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Walk this way... reflections on a #Twalk
Andrew Middleton, Chris Rowell, Alex Spiers, Santanu Vasant, Claire Moscop, Jeff Waldock@andrewmid @Chri5rowell @alexgspiers @santanuvasant @Tigmoscrop @jeffwaldock
https://goo.gl/fLro59
Introduction
• What is a Twalk?
• #Twalk Stories and Reflections
• Activity 1 - Let’s #Twalk again (15:20 precisely!)
• Activity 2 – Brainstorm: Benefits, Issues, Social Media, and Disciplines
• Conclusion
What is a Twalk?
Is there a #Twalker in the house?
“What is a twalk?”
Definition
Simply – walking, talking, tweeting, thinking
A #twalk is a,
• structured
• multi-site
• generative
• learning walk
• and tweetchat
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Graphic definition of a Twalk
Walk, Talk, Tweet, Think
Usually, a #twalk combines a one hour learning walk with a tweetchat made up of about 5 landmark-based discussions, with a new discussion prompt about every ten minutes being given to redirect the walk and its focus.
Groups in different locations follow the same walking plan at the same time, sharing their responses to the same topics or questions.
Summary of the first Twalk
• May 2017 we ran a MELSIG event at Edgehill University
• Focus: Digital Placemaking
• About: learner’s relationship with blended learning space
• e.g. its effect on their sense of belonging, and their agency to shape the spaces they use.
• In the middle of the day we conducted a #twalk at Edgehill and were joined by twalking groups at 15 locations worldwide.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dMnMDu0xEj5Ji5p4UsZdkj9hnEt_3KPZ&usp=sharing
#Twalk Stories and Reflections
Santanu
• A natural way to introduce staff to learning spaces, but in a staged way, makes for an active academic staff development activity, which extends before those you are immediately with.
• Tip: Make sure you have someone tweeting and others passing comments to them or if you don’t have enough people, it’s better you stop and tweet - better for the group and for health and safety reasons too!
Walk location: City University, London
@santanuvasant
Santanu Vasant
#Twalk Stories and Reflections
Chris
• A Twalk gets staff to meet and discuss how learning happens in their different disciplines.
• Gets them to think about the informal spaces students use to complete the collaborative tasks set by the lecturers.
@Chri5rowell
Walk location: Regent’s University, London
Chris Rowell
#Twalk Stories and Reflections
Jeff
• A Twalk creates an opportunity to make comparisons between different learning environments
• Talking, walking and tweeting - multitasking - is difficult
• The act of walking and talking breaks down formality between participants resulting in lightbulb moments that can be clarified through the conversation and spread virally through the group. @jeffwaldock
Walk location: Sheffield Hallam University
Jeff Waldock
#Twalk Stories and Reflections
Alex
• A focussed opportunity to connect people from different academic disciplines and teams across an institution. The Twalk tends to generate excitement among participants as it’s different and new
• A valuable reflection opportunity for attendees to have a fresh look at spaces that have become overlooked or overfamiliar.
• Twalking is challenging. Common sense health and safety advice should be shared with the group. Also have a “twalking point” built into each area you visit. This acts as a cue for discussion as well as a call for action - tweet, pic, tag & share.
@alexgspiers
Walk location: Edge Hill University
Alex Spiers
#Twalk Stories and Reflections
Andrew:
• Walking creates a natural learning space -people flowed between small group conversations passing on comments from one conversation to the next
• Walking and tweeting is challenging cognitively and practically
@andrewmid
Walk location: Edge Hill University
Andrew Middleton
It's 15:20 Time to Twalk
You will be given a badge with,
• your group name and role
• 2 destination numbers
• A set of instructions
• Use the #minitwalk hashtag to communicate with other groups during the taskLike, reply, retweet, etc
• You have 20 minutes
Activity 1 - Let’s Twalk again
Team Roles
Chief Twelf – look after the map, read instructions, act important
Twime keeper - keep the tweamon twack
Chief Tweeter
Take the photos, send the tweets, follow the hashtag and respond to other teams
Activity 2 - Parallel Discussion Groups
Short link: https://goo.gl/j31pzk
• Discussion 1 - Benefits of the #Twalk as a learning space
• Discussion 2 - Emerging issues
• Discussion 3 - Incorporating other social media
• Discussion 4 - Ideas for using #Twalks in any discipline
Twalks…
exemplify blended learning space
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develop graduate agility and lifelong learning habits
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demonstrate how Personal Learning Networks are a blended phenomenon
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Keep on twalking…
The Aussie Twalk in October
Warwick University in September
TEL Edvisers, NZ, September
