Engagement by stealth?

1. Clarity

2. Rigorous critical analysis

3. Focus on action

4. Stimulation of dialogue

"Seeing blogs from others on a specific reading was very useful in getting different perspectives on the subject. Also getting their comments on my posts often inspired me to re-think my view."

"Initially I felt the monthly blogs a burden but actually it was good to be forced to do it on a regular basis and I was glad that I'd done it when it came to writing [the final assignment]."

"Being aware that the blog could be accessed and viewed publicly meant that my thoughts and writing needed to be intelligible and meaningful to others."

I worried about what people would think of my writing or opinions, which made me not want to post until I felt I fully understood the subject."

"It would have been better if the learning groups had been more informal, as trying to get dialogue going with a group who would only periodically engage was very frustrating."

"Blogging sits somewhere between an academic exercise, and informal communication, and sometimes this 'space' can be difficult to navigate (i.e. to find a tone which is neither too formal nor too casual)."

"I found the [online] correspondence false and self-conscious. I could have addressed this by using the blog to refer to face to face conversations."

"It was great to have the blog setting session on the first day of the course."

"I learned so much, and it really boosted my confidence. I can now update my own website, know how to blog, and use twitter regularly. I think that embedding the online learning into the structure of the course was a great way to learn about its benefits and drawbacks."

"I have recently been offered the opportunity to design a new online graphic design BA. I doubt I would have been offered the position had I not been through the online learning experience myself, and been in a position to discuss it with some confidence."

"[There were] too many small tasks... I would have preferred to spend the time working on the essay.

The course seems to be designed for students who are in front of a computer endlessly. I find it difficult to navigate... instead of all sorts of online tricks it would have been useful to have a clearly laid out plan for how to get through the course: 1. Deadline, 2. What to do, 3. Timeline."

"I found [making the video] invasive and stressful and would much rather have written a short abstract describing my project than have to 'perform' for the camera. I think it unfairly demands specific skills and confidence in areas that many of us can't be expected to have... I'm still not sure who has access to this online content and I find the whole thing very uncomfortable... I'd be absolutely horrified if any of my clients found this stuff."

We wanted...

Lindsay Jordan

University of the Arts London

Collaborative engagement with literature

Application of theory to practice

Regular low-stakes assessment

Digital Literacy development

Multiple perspectives

Peer feedback

lindsay.jordan@arts.ac.uk

@lindsayjordan

lindsayjordan.edublogs.org

"It always surprises me how many students expect their education to be some kind of in-tray/out-tray kind of process."

"The fact is that it’s a long way from a Visitor type engagement to a Resident one and many find it difficult to grasp the value of changing modes."

Dave White, University of Oxford

Hogan, P. (1988)

Communicative Competence and Cultural Emancipation: reviewing the rationale for educational studies in teacher education.

Oxford Review of Education, 14 (2)

"...being pushed is kind of what education is about.

I guess it emphasises the importance of framing the activity and justifying it - but if they don't turn up for the sessions where you do this, it's difficult! Also having examples now that you've done it will help students see what they can do."

Martin Weller, Open University

Pain

What my friends said...

We use...

Process

Co-creation

Disciplinary

Relevance?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10621662@N00/3127436767

Blogs

Assess it

Talk about it

Stick with it

Learning

Contracts

Peer & Self

Assessment

Benefits

Videos

"I have considered much more deeply the implications of providing structured activities, alongside students' own construction of their learning."

Transformation

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27238916@N04/3662425445

They said...

"Teachers should be trying new things all the time and keeping up with real world practice.

I was surprised at how many people were unwilling to teach themselves how to do this."

"I decided to only make comments when I felt that I had something to say."

Challenges

Strategies

"I only used the simpler features of the blog, which was enough to communicate with the others."