Monday, 24 November 2008

Various definitions re elearning

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 24 Nov 2008, 12:46
Visible to all Open University users

Definitions of "profession"

- "a paid occupation, esp. one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification"
(Apple Dictionary Version 1.0.2 (1.0.2))

- “A profession is said to be an occupation with a crucial social function, requiring a high degree of skill and drawing on a systematic body of knowledge.” (Sockett, 1985:27 in Warrior 2002)

- "the teaching profession incorporates institutional and societal values, whilst a professional will add personal values" (Warrior 2002, p6)
- "quality and professionalism are inextricably linked" (Warrior 2002, p6)


My attempt at a definition of "profession"

- an occupation that requires formal education/training; is generally regarded as higher profile (white-collar?); the practice of which is, or can be, critical to the client at particular times in their life


Definitions of "professional"

- "professional"
- "a person engaged or qualified in a profession
- "a person engaged in a specified activity, esp. a sport or branch of the performing arts, as a main paid
occupation rather than as a pastime"
- "a person competent or skilled in a particular activity"
(Apple Dictionary Version 1.0.2 (1.0.2))
- "some form of regular employment which results in paid remuneration"
(Warrior 2002, p2)
- "Buncher and Stelling suggest that: “Professional identity can be defined as the perception of oneself as a professional and it is closely related to the knowledge and skills one has, the work one does and the work-related significant others or the reference group.”
(Buncher and Stelling, 1997, cited in Robson, 1998:586) " (Warrior 2002, p5)
- This implies that there is a degree of individual responsibility associated with being a professional.
(Warrior 2002, p6)
- "there is a degree of status and prestige associated with belonging to the education profession. There are generic features associated with the term professional."(Warrior 2002, p6)


My attempt at a definition of "professional" [so far I have:]

- a professional who has undertaken a successful, prolonged period of study/training and is recognised as being proficient to practice in their field. They will keep up to date in their field and advance the knowledge base of that field when possible. They act with "professionalism". [Yeah, and what's professionalism!]


My attempt at a definition of "elearning"

-

My attempt at a definition of "elearning professional"

-


- "learning"
- "the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, practice, or study, or by being taught"
(Apple Dictionary Version 1.0.2 (1.0.2))


References;

Warrior, B. (2002) ‘Reflections of an educational professional’ [online], Journal of
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, vol. 1, no 2. Available from:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/hlst/documents/johlste/0030_warrior_vol1no2.pdf
(accessed 28 July 2008).

Sockett, H. (1985) Towards a Professional Code in Teaching. In P. Gordon (1985) Is Teaching a
Profession? University of London, Institute of Education, 26-43.

Why are professionals more highly valued than other workers?

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 24 Nov 2008, 12:19
Visible to all Open University users

[Unfinished but I'll add it here]

Why is it we value "professional" occupations (egs??) over farmers, refuse-collectors or hairdressers, when these workers have a far greater effect on our daily lives as concerns our continued ability to stay alive, our continued health and our continued sense of self-esteem and confidence.For most people, do doctors or lawyers or accountants have much of a direct influence on their daily lives?

We might state that professionals learn and train for years. But don't car mechanics as well. Why is the training a lawyer has more "professional" and therefore more important than that of a car mechanic? Doesn't the professionalism of our car mechanic have a direct and immediate effect on our own safety, that of our family and the safety of thousands of other people we might drive past every day? The continued professionalism of a lawyer, accountant, even a doctor rarely protects or affects our lives on a daily basis.

Professional occupations are the higher profile (white-collar?) jobs that are, or can be, critical to us at particular times in our lives. We take for granted the many other occupations, trades, work, labour upon which society relies to function. Why is this? Why is it we don't value the 70 hour weeks and professionalism that the office-cleaner, bus-driver, sandwich-maker puts in? Is it because "professionals" are the judge of the extraordinary value of "professional professionalism" and the commonplace/mediocre value of "unskilled/less skilled work"?

Unit 6 woes...

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 24 Nov 2008, 23:15
Visible to all Open University users

Emma and Karen have put parts of this thread on their blog coz it contains some useful reflection on the course. I thought that was a good idea so I've done the same but copied the whole thread. (Italics are Keely, Emma or Karen's text.)

-----

From: Keely Laycock 22 November 2008 20:30:13
Subject: Course reading Unit 6
To: H808 08I Cafe

Hi All,
I've noticed it before, but having just finished wading through the reading for Unit 6, I wondered if anyone else is as fed up as I am with all the core reading and activities concentrating on elearning within the post 16/HE sector? If we can use the work in this Unit for TMA02 part 1, it would be more benficial for some of us to have a 'selection' of core reading rather than having to find all the resources for my own context, that of elearning within secondary schools.
Keely



---------------



From: Jose Martel Penate 23 November 2008 01:59:03
Subject: Re: Course reading Unit 6
To: H808 08I Cafe

Hi Keely and everyone else,

Well, I'll freely admit that I'm feeling bored and lost since starting Unit 5.
I don't seem to relate to what we're being asked to read, research, learn.
I'm not sure if this is due to the excesses of work/stress caused by TMA01. Or if the constant study over 8+ weeks is finally taking it's toll. Or simply if my personal, everyday context has little to do with what I'm being asked to do.
It is true that I'm no longer used to studying and this course is very intensive.

In an effort to try to get some kind of grasp on Unit 6 I've read what other students have produced and shared. I've looked at the forum for unit 6 - messages from Philippa, Maria, and Mitchell - and some blogs. So far I've looked at Emma's blog and Jim's blog (see below for links). Both have interesting and useful information that I'm going to take a closer look at.

I often find that by reading other student's messages/work I see completely different points of view to my own (that's if I actually have a point of view on the subject in the first place!). Often this will make me question my own abilities and leave me wondering if I have what it takes to be an elearning professional. But I do think I'll pass this course - I'm learning to give the answers that are expected of me. Does this make me more of a professional? Probably.

Jose



---------------



From: Emma Nugent 3 23 November 2008 16:30:40
Subject: Re(2): Course reading Unit 6
To: H808 08I Cafe


Jose Martel Penate writes:
Hi Keely and everyone else,

Well, I'll freely admit that I'm feeling bored and lost since starting Unit 5.
I don't seem to relate to what we're being asked to read, research, learn.
I'm not sure if this is due to the excesses of work/stress caused by TMA01. Or if the constant study over 8+ weeks is finally taking it's toll. Or simply if my personal, everyday context has little to do with what I'm being asked to do.
It is true that I'm no longer used to studying and this course is very intensive.

I think it is all of these, I note that very few people have engaged in Supp Activity 6.2... a sign of how we're all feeling perhaps anyway, if you keep to the schedule you can have a well earned break at Christmas. I'm even going to somewhere without internet access for a week so I ensure I take a break.

In an effort to try to get some kind of grasp on Unit 6 I've read what other students have produced and shared. I've looked at the forum for unit 6 - messages from Philippa, Maria, and Mitchell - and some blogs. So far I've looked at Emma's blog and Jim's blog (see below for links). Both have interesting and useful information that I'm going to take a closer look at.

I often find that by reading other student's messages/work I see completely different points of view to my own (that's if I actually have a point of view on the subject in the first place!). Often this will make me question my own abilities and leave me wondering if I have what it takes to be an elearning professional. But I do think I'll pass this course - I'm learning to give the answers that are expected of me. Does this make me more of a professional? Probably.

Thanks for the compliment Jose but I took this approach too as i found Unit 6 a little perplexing and it helped reading other people's comments but you have to be strict with yourself incase of accusations of collusion so don't read them too intently just in case you find yourself regurgitating what others write. What I am finding is that the course structure is sometimes confusing but also see that this is a good thin...read on.

6.1 is all about the academic side of the elearning prof, I got disgruntled by this being a non academic; but 6.2 is about the learning technologist, still not my background but close if you include the management side of things. Hopefully by the time we get to the end of the course it will all fit together nicely, a reflective model no doubt. The reading in unit 6.2 reminded of what we're read about reflection weeks ago, about allowed what you learn as you go on to change your beliefs, opinions etc which is working for me on this course. It's nice when you see the comments you make in one unit written in one of the core readings of the following section. I'd better copy and paste this into to my blog quick...

Jose


Keely Laycock writes:


>Hi All,
>I've noticed it before, but having just finished wading through the
>reading for Unit 6, I wondered if anyone else is as fed up as I am with
>all the core reading and activities concentrating on elearning within the
>post 16/HE sector? If we can use the work in this Unit for TMA02 part 1,
>it would be more benficial for some of us to have a 'selection' of core
>reading rather than having to find all the resources for my own context,
>that of elearning within secondary schools.
>Keely

That's a really interesting point and not one that was at the forefront of my mind being someone who works in HE; but you are right because I don't think my elearning career will remain in HE necessarily and it's important to learn about all sectors...perhaps one element of the TMA should be a comparision with a context you know nothing about too...it would encourage sharing amongst those of us working in different sectors. Maybe an idea for a future presentation of this course.I'd put this in the main course forum so it's alerted to Robin to see there is any pre-HE reading planned later on.

Good to "chat", is that the bell for the next article to read going off now...

Emma



---------------



From: Karen J. Ogilvie 23 November 2008 16:43:59
Subject: Re(2): Course reading Unit 6
To: H808 08I Cafe

Jose Martel Penate writes:
Hi Keely and everyone else,

Well, I'll freely admit that I'm feeling bored and lost since starting Unit 5.
I don't seem to relate to what we're being asked to read, research, learn.

I'm so glad its not just me!

I'm not sure if this is due to the excesses of work/stress caused by TMA01. Or if the constant study over 8+ weeks is finally taking it's toll.

I wondered that too - am I just tired?

It is true that I'm no longer used to studying and this course is very intensive.

This is intensive but i've done a couple of other OU courses recently aand still feel the same. I feel that its quite difficult to get motivated since I finished TMA01 - things seem to have lost theit focus for me.


In an effort to try to get some kind of grasp on Unit 6 I've read what other students have produced and shared. I've looked at the forum for unit 6 - messages from Philippa, Maria, and Mitchell - and some blogs. So far I've looked at Emma's blog and Jim's blog (see below for links). Both have interesting and useful information that I'm going to take a closer look at.

I've done that too and read some very useful stuff which has helped to focus my thoughts (thanks all) but I do feel as if I'm snooping

I often find that by reading other student's messages/work I see completely different points of view to my own (that's if I actually have a point of view on the subject in the first place!). Often this will make me question my own abilities and leave me wondering if I have what it takes to be an elearning professional. But I do think I'll pass this course - I'm learning to give the answers that are expected of me. Does this make me more of a professional? Probably.

Agree with this too, however, sometimes I'm just left feeling inadequate - why couldn't I have come up with this myself? The scary thing about the last couple of units for me is that I beleive I am an elearning prof... By doing this course, I hope to achieve some accreditation for years of work and experience in practice... Perhaps its because my background is science/IT and I've never had to do all this 'social analysing' before. I'm very hands-on and concerned about good poractice, fit for purpose and usability etc.... but I am struggling with here, particularly with unit 6 part 1.

Best wishes
Karen

Jose




---------------



From: Jose Martel Penate 24 November 2008 01:22:05
Subject: Reply to Emma and Karen
To: H808 08I Cafe

Thanks Emma and Karen,

It is good to know that others are or might be feeling the same way...and it's very good to get support on things that aren't strictly course related. It really does help.

Re reading fellow students work, I agree it's a tricky business and best if used as a guide for our own reading which can lead to the production of our own notes. Simply copying isn't great for deep learning and there's a danger you can find yourself regurgitating what others write. (Hmmm, the last bit of that sentence sounds strangely familiar...did I read it somewhere?...nah, must be mine...) But reading other people's work can also give us new ideas - and I think this can lead to even trickier problems of copying and collusion if we don't reference properly in our own notes. But I think the pros of reading fellow students' work outweigh the admittedly serious cons. I also get the feeling I'm snooping or even stealing other people's thoughts/ideas but as long as I acknowledge where the ideas came from I think it's fine. After all, if they want to avoid ppl using their notes they wouldn't put them in places where we have access to them.

I definitely feel inadequate on this course. I'm surrounded by ppl with often tens of years of experience in their field and tons of professionalism and confidence. But that's the way it is. I just have to get on with it. And after my weekend of self-indulgent stewing in my woes, your messages have helped me climb back up.

Ok, back to unit 6...

Jose

Re Perkin's "The Third Social Revolution"

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 24 Nov 2008, 11:44
Visible to all Open University users

Perkin in 1996 states that "The modern world is the world of the professional expert" (Perkins 1996, p1) as opposed to the industrial world dominated by capitalists. Perkin maintains that professionals' "power, prestige, influence, and
incomes stem from their possession of specialized knowledge, based on education, competitive merit, and experience on the job–in a word, on their human capital." (Perkins 1996, p1). Perkin states that "the key players are the professional managers of the great corporations and their counterparts ingovernment, the state bureaucrats" (Perkins 1996, p6). These professionals deal in "knowledge-based
services" (Perkins 1996, p6), "sophisticated services which have transformed human life" (Perkins 1996, p6). Perkins maintains that "As long as the particular expertise is scarce [...] the expert can command a rent as surely as the landlord or owner of industrial capital" (Perkins 1996, p7).

Stan (2008) points out that "Perkin’s view of society is closely related to the concept of the information society since an important part of being a professional is having information and being able to make use of it. This is one reason why the centrality of higher education is one of the major trends that Perkin attempts to explain."

Perkin warns that the more powerful professionals "are the elites who will make or break modern post-industrial society" by their "intelligence, enlightenment and integrity" though the unique cultural inheritance, social structure, and political ingenuity of each advanced country" is also a factor (Perkins 1996, p7).



References:

From: Philippa Perry 2 18 November 2008 19:00:26
Subject: Is this a professional society?
To: Alan Clarke
Cc: H808 ac6 Unit 6
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_society


From: Mitchell Stan20 November 2008 13:51:53
Subject: Core Activity 6.1 on Perkins
To: H808 ac6 Unit 6

Perkin, H. (1996) Chapter 1 of The Third Revolution: Professional Elites in the Modern
World, London: Routledge. Available as a course resource.