{"id":165,"date":"2018-07-24T00:36:54","date_gmt":"2018-07-24T07:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/?p=165"},"modified":"2018-07-24T00:36:54","modified_gmt":"2018-07-24T07:36:54","slug":"malat-2018-virtual-symposium-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/malat-2018-virtual-symposium-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"MALAT 2018 Virtual Symposium Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Royal Roads Master of Arts in Learning and Technology program I reviewed \u00a0presentations from a virtual symposium. I would like to speak about openness in two of these presentations. The first is Dave Cormier\u2019s presentation from the 2017 symposium. Responsible for coining the term Massive Open Online Course or \u2018MOOC\u2019 this presentation was of particular interest. Cormier (2017) discusses the use of the word \u201copen\u201d in open education resources.\u00a0 Cormier questions what does \u2018open\u2019 really mean in the context of education? \u00a0Historically the meaning of open meant opening up access to the education system and does not define how the mechanics of \u00a0learning process. \u201cFocusing on open as in content and open as in learning are both forms of widening participation.\u201d My recent experience with an online writing MOOC \u00a0at edX (edX, 2018) is \u00a0a typical example. \u2018edX\u2019 \u00a0courses are a collection of condensed versions of university courses. Valuable as content they offer little choice other than take it or leave it. \u00a0Open in content is appropriate for a multitude of learning contexts such as how learn how to complete tasks, it grants access but it lacks a deeper meaning. I think the vague nature of \u2018open in learning\u2019 is really fundamental to the development of new learning. I believe open in OER is really about choice and the independence to go where learning leads you. \u00a0\u201cI see open like a \u2018rhizome\u2019 Cormier(2017). Cormier\u2019s use of rhizome as a metaphor on open as in learning speaks to the interconnections and exponential nature of learning given the right condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additional definitions on openness that I encountered within the symposium and open educational resources (OER) is how they are modelled within the MALAT program. Childs (2018) defines the pedagogy of openness as a vehicle for educational change. \u00a0I thought of this in terms of a balancing the benefits with the practical realities of providing the education. Viewed from a \u00a0business model it seems to ignore traditional educational revenue streams, a surprising concept for me. My work in apprenticeship training was often thought of a business, we sold content by course packs, and mitigated risks by delivering a rigid block release format. \u00a0Childs (2018) describes a continual negotiated space where stakeholders intersect as always a work in progress sharing the benefits and challenges within an open concept.. The concept of openness on a continuum of risk is an important point I take away from this presentation. The design and interaction between the internal learning management system Moodle and an open education resource WordPress addresses practical licensing concerns by creating a buffer between the bounded and unbounded spaces. Greater risk is inherent in relinquishing control over educational resources. Concerns over how actions by one and how they can impact the greater community should be measured and placed on the continuum of risk. Honoring the concept of openness, while managing the inherent risks is always a work in progress.\u00a0 A key consideration in planning for the use of openness as a vehicle for educational change.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

References<\/span><\/p>\n

Childs, E. (April 16, 2018) A continuum of openness in a MA degree. RRU MALAT Virtual Symposium 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cormier, D. (April 18, 2017) Values of Open: Intentional messiness of online communities. RRU MALAT Virtual Symposium 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

edX. (2018, 07 23). https:\/\/www.edx.org\/. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.edx.org\/course<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Royal Roads Master of Arts in Learning and Technology program I reviewed \u00a0presentations from a virtual symposium. I would like to speak about openness in two of these presentations. The first is Dave Cormier\u2019s presentation from the 2017 symposium…. Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":167,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions\/167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0068\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}