Personal Learning Contract
My objectives: From this course I wish to learn the processes and theories concerning creation of an e-learning course and everything that is connected with it. I would like to use my knowledge with creating online courses for secondary school learners, and do it properly. Also I would like to test my management skills how well I can do with groupwork organizing and maintaining group spirits high during the course. I think I will take the responsibility of maintaining groupwork in order, and in other group-related management things. One more thing that I would like to add is that as a learner I would like to gain more experience in self-directed learning or time planning.
22.3.10
E-Learning Week 1 - Reflection
1. What are the trends in e-learning and how do they influence online course design?
Main trends in e-learning are:
New trends have made course design open and easily accessible. Courses are provided requirements, as well as pre-requirements if necessary; also grading system and materials are visible to all participants as well as outsiders.
Open courses let the students choose their own environments where they broadcast their procession of thoughts as well as get feedback from the facilitator and coursemates or strangers following their blogs. I also think that this is even better than just getting feedback from the closed group (which means smaller number of) students and lecturers. Groupwork is also provided in most of the courses in order to let the students collaborate and interact in order not to feel lonely or without peer feedback. Different means of collaboration are given by Web 2.0 devices which are mainly open source and freely available.
The learner is given a choice of technical means he or she decides to use for individual and group communication. And if those means are not provided, I believe that the student is wise enough to choose among his/her own means. Also lots of materials are accessible from the web, this means that a student has the choice of e-books versus paperback books.
In Estonia there are still some facilitators who do not approve of open learning systems, thus they keep their materials hidden, and accessible through one environment. I think that this kind of courses are aversive in essence, because all kinds of passwords and "locks" drive people away from the content.
I think current course and different Wikiversity courses follow almost the same trend of course design with some courses preferring "locked" environments with log in function. My experience has had both types of e-courses, but I prefer following the "open" ones.
2. What was the most important thing that you learned this week? What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week’s activities raised for you?
I think the most important thing I learned was that there are theories behind this concept of e-learning (people tend to forget about theories when they are so involved in learning the subject). But as I got acquainted with these theories, the topic seemed familiar to me, since I have got the theory part from Tallinn Pedagogical University. I think I got some ideas for my own initiative in e-learning facilitator's role (while studying, I carry out e-lessons for French lessons, because there is no replacement for me at that time) and I plan on using them in my blog.
I also enjoy writing, and what does a person enjoy writing more than about him/herself, thus I was happy that there is another course that enables writing and blogging.
Main trends in e-learning are:
- Un-structured learning environment (no strict learning environment system).
- Web 2.0 usage in all aspects of e-learning (meaning weaving a social network of learners not keeping the content inside the iron walls of learning systems).
- Online participation either alone or groupwise, worldwide collaboration and teaching/learning.
- Virtual learning (Second Life), game-centered learning.
- Mobile learning (M-learning).
- The possibility to filter and disseminate information, not only to find it.
- The possibility to give and get feedback from peers as well as facilitators.
New trends have made course design open and easily accessible. Courses are provided requirements, as well as pre-requirements if necessary; also grading system and materials are visible to all participants as well as outsiders.
Open courses let the students choose their own environments where they broadcast their procession of thoughts as well as get feedback from the facilitator and coursemates or strangers following their blogs. I also think that this is even better than just getting feedback from the closed group (which means smaller number of) students and lecturers. Groupwork is also provided in most of the courses in order to let the students collaborate and interact in order not to feel lonely or without peer feedback. Different means of collaboration are given by Web 2.0 devices which are mainly open source and freely available.
The learner is given a choice of technical means he or she decides to use for individual and group communication. And if those means are not provided, I believe that the student is wise enough to choose among his/her own means. Also lots of materials are accessible from the web, this means that a student has the choice of e-books versus paperback books.
In Estonia there are still some facilitators who do not approve of open learning systems, thus they keep their materials hidden, and accessible through one environment. I think that this kind of courses are aversive in essence, because all kinds of passwords and "locks" drive people away from the content.
I think current course and different Wikiversity courses follow almost the same trend of course design with some courses preferring "locked" environments with log in function. My experience has had both types of e-courses, but I prefer following the "open" ones.
2. What was the most important thing that you learned this week? What kind of questions/ideas/experiences this week’s activities raised for you?
I think the most important thing I learned was that there are theories behind this concept of e-learning (people tend to forget about theories when they are so involved in learning the subject). But as I got acquainted with these theories, the topic seemed familiar to me, since I have got the theory part from Tallinn Pedagogical University. I think I got some ideas for my own initiative in e-learning facilitator's role (while studying, I carry out e-lessons for French lessons, because there is no replacement for me at that time) and I plan on using them in my blog.
I also enjoy writing, and what does a person enjoy writing more than about him/herself, thus I was happy that there is another course that enables writing and blogging.
E-Learning Initial Task - Introduction
I will re-introduce myself for the e-learning course. My previous introduction is HERE
About me:
My name is Maibritt Kuuskmäe. I am an outgoing person from Pärnu, Estonia, where I raise my five-year-old son and go to work. I teach children aged 8-19 English and French in Pärnu Coeducational Gymnasium. I studied English and French in Tallinn University of Educational Sciences 8 years ago, and it feels nice to study again (I feel a lot smarter than straight after secondary school). Currently, as my schedule is very packed, I am not able to go singing in the choir, which I have done for a little while. I have "enslaved" myself with studying in Tallinn University. I am undergoing Master studies in Interactive Media and Knowledge Environments. I am very interested in e-learning as I implement online solutions in my lessons whenever possible. I have not used specific e-learning environments in my everyday work, but I have got acquainted with them through different courses, for example Digitiiger for school teachers.
About me:
My name is Maibritt Kuuskmäe. I am an outgoing person from Pärnu, Estonia, where I raise my five-year-old son and go to work. I teach children aged 8-19 English and French in Pärnu Coeducational Gymnasium. I studied English and French in Tallinn University of Educational Sciences 8 years ago, and it feels nice to study again (I feel a lot smarter than straight after secondary school). Currently, as my schedule is very packed, I am not able to go singing in the choir, which I have done for a little while. I have "enslaved" myself with studying in Tallinn University. I am undergoing Master studies in Interactive Media and Knowledge Environments. I am very interested in e-learning as I implement online solutions in my lessons whenever possible. I have not used specific e-learning environments in my everyday work, but I have got acquainted with them through different courses, for example Digitiiger for school teachers.
2.3.10
Analysis of Wesnoth Community
Readings, analysis of the Wesnoth community and brainstorming on better campaign building.
The community is built up based on different pages with all the support one needs for game development. Inside the community there are all kinds of possible variants in order to help users to develop the game. Different categories lead to different pages, for example there is a download page and source code page, etc. The best feature besides the forum, is perhaps the online IRC channel possibility to get help.
The main source of information even for those who dare not to read through the information, is the forum. It is divided into sub-categories, which lead to certain topics. The variety of help provided in the community is large, thus the community proves to be very helpful for the beginners and advanced users of the game.
How to build campaigns better? I will add a few thoughts how I see that campaign building could be improved.
- collaboration between people even more intense (using various sources for project development),
- faster feedback during campaign development, better if immediately delivered through a chat client or an IM solution,
- brainstorming about new campaign code solutions together with a group in a real-time discussion,
- suggestions for innovation in the game
Otherwise I cannot see any new solutions to add, because the forum is sufficient enough to find all the necessary information for game development.
The community is built up based on different pages with all the support one needs for game development. Inside the community there are all kinds of possible variants in order to help users to develop the game. Different categories lead to different pages, for example there is a download page and source code page, etc. The best feature besides the forum, is perhaps the online IRC channel possibility to get help.
The main source of information even for those who dare not to read through the information, is the forum. It is divided into sub-categories, which lead to certain topics. The variety of help provided in the community is large, thus the community proves to be very helpful for the beginners and advanced users of the game.
How to build campaigns better? I will add a few thoughts how I see that campaign building could be improved.
- collaboration between people even more intense (using various sources for project development),
- faster feedback during campaign development, better if immediately delivered through a chat client or an IM solution,
- brainstorming about new campaign code solutions together with a group in a real-time discussion,
- suggestions for innovation in the game
Otherwise I cannot see any new solutions to add, because the forum is sufficient enough to find all the necessary information for game development.
The Validity of Cory Doctorow's Business Model as a Writer
Cory Doctorow is a science fiction writer, and a blogger who writes stories, contributes to different magazines and edits a weblog Boing Boing. He also acts as a visiting lecturer at Open University (UK). Besides fictional stories he has published several collections of non-fictional stories which comprise his thoughts about different issues [1]. He also is the supporter of Creative Commons as a distribution method [2].
His business model is simple: besides publishing his books, he also releases them under Creative Commons licence in the internet. First, he encourages the readers to read his books, and also promote them, which is free advertisement. With the help of his readers he gets reviews and may sell more of his printed books, and as he says in his interview, one will get even with the few lost copies and a lot of free publicity.
In his interview he explains that the bigger the publisher is, the less scared it is of publishing Creative Commons content online together with releasing the printed versions. He is satisfied that his books sell in print and are downloaded [2]. When I consider myself, I like printed books or original CD-s when they are from my favourite authors/bands, and I prefer to purchase one if I really like it. I think this is the idea behind his works as well, because not everyone prefers online books. Doctorow also suggested a model of getting a refund for his works not via direct donations, but he suggested that people should buy a copy of his work, and then donate it somewhere where it could be useful. I think this leaves a generous impression of the author, and people are willing to buy books in such purposes.
And to finish up with, Cory Doctorow seems like a cool guy who can easily survive by having a Creative Commons model in his book delivery to the people who love reading his books.
Links:
[1] craphound.com
[2] Interview with Cory Doctorow
[3] Wikipedia: Cory Doctorow
His business model is simple: besides publishing his books, he also releases them under Creative Commons licence in the internet. First, he encourages the readers to read his books, and also promote them, which is free advertisement. With the help of his readers he gets reviews and may sell more of his printed books, and as he says in his interview, one will get even with the few lost copies and a lot of free publicity.
In his interview he explains that the bigger the publisher is, the less scared it is of publishing Creative Commons content online together with releasing the printed versions. He is satisfied that his books sell in print and are downloaded [2]. When I consider myself, I like printed books or original CD-s when they are from my favourite authors/bands, and I prefer to purchase one if I really like it. I think this is the idea behind his works as well, because not everyone prefers online books. Doctorow also suggested a model of getting a refund for his works not via direct donations, but he suggested that people should buy a copy of his work, and then donate it somewhere where it could be useful. I think this leaves a generous impression of the author, and people are willing to buy books in such purposes.
And to finish up with, Cory Doctorow seems like a cool guy who can easily survive by having a Creative Commons model in his book delivery to the people who love reading his books.
Links:
[1] craphound.com
[2] Interview with Cory Doctorow
[3] Wikipedia: Cory Doctorow
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