Stage 3: Final Reflections.

THE PROJECT.

The goal of this project was to use YouTube, social networking, and online help forums to learn how to knit. Given time constraints, I did not intend to knit a specific item; rather, I sought to successfully cast on and complete as many rows of stitches as I could. The main resources I used were WikiHow articles and YouTube videos. I would have liked to have incorporated Twitter as a means of getting feedback and commentary on my progress, however internet problems prevented it. Ultimately, I had trouble learning how to perform the knit stitch and was unable to complete more than two rows of stitches before knotting the yarn and needing to restart.

THE ADVANTAGES.

One strength of this learning method, perhaps obviously, was accessibility. The internet connects us to a large catalogue of resources, including articles, videos, and even living experts. Because of this, when encountering a problem, I could search out alternative instructions given by different teachers using different techniques and explanations. I found that these variations both facilitated my understanding and allowed me to find methods that worked for me personally. Additionally, as noted by Professor Hagerman in our second module, "evidence suggests that when learners access ideas or information via multiple modes, they tend to learn more (e.g., Gellevij, Van der Meij, DeJong & Pieters, 2002; Paivio, 1986)" (Hagerman, 2018). It follows in this vein, therefore, that this method of learning, which allows students to search out instruction presented in a variety of multimodal formats, would have a powerful resonance on learning.

THE DISADVANTAGES.

One disadvantage I found was that while it was easy enough to find resources detailing how to knit in a variety of different ways, it proved difficult to identify errors I was making and find solutions. Lacking any familiarity with knitting or similar skills, I did not have any prior knowledge to draw on to self-correct or adapt for myself. As Professor Hagerman cited in our first module, open education is a means of equalizing access to education by facilitating access to the necessary tools and resources (Hagerman, 2018). However, "not only have the advantages of learning in [properly executed] small groups been well documented…but effective group practices have also been identified” (Gillespie et al., 2006, p.81). Additionally, further research has supported that “instructor immediacy [i.e., teaching presence] was more predictive of effective and cognitive learning” (Garrison, 2007, p.69) than peer-interaction alone. Combined, these two observations would support that this method of learning would be more beneficial in combination with teacher led instruction and/or small group learning.

THE COMPLEXITIES.

Papert and Harel in discussing constructionism note how engagement in construction can promote a variety of connected learning, such as in their example of cybernetic LEGO sets serving as a vehicle for mathematical learning (p.7). In working on this project, for instance, I feel that I was also able to strengthen my research skills as I sought videos and forums that provided applicable information that I could use in my knitting attempts. That, I feel, was one of the more notable complexities of this project; how the learning transcended the initial parameters to spread out and incorporate skills and knowledge beyond the expected, embracing the diversity of learning experiences Papert and Harel speak of in their article (p.8). On a whole, despite my struggle and ultimate inability to successfully learn to knit, this project serves as a first impact experience, opening a doorway towards deeper learning practices. In this regard, open education holds merit, in my opinion, as a means of deepening and expanding an existing knowledge base.

RESOURCES.

Garrison, D. R. (2007). Online community of inquiry review: Social, cognitive, and teaching presence issues. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 11(1), 61-72.

Gillespie, D., Rosamond, S., Thomas, E. (2006). Grouped Out? Undergraduates' Default Strategies For Participating In Multiple Small Groups. The Journal of General Education, 55(2), 81-102.

Hagerman, M.S. (2018). EDU5188[WB] Integration of Technology in Education, module 1 lecture [Online post]. Retrieved from https://uottawa.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/77425/viewContent/1775741/View

Hagerman, M.S. (2018). EDU5188[WB] Integration of Technology in Education, module 2 lecture [Online post]. Retrieved from https://uottawa.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/77425/viewContent/1787346/View

Papert, S. & Harel, I. (1991). Situating Constructionism. Constructionism, 1–11. http://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9752.00269

LEARNING RESOURCES.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWJQvsZ6kT0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM5M2Fu0RtY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONVQCK_-rKc
https://www.wikihow.com/Knit
https://www.wikihow.com/Knit-the-Purl-Stitch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bufF8e24JY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhrl7cQvwjc

Stage 2: Something Isn't Right Here...But What?

So, about this knitting thing; it turns out that it’s a lot harder than it looks. Did you know that when you cast on, all those slipknots are supposed to be kept loose, not tight? The GIFs on the WikiHow did not mention that bit. The video (from GoodKnitKisses) I was using to doublecheck instructions did not make that clear either. Six attempts in and continuing to fail, I opted to try another video (this one from HobbyLobby) to see if a different perspective might help me discover what I was still doing wrong. This was where I heard about the slipknots needing to be loose enough to still move up and down the needles. That would explain why the stitch part of the process wasn’t working out so swell.

            Ah, yes, the stitch part.  It’s not going well. I follow the GIFs and I fail miserably and the videos go about the same. I get the basic idea but when it comes to execution…you know that scene in Iron Man (2008) where Tony’s testing his thrusters for the first time and he flips up and over, crashing into the ceiling and landing somewhere behind his toolboxes and just groaning? It’s the knitting equivalent of that. I’ve been trying to do the knit stitch – the videos all agree that it’s the easiest for beginners – and more often than not the supposedly simple part of slipping the stitch from one needle to the other goes less nice-and-easy and more tangled-mess. I think part of this may be due to the yarn and needles I am using. I’m limited by what I could find quickly in China and, hampered by the language barrier, I had to go with a “that will have to do” approach on the supplies. The examples in the videos are almost all being done with thick, smooth wool and large needles and I am deeply regretting not being able to follow their lead on those selections.

Another drawback I am finding is that the learning experience feels isolated. I watch the videos, look at the GIFs, try it out, see if it works, try to figure out why it doesn’t work, watch different videos to see if they vary the information enough to give me clues towards what mistakes I’m making, try it again – but all of it’s done on my own. There are no classmates I can bounce ideas off or compare progress and process with. There’s no instructor to ask for clarification or for specific help or information. It’s just me. Moving forward, I would like to try posting more on social media to see if it could mitigate some of the isolation and provide feedback.

When it comes to the resources I’m using, as I said, I’ve been alternating between the GIF-infused WikiHow entry on knitting and various YouTube videos. I like the GIFs because they breakdown the process action by action, each GIF demonstrating a single action in slow motion. What I like most is that the actions are on continuous repeat, thus eliminating the need to constantly pause and rewind like with the videos. Additionally, I liked the advice and commentary Hobby Lobby provided in her videos, although her demonstrations are on the small side and a little too quickly paced to follow easily. GoodKnitKiss offered a better pacing and a large visual on her demonstrations, but her explanations were less clear. Thus the bouncing back and forth.

            All of this to say that my progress hasn’t been visibly all that much due to all the restarts. On the bright side, I am doing phenomenal learning how not to knit.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

As I said: A tangled mess.

Helping Tools for ADHD Learning

This info-graphic was created for educators and is intended to provide them with ideas for assistive technology devices that might boost the learning potential of students suffering from ADHD. It is important to note that the effectiveness of these tools would naturally depend on the unique needs of the individual students.

Websites consulted for ideas:

• Assistive Technology for ADHD Challenges at School
• ADHD in the Classroom: Finding the Right Assistive Technology
• Assistive Technology for ADHD
• 8 Examples of Assistive Technology and Adaptive Tools

Stage 1: Well It Seemed Like A Good Idea...

For this project, I am going to learn to knit using only YouTube, social networks and internet help forums as my guides. I chose knitting for this project for two reasons. First, the most significant reason is simply because it is something I am interested in doing. So many people in my life have impressed upon me the enjoyment that can be found in knitting, my cousin being one of the biggest. In addition, I follow a lot of authors on Facebook and Twitter, such as Ilona Andrews and Devon Monk, who have created some amazing things through their knitting. Seeing such passion, such creativity, I could not help but be intrigued by its medium. Second, I feel that knitting is an ideal task for demonstrating developing skill. It is an activity that clearly shows improvement and is popular enough to provide a wealth of YouTube videos, blogs, and social media networks to consult. In other words, I will be able to not only be shown how I am supposed to be doing it but also to ask social media when it goes wrong and videos alone cannot assist me.

Given the time constraints, the intention of this exercise will not be to knit a specific item, such as a scarf or blanket, but rather to begin a project and continue to produce stitches for as long as possible.

If all goes well, hopefully the biggest challenge I face is trying to dissuade my cat from “helping” me.

RESOURCES:

·         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWJQvsZ6kT0

·         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM5M2Fu0RtY

·         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONVQCK_-rKc

·         https://www.wikihow.com/Knit

The Pros and Cons of Massive Open Online Courses.

INTRODUCTION.

            Education is a living organism, ever evolving, adapting, changing, and growing to suit the needs of the individuals and the society it aims to serve. With the advancement of technology, education has transcended its classrooms and lectures to become more open, more mutable than ever before. With the advent of the internet, the accessibility of education is no longer a matter of crossing distances and affording tuitions, but instead is tied to the availability of the technology needed to join the discourse, surf the networks, and explore the databases. Tied to this it the fact that “educational systems around the world are under continuous and increasing pressure to use the new information and communication technologies to teach students the knowledge and skills they need in the 21st century” (Brahimi, 2015, p.605). In such an environment, the rise of massive open online courses (MOOCs) was inevitable.

        

            MOOCs are a throwing open of the doors of higher education; they are free courses offered online to anyone and everyone. Cormier (2010) observes in his YouTube video, “a MOOC is participatory. It is a way to connect and collaborate while developing digital skills.” They are a means of distributing and building knowledge by a means that enables students to contribute to the solidification of understanding through the sharing of their work and ideas. As one researcher notes, MOOCs "have been hailed as an educational revolution that has the potential to override borders, race, gender, class and income" (Emanuel, 2013). But is this the reality? The aim of this paper is to take a brief look at actual effectiveness of MOOCs as an educational tool.

PROS.

            Higher education courses have generally adhered to variations of the same basic format: an instructor certified as being an expert in the subject matter assigns readings and leads discussions on a particular topic and students are expected to demonstrate their learning through essays, examinations, or a combination thereof. However, the traditional concepts of education have proven ineffective at meeting the needs of today’s learners and a change in format (i.e. moving them online) would not change that; “new approaches that can operate at low cost in the open” are needed (McAndrew & Scanlon, 2013). George Siemens (2005) notes, “informal learning is a significant aspect of our learning experience. Formal education no longer comprises the majority of our learning. Learning now occurs in a variety of ways – through communities of practice, personal networks, and through completion of work-related tasks.” The online format of MOOCs affords facilitators the opportunity to develop interactive and engaging programs in innovative ways. For example, “presentation using video or broadcast is adjunct and motivates; it is not the core…carefully constructed text-based material can feel to the student as if it is speaking to them…using multimedia can build further ways to engage learners” (McAndrew & Scanlon, 2013).

            Additionally, MOOCs have been heralded as “vehicles for democratizing education and bridging divides within and across countries” (Kizilcec et al., 2017). MOOCs “expand access and opportunity for students to participate in and benefit from higher education and reduce the cost of higher education” (Perna et al., p.421). Entirely hosted online, they are freed from needing students be physically present at a single brick-and-mortar location and are thus able to simultaneously reach all corners of the globe. Similarly cut from such restrictions as fees, size limits, and admission processes, MOOCs are removed from the usual obstacles preventing access and enable learning to be open to anyone wanting it. In 2015 alone, enrollment numbers in MOOCs increased from thousands to millions, “not only in North America but also in South America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa…as well as in the Arab world” (Brahimi, 2015, p.606) – in fact, between 2012 and 2015, of the twenty-million registrants in MOOCs, 39% were from less-developed countries” (Kizilcec et al., 2017) in turn sparked a global rise in the providers of MOOCs as supply raced to meet and profit from demand.

CONS.

            One of the greatest challenges MOOCs face is the reality of what they become once the concept is carried out.  As noted previously, a cornerstone of the MOOC process is participation, however studies show that completion rates are low “regardless of whether measured as accessing the last lecture, attempting the last quiz, or receiving a final grade of at least 80%” (Perna et al., p.425). One study even found that in not one of sixteen courses examined did more than 12% of those meant to participate receive a final grade above 80% (Perna et al.). Additionally, it has been found that many of those participating in MOOCs are in fact “already well educated — and that they are predominantly young males seeking to advance their careers” (Emanuel, 2013). Even in countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa which, in theory, present as prime candidates for MOOC education, most students using massive open online courses (nearly 80% of them) come from “the wealthiest and most well-educated 6% of the population” (Emanuel, 2013). Thus, in this regard, MOOCs ultimately serve to preserve the education disparity that exists between socioeconomic classes rather than as the bright they were exalted as. 

CONCLUSION.

            It is a generally accepted fact that learning is a life long process and, coupled with this, is the realization that the bulk of our learning in fact happens outside the classroom. As Brahimi notes, "Education is practiced not only inside the classroom but outside the classroom, in the community as whole where learners can develop collaborative learning through communities of interest, adapt courses according to their needs, and become partners in knowledge generation and sharing" (Brahimi, p.605). MOOCs are a means of making higher education available to those who otherwise may not have it for one reason or another; they are, in essence, a good idea that still require time and modification to reach their full efficiency and potential.

REFERENCES.

Brahimi, T. & Sarirete, A. (2015). Learning outside the classroom through MOOCs. Computers in Human Behavior, 51, pp.604-609. Retrieved from https://journals-scholarsportal-info.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/pdf/07475632/v51ipart_b/604_lotctm.xml

Cormier, D. [dave cormier]. (2010, December 8). What is a MOOC? [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW3gMGqcZQc

Emanuel, E.J. (2013). Online education: MOOCs taken by educated few. Nature 503 (342), doi:#10.1038/503342a

Kizilcec, R.F., Saltarelli, A.J., Reich, J., Cohen, G.L. (2017). Closing global achievement gaps in MOOCs. Science, 355 (6322), pp.251-252. doi:#10.1126/science.aag2063

McAndrew, P. & Scanlon, E. (2013). Open Learning at a Distance: Lessons for Struggling MOOCs. Science, 342 (6165), pp.1450-1451. doi:#10.1126/science.1239686

Perna, L.W.,Ruby, A., Boruch, R.F., Wang, N., Scull, J., Ahmad, S.& Evans, C. (2014). Moving Through MOOCs: Understanding the Progression of Users in Massive Open Online Courses. Educational Researcher, 43 (9), pp. 421–432. doi: #10.3102/0013189X14562423

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 21(10). Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm

Me, in a Nutshell.

Hi.

I guess that’s as a good a way as any to begin this introduction; who doesn’t love the classics, after all. My name is Samantha and, while I’m Canadian (Montreal if we’re being specific) born and bred, I am currently working and living in Beijing, China. I came over here in November 2014 after having just worked the two years previously in London, UK as a supply teacher, and let me just say that if this experience has taught me anything, it’s that China can get complicated. I worked at an international school as the Foundations teacher; what’s that, you ask? Well, essentially my class consisted of students that were 4-6 years old, our curriculum was more-or-less a hodgepodge collection of outcomes a former principal had put together from several Canadian curricula, and, due to a lack of resources, I ended up developing the program more in line with a British Year 1 class than a Canadian play-based kindergarten environment. Technology-wise, our classrooms had Smartboards, we were given Macbook computers to use, and, until our owner’s husband took over and drove them away, we had our own onsite IT support who were beyond awesome and helpful.

The school closed in October after a battle with the landlord annoyed the local education bureau one too many times. I’ll spare you that particular story; suffice to say it was the most ridiculous insanity you could ever possibly imagine, but in a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Vogon diplomacy sort of way, if that makes sense.

Bright side, I have a new job I’ll be starting in August in Guangzhou (it’s a city in the south of China, across the water from Hong Kong) at an IB school and, in the meantime, my old school transferred me to one of the kindergartens (think preschool/daycare) owned by its parent company to finish out my contract.

My learning materials are now handmade. All of them.

Less said on that the better.

On the non-career side of things, I will you the condensed version. My family consists of my parents and a sister and a brother, both younger. My sister had a baby last June that is just as cute as can be. In China, I live with a cat named Koda who is a complete and utter loon, but keeps me sane.

For hobbies, I read – mostly urban fantasy and paranormal romances but I’m trying to make my way through some classics – and paint. I am big on movies (it kills me that everything releases later in China; the new Avengers isn’t going to be out here until May 11 and my sister is loving torturing me about that) and television (my favourites are Supernatural, Shadowhunters, and, well, pretty much everything else, but I’ve recently started getting into The Magicians).

And that’s my nutshell.

As for why I wanted to take this course, with technology becoming more and more prevalent, interactive, and accessible, it seemed like the natural choice for today’s teacher.