Wow!
Yep, just WOW!
I have just finished participating in a Blackboard Collaborate Webinar as part of my current OLC learning. As usual – for me – it wasn’t the official presentation and discussion that offered the most value but rather the added conversations and offshoot topic that was raised that has my heart singing with the thought….I AM COLLABORATING!
It was a simple thing really. A few of us remained after the formal presentation and got talking about Google+ hangout and if we were going to organise more hangouts for the MOOC participants. Previous Hangouts have attracted up to 7 participants (max is 10). I suggested that to attempt to reach greater numbers we should look at offering more topics, more often, moderated by more than just the one person (share the workload around and opportunity to meet other people). Of course I offered to step up an be a ‘leader’ of one of the more frequent gatherings.
The reason that I offered to facilitate a smaller, more frequent opportunity to get together and chat is because I value the learning that happens on the spot, through real time conversations.I can’t help feel we are still making them (google+ hangouts) far too formal and appointment based rather than on a need to know basis. I think it is because as a group of learners we are still only 5 weeks young. We have never met in person and we are still very polite and formal. I am hoping to break down this stiffness as quickly as possible to get to the great learning.
I have quickly progressed through this learning community from a basic participant to emerging as a leader (NOT and expert). I am happy to share while still receiving learning. I am happy to pause the eportfolio learning and head in a different direction if the conversation takes us there. I am hopeful of creating future connections and indeed friendships that will lead to further collaboration opportunities.
They are small steps but i am heading towards true collaboration opportunities.
Hi AJ, sounds like you are getting a lot out of the EpCop MOOC. I’m just curious about how you see the relationship between the MOOC and the community. No doubt you are participating in a community of learners, but has that sprung up around the MOOC or has the MOOC materialised around the community?
I believe there is a really interesting dynamic at play here. I’m so glad you are having fun!
Hey Brett
Yes i saw your post from Stephen Downes – it always amazes me just how long some people have been on the path that I am still a relative newbie to.
I have quickly developed a sense of community with a group of participants involved in the MOOC – so to answer your chicken/egg question, the MOOC came first (for me) and I took quite purposeful steps to getting involved in the community as part of my learning style/preference.
HOWEVER…based on many informal conversations with the key design team members it would appear that the MOOC evolved out of online connections and conversations that were heading in the online Learning community direction. So out of a conversation was born the egg of a notion to offer a MOOC. In actual fact today we had a similar “brainstorming” collaborative conversation about the emergent nature of the MOOC learning and that we seemed to be developing (in very loose terms) a premise for a different MOOC focus to the current offering. That is to say we were discussing the differences/similarities between Eportfolios and Blogs and the purposes for which people were engaging with them. Conversation turned to the role of “reflective practices” and how to achieve them and decided that this could be the next direction in our community learning focus. BUT…I had to step back and take a moment because i had that lightbulb moment realisation that I had moved from a discussion contributor to a discussion driver in the community in a heartbeat. THAT is collaboration for me.
As usual I tell a huge story to explain my answer but I am a storyteller at the best of times.
Thanks for the alternative points of view i follow your Tumblr with interest.