Learning Commons:Student Orientation/Sessions/Learning Literacies

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Flexible Learning

Flexible Learning Discussion (May 1st, 2013)

Documents under discussion

  • Rethinking Learning
  • Mapping the Learning Environment
  • The NMC Horizon Report 2013
  • Schlossberg’s Transition Theory

Critical Thinking

  • Institutions need to catch up to the new, non – conventional ideas of learning
  • Students Learn from diverse sources and from their environment. Ex- Twitter, Facebook
  • Students are not only questioning what they learn but how they learn
  • Learning is based on the learning environment and the relationships between the learners

Aside : Ideal/goal for LC website as the central hub for students to navigate university resources

Experiential Learning

  • Connect students with sources of Learning; give students ownership in their learning
  • Bring down the divide between academic and non-academic learning and realising all learning is
    based on the learning environment.

Enriched Education Experience

  • Student involvement on campus is a large part of learning however CSIC has a lot of resources focused on this, think about how we can supplement/support them.
  • If we are not the ones creating these resources, think about if it is a priority keeping user profiles in mind.

Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

  • User profile to keep in mind: Speciality users-> Online/Distance Students.
  • How can students increase their take away from online courses/ How to be successful in an online course?
  • How online courses need to differ from conventional classroom lecturing/ does the current mirroring of lectures work?
  • Implementation in the right scenario and situation is very important to the success of not only online courses but also other forms of experiential learning ex. Peer-to-peer, Flipped Classroom
  • What faculty/student bodies would be best suited to implementing experiential learning? :
    • Discussion and argument between peers is a large part of learning in arts and business courses.

Unique Learning Environments

  • Giving students the tools to explore and further their own learning
  • Build to the learning process: Why are we at University?
  • Fine Arts courses support student led learning, the professors try to accommodate the students
  • Jumpstart provides diverse learning environments to its participants:
    • Learning Communities: led by a more experienced peer to provide a fuller university experience
    • Supported Learning groups: led by a high achieving undergrad or grad students in their field to provide academic support
  • Upper Year course ( 490 level) students direct a lot of their own learning, where a small target group of students present reports/presentations to the entire class on self-chosen topics.
  • Faculties offer different learning environments:
    • Engineering provides students with the bare minimum information and lets students struggle to solve assignments.
    • Arts students are encouraged to take multiple viewpoints on a topic.
  • Informal learning opportunities provide new possibilities for students to further their learning

Gamification

  • Perhaps not something we need to create: a lot of resources required.
  • Is someone else on campus doing it? Can we support them?
  • Could implement an Open Badging System: Students get badges for completing modules on the website that have real world benefit.
  • Games and open badging systems can also be implemented on social media platforms, where badges can have real world benefits such as bookstore gift cards. Students can check into platforms like foursquare at coaching or tutoring and get real world benefits from these.
  • How big is this game? Who is involved? Opportunity to reach out to other programs.

Schlossberg’s Transition Theory

  • Read through again keeping in mind user profiles and what transition means to different users.
  • Reconsider each user’s ability to cope with transition,
    • A first year student during exam season vs a fifth year student etc.
  • Our demographic is going through major transitions, what are we doing to support them in their transition?
    • What are we doing well, what can we do better, what can we start doing?


Questions for Discussion

  • What impact will this initiative have on students?
  • What competencies will students need to develop?
  • What flexible learning resources have we already developed?
  • What might we work on in the future?

Note: Please add your responses/notes re: these questions to this page.