This studying online thing is proving an intriguing endeavour.  My experience with the Virtual Symposium left me partially feeling connected and that I had interacted with the speakers and other students, and otherwise like I was simply a voyeur – watching from a safe protected place (with all the distractions that come with having a computer connected to the internet).  This sentiment is echoed with some of our readings from Week 2, as I definitely sensed the difference between engaging with and contributing to the discussions and fascinating presentations of professionals and soon to be graduates.

Dave Cormier’s talk on the concepts and practices around ‘open’ was one talk that peaked my interest for sure.  I have been promoting the MOOC approach to learning with students for a couple of years, and the idea that you need to find your place in the organism (or rhizome) that is the ‘class’ in order to move the course forward is tremendously interesting to me.  Listening to Dave discuss the evolution of the ‘open to’ ‘open by’ and ‘open for’ just seems to verify that this is constantly evolving, morphing and adapting to fit different contexts. 

I have to admit I really can’t picture this in my mind at this early stage in the course.  I buy into the concept of ‘open’, but imagining this as a working, breathing thing with everyone contributing to its direction is hard to envision.  I really enjoyed how he mentioned that most workplace and life challenges don’t have a set correct answer or method.  How we interpret and critically think our way through them shows our understanding and ability much more than just passively being injected with ideas and concepts and ‘told’ how to apply them. 

Similarly, Roland van Oostveen’s talk on the Problem Based Learning Model was a thought inspiring discussion of approach to learning.  This concept of ‘making learning visible’ seems to be more where RRU is coming from in our course.  Though not the same as ‘open’ (as Dave confirmed when Elizabeth asked), this method of learning where students are asked to define the problem and then work collaboratively to present, share, critique and assess really sounds familiar to me, as an educator who assesses students utilizing task based evaluation methods. 

As I am getting into the varied readings for this week, I find myself looking at people on the street and wondering what it is they are doing on their phones.  The findings presented in The Participation Divide: Content creation and sharing in the digital age by Eszter Hargittai & Gina Walejko may now be wholly outdated, as we plug ourselves in more and more.   Turning the mirror back on myself and my own engagement and participation online as well as in this course is something I relish the opportunity to do, as I know it will only inform my ability to create and facilitate learning in others moving forward.

Thanks RRU for this great opportunity.  I can see myself ‘opening’ already!