I've been given an extension till 1st Feb

Yesterday I wrote to the forums:

From: Jose Martel Penate 20 January 2009 14:50:40
Subject: Extension given till 1st Feb
To: H808 08I ECA Queries

Hello all,

I would encourage others who have also had problems accessing MyStuff in the past and in the last few days (that means everyone) to ask for an extension of equal length as the rest of the students on H808.

I asked for an extension today and a few hours later I was given an extension till 1st February. (I assume that means till midnight on that day.)

I'm still going to try to finish the ECA for 23rd Jan though. Then I can try to improve it.

Jose

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

And I am going to try to stick to my (original) plans. In truth, having an extension is actually annoying! I don't want more time. I only asked for more time coz it would be silly not to ask for more time to double, triple, quadruply, check my work. More time means more time revising text and looking for evidence, and I'm tired of it. I was looking forward to almost 2 weeks' rest before H807 starts on 7th Feb. Now I have an extra week of checking and revising and trying to keep stress at bay.

Backup, backup, backup

I think the recent online access problems just demonstrate that we should all keep systematic backups of ALL our OU work - even the stuff we think we couldn't possibly need.

Below are messages on the subject sent to the forums:


From: Jose Martel Penate 20 January 2009 07:00:56
Subject: Further to: On one week extensions
To: H808 08I ECA Queries

Dear all

This email follows on from my last email (see below) where I stated:

"It seems to me that I am being penalised because I was unfortunate enough to have had very little access to MyStuff and because other students were not prudent enough to fully backup their MyStuff files."

And that:

"I am fine with others being given a one week extension, but in that case, then so should I (and others)."

Are we not all adults here, with years of experience using computers? Are we not students attempting to call ourselves eElearning Professionals?

Then surely our years of experience using computers and our expertise as Elearning Professionals should have taught us that one should ALWAYS backup one's important information. I imagine we would all consider work produced for H808, and stored on MyStuff, as important.

Have we not all been abundantly aware of the continual MyStuff access issues?

Are we not all aware of the option to use Word for the ECA compilation that Helen and Robin have been all but pleading us to use at the slightest sign of problems using MyStuff?

I ask you then, is it reasonable that fellow Elearning Professional students are given a one week extension for neglecting to backup all their MyStuff files and thus being unable to produce the alternative Word ECA compilation?

I, for one, think IT IS perfectly reasonable. But, if it IS reasonable, then it IS as equally reasonable for ALL H808 students to be given an extension of equal length.

And I am curious, how does one prove that one has had problems accessing MyStuff, and how does one prove that one has only one copy of certain files and that that one copy is inaccessible on MyStuff?

Jose

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


From: Jose Martel Penate Tuesday, January 20, 2009 12:42 AM +0000
Subject: On one week extensions
To: H808 08I ECA Queries



Dear all,

I have just read that those students who consider they have lost time due to MyStuff accessibility problems over the weekend may request an extension of one week to submit their ECA.

At the risk of seeming unreasonable, I feel the need to protest that others may be given an extension of one week to submit their ECA, yet I will not.

Let me explain that I am fine with others being given a one week extension, but in that case, then so should I (and others).

I have repeatedly stated that I usually have no access to MyStuff. Throughout the whole course I have wasted many, many hours - I honestly don't know how many hours, but a lot - trying to access Mystuff without success. For this reason I have not been able to use MyStuff to store most of my work. I have it stored on my computer at home.

However, if I had been able to regularly access MyStuff, (and regardless of the scarcity of access problems) it would have seemed prudent to me to store full backup copies of my work on my home computer as well as "screen-dumps" of relevant MyStuff pages.

It seems to me that I am being penalised because I was unfortunate enough to have had very little access to MyStuff and because other students were not prudent enough to fully backup their MyStuff files.

Jose

When the impossible's finally impossible, you can actually get down to what's doable

Everything's working today and is fast, even Mystuff and the wiki and my OU blog! (But the OU blog is still kaput - I'm sticking with the Blogger blog).

I got my results back for TMA02. I got a pleasing 72%. For TMA01 I got 73% so that makes 36.16% of the final score according to my calculations:

73% --> 16/100 x 73 = 11.68

72% --> 34/100 x 72 = 24.48

and 11.69 + 24.48 = 36.16% of the final score

So, to get a distinction, in the ECA I would need to get 97.68% (!!!) which (thankfully) isn't going to happen even in my wildest dreams, so I can simply focus on trying to ensure I get a pass (40%) and then anything over that is a plus. Actually knowing I can't attain the impossible lets me calmly work on what is achievable.

85% - 36.16% = 48.84% --> 50/100 x 97.68 = 48.84

To pass the course I need to get at least 40% in the ECA.
So that means that the minimum I can get (if I pass) is 56.16%

50/100 x 40 = 20% of the final score (and 36.16 + 20 = 56.16)

Hmmmm, I wonder if it's noticeable that I'm not feeling stressed out at the moment??

Reflection for blog at 06-01-09

Right, things are getting serious now; if I want to leave 2 weeks for the ECA I need to finish units 8, 9 and 10 this week.

I'm amazed, with so little time left till the end of the course, that the tutors still haven't made a meaningful return to the forums.

I've read some other people's contributions (from the forums and their shared blogs) which have helped calm my nerves and given me some ideas (Emma, Colleen, Jim, Nigel S, Keely, Karen).

Let's see if I can post this to my blog today. I've had access problems again lately. Now I can usually view the blog but I can't edit the posts (I wanted to add tags to the posts that don't have them, which is about 90%), I wanted to change the name of the blog from "Metacog-what??!!) to something more formal/boring like "H808 blog". As I write this I'm still waiting for the blog to open. This morning I woke up thinking that I should perhaps move to a blog that actually allows me to use it 24/7. Some 3 years ago I blogged for about half a year. The experience was very positive as access was 24/7 and the blogs themselves had much greater functionality/"customisability". There was a definite sense of community that was enhanced by the blogs - not impeded by them.

It would be very nice if I got my TMA02 results back. I'd like to see the comments well before I have to write for the ECA. But Alan gave me an extension and my TMA02 was finally handed in on 26th Dec (coz of a couple of days of formatting problems).

Well, after 20 mins the blog still isn't opening. I started a blog for my students on Blogger so I know that it's accessible here in China. I'll open one for H808 now. This is very disappointing. Not at all what I expected when I started this course.

Ok, I've set up my new blog. It's at http://jmartel-h808-blog.blogspot.com/ . But I can't move posts over because I can't access my OU blog!!!!!!!!!! I've tried using Safari, Firefox and IE on a Mac, and IE7, Firefox and Safari using XP. At least my blog is showing no favouritism...Ah, I spoke too soon, a few minutes later IE7 on XP opened my blog - with errors, however the main text is visible. Then I tried to add a post and it's now loading interminably. Ok, time to forget moving the blog. I'll do that when I can.

More on CA8.1

00:39 today

Visible to all Open University users

(For CA8.1 podcast link and transcript see below.)

So, technology related competence for Unit 8:
- Installed and learnt to use Audacity and Lame encoder
- Used these to make a podcast
- Also learnt to use Keynote (Mac's PP style presentation tool)
- I already knew how to use iTunes
- I had already knew how to upload mp3s to podcasting website

I finally decided on a topic for the podcast; wrote some text and recorded it using Audacity and Lame.

Not having a sound studio is a problem when you live in downtown Shanghai - not the quietest of places at any given time! But I used a headset with mic and hoped for the best. The sound quality seems ok though of course not studio quality. My delivery of the text could be better, but generally I think vocalisation is ok and I did try to use different speed of delivery to differentiate between the podcast text itself and example-text (listen to the podcast and you'll understand what I'm talking about).

I didn't re-read any instructions for Audacity (if I did actually read any in the first place) and managed through some trial and error to make an mp3 recording of just under 6 minutes. I decided not to edit using audacity so I had to rerecord the whole thing or almost the whole thing a few times. I decided that would be more straightforward and probably quicker than trying to figure out how to edit using Audacity. But if I had to use the tool, I now feel confident that it can do the job and that I could learn to edit using it if needed. Of course I still prefer iMovie for audio and video editing.

While experimenting with the idea of using podcasts in the classroom, I decided to try out Mac's Keynote (Power Point (PP) Mac style, as it were). I wanted to see if it was easy to embed podcasts into a PP style presentation. I found out that Keynote is wonderfully simple to use. Adding photos, music or video is as simple as drag and drop. Then you resize and reposition using mouse/trackpad and cursor. I watched a single, brief, online video tutorial and was compiling my presentation seconds later. I added text and photos to "slides". I added video to slides and then added music on top. I had slides with different themes and had text, photos and video on the same slide. And all was achieved very intuitively and with great control over the results. I now feel confident that I can make a good-looking multimedia presentation for class that I can fully control/adjust in real-time. Using video-podcasts embedded in a mult-media presentation like this can be a very useful and effective way of highlighting various aspects of western culture for my Chinese students. I'm sure the excellent visual quality and clean finish of Keynote will impress and help maintain students' interest. Topics can be introduced and referenced very effectively leaving more time for students to actually practice their English speaking.

Podcasts can also be a great way for f2f TEFL teacher to save his/her voice from overuse in class. The podcasts (especially videopodcasts) can also be used to expose students to different authentic, native, English accents in a "natural" environment (on screen) - vital if the student is to communicate effectively in the real world.

And of course, the podcasts and whole presentations can be uploaded to a site or blog for the students to access at will in their own time.

Problems/issues that the students may encounter accessing/using the podcast/keynotes are:
- many students don't have computers and so getting access to a computer can sometimes be a problem

- some students claim not to have much practice using a computer - which could in turn lead to problems/delays accessing files in their own time. [Though I tend to think that this "excuse" is used to explain why they haven't done homework/accessed the files etc.]

- in class, equipment may fail or be incompatible.

- as there is only a computer for the teacher in my classrooms, the students won't have accessibility problems/issues when viewing the podcasts in class.

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

My podcast for CA8.1 will open directly clicking on http://www.switchpod.com/users/jm4298/JoseMartelH808PodcastforCA81.mp3 or go to feed://www.switchpod.com/users/jm4298/feed.xml to choose the link from the 4 OU podcasts I've published there. The file is just under 6 minutes long and 5.3MB.

Transcript:

Hello and welcome. My name is Jose Martel and I'm a student on the open University's course H808 The Elearning Professional. This podcast is a requirement for Core Activity 8.1.

I will briefly talk, from a personal perspective, on some aspects and issues of student group-collaboration in an asynchronous forum, especially when different time zones are involved.

It might be helpful to hear something I wrote when participating in a group collaboration with students in a time zone 8 hours behind my own:

"Most of the time I felt isolated, working alone in a time zone 8 hours ahead of the rest of the group. I could only hope for replies to my comments towards the end of my day (from 4pm onwards), by that time I had often been working on the activity from 7am to 10am then gone to work for 7 hours and returned after 6pm. My comments seemed distant in time and thought by then. It was sometimes hard to keep an interest in my point of view when I had posted a reply 12 hours before and had moved on in thought, but then would have to go back to reply to the old thoughts that were still being dealt with by other members of the group. It is possible that rest of the group also found it bothersome having to allow for the my late replies."

Something else that can negatively affect group collaboration are time limits. For the group activity just mentioned we had one week to prepare for, discuss and produce the required result. Here's a related text I wrote at the time:

I often had the impression that the group as a whole wanted to complete the activity with, "the easiest/less problematic route being taken" [...] that their overriding concern was finishing the activity (and moving on). Perhaps the asynchronous forum with time constraints and the fact that members were/are strangers may have been contributing factors. The general consensus seemed to be to try to integrate as many ideas as possible, to make it an inclusive-[activity] (regardless of an unsatisfactory outcome).

At the time I felt strongly enough about the issue to post a forum message. Here's an excerpt:

I'd like to question whether these quickie group activities are useful enough to us to warrant the additional stress and opportunities for discord and even antipathy that they bring. Also, I think often the lack of clear leadership (coupled with lack of time) within the group will result in the easiest/less problematic route being taken or an "ok, whatever you think is best" or even an "ok, whatever" attitude. All/some group members may not express their true thoughts through lack of interest, a desire to accept anything just to move on, wanting to avoid even the slightest confrontation, wanting to feel part of the group, other.
There may not be a good opportunity for real discussion, especially if members are in distant time zones.
These group activities can merely emphasise how much some of us are not part of the group activity or H808 cohort. And at best (worst?) they may only help to form cliques.

I feel it's essential that teachers/tutors need to give clear instructions and be actively monitoring the forums in order to pick up on problems/guide/give advice in a timely manner. I wrote that:

Perhaps given more time, clearer guidelines and guidance, the activity could have been more successful. However, even with improvements of presentation, H808 does not seem to have students who are ideally placed to participate effectively in, and learn from, group activities.

That also questioned whether group activities carried out via online asynchronous forums by students (and in particular, students who have full-time professional occupations) who have little time or inclination to collaborate will provide good opportunities for learning. At the time I said that I thought there was little deep-learning being achieved.

To sum up:

Group collaborations using online asynchronous forums can be problematic. Some issues to bear in mind can be the danger of pronounced feelings of isolation students can feel, especially when additionally displaced by time zones.

The group should be given enough time to complete the activity without feeling too pressured into avoiding discussion in order to finish the task.

An issue not previously mentioned, could be the need to make sure that students (especially students who don't know each other well) understand that asynchronous forum dynamics require a more cautious approach to discussions and problem solving. Verbal and non-verbal aspects of face-to-face discussions/meetings are absent so the risk of misunderstandings is greatly increased. And the resultant need to clearly state and clarify points made can add additional stress to the situation.


This has been Jose Martel presenting a podcast for Core Activity 8.1 of the open University's course H808, The Elearning Professional. The podcast briefly outlined, from a personal perspective, some aspects and issues of student group-collaboration in an asynchronous forum, especially when different time zones are involved. 

Thank you for listening.

Re CA8.1

2 January, 03:14

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Ok, in an attempt to create some (more) evidence to show I can use new technology, I decided to try to use Audacity and Lame to create a podcast on the XP partition of my MacBook. [Using Mac's Boot Camp I have partitioned/divided the hard drive and loaded XP on one part. Now I can use the MacBook to boot directly into Mac OS X 10.5.6 or XP professional 2002 SP3.]

Being used to the simplicity of Mac installations it seemed to take some time to set up Audacity and Lame and I was a bit confused trying to locate the files to download. Audacity itself seems quite easy to use though (the basic functions at least). I didn't expect to have to search for the Lame encoder on behalf of Audacity. After a couple of hiccoughs I successfully linked it though and created my 1st MP3 using the software which played directly on iTunes for Windows.

All the while I was muddling through the instructions and trying to keep track of the IE windows (for a more authentic experience I decided not to use the much more convenient tabs in Safari for Windows -[Update-Windows automatic update offered me IE7 which has tabs so I switched; I also installed Firefox 3]). I couldn't help thinking that it's just so much easier and elegant using iMovie on Mac OS X.

I watched an interesting 2 hour long video podcast from Stanford University ("1.Darwin's Legacy: Course Introduction"). Then I thought I should perhaps simply listen to a podcast, so I listened to the 22+ min, "A World of Change: The International Initiative at Stanford University". Then I thought I should listen to something more elearning related, so I listened to the 9:34 min, "Listening to students - Innovative responses" from JISC (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2008/11/podcast63betsywilson.aspx) found thanks to Emma and a link in her blog post "Unit8 Part 1".

I was surprised by the informality of the video podcast. I had expected studio quality delivery/presentation, and found all the ums and ahs and fumbling of a live, unrehearsed performance. The 1st speaker was especially unprofessional/unrehearsed/lacking in confidence in his delivery. Also the PP presentations seemed rather amateurish/basic and not what I had expected of acclaimed and experienced professors/lecturors.

The Stanford podcast did have studio-quality audio. It seemed professional and interesting. However, half way through I found myself wanting to look at something in order to help focus my attention. I would have liked a transcription to follow as I listened, or actually be able to watch the various speakers.

The JISC podcast had good quality sound, though it seemed to have been recorded in a cafe and the interviewer seemed unexperienced and nervous. There was again no transcription, but the shorter duration made this less necessary for me.

Now to choose something to talk about...
- Professionals Vs service providers?
- The perceived need for legitimisation in the eyes of academics?
- ????

--------

02-01-09

Ok, some days later now.

I've continued to watch the Stanford Darwin series. Am on to lecture 5 of 10 now. Sometimes they can be too high-brow for me but they are interesting.

Perhaps I should try to listen/watch elearning podcasts!!!

Still can't think of something "that [addresses] an aspect of this course that raises issues for elearning in general" (unit8 part1 guide, p2) that I feel confident enough about to podcast on. Interviewing Chinese teachers on their thoughts on elearning (or foriegn English teachers) is an option, but would probably take some (considerable) time to prepare a face-to-face meeting/interview/discussion. Using something like Skype is a possibility though. But again the prep work and the actual production of the podcast seems prohibitively time-cinsuming at the moment. And leaving it for later doesn't seem an option either with work for the ECA drawing ever closer.

So my blog, wiki and FCC are all working again...

1 January, 08:05

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So my blog, wiki and FCC are all working again...at the moment.
Ah, how did you sort that out?
I logged on a number of times everyday.
But how did that solve the problem?
As far as I know it didn't.
But they're working now!
Yes.
Which is good news?
3 days ago, yes.
But today?
I'm not working on OU stuff today.
Ah...
Yes, ah...
Well maybe tomorrow they'll still be working...
Yes, maybe...

The forgotten blog...

28 Dec 2008, 04:13

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I've gotten out of the habit of updating this blog. Main reasons are probably being busy with other stuff and finding this course so hard to relate to.

But for this last month I'm going to try to make an extra effort. (If I remember!!)

Reflections on TMA02 - and towards the ECA

28 Dec 2008, 04:10

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Part 1

Once I was able to write about an actual elearning professional in my "professional" context the exercise became easier to relate to and focus on. It became doable.

Part 2

A major pain was identifying all the evidence/forum messages. I had a pdf with 189 pages of largely repeated messages - i.e., new messages that included the rest of the thread. And I was to blame for a lot of that content! I hadn't systematically filed away the messages as they were produced or soon after. Lack of time and the benefit/need of hindsight in categorising the evidence were probably factors.

I think I would have found it easier (and would have used fewer words) if I had written in the 1st person. Emma asked about this and Robin replied positively but saying she should confirm with her group tutor. I thought it too late to go asking for and waiting for confirmation and simply needed to get on with it.

Overall, I need to stay on track and start preparing for the ECA from now. I definitely shouldn't leave writing till the last week.

Mistakes

7 Dec 2008, 08:04

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 26 Dec 2008, 02:26

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I can see now that it was a mistake to enroll on H808.

I read the papers but I don't get the point... and I can see that others do.

I'm kind of going through the motions now, kind of waiting till this hole I've dug myself just disappears at the end of January.

Will I get at least 40%? I hope so...huge waste of money if I don't. Can I even see that what I'm reading - can't bring myself to call it learning - can be of use to me in the near future...not without further study...study for study's sake.

So why did I call this post "Mistakes" when I've only mentioned 1 mistake...?

Unit 6 woes...

24 Nov 2008, 12:02

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 24 Nov 2008, 23:15

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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



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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



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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



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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




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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

Tags: student reflection tma01 stress unit 5 professional unit 6 emma keely karen copying collusion

My daughter's now 3 months old

24 Oct 2008, 11:13

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 24 Oct 2008, 11:14

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I've just been looking through my blog searching for stuff for the TMA01 essays, and I reread my first post. In that post I mention that my daughter is 2 months old. It suddenly struck me that I've been keeping this blog for only a month! It seems so much longer...

I think I've lost much of the energy I had when I started - or perhaps I should say that the energy has changed. There was a kind of fun naivety in some of my posts, and now I tend to doggedly stick to the topic; a curious, inquisitive step has turned into a determined trudge.

Am I learning to act my age? In some ways I hope not. But I do think I'm learning to give the answers that are expected of me - instead of the ones I'd want to give. Does this mean I'm becoming more of a professional??

Email to my tutor

23 Nov 2008, 03:32

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 26 Dec 2008, 02:33

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Hello Alan,

The guide for unit 6 says: (http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/resourcepage/view.php?a=25887)


The learning outcomes we hope you will achieve in Unit 6 are to:

- understand and engage with current debates about elearning practitioners as an
emergent professional group

- understand how systems of professional certification might apply to your own
development as an elearning practitioner.


I really have no interest in these outcomes. I accept that elearning practitioners are/should be professionals. It's obvious from the reading and from the existence of H808 that many other people believe this also. I have virtually no prior development as an elearning practitioner.

Will not going into depth on unit 6 be harmful to my understanding of H808 as a whole?

I've read the papers and looked at the websites but feel little interest in doing the activities. I've compiled some of the other students' work and will make summaries of it. But I can't bring myself to do my own from the original texts. Is this somehow cheating, or is this working smart?

Hopefully I'll find the next units interesting/relevant to me. I certainly don't plan on simply using other students' notes.

The FCC crashes don't help. Helen says they may not be the OU's fault. I only know the crashes are happening and are negatively affecting my ability to communicate with the other students. Btw, Jianfan, on his blog, says that he has problems

If busy, don't read this. But if you're busy, why are you in the cafe?

19 Oct 2008, 14:57

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From: Jose Martel Penate 19 October 2008 14:42:38
Subject: If busy, don't read this. But if you're busy, why are you in the cafe?
To: H808 08I Cafe

Some unpolished reflections

Some of the altercations/troubles/run ins that I have experienced on the forums could be attributed to my lack of a professional attitude. Though some people might say it boils down to a lack of consideration of other people's time. I sometimes favour a relaxed getting-to-know-people attitude, but others on the forums prefer to just get on with their lives, and don't want to have to waste time reading stuff they don't need to know.

When I first started H808 - seems like a very long time ago, but only about 5 weeks - I was expecting (at least hoping) for there to be lively debate and a strong sense of community. Today, I simply doggedly carry on with that ideal, but without the expectation. I've accepted that most students on H808 don't have time for "chitchat" and don't seem amused by my attempts at lightheartedness. In fact, I think that most of the 67 students that are enrolled on the course don't even log onto the forums at all! (And OU, is that really 67?? Are you sure you didn't mean to say 6 or 7?!)

I see the same few names again and again. And when the names do change it's only to say that they're too busy to participate any further. Surely this must happen with every presentation of this and other intensive course geared toward professionals. Why don't the OU build in a greater element of collaboration? Maybe the OU knows that more pressure to collaborate would simply result in fewer people enrolling on the course. People are busy, they have just enough time to study and prepare a paper or two, and that's it. Optional collaboration, though it has many educational benefits just isn't going to be achieved or even attempted by most people. Those who lose out are not those that choose not to collaborate, it's the ones who want to build a lively community and can't.

Another issue is that of the range of personalities, backgrounds, intelligences, even time zones. People who are very different quite simply don't want to bother getting to know each other. But are they confusing the issue of getting to know each other with that of academic debate? Still, I get the distinct impression that professionals on this course don't want to mix with the less professional. Maybe it's because the professionals can't think down to my level and I can't operate on theirs.

Jose

CA4.1 - notes for my initial group input

17 Oct 2008, 10:40

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 17 Oct 2008, 10:52

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Point 1 of the CA4.1 instructions/brief states, "Form small groups of about four to six students. Use the course forum or the course wiki to compare multimedia skills amongst the group members, and to find out who is in a position to offer help."

- In two forum messages (see highlighted text in messages below) I pointed out that I have a limited amount of experience creating and manipulating audio and video. I have mainly used Apple/Mac computers and free (Mac) compatible software. This means that my experiences may not be of direct use to others who are pc/Windows users. I did try (and will continue to endeavor) to give general advice and suggestions in any areas I can help. And by the way, I think all - or nearly all - of the free software I mention has Windows versions.

Point 3 of the CA4.1 instructions/brief states, "Read the Penn State material on what constitutes evidence of learning and contribute to a discussion in your tutor group about this, both your own learning and that of your students (if you have them)."

- I read the Penn State material. It gives basic, though (still) useful, advice on what type of files to use in a (Penn state) eportfolio:

.pdf files
- Portable Document File (PDF - not to be confused with Personal Development File, also shortened to PDF in some papers). Using a pdf helps ensure that the viewer of a document will see it as the creator of the document intended; e.g. formatting issues will not arise. The Penn State material seems to suggest that in order to create, read/view, print or store pdfs one needs Adobe software. Though Adobe continues to be a (the?) leading pdf developer, there are many software developers that offer pdf tools. Adobe and others offer free basic versions of pdf software. However the ideal pdf tool for each individual can only be found after trailing various options. I normally use Mac's own pdf solution, Preview, to read most pdfs, although I do have the latest Adobe reader installed. I also have the free pdf annotator, Skim, installed and use it as a very flexible solution for adding notes to/highlight/underline/etc pdfs.

Publishing images to the web
- The Penn State paper notes that web browsers handle GIF and JPEG images well (this information may be outdated - are there other equally good/better file formats?) and details the main differences between GIF and JPEG image files. I've never published images to the web but I have edited images, again, mainly on my Mac (using iPhoto). Usually I have never done more than crop images or perform some basic enhancement (straighten, adjust brightness or contrast, etc.). Also, I've always worked with jpg files (on my Mac "JPEG" is called "jpg"), or converted files to jpg for ease of use/compatiblity with Windows users, e.g. my screen grab/screen dump/screenshot application/software produces TIFF files. I've never really worked with image metadata (e.g. the date a photo was taken; the camera used; the settings used) - largely because importing images (e.g. my digital photos) directly into iPhoto causes iPhoto to handle metadata in the background and display more-user-friendly "tags" - and as long as I can view a photo I'm not that fussed about the image quality.
- I've used iPhoto to create digital photo-books of still images that can be presented as a slide-show with the optional incorporation of the optical sensation of movement (i.e. a video compilation of still images that uses the Ken Burns Effect to give the sensation of movement/video - "give life to still photographs by slowly zooming in on subjects of interest and panning from one subject to another", Wikipedia).

Sound as evidence
- The Penn State paper gives ideas for using sound as evidence, from simply recording an event, to linking to an audio file, to embedding sound into a webpage. Using Mac's GarageBand software - according to the blurb, Mac's "personal recording studio" application - I could record/compose/compile music, podcasts or sound effects. I've never really used it for more than an hour or two when getting my hands on a new mac (I have 3 now), and then I hide the application away never to be seen again. I could dig it out but I seem to remember that it looked quite complicated (though it's probably not if I understood a little about making music) and I think I'd prefer to use my video application, iMovie, to replace the sound track to videos or superimpose sounds or add a voiceover.
- Linking the H808 podcast was the first audio linking I've ever done, and I've never embedded anything into a webpage.
- There's free audio conversion software called Switch that I've used in the past to convert music videos (mp4 and WMV (Windows Media Video file)) to mp3. It can convert loads of other file types as well.

Video as evidence
- The paper gives basic information on making video clips. It actually mentions iMovie as an application to use. I have used iMovie to edit video and extract still images from video. Some months ago I imported AVI video taken by my father's JVC cam into iMovie, but for some reason the sound was lost. Later I learnt to strip the audio from a copy of the original video clip using Switch and added the sound track to the video using iMovie. Currently I use iMovie to edit short video clips of my baby daughter, captured using a Canon digital camera with SD card storage. The camera produces .MOD files which I used to convert to .AVI files by simply replacing the file extension (i.e. delete "MOD" in the file name and write "AVI" in its place), then I could view the files using VLC, but with no sound. I later learned to upload the MOD files directly into iMovie which converts the video into a QuickTime Movie (.MOV file). The problem with the MOV file is that it's quite large, and I can't view MOV files on my mp4 player. So I learnt to use DivX Converter to make smaller files that are viewable on my mp4 player. By "learning to use DivX Converter" I mean that I "dropped" a MOV file in the DivX Converter window and sometime later out popped the converted file.



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

From: Jose Martel Penate 16 October 2008 15:22:26
Subject: My podcast
To: H808 08I Tech and Skills

Hi all,

I've shared 24 seconds of video (a podcast) of my little baby daughter. The video should be viewable on Windows iTunes. If you don't have iTunes then you could try downloading a great free media player called VLC. It will play most formats you're likely to come across (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/).

By the way, it took me 10 minutes to put together the video. That includes selecting the material, editing it and uploading it.

My podcast url: http://media.switchpod.com//users/jm4298/forH808podcast.m4v
Or the "feed" : http://www.switchpod.com/users/jm4298/feed.xml

Jose



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



From: Jose Martel Penate 17 October 2008 02:59:51
Subject: Reply to Keely & Nigel S re my podcast
To: H808 08I Tech and Skills

Hi Keely and Nigel,

Thanks, my little baby daughter is lovely!

Yes, there is sound Nigel, you may have to turn the volume up on your player/computer - though you don't hear my daughter laugh (and she squeals or shrieks more than laughs at the moment), you'll only her mother making silly sounds for our daughter's amusement.

I would love to be able to offer you (all) some advice with this but I'm little more than a semi-experienced user myself. The great benefit that I have is that I'm using a Mac computer. Part of the basic software package that come with a Mac are sound and video editing programs. These programs are very intuitive for basic functions, and with the more advanced functions users can put together a music album or a full-length feature film.

All I can say is that Weller's instructions ("Create a podcast" at http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/resourcepage/view.php?id=90977&direct=1) for making an audio-podcast seem overly complex - of course this in order to try to help the very inexperienced student. But in essence - and while still holding out for confirmation from Helen - (I think) all you need to do is make an mp3 sound file.

This would mean that you make a recording and if it's not an mp3 file you convert it to mp3 using one of the many popular and free audio conversion programs. I often use Softpedia to find free software (http://www.softpedia.com/). Softpedia have different areas for Mac, Windows and Linux. I tend to go for software that has been downloaded by many people over a number of months - I also might do a google search to see what user reviews I might find - these steps are intended to try to filter out buggy software and select something that works and is useful. Once you have the mp3 file you upload it to Switchpod.

For the video-podcast, I used my Mac's iMovie application/software. I clicked to start a New Project and selected the 4:3 aspect ratio for the finished video (other viewing ratios are mobile phone (3:2) and widescreen (16:9)). I selected 1 clip from video I already had and put it into the New Project area. I selected another clip and placed it next to the 1st clip. I named my project and exported it (made it into a file I could email) as a medium sized video (viewing area of 640x480 pixel resolution) suitable for viewing on computers and that still has a smaller file size (4.8MB). I then I uploaded the file to Switchpod.

On the Mac it's all very easy, but you're using pcs with Windows.

If you do try to experiment with video, I'd suggest:

- never use an original valuable source/file, always use copies to play around on

- don't worry about content, just try to learn how to do it

- keep file sizes small! ("Small means quick": quicker response from your computer - less time waiting for processes to get done; shorter upload/download times; etc) Especially for experimenting, make short videos that have a small viewing area (see above), and opt for lower quality resolution if you know how (the lower the resolution, the smaller the file size)

- if you don't have a video camera (remember that digital (still photo) cameras can often take short videos) but do have editing software you could try experimenting with the demo video that the software may have. Or you could try downloading video from the web to mess around with (remember to scan with up to date anti-virus protection) - that video may be copy/edit protected though so perhaps search for/google non-comercial, everyday people's home videos (but remember copyright issues when linking to the OU). Your mobile phone might also have a video camera, but unless you already know how to download the movie files to your pc (and can convert the files if necessary) this option may not be worth the bother.

- I've used DivX in the past. It's a set of popular editing/conversion/player tools (http://www.divx.com/divx/windows/). Basic functionality is free: you can convert various video formats to DivX - a good quality but (relatively very) small file size. The DivX developers agree that software should be easy to use, so check it out if you have no editing solution that you're happy with at the moment.

Jose

Hmmmmmmm...? Thought to follow up later...

14 Oct 2008, 01:51

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 14 Oct 2008, 01:52

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Jim left me a comment on the preceding post (Reflections on my strengths and weaknesses as an elearning practitioner), which led me to thinking about whether professionals find it harder to be sincere and reflective. Jim said that the way I write (using an "honest" and "humble" tone) invites others to reciprocate. In the past, I have found this to be true.

A couple of years ago I had a blog and I wrote in the sincere, unpretentious, friendly style that I tend to favour. In a very short time people were reciprocating. However, that community was very different to this OU VLE. There, the environment encouraged risk taking: no-one's "real-life" identity was readily available; people were not being urged to reply; people's comments/feedback were not going to be analysed; etc.

To be continued...if I have time and remember.

Reflections on my strengths and weaknesses as an elearning practitioner

10 Oct 2008, 14:20

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 10 Oct 2008, 14:24

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Well, I'm not an elearning practitioner.


But let me trudge on anyway...


Strengths:

NONE - I have everything to learn
ALL - I will learn everything from my grounding in professionalism gained from H808

Weaknesses:

I have everything to learn



Notes written as I prepared the PDP grid:

Yourself compared with other "teachers"(?). Or should I compare myself with (what I perceive to be the abilities of) the other students?
Might it be better to compare myself with where I should be when I'm an elearning professional?
I may as well compare myself to an ideal standard.
I suppose I should be comparing myself to elearning professionals - the ideal elearning professional.

*************************

I have had big problems doing this grid. I think it's because I have no (clear) frame of reference.
I'm doing this course (and the rest of the MAODE) because I hope it will be useful for me in the future.
But I'm not sure what exactly I will learn on this course, and I'm not sure what exactly I will need to know to be an elearning professional.
I also assume that I will learn as I go along. Of course knowing is better than assuming.
I have no-one to compare myself with - my fellow students are words on a screen, and my colleagues are happy ambling along.

Jose Martel-H808-CA2.3-Reflection and learning-FINAL DRAFT

4 Oct 2008, 07:00

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Jose Martel-H808-CA2.3-Reflection and learning

Oh dear, I have been pushing myself quite hard in an effort to catch up and be in a position to interact (in a timely manner) on the forums. But that has meant - as Agatha Christie's well known Belgium detective, Hercule Poirot, may have put it, "Mon amie, ze leetel graie cells, zay are in need of ze taim to cogitet!". Reflection benefits greatly from time (Moon, 2001); are we - paradoxically - learning quick time the virtues of careful reflection?

- Moon (2001) affirms that when it is assumed "that reflection has a valuable role to play in higher education", the curriculum designer should have a clear understanding of the desired reflective outcomes and how those outcomes should be brought about; this is especially so if the reflective activity is to be assessed. Moon comments that reflective learning has found particularly strong support in professional-education and development.

- I think it is common knowledge that some people (e.g. both teachers and students) are better at reflection than others (Moon, 2001). I take this to mean that the perception of a problem (on which to reflect) can be different from person to person. Some people perceive a particular problem and immediately "see" the solution - with no laboured reflection - while other people - with reference to the same problem - may need guidance and time to reflect. Moon (2001) points out that there are different types of reflection that may be more or less effective when applied to different situations. Within our learning context an "academic" reflective style - characterised by a higher level of structure, formality and depth - is the most suitable. This depth of reflection is enhanced when reflective dialogue and feedback is maintained between students, and students and teachers.

After reading Moon (2001) I now have a greater store of reflective techniques I can apply to situations or problems that arise. Both in a learning or a professional context, I would imagine that I would try to use techniques that seem/are most suitable. As to whether there is a qualitative difference between reflecting on professional practice and reflecting on learning, perhaps a difference could stem from the importance one ascribes to each reflective event.

- At the moment I type this, I think that writing may be the most practical way to reflect (and communicate reflection) on this course. Unless one is proficient in the use of the various electronic media that could be used (recording/editing/conversion/storage devices and types of image/sound/data files) then valuable time could be wasted in trying to produce reflections of a similar calibre to that which could be more immediately/readily produced via a pen and paper or keyboard. Of course, as already mentioned above, Moon (2001) indicates, that the time spent on the reflective activity is, itself, of great value, and so using unfamiliar media/devices can help provide the time factor - and also a new range of tools - with which to interact with/tackle the subject of our reflection. New/different tools can provide new/different approaches and insights, furthering and deepening our reflection. However, when time is a major constraint, one may opt for the familiarity and immediacy of text, eschewing the uncertainty of learning to use a new media sufficiently well (in the given time) to develop reflections of worth. Another concern that comes to mind is that other possible forms of recording reflection (camera, video, sound) are so, or too, immediate and perhaps not expressive or precise enough or lack a common language with which to guarantee communication of a particular reflection. The saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words", but can that apply to our postgraduate learning context where lack of time for reflection (and to prepare for reflection) is an important factor? The "picture" in question would need to be loaded with so much (viewer-perceptable) value that its conception and realisation could take substantially more time than simply sitting down at one's table to write. In an ideal world would I prefer to experiment with multimedia?...Yes. But the realities of my world are such that I think I may not venture far from the tried and trusted.

The above notwithstanding, I hope that the Open University (OU) eportfolio "MyStuff" will prove to be a valuable resource for providing structure to the powers of reflection I have developed over the years, as well as to help produce alternative reflections to those that I may now take for granted.

In my opinion, the OU's Blog and Wiki could be valuable community platforms and resources, but I think the nature of study in the OU may limit their effectiveness beyond the minimum course requirement for use and interaction. At the moment I feel that the OU Forums are the only place with the sufficient sense of community for effective, reflective interaction to occur.


References:

Moon, J. (2001) ‘PDP working paper 4: reflection in higher education learning’ [online], The Higher Education Academy. Available from:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/resourcedatabase/id72_Reflection_in_Higher_Education_Learning.rtf (accessed 29 June 2007).

CA2.1-eportfolios-my interest

1 Oct 2008, 20:29

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 1 Oct 2008, 20:34

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As already stated elsewhere, my reasons for learning about eportfolios are career related - in that this knowledge/skill will, hopefully, further and broaden my future employability. However, I have no immediate need, requirement, or real opportunity to put my new expertise to any practical use. This means that my interest in eportfolios is purely academic at the moment (no pun intended...but left in).

This, at times, rather laboured intrinsic interest is in stark contrast to the healthier extrinsic motivation that pushes some of my fellow students to enthuse about, delight in, and, more importantly, relate to their studies. Vague, general interest cannot match actual need. But I plod on.

I have hardly started experimenting with our eportfolio, Mystuff. This is mainly because I find it so annoying to use. I keep reading about how it is vital for the individual to feel in control of the eportfolio environment and be able to individualise it, or else they will quickly lose interest. Is Mystuff the OU's attempt to help us deep-learn by doing? Oh, we can intellectualise, we can assimilate the theory, but one learns so much more profoundly if one emotionalises - is there anything quite as effective as actually experiencing the frustration!?

But now that I am reading Stefani (2005) discuss CPD in a higher education context, I do feel that I could use an eportfolio (that does not annoy me) to help motivate myself; help me reflect, perhaps, more effectively; and help counteract the apathy that sets in when working in an education system where, though excellence in teaching is paid lip service, entertainment value rules.

Jose

Attempted focused musing and rumination 2

29 Sep 2008, 22:51

Edited by Jose Martel Penate, 29 Sep 2008, 23:19

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- ePortfolios:
___- are they information overload?
______- who (really) needs all that info (for their entire life)?
_________- anyone
____________- to keep life-events organised and searchable
____________- to help plan life-options
_________- only some people
____________- life is messy, not organised
___- positive for people who are successful
______- eportfolio as celebration
___- negative (?) for people who are not successful
______- constant and focused reminder of their failings
______- future headline?: eportfolio use linked to surge in suicides
___- what are they a true reflection of;
______- who we are?
______- who we want to appear to be?
______- who we want to be?
______- who someone else wants us to (appear to) be?
______- all of the above?
______- the state of our mental health??
___- is it safe to have all that personal data in one place and online?
______- but not only in 1 place
_________- platform management will have backup copies elsewhere geographically
_________- individuals will keep their own backup copies
______- identity theft (see below)
______- Big Brother (aspects in Orwell not Ch4)
_________- civil rights conspiracy theorists
____________- government could have too much access to too much personal data
_______________- but the usual responses
__________________- why would they bother?
__________________- data will be password protected and super-duper encrypted
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(Have I mentioned how much I hate that this blog messes up my formatting?!)