I’ve been reading an incredible book entitled Creating Significant Learning Experiences by L. Dee Fink. We’re beginning a cognitive shift at work, hopefully exploring more and better ways to engineer learning experiences for our students, and this book was recommended by a colleague.

I’ve become a bit enamored by the methodology Fink uses; he seems to have a real grasp on the practical and realistic side of course design, unlike a number of other models I’ve seen that are pure theory. I particularly appreciate the Significant Learning Taxonomy he has developed and the way in which it incorporates elements other than “content” that typically take up the entire course design.

Fink also has a relatively unique take on thinking; he emphasizes three different types of thinking, Critical, Creative, and Practical. Many organizations purport teaching critical thinking (a questionable assertion) Fink demonstrates that other types of thinking are also important. The model is very simple in its design and applicable across wide varieties of content, courses, and organizations.

On a slightly different note (ever slightly) I’ve been toying with a research project/presentation workshop idea for next year’s NUTN conference. I have the beginnings of a title (never mind what your 9th grade English teacher told you, the title is the most important piece because it encapsulates what the project is all about):

“What would Learning look like if there was no Teaching?”

I think it would be interesting to explore programs and courses that have been intentionally designed to be self-directed and media-rich, where the “teacher” is not a sage-on-the-stage, or even a guide-on-the-side, but rather a facilitator of learning. There are plenty of examples, some good, some not so good, but it would make an interesting workshop, especially if I could blend Fink’s methodology with it.

Until next time, which, with a little bit of discipline should be in a couple of days….

Beyond the personal usefulness, I think it would have a lot of value to organizations. Imagine a Wiki-like Bib for a research project, a university department, or even an entire organization. Nirvana would be linking directly to ERIC, JSTOR or similar warehouses for direct access. Heck, maybe it could even have a Firefox plug-in to allow you to directly import the citation.

I’ve toyed with some names and thus far I’m leaning towards Honeycomb. I like the visualization of a series of interlocked compartments, each with its own content, but interdependent.

If you have any suggestions for additional functionality, or if you’ve seen anything like this, please let me know!

I intend to post more regularly both here, and in Twitter. I’ve spent the last six months being a bit of a voyeaur, learning the ins and outs of the systems and applications. I’ve learned so much just from listening, but I’m hoping to step it up and engage in some conversations now.

One piece of advise from a relative newbie to Twitter and other SL technologies…when creating a network, create a diversity of perspectives and opinions. A diverse network will introduce you to different perspectives, challenging your assumptions, promoting growth, and enhancing your learning.

I want to explore a topic that allows me to blend social network technology with the need to alter pedagogy for the online instructional world. After a few weeks of mapping, I think I may be onto something. Let me know what you think:

There is quite a bit of research on instructional techniques that encourage or illicit meta-cognition, but it occurs to me that meta-cognition is distinctly tied to social knowledge construction and perception of self. Reflectivity is a key component of meta-cognition, and reflection is dependent on social interaction. I’m considering looking at if and how social networking applications in an eLearning situation can be used to facilitate meta-cognition.

That’s as far as I’ve gotten (except for all the bring references to literature and other theories), but I think it’s a good place to start.

In developing assessments and course materials, I often encounter hesitation from faculty members on the use of technology. They will often suggest that our students can’t be expected to utilize the newest form of technology. Needless to say, I have a problem with this.

Our job as educators is to introduce students to the knowledge, skills, and abilities they will need to be successful in their chosen fields of employment. Generally, those KSAs are specific to a particular content area, such as Education, Business, Health, etcetera. But, in limiting our recognition of KSAs to only those specific areas, we are doing our students a disservice.

Technology is a fact of life and is incredibly invasive (in the neutral sense, not the negative one). It’s virtually impossible to be effective in any profession without at least a working knowledge of technologies, especially those associated with the Internet. Further, technology is an incredible tool for developing analytical and metacognitive skills in students. Consider this: whenever you perform a search in Google, you immediately scan through the results to find what you are looking for. That is a very complex analytical skill.

I am of the opinion that technology and technology-literacy is no less important than reading, writing, or arithmetic. And, in not exposing students to technology, we are failing to prepare them to be competent.

My computer desktop is a space. It’s created to intentionally resemble a 3D world to some extent, much like a classical painting can fool the eye. But more importantly, as a cognitive space, it is completely 3-dimensional (maybe even 4-dimensional, I’ll have to ponder that further) and it is completely real. The screen is bound by the outer frame of the computer, but that boundary is false. Cognitively, I can move through spaces in my computer.

The Internet is the same way. Spend enough time on the web and it becomes a familiar space that you inhabit. Websites becomes like your favorite rl cafes, gas stations, or grocery stores. You recognize objects…you know intuitively where to go, just like you intuitively know where the deli section of a grocery store is.

When people first began using the Internet, logging on was a process (anyone remember the dial-up echo?) not very different from getting into your car and traveling to a space somewhere. But now, as access is rampant and integrated, the Internet as a cognitive space is overlayed on top of rl spaces. You’re always there, even if you don’t recognize it. Again though, those who live in the virtual spaces see it the other way around…logging into rl. Many days, I feel like my modem must be faulty and I’m getting a bad connection…rl loads slowly and I seem to be getting a lot of error messages… XD

As most anyone reading this blog already knows, Blackboard bought Angel. As soon as the press release went live in the ‘net, my Twitter traffic went crazy! Almost everyone I follow agreed that the news wasn’t positive. I engaged with skydaddy in a discussion on Blackboard versus OS systems like Moodle. This was a great discussion because it allowed me to reflect on my own biases. Skydaddy pointed out that his organization has over 9,000 students on Bb supported by one and a half support techs and a half a network administrator. He felt strongly that an organization like his couldn’t manage an OS system.

I understand skydaddy’s point, and it is certainly valid. Large, complex organizations require standardized solutions. My point, however, is that systems like Bb are driven by profit, not necessarily quality or need. Consequently, upgrades, enhancements and features go through a filtration system. I can picture an idealistic designer or account rep placing a request for an enhancment, only to be met with miles of red tape that ends with the inevitable question, “What’s the business case for this” (READ: How much additional money will this enhancement bring in?)

I’m opposed to the homogeneity that invariably occurs when tools and products are managed by capitalistic incentives. While skydaddy’s organization is complex, and certainly relies on Bb to aggregate data and analyze performance, I wonder if his organization would have adapted to an OS solution. If Bb went bankrupt tomorrow, would his organization close its doors? Unlikely. It’s more likely that they would adapt and change. Most organizations (and people for that matter) don’t change until they have to. I learned that from Keanu Reeves—>The Day the Earth Stood Still

OS applications like Moodle place the power in the hands of the users. It’s very idealistic, I know, but then again, a pessimistic educator is usually called an administrator, right?