Randy Fisher - Community-Builder

To facilitate or to teach � Learn Online

Post on Leigh Blackall's blog - To facilitate or to teach � Learn Online.

I’m following this thread with interest -

First, I have a question, and then some comments.

Leigh - who was it that “asked you to facilitate this course” in the first place….Do you know why you were chosen, and what did this individual hope you could achieve, or not?

Comments:

* Facilitation is an art - you don’t get it right the first time, but it’s a craft, something one masters over time. It’s particularly different in the online environment, and it requires some structuring ahead of time, and dexterity with the available options of chat, communications and technology.

* Expectations - it sounds like there are some very high expectations here…and they’re all over the map…It’s as though institutions are struggling with this, so they find the top-notch learning designer-type, and lop it in his lap (hey, you go figure this out)…. it seems to me, there has to be some clear expectations, and measures of success, so you’re not wondering if you’re successful, by other people’s standards…

* Community - I’m hearing that some people have been engaged, and others fallen off…and there’s disappointment with the relative lack of uptake… I understand this…but at the same time, this is predictable…What the technologies offer, is tremendous scalability - the few can do the job of the many…but what if the many adopted what the few are doing….isn’t that the grand dream of the future…? In my experience as a facilitator, I’ve learned that there are important behind-the-scenes work that has little to do with the technology, but a lot more to do with encouraging and supporting others….And you know me…I’m a big fan of communications…

* Work to be done - let yourself off the hook…even if someone’s put you on it. The challenge these days, is to not be so hard on yourself…you’re a pioneer, and you’ve got a strong group of interested and motivated (community) support. That’s a considerable strength, and WikEducator (WE) will look for opportunities to build on it, and leverage it!

- Randy

Learning Design vs. Course Management of Revisions - WikiEducator | Google Groups

In Learning Design vs. Course Management of Revisions - WikiEducator | Google Groups.

The challenge here, I believe, is that the focus is on the 'communities taking ownership for nurturing and sustaining the quality of learning resources"....the technical challenges [for WikiEducator and other technology platforms] will be steadily overcome over time.

As the communities mature - and I recognize that they are fairly new at this stage - their requirements will shift slightly, to focus on overall content usability, searchability, navigation, quality and relevance.

I think it's very important for us to keep our energy focused - on
both the technical challenges *and* the community-building
challenges...certainly both reinforce the other...but in my view, the
communities are the most important...

Simply put, people and communities tend to use available technologies to achieve their objectives - until a better one comes along...

It's easy to leapfrog onto a new technology platform; it's much harder
to shepherd those communities along, especially if they weren't fully
engaged in the first place. ~ wikirandy

Please see the rest of the dialogue at: In Learning Design vs. Course Management of Revisions - WikiEducator | Google Groups.