Learning objectives

Before going into specific learning objectives, there is one that is for me very important during the whole course: reflection. In our University College we find this very important. I do this a lot, but now I will be obliged to do this in a blog, in an open learning environment. This is very new to me. I want to experience this and make a note for my colleagues about this experience and discuss this in our University College. 

Week 4 and 5

In this week we will work on a shared document about the pro and cons of e-learning in general and specific for our course.

• It is important for me to get some more knowledge and theoretical background of e-learning. Therefore I will read as much as possible about this, but at least McDonnell, because this seemed very interesting to me.
  
• I want a clear view for myself, what the real difference can be for my course, developed as an e-learning course.
  
• Exercise on practical tools like google-docs and chat. It will be the first time that I work on a text together with others in this way. I want to give good reflection on this, because I will be more involved in international cooperation on different themes and this experience is good, because we will use that more.
  

Week 6

Develop a competence based curriculum plan. I am strongly involved in the development of the curriculum plan at our University College.

• The main learning objective is to translate all specific themes concerning e-learning into this curriculum plan.
  
• Be able to get a real international perspective into my curriculum plan.
  

Week 7

I never thought or reflected much about using triggers. I find this very interesting, because with all the new media, visual or audiovisual input will become more and more important. I think in media courses and advertising, this must be a hot item. I was really impressed by the examples we saw in Bergen.

• To have more background and knowledge about visual and audiovisual input as a trigger for reflection or comparative work.
  

Week 8

Build and structure own course. Feedback on task 5a
Make Trigger

• To be able to use the right tools for the right goals. I learned now already that it is very important to think very good about this. Not only use the tools because it is nice to work with.
  
• To be able to write a constructive feedback that is useful for my fellow student.
  
• To be able to take account of the feedback of my fellow student.·      

Week 9

•  Have more knowledge about teaching approaches and learning styles and combine this with the things I read about e-learning.

Last day in Bergen - Evaluation

Just like asked, I will use this blog to make an evaluation of the campus week in Bergen. Before I go in to the questions I want to say first that I got more out of it then I aspected. Just like I said earlier today, I learned about e-teaching, but for me it was certainly more. I have now a lot of ideas for things I can do and use in combination with blackboard. And I surely think that, to convince colleagues, we can work now further step by step, by using this tools.

My favourite three things

• Exercise on feedback
  When you make a course for students of different countries, it is very important to exchange about the way of giving feedback and the level yoy expect. The way we did this, was the best way to experience this.
• Reflection and transparency
  We do a lot of reflection. I really want to read some more about it. I also think that e-learning and reflecting can match very well. For example the way we are reflecting now about our course in Bergen, by blogging.
• Workshop and visit to the media center
  I didn't had the chance to blog yesterday. But as Alexander said in his blog. Not only what we learned, but also the way of doing it, made this very interesting for me. As I said, I did know something about al those tools, but when you have someone like Jon, who is able to give you in a short time, really vere good tips and trics to work with it, it inspires you a lot.

My three things for improvement

The ideas I mention here will take some time. So it will not be easy to do something with it, because it is already a very full program. Maybe there are some things we could do before we come, especially the more technical items from it's learning. This might be possible, because VIRclass students have to do this too with only the tutorials and the online help.

• Do an exercise on making ( or a brainstorm about) triggers
  
• Discuss more about the presentation of Andres, in a way that we think how to go on with this in an e-learning environment
  
• End the course with a presentation of the theme, after some reflection, and just have a very short introduction in the beginning
  

Expectations for the next weeks

I have to say that on this moment, I just want to put in some time in looking at the reading list and pick out the things I am interested in. For example the book from McDonell Grete Oline told us about today. It is one of the first books I want to read. But I will have to make up a very good plan. I know that, a course like this, cuts you off from daily routine. Once I ‘m back in Belgium there will be a lot of things to do. I think I need the time waiting at the airport and in the plane already to catch up with some things.
On the other hand, when Anne Karin and Grete Oline said that our course must not be complete at our final assignment, this made me more comfortable. I have much ideas, but to work them all out would be impossible in such a short time. So I am challenged to get ready in the end of June, without really feelings of panic.

Final comment to the teachers

The only thing I want to say is that you have really much background and thought a lot about e-learning. Above this, you put it into practice. This is what I prefer when I am going to a course. The mix of good background, practical experience and and manage to bring this over to students. You both were successful in this. Besides that, you did very much to welcome us in this beautiful land and city and I really appreciate this.

A day of hard work

Today I feel really tired at the end of the day. We had much on the program and worked almost every minute.

 

I always look forward to read the blogs of my fellow students. It is realy interesting. Mark had a good reflection on the cafe as a good place to make 'social contact' with each other. It gave me a good idea of the difference between the cafe and the discussion theme. In the powerpoint of Grete Oline about ‘transparency’we got in to the difference to be there as a person or a teacher. I recognized the background/foreground perspective. We use that also in our first year, when we are training on social skills. I think it is very important to think about how you want people to see you. But it is very important to be as you really are. I believe that even in a virtual classroom, it is impossible to hide yourself. Because you go in to discussions, give feedback, chat … You will always give a certain image.

The tip of Anne Karin, to print out the personal page from the students and put it in front of you when you are in interaction with the students is good to remember.

Then we started with the exercises about feedback. It was easy to comment the feedback of the other teachers. We agreed all three of us that one was too short and, even it was positive, you got the impression that the teacher didn’t take much time to read the text. The other teacher was too negative. He said much about the content but it was his own opinion. The student had no other choice then to write what the teacher wanted. But then we had to give feedback ourselves, it was not easy. I noticed that the student had difficulties with the language and I wanted to make a difference between these skills and the content. When I read Alexanders feedback, I was not sure anymore of my feedback, because I had seen more positive things, and so I wrote this in the theme discussion.
I know how difficult it is in our own University when we try to get on a same level in giving feedback and decide about the marks we give.
I see an advantage in the ‘transparency’ of this course. When you can see feedback other teachers give, you can learn and reflect on the way and the level you give feedback yourself. But I am also convinced that it is important to talk about this with each other. That can be in a discussion between teachers or in a Vitero session. Not related to one student, but just read the feedback of each other and give feedback on the feedback and set up a discussion about it. I think it is the only way to come on a same level. In that way, this was a very good exercise.

We also had an interesting ‘it’s learning’ session. Aasmund was really fast in explaining everything. I was able to get and do all what he said, but I had to be very alert. But I think I know now what I need to know as a teacher.

At the end of the day, my fellow students wanted some time on their own and I can understand that, because we had worked hard. But I didn’t like to stay in my room. So I decided to follow all the tips the teachers gave me. I went to Godbrot and I bought that special Norwegian cook with cinnamon in it. Then I took the Flobanen up. It was a very beautiful view up there and walking down was very relaxing. Especially when I saw all this people running up. And I ended with a very delicious meal in that restaurant called Pinguin. 

I started and ended the day with a good feeling. So in a reflection it is important to make that word 'good' more concrete. 

One of the things that crossed my mind, during the explanation of Anne Karin about VIRclass en VirCamp, was and is that we took the right decision at KH Kempen to participate in the VIR project. And why?

• I am more and more convinced that e-learning will be more and more important in the future, because of its possibilities. The fact that there are so many free tools available, make this even more attractive. I think that it will be like everything in the computerworld: it never replaces the other ways or means but it just gives you other opportunities. Like there are still newspapers and books ans we use them together with internet, depending of what we want to do or reach.
• The exchange and discussions with people of other countries opens up an another way of thinking, can help to place some things in your own country. E-learning with students or construct courses with teachers of other countries stimulates creativity. 
• After the two days here in Bergen and the work in Mannheim for VIRcampus I see that we have solid partners. I am always impressed about the reading lists we get. Until now, I didn't read much in English. I am a bachelor in social work and they didn't expect us to read english texts or books. I will do this more now, because not everything is available in Dutch, but I know that I have to be realistic. There is much to read and I have to make choices.

About the discussion on the reflection. This is something that always have been very important in KH Kempen. But sometimes we have the discussion whether we don't expect to much from students, with al this writing. We work now sometimes with mindmaps. But the presentation and the input of today convinced me that we have to keep on challenging students to make written reflections. And maybe we can use blogging to. It is simple and you always keep the oversight of the process you are in, just like it was said today. It is a way to keep in touch with yourselve, but ginving it structrure. While doing it, you also keep in mind the goals and challenges you have. I think it was very good to see that reflection brings together person and professional. Deepning knowledge in this way, also give you new ideas, other perspectives, other perceptions and this has consequences on your personal attitudes, on who you are as a person and as a professional.

I like simple exercises that gives a lot of input. The last exercise we did was one like this. It was not about what material, which visual inputs are the best. First there is the question, what do I expect? Must students analyse something or do they have to think and let there fantasy go on a situation. Do I want to make them somthing clear of their own values or the one that or common in their country and let them see that it can be very different elsewhere? Do I want to let them exchange methods? ...  And then you must choose the right visual input.

The end of this day was another very beautiful trip. I liked the walking very much. It was good and gave me the energy to work on this blog. I like writing this blog, but when I see on the clock, I notice that I've been working on it for some time now, although I just type what comes up in me. I think that for a real reflection, it is important for me to make time and not being busy with other things I must do at that moment.

E-pedagogy course - the first day

First I want to say that it was nice working with my fellow students and teachers. I have the feeling that I can say what I want to say and I find that very important. It is also very interesting to have Alexander in the course, because that brings in ideas of how to work in e-learning with more theoretic backgrounds and link this to practical social work.

I want to write down some tips I certainly want to remember when I work on my course the next weeks or when I will be an e-teacher.

• As an e-teacher you have to be reachable for the students.
• It is very important to find a way to make students responsable for their own learningprocess.
• When I ask students to do a task, it has to be something usefull, meaningfull for them. Not just to please the teacher.
• Make tasks challenging.

Because I already participated in the WP 2 of the curriculum plan, I was already familiar with the philosophy of e-learning. But when we discusses the themes of the courses and the curriculum plan, I noticed that I always have to be alert in my thinking. You have to keep on questionning the final outcomes you want students to reach and whether the tasks, lectures etc. are the right way to reach this.

For my personal theme I had some good input. I have to consider which students can participate. The idea of a final assignment as an article or a blog is something I can work further on. I have to work more on the international aspects of my course. That has to be more clear, because students can bring in different items, I must find a way to make it feasible.
The tip about integrate something about enterpreneurship in the comptencies is also something to think about.

My experience with working on the WP2 in VIRCAMP, is that is very important to get good feedback, because in the different countries the meaning about things can be very different. It is good keep on doing this during the course.

Af the end of the day, after a very beautiful trip and a good meal in a restaurant with a great view, I only can be satisfied of this day,  and the group I can work with. I am lucky to get all this opportunities. 

Arrival at Bergen

Leaving from a rainy day in Brussels and arrive in Norway with a blue sky and the sun shining. Great. And I was very happy to arrive at the hotel. The trip with the bus took a long time, because of the traffic. But after a shower, a nice meal in the pasta restaurant under my room and a good walk trough the town. It was a pleasure to see all those young people, sitting on the grass courts, enjoy the good weather. I like that atmosphere in a town.
Back on my roomI just tested vitero, and that worked well. I never used it on my laptop and, however I had to do it earlier, so it became a last minute job.

And now I am looking forward to meet my fellow students and also Grete Oline and Anne Karin.

Theme for an e-learning course

In my work as a social worker, I coached social workers in individual social work. This was mainly social work in health care. It was good social work but for me, there always seemed to be a missing link. For this individual social workers, it was very difficult to see and work on problems on a structural way. However there were enough things they could do. I give you a few examples.

• In Belgium there is a good health insurance system, but because of liberalisation and globalisation, we see that the individual cost increases the past years. 
  
• People that have been sick during several years wanted to do something useful during there day. But in our system it isn't easy to get permission from the healt insurance fund to do something, without serious consequences for the allowance this people get.

It would be very interesting to work on such themes with the people themselves.

I am also an individual social worker, but I became more and more interested in community work. I think there are al lot of methods that are also useful for individual social workers. I don't want them to be a community worker, but I want to make clear that in individual social work, there are also oppportuinities to work on problems that always come back in de different individual stories of people.

Working on this themes, using methods of activation and participation, as an individual social worker, is also possible and can change things.

I want to make an e-learning course on this theme, with two main objectives.

• Sensitize individual workers about the need of working on structural problems. It is a very important aspect from social work, related to the international definition.
• Give individual social workers insight in methods and practices of structural work, keeping in mind that there main focus can be the individual problems of the persons in front of them.