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OTL 301- post 6 – wrapping things up.

This course was an effective review of the COI framework and an opportunity for me to critically reflect on some of my teaching practices, but also, what I have learned and experienced as good, and bad, teaching/instructional practices in online environments. Based on the fact that I was very familiar with the COI framework and associated research, I did not experience have much shift in my thinking on this material. I think and feel there are some positive aspects, and especially for learners in these courses that may never have been exposed to the COI framework

Similarly, the WordPress platform is something I am familiar with. It can be an effective platform for this type of delivery. I was also able to read and interact with past and current learners. This is also one of the tools that I may consider in future learning opportunities. I have utilized it in the past to post a developed curriculum, as well as support the community engagement that occurred to develop the course.

The more effective learning strategies within this series of courses, for me, were the ones that encouraged and facilitated self-reflection. There are simply not enough courses that facilitate critical self reflection within one’s own professional practice – in this case instructing/teaching/facilitating online.

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OTL 301 – post 5

  • Did you engage in each of the phases of the critical inquiry process?

I would answer, somewhat, to this question. There are certainly some phases that are more represented than others.

  • Were you able to resolve any problems or dilemmas?

I didn’t face much for dilemmas, other than the fact that my research and education pathway has resulted in some skepticism of the research papers and research results within this field.

  • What might you do differently in a future course?

There isn’t anything in particular that I can think of in this particular course. The dynamics (personal and within each course) are different. Courses also have different proposed outcomes and needs.

  • How might you engage with your students to ensure that they are working through the entire inquiry process?

There are a variety of ways in which students can be engaged. In an online course this can included through the course platform itself – e.g. discussion posts. Then there are options for email, as well as social media. There is also the option for phone calls, or video calls (e.g. Skype). All of these can assist in facilitating students through the entire inquiry process.

  • Do you think that working through this course in an open platform like WordPress helps to encourage reflective learning

Somewhat, yes. I would imagine for some learners engaging in this course there may be a large learning curve in navigating WordPress. Fortunately, I had quite a bit of familiarity with the program/platform so did not struggle with it. I did learn through the most recent process, a part of WordPress that I did not know.

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OTL 301 post 4

I have a colleague who teaches a combination of online and face-to-face courses. She teaches within a Masters of Counselling program, with a specialization in Art Therapy. I was quite curious to learn more about how online courses are conducted in a profession requiring much face-to-face daily work. She shared that this is a conversation that comes up regularly in their course work, which is both synchronous and asynchronous.

She is quite familiar with the COI framework and has had discussions with the authors of the book/theory. Similar to my own thoughts, she shared that the principles of COI are not complex, however, not always simple to enact in day-to-day practice. She shared that considering the professional area she is instructing in, creating open, honest, and safe climates for discussion is critical.

We also discussed the theory within online education research suggesting that there is ‘no significant difference’ between the outcomes in online and in-person learning. Both of us have conducted much of our education online and tend to disagree with this notion. There are differences between the two delivery methods, and we have both experienced differences in our own learning outcomes – especially when it comes to the principle of self-direction and motivation.

We also share some skepticism with components of the COI framework and wonder why and how some of the principles are not all that different than ‘good instructing’ in a classroom environment? We were also curious about the link between the COI framework and much of the research and work currently being done on open educational resources and how that might affect our field. This, along with continued growth of Massive Open Online courses (MOOCs).

Lastly, we also discussed the notions of ‘netiquette’ and how many courses have various guidelines for ‘forum’ postings – e.g. a limit of 350 words. Then the all-to-common practice of learners simply responding to posts with “I couldn’t agree more…” or “I really appreciate your post…” – and the result is that there is not a lot of critical engagement or inquiry into the materials, or into critical reflection on practice. This combined with some institutions offering online education starting to appear as if they are mere credential-mills.

These are a few of the challenges this field will need to continue to engage in and reflect upon.

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OTL 301 – post 3

In my professional work on a day-to-day basis, I work with a team that is building learning modules focusses on ‘cultural safety in healthcare’. In 2015, all the health authorities in BC (including the newly formed First Nations Health Authority- FNHA) and the Ministry of Health signed the Declaration of Commitment to Cultural Safety and Cultural Humility in BC Healthcare services.

Designing learning opportunities and outcomes has been an interesting process. For example, here are two and associated activities.

  1. Learners will develop an understanding of the their own views of the term “culture”.
  2. Learners will be able to define the term ‘cultural safety’.

The first activity we engage in is having students write down on a sticky note, or in an electronic environment on a platform, what their definition of ‘culture’ includes. We then read through them.

The next part of the activity includes an introduction to the ‘cultural iceberg‘.  The final part of the exercise is organizing posts onto the cultural iceberg and seeing what is missing, and where the majority of posts were located on the iceberg.

The exercise for cultural safety then includes sharing an appreciation for how diverse and wide ‘culture’ is as a term and how can practitioners ensure their practices are cultural safe and respectful.

This is highlighted through the two basic principles of cultural safety: (1) its basis lies in critical self-reflection of practitioners, and (2) cultural safety is determined by clients/patients in healthcare, not the practitioners.

This is then discussed through the principles of dialogue circles, such as those highlighted by critical educator Dr. Stephen Brookfield.

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OTL 301 – post 2

 

My view of effective practice has not changed much as I’ve moved through this material. Having studied at Athabasca U. for both a Masters and now a doctorate degree I have been exposed to the COI framework on multiple occasions and have taken courses with some of the theorists attached to it.  I feel that my approach to teaching (online, blended and/or in-person) is guided by various aspects and principles of the COI framework. However, I also have a few arguments with this theoretical standpoint.

Some of the basic principles such as open, honest communication to build trust seem to be principles that can work in many different scenarios.

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OTL 301 Post 1 – experience

 

Several decades of online course experience have led to many positive, and many, not so positive experiences. I would suggest a grouping of positive experiences as instructor engagement and a feeling that they are to assist in achieving/facilitating student success and learning. The not-so-positive experiences are related more to a feeling that instructors were simply putting in their time.

Respectful and interested engagement with learners seems to be a pretty darn effective practice. This can cross various boundaries such as cultures, genders, ages, or otherwise. Generally, what I have tried to engage in to improve my experiences is to engage in respectful feedback processes. Pointing out where I feel shortfalls have been in course design, facilitation, engagement, or evaluation.

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OTL 201- Post 5

 

Much of the concepts that impact my thoughts on student engagements and retention, come more from my decades of experience in online education as a student, facilitator/instructor and curriculum development. My first online/distance course, I completed in 2004/05. My Bachelor degree was completed largely at TRU-OL. My Masters degree was completed entirely online at Athabasca U. I’m now currently completing a doctorate degree in Education, specializing in online education and educational technology.

Through these many courses I’ve seen good strategies, and many not so good strategies. Effective engagement becomes a combination of instructor strategies and student learning styles. There is no one blanket policy that will work for every situation. Considering this in light of the rapid expansion of international student programs also has an impact on this.

I still have quite a few questions regarding what the role of a faculty member is in student retention. I understand the important role of an instructor in engagement with students; however, the role of faculty in retention seems to raise a few ethical questions – e.g. marking and evaluation of students.

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OTL 201 _ Post 3

The learning Activity Portfolio.

I regularly draw on some of the work of critical educator Dr. Stephen Brookfield.  He has a wealth of resources on his website and many published books.

He has an activity developed and adapted from other educators called “Chalk Talk”. It is lesson 13 in this linked PDF.  This exercise can be adapted to online courses.

Another resource I’ve utilized is the “Helping Adults Learn” resource.

And an excellent paper about “Teaching our own racism“