Mark Greenfield's Blog

Mark's Adventures Through The Looking Glass

2008-02-17T23:43:00.000-08:00

Here is my reflection on the session I facilitated around DGBL. Firstly the link to my Elluminate session. I've included the directed framework to help show my thinking process (though I have been told I use the term thinking too loosely by some of my colleagues who have browsed my blog. Anyway enough of the poor attempt at humour...

Reflect (using the three-step framework) on your facilitation. Include the following:

A one-paragraph summary of the discussion.

Attempted to relate the idea of game based learning to learning areas in school as per PowerPoint. Put out the idea of how games could meet learning objectives while still meeting kids entertainment needs. Showed how a free browser-type game could have educational merit without being time intensive. Gave a quick tour of Travian without getting too carried away with the game itself and focus more on the possibilities of game based learning.

· Points of success: what went right?

The purpose of my presentation was to put forward the possibility of game based learning which I believe I did.

It was good to be able to link actual learning objectives from a secondary school perspective to facets of the game as they added weight to my presentation.

Being able to application share my browser allowed me to show my game to everyone else to help illustrate what I was saying.

Points of failure: what went wrong?

There was only limited discussion relating to the presentation so I feel that this aspect of the presentation was not a complete success. I feel a little more background preparation (perhaps an email forum discussion) to stimulate thought and discussion prior to Elluminate session could have rectified this.

Just naming some other games that could be used was probably not enough and some slides with at least the names and applications of the games themselves would have been a good idea, as would opening up the discussion to see what other games others are aware of and have them add it to a list on the shared desktop.

How will these successes and failures influence how you facilitate a similar discussion in the future?

The 10 min lecture format was a great way to present an overview of my ideas, but as a mentioned before I think more facilitation earlier to stimulate the discussion is needed. This could involve simple things like getting feedback on the two articles I put out to stimulate thought and discussion to ensure the participants had some background knowledge of the topic. During the presentation asking more directed questions rather than pausing for interaction could help to stimulate discussion. Following up on the presentation (say a week later) and setting ‘homework’ for participants (like asking for comments to my blog about what you have discovered about DGBL since my presentation) would improve the overall facilitation.

Having a clash with Debbie’s Second Life presentation was not the best organisation on my part which was caused by my procrastinating.

Reflect on an event that shaped the discussion or a strategy that you used as facilitator.

Two events have shaped my presentation – the first prior to the 10 min Elluminate session and the second during. The first event related to the experience I had participating in Second Life. I found that I was not very engaged and found myself regularly wondering what students would think if put in the same situation. It reminded me of an incomplete RPG game, and seemed to lack the draw of a MMORG like World of Warcraft. I could at least see the point of it all in WoW, with its set tasks/missions, but the point of Second Life eluded (and still does) me. I am not bagging the Second Life phenomena that is riding a big wave of popularity in education circles at the moment, I guess I just can not see the value. This lead to my facilitation session idea.

The second was the fact that there was only limited discussion after my presentation (from my point of view). I had hoped that the group might discuss how it could relate to their work beyond the general 'something to think about'. I was also concerned that I dominated the 'chat' afterwards so did not give enough opportunity for any others to voice their opinions. As I mentioned earlier I see the obvious way to rectify this is by more directed questioning or open ended statements with requests for views on those. I see the best opportunity to do this would be on the summary page I had left blank so that the group could summarise to and potentially add their own summaries that could be collated or even reviewed again at a later period to see if their views have changed or evolved in that time as they investigate on their own.

And that is what I found there beyond the Looking Glass...

" I'm Talking With The Man In The Mirror "

2008-02-14T23:18:00.000-08:00

Summarising all that I have learned has been a learning experience in itself. I have been looking at tying up the loose ends of my Facilitating Online Discussions paper from the second semester of 2007.

The first step is to post my facilitation plan from my DGBL session:

Reason for the meeting

To introduce the concept of game based learning for students using the online game Travian as a demonstration of the potential.

Medium used

Electronic medium selected: Elluminate

Reason(s) for selecting this medium:In order to get as many members of the class to be able to participate and have a synchronous lesson. The ability to share the prepared slides and also my browser for in game showcase is another strength.

Description of the group

Class description / persona: Participants in the Facilitating Online Communities second semester paper I am taking. The group is experienced with Elluminate (part of the reason for my choice as my medium) so they are already prepared with the necessary software and hardware.

Topic/concept to be discussed: Game based learning (as an alternative to Secondlife).
Expected result(s): To show that there is a place in education (especially secondary school) for games based learning, and that these games can have some significant learning opportunities for both staff and students alike. To point out that many students are no longer engaging in the learning process in school yet their engagement in games does not drop by comparison.

Which of these stages best describes the group?

o Information exchange

o Knowledge construction

Facilitation Plan
Rationale: Having experienced Second life as part of the group I went looking for something I felt would be much better suited to my target audience (secondary students) and Leigh Blackall (one of my course facilitators) put me on to Marc Prensky’s work. I attempted to arrange my 10 min lecture to have Marc as my guest speaker but was unsuccessful (after I had got my hopes up with a positive first email exchange). During earlier discussions talked a little about the lack of engagement that you sometimes get at the secondary level that is often contrary to the adult students my fellow students work with. To set the stage posted my online addiction to my blog, and posted to the email group two links to work by Marc relating to DGBL.

Introduction: Give a basic overview of the ideas behind game based learning – how student engagement is significantly greater towards the technology rich learning media like games, video, even general browsing of the internet and less towards traditional learning media like teachers (face to face) and books. Introduce the game Travian and the basic scenario of how the game is played. Talk about components that make up the resource based game and see if any have looked into the game (David has) or any of the similar types of software like Warcraft/Starcraft. Talk about the added element of the online community that forms with alliance and other players.

The Content: Attempt to relate the idea of game based learning to learning areas in school as per PowerPoint. Put out the idea of how games could meet learning objectives while still meeting kids entertainment needs. Show how a free browser-type game can have educational merit without being time intensive. Give a quick tour of Travian without getting too carried away with the game itself and focus more on the possibilities of game based learning.

Closing: Talk about how teaching has changed over the years and the difference in learning requirements and the need for entertainment. How do we adapt teaching and learning programs to allow for the students who have the option now to ‘change the channel’ and go elsewhere for knowledge? Acknowledge the importance of communities in the learning process not only as a learning aid but potential motivator / enjoyment creator.

See what questions and comments come and facilitate any discussion that might evolve either verbally or the text window.

So there it is. My next post will be my review of how it went, and a summary of the year as I reflect on the course.

Like Sand Through The Hourglass...

2007-12-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

[Insert - That is a good description of this blog entry - I started it just before Christmas. In the meantime a significant amount of information (grains) has passed by. Unfortunately a significant amount of it has slipped through my grasp with alarming ease.]

Assessment - in particular self review. This has got to surely be one of the more difficult processes. Personally I hate it because you never can tell if you are being too hard on yourself or going too easy. But here goes...

I wonder if I did the concept of Game Based Learning justice with my 10 min lecture. I think the answer to this is yes, but not in the way I planned. I had hoped that I could show how the community that has developed within the game, and how this community building can be linked to actual learning opportunities. What I think I showed was the potential learning opportunities games have. A subtle difference but the more I review the happier I am that it panned out that way. It was funny how I was shy about showing too much because the others in my community - simply because I had not asked their permission first. Which got me thinking about closed verus open communities.

[Insert - Ironically recently a spammer joined our Google community. I wondered what parents would think if the same thing happened with my students and any community we created.]

From my presentation I learned a lot more about communities and the vehicle in which they travel. There needs to be a driving motivation the ensure participation and from blogs, wikis, bulletin boards, email communities etc I have not seen easily the 'hook' that would catch a secondary student. Which has led to my trip down GBL alley, and my fear that more sand will fall while I play games - but in the interest of improving education of course.

[Insert - I am looking at incorporate a class blog and maybe a wiki into my Year 9 programme but in a closed environment as part of Moodle's journal to see how the class community might aid individual student's knowledge and understanding.]

An the Academy Award for Best Presentation Goes To...

2007-12-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

Here I am in the process of preparing for my online debut - a 10min presentation on Elluminate relating the learning opportunities I have discovered while playing my main vice - Travian. A synopsis of all the different links I have seen while becoming completely addicted to it are:

English

Communication English – traditional vs abbr.

Poetry

Music

Writing lyrics

Social Sciences/History

Gaelic history

Medieval Tactics

Treaties

Mathematics

Logistics

Probability

Science

The Science of Combat

Potential Energy – catapults, rams

Technology

Metallurgy

Design and construction

Computing

Databases
(php) Coding

Life

Always be bigger fish

Social interaction

Community building

Online Identity(s)

It is interesting to see that there are lots of learning opportunities in games. But the question is do the kids see the same learning opportunities that I do?

Why Playstason Ain't Dun Me Lerning Ani Harm

2007-11-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

Following on from my last post I have been looking into the possibilities currently available for online gaming based learning (OGBL). Leigh facilitated this change in direction for me after my last post and put me on to the work of Marc Prensky. I've travelled a slightly different course at the moment away from Second Life (don't really like it much - seems incomplete, unfinished) and more towards the idea of learning through games.

One of the ideas that I've picked up on based on his work is how to his mind the "digital natives" - kids who have grown up with technology - are no longer being well prepared in class as the style of learning we provide is not how they learn any more.

Two articles relating to this are attached here. They have created some interesting debate when circulated in the staffroom.

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf
http://www.ascd.org/authors/ed_lead/el200512_prensky.html

I'm interested to see how others see these articles relating to their work, especially in a secondary school environment...

Learning by Accident (or Justifying Your Online Gaming Addiction)

2007-11-01T00:12:00.000-07:00

One of the things I am looking to do for this course is a 10 min presentation on the online game Travian. It has been a curious experience and one that I started up by accident while investigating online communities in the second half of this year. I started playing - not really expecting to get too in to it - and then I became addicted. The say acknowledging that you have an addiction is the first step to overcoming it...

I've kept playing now because of the community I have become a part of. As a war game you need allies or colleagues to support you so that you don't get attacked by others. The camaraderie that has developed has more for me emphasised the difficulty that any online community has to overcome (including this one) - the desire to learn being overwhelmed by the desire to socialise. I still see online communities end up as a social gathering first and that learning occurs accidentally afterwards. Ironically even playing Travian I have seen learning opportunities - even when I try.

I've seen links to all sorts of areas of the curriculum:

English
Mathematics
Science - Chemistry and Physics
Social Sciences - History and Geography
Music
Technology

And after all the only reason I play is because there is so much more to learn and it's important for this course... right?

Geez Mum Everyone Else Is Doing It

2007-10-26T03:34:00.000-07:00

Phew. Time to take a little time to stop and reflect on my progress to date. I can't even begin to compete with David in this area but then it's not all about competition...

1. I have absorbed a significant amount of learning that I am not even sure I will have enough time before I die to implement. - Solution: I will give up sleeping.

2. I need to stop being so cynical and flippant. - Solution: Stop being so cynical. I think I will perpetually be flippant though...

3. Express thanks to the community: I really do wish to thank everyone who had contributed to my development of an understanding of online communities.
My interaction online has always been as a participant in social networks (usually in a gaming world like my personal favourite at the moment Travian) and I have rarely seen learning opportunities online that are not only as a side effect of social interaction. But the reason is not because it's not there it is just that I haven't really looked. As an educational professional I've been content to not rock the boat as I am comfortable in the environment I'm in. It's funny how once you get to the point like I have that you forget that you need to keep learning - not just teaching.

4. I need to get going on the wiki. - Solution: Get it out of word and on to the web.

5. Stop being a passenger in this e-learning ride and start driving the bus where I want to go. - Solution: Don't just type about it - do it.

6. Stop blogging at midnight cos you ramble...

Pssst! What's the Answer to Question 3?

2007-10-20T00:54:00.001-07:00

During the entertaining and interesting 10 min lecture with Derek Chirnside about facilitating and creating online learning communities a sideline discussion threatened to break out about the impact / effect a community can have on an individuals' achievement. I say threatened as I raised the point that I feel when the crunch comes and an assessment is to be done that only the individual can do it but (when asked) wasn't keen to discuss it audibly - preferring to be able to take my time and type my responses to try and say clearly what I wanted to say.

It went like this:

Me: I guess in a course that is assessed at the end the community doesn't matter cos they can't pass the course for you?

Sue Waters: disagree

StaffMember: good point mark do you want to speak to that?

Me: no

Sue Waters: the community is what helps you pass

Me: maybe prepare to pass but the final act is yours alone?

Carolyn McIntosh: I think I agree that the community supports and helps people get through
Sue Waters: Mark would love to debate this some time in a lot more detail
Sue Waters: maybe you could blog it

I was looking at this from my point of view in the secondary system that has a primary focus on assessment - and I believe anyone who suggests otherwise is intentionally lying / hopelessly optimistic. How do we gauge an individuals progress in an online learning community without assessments? The community may well have been there in the buildup but when the assignment is to be done I have had to do it (this blog being the beginning of my aim to succeed in this course). Surely I will be judged on the content of my blogs and will not be graded on how many people in my community post comments or the number of links to my blog from others, or from my blog to theirs (insert slightly tongue in check link to a nice post by David McQuillan who happens to also be taking this course).
All frivolity aside David makes a very interesting point regarding what he is in this course for and I think this is a portion of the developing online culture we have yet to explore (though I might of missed it...). If the bottom line of any learning course is achievement then as much help as your community is during the learning process they become immaterial (but no less valued) during "tests". Unless of course you want to tell me the answer to question 3 so I don't have to work it out myself...?

You Won't Believe What I Just Heard...

2007-10-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

Got you didn't I. We are notorious as people for being gossips - especially when the material has a slightly 'naughty' feel to it. It begs the question as to how in a digital community that reaches potentially everyone on the planet you not necessarily control but at least manage the flow of sensitive information. How can I as a facilitator of knowledge ensure that all my 'charges' are safe? Am I better to facilitate all my learning opportunities in a closed environment via apps like Blackboard or Moodle? But aren't I missing out on the opportunities for 'experts' to contribute valuable insight and information if our learning is done in an open environment?
In a secondary school environment I think this has some serious ramifications on student safety and well-being (see Internet Safety Group website) online. The last thing I would want to see is someone harmed because of my (in)actions...
Now I appreciate that an element of trust is always needed in any form of interaction - and it is one of the obvious necessities of a community to put yourself 'out there' to allow others to get a sense of who you are (or at least a sense of your digital identity anyway) so that you (can?) share a common purpose or philosophy that has brought you together in the first place. After all students do it all the time with their facebook, bebo and myspace profiles don't they...?

Stop Flogging a Dead Horse and Just Pull The (Digital) Plug

2007-10-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

It's great to see that digital communities can be just as complex (the original word I was going to use was dysfunctional but that seemed a little mean) as RL ones. We as a group have been 'discussing' the relative merits of each others involvement in the group activities. I guess it's no surprise that there are degrees of involvement that occur in any group - and one of the interesting things I have seen while lurking away in the background is that most people seem to be lurkers by design rather than on purpose.
Looking at online learning I think it shows how important it is for any facilitator (or should I say curator now?) to recognise that lurkers are likely to be their target audience. Unless assessment grades are determined by quantity of comments (or quality?) how can you measure participation? Do you need to measure participation? Surely the learning outcomes in a digital environment are no different to those in RL - it's not like you have someone observing to ensure you read every word in the textbook people just assume (rightly or wrongly) that you have.
So when you come to my blog (digitally or via your RSS feeder) realise that I appreciate the visit, hope it gives you things to think about and no expectations ...

If At First You Don't Succeed Should You Have Tried In The First Place?

2007-09-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I seem surprised - I attempted to join our discussion group Elluminate session last Monday and the system failed. Tried to join the adhoc skype session - that fell over too. Interestingly enough it clearly demonstrated the pitfalls of learning via technology. Now I admit that I'm not technophobic (only because I haven't come out of that closet yet ;) ) but surely this sort of thing shouldn't happen. At least in a F2F environment if a bit of technology fails I can 'wing it' but what do you do when it is outside of your control. You could sense the "what do I do now?" kicking in in the discussion emails so the opportunity for learning was clearly lost.

It got marginally better on the rescheduled Thursday - I could at least skype with a couple of colleagues after Elluminate didn't work again. But all of this emphasised some of the issues I have with the idea that technology will improve learning...

1. What happens when it all goes wrong?
2. What does everyone do when something fails before you start?

Bronwyn has put the whole event in context yet our reliance on technology does not often mean we have a plan B. And to be fair why wasn't the technology tested to see it works - much like you would test whiteboard makers etc. At least when a piece of equipment fails mid-lecture you have at least covered a bit of material so discussion can ensue while repairs take place. Failure to launch gives you nothing to work with - and the waiting participants turn on you as though it's your fault (mainly because you didn't test it earlier).

Yes we were able to adapt and communicate with each other in a group skype chat so I can see why Bronwyn saw that as a good thing for developing our community. Yet I don't have the same enthusiasm - which I think is linked more to my unfamilarity with the online learning community structure. What I saw reminded me more of Brownian motion where people organised more by random accident than purposeful design. Maybe it's related to the fact we (well me anyway) were there more as lurkers so not prepared for active involvement.

Ah well, guess we'll see who's right and whose wrong as the journey continues...

Just Because Everyone Is Saying It Doesn't Make It True... Does It?

2007-09-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

First things first - a joke. well it's not really a joke, more of a series of witty comments. At school we are currently in the process of writing school reports so the humorous comment bank has been circulated:

" Since my last report [He] has reached rock bottom and has started to dig"

" [He] is a gross ignoramus -144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus"

"[He] sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them"

The picture I think is a good representation It how I feel at the moment when I consider my role as an educator/teacher/facilitator in this new learning environment. I'm not totally sure who or what I should be.

I posted a comment the other day on Yvonne's blog relating to too much stimulus being a bad thing and that sometimes the learning gets lost in all the technology. It's ironic that I feel this way as I am one of the worst for it - every time a new 'toy' comes into the school I'm trying to get it / use it / implement it into my teaching and then the novelty value turns out to be far greater than the learning value. So now I go forth to wiki-land in search of the next great learning tool with the same reckless abandon - completely ignoring that little nagging voice in the background going "you know what's going to happen..."

To finish - one of the kids was sharing some of the humour from his phone and was playing Arnie's Pizza Shop Answering Machine. I was going to use it as my soundbite but thought this youtube vid adds a little more 'pizzaz'.

If You're Technophobic and You Know It Clap Your Hands...

2007-08-31T02:09:00.000-07:00

One of the ways of occupying my time during the journey to Oamaru was loading my iPod with the recordings of Konrad Glogowski and Nancy White. I enjoyed the parallels between the two presentations and how they support my belief that there is a significant need for investment in technological understanding.

If I was honest most of my technological understanding has come from looking over the shoulder or learning from mistakes. If I was even more honest I would say my knowledge is sorely lacking and I often get quite defensive about it, and I'm sure I am not alone. This is an issue I think that is becoming more evident as the boundary between teacher, mentor, leader and learner is becoming significantly blurred in a digital environment.

I love the idea that the third place Konrad talked about is a place of learning and that the learning is not limited to the classroom / lecture theatre. I love the idea that learning is not limited by course prescriptions but only by imagination and enthusiasm.

What I don't enjoy is the lack of control or direction which I think is a reflection of my learning style and therefore part of what has become my teaching style. I think the responsibility of setting up the place of learning is automatically accepted by any who take on a teaching role but are we expecting all teachers to accept the responsibility of becoming technically savvy enough to facilitate a quality online learning environment? Are the technical whizzes able to direct all this wonderful knowledge to producing quality teaching opportunities? It all seems easy when the two entities are the same person like Konrad or Nancy but I'm not either...

Anyway, is there actually anything wrong with being mildly technophobic anyway?

Lurking

2007-08-28T02:31:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view) my participation in our fledgling online community recently has taken a back seat to my school commitments - in particular the 1st XI Hockey team and tournament week. The yearly ritual combat season is upon us and we are roadtripping to Oamaru each day.

So I've taken a lurking approach to this week - and have taken Leigh's advice to try and learn more about the members of our community.

Stage one is setting up my google reader. Check.

Stage two is work on some witty comments for each members blog. Pending.

Learning Ownership Pt2

2007-08-23T18:26:00.001-07:00

Looking at ownership of learning was something we did recently, including a Elluminate 'lecture' with James Farmer. Part of the education process is obviously taking ownership of the learning and as my earlier post hinted at the transition to a digital learning medium I don't see the control/ownership transfer as clearly as I would in a face to face class.

It is pleasing to see that I am not alone in wondering about how our learning community can develop - my learning (or should I say more learned) colleagues are also following similar lines of thought. I particularly like the idea raised about how [I] as teacher can put ' the essence of who you are as a teacher' into an online learning course. James stated that you can project yourself as a real person over time.

Can you really project yourself as a real person over time - and a lot of the time would you? If you look at the availability of ways to project yourself to the world wouldn't you want to project your strengths and mask or even omit your weaknesses. (Random thoughts to follow up on later - lonelygirl15 and SecondLife).

I guess I still see (from my limited elearning perspective anyway) that the digital learning community has issues regarding getting the necessary engagement to produce a quality learning opportunity. Social interaction is simple because we as people need company - but as learners we need more motivation. Just because I say to read and comment on my blog doesn't mean you are going to...

Learning Ownership Pt 1

2007-08-14T19:56:00.001-07:00

I guess part of the issue to overcome in a digital community is the many forms members of the community come in. Because of the variety and range of individuals who might participate in education how do we allow for everyone?

If I was to define myself in a digital sense I am (though beginning to change) by choice a lurker. I find the advantages of anonymity helps 'protect' me from looking like a complete idiot. It is ironic I know since I spend every working day in front of at least 100 people a day, but digitally the audience expands out to (potentially) the whole world. It is the comfort of knowing the students in my class - and most of that knowledge comes from the face to face interaction. An avatar is just a picture - it may invoke a feeling or instinct but that is still a guess.

I guess eLearning can take you out of your comfort zone.

Scaffolding to help keep above the water

2007-08-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Having followed the link posted by Leigh I have had the following thoughts...

In this digital age it is obvious that there is more and more competition as to who is the 'expert'. In a secondary classroom an engaged student is no longer willing to follow blindly what is put in front of them - they are often checking up on or discussing the ideas within their peer group. Surely then this gives us the opportunity to extend that peer group via the now available digital medium. By developing a digital community that still contains the same fundamental structure of our class we could extend the learning outside of the limited hour but also transfer the direction and focus of the learning to the students.

But why are kids going to want to work outside of school? Many learning opportunites are likely to fall outside of or across curriculum - are they going to want to learn them? When as a teacher should there be interventions (something I had not considered but after a bit of browsing can across this study http://www.formatex.org/micte2006/Downloadable-files/oral/Scaffolding.pdf)? Cybersafety?

Don't get me wrong, the strengths are obvious - like the opportunity for contribution 24/7. Students take different times to process and internalise the learning but that doesn't mean they don't have anything to contribute. 'Experts' from around the world can contribute as we are no longer bound by time. A community that can continue to grow from year to year.

I guess as our eLearning community develops I can look for parallels...

Help! I can't swim!

2007-08-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Near blind panic I don't think quite covers how I feel as I jump into the eLearning pond without even getting testing the water with my toes first.

Where to start? I guess I'm wondering if technology will be the magic bullet that will make my teaching life easier. Am I the only one who feels they must now compete with students for their 15 sec microwave-based attention span and hopefully plant a seed of interest that tunes them into what I have to say?

When you look at the many ways that students can become informed - and often how unreliable some of these sources are I begin to at times question just how practical a shift towards a more student centered learning programme is.

I guess I see this eLearning course I am doing as a chance to help the students develop their own understanding via the community they build inside the classroom and see if can be extended to become a desire to investigate and find the (relative) truth themselves.