Category Archives: Online learning

Creative Playfulness and Convivial Interactions

I’m giving a paper at the SocMedHE conference at Sheffield Hallam this Tuesday called Creative Playfulness and Convivial Interactions in a Participatory Culture: recent findings and implications for Higher Education. It’s based on some of the findings from my PhD research … Continue reading

Posted in #CLMOOC, Learning, MOOC, Online learning, Peer interaction, PhD, Social Media, Teaching, University | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Learning and Meaning

I rewatched a superb TedX talk yesterday by Tesia Marshik called Learning styles & the importance of critical self-reflection. She talks about the myth of learning styles and the danger of believing in them, and it’s a powerful and persuasive critique. What … Continue reading

Posted in #CLMOOC, Learning, Online learning, Peer interaction, PhD, Teaching, University | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Why I write

I write because I’m happy I write because I’m angry I write because I’m sad I write because I care I write because I can I write because I can’t not I write because I’m human I write because I write

Posted in #CLMOOC, DailyCreate, DS106, Learning, Online learning, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Fractal music

Fractals fascinate me – the mesmerising beauty of their evolving, expanding symmetry never fails to draw me in and remind me how beautiful maths can be.  Mandelbrot, of course – such mathematical cleverness, but also the numerous examples that can … Continue reading

Posted in #CLMOOC, Music, Online learning, Peer interaction | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Researcher Journal: follow up lurker research

Last summer, Aras, AK, Len and I did some exploratory research into “lurking” behaviour in #CLMooc.  I wrote about a presentation I gave, and we recently had a paper published in EURODL. “Lurking” is a loaded term, with negative connotations, and … Continue reading

Posted in #CLMOOC, Learning, MOOC, Online learning, Researcher Journal | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Ampen, Don’t Dampen

A week of reflection. Finding that friends were hurting and we didn’t know. Knowing that I’d been hurt as well. What to do? What to think? What to say? A slogan from Terry jingling around in my head resulted in … Continue reading

Posted in #CLMOOC, D&G, Online learning, Peer interaction, Philosophy, postcards, Rhizomes | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Who owns a hashtag

What are the status of hashtags? Are they things that can be owned by individuals or groups of individuals? Once I have laid claim to one, can I request, or even demand, that other users follow whichever rules I have … Continue reading

Posted in Misc, Online learning, Peer interaction | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Solidarity, comrades

After I wrote my post yesterday I read a comment on #digciz by Stephen Downes, and this bit struck me: We need to base society on voluntary cooperation, rather than involuntary collaboration. Exactly. That’s what’s wrong, imo, with talking about digital … Continue reading

Posted in Online learning, Peer interaction, Politics, Wittgenstein | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

I am not a digital citizen

I’m keeping half an eye on the #digciz hashtag at the moment and watching folk have a conversation about digital citizenship. I don’t understand why they are using the term “citizen” at all – it’s really not clear to me … Continue reading

Posted in Online learning, Philosophy, Politics | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The professional is always personal

O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us! It wad frae mony a blunder free us, An’ foolish notion: What airs in dress an’ gait wad lea’e us, An’ ev’n devotion! To a … Continue reading

Posted in Facebook, Learning, Online learning, Philosophy, Politics, Rhizomes, Social Media, University | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments