The Impact of Open Source

 I would like to reflect on what I have learned this week about designing distance learning instruction and Internet-based distance learning by considering how the concepts and ideas presented this week are reflected in the course.   I would like to review the Open Course Websites:  Massachusetts Institute of Technology Open Course: A free and open educational resource for educators, students, and self-learners around the world. http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm.  Specifically, I would like to take a look at MAS.712 How to Learn (Almost) Anything. http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/media-arts-and-sciences/mas-712-how-to-learn-almost-anything-spring-2001/syllabus/

Resnick, Mitchel, and Bakhtiar Mikhak. MAS.712 How to Learn (Almost) Anything,Spring 2001. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare), http://ocw.mit.edu (Accessed 09 Jun, 2013). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Here is course overview from the site:

“Course Overview

The digital revolution is both necessitating and facilitating radical changes in how and what we learn. To flourish in today's rapidly changing world, people must continue to learn all the time: throughout the day, throughout their lives. At the same time, new technologies make possible new approaches to learning, new contexts for learning, new tools to support learning, and new ideas of what can be learned.

In this course, we will be exploring new opportunities for learning in the digital age, with special focus on what can be learned through immersive, hands-on activities. Students will participate in (and reflect on) a variety of learning situations, including: learning from a friend, teaching something to a friend, participating in a several-hour workshop, and learning on your own. As a final project, students will develop new workshops (using Media Lab technologies), iteratively run and refine the workshops, and analyze how and what the workshop participants learn” (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare).

In reflecting upon our course readings, I would like to answer the following questions:

       Does the course appear to be carefully pre-planned and designed for a distance learning environment? How so?

            “It is essential that the instructor take time to plan and organize the learning experience when engaged in teaching at a distance.  The Instructional design process provides the framework for planning. Instruction the students should be engaged, and the instructor should be satisfied.  Planning makes the difference in a successful learning environment” (Simonson, 2012, p. 188).  This course appears to be carefully pre-planned and designed for a distance learning environment in that it is clearly laid out with course description, and simple navigation buttons with the headings of:  Syllabus, Calendar, Readings, Projects, and Download Course Materials.  The components of a course management system, according to Simonson et al, should contain the following: Course Management, Readings, Content Presentation, Course Communications, Group Project Space, Student Assessment, Digital Drop-Box for Assignment Submission, Course Evaluation Tools, and Course and System Statistics (Simonson, 2012, pp. 184-185).   This course contains all aspects of being carefully pre-planned and designed for a distance learning environment.

     

       Does the course follow the recommendations for online instruction as listed in your course textbook?

In the “BEST PRACTICES IN COURSE DESIGN FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION” section of our course textbook, Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education, found on page 179: “Graham, Cagiltay, Lim, and Duffy (2001) offered seven lessons for online instruction: 1. Instruction should provide clear guidelines for the interaction with students. 2. Well-designed discussion assignments facilitate meaningful cooperation among students.  3. Students should present course projects.  4.  Instructors need to provide two types of feedback: information feedback and acknowledgement feedback.  5.  Online courses need deadlines.  6.  Challenging tasks, sample cases, and praise for quality work communicate high expectations.  7. Allowing students to choose projects incorporates diverse views into online courses.  (http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show+article&id=839)”. As you look over the website for this course, you will find that each of the seven lessons for online instruction are satisfied.

       Did the course designer implement course activities that maximize active learning for the students?

Looking back at the course review tells us about the learning activities of this course:

“In this course, we will be exploring new opportunities for learning in the digital age, with special focus on what can be learned through immersive, hands-on activities. Students will participate in (and reflect on) a variety of learning situations, including: learning from a friend, teaching something to a friend, participating in a several-hour workshop, and learning on your own. As a final project, students will develop new workshops (using Media Lab technologies), iteratively run and refine the workshops, and analyze how and what the workshop participants learn” (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare).

So in summation the students will engage in course activities that maximize active learning such as:

·        “Learning from a friend.

·        Teaching something to a friend.

·        Participating in a several-hour workshop.

·         Learning on your own.

·        As a final project, students will develop new workshops (using Media Lab technologies).

·         Iteratively run and refine the workshops.

·        Analyze how and what the workshop participants learn” (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare).

References

Charles Graham, Kursat Cagiltay, Byung-Ro Lim, Joni Craner, and Thomas M. Duffy "Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses" The Technology Source, March/April 2001. Available online at http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=1034.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Open Course: A free and open educational resource for educators, students, and self-learners around the world.http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

Resnick, Mitchel, and Bakhtiar Mikhak. MAS.712 How to Learn (Almost) Anything,Spring 2001. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare), http://ocw.mit.edu (Accessed 09 Jun, 2013). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.