Category: #crit101

Week One: Why #crit101? & in(ter)dependent learning.

Originally published here.

The reason I'm participating in critical skills 101 is because I want to develop my skills for becoming a self-critical, reflective and a more independent learner as a whole. I also found that the jump between GCSEs and A-levels was greater because my skill range wasn't as broad or as well developed and I don't want this to be a factor that holds me back at University. Therefore I want to achieve a strong foundation of skills that will support my learning at University both in terms of the compulsory reading and learning but also the self investigation and exploration into different topics to develop me as a learner. Also the skills that I will develop within this course are transferable across different area and therefore the skills that I will gain are not just for university but the later on, with a career in an industry.

I define independent learning as the process in which one explores, develops and becomes critical of a topic that they have researched and investigated to broaden their own knowledge and interests. Independent learning is not about completing tasks which are set for you but setting tasks to complete yourself. It's about discussing and collaborating on ideas as a group as much as is about developing your own thoughts and ideas. I believe that the main characteristic of an independent learner is to be someone that is interested and exploring new avenues, new areas of investigation outside of their own compulsory learning within an institution. Most of all it is about finding pleasure and enjoyment in learning and developing one's own self.

I don't believe people are born with the skills to become an in(ter)dependent learner, but I also don't believe that you can learn to become an in(ter)dependent learner either. It is not a process that can be broken down in stages, nor is it a process that can be taught. It is a process that one develops through trial and experimentation, not being afraid to get things wrong but learning from ones own mistakes. It's about finding what works best for yourself and then developing that to achieve independent learning. Individuals can be supported and guided to become an in(ter)dependent learner, but at the end of the day it is about what works best for one individual and developing those strengths to achieve a holistic learning approach.

Crit101

Originally published here.

“Why did you enrol in the course Crit101?”
It has taken me up until this morning to think of a response that I saw worthy enough to post in answer to this question. I wish I had some sort of deep and meaningful reason as to why I enrolled, but in all honesty I don’t have an answer to offer you. The truth is I am unsure: I am unsure of my future; unsure of my choices; unsure of my capabilities; and unsure of my potential. The reason I have chosen now to respond is because I have come to the conclusion that it is okay to be unsure. Whether I will leave school to become a brain surgeon, a marine biologist, an author, or even a receptionist, I will leave with pride- this I am sure of. If I can leave the community premises feeling like I have achieved my best, then I can leave with knowledge. The knowledge that I did not give up, that I made it through the teenage years in one piece taking every opportunity I could have throughout my journey. I see Crit101 as an opportunity. I am inspired by a quote in which states “replace fear of the unknown into curiosity.” This is no PEE paragraph, but it is the closest I have come to an explanation.

I chose to enrol in Crit101 because I was a path I had not yet travelled.

Blogging – Categories, Tags or Labels

With the 6PM deadline looming I wanted to remind you to add #crit101, as a category, tag or label, to your posts depending on your chosen platform. Adding #crit101 allows me to syndicate your posts to the Critical Skills 101 blog, increasing their visibility.

If you are using WordPress (self-hosted or wordpress.com), please add #crit101 either as a ‘category’ or a ‘tag’.

If you are using Blogger, please add #crit101 as a ‘label’.

If you are using Tumblr, please add #crit101 as a ‘tag’.

If you are still unsure about any of the above drop me an email or a tweet.

#crit101 – week 1 blog

Originally published here.

I was told about the course by a colleague of mine who thought I might be interested.  It is really hard when you are on annual leave from work to get yourself motivated to do a course but I signed up anyway.

As a tertiary teacher it is good to put myself in the position of my students and to remember what it is like to be in “study mode”.  Don’t get me wrong, as a teacher I never stop learning but it is different when you sign up for a course instead of the incidental learning that goes on while we teach and share our thoughts and knowledge.  So I guess I want to improve my teaching and learning capabilities and hopefully pass on my learning experiences to my students and improve their experiences.

It is like the “learning gods” are conspiring against me in these last few days since enrolling as I have had a power outage in my street for a few hours and then have had several personal/family commitments to keep me away from my laptop and my children have used up our download limit for this month so the speed of the internet has dropped down significantly.

Needless to say, I have started questioning why I signed up for the course.  I then realised that sometimes life throws these obstacles in your way but you have to soldier on.  As a learner you can decide when and how much you want to get out of your learning experiences.  Having perfectionist tendencies I hate to disappoint both myself and others around me so usually I give a 110% of myself when it comes to my commitments.  On the other hand, being a realist as well, I also realise that you cannot do everything all the time and be everything to everyone without it affecting some aspect of your life.

I suppose to me to learn independently is take to take direction and guidance and then organise oneself in a way so as to make the most of your learning experience.  This does not always happen in isolation but can involve all sorts of resources, whether they are books, journals, websites or one’s peers.  In an education environment this means that the teacher/facilitator might introduce a topic and then with some guidance the learners then take all the resources at their disposal and research the topic further and may then bring it back to the group.

I like the concept of in(ter)dependence (as described by James Michie) and think that although some people are naturally inclined that way; one can still be taught how to become more interdependent.  Hopefully in doing this course we will all become more in(ter)dependent.


#crit101 – Week 1

Originally published here.




This week we are asked to reflect on our reason for participating in the course and take into consideration the following questions:
How do you define independent learning (skills/characteristics)?
Can you learn to become a more in(ter)dependent learner?


I work in Victoria, Australia in the vocational education (TAFE) area. As such,
we tend to focus on skills and competencies. However, last year our department introduced an Associate degree which is a level higher than our old program (Diploma). I also like to choose areas for my Professional Development which are of specific interest to me - in this case it includes online learning. I believe we need to 'surface' critical thinking more. I have enrolled here to see how others approach 'critical thinking'.


So I have decided to write this entry based on my personal observations and preferences. I see independent learning starting with the ability to organise and manage time effectively and prioritising activities.  For example, I usually make a 'to-do list' at the end of each day so I am on top of everything. There is an element of self- discipline required for independent learning – particularly when researching on the Internet (does anyone else find that 'Internet time' seems to slip away from you – it’s all those side-trips that links create). Nevertheless, I believe successful independent learning does require an open, inquisitive mind so that we are inclined to follow up on topics and read further – maybe find out an alternative stance on a topic so we can make an informed decision - one that precludes our personal biases.  An awareness of our personal learning style is helpful so that we can use processes that help us to understand and remember information. I like to make diagrams and notes to help me organise my thoughts – usually incorporating highlighted areas or notes in the margins. That doesn't mean that I only depend on reading material though, I also like to look at videos, and new pod-casts are frequently added to my smart-phone. A lot of the learning I do these days in independent and in isolation. I collaborate with colleagues on day to day activities, but my interests are not necessarily aligned with theirs. When I need to participate in team activities, it is generally in a face to face situation, with follow up emails and/or meetings. In these situations I learn about how co-workers approach their work. I have been trying to become a more in(ter)dependent  learner in on-line arenas, but I am a little wary of interacting this way – I prefer to see the person I am engaged with in a discussion, but as I said, I am trying to overcome my inhibitions- which may stem from a kind of 'shyness' about exposing my thoughts and being considered opinionated or 'wrong'.