After reading through the many excellent posts from my peers in the Oak group this week, I write this knowing that many great questions have already been asked! Yet a post made by Mark in reply to Mo’s post sparked a new question in me, for Benoit: What is the goal of the long game?
Mark brought up the point that LMS continue to be widely used, and the case study is currently applicable – but for how long? I read the Porto (2015) and Spiro (2014) articles last, after completing readings for this and my other course, all of which have been about the viability of LMS or online teaching. So after all that, to read pieces that essentially broke down the traditional LMS – well it almost made me laugh, in a way. It became clear that in the long run, or in the ‘long game’ as I tend to think of it, Benoit is going to find himself on the other side of this project without much need for the results.
Previously asked questions regarding reliability, suitability, and ease of use are all excellent – but again I think I agree with the question of which has the best potential to evolve, as posed by Mark. If it looks likely that LMS as we know them are already in flux, perhaps due to what Coates, James & Baldwin (2005) describes as their tendency to create an “overly systematised compression of different disciplines and styles of learning” (p.31). But seeing as that article is 11 years old, the current LMS options are obviously still well-liked enough since then to have stuck around.
So to return to this week’s task of what to do for poor Benoit, out of the two options provided I would encourage him to go towards Moodle. Although he would have less tech. support through the school (which is apparently unreliable, anyway), it sounds to me like the best option for him to grab the bull by the horns and a) learn how to design web spaces more purposefully and b) create such a space that will be available outside for the students in the longer term, even if eventually it is not used in favour of something else. Considering Spiro’s list of what may herald the downfall of LMS in schools, Moodle seems to be the best compromise – it allows for the functionality of LMS for the school’s use, but will be open-share and thus not lose relevance (or accessibility) as the course closes. Although it may require more independent work on Benoit’s part at the start, it sounds to me like a greater investment in his own skills, as well – no more uploading content to FTP and then walking away, now is the time to get his hands a little dirtier with the creation of things. In terms of factors for the ‘long game’, I would say these would point him more in the direction of Moodle over Blackboard.
In regards to how long it might take him to approach this challenge given his 5 hour per week time allowance, I’m going to propose a longer time frame than many of my peers! If we say that he spends 1 hour per day learning Moodle, 40 hours – or an average North American work week – would span 8 weeks. Considering all that must go into the development of an online course, as Meghan beautifully outlined in her post (LMS learning time, content development, assessment, testing) – it would certainly be a lengthy process. Imagining he had 8 hours per day to develop this, I would hazard to outline the following:
- 2 days to learn Moodle
- 8 days to curate course content
- 5 days to design assessment
- 2 days to test the platform
That would look like 17 8 hour days, or 136 working hours. Considering he only has 5 hours per week to invest, if my math is right (and there is a VERY good chance it isn’t), Benoit would need approximately 27 weeks based on my timeline – about 6 months. This is certainly much higher than it is for many of my peers, but to be honest I would think requesting 6 months to develop a new course, from scratch, sounds quite reasonable! Then again I’ve never had to propose anything such as this before, so if anyone would like to comment, please do!
Hi Kate,
I’m glad you estimated a longer time frame. I agree that 6 months is a reasonable time frame. When I estimated my suggested time frame, I assumed Benoit would need to hurry, so I estimated low even though it did not line up with the data I had found.
I also like your call to action–a demand that Benoit get his hands dirty. Perhaps the best way to gain a skill is to just do it. I agree that Moodle seems like a great place to start for skill building and developing something that will be accessible in the long term. My only concern about Moodle (especially as I chose Moodle as my LMS for this course) is that, with all the open-source material, plug-ins, etc, a newbie could potentially get lost in the sea of choices. Blackboard Learn, as commercial software, seems to offer more structure, which may be appealing to someone using it for the first time (I know I was tempted…).
Hi Meghan – Oh good, I’m glad I’m not the only one who got sweaty palms at the idea of having an e-course up and running in 16 weeks. lol Hopefully we would indeed have a bit more time and not need to rush too much.
And I will admit, after my post I was like, “Well sh*t, now I need to sign up for the Moodle group”, ’cause I don’t know ANYTHING about it. So I’m in the same boat as you, strapped in and ready to wade through a new platform. I’ve done the same in the past, but sometimes with molasses-like slowness, so it’ll be new to try and get really good at something really fast. Well…fairly fast.
Hi Kate,
Your suggestion for Benoît to get “his hands dirty” made me think of the conversations that he have been having in our office lately. Actually it is an eternal conversation (from the invention of ed. tech and online teaching), but we re-visited it again. That is, what is expected from an educator? Is technology something that someone else would do, and the teacher would focus on teaching? Is it becoming a collaborative work rather than individual? Or, there is an expectation that teachers will learn a lot and even develop their course for online or blended learning on their own?
I know that all of you, MET students, are usually innovators and risk-takers, which is not necessarily true for all faculty members at the university. PD and learning about technology is often viewed as forced and additional workload that is not paid for. Instructors are content experts, not technology specialists. Where is the line? How much is too much?
Natasha
I’m happy to know that I’m not the only one either! I have never developed an online course. I’m both excited and nervous. I’ll be wading right beside you guys!
I know I’ve spent too much time on facebook when my first instinct is to look for the ‘like’ button.
….Like!
Hi Natasha – I can’t see a reply button for your post, so I hope you see this anyway! Your post helped me have a new perspective on the situation, and remind me that there are other teaching experiences different from mine – something I can be woefully poor at remembering.
In my career thus far, I’ve had to force myself to ‘get dirty’, with content AND technology, so it’s very much where my head is now. I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘content expert’, as you described instructors, because so often I’m thrust into courses that I’ve never taught before with little warning. So I’ve learned to switch the focus of my courses away from pure content and heavily into the skills related to social sciences – and that instead of pretending to be the sage on the stage, I use the curriculum content to be the guide from the side for my students, encouraging them to pursue their interests within the course’s content framework. I’ve certainly done a lot of work towards this end that I have not indeed been paid for, but I’ve tried to take it on as a learning experience.
Perhaps this is the difference between secondary and post-secondary educators – you are all, in fact, content experts, whereas I see myself as a jack of all trades instead, called on to do any number of things not usually the ‘job description’ of an English or Social Sciences teacher.
My retort to you, however, is this: Benoit may be a specialist in business writing, and his skills are of course important – but perhaps a new kind of ‘content’ specialization required of teachers is also technology and online skills. Otherwise, what stops his students from learning what they need about what he can teach online, or through free-ware courses? If his content expertise is being undermined through our information sharing culture, perhaps it is more important than ever that he knows how to keep up with the changing needs of his students. I’m not saying there is no place for experts and mentors – not at all – but I don’t know that instructors who are valued solely because of their expertise will hold the same weight as they once did, now that so much is available.
There is a LOT to be said for the right ‘sage’ on that stage, perhaps especially at the post-secondary level. And perhaps you’re right, why is this part of his job description when that isn’t what he originally signed up for? I don’t have the answer for that, but I wonder if instead of resisting that call for change, it would be better to push for recognition by the schools that if instructors’ roles are changing, so must their support, training, and compensation.
Excellent points, Kate! People often talk about generational differences, which I always took with a grain of salt, because I am not that young any longer and I am still learning. Actually, I am learning all the time. When I see younger instructors coming to the faculty, I have to admit, I see the difference. As you may remember from my introduction, I wear two hats: when I am not teaching, I am managing the unit that supports instructors like me. It has becoming easier to talk to the instructors, at least there is no need to convince them that some things are better,easier, more efficient with technology. The complaints come when there is a change, a new tool, or even worse, a new LMS. They would like to teach online, but I am not sure they are ready and willing to design their own course, as they would do it in the classroom.
I am fortunate enough to have a background that I have and my colleagues that can quickly help me, and it still took me hours and hours to get to the point where the course is now. Maybe it is more about recognition of the required time and effort than about the willingness.
Natasha
It sounds like you are acting as a vital bridge between the schools of practice, Natasha, between the whipper-snappers and the older teachers. I don’t doubt that you’ve invested many hours into this course, I know I do whenever I take on something new. I guess I’ve just never felt I had a choice, but I’ve been required to learn new systems more than once in my life. E-mail and the internet was thrust upon me starting in my early teens for example; I had no idea how to use a proper library to find journals prior to Uni; my students show up with devices that I need to know my way around; etc. I’ve been put into many positions, with technology, that have required me to adapt quickly over the years, I guess now it’s habit. I appreciate you bringing another point of view to this, as I obviously needed the reminder!
Kate,
Your comment about the difference between secondary and post-secondary educators got me thinking that they are completely the opposite. Secondary instructors are specialists in the art of teaching, not content. Post-secondary educators are content experts but lack education on teaching, unless they took it upon themselves to attend workshops or courses. I often wonder which situation is better. I’m stuck in the latter category and feel inadequate to teach my students, thus enrolled myself in this progam. I wonder how many of my peers feel the same?
Hi Mo – I really like that distinction, and I think you’re spot on. I wouldn’t say I’m a content expert at all, but all of my studies and personal endeavours have been around the skill of teaching. I don’t know which is ‘better’, but they’re different animals – and it’s why I know I’m not personally bothered in teaching post-secondary, despite working on this Masters. It sounds like you identified an area of growth and have attacked it, no doubt your teaching is benefitting hugely under that enthusiasm and skill!
Hey Kate,
I couldn’t agree more with your point about what a 21st century teacher looks like. The ability to use technology in a meaningful way is perhaps one of the greatest skills a teacher can have today. I came across this article this week and it speaks to this very idea. Being comfortable with and encouraging students to use technology in their learning is an important skill for a teacher. I have been involved in hiring two teachers over the past two years and when asked to prepare interview questions, mine focused on technology. No one expects to be an expert in everything, but I think we would agree that being willing to try new things with respect to teaching is a defining characteristic of a ‘good’ teacher.
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/01/9-fundamental-digital-skills-every.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+educatorstechnology%2FpDkK+%28Educational+Technology+and+Mobile+Learning%29
Thanks Kate,
I’ve just waded through the conversation to this point and I am left with a couple of thoughts. One is spurred by Natasha’s questions:
“what is expected from an educator? Is technology something that someone else would do, and the teacher would focus on teaching? Is it becoming a collaborative work rather than individual? Or, there is an expectation that teachers will learn a lot and even develop their course for online or blended learning on their own?”
I don’t think there can be a separation between the technology and the teaching; they are tied together as they significantly affect each other. The technology used affects both pedagogy and the students’ learning. The degree to which teachers take the reigns and develop their own course, or are involved with others in designing on-line or blended courses will of course vary according to the context. I could not envision not being significantly involved in the deign of a course if I was to teach it – but that may be more of a reflection of my own needs around autonomy and what I value as important or effective teaching practice.
On a distantly related note about teachers and the willingness to learn to use new technology, I am reminded that it was only about 10 years ago that I had a couple of colleagues who refused to learn to use any on-line marks program at the secondary school I worked at. They worked all students’ marks out by hand (and I’m not sure if/how they used any weighting systems other than the raw numbers). To these two teachers at the ends of their careers, there was no need to learn anymore than what they already knew and used. How things have changed even in the last 10 years.
Thanks,
Jo