Benefits of Open Source

Re: Now this I really like . . .

by Derek Chirnside -
Number of replies: 1
Oh, I was going to head downstairs to face the domesticity of the day here when I saw this - so a quick response.

How did you include the learners in designing the environment?
We provided some structure: like some forums and a personal journal. (Which, by the way I will not use again)

Participants could then choose where they managed their learning.  At the click of a button we can give them a personal workspace with full admin functionality  in the closed course area, or in a public community area or in the world.  Two participants set up their own place outside the site using the same functionality I had as a course lecturer.
Or they set up their own space/blog/whatever.
Or they worked in word docs.

Last time through we gave the right to set up your own interest groups with no tutor input at all.

All this with lots of dialogue.  One key element was "see what you needed to learn in your work area - build on this" and "Have fun (lots of it) and experiment" and "reflect" and "Build resiliance - if you get a crashed browser, just lapse, but don't collapse"

What structure did you decide was necessary for you (or your institution)?
Ahh.  Good point.  This is defined as a Level 7 course, which has certain characteristics - this was communicated on day 1.
We used narrative assessment.

Here is the romantic view:
Two sides to the formal assessment part.  They provide the evidence of learning.  We help them learn to recognise this.

All the actual personal learning is done in real contexts.
We have three entities we call springboards that are in course, more formal and act as catalysts.  this accounts for about 30-34 % or the course.
Final artifact is a portfolio, some of which must be public to others in the course, and must contain links to on course activities, reflection and interaction, as well as any specific outputs.

Will your students be able to take the things they learned in your course with them into their other courses -- techniques?
Yes.  All the course interactions will remain there and accessible.  One place left open for interaction for probably a year or so.

The community area is probably going to be indefinitely open.

Our institution is shifting several courses more out of our normal CMS into this site.  This will give a portfolio of courses each with a closed space and a free ranging community area.  We are looking at how to manage the entities that emerge so we don't have the clutter of lots and lots of spaces.  How to manage leadership etc in each area.  etc.
That's why the CANS thing was of interest.

tools?
I have spent a lot of time thinking about this.  I can define the functionality we see as beneficial to start with.  I'll find a link to this at work next week.  I'm becoming more radical here.  "Give participants structure and freedom - a place to work, and the ability to make connections - in a real work context"

If you want to addle your brain a little in the best sense, track down elggspaces.  Derek told me about this yesterday, I have not followed it up yet, I think this is a new development for elgg just this week.  Open source + community + opportunity for real learning at it's best, at least at this time, and if you want to see the debate, just Google George Siemens.
More sometime, CU - Derek
In reply to Derek Chirnside

Re: Now this I really like . . .

by Eric Hoffer -
Perhaps this is the place I should have posed my question about an appropriate resource to use for collaboration - combining a wiki and captive or at least archived email.  (See my question under "Why Haven't You Tried Open Source Software?").

Would you describe elggspaces as being able to satisfy this need?