At the beginning of ONL202 I was convinced that this journey would be an exciting one. It would become something that I would always remember. Now, after hours and hours of reading, listening, writing, discussing and preparing presentations, I can say that I’ve learnt a lot – all for which I owe special thanks to our PBL group members and facilitators as well as the ONL organizers. They’re the ones who made it all happen.
I admit that when the course got going I was (a little) skeptical about two things: 1) whether it is truly possible to get everyone on board with online learning, and 2) whether there will be enough time to develop the kind of trust needed to express oneself and thoughts openly. Despite the stressful situation we’re all currently living in and the “Zoom fatigue” that I have recognized to snuck in during the past weeks, I can still see how these doubts gradually, one after the other seemed to dispel. My greatest takeaway from all of this is understanding that online learning can be meaningful, inspiring, and even fun!
Although both research and teaching have initially opened my eyes to the interconnectedness of interpersonal/interactional/collaborative skills and learning, it has been great to view this from an online learner’s perspective – to experience it myself. I have been particularly intrigued by the theoretical frameworks introduced to us, as they all seem to have great practical relevance. Digital literacies, connectivism, community of inquiry, not to mention all the ideas for course design – I know I will apply them both in teaching and my future research. A surprising aspect is that these can also be connected to research practice. For instance, why not renew ways to communicate and reflect on the things learnt through research, and do this openly by writing a blog? Who knows, in addition to being a good sense-making tool (Scientific Research Blogging, 2020), maybe it could make us socially connected as “learners of science“. As I have always felt excited about utilizing visualizations, technologies and other new things in the traditional classroom, the ONL hasn’t changed my world view regarding the use of digital tools. However, I do believe I have developed a deeper understanding of the impacts, objectives and desired values that come along with using them. I have also gained confidence in that perhaps I, too, could design an online or blended learning course in the future.
There are some key aspects that I believe were significant in getting us motivated and engaged in our learning process in ONL202:
- creating joint rules and agreements at the beginning of the course
- investing in building a space for honest discussion and reflection
- having a clear procedure (incl. the FISH model) and idea on how things ought to be done
- developing a positive environment for learning
During the autumn term, my mind has been racing as I’ve thought of ideas on how to implement new aspects into my teaching, how to modify the current practices, how to make use of online formats, and so on. There is more than one area in my work where I will be able to apply the knowledge, tools and approach gained in ONL202. These regard two sites of teaching and research: 1) the field of Linguistics and social interaction at our university, and 2) the crisis management organization in which our research group investigates the building of team cohesion and development of adult learner’s expertise. Although the aspects above already form a good starting point, I still need to think things further. In this respect, I see the ONL as the beginning of something rather than the end.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin
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