Learning and teaching rhizomatically?

These are notes taken from the BETT show talk - 22 Jan 2015) by Dave Cormier (www.davecormier.com; @davecormier; davcormier@upei.ca; #rhizo15).

This is the guy that coined the term MOOC (?). Discusses 'communities of practice'. 

Learning is like weeds? Weeds follow their own paths. Learning especially in Internet age follows this pattern.

Teaching rhizomatically... Opening the curriculum.  Messy networks. Real networks are messy. They are not tidy.

(Learning on MAPP is like this. Assessment via reflective journals, etc. attempt to assess this type of learning.)

Dave talks about using a Learner Contract. Sounds like he negotiates work with the student

Measuring learning? The fact that you need to do it, doesn't make it possible. Does everything we do need to be measurable? Things that we care about aren't things that we can measure. 

Question by Steve Wheeler, Plymouth Uni. This doesn't suit all learners? Suited to certain types of learning. Very relevant for Masters level learning, and applicable to MAPP.

I put together a short presentation relfecting on my experiences at BETT, and this talk in particular, that can be viewed here.

Knowledge construction : Stage four of the five stage model

At this stage, learners are more confident, more active in their learning and interaction, and require less and less technical support. They are therefore more actively involved in knowledge construction than at earlier stages and may be more involved in creating opportunities to explore and challenge the topics they are encountering on the course.

It seems to me that the boundaries between stage 3 and 4 are quite blurred, and maybe that is intentional and understandale. I suspect the boundaries between all stages are to be somewhat fuzzy.

In terms of the Intro to Positive Psychology distance learning module I have been running, this aspect seems to have developed quite naturally. On reflection, I think my support has paralleled that which the 5 stage model suggests an e-moderator might do at these stages to support learners as they progress. There is more I could have done, such as more active encouragement of co-coaching between students, though I am feeling reassured that my actions seem to have been in line with this model of good practice!