As a final task on this course, we are to define our key lessons learnt. The course has been different from what I expected, but it has been very interesting, and I have gotten a lot of new ideas and references. Below you find my personal reflections. I hope you find them useful!
1. IT is a skill/competence that needs to be developed and nourished
a. Students and young people are just like older people with regards to IT skills. Some are really good with IT and some are not, some are natives and some are not. IT and learning new IT solutions quickly, is a skill and a competence, necessary for finding information, when preparing presentations, taking online courses etc. So why don´t we have courses that focuses on how to learn IT skills? We wouldn´t dream of expecting students to know grammar in their native language without ever having had a grammar class. IT is similar to grammar; one has to understand the structure and logic to use it correctly. We can´t escape neither grammar nor IT, and we need to understand them on a deeper level to manage them. And for some students, that is very easy and for some it is difficult. But in my opinion, the educational sector should have a responsibility to teach students IT logic and methods to learn IT tools. Because IT is changing all the time, so the trick is to understand the logic and how to constantly learn.
2. IT tools should be platform independent
a. Recommended software should work well independently of what operating system is used. Having struggled with using different operating systems in this course, this is a key learning. Time should not be spent on problems with software that doesn´t work. It creates lack of motivation and engagement.
3. Information should be structured and easily overviewed
a. A logic overview of information, and similar structure on different pages are essentials. Each piece of information should be posted once. Names of the page should be explicit; how else can students know what pages are referred to?
4. Learning design is key, but teaching is still a craft
a. Martin Welles´ presentation on learning design and the categories he has developed, are very useful when developing the structure of a course or program. Still, teaching and communicating with students is a craft that cannot always be structured or planned, which requires room for improvisation. However, I believe that a clear structure makes a great foundation for improvisation.
5. Social interaction is key when learning in a digital world
a. In the presentations and the literature, and in our group discussions, the red thread has been that creating a safe environment that promotes interaction between students is key for successful online learning and engagement.
