This is my first blog posting done so to fulfill a requirement of the independent study I am participating in at UMASS Boston. I am a student in the MEd Program in Instructional Design. The independent study is titled, “Be the MOOC– See the MOOC.” 

My goal in this study is to participate in a MOOC and to reflect on that participation. My task is to explore in my own unique, self-directed way. Self-direction is a concept I have needed to get used to, especially while participating in the MOOC. I would rather someone tell me what to do. This discomfort will cause growth and thus learning.

And so here I am, blogging about the experience of the first two weeks. The miracle of it all, I am still here, participating. I have learned through my study advisor that participation in a MOOC drops off significantly after the first couple of weeks. I feel victorious!

I will recapture some of the things I learned in the mass of chaos. I do not use the word chaos in a disrespectful or judgmental manner; it is just the most concise word to describe my MOOC experience in one word!

I have found it very valuable to participate in the live sessions. I am amazed at the level of interaction afforded using Blackboard Collaborate to reach a huge, worldwide class of participants in real time. Being completely new to educational technology, I have never used technology such as this to learn. I have used Blackboard in a more static manner, participating in chats and collecting assignments and instructional material for a blended class.

I found myself very comfortable jumping into chats and white board sessions. However, when Dave Cormier called me out during his Rhizomatic Learning Session, I was not so comfortable with the technology! I wanted to leave the chat room! He commented on a question I posed during a discussion on whether or not learning MUST be measured. I suppose Dave’s question to me was suggestive that I actually formulated a relevant point.

My question was regarding entry skills as an essential consideration in designing instruction. I feel that some learning MUST be measured if instruction is to be effective. How can I design instruction without know my learner’s entry skills? While I felt unsure of myself, I did continue on with the discussion. I walked through discomfort in order to learn. In hindsight, the whole experience was pretty funny. Most important about the experience was the interaction this technology brings about between facilitator and participant. While it was a technological interaction, it felt as personal as being called on in class to discuss a point. All the feelings of “ick” were still there even though Dave was a million miles away!

I became aware during the Intro to Twitter Session of the consideration of technology’s limitations. As an Instructional Designer, one cannot be too reliant upon the technology since it can be unreliable. The designer/facilitator must plan for the limitations of technology when planning an online session. Is there a Plan B? One of things I learned in my very first ID class is to always have a plan B (thank you Jane Buckley). Technology can fail– sites go down, audio stops working, what then? How does one go on to instruct during a MOOC if technology fails? In a face-to-face instructional situation, the instructor can pull something out to save the day so that instruction continues, seemingly effortlessly. If properly prepared, the instructor has a plan for such unforeseen circumstances. This would not necessarily be the case during a technical glitch during a MOOC.

The sessions I found most helpful were the very basic introductory sessions. Intro to Twitter and Blogging provided me with the basic entry-level skills to jump in and tweet and blog. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, I gained an understanding that many feel unsure and insecure about blogging and commenting. Commenting, I have learned, is an essential component of participating in a connectivist MOOC. Commenting is foundational to forming connections.

And so I forced myself to comment. The first week I started small and commented on Sue Water’s blog on blogging. Very safe, and she was most supportive. From there I just started skimming blogs and found myself drawn towards those bloggers who wrote in a very logical, instructional manner. I suppose I see those bloggers as my life preserver in the sea of chaos! Reading a blog about copyright that was written in a clear and concise manner reinforced what I have learned in the live session. The writer had a writing style that allowed me to learn and feel comfortable connecting.

I got some very valuable, supportive direction from one of the connections I made during the first two weeks. This is worth sharing to other first time MOOCers and novice bloggers. I will paraphrase, as I am still learning about referencing material while blogging and do not want to do anything controversial, illegal or immoral:

• Make contacts
• Find interesting people to follow
• Engage in conversation

If that is all you do the first time around, you might find that is valuable enough. Then the next time you dive into the fray, you can go deeper, farther, wherever your heart and mind might lead you.

What a supportive community I find myself in amidst the chaos.