Friday, 23 May 2008
Places available on eModerating and Online Tutoring course (online)
5 weeks - online - in MoodleStarts 4th June 2008
contact helen@reachfurther.com
I am running an eModerating and Online Tutoring course in partnership with Park Lane College in Leeds. This is an introductory course for those starting to or planning to teach online in HE, FE or even in schools. The format - 5 weeks online in Moodle - is based on successful courses I have run in the past with local, national and international participants and builds on my work with Professor Gilly Salmon at Leicester University. I'm delighted to be able to offer the course to teachers and tutors inside and outside the college as I know that a mix of participants from different institutions will, as in my previous courses, form a lively and mutually supportive community.
Although it's in Moodle, the skills taught are generic and not VLE-specific. Moodle is very easy to use :) £295 plus VAT
More information at http://reachfurther.com/?page_id=82
Contact me for more details helen@reachfurther.com
Labels: courses, e-facilitation, e-moderating, emoderating, Moodle, online learning, online tutor, online tutoring, VLE
posted by Helen Whitehead 2:18 PM
Monday, 12 May 2008
Technology stewardship
A post from 2006 in Learning Alliances defines the concept of "technology stewardship"
"Technology stewards are people with enough experience of the workings of a community to understand its technology needs, and enough experience with technology to take leadership in addressing those needs. Stewardship typically includes selecting and configuring technology, as well as supporting its use in the practice of the community."
I guess that's certainly what I am - a technology steward - but if the phraseology hasn't caught on in the time since Dec 2006, then it obviously doesn't mean as much to the IT and community-using population in general. Neither has "e-moderator" caught on outside the UK, although it's a very similar role - while the e-moderator doesn't necessarily select and configure the technology, many do have this function and expertise, and I suspect they are of more use to a community if they do.Labels: communities of practice, e-facilitation, e-moderating, emoderating, online communities, online community, technology-stewardship
posted by Helen Whitehead 10:28 AM
Friday, 16 November 2007
Do you use Salmon's 5-stage model or E-tivities framework?
Do you use e-learning or learning technologies such as discussion forums etc. in teaching?
Have you used or adapted Salmon's 5-stage model or e-tivities framework in your teaching? Or have you used it at any time in the past few years?Gilly Salmon's 5-stage model and e-tivities framework have been used successfully to support learning in a variety of contexts, courses, disciplines, types and levels of education from schools to Masters to continuing professional development.
References
I am doing some research to find out how they have been applied in learning and teaching across the world in the last ten years. We know that teachers have used them in a variety of different ways, adapting and developing the models to suit their own purposes. As part of the background to a new book, we would like to find out about the models in practice. The general results of this research will be made available to all practitioners.
If you have any good examples of using the 5-stage model or e-tivities,
please would you take my survey?
http://www2.le.ac.uk/.../smeltsurvey
E-moderating: The Key to Teaching and Learning Online
Gilly Salmon, (2004) Routledge Falmer
ISBN: 0415335442
lifelong learning, m-learning, mobile learning, online courses, online learning, online tutoring, technology, universities, wiki-tivities, wikitivities
E-tivities: The Key to Active Online Learning
Gilly Salmon, (2002) Routledge Falmer,
ISBN: 0749431105Labels: collaborative working, e-facilitation, e-learning, e-learning tools, e-moderating, education, elearning, learning and teaching, learning design, learning technologies
posted by Helen Whitehead 12:48 PM
Sunday, 8 July 2007
Ground rules for online courses
In my e-moderating courses recently we have been discussing whether or not ground rules are necessary to manage student expectations.
I'm a great believer in groundrules: I think people like to know where they stand, and if expectations are made clear at the beginning, then it is easier to manage complaints or disagreements at a later date.
Here's an example:Students are expected to:
Students can expect tutors to:
- have the basic technical requirements to access the course (tech requirements re type of computers, operating system and software are given in advance and are as wide as is possible, but if the system doesn't work on Vista, for example, that is made clear before people sign up)
- commit themselves to doing the work required for the course within the timeframe specified
- give feedback to at least two other members of the class (...in each e-tivity - or this expectation can be made clear in each e-tivity)
- take an active part in the online discussion board at least three times per week
- participate in evaluation and feedback schemes where required
- hand in assignments on time. Late assignments will be accepted only at the discretion of the tutor and only in exceptional circumstances.
- abide by our code of conduct (see below)
Copyright statement
- log on to the discussion boards several times a week and be regularly available by email or chat
- respond to queries and posts within a stated time (usually 2 working days)
- provide course material on time
- set each assignment at least a week before its due date
- provide quality course materials which fulfil the stated aims for each course (OK so that one's a bit woolly!)
Students are expected to be aware of the restrictions of copyright and not to breach the copyright of any other student, writer of printed materials, or source on the web. All posted materials remain the copyright of the person posting. Material posted on the discussion boards must not be quoted outside the course without prior permission from the originator.
The teaching environment is private to students and writing posted within your course is available ONLY to students and tutors of that course. It does not constitute publication nor will the material be available on the web permanently.
Example Code of Conduct
This one was developed by the trAce Online Writing Centre community:trAce exists to connect writers and readers around the world in real and
virtual space. As a professional and social online community, as well as a
learning environment, for writers, readers and other artists, and in support of
its purpose, the trAce Online Writing Centre has adopted three general governing
principles:
1. Principle of Tolerance
We are people of many nationalities, ages, cultures and artistic persuasions. We ask that everyone act with respect for others and recognize that effort may be necessary to avoid misunderstandings rising out of our differences.
2. Principle of Artistic and Intellectual Freedom
We are committed to:
a) supporting artistic practice across its entire range
b) recognising such practice as a basic means of expression
c) regarding as fundamental our protection and promotion of the artistic and intellectual freedom of the artists with whom we work.
3. Principle of Responsible Behaviour
We share not only a common sector of cyberspace but also resources, which are provided through real-life support, effort and funding and which are finite. Responsible behaviour is defined as that which conforms to netiquette standards and which does not interfere in the access and use of trAce resources.The above principles were drafted by a representative group of trAce
users in May 2000 and are supported by the organisation as a whole.Labels: copyright, e-facilitation, e-moderating, online community, online courses, online tutor, online tutoring, student expectations
posted by Helen Whitehead 2:00 PM
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
What is online community?
Community is not the same as commonalityPeople at a bus stop are not a community. people who go online are not a community.
"A community is a group of people who form relationships over time by interacting regularly around shared experiences, which are of interest to all of them for varying individual reasons." Jake McKeeLabels: e-facilitation, e-learning, e-moderation, nlabwomen, nlabwomen07, online communities, online community
posted by Helen Whitehead 9:46 PM
