A few final thoughts and suggestions …

As many of you have noted, this course has been quite a journey or ‘venture’ in itself. I did, however, find that my own participation came in ebbs and flows and fits and starts.  After some reflection, I think that the weblog platform and missed opportunities for further engagement could be improved.

When it comes to participation, the weblog platform, in my opinion, is the poorer cousin to an LMS platform. While I appreciate the value of creating an OER through a public space – I have to wonder if there is one  easier to navigate. I found myself often discouraged from engaging in further discussion as it was so time consuming to scroll through different threads and attempt to follow the flow of the discussion. I am not sure how to resolve this issue, but perhaps some clearer instructions at the beginning of the course as to how to tag more effectively and follow discussion threads. For example, this week, if each person had added their name as a tag to their A3 posts it would have been easier to locate our assigned ventures for evaluation simply by searching the tag.

As many others have already mentioned, I think that more interactivity could have been promoted to encourage a more active community of practice. Many of us who have been in the MET for a while have benefited from courses which encourage students to post assignments prior to due dates for peer feedback. Such activities give everyone the opportunity to see what others are doing and opportunities to give and receive feedback so that everyone has a greater opportunity to fulfill assignment requirements at the highest level possible. Opportunities for risk-free engagement in critical and constructive feedback and support can go a long way to increase participation and encourage and active learning community.

Finally, I have a personal suggestion in regards to course content. While I found the information provided early in the course under “Preparation” to be extremely succinct and helpful in completing my assignments I would have liked some more information on how to cost out a venture. When it came to ‘the ask’ in my Venture Pitch, I was at a loss and felt I did not have adequate knowledge to be specific in this particular section of my pitch. In reading the pitches and reflections of others, I don’t think I am alone in this.

All in all, I found myself much more engaged than I initially thought I would be. I was initially quite daunted by this course, but thought it would be a valuable one as I look to different directions for my career. I have never had a ‘head for business’, though I do believe I have some good ideas for how to improve education. While this course has taught me that it is important to understand the numbers as well as the ideas – it isn’t essential if you have a good team.

Thank you all for the great learning experience.

gillian

 

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