The design of teaching hasn’t changed much even though lectures are being recorded and made accessible on the internet. Lectures are recorded in smaller chunks, but apart from that the main style of teaching is as it has been for a very long time. The basic model of design needs to change if we want to keep up with the demands of a digital age and what the new technologies have to offer. [1]
Learning management systems can be used in ways that break away from the traditional classroom model. I feel ready to try a new approach, using the flipped-classroom-model with pre-recorded interactive lectures with the ScalableLearning model and using the time in class for more advanced discussions and answering questions on a higher level. [2, 3, 4]
I like the idea of competency-based learning, were the teacher identifies specific competencies or skills within the subject. Learners can then work at their own pace, independent of starting point, and choose to develop just the competencies or skills they feel they need, or can combine a whole set of competencies into a full course, or even a full education. [1]
While working with this topic, I have played around a bit with Canvas, which is going to be the new LMS of KTH, and so far I like it! I find it supporting a more modern way of learning than our present LMS, with ways to collaborate and share.
Moreover, I realised that we need to teach our students about the rules for copying images and other work from the internet, Creative Commons and what the CC-licensings mean. [4] I talked to my coworkers about it and they definitely agree.
I still find it a bit difficult to find my way in this course, but it is getting easier and more fun as the course proceeds! I really enjoy the openness and getting to share the thoughts and ideas of other participants and groups – it’s amazing how differently our brains work when we try to understand the intention of each assignment: obvious when one sees the diversity between different groups presentations on the same topic. 🙂
Finally, there are so many new things I would rather try, than spending time on writing blogposts… 😉
References:
- Bates, T. (2015) Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for Teaching and Learning
- Black-Schaffer, D. (2013) Flipping the Classroom in an Introductory IT Course
- Gerestrand, A. (2016) Webinar for ONL162
- ScalableLearning (2016) Welcome – ScalableLearning
- Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand (2012) Creative Commons guide
Open Network Learning - Kaye 
thank you very much for the nice blog post. Your blog really helps me out in making some order and structure in the wide spectrum of topics we are exposed to. In particular, thank you very much for the link to scalable learning website. I had the pleasure of attending a class by two Professors from Uppsala University who were using it and it was excellent. It is time to try 🙂
GillaGilla
Interesting, how were they using ScalableLearning? In class? Or did they just say that they were using it? /Kaye
GillaGilla
Yes, isen´t it weird how little that changes in the design of teaching and pedagogics even though technique has developed so much!?
I remember a couple of yeas ago when Second Life was still ”new”. They had built the digital university – but nothing had really changed. It was the same lecture hall. The same way of teaching. The same way of just informing the students about knowledge.
Good reflection, as you write, lets use the new technology and new LMSs to also develop teaching!
GillaGilla