Final Assignment Topic Proposal – Tracking the Invisible Online Learner

PJ Fameli — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 12:33:39 +0000

Sian (as my tutor), I propose for my final assignment topic – “The Trouble with Online Learning – Tracking the ‘Invisible’ Learner.” This topic is inspired partly by your own Inaugural Address on the “Trouble with Digital Education” and also the MScDE Team’s “Manifesto for Teaching Online.” The previous presentations were more teacher/teaching-oriented, while my interest is more oriented towards the learners’ perspective, fore-fronting ‘invisbility’ as an area of research that I think merits more attention. By ‘invisibility,’ I mean that much online learning, actually take place off-line, ‘behind the screen.’ How can that learning be evaluated? I envision a digital video of less than 5 minutes, mirroring the “Manifesto for Teaching Online,” presented via Vimeo. I am currently experimenting with HaikuDeck Zuru as a platform for collating a presentation, while simultaneously using Pinterest to gather images. I may use footage from my recent visit to Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art on “Constellations.” I came across John Moravec’s recent work on ‘Manifesto 15′ which ironically conjures up some parallels with Lars Van Trier’s ‘Dogme Manifesto’ (in terms of the public pronouncement) which was an inspiration for my MOOC micro-ethnography. I will probably default to YouTube as a delivery platform, because I have not had much exposure to Vimeo or other digital video platforms, but I am open to suggestions and advice. I am still in the early development of this project. I doubt it will reach the level of a ‘manifesto,’ but I think that I have enough of my own ideas and also academic references, such as Michael Beaudoin’s work on ‘invisible students’ (although somewhat dated, early 2000s). I look forward to your feedback.

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Final Assignment Topic Proposal – Tracking the Invisible Online Learner