Précis of Flight Path
It was interesting to revisit my flight path as the term comes to an end to see which goals I had set out to achieve and to what extent I was successful in meeting them.
In my flight path, I had placed articulated a strong desire to expand and build on the skills I already had, while acquiring new ones. Given my current job position as the Blackboard Connect support for the department of biology, I was familiar with using the LMS. However, there were many features I had yet had the opportunity to examine and wished to explore more in depth during the course. In addition, I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the possibilities, impacts and advantages of using technology in education.
Following the reading of Bates (2014) at the beginning of the term, there were many tools I wanted to explore in order to address various learning styles while engaging students by creating meaningful learning experiences. I was interested in learning more about social media and other ways to promote a sense of community and belonging in the course as well as encourage active participation. Technology can afford a myriad of methods to present educational materials, such as videos, text, digital storytelling, and audio, which I was eager to explore. Although excited to try new things, I also had hoped to learn how to recognize which tools would be better suited given a particular learning environment and be able to choose those most appropriate with the aim to support the learning objectives.
Overall ETEC 565 Experience
When I first began this program, ETEC 565 was one of the courses I was most excited to take, mostly because it focused on a hands-on approach to learn about different platforms and learning technologies. Already I find myself sharing what I have learned with my colleagues and trying new things within course sites, especially now that many instructors are beginning to use a “blended learning” approach. Furthermore, I feel as though this course has given me a sense of confidence in voicing my justification when deciding whether or not a technological tool should be used in a course site.
Prior to this course I had never used Twitter, nor had I ever created an e-portfolio, both of which turned out to be valuable experiences. Being able to use these tools as a student following the readings really brought to light some of their advantages when utilized properly. It’s one thing to read about the benefits, but being able to experience them as a student adds an additional perspective to their affordances.
Looking back at the goals I wanted to achieve in my flight path is a great way to help me reflect on the overall experience I have had in the course. Regardless of having previous experiences using an LMS, I believe this course has given me a more sophisticated and theoretical understanding of the role and possibilities of using technology in education and how best to utilize these tools. In my opinion, ETEC 565 is a great example of the effectiveness of scaffolding, as the complex final project was broken down into smaller, more manageable, assignments. Since the assignments and activities were well spaced out, it gave me sufficient time to reflect on the feedback and what I had learned as I progressed through the course.
LMS Rubric
This particular assignment was very interesting because it allowed me to see how choosing an LMS isn’t simply selecting the one that is cheapest or easiest to use. By having different case scenarios, I realized how the choice of LMS is dependent on many factors, which will inevitably differ depending on the criteria and needs of a particular institution. It brought to light just how different some LMSs are, and while it is unlikely to find the one that will meet all needs of the learners, instructors and the institution, a rubric can be useful in evaluating them prior to making a decision. I liked how this assignment prepared me for when we had to choose which LMS to use for our project.
Digital Story
The digital story was by far my favorite assignment of the course. I think what I liked most about it was that it enabled me to be creative and explore new ways of presenting educational content. In addition, it introduced me to new ways of teaching and learning that I had never experienced before. Learning how to relay instructional material in ways other than lectures or lessons was challenging, however the experience was enlightening. It wasn’t until I watched the digital stories of my peers that I truly saw the endless opportunities of using stories and technologies to share information, creating meaning, and engage students in ways not possible in traditional teaching methods.
LMS Assignment
Working on the LMS assignment was most likely the biggest learning curve for me in this course. Despite being familiar with Blackboard Connect, the project forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and learn how to create HTML pages within the LMS, create and embed a digital story, and explore tools which I was unfamiliar with such as the achievement badges and glossary. In wanting to address varying learning styles, I succeeded in incorporating various media in the introductory and content modules. I would have liked to include more social media tools in the final project, however I felt I needed to select media tools that would be effective given the learning objectives of each module.
Referring back to Coates et. al (2005), I can now see how an LMS can “increase the efficiency of teaching” and learning by providing students with multiple communication tools, spaces for collaborative work, content delivery options, and assessments. These are but a few examples of how online courses can enrich the learning experiences by allowing students to gain greater access to external resources, seek help and learn from their peers, and promote flexibility and ownership of their education.
Moreover, this assignment really helped me gain a better understanding of the attributes discussed in Anderson’s (2008a) article and how choosing appropriate Web tools can help create learning-, knowledge-, assessment-, and community-centered educational experiences” (p. 68). As I began building the module for the course site, I realized that the effective use of technology in a course design could support and foster various interactions, such as student-student, student-teacher, and student-content. As the pieces of the puzzle began to come together, I became aware of the powerful affordances of technology in education and its capacity to encourage students “to create their own learning paths through content that is formatted with hypertext links is congruent with constructivist instructional design theory, which stresses individual discovery and construction of knowledge” (Anderson, 2008a, p.54).
My Classmates
I would have to say that the discussion board in the course has been very engaging and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading my classmates’ posts every week. Each post has helped me gain a better understanding of the week’s readings and videos by reading their perspectives and interpretations, which at times differed from mine. In a few instances, concerns or issues I hadn’t thought of were brought up, which added depth to my reflections. In addition, I’ve learned a lot from them by reading their shared stories, experiences with certain technologies, teaching approaches, and ideas, thereby serving as an inspiration and drive to try new things in the near future.
E-portfolio
One of the components of the course that I appreciated the most was the incorporation of the e-portfolio. It turned out to be one of the most valuable aspects of the course and has shaped my learning process by providing me with opportunities to combine my experiences and thoughts in a way that facilitated the construction of new knowledge. Reflection is part of the learning process and of vital importance; however, it is often neglected in teaching and learning practices due to time constrains and assignment deadlines. By designing the course in such a way that promoted reflection at the end of each assignment, I was able to link my ideas together and make sense of new knowledge. What I liked most was the informality of the e-portfolio, such that it created a safe environment for me to freely express my thoughts, concerns, challenges and hopes. The ability to revisit my own reflections provides me with a visual account of my progression through the course and in my learning journey. As stated by Eynon et. al (2014), using e-portfolios as a reflective pedagogy “transforms ePortfolio from a push-button technology into an engaging process of connection, integrating academic learning, life experience, and profound processes of personal growth” (p.1).
The Next Steps
Throughout the program, I have realized the importance of being active in the learning community. Sharing and discussing ideas, collaborating with my peers and being exposed to many resources has opened my eyes to the vast amount of knowledge that is at a finger’s reach. That being said, while I still have 4 more courses to complete in the MET program, I realize now more than ever that it is imperative that I remain active and engaged in other learning communities after completing my degree.
Looking into the near future, I think there is some truth to Alexander’s (2014) vision in terms of the nature of education, such that both face-to-face and online settings will “claim to be learner-centered, for personalized learning” and both will rely heavily on technology. Therefore, I’m hoping that the skills and knowledge I have, and will, acquire in the MET program will open new career opportunities. As I’ve now completed over half of the program, I feel more confident than ever that I made the right choice in pursuing my Masters in Educational Technology. With each passing course, I’ve discovered new and exciting interests that I didn’t know I had previously, and I look forward to seeing what other courses will bring. Therefore, I find it difficult to say for sure what my next steps will be, but I can say with confidence that it is my goal to continue seeking opportunities within my current position to apply and refine the skills I’ve acquired so far.
My interest in curation was further picked when reading Spiro (2014) as he emphasized how “content assets will need to be identified and indexed for easy and effective searchers by the learner”. As such, I am interested in investigating more in depth the BioFlex Content Curation project here at UBC, which aims to store open-sourced educational materials that can be used in the first year biology courses and further support students’ learning in flipped classrooms.
Reference:
Alexander, B. (2014). Higher education in 2014: Glimpsing the future. Educause Review, 4(5) Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/higher-education-2024-glimpsing-future?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email+marketing&utm_campaign=EDUCAUSE
Anderson, T. (2008a). Towards a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and practice of online learning. Edmonton AB: Athabasca University. (PDF)
Bates, A. W., & Poole, G. (2003). Chapter 4: A framework for selecting and using technology. Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success (pp. 77 – 105). San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers.
Coates, H., James, R., & Baldwin, G. (2005). A critical examination of the effects of Learning Management Systems on university teaching and learning. Tertiary Education and Management, 11(1), 19-36. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11233-004-3567-9
Eynon, B., Gambino, L. M., & Török, J. (2014). “Reflection, Integration, and ePortfolio Pedagogy”. Retrieved from http://c2l.mcnrc.org/pedagogy/ped-analysis/
Spiro, K. (2014). 5 elearning trends leading to the end of the Learning Management Systems. Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/5-elearning-trends-leading-to-the-end-of-the-learning-management-system