Discursive Production

VANOC unveiled the gold, silver and bronze medals for both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Conceptually they’re the same design, delivered differently for each.

Concept

Corrine Hunt created two canvases upon which to build the design for the medals. Each canvas is a larger-scale modern interpretation of a West coast Aboriginal motif. Rather than having this canvas on every medal, each medal is pressed from a portion of the canvas. That means every medal will be distinct, even when comparing gold against gold. Here are the canvases:

Think of a sheet of dough and a cookie cutter. I think it’s brilliant!

Design

Next the design team wanted to integrate required elements the required elements (Olympic rings, emblem of the Games, the official name of each Games in both English and French) in different wants. They’re all slightly offset when compared to most other medals. They wanted to integrate the topography of coastal British Columbia and its hilly and mountainous terrain.

Anyway, without further adieu…

Olympic medals:                                             Paralympic medals:

If you’ve not yet guessed, I love them! Thoughts?

Today VANOC revealed the workforce (including volunteers, paid staff, contractors, but not technical officials) uniforms for the 2010 Games

My reaction? I *love* them!  But I suspect I’m gonna be stuck with the city (generic) pants rather than the kewl mountain version (my job is handing out the uniforms…in the city.  🙁

Take a look!

Jacket, fleece vest, 2 long sleeve microfibre tshirts, toque, and pants:

And the pattern in the fabric:

Tomorrow the medals are revealed!!!!!

While I don’t spend an inordinate amount of time in online chats, there have been times where it would’ve been nice to use my webcam with more than one application simultaneously. The most common example is wanting to use Skype on a voice conference call (microphone muted to cover my tapety-tap-tap) and an instant messenger chat with someone else.

So when I discovered ManyCam, I was pretty chuffed. ManyCam creates virtual webcams so multiple applications can use the same camera simultaneously. It even supports multiple real webcams, so I can switch between my Mac’s built-in iSight and the external Firewire one I bought years ago. Which, by the way, still is the best webcam I’ve ever used in terms of picture quality and flexibility.

When Snow Leopard came out, the Mac version of ManyCam no longer worked. But as of this past weekend it’s been updated. There are Windows and Mac versions; no Linux.

UBC’s moving to a new wiki environment, so the eLearning tool kit from ETEC 565 has a new home.

You’ll find it here.

As with its original home, please don’t make any substantive edits–drop me a note (john dot egan attt ubc dot com) first. There are some specific reasons why it’s set up in certain ways.

We live in a world that values stories, yet gives more credibility to statistics. This is not my preference; it is my experience. Government, in particular, likes information bundled in consumable, numeric bundles. Some pretty graphics help too.

One of the side effects of this is a discursive skew towards positivistic language when working within a qualitative (rather than quantitative) research paradigm. In fact, a surprising amount of the qualitative research that is published couches its findings using this sort of (ostensibly) scientific language, presumedly to give the results more credibility.

Though in fact, the opposite can result, particularly among those who understand the difference. About 87 per cent of the time, 19 times out of 20.   😉

Paradigmatic

Social research falls into two broad paradigms: quantitative research (using statistical analyses) and qualitative research (using narrative accounts. Stories, in other words. To drill down a bit deeper, quantative research falls into two common categories: correlational design (examining relationships between many variables, usually collected via surveys) or quasi-experimental design (testing hypotheses made prior to data collection in a quasi-controlled setting. Fore quantitative research findings to be considered reliable, the methodology has to be sound–and the sample size large.  These samples can be random (from an entire population…hard to do) or purposeful (as many persons as you can get from a population, but not random). The nature of the sample determines what statistical measures are valid. But once you’ve got your data, you click your computer to run your stats and get a very quick answer (well, it’s rarely that tidy, but that’s the gyst of it).

If anyone claims to be doing social research using an experimental design, they mean quasi-experimental: humans, unlike lab animals, cannot be raised in isolation from their peers in the pursuit of science. We are shaped by our surroundings: any claims to “control” say two “identical” classrooms in two “identical” schools are nonsense. We don’t leave our experiences in life at the door, they come with us. They are us.

Within qualitative research there is ethnography (observational field work and interviews), semi-structured interviewing, and action research (practitioners researching their own practices, individually or collectively). Sample sizes, in terms of conducting interviews, tend to be small. Interviewing is done until one starts getting either similar responses (saturation, or a convergence), for as long and as frequently as time and resources allow, or when it becomes clear saturation won’t happen. Qualitative date is analyzed iteratively and (ideally) collaboratively. Because of the relatively small sample size it’s important to triangulate one’s finding via one or more additional source. Interviewing experts in the field, or comparing census or public health data are ways to triangulate.

If one elects to combine correlational design and semi-structured interviewing it’s called mixed methods.

All social research is informed by solid research training; much of it is also informed by social theories (some call them “grand” theories) that endeavour to explain at a macro level how humans live. Some of the heavy hitters in social theory include Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Edward Said, Pierre Bourdieu, Max Weber, Judith Butler and Etienne Wenger.

Quant. Creep

Qualitative research endeavours to explain a local phenomenon, make sense of it, and use that analysis to advance our understanding of the human experience. Quantitative research examines precise aspects of human experience, looking for relationships–predictive ones–that help us understand the dynamics (personal, interpersonal, societal) that impact how we live our lives. When data are analyzed for a quantitative study, a research can make strong, generalizable claims from her findings. Qualitative researchers instead describe the context of the study and identify ways in which the finds might be transferable to other contexts.

Mass media, particularly advertising, muddies the waters even further. “Studies have shown,” four out of five dentists,” and “clinically proven” have become catch phrases rather than the precise language of research. How many studies? 80 per cent of dentists, or four out of the five you spoke to? In what sort of clinical setting, involving how many patients located at how many sites?  These phrases sound substantive. Impressive. Meaningful.

And hence the quantitative creep. We are socialized into believing these are the sorts of words one uses when we want to describe something as important. An action research study by five physical education teachers in a rural Canadian public school district could provide findings that are of value to many many PE teachers. But it’s not a study of all PE teachers or even a large sample of PE teachers. So it cannot tell us anything about “how PE teachers” in a general sense do, feel, or experience anything.

Seriously, it’s true. R=.92 p<.0001   😉

It’s not over ’til it’s over, but I can see ETEC 565 slowly setting on the horizon….

The first offering of any new course is at times a frustrating experience. There are always things that you thought you’d put in the materials (rather than in your own head), some activities work better than others, and there is always the cohort effect.  With 3 sections and around 70 students, all three of these things have come into play–big time. One thing I’ve tried to avoid saying is “b-b-b-b-but it’s a new course”. I think I have a couple of times though. Maybe twice.

For those in 565 who follow this blog (which is my work blog, not just for ETEC 565A: 1 bonus point to everyone who can name the social theorist from whose work the blog title is drawn), consider this entry a bonus. For those who see some value in it, I’d love to maintain contact as colleagues. I don’t emphasize that during classes–come on, get real, I am your instructor and there are power differentials–but I also don’t view you folks as “newbies” or “novices” or anything other than professionals. In this case, professionals who’ve elected to pursue graduate study.

So here are some of the ways I’ve managed the course and the rationale behind them. I don’t expect you’ll agree with all of them; that’s not the point. But none of the things I’ve required from you was for my convenience or meanness. Some, however, were based on a realistic and fair expectation that I be able to manage my time.

Et maintenant, on commence…

The central question in designing 565A was deceptively simple: if we were considering hiring someone who had a post-graduate qualification in educational technology, what are the core competencies we would expect them to possess?  From this question we identified:

1. Systematic selection of technologies, informed by evidence and scholarship
2. A basic hands-on understanding of any commonly used technology
3. The ability to integrate these into purposeful educational design/curriculum development

Selection

With respect to #1, the scenarios upon which most of the discussions were based covered this; so too did the proposal for your LMS site and components of most of the e-portfolio assignments. Across the units, we integrated scenarios related to web design, LMS migration, digital video production, and  professional development. The contexts included  elementary education, secondary education, higher education, adult and community education. Sometimes the question required an answer; other times a question (or 3). But what they were all designed to was to foment discussion, link the readings to practice, and encourage you all to become a learning community. I purposely stayed out of these discussion unless there was a bit of a tangent, or to add a probing foll0w-up. But these weren’t designed to have me facilitate them: they were designed to allow you all to participate. Across 3 sections over 95% of you did so–consistently, substantively, and intelligently. And often entertainginly!

Application

In terms of technical competencies we would expect such a person who have hands-on experience with:

• Core LMS functionality
• Digital media: certainly digital images, but ideally digital audio and/or video
• Synchronous and asynchronous communication tools
• Web 2.0 technologies
• Strong project management skills

It’s rather obvious, then, how we developed the modules, units and course e-portfolio. Incrementally, we tried to create a process and space where these could be explored in a purposeful, semi-structured manner.

The eLearning tool kit was where you could to a significant extent determine which competencies were priorities for you: their activities were purposefully excluded from your assignments to keep stakes and anxiety low for those who find learning new technologies daunting. Really we wanted folks to come away from a tool kit activity thinking “hey, that’s wasn’t bad at all!” At least.

For the sake of fairness and transparency, though, the assignments did have more specific requirements–and almost always required you to move beyond the skills covered in the tool kit activities. The screencasts and live classroooms were offered as value-added. Striking a balance between offering a reasonable amount of support and requiring learners to take–and keep–responsibility for their learning isn’t easy and is never perfectly done. But in terms of how we hoped these things would unfold, we received very few surprises.

Design

Finally, as the course comes to a close you have to complete any outstanding LMS site components and reflect on your overall experience. Everything we’ve offered you here–literature, skills, a learning community–are all supposed to support your educational design work. The value of any of these things as a stand-alone can be quite high…but their cumulative value, when applied to purposeful curriculum or programme development work, can be enormous.

Me

As for my own practice, I learned a number of things. First, while things like assessment rubrics are helpful, it’s important to message that offering these things up front does not mean all work should be approached in a fill-in-the-blanks manner. As well, requiring work to be submitted in very specific ways is both fair and necessary in managing assessment: had more folks followed directions, my goal of a one week turn-around (so far so good) would’ve been much more easily attained. And, while the front end workload of designing a course that not only comprehensively addresses these principles but also implements/reflect them is huge, the payoff for everyone is even bigger.

Oh, and that teaching 3 sections, managing your full-time job and taking 3 courses (tuition waiver; thought it might be fun) is just nutty.

Thanks. It’s been an honor–and almost always a blast!

Can be viewed here.

I chose Prezi both for its presentation capabilities and the learning styles it integrates. Prezi presentations fairly leap off the screen, with their rapid and spinny transitions. The ability to position graphics at different angles and using different sizes also makes the more static look of PowerPoint look antiquated. In short, the end product looks very contemporary, very slick.

Pedagogically, visual learners will find a Prezi compelling and easily consumable. Folks who work better in text-mediated environments can choose to advane the presentation more quickly or more slowly, as they see fit. And the act of clicking forwards and backwards adds a bit of a kinesthetic element to the consumption experience. There are ways to embed audio and video, but I found the learning curve for images and text challenging enough: perhaps next time!

My approach to teaching and learning often is compartmentalized. Some courses are focused on literatures and theories and I tend to use narrative approaches widely (if not predominantly) there. In other courses skills building–be it educational technology or research methods–are the focus: in those courses I tend not to use narrative. However these are more trends–think largely or usually, rather than absolutely.

As an instructor I often require students to bring bits of themselves into their work. This is rooted in a belief that who we are informs what we do…and that we need to acknowledge and interrogate our positions to better see where our inclinations (biases?) lie.

It seems only fair that I bring more of me–not merely the bits transparently relevant to the course or subject area–into the course as well. However that feels a bit *weird* and omphaloskepsic. In putting together this wee narrative of my own educational trajectory, I feel somewhat more comfortable sharing this with students.

Somewhat.

Mostly for my ETEC 565A peeps….

For the first 10 days (or so) of July we were hosting a workshop for some guests from the KFUPM, Saudi Arabia’s most prestigious-and only English-medium–university. They offer an increasing number of blended/mixed mode/hybrid courses. An engaging, clever and well-spirited group of men.

I delivered 4 workshops over that period:

• Determining goals and objectives
• Learning theory
• Active student learning
• Assessment and evaluation

The active student learning session was partially delivered via Wimba Live Classroom, to get folks to see how synchronous online learning can be delivered via stable, media-rich platform. Overall our team delivered about a dozen such sessions. Our excellent, excellent team.

I enjoy working with colleagues on things like this: I’m a big believer in creating communities of practice. My practice is enriched and I never tire of meeting new interesting people. It was an intense week, in a term where I’m already over-committed. But it all worked out in the end.

I also shipped off a conference paper regarding our development experience with ETEC 565A. It will be peer reviewed and then hopefully accepted here. I’ll hold off on making travel arrangements until then, though the trip’s already approved.

This has been–is–an intense summer: teaching a new course, taking 3 courses (1 is a 1 year print-based distance course though), getting two new courses up to speed…a lot on my plate. I was working this hard last summer, except in that context I got paid a lot less, received no support from leadership, and felt set up for failure.

This is all the oppposite of that, in every respect.

All work and no play makes John…well…truculent, lethargic and snarky.  I’m one of those strange people who gains weight in the summer, then loses it all come winter time.  Every season I get a limited pass for Cypress Mountain, but for the upcoming season things are different, in no small part due to Cypress’s role as the competition venue for Snowboard and Freestyle Skiiing at the XXI Olympic Winter Games next February.

In terms of mountain operations:

• Entire mountain (alpine, cross country, tubing) closed 01 Feb-07 March.
• Roughly 40% of the alpine area closed starting sometime in December.
• 2 of 3 major parking lots closed beginning in January

Because of this, Cypress is selling its passes next year at bargain rates. For adults the options are:

• Unlimited (downhill, cross country, snowshoeing and tubing) $299 + tax
• Alpine (downhill)  $259 + tax
• Nordic (cross country snowshoeing and tubing) $174 + tax
• Cross country $154 + tax

For 45$ extra I went for the Unlimited, since I go cross country skiing a few times a month.

FYI, here are the prices for lift tickets for 2008/2009 (assume they might stay the same):

• $56  Alpine Day (Open-Close)
• $45 Alpine Evening (4pm-Close)
• $36 Alpine Night owl (7pm-Close)
• $17 Nordic Day (Open-Close)
• $14 Nordic Evening (3pm-Close)

More info can be found here.

YouTube – CBC Opening / Closing 2000.

Word over the ether that I am now officially confirmed as a member of Team 2010. Again.

I’ve been a huge fan of the Olympic Games since childhood. In fact, after the 1994 Games in Lillehammer I published an op-ed in the Province proposing a joint bid for Vancouver Whistler (still waiting for my seat on the Board of Directors on that one), and watched the bid announcement live over the ‘net at 01h30 Sydney time back in 03. I’ve always dreamed of attending the Games and soon I’d be able to attend them in my own community.

Fast forward to 2007 and I’m working at UBC, on a self-created (grant funded) job. Grant is running out on Halloween, and there’s nothing on the horizon at the Ube. But largely due to my Olympic fanaticism I’ve been keeping an eye on the job boards at Vanoc. And wouldn’t you know it: a job that I’m totally qualified for appears.

I applied, and got that gig (Training Specialist). You can thank me for all the awesome things volunteers experience during their training….all the bad stuff someone else did. I got to work on some really great stuff, but also encountered a few things that were causing me to lose my love of the Games. So I decided I would need to move on…and again, a job that suits me–better, in fact–appears on the UBC job board. In the unit I had targetted for my post-Olympics job search. And the job is even better than I hoped.  🙂

When I resigned, several folks asked if I had planned on being a volunteer (I had), so I sort of had my pick of the gigs. I chose the team I’d most like to work with–all friends, all awesome people. I am a Team Lead, Uniform distribution. I start my role before Christmas, but also get much of my commitment out of the way before the Games themselves.

And I  get a kewl uniform.  🙂

Did you know there’s an iPhone app that allows you to post directly to your UBC Blogs blog?

Well now you do. But it’s a bit tricky to configure. And unless I get some comments here asking for details..

😉

We’re entering week 3 of the summer term–now is the fun part! From this week forward, my ETEC 565A students begin their work on their e-portfolios and working their way through the course’s eLearning tool kit.  Very exciting!!!

From time to time during the course I’ll create a screencast to assist with some aspect of technology use.  So far I’ve created two:

How to add your email address to your WebCT Vista profile, so Wimba Voicemail works

General Wimba tools Setup Wizard

Not entirely fascinating, but nothing is quite so frustrating as struggling with basic equipment setup.

Hey fellow Vancouverites–don’t forget the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games are a few short weeks after the Olympic–and tickets went on sale this morning.

Prices are much lower than the Olympic ones for most events. For UBC folk ice sledge hockey will be contested at the new and improved Thunderbird Arena, with gold medal game tickets only $50/each!

I got me:

• Ice sledge hockey gold medal match
• Wheelchair curling gold medal match
• Opening Ceremony nosebleed seats

These athletes are impressive and their sports great to watch!  Visit vancouver.com/tickets to place an order. Canada is very much a paralympic winter sports powerhouse–let’s support our teams on the road to gold!