Round number ...? e-Learning and passion.

The blogs are now silent ...

Maybe something to liven up your e-Learning spirits is an old blog post: Crash course in learning theory (from Creating Passionate Users). It is fun and useful - but only supplementary to your current reading material.

I would (and I trust Antoinette will agree) like all participants to comment at least once on each others' blog postings. To do that there should be some action on all of your blogs (for there to be comment). Could we try in the last week of official e-Learning "moduling" to get a sense and experience of what the collaboration and social networking power of blogs can be.

You are by now hopefully starting to write up your main (70%) document describing your project in terms of the ADDIE model for submission on or before 11 August (on Webstudies). Remember that the 30% reflection on your and the others' ideas and projects happen on the blogs.

Hope all have had some rest over the weekend and are now ready for the final stretch.

Round number 2

Welcome to week 3 of the e-Learning module!
Apart from some technical slow-starts, it seems that all of you are now up and running with your blogs and know more or less what you want to do.

In the coming week, we would like you to now start doing the following:
1. Refine your project: Especially the formulation of your learning outcomes is crucial. Also remember to not take on too big a project (try and calculate how many hours of e-learning you want to create). And then - remember that e-Learning makes activities possible that are not possible on paper, or face-to-face. Interaction, collaboration, formative assessment and rich media are some of the great reasons to use e-learning. We want to engage students, and that sometimes means to cut out a lot of the information (that one could actually refer to in a text book or a hand-out).
2. Remember the ADDIE model: The structure of the ADDIE model really helps one to focus and get started. It is also the model we actively promote as it is relatively easy and well respected. You should be reflecting academically on your project using the ADDIE model. You are not forced to use ADDIE, but if you use another model, you have to indicate which one you are using and again - reflect on the process of using that model. This is an important part of the assessment.
3. We have created an Assignment in Webstudies where you can upload/submit some materials. Maybe your final project outline/ planning, or your storyboard, or some final indication of how your e-learning activity/ programme will work. Incorporating the learning outcomes, activities and plans for assessment and interaction is crucial.
4. Your blog still stays crucial: Please remember to use the blog (e-Learning is learnt by doing!) as an instrument to capture your mind. It is not called a blog (i.e. Web Log) for nothing. Also please comment on each others' ideas and projects. I have heard from all of you personally that would like to have more comments from each other. This collaboration and networking that Siemens talks about can only be experienced, and we all have a chance to do just that! I am glad to hear that some of you actually plan using a blog as their own e-Learning project/ teaching.

Good luck for your wEEk!
JP