After a one week break to reflect on our progress thus far, we were introduced to the third ONL course topic on learning in communities. In particular, we focused on collaborative learning within networks. As a group, we discussed the differences between cooperative and collaborative learning, and the difference between PLCs and PLNs. Our group read, and discussed papers by Brindley, Blaschke and Walti (2009) on ‘Creating Effective Collaborative Learning Groups in an Online Environment’. My personal thoughts on this paper, shared by many in my PBL group, is that the solutions are general and can be applied to both online and physical classes. Reading this paper, and watching the two-part video by Kay Oddone led me to think about my own teaching practices and how I go about learning to become a better instructor.
Some of the questions I had were: ‘Who are those in my own learning networks?’ and ‘How did I form the teaching network(s)?’. I was not able to define any formalised learning network that I have established. I realised that I have been extremely fortunate for colleagues and peers who have been sharing ideas and pedagogical insights into their teaching practices. These sharing sessions have mostly been informal and flow naturally. They have never been forced or contrived – such that I do not imagine them to be my learning networks. But these are exactly what they are when their function is considered.
Having excellent teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary education allowed me to understand some factors that attributed to their efficacy as instructors. These role models were crucial in the formation of my ideals as an educator. These aided me greatly when I started teaching. At that time, I took over courses which were already running. While I could modify content and focus, most of these were already predetermined. However, specific aims, objectives, and framework of teaching were only realised when I started proposing and developing new modules. The structured programmes by CDTL at NUS allowed greater insights into the key pointers important to a successful module. Yet, I hardly kept in contact with colleagues I encountered during these CDTL courses. The colleagues I have engaged and now consider my PLNs are from my department, typically in the same domain.
How about my learning networks that are online? It has been three years since my return from my postgraduate stint at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. I continue to chat, over multiple online platforms, with many colleagues and friends. Often our chats veer into discussions about our teaching. Many of these colleagues and friends are science communicators with effective communication of their research high on the agenda and deliverables. These chats, although I have never considered them to be my PLN before, are extremely helpful in aiding the crystallisation of ideas surrounding teaching and mentoring effectively.
To date, I consider the ONL PBL group members the most structured and targeted PLN I am a part of. The ONL journey has been a really eye-opening one for me. The discussions as well as synchronous and asynchronous activities surrounding specific topics really cemented, for me, the idea of what a PLN should be. The facilitation, especially initially, guided members to understand their roles and assume responsibility for their actions to group members. This aspect, which may be the clincher in ensuring the success of PLNs, is lacking in all other non-formal PLNs I believe myself to be a part of. I am already thinking of ways to apply this to current networks so that others too can realise the potential success the network can offer.
Our PBL team has agreed to remain connected even after the end of the course, seeing how successful we were in our collaborative learning journey. I hope that remains true for I have learnt so much more, through the experience of collaborative learning with the team.
