Kiberu John
14. avr. 2016 09:58 heures
Chapitre 4 › Unit 4: Blended Learning: Create or Find a Learning Hub Afficher le devoir Masquer le devoir

Create or Find a Learning Hub

Blended learning does not have to be limited to an e-learning before or after an on-site course. How creative, flexible and scalable is your offline element of blended learning?

If you are using traditional blended learning, why not take the flipped classroom out of the classroom?

There is nothing wrong with traditional practices – they will always have their place, but now our physical learning space can become more dynamic and “blended”, too. We could break down the blending in these two ways:

1) Digital learning supplemented by learning pods – digital learning cohorts that physically meet together.

2) Physical learning space supplemented by digital/virtual tools – physical learning labs that connect digitally.

Just as MOOCs can make digital learning more social and collaborative, the on-site element could take the form of learning hubs. That is blended learning = MOOC (online) + learning hub (on-site).

Blended Learning Through Learning Hubs

We want to encourage you to build this community of L&D experts and interested learners not just online, but also on-site in blended learning formats. For this, we want to introduce to you the idea of learning hubs.**

What are so called learning hubs?

The Future of Learning Group by MIT Media Laboratory wrote this paper a while back, advocating for learning hubs: "Entry Point to Twenty First Century Learning. A Call for Action at the Local and Global level", by Seymour Papert and David Cavallo.

A more detailed overview of learning hubs can be found in this pdf paper by Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) about "Learning Hubs. Where Learning Takes Place in a Digital World". Author Michelle Selinger, 2013.

When talking about Hubs, it is also important to note the innovative MOOC by Otto Scharmer and MIT on Transforming Business, Society, and Self with U.Lab, that run 2015 on edX. In this MOOC, you could participate as an online learner, create a hub with your friends, or join an innovation hub.
Read more on this format here. This was really successful and inspiring to a lot of other MOOCers or online learners.

And it is no suprise. Online students can't help being sociable, writes Sean Coughlan on BBC and the Hoffpost College blog postulates that "MOOCs and Meetups Together Make for Better Learning" by Michael Goldberg.

What does this mean for us?
We would like to encourage you to create new discussion threads in the discussion forum - for example organized by regions and/or countries. You can start by simply introducing yourself in your respective area, by proposing a meetup, or by hosting an event. This is simply for you to get inspired and take or take not the initiative on how to exchange with your fellow learners.
If you are already part of a learning hub or meetup group, and can recommend it, please do so as well in the discussion forum.

We are really curious to see what you will do and create inside this course and where you will take us.
Please let us know if you need any help or assistance.

My learning Hub

4

I wish we were a number of educators from Africa. It would help us form a learning hub that would helps to know more about our continent and countries in a collaborative approach. It would help to learn online via videos and podcasts, then carry on learning practically on-site given the assignment we would generate as a learning hub. Instructions and learning materials would be given online while the practical learning takes place on-site practically via project based approach. Learning experience will be shared as well as the process and the finished item or work.

My learning experience via Hub was first when I participated in the Adobe Youth Voices Educators 'Online training for 9 weeks. Learning hubs were created according to the contributions participants made, submissions to the assignments and the support participants extended towards learners in form of comments and helping links. This link can help us learn how AYV paves way to creating an environment of forming a learning hub.
https://youthvoices.adobe.com/news

Commentaires

Jocelyn Phelps
avant presque 8 ans

John,
This is a good wish and a good vision. Maybe if you put this type of comment on a page where more people can see it, you will find other Africans. For example, on the page where we post questions after the webinar.
Given the size of Africa, you may end up working virtually anyway, but you would have peers with similar concerns.

Kiberu John
avant presque 8 ans

Dear Jocelyn,
Thanks for your continued support and feed. I will do post to the page as instructed. It is health to get a peer group for peer learning for more collaboration and sourcing learning opportunities.

Jocelyn Phelps
avant presque 8 ans

John, I just looked at some of the Adobe Voices videos. This is a great project with some exciting content. You could probably do something of similar value - the most important thing is not the tools (you can find free tools on the internet) but the community. So your question is how to build the community of African educators.

I read an article a few weeks ago about a "university" (in Senegal, I think) where young scientists were invited from all over Africa to come for a few weeks and hear great African professors (many working overseas) teach about their field. Sorry not to have a better memory for the name, but I am sure you can find it. Maybe you could connect with them?

Kiberu John
avant presque 8 ans

Dear Jocelyn,
Thanks for taking time to look at some of the reference link I shared. It is interesting when you appreciate how the content is important in learning. I will start with the already existing team in my country Uganda to see how we can create a learning community. Thank you for you feedback. I promise to search more on the Senegal University where innovations are taking place.

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