#Feminism and Technology a distributed credited #MOOC

In the past months MOOCs have been debated on various levels. And as I am engaged in MOOC research for the last few months (following the development of FutureLearn the UK MOOC platform), I was looking for different angles that come closer to what I like to see in education: variety, creativity, recognized by many, providing credits for all who want to, catering options so different teachers can make and share the content the way they like it... and of course all delivered in a seamless learning format (will post a bit more on that subject in a couple of days).

And suddenly I came across an online course called "Feminism and Technology", in a format self-described by the organizing universities as DOCC (Distributed Open Collaborative Course. The course is set up by multiple universities, gives recognized credit to those willing to go for the credit track, and it features multiple professors and experts on the topic. The idea emerged from the people behind the FemBot collective and the DOCC on Feminism and Technology is part of what they call nodal course. The course is still being put together (if I assume correctly, just sent out an email to one of the facilitators to make sure).

From the organizers I heard that there is an online track being developed, next to a face-to-face track. The course itself will be launched on 23 September 2013. Here is what they shared: the FemTechNet Self-Directed Learners site is just getting off the ground at the FemTechNet Commons--look for it on the top menu. You may also want to explore the more interactive FemTechNet Google+ page @ FemTechNet Google+ site.  The San Antonio FemTechNet ¡Taller!/workshop which is co-facilitated by Penelope Boyer in Texas can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Antonio-femtechnet-taller-Dialogues-on-Feminism-Technology/1407936279418801?ref=br_tf  Feel free to visit and Like it, or simply spread the word.

To me MOOCs lift the learner, they are diversified in the media they provide and I learn from multiple teachers/experts within the same course. This way I can make up my own knowledge and I inevitably get different viewpoints on the same subject matter. I like that very much because I am an adult learner, in fact I liked that approach of multiple looking glasses even as a child. In some strange way it helps me focus. This was the basis for getting MobiMOOC (an open course on mobile learning) organized and rolled out to the public. 

Of course this approach is not completely new, it fits the connectivist MOOC approach as it was first launched by George Siemens and Stephen Downes, but now it gets a nice feminist ring to it as well. 

Alexandra Juhasz, a professor of media studies at Pitzer who is the other co-facilitator of the DOCC, said to Inside Higher Ed reporter Scott Jaschik "our DOCC is built to value situated experience and emphasis, and to share authority and responsibility rather than the MOOC's top-down, one size fits all, sometimes elitist approach. Attention to discrete learners, teachers, and institutions is valued over simple numbers of participants. While these structures mirror my own feminist values and approaches, I imagine that most educators will be intrigued by this more democratic and responsive model for technology enhanced learning."

FemTechNet: The first DOCC,* a Feminist MOOC from NITLE

Which reminds me I need to get back into the feminist realm to keep my mind alert. Engaging with a fembot collective unconference might be an idea.

Preparing for debate Alt-C online education in times of crisis

Some educational activists colleagues are preparing a debate during the Alt-C conference on Technology Enhanced Learning and whether or if this can be a response to economic crisis (both in education as in globalization). While preparing Richard Hall shared a presentation that stuck with me. So happy to share his views.

For those joining Alt-C conference which is held in Nottingham, UK this year, feel free to join us on Tuesday 10 September at the TEL at 11.45 for the discussion on Technology Enhanced Learning Crisis. Panel people: Richard Hall, Debbie Holley, Sarah Stager, Karl Royle, Helen Beetham, John Traxler and myself. Will be fun and passionate debate.

Educational technology, academic labour, and a pedagogy for class struggle from Richard Hall

Civil rights, #war and global #learning for all

The 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King jr. speech "I have a dream" was on my mind all through last week for obvious reasons. But no matter how I twisted and turned it, the celebrations caught me between a rock and a hard place. For what are we still doing do others?

Martin Luther King is one of my big examples of humanity. A man, a human, who moves forward, gets his ideas out, connects with people over vast region, gets into their homes, fights inhumanity by means of argument, gathers interest against all odds, knows that he puts his life in the balance with every action he takes, while never knowing if it will lead to anything. Although the dangers must have been evident on a daily basis (police brutality, KKK still active), in his heart and soul he felt he had to be a spokesman, be a leader, be at the foreground of civil rights, of human rights, of the right to be an equal citizen. He walked the earth to get people behind the cause he believed was right and is right. But who is alive now, walking the earth for peace, prepared to fight verbally for lifting citizens up and create a better world for all? 

So here I stand. I want to celebrate his momentous speech, his inner-strength, his strong vision, but my mind keeps telling me that in this day and age we, the citizens, are lost in global inertia. How strange it is, to see that Obama celebrates with talking in the same location as MLK did, with strong arguments that a long road is still ahead to reach the dream uttered 50 years ago. But that same man is running the oval office, is preparing for war ... against citizens that are also deprived from rights because war is upon them. Don't get me wrong, I like Obama, I like people in the US, I like people in all countries, but the sheer contrast was too confusion for me not to stop and think at this strange discrepant mimicry. The UN is doing the same thing, supporting human right activists, yet pushing those same citizens into oblivion with all the best intentions. Every citizen in Syria is now put into a situation that none of us would ever want to be in. As a citizen of any country, you just want to live your life. You want to talk, love, eat, drink, debate, cook, work, learn... the only thing none of us want is a bullet. No matter where the bullet comes from, power always has multiple faces. Wars, bullets, warfare in all its variety kills innocent citizens. Those who have a right to live. The propaganda machine is up and running on all sides at the moment. For the west the propaganda moved on from: Arab spring (west in favor), Nobel Peace prize for igniting change (expliciting west in favor), looking away once civil-war broke out (west turning blind eye, media calm), and now (west with new interest, media in full swing) strikes are planned based on new ideas coming to mind of the powerful, having to think that shooting people will free them. Every war has the same propaganda joining it. Power seems to think citizens are idiots. Which makes me wonder whether the powerful give a damn about civil rights or human rights anywhere in the world, even if they celebrate some remarkable, undeniable facts and activists. 

We, the citizens are lost in many parts of the world. And war always hits ordinary people the hardest. I remember a friend of mine who was part of the Women in Black movement in former Yugoslavia when the war was on in that part of the world only twenty years ago. She was protesting for peace. She never choose sides, just like the others of Women in Black. They gathered mid war, demanding peace, in protest against all types of violence. Their group got smaller and smaller as their families were forced to choose. They were forced to choose each time a relative died (sometimes died, sometimes murdered to facilitate choosing). She refused to choose although her kin died, and therefor she was isolated yet strong in belief. War is never just and there is never a right side as long as people die. Only peace and equal living options is just. 

So where will the Syrian citizens, and all those citizens roughed up by wars that do not even make it into the news anymore stand? Which basic human living rights do they retain? And for me I wonder whether education can be guaranteed in those times of utmost distress. Disrupted society means disrupted education. All the soft benefits of life are the first to be taken away in times of war. Even though education is always an investment in the future, in the future of citizens, in the true resilience of a nation or let me say region (avoiding nationalism). But investment in humans is hard to put into short term cash it seems, and therefor education does not seem to have a real high priority for any engineering power. Yet education is the basis for civil and human rights understanding. 

So at regular intervals I ask myself, what should we do? Distribute educational content? How? Can we see any type of technology supported learning as an option? Could MOOCs or more general mobile and online learning really be an option that can provide war struck regions with some education? Can the format be used to lift people out of their moments of most intense collaborative misery? Some sort of Do It Yourself MOOCs or self-help educational packages that can be dispersed easily. But even if such a pack can be provided the main problem remains that if it is technology based then which citizens in their darkest war time hours can afford it, or even have access to it?

Call for papers on #MOOC for eMOOC2014

And adding to the call for papers I send out earlier today, a call send out by a MOOC conference.

Name of the conference: European MOOCs Stakeholder Summit (eMOOC) 2014
Date of conference: 10, 11 and 12 February 2014
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland.
Deadline for submission of papers: 20 September 2013
More information: http://www.emoocs2014.eu/

Description of the conference:
Organised by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and P.A.U. Education the event aims to be an opportunity to gatherEuropean actors involved in the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) phenomenon, from policy makers to practitioners andresearchers. This conference is the follow-up of the MOOC Summit 2013.
The goal of the summit is to develop synergies among European universities around themes such as student assessment, MOOC accreditation, platform interoperability or joint research initiatives.
The conference will include four tracks (Policy, Experience, Research and Business) that are explained in detail below, with 5 sessions of 90 minutes and a keynote speaker. EMOOCs 2014 will also offer a series of workshops, meetings and the tutorial “All you need to know about MOOCs”.

Call for #papers and #chapters

Although it is a vacation time in the Northern part of the globe, I gladly share two interesting calls, one for papers and one for chapters:

9th Networked Learning conference 2014
Date: 7, 8, 9 April 2014
Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Deadline for full papers: 4 October 2014
Link to the call for papers
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/organisations/netlc/call/index.htm

Information on the conference: it is a research-based conference on networked learning in higher education, lifelong learning & professional development

The Networked Learning Conference is an international, research-based conference. Since its inception in 1998 the conference has developed a strong following by international researchers. In addition it is well supported by practitioners, managers and learning technologists interested in contributing to and hearing about research in this area. The conference is considered a major event in the international 'technology enhanced learning' conference circuit.

• Hosted by The University of Edinburgh at the John McIntyre Conference Centre (JMCC)
• Keynote presentations and discussions with Professor Neil Selwyn and Professor Steve Fuller
• Plenary Panel will currently include David McConnell, Vivien Hodgson & Steve Fuller.
• Pre-conference online Sessions and Hot Topic Discussion (these will take place in the Networked Learning Community Forums)
• Selected papers  will be published in an edited book as part of the Springer Networked Learning book series

Call for chapters

IGI global Call for Chapters on Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (3rd Edition). These chapters gather a wide variety of topics (encyclopedia, so a logical array of subjects). 

More information can be found here: 

http://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/call-details/728

Proposals Submission Deadline: August 16, 2013
Full Chapters Due: September 13, 2013
Submission Date: September 16, 2013

Introduction on the chapter (as provided by the editors/publisher)

After the impact and success of the first two editions, we are pleased to announce the editorial launch of theEncyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (3rd Edition). This publication is a landmark in the field of IS&T and has become one of the established reference publications in most predominant academic libraries around the world.  

Information Science and Technology as a field remains one of the most rapidly changing and expanding disciplines. It grows with each improvement to an existing technology or theory, each discovery of a better practice, and each application that often revolutionizes an entire field or way of life. In such an ever-evolving environment, teachers, researchers and professionals of the discipline need access to the most current information about the concepts, issues, trends and technologies in many areas.  The Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (3rd Edition), will provide comprehensive coverage and up-to-date definitions of the most important issues, concepts, trends and technologies in IS and IT. This new publication will be distributed worldwide among academic and professional institutions and will be instrumental in providing researchers, scholars, students and professionals’ access to the latest knowledge related to information science and technology. Contributions to this important publication will be made by scholars throughout the world with notable research portfolios and expertise.

Objective

The Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (3rd Edition) will provide a collection of short articles (3,000-5,000), authored by leading experts, offering an in-depth description of concepts, issues, challenges, innovations, and opportunities in the field of information science and technology and their impact on all aspects of modern organizations and society in general.

Durable, rural #mLearning with the Cofimvaba project

Rural learners, Indigenous people, refugees, nomadic travelers, ... all vulnerable learner groups in general still face a lot of challenges and one of these challenges always comes down to education. Education for all still has a long road to travel, but some of us keep on paving the roads to get everyone on board no matter what the challenges. One of my close friends, Adele Botha, has been engaging in a successful mLearning project that is the starting point for a nationwide roll out of mLearning to reach all rural schools in South Africa, the so called Cofimvaba project. She is part of a wonderful CSIR team that is determined to roll out an optimized, strong education for the whole of South Africa and ... they will do it! The first phase has been successful and has provided 26 schools (3000 tablets) with new educational opportunities, but ... it is the complete approach that really blew my mind.

One of the key elements in this project was a clear aim for sustainability and participation. Getting both the rural teachers as well as the learners on board. But also tackling what the team calls 'basic enablers', a set of necessary preconditions for learning. These enablers included adequate infrastructure (buildings, sanitation, electricity, water and access to information and communication). These basic enablers are not just put there, but they are embedded in a human awareness program, providing learner support through health, nutrition ( including agricultural know-how), transportation and social activities. This means making all the stakeholders aware, ensuring a strong, competent leadership at the center of the community based on the teachers, educators and informed parents. This combination lifts the project to a higher level, education is no longer a stand alone action, it is at the centre, and it embraces and lifts up the whole community.

This holistic approach does come at a serious investment cost as tablets are used throughout and infrastructure is set up, but instilling the idea of progress and opportunities into the heart of communities will give an undeniable return when today's young learners realize what they can do and transform their nation based upon stronger education and community capacity.

The picture shows the first teacher graduates, having gone through a whole set of courses getting them on to speed with the tablets, the installed eBooks, the wifi's, the installed applications ... and all the opportunities offered by the new, connected technology that is part of a complete community approach.

The testing ground of the project was based in Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape in South Africa and below you can see a short video of the project.

On open badges and informal assessment

Although developing informal badges are one of the key debates in MOOCs and online learning in general today, not all institutes belief it to be worth investing. Which is a pity, as open badges in a more 'formal' (if that is possible) way might allow people to really add credentials to their name and build up a reputation (even an expertise) from there.

My first encounter with informal badges was through discussion forums where the more reputed, helpful participants got several stars next to their name, indicating their answers were worth reading. But as time went by those informal badges captured the attention of public, learning projects. One of which was the iSpot project, a UK start-up that started out as a mobile learning project to allow amateur as well as expert explorers of the wild natural environment to exchange notes, learn from each other and gain extra expertise. The great thing about the iSpot project is that they managed to push laymen and -women into an expert position by issuing informal badges. iSpot grew and attracted worldwide partners, putting them on the brink of an international agreement for informal badges ... quite exciting!

Unfortunately the funding did not come through to move to this next, global level. The plug was pulled for this idea and the only thing left to do for the researchers who were eager to push forward this idea, was to disseminate their findings, hoping others might build upon what they had in mind. So here are some of the interesting ideas Jon Rosewell put forward in a presentation I followed recently (and I am adding a slide deck from a presentation he gave while the funding option was still in the running, below). 

Here are a few benefits of using badges and acknowledging them worldwide to enable people from all regions to grow towards and expert status in a specific area:

• A badge is validated indicator of acknowledgment used across the globe
• It builds upon recognized expertise by peers (both amateurs and experts)
• Badges are provided in the public eye, so a newbie can check out the log that moved a person towards the level of expertise, making it transparent
• Badges bridge the gap between informal and formal learning, offering steps/credentials for moving towards a more formal education for those interested, or showing informal expertise to other peers. In that case assessments must be put into place that are recognized by all partners (can be a challenge, I know)
• Although badges start out as informal validations, a mix of badges could lead to a formal credit
• In order for global open badges to be recognizable, they must have a clear, transparent design (which expertise, part of which course/activity, delivered by which institution - an example can be seen in the slides
• The granularity of the badges enables a learner to grow in a balanced way taken into account specific time-stressed periods in life (learning while pregnant, moving house, between jobs, career boost...)

There is a challenge in providing badges between partners, all partners must be seen as equally capable and trustworthy... but that to me is the way forward anyway, we all must learn to trust each others capacities a bit quicker. Because let's be honest, there isn't that much difference between any of us, no matter where we live (in the skills we have in us from birth), however there is a difference in the learning options we have depending on where we live, so badges can help bridge these gaps and offer a stepping stone towards more formal education (online or face-to-face). 

A speculation on the possible use of badges for learning at the UK Open University from Jon Rosewell

Merging #mLearning with #MOOC is a good idea

While MOOC are of interest for any training and learning, the surplus of mobile learning or mLearning can not be underestimated. In many ways I feel that the benefits that mLearning offers would add to many MOOC environment. To me a future training platform would merge both mLearning features, as well as MOOC options to come to an ultimate online learning environment that caters intuitively (read ubiquitously) to the learner's own contexts ans needs. But before getting there a couple of hurdles need to be taken, to me the most difficult challenges are:

• reaching seamless mobile learning (letting learners switch between devices, as well as stay connected with their peers at all times, enabling smooth/seamless collaboration as well as smooth connectivity);
• enabling the learner to stay in the flow with learning
• create a smooth cross-platform and immediate access learning environment.

In order to get it realized I started to map out (briefly) why I think this would be a good idea and how to get there. On 16 July I had the pleasure to put these ideas forward to a knowledgeable crowd of ADL enthusiasts. The formidable expert Jason Haag was the master of ceremony for the Interagency Mobile Learning seminars, which had a wonderful line up of speakers. The webinar was part of a series of free webinars on mobile learning, the presentations will be listed soon (and I will put the link to the other presentations up as soon as I get it). 

The slides of my presentation can be seen below, via slideshare

mLearning and MOOCs as an optimal training environment from Inge Ignatia de Waard

Probation report and slides on #mobile #MOOC and #SDL

After a week of heavy typing, my probation report incorporating literature review looking at challenges for self-directed learning (SDL), a methodology rationale and instruments for investigating SDL is ready for dissemination to ... is ready for whomever it might interest.

This week I moved from my master thesis to the first step towards a PhD by getting the probation report out. As some friends have asked me to share some of my PhD life, I thought sharing my probation report would be of interest. A probation report is a necessary step for all PhD students in the UK to fulfill if they want to move to the official title of a PhD student. Up until the probation exam, any PhD student in the UK would be considered a Master in Philosophy. My actual probation exam is planned for 1 July 2013, but in order for the jury to review what I have been doing, the hard copies of my probation report needed to be in this week.

Anyone wanting to read the probation report: you can find it here (I also added some notes that share the rationale behind some sections, hopefully helping others when they need to tackle this challenge).

I also gave a presentation on my master thesis, running up to my PhD during the CALRG conference in Milton Keynes, UK. I gladly share it below, it has some conclusions I took away from my thesis research.

Impact of mobile access on learner interactions in a mooc method and findings from Inge Ignatia de Waard

Summer schools on serious gaming and video use

Two interesting summer school courses arrived in my mail box: one on video in research (3 week course in Finland) and one on serious gaming (one intense week in Austria), open for master and PhD students, and researchers.

VIDEO IN RESEARCH ON LEARNING AND EDUCATION SUMMER SCHOOL COURSE 2013CICERO Learning Network will be organising a three-week summer school course in Helsinki on 6-22 August for the fifth consecutive year. The Video Research course is designed for students and researchers  
interested in using video-based methods and technologies in research on learning and education. The course focuses on current trends and phenomena in video research.  Participants are also encouraged to share their experiences of video research tools and projects. The course is an excellent opportunity for students and researchers to network while developing their understandings about the possibilities and challenges of video research in diverse settings. The course is part of the 2013 Helsinki Summer School (HSS) and the language of instruction is English.

For more detailed information (timetable, eligibility criteria):
http://www.cicero.fi/sivut2/news_CICERO_summerschool2013.html

Helsinki Summer School (application forms and practical information):
www.helsinkisummerschool.fi/home/index

GALA SUMMER SCHOOL ON SERIOUS GAMING
2-6 September 2013, University of Graz, Austria

The summer school course will include lectures and workshops at least on:

• - serious game design theories and practices
• - serious game development tools and techniques
• - serious game research methodology

The course will be an insightful and inspirational opportunity for young researchers and professionals get to know the realm of serious gaming.

The organizing committee has managed to attract some great speakers, including Harri Ketamo (SkillPixels Ltd) and many others from fine institutions such as Coventry University (the Serious Games Institute), Nottingham University, Utrecht University, Herriot-Watt University, Delft University of Technology.

For more information and registration:
http://academy.seriousgamessociety.org/summerschool

Organiser: Games and Learning Alliance (GALA)
http://www.galanoe.eu/