Getting started

During this first week the focus is to familiarize yourself with the ONL learning spaces. You will be encouraged to share expectations, background knowledge, experience and practice and begin to build relationships.

ONL help desk – drop-in video meeting times where one of the members of the course team will be waiting to help you in case you have questions about how to get started.

The ONL helpdesk is available at: https://kau-se.zoom.us/my/onlhelpdesk. You will need to enter ONL232 for admittance.

• Tuesday 19 September 11:00-12:00 (CEST)

Introductory meetings for institutional groups  – organised by each institution

Introductory meetings for Open learners  – registered open learners are invited to two optional and electable sessions

Connecting

During this important week the focus is to  to connect with peers and facilitators and to form groups.

Connecting webinar: Monday 25 September, 13:00-14:30 (CEST)
Course welcoming and brief introduction – an opportunity to meet and connect with your PBL group and facilitators.
Please use a headset and your webcam!

Topic 1: Online participation & digital literacies

During this topic, we will explore together important literacies to survive and thrive in the digital age as learners and educators. We will also discuss online participation and your digital footprints. You will be encouraged to reflect on your digital presence and identity as well as your experience of digital consumption, communication, collaboration, and creation.

Webinar: Monday October 2, 13:00-14:00 (CEST) – Special guest: David White

(Please note: 29 October Europe changes from summertime CEST to wintertime CET)

Topic 2: Open Learning – sharing and openness

In this topic, we will explore the benefits and challenges of openness in education. We will look at issues around copyright and in particular the open licensing of content (Creative Commons) and how this opens up new opportunities for collaborative learning and development. Sharing and reusing OER (Open Educational Resources) and the consequent development of OEP (Open Educational Practices) will also be examined.

Webinar: October 18th ,11-12 (CEST) – Special guest: Dr Orna Farell

Discussion webinar: October 25th 10-11 CEST

Reflection week

30 October – 5 November

Reflection week

We’re halfway through the course and this week gives you time to reflect, catch up and consolidate what you have learned so far.

Topic 3: Learning in communities – networked collaborative learning

In this third topic, we will explore aspects of collaborative learning in relation to networked online spaces for learning. Interacting and learning together with peers in different formats has become an integral part of student-centered education. Technology offers new possibilities for interaction and forming new kinds of social networks, including learners as well as facilitators and experts – but also offers challenges, such as keeping focus on learning processes, not tools, in online environments. You will be encouraged to reflect on the meaning of networked collaborative learning and the development of learning communities in relation to PBL and building personal learning networks and environments for peer support and your informal learning.

Webinar: November 9th 12-13 (CET). Special guest: Alexandra Mihai.

Topic 4: Design for online and blended learning

For this topic, we turn the focus from participation to design for learning, including scaffolding and facilitation. You will look at aspects of Learning Design and discuss different pedagogical aspects to be considered when creating good learning environments using the Community of Inquiry and other frameworks. You will also be able to discuss the concept of blended learning and how to achieve the right balance for your course.

Webinar: Tuesday 21 November 14:00-15:00 (CET) – Special guest: Robin Kay

Webinar: Thursday 30 November 13:00-14:00 (CET) – A course design example: ”The HEDS course”. 

Topic 5: Lessons learnt – future practice

During our concluding weeks, peers and facilitators will share and reflect on learning experiences from ONL and look ahead to how this feeds into our present and future practice. What effect has the learning experience from this course had on your development of personal learning networks and your own professional practice? What were the benefits and what were the challenges? What are the next steps?

Final webinar: Friday 8 December 10:00-11:30 (CET)