Footprints of Emergence: Preparing for Webinar 2 - Drawing Footprints

Barb, great, many thanks. The issue of providing a point (or more accurately a process) of engagement is an interesting one. If you are thrown in at the deep end (the edge of chaos) you will presumably only learn what you have to learn - that can be good, and efficient, or it could be bad and a waste of time, time which could better be spent on the 'meat' of the course itself.

You said there were 'two courses' here - how would the other one differ? Presumably there was a software learning course, and a culture and digital media course. If you mapped them both, and superimposed them, what would that show you (if anything?) And over the time of the course, would these two adjust relative to each other, and relative to the your degree of skill and comfort in using the software?

Re: Recording: Webinar 2 - Drawing Footprints

by Barbara Berry - Tuesday, 7 December 2021, 6:36 AM

Hi Roy,

Yes, as you point out, the experience of chaos was in this instance one leading to frustration and boredom due to the fact that it was not "meaningful". It essentially was a waste of time and from reading the posts, I got the sense that other students were expressing similar sentiments. So, it seemed like a poor way to assist students to engage in a way that might be meaningful. For instance, had we been in teams or themes even, the discussions might have been more fruitful. What I did learn is what not to do as a designer! (e.g. have 500 - 2nd year undergraduates in threaded discussion with little to no guidance; random comments can produce "noise" and thus for some students can be a real distraction.

Yes, I believe that there were 2 courses in one and I think doing another footprint of the software learning would be a cool idea. My sketch of this is in my sketchbook so I will try to remember to take a photo and upload it. Also will do a footrpint. Yes, the two footprints could be superimposed for deeper analysis. Good idea!

cheers,

Barb

Re: Recording: Webinar 2 - Drawing Footprints

by Roy Williams - Tuesday, 7 December 2021, 11:50 AM

Barb, looking forward to seeing the next stage of your visualisations.

I too am sceptical, if not downright critical of courses that offer not much more than what I call "blind-dating-in-the-dark. There are some reasonable alternatives, from 'quad-blogging' onwards. And ModPo (Al Filreis's modern american poetry course) is a great example of what I called "a collaborative conversation which just happens to be taking place in a MOOC".