Week 0's activity was to create a Profile Wiki. I did not realise this activity even existed until week 1. Great start! SO, now that I have finally figured out what to do and how to do it, here is my "reflection" :-)
1. Reflection on own learning with this activity – what was it's value to me as a learner?
The reason I initially didn't know that we had to do this was because when the ICT's for learning design moodle site came up my eye was instantly drawn to the big bold Week One label. It is clear to me now that both my naivety and visual preferences were to blame. I have never even heard of Week 0 activities before... surely you can't ask students to do course work BEFORE Uni has even started? Apparently you can. So this wiki was born after I had spent many days mucking around with my blog and was already feeling the full wrath of those Ally McBeal visions. Surprisingly I found it quite easy. I had read a few emails about other students having problems with it so I went in prepared for another technological mishap, but everything was fine and dandy. I was pleased there were questions with suggestions for answers and I found this part enjoyable. I am not shy about disclosing facts about myself whether they make me sound amazing or like a complete idiot! For me the most valuable thing I got out of this exercise was reading about my peers. I love finding out about others lives because there are an infinite number of experiences out there and I think you can learn a lot of valuable life lessons by sharing stories. On a personal level I often struggle with self doubt. I hate to admit it but I am a a bit of a quitter. I know I have the mental ability to achieve my goals but I am laid back and like to cruise through life without too much stress. Because of this I often find ways of weasling out of things when I think they may turn my life upside down. This course is no exception, every second day I have thought that now isn't the right time ("the kids are still young", "I don't think it's very easy to get a job these days" "I am not sure I want to stay in QLD for another two years") the list goes on.
My Point: Reading the profile Wikis inspired me to keep going. Some people have it so much tougher and if they can do it, so can I.
2. Reflection on potential for my learners (how could this strategy be used to support the learning of your students?)
In a classroom setting I guess this would be useful in a similar way to websites like facebook. It is a great way for students to expose a side to them that their peers may not know and it can draw on certain compatibilities in likes, dislikes, struggles, etc. I find this particularly relevant for students who are shy and may not be extroverted enough to voice their opinions verbally. Like Facebook, it also offers a chance to "think before you speak". This avoids stumbling over words or not knowing what to say (which has often happened to me in traditional "let's introduce ourselves" activities *cringe*) and offers students more time to reflect on who they are. It is also a great tool for teachers and provides a more informal setting where teachers can get to know the person behind the student. One concern I have with Wiki's is that the details can be edited. With the amount of bullying occurring in schools these days, it worried me that a "bully" could enter a "victims" profile and change it to say something nasty.
3. Visible elements of the Learning Theories (Constructivism, Behaviourism, Connectivism)?
Constructivism -
* Exposes some of the previous experiences, beliefs, personality traits that may have an impact on how they interpret the course material.
* Scaffolding was used to guide us through this activity
Behaviourism -
* The instructions we were given to set up the Wiki then being rewarded with a page to share with our peers. We worked on our profiles individually.
Cognitivism -
* Provided a page that can be retrieved to assist with the organisation of information in our working memory
* By reading what our peers had to say and finding people with similar interests, etc we can attach certain people to our schemas that they relate to. We are also able to group types of people together in order of similarities to each other (and perhaps people we already know) in order to remember them.
Connectivism -
* By reading our peers profiles we are more aware of their specialty skills and strengths and weaknesses which will help us to know how to go to for help and the profile page had provided us with where to go to get this info.
3.Diversity (learning preferences, contexts etc)
Does the design of this activity support a diverse range of students? How?
Yes. It supports sequential learners who prefer following step-by-step guides the video tutorial supports visual and audio learners. Being able to describe yourself is favourable for those who are word smart and reflective. Despite the in-depth descriptions I still felt that not being able to put a face to the name was confusing and I would have preferred to have these profile questions answered in the blogs.
4.eLearning and digital pedagogy
How could the design of this activity, as an online e-Learning strategy, support learning?
Teaches students new internet skills, connects students with their peers and encourages reflective thinking.
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