Isolation amongst learners

The move towards the Standard Web modality at OL causes a conundrum, we are told that people want to move through the course at their own pace, yet we as designers know that education is a social experience. Discussing issues with others, hearing about experiences, working in groups are all common design elements that have to be rethought. Certainly we’ve had discussion within our department about how we can encourage some kind of interaction with content other than self-reflection.

 

My response to addressing the issue of isolation is to provide students the opportunity create something and leave it for others to see.  In two courses I have enabled the opportunity for students to leave artifacts in the course material for others to see. The purpose is to allow students to share their experiences or post information so that others can learn from them and similarly, they can engage with others material and learn too.

 

The first example is COMP 4911 – Computing Science Project. This is the capstone course of the Computing Science degree. Students complete a project for a client in the real world. Student will use a blog to document their progress through the course and this blog will be open. Any confidential information is sent directly to the Open Learning Faculty Member. The idea is that we want people to discuss their process and see the process that other people have been through as a way to find support and commonality.

COMP 4911 Blog

The second example is GEOG 2221 – Regional Geography of Canada. In this course, students will place a pin on a map of Canada that contains information and pictures about a community they choose to write about.  The map is accessible to all students and the pins will remain on the map beyond their participation in the course. As a result over time, the course map will have pins as diverse as the enrolment in the course. In an assignment students are ask to review the map and pins, and reflect on what they see.

What is nice about this exercise is that we have been able to use Brian Lamb and Alan Levine’s Splot tools. For a student participate, they do not have to sign up for any site, give away private information, etc. Brian and Alan wanted developed the Splot tools for easy sharing, and that’s how we’re putting them to use.

GEOG 2221 course map

The idea is that if we can provide a easy way for people to share what they’ve done, what they’re going through, or other information, they will. These two methods of leaving artifacts for others are a start. I look forward to seeing how they are used by students in the time ahead.