In an attempt to find academic literature that approached my initial findings and frustrations with Web 2.0 tools, I started reading with an eye to examples of trials from other educators. One of my main aims apart from working to encourage ownership and self reliance within my students' experience of Unitec, is to create a reliable and repeatable pathway in which to develop trust and insight for other staff to follow in exploring e-Learning tools when developing a 'Living Curriculum' mentality of delivery (pedagogy) for their courses.
Much rhetoric exists expounding the virtues or supposed virtues of Web 2.0 tools in education, but little reflective dialogue as to the observed stages one might witness as students, or teachers might experience, when applying these tools in a real situation. I was therefore delighted to find a soundly written, informative and balanced paper that approaches just such an aim.
A paper "Blogging to Learn"(Anne Bartlett-Bragg, 2003) gave a very good account of the stages one might expect to witness when students' undertake work in a 'Learning Journal' (e.g. "Blogbook of Learning"). This in turn helps educators to develop carefully considered lesson activities over a full course/programme experience.
Expectations in early courses should therefore allow the building of e-learning competencies for students, Later courses should show these competencies have developed exponentially.
In her paper Anne has recognised a 5 stage process taking place.
She states:
"For the past eighteen months, incorporated into four e-Learning subjects, across nearly eighty students, blogging has been a component of my basic pedagogical approach. The structure that has evolved from the introduction of blogging can be most effectively represented as a five-stage process: stage one – establishment; stage two – introspection; stage three – reflective monologues; stage four – reflective dialogue; and stage five – knowledge artefacts.
The process has been informed and developed from practice and not theory. Although not anticipated to follow Salmon’s (2000) Computer Mediated Conferencing (CMC) model, closer examination has revealed an initial similarity and will be the focus of closer investigation in my future research."
My experiences this year in trialling e-learning tools with my student groups has had its' "ups and downs". I felt at times I was loading the students' with too much 'techno-bable' at the expense of content. This I realise is a common feeling when letting go, and challenging adult students' to ultimately take responsibility for their learning journey. The fact I was learning new tools only a fraction of time ahead of them was a mistake on my part, but somewhat unavoidable. too which end I'm committed to building a series of review videos that allow students' to review the "How To" of setting up different Web 2.0 tools in their own environments and if need be in an iterative fashion. I know some similar video explanations exist on youtube etc... but I believe 'in-house' productions point more directly to our students' in that the 'flavour' of delivery and language used is of their environment and not imported.
Even with only a small sample of my own to draw from I can see the "5 stages" (Anne Bartlett-Bragg, 2003) as being correct and something to use as a tool in future.
Anne also contends that:
Learning journals:
"Individual ownership of the content differentiates this form of knowledge publishing from other electronic forums like discussion boards and mailing lists. The content becomes the sole responsibility of the author. Their objective regarding what to write and how to engage their readers is entirely in their control."
This in turn is promoting student lead knowledge building and responsibility.
I endorse these views.
Works cited:
www.flexiblelearning.net.au/knowledgetree/.../pdf/Blogging_to_Learn.pdf
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