Our department is undergoing a transformation. We are at a precipice: and aim to leap unswervingly into an unknown so vast it cannot be perceived. The end intention; to build a tightknit learning community adept at self-directed learning …. in an online milieu.
And so we set upon a path of designing a high-quality online course inspired by the following advice of Puzziferro and colleagues in their eloquently stated definition of quality online courses:
“Quality online courses are well-organized into learning units; have clear learning goals and objectives; engage the learner through interaction with content… Most of all, online courses should be fun, engaging, pedagogically sound, and relevant.”(1)
We adopted a community-based approach to our online course design. Funded by the Ontario Online Initiative (OOI) - and in collaboration with MIIETL, Pearson and other faculty at Western University - we produced a preliminary prototype of our desired online course.
But what of the student experience? How do we provide a safe, nurturing environment on a platform so technologically advanced it can render the participant devoid of such community-based feelings of belonging? And so, to develop the sought-after online learning community we are employing a rather progressive approach: we want you. We seek YOUR input and YOUR ideas on what constitutes a nurturing environment in an online milieu. This manifests as a 2-hour immersive Community of Practice (CoP) workshop.
This is a resolute immersion in the learning process at all stages of the learning journey. It will start out small and unassuming in order to adjust to such a thought, but our end intent is to gain momentum throughout the workshop. The end result? We cannot even fathom. The journey? Priceless….