others in your group. Aim in your group to decide the following:
How does your group compare with the data in the graph?
How does your group compare with the statements on pages 18–20?
You are very welcome to read the messages in the other tutorial forums, for this or any other activity. But, by convention, students don’t actually send messages to the forums of other groups.
Now read pages 12–24, which make up the complete section about the Google Generation. What are the implications for your own work with learners? There wasn't really any surprises here. My learners are paper based and don't really need to do internet searching other than for curriculum guidance and this is provided for them. My kids do struggle with the wording in their searches...like the article stated they seem to assume the search engine knows what they're after. Not sure why they haven't been taught how to use a search engine correctly....perhaps they have but have forgotten!!
Interpret ‘learners’ as broadly as you like to make it relevant to your professional or personal context, including friends or members of your family if applicable.

Week 1a

Activity 3
This is just where I'll put notes on the activity but will also post to the tutor discussion forum....

Please read Naughton’s Thanks, Gutenberg – but we’re too pressed for time to read . As you read, think about the following questions so that you can share your ideas in the forum:

• What strikes you as interesting? that there is actually a recognised term 'horizontal information seeking' for what I though only I did....I skim the web pages as I would do a book but I also have numerous tabs open and skim many one after another. The size of the web compared to the length of its life so far (17 years)
• How clear do you find the argument about the First Law of Technology – for example, the point about overestimating? I think this is fairly clear....we have no idea really what the long term impacts of technology may be in particular the www. We appear to want to create as many technologies as possible in order to meet needs but are they accessible to all, are they really necessary, are they cost effective in the long run, who are they benefitting? So we may have overestimated.

The opening reference to the First Law of Technology certainly grabs the reader’s attention. Apart from printing, are there other examples – not mentioned in the article – that support this ‘law’, and others that contradict it? This may feel quite a tough question: pooling your ideas should be very useful.
Try to agree on the following in your group forum:

• of the examples you have suggested in your group, which is the single most significant supporting example apart from printing?
• which is the most significant counter example?
• Then, according to how much time you have, find out about ‘The Second Law of Technology’. Google or

Wikipedia may be helpful here.

Naughton refers to the ‘invention of printing in the 15th century’. Wasn’t it invented earlier? Again Google or Wikipedia may be helpful if you’re not sure. In your opinion, is the phrase too Eurocentric, or is it fair enough in such a short piece of writing?

Browse John Naughton’s online diary. You may want to set yourself a time limit! You could also bookmark it for future use: in Internet Explorer 7, for example, right click on the page and then select ‘Add to Favourites…’

H800 Week 1a

Activities 1 and 2
Well the course doesn't officially start until this Saturday but it's actually open now. So far its been a bit like a social gathering meeting up with everyone from past courses...students and tutors alike!! I've tried not to do much reading yet as I want to enjoy the 2 weeks off catching up on housework, reading trash and reminding the kids who I am!!
I have however already done the first 2 activities....

• introducing myself
• saying something unusual about myself...almost drew a blank there!
• what technologies I use in work/out of work....blogging (for the MA it helps me to reflect, organise what I've studied and documents the journey)
• what I want to get out of H800.....for this one I prefer to wait and see what unfolds!

I wish I'd started this blog at the start of the MAODE as its become a bit of a security blanket or may be its just a habit but even though H800 doesn't require a blog I'll continue to maintain this one.
For anyone on H800 reading my blog for the first time...yes I love Canada..how did you guess? We visit there about once a year and have family and friends in and around Ontario. The photo of the road in the autumn was used because I started the MAODE in September as the trees were about to change colour. It reminds me that I've travelled quite a long way already towards gaining the MA!!

Goodbye H810...Hello H800!

It's been a roller coaster day. The Internet connection has been sporadic all week. I've really struggled to complete this ECA....complete writer's block! This morning with a deadline of 12 midday the connection crashed again at 11.30am. I know I should have submitted before then but I just couldn't. Drove to McDonald's but couldn't connect to their wifi. Drove to the hotel nearby and ran in with my USB and begged the lady to let me use a computer....she said no as they were all in use! Finally found a hot-spot in a nearby car park. I submitted the ECA at 11.51am and the connection crashed at 11.53am....talk about a window of opportunity!!!! Arrived home to find the Internet up and running.....I swear it does this to me on purpose...it's watching me!! Also was awarded the Post Grad Certificate in Online and Distance Education which helped ease the stress of the day!! I know H810's ECA will need resubmitting but I'm now ok with that...as OU say it's better to submit 'something than nothing at all' and bless it but you could only really describe my ECA as 'something'!!!

I'm now knackered...I've been studying on MAODE since September 2007 without a break. So I'm pleased to say I have 2 weeks off before the next and final course starts. Its H800 and Rick is also studying on it which is good to know! Also going to use the next 2 weeks to change the darn Internet provider.....bye bye Orange you won't be missed!!

H810 to H800

Still writing the ECA...finding that the three issues are overlapping but half expected that. They also seem to flow from one to the other which I'd hoped they would as this should enable accessibility being developed more sucessfully.

Have changed the title of this blog as I'm starting my final MAODE course...H800... in a couple of weeks time.

Back to finishing the ECA...

Changed again!

I've changed my issues slightly whilst writing the ECA!! Now focussing on

• Division of labour
• Opportunities and incentives
• Constellations of practice...communities

In my context these are the most likely accessibility issues that will need to be addressed as the course becomes more online.

Further thoughts on ECA

Using the 6 issues I identified in the previous post the ECA requires that I select 3 that are relevant to my context. So as my courses are heading towards becoming online and there are few disabled learners I've chosen to focus on...

• Division of labour - Roles and responsibilities
• Brokers
• Boundary practices and constellations

I feel if these three are addressed and acted upon in the early stages of a course becoming online then this could result in better accessibility for learners with disability.

First thoughts on ECA

My issues are open to change. I have related them to each chapter though have felt that within each of the 3 chapters there is a common thread and that is that it's 'everyone else's responsibility and therefore not mine'. I'm happy for anyone to add in comments to my section!!

Chapter 11
1. Interpretation of legislation and guidelines - this would include enforcement of the legislation. As there is little documented evidence of enforcement it's more than likely that most organisations settle out of court when threatened with litigation.
2. Opportunities and incentives - what is the motive behind ensuring accessibility e.g for educational organisations is it more to do with the available funding and therefore 'bums on seats'.

Chapter 12
1. Division of labour - roles and responsibilities.
2. Tools - adding or creating yet another tool before practitioners have had the chance to learn to use existing ones.

Chapter 13
1. Brokers
2. Boundary practices and constellations
These two can create shared good practice which could in turn create a framework of good practice

Week 13!

Well the festive season has been and gone so as usual I'm a tad behind on my reading. Decided to purchase Seale after all....it actually makes more sense as a hard copy rather than an online one (think that says more about me than the book lol!!)

Activity 1.1 Seale Chapter 6
1. On page 70, it is suggested that accessibility is frequently framed as a technical issue, rather than a pedagogical (learning and teaching) one. Can you think of any arguments, evidence, or examples from what you have read, or from your experience that could help lecturers (teachers, faculty) see accessibility as a pedagogical issue?
It's a team effort...can't have successful accessibility without both. Problem is that many lecturers would see it as a technical issue and therefore not their responsibility. Also that the technical side is there to enhance the pedagogy. In order to change this view there needs to be support given and possibly incentives (Stefani).
2. Some of the key principles that underpin different design approaches include: inclusivity, equity, holism, proactivity and flexibility. How are these principles defined in the literature? Are they sufficiently clear and consistent so that lecturers can apply them to their own practice?
Inclusivity - can this really meet the of all students with differing disabilities, unlikely? Equity - flexible and as lecturere are already attempting to meet individual needs of all their students then this may be attainable. Holism - lecturers may still need to provide alternative learning experiences for students and not just elearning ones (Cultural differences). Proactivity/flexibility - as with quality it's important to meet the needs at the beginning of the design and adapt and not once things go wrong.
Activity 1.2 Seale Chapter 7
1. There is a debate surrounding who is responsible (or most responsible) for accessibility. How helpful is this debate in ensuring that people working in post-16 education change their practices?
If those with technical skills, such as learning technologists, are not ultimately or solely responsible for ensuring accessibility, what responsibilities do you think they should have and why?
Learning technologists are just as responsible as other stakeholders...it's a team effort. Everyone needs to accept some amount of responsibility and accountability.
2. On pages 82–83, Seale uses an archaeology metaphor to try to encourage learning technologists to dig deeper beneath the surface of accessibility guidelines and standards. This is intended to develop a greater understanding of approaches to accessible design. How helpful do you think this metaphor is?
Iceberg may be better......
3. Can you think of an alternative metaphor, image, analogy or visualisation that could be used to help develop learning technologists’ thinking in this area?
On page 98 Seale discusses the tensions regarding the use of technical tools versus human judgement to evaluate the accessibility of learning resources. What is your position concerning this issue?
As humans develop and crate the tools you can't really have one without the other..can you?
4. Can we trust human judgement? If so, whose judgement should we trust – learning technologists working within educational organisations or external experts?
Depends on their motives/individual needs

Activity 1.3 Seale Chapter 8
1. How helpful do you think it is to have ‘specialised’ rooms or areas in an educational institution, which only disabled learners can use to access technology/online learning material?
Depends upon the disability (students individual needs). There is a place for them though. Studens musn't be alienated but cost is the deciding factor.
2. Do you think student support services need to employ accessibility or disability experts? If so, how might the role of these ‘experts’ complement or work against the role of other staff working within student support services?
It would depend on what their actual role was.
3. How are student support services organised or structured in your institution? In what ways do you think this organisation influences the way in which disabled learners are supported to use or access technology?
Personally at OU I've found them to be approachable and helpful. Their website is informative and easily navigated (by me!). They have followed up students for me via phone and email when there is a problem.
4. What would you change about the way in which students are supported in your institution and why? (You might find your notes from Week 4 relevant to this question.)

Activity 1.4 Seale Chapter 9
1. Apart from this course that you are studying now, think of a staff training event or resource that you have attended or accessed, related to accessibility and/or disability. If you have never attended such an event, imagine carrying out one of those listed in the resources or discussed in Week 3.

• What was effective or ineffective about the staff training event/resource?
• To what extent did the following factors influence the effectiveness of the experience for you: content or focus; structure or presentation; role or expertise of the leaders/developers?
• If you have not attended or accessed a staff training event/resource related to accessibility prior to this course, what are the reasons for this? Unsure except that OU has a diversity website that we are expected to access regularly.

2. Use your reflections and answers to Question 1 to develop a conceptualisation of what you think makes or defines an effective accessibility-related training event/resource and an effective trainer or staff developer.

3. Should accessibility-related staff development be made compulsory for all those who work in post-16 education?

• What are the reasons behind your answers?
• What do you think are the pros and cons of making accessibility-related staff development compulsory?

Activity 1.5 Seale Chapter 10
1. Does the organisation where you work have an accessibility (or similar) policy? Use your alternative context if you don’t work for a relevant organisation.
If yes:

• Who are the people responsible for writing the policy?
• What is their role/job title?
• Are they the most appropriate people in terms of roles and responsibility to be developing the policy?
• Who monitors the impact of, or response to, the policy?
• What is their role/job title?
• Are they the most appropriate people to be monitoring the policy, considering the roles and responsibilities of all staff in the organisation?

If your organisation does not have a policy, why do you think this might be?

• Does your organisation have someone in a senior position, whose job it could be to lead accessibility-related policies and initiatives?
• Are senior management aware of accessibility issues and simply choosing to ignore them?
• Has a decision been made that policies are not the right tool to use to try to change practice?
• If so, how is your organisation communicating to staff any desire or intention relating to accessibility?

2. How might you improve on accessibility-related policies that exist in your organisation? If none exist, what might you include in any new accessibility-related policy within an organisation?

• Does your organisation have other policies that should refer to accessibility? If so, do they refer to it? If not, in what ways should they refer to it?

3. Who are the key people who have a role in managing accessibility in your organisation?

• What helps or hinders them working together on accessibility-related issues?