Free, Open, Flexible: Rethinking Learning Materials Online

Alexandre EnkerliDepartment of Sociology and

AnthropologyConcordia Universityhttp://enkerli.wordpress.com/

Whoami?

• Nobody• Live online• Blogger• Wannabe geek• Think out loud• Radical idea?

We live in fascinating times

• Did You Know/Shift Happens• Pay Attention• The Machine Is Us/Ing Us

Anthropological Perspective

• Non-deterministic• Exposure• Reuse• Rethink– Copyright, authorship, identity,

ethics, aesthetics, rhetorics, governance, privacy, commerce, love, family, ourselves.

Web 2.0 and Sixth Internet Cultures

• Participation• Participating in…?• Learning• Learning as creative process• Constructing knowledge• Creating “content”

Learning Material

• Everything used in learning– Gathered for learning– Created for learning– Created through learning

• Verbal emphasis

Types of material

• General

• Learner-created

• Teacher-generated

• Published

General

• Email messages• Forum posts• Blog entries• Comments

Learner-Created

• Course notes• Term papers• Presentations• Exam answers

Teacher-Generated

• Syllabi• Slides• Lesson plans• Exam questions• Lectures

Published

• Journal articles• Monographs• Textbooks• Reference

Personal Approach

• Simple

• Comfortable

• Adapted

• Workflow…

Steps

Outlines

• Organise thoughts• Slides during lecture• Shared as lesson plans• Use as study guides• Overview for exam preparation

Podcasting

• Repetition• Encourage engagement• Build upon• Archive

Put Online

• Free• Open• Flexible

Free

• Speech• Information• Beer

Open

• Accessible• Transparent• Boundless

Flexible

• Timely• Dynamic• Adaptive

“Check this out!”

• Sharing• Peer-teaching• Exposure• Increase awareness

Repurposing

• Adapt each semester• Grow understanding• Find new ways explain

Still Need Textbooks?

Problems with textbooks

• Keeping up with editions• Standardised• Static• Cost to students• Unnecessary material• Inconsistent expertise

Simple Idea

• Create material together

Online Learning Materials (Community Created)

• Constructing knowledge• Collaborative learning• Collaborative editing• Critical thinking• Diversity of voices

Issues

• Open Access• Academic freedom• Diverse learning and teaching styles• Attitudes toward technology• Authority

Free, Open, Flexible: Rethinking Learning Materials Online

Alexandre EnkerliDepartment of Sociology and

AnthropologyConcordia University

http://enkerli.wordpress.com/