The online TRIO Project: Learning and Teaching Experiences with Web2.0 Rita Kop and Emrys Jenkins

– Key themes Background to the project Educational aims and objectives How did we think we could achieve these? The Student experience The tutor experience

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– Learning Environment – Learning Place

Rita Kop and Emrys Jenkins The new ‘places’?

and Learning technology and ‘Connectivism’ Personal Learning Environment

‘ Rita Kop and Emrys Jenkins Groups – Networks – Collectives Presence

– Communication in online learning Communication in online learning ‘ Communication is the most important aspect in making people what they are: ‘mind, consciousness, thinking, subjectivity, meaning, intelligence, language, rationality, logic, inference and truth- all of these things that philosophers over the centuries have considered to be part of the natural ‘make-up’ of human beings – only come into existence through and as result of communication’. Biesta, analysing Dewey(2006, p17-19)

Rita Kop and Emrys Jenkins ‘Technology by definition is anything that does not yet work’ Doug Adams

‘ Emrys Jenkins and Rita Kop About design ‘Our “audiences” aren’t audiences at all, but rather creators, and our job is not to lecture but to enable. With this new approach comes not only design challenges but the joy of reconnecting people to each other’. Michael Wesch, as discussed on Nathan Shedroff’s website, 2009

Emrys Jenkins and Rita Kop The TRIO Project

Rita Kop and Emrys Jenkins ‘ It is like talking to other people about things; it gives that possibility but if you just want to read the material and back up yourself somewhere else you can do that as well. It leaves a balance in your control which is a good thing.’ ‘It would be easier for me to handle things face to face because that is where I am coming from and that is what I have done all my life, but I think we are in a different world now and the new learners coming through should learn to learn this way.’ ‘ About critical thinking: If I wasn’t doing this module, with the tutor, would I even be thinking about critical thinking? Or would I just do what I have done before: ‘I think this is right’ without looking at it more laterally?’ The student voices

Emrys Jenkins and Rita Kop Chat session It’s main function was to get people to engage socially, really, virtually socially. But experiencing that … I mean, I typed the words into the board and I was crying laughing. And if you’d said, ‘Oh you’ll be laughing doing that’ I’d have said ‘Don’t be ridiculous’. There’s something about it that’s really … Well, you’ve got to experience it I suppose. S1: my brain feels like the M25 at rush hour-this is brilliant! So many thoughts and adrenaline flowing – woo hoo!

Rita Kop and Emrys Jenkins A glimpse of one of the videos

Engaging learning place and Tutor presence Facilitated development of learner autonomy The use of video, wikis, chat and personal dialogue in the reflective journal created A stimulating context for learning Emrys Jenkins – Rita Kop Conclusions