Posted 5:21 PM by George Siemens
Gene Semchych, Steve Yurkiw, and I are currently developing a course on "Teaching Online". Should be available by September 30. We had discussed the title...we all feel that online teaching is actually facilitation, not teaching. However, for many, the term facilitation means nothing. So, we betrayed our deeply held views of what it means to teach online, in order to make sense to potential students...the course itself focuses on the process of facilitating - in case you care.

Personally, my "big" unspoken goal is for students of the course to appreciate the simplicity of using technology. Elearning does not have to be a massive project. It can start with a simple discussion thread to a classroom course...or email...or incorporating Internet searches, etc. The best way to encourage technology adoption is to let users see it's benefits.

As we are going through development, I find how much easier it is to talk about concepts than to actually practice them :). Student success begins with the planning and development. At early stages in development, we focused on piloting, student perceptions, designing for interaction, profiling our students, highlighting remedial resources, creating global outcomes supported by course activities, support documents (communication guidelines, technical help, etc.)...on and on. My development for classroom teaching was never this student focused.

Posted 7:37 AM by George Siemens
Concourse Project via SiT
Quote: "Whether you teach elementary school and are interested in learning about new ways to integrate technology into the classroom or are a published University professor or technology program director, the Concourse Project affords a unique online community to learn, share ideas, collaborate, forge new professional relationships, debate the latest trends, and otherwise surround yourself with like-minded colleagues who have a sincere interest in the future of education."

Comment: Looks like the skeleton of what could develop into a good online learning resource...often, however, after a few months, these types of sites die. The need for this concept is obvious...I have yet to come across a online learning community that I can really get excited about participating in (Kairosnews comes close...I'll see how it and Concourse Project evolve).

Redefining Community: Small Colleges in the Information Age...see Positioning for the Future

Posted 5:17 AM by George Siemens
Understanding the Process of Innovation

Quote: "Lack of creativity is rarely the reason for lackluster products and services coming out of the pipeline. "There’s usually some process by which a potentially great idea gets prostituted into something lackluster, or by which the wrong idea gets put forward.""

Comment: The concept of innovation applies direcly to elearning. Moving resources online involves transforming, not transfering content. Previous mindsets of what it means to teach need to be challenged and evaluated. True innovation, however, is always a shock to the organizational structure...and I guess that's normal (it sucks, but it's normal). A healthy organism always tries to kill off what is abnormal.