Sarah Read let an introductory session on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), beginning with a group viewing of a webcast from Michigan State’s Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures on “What does it mean to have a writing MOOC?”
* Webcast link: https://connect.msu.edu/p5t526iezou/
* D-WRD background notes: http://composing.org/digitalwrd/massive-open-online-courses-moocs/
We had a spirited and engaged discussion on the political economy of MOOCs, the potential impact on academic labor practices, the role of teachers in “crowdsourced” peer-review environments, and pedagogy. Sarah will lead another discussion and group viewing of the next scheduled webcast, on “MOOCs as writing research platforms? What can we learn about learning?” — Friday, March 1st 10:00-11:30 a.m. in 143 McGaw Hall.
The next MOOC session will focus more on pedagogical implications.
Some follow-up links from today:
* How employers access student data: http://chronicle.com/article/Providers-of-Free-MOOCs-Now/136117/
* MOOCs and college credit: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/education/moocs-to-be-evaluated-for-possible-college-credit.html
The timing is interesting, given that some colleges are simultaneously questioning AP Credit:
* Dartmouth’s Class of 2018: http://www.dartmouth.edu/admissions/apply/thinking/credit.html
* UC faculty, students question AP credit (Go Bears!):
http://www.dailycal.org/2013/01/30/following-dartmouth-decision-uc-faculty-students-question-ap-credit/
NEXT UP:
* Friday, February 15th: Assignment and project workshop
— Bring one to share and to workshop
The assignment workshop is a D-WRD specialty, where we workshop each other’s assignments, which can be at any stage of implementation: an assignment idea that needs structure so that it can be put into writing; an assignment draft that needs feedback and revising; an existing assignment that needs rethinking and revising.
For example, I currently have a couple of half-baked ideas for a WRD103 project that tries to contextualize hybrid reading practices — a print/digital literacy project, let’s say — in which I’ll first present some research to students on reading in print vs. reading on a screen, from cognitive psych, comprehension, education, and some history. We’ll read some things in print, some on a screen, and on a variety of mobile devices, and then I’ll ask them to take a position, to advocate, for a particular kind of contextual reading practice. But for the most part, these ideas live only in my head. Until February 15th, anyway.
Past workshopped assignments include multimodal-composing assignments, literacy narratives, photo essays, mid-term and final portfolio assignments — taking the program’s existing portfolio assignment, for example, and adjusting and revising it for your own classroom practice, pedagogy, emphasis, and comfort level — and integrating the St. Martin’s Handbook at various stages of your course calendar.
LOOKING AHEAD TO SPRING 2013:
* Student Portfolio Roundtable
* Reading and Discussion: “Politics and Perils of Portfolio Grading”
* Technology & Literacy Professional Development: “Technological Ecologies and Sustainability”
Thanks for reading!
Best,
mm
http://composing.org/digitalwrd/