Rosann rockin learning journey

Topic 5- Lessons learn't & Future Practice It has definitely been a learning journey with some interesting "twists and turns". The long and winding road of ONL 181 The topics that we participated in ONL181 as PBL3  were: digital literacies, openness and sharing,  networking,  collaboration,  course design  As I reflect on this course and its topic, I began to visualize myself in the picture travelling on a long, winding road; not knowing what to expect at every turn.  At the beginning of the course, I proceeded with caution as it was my first time engaging in an online course with people from around the world. This mean't that I had to become open-minded to embracing the blended learning concept of teaching and learning perspectives from other countries. I think that Topic 2: Openness and sharing,  prompted me to share and interact with my group members more than usual. The webinars were really use...

Topic 4: Design for online and blended learning What is the right design? According to literature, improving the design for online and blended learning could improve retention of students in higher education. Online learning provides an opportunity for instructors to interact with students in a digital space whereas blended learning uses face to face interaction and digital platforms to promote teaching and learning. Scaffolding according to the article by van Ameijde, Weller and Cross (2018) is a possible intervention teaching and learning strategy that could also improve retention. The factors that could influence retention is the acronym ICEBERG: Integrated, Collaborative, Engaging, Balanced, Economical, Reflective and Gradual and was a study that was undertaken by researchers at the Open University in the United Kingdom. I believe that our group PBL 3 has attempted in designing an online course using Gilly Salmon's 5 stage model,that will address these fa...

Topic 3:  Learning in communities-networked collaborative learning                         Online collaboration encourages social interaction and participation by instructor and students which is also course dependent ( Brindley, Walti and  Blaschke, 2009). According to Brindley et al (2009),learning as a group  assists students in gaining collaborative skills such as "critical thinking, self-reflection, and co-construction of knowledge".  I agree with these researchers as students can experience not only a face to face interaction with their instructor in the classroom but can also interact with the content outside the classroom. At Varsity College, VC Learn is a digital platform that is designed for the above mentioned purpose. Students engage in some module activities with the instructor during class time and are able to interact with their peers in face to face classroom debates and discussio...

ONL 181 Topic 2- Online Sharing and Openness After participating in Topic 2, I had an opportunity to learn some new acronyms and definitions associated with online learning from collaborating with my ONL PBL3 and reading presentations and blogs posted by members of the ONL 181 community. Blended learning and OER(Government Gazette, 2017) is of particular interest to me on a daily basis as I lecture students on the Bachelor of Education degree. Teaching and now lecturing is my passion along with sharing my knowledge and experiences with my pre-service student teachers about implementing teaching and learning strategies during their teaching experience period at schools. Pre-service teachers engage in blended learning by also interacting with a digital platform called VC learn which is module specific. The lecturer engages with students in  a "face to face" interaction during lectures discussing the relevant content related to the module and engaging students in activiti...

Topic 1: ONL 181 PBL 3 In the past week, my group discussed digital citizenship and aspects related to online learning tools. The scenario was relatable to most of us as it is our first online course and I feel like I am finding my way in the dark in most cases. I would like to learn more about using the online space in a positive way and to be aware of the dangers of being in this space with regards to privacy and sharing of personal information. Our group have explored various tools on mindmapping and we have agreed on using one tool. Hopefully, our presentation will be colourful and informative to everyone. We will share soon. As for my travel to Gauteng, it was well spent with my family and best friend. Here are pictures from the aeroplane over Gauteng South Africa. Yes, no beaches there!