Welcome to Talking the Walk: Narratives of Online Learner Collaboration - hopefully a sparkling collection of stories from educators, designers, facilitators, and online learners! The path leads on from here - step by step - in your replies, narratives, and reflections.
By narratives of online learner collaboration (OLC, if you will), I mean short stories, or vignettes - perhaps no more than a screen full, upon which we can reflect, you can clarify or elaborate, and we can reflect again; thereby defining collaborative online learning processes and practices along the way. If you'd like to share a longer tale, please spin it for us an episode at a time, and give your episodes subtitles or numbers to make them easy to spot on a thread (for example: The Mines of Bboria, part 2).
For a definition of reflection, I offer a cue from Edge not to "confuse this active role with involvement in a conversation or a discussion" (1992, Chapter 6, Reflecting, The active understander, para. 2). Reflections glisten like dewdrops, a dance of light on spider webs (StoryCatcher), but are never more than the droplets themselves. Reflections constitute understandings drawn from others' stories and bounced back to storytellers, "in order to help them develop their own opinions, interpretations and plans," in ways that do "not take up the developmental space of the Speaker," or storyteller (Edge, 1992, Chapter 6, Reflecting, The active understander, para. 5).
I sincerely hope that this collection of OLC narratives and reflections upon them will generate material for publication as part of a Collaborative Book Project on Teaching and Learning Online now underway. I ask in advance that you grant permission for representation of your narratives in that book, should the editors deem the content suitable. Moreover, I hope this collection will inform and inspire similar undertakings in months and years to come.
Dancers, storytellers, trekkers, and understanders: Please carry on. Cheers, PB
You may add and annotate references to sources of information or inspiration for investigators and practitioners of Online Learner Collaboration on the adjacent OLC Annotated Bibliography Wiki.
If you're looking for a little something in particular, but cannot quite put your fingers on it to add it to the OLC wiki, please feel free to post an inquiry in a reply to this message. Then, hopefully, investigators, practitioners, of visitors will come back with suggestions to help you find it, and add it to the wiki.
Back or on to OLC Stories and Reflections
If you're looking for a little something in particular, but cannot quite put your fingers on it to add it to the OLC wiki, please feel free to post an inquiry in a reply to this message. Then, hopefully, investigators, practitioners, of visitors will come back with suggestions to help you find it, and add it to the wiki.
Back or on to OLC Stories and Reflections
The question below is a cross-post from the Online Facilitation mailing list. I'm reposting it here where answers may reveal overlap between telephonic and online seminar facilitation:
Does anyone know of any books or articles on the topic of facilitating teleseminars? I am particularly interested in promoting and supporting active interaction between attendees.
If so, please feel free to point it out in a reply here, or add it to the OLC Annotated Bibliography. Cheers, Paul
Does anyone know of any books or articles on the topic of facilitating teleseminars? I am particularly interested in promoting and supporting active interaction between attendees.
([of] Teleseminar question; Mar 23, 2006, at 00:14 [JST])
If so, please feel free to point it out in a reply here, or add it to the OLC Annotated Bibliography. Cheers, Paul
Someone suggests TextWeaver's (2006) Moderating and Pedagogy section as a point of departure; that's but small part of a rich, well-organized site.
Someone has also made a supplementary resource on Pedagogy in Cyberspace available to this moodle (Feenberg & Xin, 2005).
Both can be found, and annotated (further), in the OLC Annotated Bibliography.
Many thanks!
Someone has also made a supplementary resource on Pedagogy in Cyberspace available to this moodle (Feenberg & Xin, 2005).
Both can be found, and annotated (further), in the OLC Annotated Bibliography.
Many thanks!
"It is based on Xin (2002), available at http://www.textweaver.org/xin_dissertation.pdf" (Xin & Feenberg, 2005, p. 1).
"'Carry on,' ... 'carry on,'...; oh dear, where was I? Oh yes, I remember!"
On or back you go, with no further adieu, to OLC Stories and Reflections with your tales in the telling.
Cheers, Paul
On or back you go, with no further adieu, to OLC Stories and Reflections with your tales in the telling.
Cheers, Paul
Then again, we shan't be hasty, shall we? There's always time for greetinges.
We're spanning numerous time zones, engaging here at leisure, and realize...
"Building relationships ... can be one [of] the most challenging and elusive parts of the ... development process" (Vivian Neal, Building Relationships, in Dance of the Instructional Designers; Friday, 4 November 2005).
If you've just breezed through the SCoPE profile building process, no worries! You can still fill us in a bit here.
We're spanning numerous time zones, engaging here at leisure, and realize...
"Building relationships ... can be one [of] the most challenging and elusive parts of the ... development process" (Vivian Neal, Building Relationships, in Dance of the Instructional Designers; Friday, 4 November 2005).
If you've just breezed through the SCoPE profile building process, no worries! You can still fill us in a bit here.
Hello! I've just looked out my office window here in sunny central Kyushu, well..., as the sun is about to set on the southernmost of the main islands of Japan. I remember that cherry trees are in bloom, and decide to miss the bus home. I can walk; I need the exercise.
I love moodling and photography. A handful of colleagues self-serve Moodles (in office, or off-shore). Yesterday, I learned the uni. has decided to get what they call an e-learning server. Today, it turns out, elearning is just a small blossom of color in a mid-term restructuring plan.
I love moodling and photography. A handful of colleagues self-serve Moodles (in office, or off-shore). Yesterday, I learned the uni. has decided to get what they call an e-learning server. Today, it turns out, elearning is just a small blossom of color in a mid-term restructuring plan.
Cherry Blossoms image
(c) Paul Beaufait 2006
All rights reserved
(c) Paul Beaufait 2006
All rights reserved
Thank you all for your participation in this SCoPE seminar: Walking the Talk - Narratives of Online Learner Collaboration.
In closing, I'd like to echo facilitators from recent seminars, in whose footsteps I have followed:
As Vivian & Liz both mention, SCoPE discussions and wikis from these community seminars remain accessible. At the very least, I should point out that the OLC Annotated Bibliography could use more in the way of journal references and up to date web resources.
Under the circumstances, I rest assured that our endeavors to describe, design, foster, and facilitate online learner collaboration will continue, and that there will be lots more to see and do in this regard at SCoPE.
Finally, I'd like to offer special thanks to Sylvia, the SCoPE Coordinator. I deeply appreciate the mentors, models, and moodle resources that SCoPE provides.
Cheers, Paul
In closing, I'd like to echo facilitators from recent seminars, in whose footsteps I have followed:
"As always, everyone's contribution has provided food for thought" (Liz Wallace: The Role of Online Commmunities...; Thanks, and an Invitation to Continue The Discussion; Monday, 6 March 2006).
"We have just scratched the surface" (Liz Wallace: WebCT & Blackboard Merger; Ending This Seminar, but Continuing the Discussion in SCoPE; Sunday, 4 December 2005).
"I've learned a great deal from each of you, and I value the links to the rich resources that you've shared" (Vivian Neal: The Dance of the ID; So Long Dance Partners! Monday, Nov 21, 2005).
"We have just scratched the surface" (Liz Wallace: WebCT & Blackboard Merger; Ending This Seminar, but Continuing the Discussion in SCoPE; Sunday, 4 December 2005).
"I've learned a great deal from each of you, and I value the links to the rich resources that you've shared" (Vivian Neal: The Dance of the ID; So Long Dance Partners! Monday, Nov 21, 2005).
As Vivian & Liz both mention, SCoPE discussions and wikis from these community seminars remain accessible. At the very least, I should point out that the OLC Annotated Bibliography could use more in the way of journal references and up to date web resources.
Under the circumstances, I rest assured that our endeavors to describe, design, foster, and facilitate online learner collaboration will continue, and that there will be lots more to see and do in this regard at SCoPE.
Finally, I'd like to offer special thanks to Sylvia, the SCoPE Coordinator. I deeply appreciate the mentors, models, and moodle resources that SCoPE provides.
Cheers, Paul
Hey Paul, thanks from me.
You did well, and I actually learned a lot. Facilitation with metapor, verse and story.
Liz, whom you quote is correct.
I have more to reflect on. As to your comment about product . . Any more thoughts on this. I need to write a piece about collaboration for our future course takers. Metacommunication about what we wish to encourage. If I can find a place, I'll post it.
-Derek
PS. Hot off the press news: I'm interested in considering a job swap next year. Europe, Italy. Greece, US . . Or some onlne teaching I can do wherever. We may take the whole family grape picking in France. :-)
" Skillful facilitation resembles a tap dance,
shuffle, and tango all performed simultaneously to the unique rhythm of
each group. The purpose is simple --- to help the group reach its goals
by utilizing its own experience and strengths."
From a web site I stumbled upon today.You did well, and I actually learned a lot. Facilitation with metapor, verse and story.
Liz, whom you quote is correct.
I have more to reflect on. As to your comment about product . . Any more thoughts on this. I need to write a piece about collaboration for our future course takers. Metacommunication about what we wish to encourage. If I can find a place, I'll post it.-Derek
PS. Hot off the press news: I'm interested in considering a job swap next year. Europe, Italy. Greece, US . . Or some onlne teaching I can do wherever. We may take the whole family grape picking in France. :-)
Hear, hear. Thank you, Paul and to all the others who joined in. So much intriguing insight surfaced during this dialogue that was appreciated -- as I've found it does in Scope dialogues generally.
I kept thinking of Brown and Duguid's The Social Life of Information (2000, 2002) as the reflective postings passed by. I'll let everyone make their own connections...
I especially enjoyed Paul's fresh (refreshing) writing style. It was a nicely orchestrated dialogue. Fleeting, but so useful.
Good luck on your family excursion!
Best,
Sarah
I kept thinking of Brown and Duguid's The Social Life of Information (2000, 2002) as the reflective postings passed by. I'll let everyone make their own connections...
I especially enjoyed Paul's fresh (refreshing) writing style. It was a nicely orchestrated dialogue. Fleeting, but so useful.
Good luck on your family excursion!
Best,
Sarah
Thanks for inviting me to join in, Paul! It was a fascinating conversation!
~~marsha
~~marsha
Thanks everyone for an engaging discussion on Online Learner Collaboration, and especially to Paul for being such an attentive and creative facilitator.
This seminar does have that but wait! don't go away! sort of feeling to it, doesn't it? There is so much more to explore and so many gems to come back to, which only means we have many reasons to gather together again in the future to continue talking the walk and walking the talk!
An interesting experience for me was how the collaborative dialogue extended beyond this seminar -- familiar faces showing up in other venues such as the online Knowtips conference and comments made elsewhere bringing me back to review contributions made to this discussion. The rich collection of resources we gathered (and will continue to gather) into the Online Learner Collaboration Bibliography Wiki sent me in many directions, and remembering details of earlier online collaborative experiences even caused me to do some time travel!
Paul's next steps will be to review materials for publication as part of a Collaborative Online Book Project on Teaching and Learning Online, so expect that he may be calling on you for that.
Thanks again, everyone!
Sylvia Currie
Community Coordinator
scurrie@sfu.ca
This seminar does have that but wait! don't go away! sort of feeling to it, doesn't it? There is so much more to explore and so many gems to come back to, which only means we have many reasons to gather together again in the future to continue talking the walk and walking the talk!
An interesting experience for me was how the collaborative dialogue extended beyond this seminar -- familiar faces showing up in other venues such as the online Knowtips conference and comments made elsewhere bringing me back to review contributions made to this discussion. The rich collection of resources we gathered (and will continue to gather) into the Online Learner Collaboration Bibliography Wiki sent me in many directions, and remembering details of earlier online collaborative experiences even caused me to do some time travel!
Paul's next steps will be to review materials for publication as part of a Collaborative Online Book Project on Teaching and Learning Online, so expect that he may be calling on you for that.
Thanks again, everyone!
Sylvia Currie
Community Coordinator
scurrie@sfu.ca