Section 2
A discussion of the generic learning outcomes and a reflective commentary on them in my context
A discussion of the generic learning outcomes and a reflective commentary on them in my context
The generic learning outcomes are the skills that are thought by the university to define graduateness and include transferable skills that suit the graduate for employment.
In a conventional course I might have expected to be taught about specific subjects in lectures, to have had specific books and papers recommended, to have then followed these up, possibly widen my reading, expanded my understanding of them in tutorials and finally to have written reports based on my learning. This learning would be supported by interactions with others both staff and students through which I could deepen my grasp of the concepts. concepts. (a) The course designers, knowing that this module lay ahead, would have ensured that all the generic learning outcomes had been covered during the final year, giving students clear guidance on where they might expect to find evidence for them.
My experience at Ultraversity is different because of the innovative nature of the degree. My field of study is not defined by the course, my topic literature not defined by others. I had to find my own 'content'. Therefore some aspects of the generic learning outcomes were never covered because of the self-directed shape of the final year.
I intend to examine the generic learning outcomes fairly broadly and relate them to aspects of my significant learning during the course of my studies. I will use evidence gathered during the final year of my degree, either from reports or from my learning journal. Some of my evidence will come from accounts in my learning journal of events in my workplace. This can be justified on the grounds that my workplace practice, broadly defined as it has needed to be for the purposes of my final year action research (b), is the discipline which forms the major part of the topic content of my degree.
Section 2.1
1. Knowledge, understanding & intellectual skills
.
These include:
Systematic, conceptual & critical thinking
Through the course of the final year of the degree I have striven to cultivate a systematic approach to what was an a complex, 'messy' problem. My critical thinking skills have grown over the course of my final year and this is an area where I feel much more confident than I did before. I'm thinking more deeply and more analytically about issues in my workplace and am moving towards seeing the bigger picture rather than focusing on the minutia of my daily practice.
My own practice in aspects of my work has been the major focus of my research and treating this subject systematically has been a considerable challenge. The refinement of my accounts of my research required by each module having to stand alone and not risk 'double counting' forced me to clarify my thoughts. By the account in Module 4 (Appendix 1 Mod4.1) I had produced a version of events that made much clearer the shape of the research process and the conceptual and critical thinking that underpinned it. I had moved from the fog of being in the thick of the research, so immersed that I found it hard to see the shape of it, to a position where I had more perspective and could express this to others. In some ways this was the change, the ability to explain the process and concepts to others rather than a change in the quality of thought. This links back to the idea of graduateness as language expressed in section 1.
In a conventional course I might have expected to be taught about specific subjects in lectures, to have had specific books and papers recommended, to have then followed these up, possibly widen my reading, expanded my understanding of them in tutorials and finally to have written reports based on my learning. This learning would be supported by interactions with others both staff and students through which I could deepen my grasp of the concepts. concepts. (a) The course designers, knowing that this module lay ahead, would have ensured that all the generic learning outcomes had been covered during the final year, giving students clear guidance on where they might expect to find evidence for them.
My experience at Ultraversity is different because of the innovative nature of the degree. My field of study is not defined by the course, my topic literature not defined by others. I had to find my own 'content'. Therefore some aspects of the generic learning outcomes were never covered because of the self-directed shape of the final year.
I intend to examine the generic learning outcomes fairly broadly and relate them to aspects of my significant learning during the course of my studies. I will use evidence gathered during the final year of my degree, either from reports or from my learning journal. Some of my evidence will come from accounts in my learning journal of events in my workplace. This can be justified on the grounds that my workplace practice, broadly defined as it has needed to be for the purposes of my final year action research (b), is the discipline which forms the major part of the topic content of my degree.
Section 2.1
1. Knowledge, understanding & intellectual skills
.
These include:
Systematic, conceptual & critical thinking
Through the course of the final year of the degree I have striven to cultivate a systematic approach to what was an a complex, 'messy' problem. My critical thinking skills have grown over the course of my final year and this is an area where I feel much more confident than I did before. I'm thinking more deeply and more analytically about issues in my workplace and am moving towards seeing the bigger picture rather than focusing on the minutia of my daily practice.
My own practice in aspects of my work has been the major focus of my research and treating this subject systematically has been a considerable challenge. The refinement of my accounts of my research required by each module having to stand alone and not risk 'double counting' forced me to clarify my thoughts. By the account in Module 4 (Appendix 1 Mod4.1) I had produced a version of events that made much clearer the shape of the research process and the conceptual and critical thinking that underpinned it. I had moved from the fog of being in the thick of the research, so immersed that I found it hard to see the shape of it, to a position where I had more perspective and could express this to others. In some ways this was the change, the ability to explain the process and concepts to others rather than a change in the quality of thought. This links back to the idea of graduateness as language expressed in section 1.
"Research reports should communicate the seeming incoherence of the process in a coherent way." (McNiff 2002)(1)
Ethics
The area of ethics is central to an action research approach. Indeed McNiff (2002) (2) cites it a particularly ethical form of personal development because of its emphasis on improving practice and self- awareness. One example of my ethical stance has been evidenced by my decision to make my research process as transparent as possible. In my Methodology Justification - ethics section(Appendix Mod2.1) I considered the anonymity usually provided in research and balanced this against the needs of people in my context to be credited for their contributions. I reached the conclusion that the more ethical position was to be transparent about my own identity whilst protecting as far as possible that of others. This then led to my ability to place my research learning journal on-line so that participants and other interested parties had the opportunity to comment on the emergent research.
This also reached into my involvement in other on-line communities where I made a decision to take a 'transparent' approach as my involvement was part of my research. (Appendix - TAChat1 - EthicsEvidence)
Areas of personal learning
The broad definition of workplace practice that I needed to adopt in order to ensure control meant that my focus this year was on my role as a small scale provider of on-line educational resources and I chose to explore the addition of aspects of the 'read-write web'(c) as a way of improving that practice. My field of study was in the main, therefore, the 'read-write web' and how my use of it was related to my workplace practice. The field is very new with little published research specific to the area. However I studied the literature I was able to find via blogs and wikis and through continued literature search but became aware that:
The area of ethics is central to an action research approach. Indeed McNiff (2002) (2) cites it a particularly ethical form of personal development because of its emphasis on improving practice and self- awareness. One example of my ethical stance has been evidenced by my decision to make my research process as transparent as possible. In my Methodology Justification - ethics section(Appendix Mod2.1) I considered the anonymity usually provided in research and balanced this against the needs of people in my context to be credited for their contributions. I reached the conclusion that the more ethical position was to be transparent about my own identity whilst protecting as far as possible that of others. This then led to my ability to place my research learning journal on-line so that participants and other interested parties had the opportunity to comment on the emergent research.
This also reached into my involvement in other on-line communities where I made a decision to take a 'transparent' approach as my involvement was part of my research. (Appendix - TAChat1 - EthicsEvidence)
Areas of personal learning
The broad definition of workplace practice that I needed to adopt in order to ensure control meant that my focus this year was on my role as a small scale provider of on-line educational resources and I chose to explore the addition of aspects of the 'read-write web'(c) as a way of improving that practice. My field of study was in the main, therefore, the 'read-write web' and how my use of it was related to my workplace practice. The field is very new with little published research specific to the area. However I studied the literature I was able to find via blogs and wikis and through continued literature search but became aware that:
There simply was not room to weave in the new literature I found as the research progressed. It influenced and underpinned my actions, despite my inability to make its influence explicit. (from Module 5)
My practice of using an RSS reader and daily reading up to 200 posts from educational bloggers allowed me to keep up to date on new ideas and practices as they emerged and often to incorporate them into my research.
(screen shot of my RSS software)
As well as learning from literature and theory there was learning from applying these to my own experience. In each module I identified areas of significant learning achieved and intended and showed how these related to the learning outcomes for the module, theory, practice and to my own personal development goals. The journey from intention in Module 1 to outcomes in Module 4 shows only a small proportion of what I learned. (Appendix - siglearning)
Awareness of the transferability of graduate skills
(screen shot of my RSS software)
As well as learning from literature and theory there was learning from applying these to my own experience. In each module I identified areas of significant learning achieved and intended and showed how these related to the learning outcomes for the module, theory, practice and to my own personal development goals. The journey from intention in Module 1 to outcomes in Module 4 shows only a small proportion of what I learned. (Appendix - siglearning)
Awareness of the transferability of graduate skills
These skills are all transferable and may mean that I can move into environments other than schools.
(from my Mission Statement 2004)
(from my Mission Statement 2004)
As can be seen from this extract by the end of year 1 I was already aware of, and considering how, the skills I was acquiring might transfer to other situations.
The Ultraversity experience is different in terms of transfer of learning in as much as the skills learned in the course of action research are so relevant to practice that they are almost automatically transferred.
The Ultraversity experience is different in terms of transfer of learning in as much as the skills learned in the course of action research are so relevant to practice that they are almost automatically transferred.
" it is when you implement your learning that you know it has taken place.
From this point of view, learning not implemented is empty....... So let me make a prediction. If you learn something that has practical relevance to your work you try to make use of it. " (Dick 2005)(3)
From this point of view, learning not implemented is empty....... So let me make a prediction. If you learn something that has practical relevance to your work you try to make use of it. " (Dick 2005)(3)
I agree with this and have found that my learning from the degree seeps into my workplace practice changing how I view situations and affecting my behaviour. See Section 2.1 below for further examples of my use of transferable skills.(Appendix - indi_grp section 2 From my private learning journal)
I find myself in agreement with learning facilitator (and blogger) Stephen Powell's prediction:
"We would think that as they become increasingly sophisticated and practiced in reflection that the amount of time they operate as an intuitive practitioner – that is along the lines of what Maslow described as Unconscious Competence; the ability to do things successfully without particularly thinking about them."
(talking about Ultraversity researchers Powell S 2004)
The skills of action research and reflective practice can be applied to almost any job role or situation. They are not the skills of the ARU generic learning outcomes but they are eminently transferable and should continue to influence and enhance my work practice in any setting.
I find myself in agreement with learning facilitator (and blogger) Stephen Powell's prediction:
"We would think that as they become increasingly sophisticated and practiced in reflection that the amount of time they operate as an intuitive practitioner – that is along the lines of what Maslow described as Unconscious Competence; the ability to do things successfully without particularly thinking about them."
(talking about Ultraversity researchers Powell S 2004)
The skills of action research and reflective practice can be applied to almost any job role or situation. They are not the skills of the ARU generic learning outcomes but they are eminently transferable and should continue to influence and enhance my work practice in any setting.
Section 2.
Transferable & practical skills
Transferable & practical skills
These include:
2.1 Independent & group work
Independent, self-directed work given the 'contentless' nature of the course, is an outcome that runs through every aspect of the degree. I do not have a shared field of study with others on the course except in a very generalised way. My contact with learning facilitators focussed on my understanding of the action research process and literature rather than on my field of research. That independence is also something I value highly as I identified in my final report of year 2
"For adult learners such as myself taking responsibility for all aspects of one's life and actions is the norm. I do not expect to be told exactly what I need to do, to be taught, but rather to be given tools or space, some minimal instruction, and access to resources. Knowles suggests that adult learners need to engage with real problems in order to maintain motivation and I feel this is very true for me. " (Self Assessment Module Year 2, Level 2 but achieved 90%) - see indi_grp for context)
Group or team based work has been something that I initially felt I had done little of in my final year of the degree. There has been peer-review within and outside the learning set but I have little sense of being part of a team or working towards common purposes within Ultraversity.
Working as part of a team and learning more about building working relationships have found their focus for me in my research and in my workplace. Firstly, there have been my on-line experiences as a member of the TA Chat Forum ( c). As part of my research I became involved with this community of practice. I based one area of my research on exploring:
Numerous small actions aimed at improving my practice as a provider of online resources to this audience and also improving my practice in my job role
(from my on-line learning journal Acting to Improve)
The forum allowed me to begin to build up relationships and engaging with others with a shared work practice enriched and enhanced my practice.
The other area where my ability and understanding of working in teams has increased is in my workplace. Following the success of my exhibition workshop I felt more confident in my ability to lead activities with groups of adults.
In my role as well-being facilitator I successfully jointly planned and led a staff meeting and independently planned and led focus groups and workshops, collected and collated data and have prepared a working document for action planning using skills acquired in the course of the degree. I've enjoyed my leadership role in this context and have been told both formally (in my annual review) and informally (by members of the non-teaching staff) that people feel I have tackled difficult situations with tact and diplomacy.
As most of this concerns issues within the school I am only able to provide scant evidence as most of it remains confidential. (Appendix -l indi_grp section 2 From my private learning journal)
Working with adults in this way is an area I am keen to develop further and explore as I move into a graduate role.
Communicate clearly with a sense of audience and produce literate, numerate and coherent output
I've chosen to combine these two outcomes because evidence for them can both provided from the same source. I value my ability to write clearly and well. It is something I have highlighted in previous self assessments as being one of the things that comes easily to me.
In choosing to hold not one but two exhibitions I showed that I considered the needs of my audience. The research was written up in a different style for adults and children. The children's exhibition had a measured reading age, consideration was given to font size and style and a narrative structure was employed. In contrast the adult site used more complex language and had an innovative structure that allowed visitors to choose how deeply they wanted to delve into the research. (Appendix com1)
Neither of these styles was suitable for the academic account of the research needed to fulfil the degree requirements and so a further description was needed for that purpose (appendix mod4.1)
The exhibition was widely praised in feedback for its clarity and coherent explanation of the research undertaken and my findings.
In particular people liked the glossary which allowed them to check meanings of technical or specialist terms and dig deeper into aspect of the research theory if they chose to do so. (Appendix -extract from glossary1)
Effective information management in a range of media
(Appendix - media1)
I have used a variety of media in the course of this year and I believe mostly effectively. I find the exploration and use of varied media is one of the pleasures of producing computer based work. Although I do see this as one of my strengths I am aware that I need to guard against the use of new media for its own sake.
My adult exhibition presented the research in a variety of forms, including text, mind-maps, images, screen casts and video. My own learning style is very visual but I have tried to use a variety of media to cater for a range of styles.
I'm aware my visual learning style can cause problems. I've learned to be more cautious in my use of diagrams, keeping those I make to work out my ideas separate from those intended to convey information to others. I found the input of peer-review partners very useful in this context, checking with them that diagrams convey information effectively. (appendix - media2)
Flexible and creative problem solving
I used creative problem solving when I had to re-think how to obtain feedback following my pilot exhibition. I reached a solution by reflecting on my strengths and values and then applying them to the problem.
(Posted to my blog)
I didn't have access to the network but to the internet, so I used an on-line survey with open qualitative questions to collect feedback during the workshop session.
Another example of problem solving was my use of the digital whiteboard to show screen casts (d) of the classroom displays blog and wiki during the workshop as they could not be accessed from school due to the SMART filter. (appendix - screencast1 )
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Section3
(a)This was my experience of conventional university both as a student as as an academic wife.
(b)" ...defining my workplace as the on-line environment in which the resource I provide sits. My colleagues in this context are also those people I meet on-line and who attended my on-line exhibition." Hartley LM, 2006, Module 4, Impact Study
(c)
"The shift in the way the web is used towards conversation and 'user-created content'. Partly due to changes in software and the introduction of easy user editing of web sites to add either content, comment or meta-data (tags etc.)" Hartley, LM, 2006, Glossary, Exhibition, unpublished, no longer available.
(d) A screen cast is a movie file made using specialised software that records exactly what is taking place on a computer including mouse movements, and allows for an audio commentary. In a large file format they can be replayed full screen to give the illusion of action happening in real time on the computer they are being played on.
(1) McNiff J, 2002, Action research for professional development, Concise advice for new action researchers. Available,
URL: http://jeanmcniff.com/booklet1.html Last accessed 24/4/06
(2)
McNiff,J with Whitehead,J (2002). Action Research: Principles and Practice, 2nd Ed, London: Routledge
(3)
Dick, B, (2005) Ultraversity Hotseat, unpublished
(4)
Powell S (2004) Reflection and Professional Learning, http://slartibartfast.ultralab.net/~stephenp/blog/archives/000819.html
2.1 Independent & group work
Independent, self-directed work given the 'contentless' nature of the course, is an outcome that runs through every aspect of the degree. I do not have a shared field of study with others on the course except in a very generalised way. My contact with learning facilitators focussed on my understanding of the action research process and literature rather than on my field of research. That independence is also something I value highly as I identified in my final report of year 2
"For adult learners such as myself taking responsibility for all aspects of one's life and actions is the norm. I do not expect to be told exactly what I need to do, to be taught, but rather to be given tools or space, some minimal instruction, and access to resources. Knowles suggests that adult learners need to engage with real problems in order to maintain motivation and I feel this is very true for me. " (Self Assessment Module Year 2, Level 2 but achieved 90%) - see indi_grp for context)
Group or team based work has been something that I initially felt I had done little of in my final year of the degree. There has been peer-review within and outside the learning set but I have little sense of being part of a team or working towards common purposes within Ultraversity.
Working as part of a team and learning more about building working relationships have found their focus for me in my research and in my workplace. Firstly, there have been my on-line experiences as a member of the TA Chat Forum ( c). As part of my research I became involved with this community of practice. I based one area of my research on exploring:
Numerous small actions aimed at improving my practice as a provider of online resources to this audience and also improving my practice in my job role
(from my on-line learning journal Acting to Improve)
The forum allowed me to begin to build up relationships and engaging with others with a shared work practice enriched and enhanced my practice.
The other area where my ability and understanding of working in teams has increased is in my workplace. Following the success of my exhibition workshop I felt more confident in my ability to lead activities with groups of adults.
In my role as well-being facilitator I successfully jointly planned and led a staff meeting and independently planned and led focus groups and workshops, collected and collated data and have prepared a working document for action planning using skills acquired in the course of the degree. I've enjoyed my leadership role in this context and have been told both formally (in my annual review) and informally (by members of the non-teaching staff) that people feel I have tackled difficult situations with tact and diplomacy.
As most of this concerns issues within the school I am only able to provide scant evidence as most of it remains confidential. (Appendix -l indi_grp section 2 From my private learning journal)
Working with adults in this way is an area I am keen to develop further and explore as I move into a graduate role.
Communicate clearly with a sense of audience and produce literate, numerate and coherent output
I've chosen to combine these two outcomes because evidence for them can both provided from the same source. I value my ability to write clearly and well. It is something I have highlighted in previous self assessments as being one of the things that comes easily to me.
In choosing to hold not one but two exhibitions I showed that I considered the needs of my audience. The research was written up in a different style for adults and children. The children's exhibition had a measured reading age, consideration was given to font size and style and a narrative structure was employed. In contrast the adult site used more complex language and had an innovative structure that allowed visitors to choose how deeply they wanted to delve into the research. (Appendix com1)
Neither of these styles was suitable for the academic account of the research needed to fulfil the degree requirements and so a further description was needed for that purpose (appendix mod4.1)
The exhibition was widely praised in feedback for its clarity and coherent explanation of the research undertaken and my findings.
In particular people liked the glossary which allowed them to check meanings of technical or specialist terms and dig deeper into aspect of the research theory if they chose to do so. (Appendix -extract from glossary1)
Effective information management in a range of media
(Appendix - media1)
I have used a variety of media in the course of this year and I believe mostly effectively. I find the exploration and use of varied media is one of the pleasures of producing computer based work. Although I do see this as one of my strengths I am aware that I need to guard against the use of new media for its own sake.
My adult exhibition presented the research in a variety of forms, including text, mind-maps, images, screen casts and video. My own learning style is very visual but I have tried to use a variety of media to cater for a range of styles.
I'm aware my visual learning style can cause problems. I've learned to be more cautious in my use of diagrams, keeping those I make to work out my ideas separate from those intended to convey information to others. I found the input of peer-review partners very useful in this context, checking with them that diagrams convey information effectively. (appendix - media2)
Flexible and creative problem solving
I used creative problem solving when I had to re-think how to obtain feedback following my pilot exhibition. I reached a solution by reflecting on my strengths and values and then applying them to the problem.
(Posted to my blog)
I didn't have access to the network but to the internet, so I used an on-line survey with open qualitative questions to collect feedback during the workshop session.
Another example of problem solving was my use of the digital whiteboard to show screen casts (d) of the classroom displays blog and wiki during the workshop as they could not be accessed from school due to the SMART filter. (appendix - screencast1 )
Back to index
forward to
Section3
(a)This was my experience of conventional university both as a student as as an academic wife.
(b)" ...defining my workplace as the on-line environment in which the resource I provide sits. My colleagues in this context are also those people I meet on-line and who attended my on-line exhibition." Hartley LM, 2006, Module 4, Impact Study
(c)
"The shift in the way the web is used towards conversation and 'user-created content'. Partly due to changes in software and the introduction of easy user editing of web sites to add either content, comment or meta-data (tags etc.)" Hartley, LM, 2006, Glossary, Exhibition, unpublished, no longer available.
(d) A screen cast is a movie file made using specialised software that records exactly what is taking place on a computer including mouse movements, and allows for an audio commentary. In a large file format they can be replayed full screen to give the illusion of action happening in real time on the computer they are being played on.
(1) McNiff J, 2002, Action research for professional development, Concise advice for new action researchers. Available,
URL: http://jeanmcniff.com/booklet1.html Last accessed 24/4/06
(2)
McNiff,J with Whitehead,J (2002). Action Research: Principles and Practice, 2nd Ed, London: Routledge
(3)
Dick, B, (2005) Ultraversity Hotseat, unpublished
(4)
Powell S (2004) Reflection and Professional Learning, http://slartibartfast.ultralab.net/~stephenp/blog/archives/000819.html
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