#CMALTcMOOC Series2 2018 Week 4: Exploring the wider context

This weeks suggested activity includes a Blog post or VODCast discussing legislation, policies and standards, and exploring the wider impact of alternative research metrics Altmetrics and the Scholarship of Technology Enhanced Learning SOTEL.

We will discuss these issues in our weekly Friday Webinar.

WiderContextWordleCMALT

Create and share via the Project Bank a Blog post as an embedded audio PODCast or VODCast (Video PODCast) discussing legislation, policies and standards that impact upon the use of educational technologies.

Comment and provide feedback to other participants Blog posts on the wider context.

You could use an audio or video streaming mobile App to create and share either an audio PODCast, or video via YouTube, Vimeo, or Periscope for example to create and share a VODCast. There are several simple video capture and sharing Apps that you could use on your Phone, such as Clips on iPhone, or Adobe Premier Clip for iOS and Android.

In exploring the wider context CMALT candidates should demonstrate their awareness of and engagement with wider issues that inform their practice.

Candidates must cover at least one legislative area and either a second legislative area or a policy area. That is you need to cover a minimum of two areas, at least one of which must be legislative.

a) Understanding and engaging with legislation, policies and standards

Statements here should show how relevant legislation, has influenced your work. You are not expected to have expert knowledge of all of these areas, but are expected to be aware of how they relate to your current practice. These issues will vary depending upon the country and Government policy.

In the UK you would be expected to demonstrate how you work within the context of relevant legislation such as:

  • Accessibility including special educational needs
  • Intellectual property (IPR)
  • Freedom of Information (if you work for a public body)
  • Data protection.
  • Child protection
  • Anti-discrimination law
  • Points Based Immigration System (PBIS)
  • Other related examples

In your country there may be different requirements, and you should indicate this in your portfolio. It is suggested that you pick at least two areas to discuss. In New Zealand see the Government HE strategies and policies website: http://www.education.govt.nz/further-education/policies-and-strategies/tertiary-education-strategy/

 

b) Policy

You are not obliged to address this area so long as you have addressed at least two legislative areas. Examples of policy issues you may address include:

  • Policies and strategies (national or institutional)
  • Technical standards
  • Professional codes of practice

You might also be expected to engage with institutional policies and, where appropriate, national policies and evidence of some of this should be provided. The kinds of evidence that would support this would include minutes of meetings with legal advisers, documentation showing how legal issues have influenced work (such as reports or data protection forms), justifications for modifications to a course to reflect new policies or a record of how technical standards have been taken into account during system development.

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#CMALTcMOOC 2018 series 2 Week3: Exploring Learning Teaching and Assessment

This week’s suggested activities include:

  • An invitation to participate in a survey exploring the Scholarship Of Technology Enhanced Learning (SOTEL).
  • Collaborate with your peers on an assessment design via (for example) Google Docs and get some peer feedback via sharing an assessment design outline as a week 3 Project Bank example.
  • An invitation to participate in the weekly #CMALTcMOOC Webinar  – see the G+ Community for the Webinar link later in the week.

Create and share a new assessment design around student generated content for integration into your teaching practice. Share this assessment project via the Project Bank for peer feedback, and rate another participants assessment project.

This should include evidence of:

a) An understanding of teaching, learning and/or assessment processes

b) An understanding of your target learners

Reflect on this process on your WordPress Blog. For more info on what is recommended for this section of a CMALT portfolio see the notes at: https://cmaltcmooc.wordpress.com/week-3/

#CMALTcMOOC Week2 series2 2018 – exploring the constraints & benefits of learning technology

This week involves three suggested activities:

  • creating and sharing a Blog post or VODCast discussing the constraints and benefits, technical knowledge, and deployment of learning technologies. Keep it succinct – 500 words blog post or 2-3min VODCast embedded in your blog. You could use: YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Clips (iOS) etc… to create and share the VODCast.
  • Sharing a Digital Literacy mapping exercise. Create your own Visitor/Resident-Social/Professional map (#VandR cc @Daveowhite) of your use of online and social media tools, and share it via the G+ Community, and Twitter with the #cmaltcmooc and #VandR hashtags. You can see some examples from the 2017 participants at            #VandR maps for #CMALTcMOOC        . Reflect on how your map may look different to your students’!
  • Exploring innovative pedagogies through a Google Plus Hangout discussion. See the Tips for Joining YouTube Live Hangouts to join the discussion this week online Friday 8pm NZ time.

“Operational Issues” is one of four required core elements of your CMALT portfolio. Create a Blog post or VODCast (Video PODCast) discussing the constraints and benefits, technical knowledge, and deployment of learning technologies, particularly within your own teaching context. Explore potential creative solutions to any of these constraints. Share your Blog post or VODCast using Twitter with the #cmaltcmooc hashtag, and link to your example reflection by adding the URL and description to the Project Bank for Week2 https://cmaltcmooc.mosomelt.org/type/2-operational-issues/by selecting “Submit Project” from the Project Bank main menu on our WordPress hub. For example: How might a V&R Map give you insights into the issues surrounding the use of social media in education?

From the CMALT Guidelines:

Core area 1: Operational issues

Candidates should demonstrate both their understanding and use of learning technology. “Use” might include the use of technology to enhance learning and teaching, the development, adoption or deployment of technology to support teaching, training or learning.

This should include evidence of three sub areas:

a) An understanding of the constraints and benefits of different technologies

You should show how you have used (or supported others to use) technology appropriately, given the constraints and benefits it provides within your context. This might include how you selected particular technologies to meet the specific needs of users (students or staff).

Evidence in support of such statements might include a brief commentary on the choices behind the development and use of learning technology that influence its fitness for purpose. (This might discuss issues as affordances of the technology, viability, sustainability, scalability, interoperability and value for money.) You may already have something like this in the form of a design outline, proposal, conference presentation or similar. You should include such existing documentation wherever it seems relevant. Alternatively, you might want to take this opportunity to find out more about a technology you have deployed and produce a report on its viability.

b) Technical knowledge and ability in the use of learning technology

You should show that you have used a range of learning technologies. These might include web pages, Virtual Learning Environments, Computer-Aided Assessment, blogs, wikis, mobile technology, e-books, programming languages and so on.

Guidelines for CMALT candidates and assessors

Evidence might include copies of certificates (originals not needed) from relevant training courses, screenshots of your work, a note from academic or support staff who have worked with you or, if appropriate, confirmation that the work is your own from your line manager.

c) Supporting the deployment of learning technologies

Statements about your involvement in supporting the deployment of learning technology might relate to providing technical and/or pedagogic support to teachers or learners, advising on (or re-designing to take account of) technical and usability issues, developing strategies or policies, managing change, providing training or other forms of professional development, securing or deploying dedicated funding and so on, all within the context of the educational use of learning technology.

For evidence, you might include the overview section of a strategy document, meeting minutes, summaries of student feedback, testimonials or witness statements from other colleagues.

#CMALTcMOOC Sign up Tips – getting started with the Ecology of Resources

The #CMALTcMOOC Signup process provides participants with a set of communication and collaboration tools (an Ecology of Resources), including: Email, Twitter, Blog, Google+ Community.

We suggest you start by creating a GMail account if you do not already have one, by either going to http://gmail.com or downloading the GMail App for your mobile device.

By Downloading the mobile Apps for each of these tools you will have easy and quick access to them on your mobile device where ever you are, and the first time you run the Apps you will be guided through the setup of your accounts. So head to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) and download the following Apps and create your accounts:

Once you have your accounts setup then you can submit the #CMALTcMOOC signup form at https://cmaltcmooc.wordpress.com/contact

#CMALTcMOOC Welcome to series2 2018!

Week 1: Introduction and Contextual Statement

Welcome to the #cmaltcmooc – if this is your first, second or even third iteration of the CMALT cMOOC it’s great to have you participating with us! The cMOOC is about connecting people and sharing your experiences as we explore CMALT accreditation.

This first week involves setup and introductions – we hope you’ll join us on a journey of establishing (or enhancing) your online professional profile in teaching and learning and becoming part of the global #cmaltcmooc network of practitioners and researchers in the scholarship of technology enhanced learning (SOTEL).

After Signing Up for the cMOOC at https://cmaltcmooc.wordpress.com/contact

Introduce yourself by Creating a Contextual Statement:

Choose a social learning theory on which to develop a short statement of your understanding and approach to using learning technologies in education. Post this to your blog using the #cmaltcmooc hashtag. Explore how your contextual statement could be presented using a variety of embedded technologies – you could use a short video to introduce yourself and your teaching philosophy via Clips (iOS) or Instagram. A contextual statement is a critical element of a CMALT portfolio – it is not assessed, but must be included. You can do this quickly as a video reflection if you like – see some of the examples in the #CMALTcMOOC YouTube Playlist from 2017 for example: https://youtu.be/y8vH2Bh6Z4U.

Share your example of a Contextual Statement on the #CMALTcMOOC G+ Community and the Project Bank

 

Create a research biography and establish a profile on researchgate.net, link this profile into your WordPress blog.

Reflect upon this process on your WordPress blog.

From the CMALT Guidelines:

Contextual statement

The portfolio should commence with a contextual statement – the kind of thing you might write in a cover letter for a job application. It should provide a concise biography, outlining your career history and current role(s), highlighting briefly the operational context in which you work or have worked, and reflecting on why you are submitting your portfolio for CMALT and how this relates to your future career aspirations. This section is not assessed, but can be very helpful for the assessors as they approach the rest of your portfolio.

For more info see the CMALT support page at https://www.alt.ac.uk/get-involved/certified-membership/cmalt-support

A good place to start planning your CMALT portfolio are the CMALT Guidelines:

https://www.alt.ac.uk/sites/alt.ac.uk/files/assets_editor_uploads/CMALT%20Guidelines%202014.pdf

A couple of good examples of CMALT Portfolios and contextual statements include:

And some tips from a CMALT journey: https://eastmidslt.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/cmalt-my-journey/

It’s a date – the #CMALTcMOOC starts again 24 September – signup to participate! https://cmaltcmooc.wordpress.com/contact/

We’re running the #CMALTcMOOC again starting 24 September – so it’ll be great to have you on board – please encourage your colleagues who may benefit from becoming part of the community and the journey to signup at https://cmaltcmooc.wordpress.com/contact/

The CMALT cMOOC aims to mentor and support applications for CMALT accreditation. CMALT is the Certified Member of the Association of Learning Technologies (available to either ALT or ASCILITE members https://www.alt.ac.uk/certified-membership) and recognises experience and expertise in the use of technologies for learning. This is available to academic and allied staff who are interested in or have successfully integrated the use of learning technologies in the course(s) they teach. We have developed the CMALT cMOOC (https://cmaltcmooc.wordpress.com) as a 7-week online support programme/network, and the next iteration of this starts on September 24 – signup at https://cmaltcmooc.wordpress.com/contact/

 

We have also developed the SoTEL NZ Research Cluster as a support network and the SoTEL NZ Symposium as a showcase and networking event for groups of educators exploring the scholarship of technology enhanced learning: https://sotel.nz 

The research cluster is open to new groups beyond NZ, and the 2019 Symposium call for participation is now open.