#PLENK2010 Assessment in distributed networks. October 18, 2010 by jennymackness I have been struggling to clearly identify the issues associated with assessment in PLEs/PLNs – which are probably similar to those in MOOCs or distributed networks. There seem to be a number of questions. Is it desirable/possible to assess learners in a course which takes place in a distributed network? Is it possible/desirable to accredit learning in a course which takes place in a distributed network?
What assessment strategies would be appropriate? Whether assessment is desirable in a PLENK/MOOC etc. will depend on the purpose of the course and the learning objectives that the course convenors had in mind when they designed the course. Both assessment and accreditation are possible across distributed networks if the numbers are manageable. So how to assess large numbers. So what better assessment strategies would work with large numbers?
There appear to be no easy answers to this question. Peer assessment has been suggested. #PLENK2010 On Networks and PLENK | Suifaijohnmak's Weblog. I hope I could contribute more in this PLENK course, by sharing what I have learnt from George, Stephen in particular in the CCK courses. I hope there would be more success stories with MOOC, as shared in past posts. I would like to reflect this mind changing post by Stephen Downes on Groups versus Networks. Stephen says: Why networks? Three major reasons.First of all, the nature of the knower. Human beings resemble ecosystems more than they resemble lumps of metal.Secondly and very importantly, the quality of the knowledge. I must admit that Stephen’s ideas have greatly influenced how I perceive groups versus networks since I read his post, and I have then better understood some of the fundamentals of networks through subsequent interaction with him on numerous occasions, throughout the courses of CCK08, 09, CritLit2010, and especially when I met him whilst he presented a session in the University of Wollongong.
Does self paced learning mean no interaction? 1. 2. (Bouchard, 2010, p. 3) #PLENK2010 Assessment and Evaluation | Suifaijohnmak's Weblog. I just managed to watch & listen to Elluminate Recording of Wednesday. I read Jenny’s post on evaluation and assessment, and would like to respond and reflect on it. For me, assessment is relating to a collection of evidence which could be in form of portfolios, blogs & blog posts, forum postings, twitter postings, action projects, videos, podcasts, wikis, research projects, research papers, artifacts, etc. or in typical classroom/workplace learning – assignments, tests, examination, observation, questioning, tasks, projects, assessment activities etc. Evaluation, however could be relating more to a product, service or process.
Evaluation of a product or process – like an evaluation of the assessment tasks, courses, curriculum, through surveys, reviews, discourse, and in the case of PLENK, it could mean the evaluation of tools against set criteria by the learners, or the community in their effectiveness in achieving the learning goals set. John Like this: Like Loading... The Pedagogy of Propinquity. The pedagogy of propinquity means the study of learning that happens along the way to learning other things. The dictionary definition of propinquity is nearness, in space, in time, in relationship. So two things that may not be related take on relationship by simple virtue of their nearness to each other. There a number of concepts that are consistent with a pedagogy based in propinquity.
Serendipitous learning, accidental learning, self-learning, informal learning, tacit learning all describe critical learning processes that occur outside of institutional formalized learning. Neuropsychology provides some evidence of propinquity as a necessary condition of learning. A distinction made between declarative(explicit learning and memory) and non-declarative memory and learning with the latter being the most important and least understood. “These nondeclarative or implicit forms of learning and memory are generally characterized as acquired fluency of perceptual and motor performance (e.g.
PLENK2010: The MOOC buffet and personal recipes « Thinking Out Loud. In which I avoid the phrase “running aMOOC,” address the personal, and serve hotdish. How do you approach a party where you know few people, if any? Chat with anyone? Loiter near the potted plants? Maybe the hosts can offer some initial introductions, circulate, and foster conversational ease, but they can’t be everywhere at once. They’re not really there to entertain you; instead, the event is simply an end in itself. And there’s almost always food. Maybe the hosts kindly provide snacks, but in Minnesota, it’s often the guests who bring hotdishes. A variety of party preferences Inevitably, some people leave the party earlier than others. This party-oriented digression is really a follow-up to what I wrote two years ago about my thoughts on participating in a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course).
I have begun to wonder if a MOOC creates AIA, or Acronym Induced Anxiety. Choosing a personally meaningful path to learning In this potluck environment, I do think a note of caution is needed here. RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms. Don't be afraid to share. Social media allow users to share information about themselves and their interests. Sarah Cunnane examines their role in the academy Do "too many tweets make a twat", as David Cameron maintains? Are social media becoming an increasingly useful and powerful force in higher education, or, as Bill Gates predicts, will they cause the death of the academy?
The experts seem to be divided not only on social media's future, but also on their present in terms of their use by academics, and the research that has been done has reached contradictory conclusions. Which survey gives the true picture? The social-networking website Facebook, which was launched in 2004 at Harvard University, now has more than 500 million members, while the communications platform Twitter, which started two years later, has more than 100 million users. Yet some academics and administrators seem unwilling to come to terms with this technology. But Twitter has its advocates in higher education.
Academics remain sceptical. British Library - Growing Knowledge - The evolution of research. Don't be afraid to share. Don't be afraid to share.