Category: #crit101

Week Five – synthesis & evaluation reflection

Originally published here.

This weeks project was very different to anything I have done before for a project. It was a fun project to research and learn about, and once again this week I found that I was learning new technological skills. I learnt how to create a voiced video that films my screen, which will be a very useful skill for other presentations I will make later on in life.

As for the collaboration with the other participants, we discussed our ideas effectively, and together split the work evenly between us. Myself and Lou created our videos and they were pieced together, unfortunately Sana has been very busy, and we have not yet been able to include hers.

Furthermore, this weeks video collaboration helped strengthen my interdependent learning skills, as collaborating with others I have never met before, encouraged me to voice my opinions and engage in research to contribute to the project.

Below is the link to our video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ttus5b2ystz53ky/Chicken%20or%20Egg.mp4

Week 6 Reflection

Originally published here.

When I initially started the course, I had a few basic understanding of some of the skills and ideas involved in being an in(ter)depenent learner, but never really had a chance to try and practise and improve these skills. I had previously worked in group projects at school and such but never really to a level that was as challenging as to make me really use skills that I for instance have acquired during this course, such as synthesis and evaluation. This course has given me a much deeper understanding through each weeks assignments, which each week built from the last, and took me through different stages and skills that were involved in independent learning. It has helped me gain a new insight into the traits of being a good in(ter)dependent learner and also how hard it can be to master these skills.
I think that the course has helped me show for starters that I can be committed to finishing things! Many of the tasks were time consuming and did require me to manage my time well to fit them into the week and complete the tasks. It required a great level of extra reading and research and it has helped me build on drawing from other accessible resources to help aid my task. It has further helped me realise that everything can be critically analysed and that I should be careful to assess the extent that I can trust a source by inquiring it’s reliability and validity.
I will finish the course coming away with many new skills that will most certainly add to value to my future work. I hope to study pyschology at university in a few years and these skills especially critiquing and analysing research and sources will hopefully greatly help me in this subject as much research is involved. Generally I feel that the course will help equip me better for further education as I can now identify how I feel I work best and also my strengths and weaknesses. So for example I feel I am good at assessing validity and reliability but I am not so good at drawing overall conclusions. All in all I am glad I took part in this course as I know that the skills that I take away will be very beneficial and I believe I now have a head start compared to others in tackling university and further education.


Reflection on the Crit101 Course

Originally published here.

At the conclusion of the Crit101 course in which I have been engaged, I feel proud to have participated and completed the work. I took the course because I was interested in trying out a MOOC (Massively Open Online Course). I am glad that I chose Crit101 in which to participate because it was so professional and challenging.

The designer, teacher, and facilitator of the course, James Michie, did a fantastic job with this course. He provided a tremendous amount of structure and guidance. He also provided a tremendous amount of resources which included lectures, articles, videos, assignments, feedback, and awards (badges). It is shocking to me that this course was free. It has me very interested in the implications for open education.

The participants in the course had high expectations to work up to. The assignments were deep and challenging. The resources were complex, relevant, compelling, and challenging. I felt challenged by the course. It was difficult to invest the time and energy to do good work in this course. I would not have wanted it any other way. I feel that I earned it and am proud of what I accomplished over the past six weeks.

I learned quite a bit in the course. I am used to reading and writing analytically. I had not done very much work in research and evaluation of sources. This course filled in for me some of what I think was missed in my undergraduate experience. That is saying a lot. This was a real learning experience with as much value as any college class and more value than some. Participating in the course allowed me to flex some mental muscles that I haven’t used for a while. It was nostalgic to feel the stress of meeting a deadline for assignments. It helped me become more empathetic to my own students.

The course demanded that we collaborate in group work and provide peer-to-peer feedback. I felt comfortable in this type of work because I participate in so many professional development projects with the Northern California Writing Project in which the basic structure of all work is collaborative. I was interested to observe how the younger participants developed as collaborators. I think the course guided the discovery that critical reading and writing is not the same a criticism. Even though we all became more critical, judging from the lack of critical comments from others on the blog posts, I think that most are still a little shy.

Winning badges was a terrific part of the course. I have been hip to badges for a while and have wanted the opportunity to earn more badges. The badges offered by this course are smart, lovely, and legitimate. I will proudly display these badges. They are proof of my significant accomplishments:

. . .

I have created impressive content for myself in these blog posts. I like to develop my online portfolio. Having this guided instruction created a real purpose for professional writing. I am proud of my posts and I will promote my work to my friends, colleagues, and students.

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Week 5- Due Sunday 14th April 2013

Originally published here.

The process of creating and editing the video?

I found the process of creating a video fun as it was a creative and collaborative way to learn. I found that thinking of what section I would do in the video as I wanted it to be appropriate and worthwhile (for me and my group.) However, I found creating the video clip good fun as it was creative and gave me independence as I could do what I wanted within my section. Although, I found sending my video clip to my partner hard as I was unsure how to export the click. Despite, a slight delay I asked my teacher and he helped me. Then I emailed my section to our group editor (Nadia.) Nadia was very good at editing the clips and I believe that our final outcome was really good.

How this activity has contributed to your development as an in(ter)dependent learner?

This task has helped me to become independent as I got to design my section myself and I had complete creative freedom. This task has been the first so far that I have developed my in(ter)dependent learner skills as I made an effort to contributed to the team discussion and give key points and ideas. So far this task has helped me the most with confidence and team building. Although, I did have to rely on my teacher for an uploading query as I tried to find the answer but I couldn’t find it.

The link to the finished video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgbeVeUOF9I&feature=youtu.be


Week 6 Assignment

Originally published here.

When i first came into this course, i had a few in(ter)dependent learning skills, for example i had worked in teams or by myself in school, but that was really the only time that i had got that opportunity

After the first few weeks, i realised and gained skills that i never even knew i was capable of, this course has not only helped me to expand my knowledge on in(ter)dependent learning and how much more beneficial it is to work in a team.

I learnt that the research that i do and the time that i take to analyse is a very important factor of in(ter)dependent learning as it not only expands my knowledge but it also gives me an insight to other views and opinions which is a very important thing.

I will be coming away from this course with new skills and knowledge, and i know that because of this course,and because i have worked with people that i have never met before i will now be in so much of a better position for university as the majority or their assignments are in(ter)dependent involved and without this course i feel that i would have been going into it with minimal knowledge and then i would have panicked, but now i feel prepared and i feel like i am now so far ahead other entrants.

Thank you for this opportunity and it had been my up-most pleasure to be involved