#CMALTcMOOC 2018 Week 5: Collaboration and Communication

Collaboration and communication are key attributes for educators and our graduates. Laurillard et al., (2013) emphasise the benefits of collaborative curriculum design and the role of modelling collaboration and communication skills to our students. Weaver et al., (2012) also argue for the value of collaborative research to improve teaching practice. The fourth core area of a CMALT portfolio requires CMALT candidates to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in communication through evidence and reflection upon working with others.

Use the Project Bank to share examples of how you collaborate with your peers – this could be an interactive Google Map of research presentations or a team project, a G+ Community, a social media hashtag, a Twitter ‘Moment’ of a collaborative event, etc… Also a reminder to create an ORCID profile and share it with the #CMALTcMOOC G+ Community if you have not yet done so at http://orcid.org

For example, you can find a collection of ORCIDs from the ASCILITE Mobile Learning Special Interest Group at https://ascilitemlsig.wordpress.com/member-orcid-portfolios/

You can also find example collaborative SOTEL research clusters at http://sotel.nz/about-the-cluster/

We will schedule another group G+ Hangout for a live discussion this Thursday for UK participants and Friday morning 10:30am for NZ/AU participants – the archived Hangouts on YouTube are another form of evidence of “Collaboration”!

Hints:

In your CMALT portfolio: Evidence statements could describe the way in which your work involves collaboration, for example through participation in a team or acting as an interface to other groups.

Relevant evidence would include reflection on collaborations with others, reports outlining your activity within a team process, how you have brokered support for a particular initiative (for example from a technical or legal support service) or how you have worked with others to solve problems.Where your evidence involved collaboration, please acknowledge the contribution of others. You may also chose to discuss how you select appropriate forms of communication.Think how some of the tools we have explored throughout #cmaltcmooc could be used to provide evidence of communication and collaboration – for example a collaborative Vyclone video of you and your peers discussing an issue relevant to a course, or an archived Google Plus Hangout On Air with a guest lecturer or a working group, etc…

References:

Laurillard, D., Charlton, P., Craft, B., Dimakopoulos, D., Ljubojevic, D., Magoulas, G., . . . Whittlestone, K. (2013). A constructionist learning environment for teachers to model learning designs. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(1), 15-30. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2011.00458.x doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2011.00458.x

Weaver, D., Robbie, D., Kokonis, S., & Miceli, L. (2012). Collaborative scholarship as a means of improving both university teaching practice and research capability. International Journal for Academic Development, 18(3), 237-250. doi:10.1080/1360144x.2012.718993

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#CMALTcMOOC 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 Altmetrics and SOTEL.

We will discuss these issues later in the week in a 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 examplesIn 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 practiceYou 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.

#CMALTcMOOC 2018 Week3: Exploring Teaching, Learning & 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 2018 Week2: Exploring Operational Issues

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 Thursday morning (due to Easter weekend).

“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 2018 Week1: Welcome!

Week 1: Introduction and Contextual Statement

Welcome to the #cmaltcmooc!

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/

Tips for Joining Hangouts On Air for #CMALTcMOOC

The first step is download the Google Hangouts App to your device or go to https://hangouts.google.com on your laptop/desktop. You will need to install the Hangouts plugin for your web browser on your laptop/desktop the first time – so do this well before the Hangout is due to start!

Hangouts On Air have three modes:

1. An interactive live discussion with up to 10 connections

2. A view only live stream of the discussion

3. A recorded view only of the Hangout archived on YouTube

The discussion invite URL will have the format:

https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts/_/5i63u3wwhza____________

The Moderator of the Hangout will send you this invite URL

The view only live stream or archive URL will have the format:

This will be available publicly once the Hangout On Air broadcast starts

To join a Hangout Live discussion you need an invitation from the creator of the Hangout – you should be sent an invitation that will popup either in the Hangouts App on your mobile device (if you are signed in with the same email as your G+ account) or via being signed in to the Web interface at https://hangouts.google.com

We will invite participants to join the Hangout discussion 5mins before starting the YouTube Live broadcast, so login to either the Hangouts App or the Hangouts web page early.

If you follow the creator of the YT Live Hangout you should get an automatic notification when the Hangout starts as well – My G+ name is +Thom Cochrane

If you simply click on the YouTube Live link for the Hangout you will be able to view the Hangout once the broadcast has started, but not join in the discussion directly  – although we will enable the text comment feature of YT Live.

#CMALTcMOOC 2018 Signup Tips

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:

  • GMail – for receiving notifications and authenticating your social media accounts
  • Twitter – for sharing your ideas and building a global network with #cmaltcmooc
  • WordPress – for creating your eportfolio
  • Google Plus (G+) – for sharing and discussing resources and issues related to CMALT

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