A really interesting video (using the beautiful RSA Animate style), which takes Sir Ken Robinson, arguing that the education system is no longer suitable for the modern day:
The video was suggested by Clare Killen at the #jiscel11 conference.
Tag: #jiscel11
Below is a repost of a guest blog post that I did for ‘Letters from the Edge’ for the JISC Online Conference:
A theme that has already emerged in at the conference is one of the importance of the language that we’re using. The following themes have already appeared either in the chat themes, or emerged in my head after particular sessions:
- Should we be using the term ‘digital literacies’?
- Should we name sessions ‘technology for the terrified’ or ‘social media for the scared’ or does that reinforce the notion that it’s something to be scared of?
- Should we use the term ‘assessment’, or ‘learning opportunities’?
- Is there an overabundance of acronyms and ‘inside terminology’?
I’m fascinated by name origins, contextual and historical meanings, but I am also disturbed when the terminology gets in the way of achieving the aims. Ronseal has done us all a favour with ‘does what it says on the tin’, although many of us still work within a culture in which we use increasingly complex names.
What’s in a Name?
Recently, we have been discussing renaming my role from ‘Blended Learning Fellow’ (a term that appears to have dropped out of favour), and replacing it with ‘Technology Enhanced Learning Fellow’. The new name seems to be more meaningful in the current day, and more clarity for staff as to what my role is, but does this draw attention to the technology, when our concern is more with pedagogy. Noticeably the Plymouth E-Learning Conference is being renamed this year, I think to Excellence in Learning – the means of doing so is important, but although many attending will be learning technologies, ‘electronic-learning’ is not the focus.
Acronyms Ahoy
The LTDU (Learning and Teaching Development Unit) has become renowned for coming up with some decent acronyms, most recently our newsletter ‘LATTE’ (Learning and Teaching Transforming Education). Branding this was important, but first we had to be clear on the purpose of the newsletter: not only to highlight what the Unit itself was doing, but, moreimportantly, to highlight learning and teaching activities across the campus.
Social Media for the Scared
We had a good debate about this alongside the ‘Students as Agents of Change’ session, with the notion that ‘Technology for the Terrified’ reinforces the idea that technology is at the heart of what we’re doing, and is something to be scared of. I, however, run sessions called ‘Social Media for the Scared’ for those in the CofE, with a session outline clearly defining that by the end of the session social media should have been de-mystified, and fear should no longer have a place. It gets a lot of takers, and seems to do its job… now to do the same within the university setting.
The Bigger Questions
So, from the conference, two of the bigger questions that have emerged is about the terminology of ‘digital literacies’, and of ‘assessment’, two questions that are being considered within JISC-funded projects that I am working on at the University of Winchester, one with ODHE, and the other with University of Bath Spa, named FASTECH (another great acronym: Feedback and Assessment for Students with Technology).
So, how much thought do we put into the terminology we use? We need to ensure that we are helping communicate a clear message, but we also don’t want to get so bogged down in discussing the terminology, that we take no further action. What terminology do you find/see to be a stumbling block?
A new style of information from the JISC Annual online conference – these are fascinating (I’m hoping I can find Day 4 somewhere, at some point), and sum up what was once again an excellent conference:
If you were at the conference, discussions are now closed, but material is available to read/engage with until 31st December, and we need to give feedback to ensure that the event can continue.
Live notes from the session (italics my thoughts, rest my notes):
The danger of so much jargon in the world. I end up in 2 minds about this – sometimes it’s a shorthand that works for the community, but sometimes it excludes people.
Simon Cowell – how do we define his success – the amount of money he makes or the number of people he helps? In terms of education – how do we describe ‘success’ or learning.
University design – design for the person who will find it most difficult to use – in doing so – make it better for all.
Come up with an agreed definition of learning, so that we can all work towards making the experience great for all.
If struggling, it’s much nicer to struggle with someone else … the challenge of collaboration. But in HE still v much ineffective, and not real collaboration.
The danger of long-term plans. Incredibly hard for professionals to do, how can educationalists necessarily do this.
Look at what we want to say, to whom, and what do we want back from that person/what will that look like?
Team, do things together, networked gaming… people like to do things together. Facebook constructing knowledge with each other. People like them so engage, so they work…
Terry McAndrew: Academic collaboration with digital solutions in ‘spaces’ and networks can be recognised as good examples of scholarship with up-to-date educational practice under the new UKPSF http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ukpsf. This is open to being informed by the informal networks and ‘grey literature’ as well as published resources. IMHO It just needs to be made explicit to help institutions develop Open Educational Practice recognition.
Twitter a mix between a collaborative space, but also a publishing space – bridges the gap…
With 4000 creative ideas put forward – 1% succeed, and the ones that succeed have to fail a lot oftimes to reach that point…
Rather than being problem solvers, look at being the problem finders.
Less than 1% of the population take a PhD. Most people have 17 years of formal education before being asked to solve problems – those who have greatest ‘success’ tend to be those who can do this.
Parents, teacher and students have all been taught that way – so not exposed to problems.
When go into the ‘real world’ – spend a lot of time ‘un-educating’ youth from prestigious schools so as to become more creative.
Feedback – tends to vary by educators. Many times the educator is doing all the learning – and that has to stop. How do we remove barriers and hand over the process of learning to the students.
We imagined something different and we made it happen.
Combination of techniques allows people to be able to express what wanted to say.
Trust the children to go in the right direction, and give them a little guidance. Far less structure than we get now. Definitely think we over-structure – leads to spoonfeeding & lack of responsibility.
Can HE institutions ever give up control of learning and will they survive if so…
When, as educators, do we know when it’s time to lead, and when it’s timet o get out of the way …
Educators – be prepared to ‘meddle’ in education. Does that sound too idealist? Should not say ‘pah, idealist’ – we need to try…
Take evidence from their situation and shape it… and that’s hard work.
The feedback from events – say that when you let go of learning – the proof is in the pudding … Let the students take control.
Terry McAndrew: I’m begining to feel that the elephant in the room is management expectations of ‘good teaching’. If those in charge of our metrics can be given means to quickly capture these innovative successes then we may have better allies.
Sally Graham #2: @Mark R ‘The difficulty lies not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones’ John Maynard Keynes
What personally are you going to do after this week full of information. We want to be dreamers…
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Great video #JISCEL11 (via @jamesclay)
A really inspiring video which echoes much of what I end up saying (wonder if I could sneak this into my Soc Med for Scared courses… makes a chance from ‘Guess the date of the quote’ – which usually sounds like something people say about social media, but was about e.g. the printing press or the telephone!):