1. Dr Debra Hoven
Athabasca University, Canada
ATL-C 2008
Leeds, UK: 9-11 th September 2008

2.  Open university … & all that entails
 Fully online MDE program
 Action research study
 Identification & specification
 Issues & conflicts
 Transitions
 Technology
 Causes & possible solutions
 “traditional” Distance Education (DE) learner
 Transitions
 What the literature has to say …
 Consultation with colleagues & students (past & present)
 Resolutions & revisions of pedagogical & interaction
approach with students

3.  Experiential learning
 Task/project-based learning
 Collaborative learning
 Community of mutually-supportive reflective inquirers
 Extended community of experts-novices
 Community of learner-practitioners

4.  Ecological constructivism:
 the ecologies emerging and morphing from
 the affordances perceived by members of communities (e.g.
teachers and learners)
 with pedagogies, technologies, content and other artefacts of
our real and virtual worlds

5.  Self-reflection on beliefs & values
 Exposure to choice
 Experience of affordances
 Consciousness of conflict/dysjuncture
• Exposure to modelling of effective uses of technology
• Experience & practice in a range of applications
facilitating change in attitudes/beliefs
(Richardson & Placier, 2001; King, 2002; Bird & Rosaen, 2005; Brook & Oliver, 2005; Hughes,
2005)
… and leading to ecological constructivist locations, spaces and
interactions

6. 1. (Multi/Hyper)media
2. Roles of learners & learning
3. Intercultural issues of learning & teaching using
technology
4. Research methodolgies appropriate for technology-
enhanced learning
5. Roles of social networking software in learning
6. Communication, Community, Culture & Learning:
new roles for teachers, learners & content
6

7.  Nodes of tension from transition:
 Modes of teaching & learning
 Expectations
 Pedagogies
 Learner profiles
 Assessment

8.  Nodes of transition (teachers, learners & pedagogy):
 individual-community (private vs public spaces)
 mandatory-expected
 extension of f2f or something else?
 Transactional distance vs transactional control
 Cognitive, social & emotional presence + ownership
 choice-bounds
 Institutional
 Administrative
 Pedagogical
 Time
 Evaluation
 Experience with & acceptance of technology
… and how each conceives of these

9.  Predominantly asynchronous
 Time-poor students
 Fiercely self-directed
 “open” admissions policy

11.  Just attending to the work-life harmony is always a bit of challenge.
(Week 3)
 I am feeling the distance education blues! I would love to sit with you in a
classroom and talk about distance education and language
teaching/learning. In 30 minutes we could cover so much ground that in e-
mail just could not happen :( (Week 4)
 My name is [name] and I am registered in [course]. I have been very quiet,
but I am here! I have been dealing with a death in the family, but I fully
intend on catching up in this course. I haven't had a chance to participate
in the forums, but I will be handing in the first assignment as required. I'm
looking forward to being a more active participant in the near future!
(week 4 – chose to work alone)
 Now, if we want to built and or write to each other, we must do so using
tech that is outside of the course! We have a space to put up our
presentation and present, but we do not have our own private forum or
wiki space to talk/write! (Week 4)

12.  I think the experience has been just super! However, I am more than a bit
of a "social butterfly" -- love to hear people's stories!! Also I have a great
partner in A … (week 6)
 The reason I asked about the times is [my partner] and I would like to offer
Skype and vRoom sessions to every one next week about Blended Learning
and learn more about their article if anyone is interested -- our 'face-to-
face' learning component of DE. We have a Zentation presentation I was
working on to show some of the learners that haven't had much
experience with social software one of the applications. (week 7)
 Sorry to add to the stress level; however, I started to read your
Announcement just after I was on the Icelandic site and I have the
following question: On the Icelandic site it says:
Submit your final presentation during [week 7] comment on at least two
(no later than [week 8]) So does that mean we should have all our posting
for the Icelandic site completed by Monday and then our commenting, etc
is available until the following Friday (week 8) or do I have my dates mixed
up? (Week 7 – chose to work alone)

13.  This format is new to me so I am learning as I go and not yet very
comfortable with the forums particularly, however, my understanding is that
your expectation is for us to post at least once to the questions you are
posing within the units. You posed two questions in the first unit and I did
make a response to both. Was I to do something different here? Although I
read the postings of others I feel in many cases there is sufficient said and I
do not feel that I have anything of significance to add. (week 8 – chose to
work alone)
 If I have missed something or misunderstood the requirements please let me
know as it is my desire to do well in this program. (week 8 – chose to work
alone)
 I posted my assignment on Sunday as per plan and have already made a few
entries in others postings as instructed … I noted that you had posted new
instructions concerning the posting of this assignment. I noted I was to have
posted to the Iceland site. I am confused as my understanding was that
participation with the Iceland site was voluntary and I was not planning to
participate, although I was going to take a look at the site when I had the
opportunity. … I am happy to comply with what ever you want us to do but I
am confused by contradicting instructions. (Week 9 – chose to work alone)

14.  My issue is not with the postings and responses to my
classmates at all I will do that I actually look forward to it.
I have yet to have anyone respond to my post so that has
not happened as yet. I have posted to several others and
am quite enjoying them. (Week 9 – worked alone)

15.  More permeable:
 Reflective practice in
 Personally-controlled but public spaces
 shared collaborative spaces
 Learner owning & shaping of shared spaces
 Appearance
 Tools selected
 Modes of interaction (continua)
 Teacher modelling of these

17.  Principles of transparency
 Multi-directional negotiation of spaces & their use
 Mutually-agreed criteria for
 participation
 Behaviour
 Assessment

18.  Questions?
 Comments?
 Suggestions?
 Advice?

19. debrah@athbascau.ca
Skype: dlh_downunder
Blogs: http://deincanada.blogspot.com/
http://lifentheuniverse.blogspot.com/
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