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Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Faculty Focus: Personal Learning Environments Help Students Extend Learning Beyond the Classroom
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/trends-in-higher-education/personal-learning-environments-helps-students-extend-learning-beyond-the-classroom/?c=FF&t=F101103a
By John Orlando, PhD
My son Alex is an average 20-year-old college sophomore. He gets OK grades, and like many people his age, seems more interested in video games than school. Looking at him, you might think that nothing in particular excites him.
But you would be wrong. Alex is actually very interested in the opposition between science and religion. He reads books about evolutionary theory and creationism, as well as scientific examinations of religious doctrine. He watches TV documentaries on religion and science, and posts videos on his Facebook page of famous scientists speaking on religion. In fact, he talks about his interest at the dinner table and even plans to write a book on it someday (he is actually a very good writer).
We all know that much of a college education happens outside of the classroom. Colleges foster an intellectual atmosphere around campus by bringing in speakers, and one of the purposes of student centers is to enable evening “bull” sessions around coffee or some stronger drink.
Until recently, students had no way to structure their learning experiences around topics that excite them. They attended talks as they came up, or pursued interests with others they happened to meet. But now social media allows institutions to provide students with a “Personal Learning Environment” (PLE) for pursuing their intellectual interests outside of the classroom.
Imagine that Alex’s university provided each student with a blog to devote to whatever interests him or her. Alex’s blog would focus on religion and science. He would post links to articles that he read, as well as his commentary on them. He would start working out his thoughts on his upcoming book, or how current events relate to his interest. But more importantly, Alex would have a forum to connect with others who share his passion. Group members could share articles or documentaries relating to the topic, and bounce ideas off of each other. Because the PLE would be public, unlike the closed Learning Management System, Alex’s group would be made up of students and non-students from around the world.
Of course, Alex would still attend classes to satisfy his degree requirements, but his PLE would be a way of extending his education through a self-structured and self-organized learning environment. Whereas some of his classes might intersect his particular interest, everything about his PLE would revolve around his interest. Maybe his passion would eventually fizzle, but until then he would be honing his communication and thinking skills through collaboration with others—which will benefit him in any future pursuits.
Is this concept really so radical? After all, students choose their major according to their interest, as well as their outside activities. So perhaps we have all been creating a Personal Learning Environment around our lives. This system is just a way that higher education could facilitate that pursuit.
A few universities and K-12 schools are experimenting with the PLE to improve learning outcomes. Consider how a PLE can work at your own institution.
Links
“Personal Learning Networks for Education” – A YouTube video explaining the value of a PLN. Watch it now »
“7 Things you Should Know about Personal Learning Environments” – A nice, concise overview from the folks at Educause. Get the pdf »
“The networked student model for construction of personal learning environments” – An interesting article from the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. Read it here »
“Personal Learning Environments, Networks, and Knowledge – A great free course for educators exploring the PLE. Explore »
Feedback
As usual, I welcome your comments, criticisms, and cries of outrage in the comments section of this blog.
John Orlando, PhD, is the program director for the online Master of Science in Business Continuity Management and Master of Science in Information Assurance programs at Norwich University. John develops faculty training in online education and is available for consulting at jorlando@norwich.edu.
By John Orlando, PhD
My son Alex is an average 20-year-old college sophomore. He gets OK grades, and like many people his age, seems more interested in video games than school. Looking at him, you might think that nothing in particular excites him.
But you would be wrong. Alex is actually very interested in the opposition between science and religion. He reads books about evolutionary theory and creationism, as well as scientific examinations of religious doctrine. He watches TV documentaries on religion and science, and posts videos on his Facebook page of famous scientists speaking on religion. In fact, he talks about his interest at the dinner table and even plans to write a book on it someday (he is actually a very good writer).
We all know that much of a college education happens outside of the classroom. Colleges foster an intellectual atmosphere around campus by bringing in speakers, and one of the purposes of student centers is to enable evening “bull” sessions around coffee or some stronger drink.
Until recently, students had no way to structure their learning experiences around topics that excite them. They attended talks as they came up, or pursued interests with others they happened to meet. But now social media allows institutions to provide students with a “Personal Learning Environment” (PLE) for pursuing their intellectual interests outside of the classroom.
Imagine that Alex’s university provided each student with a blog to devote to whatever interests him or her. Alex’s blog would focus on religion and science. He would post links to articles that he read, as well as his commentary on them. He would start working out his thoughts on his upcoming book, or how current events relate to his interest. But more importantly, Alex would have a forum to connect with others who share his passion. Group members could share articles or documentaries relating to the topic, and bounce ideas off of each other. Because the PLE would be public, unlike the closed Learning Management System, Alex’s group would be made up of students and non-students from around the world.
Of course, Alex would still attend classes to satisfy his degree requirements, but his PLE would be a way of extending his education through a self-structured and self-organized learning environment. Whereas some of his classes might intersect his particular interest, everything about his PLE would revolve around his interest. Maybe his passion would eventually fizzle, but until then he would be honing his communication and thinking skills through collaboration with others—which will benefit him in any future pursuits.
Is this concept really so radical? After all, students choose their major according to their interest, as well as their outside activities. So perhaps we have all been creating a Personal Learning Environment around our lives. This system is just a way that higher education could facilitate that pursuit.
A few universities and K-12 schools are experimenting with the PLE to improve learning outcomes. Consider how a PLE can work at your own institution.
Links
“Personal Learning Networks for Education” – A YouTube video explaining the value of a PLN. Watch it now »
“7 Things you Should Know about Personal Learning Environments” – A nice, concise overview from the folks at Educause. Get the pdf »
“The networked student model for construction of personal learning environments” – An interesting article from the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. Read it here »
“Personal Learning Environments, Networks, and Knowledge – A great free course for educators exploring the PLE. Explore »
Feedback
As usual, I welcome your comments, criticisms, and cries of outrage in the comments section of this blog.
John Orlando, PhD, is the program director for the online Master of Science in Business Continuity Management and Master of Science in Information Assurance programs at Norwich University. John develops faculty training in online education and is available for consulting at jorlando@norwich.edu.
Faculty Focus: Personal Learning Environments Help Students Extend Learning Beyond the Classroom
Magna's Campus Legal Briefing: Practical Negotiation Techniques for Academic Administrators
Featured Higher Education Presenter: C.K. Gunsalus
Date: Tuesday, 11/30/10
Time:12:00 - 1:30 PM CST
Cost: $289($314 after 11/23/10)
Three easy ways to register!
Online: http://www.magnapubs.com/catalog/negotiation-for-acad-admin/?track=email
Phone: 800-433-0499 / 608-246-3590
Email:support@magnapubs.com
The #1 skill for academic administrators? Effective negotiation.
Here’s a crash course …
If you’re like most academic administrators, you do enough negotiating in the course of a week to make UN ambassadors look like slackers. Campuses are famous (notorious?) for their highly participatory approach to … well, just about everything. To be successful in that sort of environment, a strong grasp of good negotiating technique is essential.
If you’d like to beef up your negotiating skills, you won’t want to miss a new online seminar coming November 30. In Practical Negotiation Techniques for Academic Administrators, C.K. Gunsalus, former special counsel for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and professor in its College of Business, will provide valuable insights into the negotiation process. In a fast-paced, information-filled 90 minute program, she’ll examine:
How to approach conflict resolution conceptually.
How to apply two keys to success: preparation and communication.
How to manage the special challenges of the academic environment.
How to proceed effectively through the stages of negotiation.
How and why to do post-negotiation analysis.
And much more.
It’s a thorough and cogent roadmap to successful negotiation; you’ll come away with a notebook full of ideas you can apply right away.
Who should attend:
Everyone can benefit from better negotiating skills; we especially encourage you to invite these people from your campus:
Department Chairs
Deans
Provosts
Legal Counsel
Directors
Anyone interested in the personnel or legal aspects of negotiations
Date: Tuesday, 11/30/10
Time:12:00 - 1:30 PM CST
Cost: $289($314 after 11/23/10)
Three easy ways to register!
Online: http://www.magnapubs.com/catalog/negotiation-for-acad-admin/?track=email
Phone: 800-433-0499 / 608-246-3590
Email:support@magnapubs.com
The #1 skill for academic administrators? Effective negotiation.
Here’s a crash course …
If you’re like most academic administrators, you do enough negotiating in the course of a week to make UN ambassadors look like slackers. Campuses are famous (notorious?) for their highly participatory approach to … well, just about everything. To be successful in that sort of environment, a strong grasp of good negotiating technique is essential.
If you’d like to beef up your negotiating skills, you won’t want to miss a new online seminar coming November 30. In Practical Negotiation Techniques for Academic Administrators, C.K. Gunsalus, former special counsel for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and professor in its College of Business, will provide valuable insights into the negotiation process. In a fast-paced, information-filled 90 minute program, she’ll examine:
How to approach conflict resolution conceptually.
How to apply two keys to success: preparation and communication.
How to manage the special challenges of the academic environment.
How to proceed effectively through the stages of negotiation.
How and why to do post-negotiation analysis.
And much more.
It’s a thorough and cogent roadmap to successful negotiation; you’ll come away with a notebook full of ideas you can apply right away.
Who should attend:
Everyone can benefit from better negotiating skills; we especially encourage you to invite these people from your campus:
Department Chairs
Deans
Provosts
Legal Counsel
Directors
Anyone interested in the personnel or legal aspects of negotiations
Magna's Campus Legal Briefing: Practical Negotiation Techniques for Academic Administrators
Alabama State University News: WVAS-FM to Host 'StoryCorps Griot'
October 28, 2010
By Timothy C. Ervin
http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/reports/diversity/07diversity.pdf
ASU's WVAS 90.7 FM will serve as Alabama's host for StoryCorps Griot, an exciting project that collects the oral histories of African-Americans throughout the nation.
WVAS-FM 90.7, “The Voice of Alabama State University,” will serve as Alabama’s host for "StoryCorps Griot," a revolutionary project that is traveling the country with a mobile recording studio to capture the voices and life experiences of African-American families. The community is encouraged to participate in the program, which will visit the ASU campus on November.
“'StoryCorps Griot' offers African-Americans a chance to record their personal stories and to become part of American history,” said Candy Capel, WVAS-FM station manager. “The idea behind the project is simple: everyone has an important and interesting story to tell. Using the stories of everyday African-Americans, 'StoryCorps Griot' is creating an oral history of the United States.”
Since 2003, "StoryCorps Griot" has collected and archived more than 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants. In the mobile booth, people participate in pairs – often with friends or loved ones – and one interviews the other. A trained facilitator is present to help guide the participants through the interview process and to handle the technical aspects of the recording. The recording process lasts approximately 40 minutes and upon completion of the session, participants will receive the entire conversation on a broadcast-quality CD.
Each conversation also is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. "StoryCorps Griot" is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to the broadcasts on public radio and the web.
For more information, contact Jackie Amis, coordinator of Community and Public Affairs, at 334-229-4708 or e-mail: jkamis@alasu.edu, or visit the "StoryCorps Griot" website.
By Timothy C. Ervin
http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/reports/diversity/07diversity.pdf
ASU's WVAS 90.7 FM will serve as Alabama's host for StoryCorps Griot, an exciting project that collects the oral histories of African-Americans throughout the nation.
WVAS-FM 90.7, “The Voice of Alabama State University,” will serve as Alabama’s host for "StoryCorps Griot," a revolutionary project that is traveling the country with a mobile recording studio to capture the voices and life experiences of African-American families. The community is encouraged to participate in the program, which will visit the ASU campus on November.
“'StoryCorps Griot' offers African-Americans a chance to record their personal stories and to become part of American history,” said Candy Capel, WVAS-FM station manager. “The idea behind the project is simple: everyone has an important and interesting story to tell. Using the stories of everyday African-Americans, 'StoryCorps Griot' is creating an oral history of the United States.”
Since 2003, "StoryCorps Griot" has collected and archived more than 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants. In the mobile booth, people participate in pairs – often with friends or loved ones – and one interviews the other. A trained facilitator is present to help guide the participants through the interview process and to handle the technical aspects of the recording. The recording process lasts approximately 40 minutes and upon completion of the session, participants will receive the entire conversation on a broadcast-quality CD.
Each conversation also is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. "StoryCorps Griot" is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to the broadcasts on public radio and the web.
For more information, contact Jackie Amis, coordinator of Community and Public Affairs, at 334-229-4708 or e-mail: jkamis@alasu.edu, or visit the "StoryCorps Griot" website.
Alabama State University News: WVAS-FM to Host 'StoryCorps Griot'
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