Discussions started by Vasi Doncheva

Big thanks to all participants and contributors to this seminar.

Your generosity with your time, ideas and help in planing the AVIs framework is very much appreciated and valued.

As a result we have a well shaped role of what is expected from AVIs as well as some great ideas how we can attract and retain potential AVIs with rewards that will be of value to them. Thank you gain for helping design this critical element of the AVI framework.

Once we have the AVI proposal drafted in wikieducator we will post the link here so you can continue to comment and contribute.

We hope that some if not all of you will become AVIs and will work with us to further refine the concept during the pilot in 2012.

If you would like to help as an AVI the OER learners and test the concept and framework with us please repy to this forum and we will be in touch early next year.

Thank you again and Best wishes to you and your families for Christmas and the new year 

Merry Christmas image

Vasi and Wayne

Hi everyone,
here is a new thread to focus the discussion around who are our potential pool of AVIs, how can we attract/ recruit them and reward them for their service.

So far here are the suggested potential AVIs:
OERu founding anchor partners identified a number of potential sources of volunteer support for the model including for example:
    •    Retired academics who could be recruited using an "honour referral" approach (referral);
    •    Existing academics where community service recognition is integrated into the staff appraisal systems of OERu anchor partners and other formal education institutions for support provided through Academic Volunteers International (Empire State College was cited as an example which already recognize work on OERu as recognised community service contributions);
    •    Students who participate in community service learning courses where course credit is provided for OERu service hours.
    •    Students studying education could be required to provide e-moderation services as part of their official course assignment(s) for credit within existing education courses.
    •    OERu senior students could qualify for rebates or discounts on assessment and credential services from OERu anchor partners in return for providing support through Academic Volunteers International.
    •    Professional bodies could consider Academic Volunteers International as an option for retaining membership.
    •    Corporate citizenship models could be designed for businesses to donate staff time to Academic Volunteers International.
    •    Existing open communities who work in the open education and other related areas.
    •   Government employees who have been tasked to develop policy using a participatory approach.i.e. develop their e-moderation skills. - Simon
    •   National or international funding bodies who are tasked with coordinating international activities. - Simon

Any other suggestions from the SCoPe community to add to the list?

How do we attract / recruit them?
- advertise on the forums and lists that serve open education communities...wikieducator, connexions, opencollegetextbooks, wikipedia?, etc. (create a list of these communities) -Alison
- advertisement to communicate clerly what is expected from the AVIs ( different roles - areas of support)," joining" process...accounts, available/required training, etc- Alison How can we reword them?

What is the 'type (s) of recognition that the volunteers feel is valuable and might help increase the number of volunteers and help us keep them? (as Ellen has pointed out).


Suggestions so far:

- some kind of credit which shows the kind of work and effort they provide to the OERu - Simon
- meaningful incentives and community kudos recognition, number of contributions, budges besed on WikiEducator's Wikimaster typology -- a community based competency model where badges are displayed on user pages after demonstrating a particular level of competence - Wayne
- OER learner feedback / rating of services offered by AVIs into the framework - Irwin, Vasi, Simon, Wayne, Ellen
- a volunteer of the month recognition - Joyce
- some form of ..) TOKENS / Points which can be ‘cashed in’ towards fee applicable services. For example an ‘accrediting organisation’ could offer to except X number of TOKENS / Points towards or in exchange for their assessment services - Kathleen
- something of more practical use, like a skills exchange -Mary
- ‘feel good’ warm fuzzies .. http://www.wooboard.com/  acknowledge different activities / contributions - Kathleen

- the facility to issue formal experience or performance certificates to the AVIs - Anil, Simon (build into the self governing structure of the AVI framework / community)

Looking forward to you suggestios and contributions

 

Vasi and Wayne

Let’s get started with some suggested headings and subheadings for the AVI framework proposal. Wayne has set up the space on wikieducator http://wikieducator.org/OER_university/Planning/AVI_Framework_proposal  but if you feel more comfortable you can post them here.

Your suggestions will give us a good structure to develop the proposal.

Executive summary

1. Background / introduction

1.1. OERu logic model

1.2. OERu pilot 2012

1.3.

2. AVI framework

2.1. AVI roles

3.

Vasi and Wayne

Big thanks everyone for your valuable ideas and contributions so far.

In this tread we can continue the focused discussion on the role (s) of AVIs that emerged from the initial feedback and / discussion.

It was suggested that AVIs are a resource that a learner could contact before, during and after beginning a course of studies, throughout the learning lifecycle - Don and Wayne

Main categories/ types of support:

Specialists providing:
- subject / content specific advice = equivalent to academic tutors (provide clarification in areas where a student might not completely understand a concept/ subject specific) - Ellen and Wayne
- special support for disabled students - E.A. Draffan

- non-native English speaking students ( writing, listening to lectures, participating in academic seminars/presentations and effective reading strategies in the particular content area the student is studying) - Alannah

Generalists providing:
- non course specific advice ( general questions on how to enroll as OERu learner, or how to use the AVI system, or support on digital literacies, personal online orientation, clarification on how they would seek credentialing) Joyce, Ellen, Anil  and Wayne
- learning support ( help students set up a method for the collection of artifacts of learning for assessment , encouraging students to collect and reflect on their learning - Ellen, Joyce and Anil

- facilitating online gorups and group work - Nick Bowskill

Are there any other types of support needed? Which category do you see them fall into ( or do they need a  new category)?

Please reply to this thread to continue the discussion that will help us identify what kind of support will be needed and critical for OER learners to succeed in particular at the initial stages ( year 1 and 2 level of University study). We hope as a result from the contributions to be able to define the AVI role(s) and provide some frame of reference what are the expectations that will be communicated at recruitment stage so AVIs can self select the right role for them.

We really appreciate your help and support.

Vasi and Wayne