So, as with most other MOOCS I have tried, I have found I have got a little behind … Reflecting on the problems with my own motivation and barriers links nicely to identifying similar problems that may impact on our learners.
1. Blended vs Online– as I’m have been off work, this course for me has been entirely online learning. This has made me realise how much I have missed the face-to-face discussion and support I would have had from peers at work. I ‘followed’ my colleagues so I could discuss the course with them online but found both their and my comments decreased as the weeks progressed. The motivating element of comparing notes, advice and friendly competition from our peer is as much what makes Blended Learning an effective model as tutor support.
2. How big a bite? – I have managed most but not all the tasks within the course each week and wonder if I would have kept up better or worse if each part had been spread over more weeks? I managed to complete some of the work each week though which is better than my experience on previous longer MOOCs where I have ended up weeks rather than days behind. There is however a valuable lesson to be learned here about the implantation of Blended Learning in terms of making sure we accurate estimate the time our students have available to complete the online activities.
Key things I want to think about more before the next part of the course.
1. Personalised learning – how can we use technology to help students learn in different ways and at different speeds?
2. Promoting re-use and recycling – how do we make it easier for teaching staff to find high quality materials and apps they can use or adapt rather than needing to create everything from scratch?
3. Supporting employability and transferability – how do we support our students in taking what they have learned with them when they leave and showing it off to the outside world?
Emily's Blog 