I have thoroughly enjoyed this course. Project/change management and learning analytics are all things that were purely concepts to me at the outset. I now feel like I have knowledge and tools at the ready, and some data to back up how different approaches can yield positive results in varied contexts. As I am in a career transition, it would be hard for me to envision leading change at this exact moment, but I feel strongly that I will always take on leadership roles naturally. I will definitely attempt to be more patient and systematic with my approach in future, as well as to approach projects and contracts I’m involved with with more of a project management perspective.
I can see now how it’s easy to say that you can manage projects, but actually going through the full process is an experience that you can’t fake. Assessing risk, for example, is an element I need to take into account, as well as understanding hierarchy when choosing a project approach. I have definitely been involved in rigid organizations in the past which resist change, and have little money or time for collaboration between key stakeholders. As a result, I’ve figuratively hit my head against a brick wall, trying to inspire innovative practice in environments that rarely have funding or motivation to move in new directions. I will be more direct and professional when making proposals for programming I create in future.
Data is also fascinating, and it is in the news daily as the degree to which data mining from large corporations such as Facebook and Google are revealed. I am intrigued by the ideas and cases presented in Sclater, Peasgood and Mullan’s (2016) article on learning analytics, as they present inspiring perspectives on how data can be used to boost engagement and outcomes. I definitely can see myself developing these skills more as I move towards instructional design and LMS quality assurance type jobs. Having the ability to use analytics to glean key traits of learners to aid in the creation of learning designs which promote collaboration, connection and success in meeting outcomes will help me to add my voice and expertise to this readily evolving approach to education.
April 1, 2018 at 8:13 am
Hi Stuart,
It struck me how true it is that “it’s easy to say that you can manage projects, but actually going through the full process is an experience that you can’t fake.” No matter how big or small the scope of a project, when you use a more systematic process with pre-determined factors it can hopefully capture more of the risks, considerations of stakeholders and help guide communication channels throughout.
I shared some of the work of Ben Williamson in the Google doc in Unit 4, but he published a blog post last week that you may find interesting (see below). It is focused on HE, but his thoughts on the recent data news is relevant. If you are interested in going down the learning analytics rabbit hole the papers published at the LAK conferences and (SoLAR) https://solaresearch.org/ are also a great place to start.
“Learning from psychographic personality profiling”, https://codeactsineducation.wordpress.com/2018/03/23/learning-from-psychographics/
April 3, 2018 at 7:55 am
Michelle,
Thanks so much for your comment. I have really appreciated the fact that both you and Carrie share resources as part of your comments, in order to inspire further research and inquiry. I will definitely have a look at Ben’s work, and am planning to read more about SCRUM as well as learning analytics (as I am interested in heading down the rabbit hole).