Goals

I've amassed years of experience in higher education, particularly in the areas of educational technology and evidence-based assessment.  What does it mean to "learn"?  How can we know if learning has taken place?  What role can I play in furthering the learning of others?  These questions inform all my teaching and research.  I don't think I'll ever have the answers in my pocket -- as least I hope I don't, because it's more fun to discover than to know.

Some people will learn, regardless of my presence, because they are self-directed.  Others are ambivalent or don't know where to start.  My goal is to create and "teach" online courses that make a significant contribution to the learning of all participants, myself included. 

Online courses are learning events. I get deep satisfaction out of creating courses that spark curiosity, that foster connections between lived experience and formal education.  

Online courses are learning spaces.  I want the ones that I create to be inviting in tone, rich in imagery and sound, and visually appealing -- memorable way-points along a larger sojourn of learning.

Online courses are works-in-progress. Sue Doubler, a colleague with whom I worked at TERC, likens online courses to jazz music.  Some of the music happens before anybody plays a note, when the composer crafts a melody, either in her head or in a written score.  Some of the music happens during practice, as the musicians experiment and refine their work.  But most of the music happens in the moment, in a synergy between musicians and listeners.  If the musicians are really listening and paying attention, their music improves each time they play.

Turning my attention to online learning, I wonder who is the composer, who is the band, and who is the audience.  Perhaps we switch roles?  I think that I start out as the composer, but my goal is for the learners to develop their capabilities so that eventually I can become their audience.

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramocchia