Jenny Weight’s course on programmed and networked media is fascinating, both for the topic and because there are lots and lots of creative ideas for stuff to do in class with (and without) blogs. For instance, visualise the network, figure out what cyberspace is, find out who actually said “Information wants to be free”, and why, and consider whether the sites you found are authoritative, do the following things in a MOO, figure out what the new scandal about Prince Charles is and discuss why this can be published on the web but not in conventional (or at least UK and Australian) media, and so on. It also provides an example of how you might assess blogwork, along with an inclass exercise because the students will ask what on earth that means. This is similar to the way I did this last semester in my blogging web design and aesthetics course, though my info’s all in Norwegian) and so on.
Nick Olejniczak has opened up a wiki for a class on blogging he’s teaching next spring, and invites people to add suggestions, links, readings and so on to it. That’s great, but what I’d really like is a collaborative wiki or weblog with good categories where teachers using blogs to teach internet-related topics can share ideas and exercises and assessment forrms. What a treasure trove that would be!
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jenny
Hi Jill
now my course is once and for all “outted” thanks for the kind words.
I’m lucky that the students are postgrads and they can deal with a level of chaos; and they are also really good at self-directed learning.
I think less sophisticated students may demand more structure.
I think I’m also lucky in that the students are interested in an exercise based model of learning; there are not many points in my classes which are like lectures. I tend to make them go off and find out by themselves (a lot of this is in groups).
I might have more to say when the course is finished if you (and Nick, whose wiki I looked at) are interested
Shame I can’t read Norwegian, I’ll have to put it on the list.
jill/txt » assignments to help students learn how to blog
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