Emerge Africa Digital Fluency workshop v1.1

Editor's Notes

1. If F2F: Use icebreaker to form groups - Resource – paper maps of Africa If outside Africa – add your country or continent to the map at the edges if possible.
2. OER Africa – OUT collaboration: a variety of needs established; the need for Digital Fluency was just 1 of these In order to address this issue, OUT, in collaboration with Saide’s OER Africa initiative, has conceptualised a course on ‘Digital Fluency’ to be provided as an Open Educational Resource (OER) and made available for ODeL provision.
3. It is recognised that more than ‘literacy’ is needed in today’s academic environment in order to take full advantage of the affordances of using ICTs for the full range of teaching and learning, research, and administrative duties and blended modes of provision. – we would like to support you to become ‘fluent’ in the digital workplace
4. In order to address this issue, OUT, in collaboration with Saide’s OER Africa initiative, has conceptualised a course on ‘Digital Fluency’ to be provided as an Open Educational Resource (OER) and made available for ODeL provision. The initial topics were crafted by eliciting requirements from OUT senior management and academic staff, in consultation with their Institute of Educational and Management Technologies (IEMT).
5. Experience using existing OER to develop OER courses to address the stated needs.
6. A highly participatory action approach was agreed upon and adopted, with some restructuring taking place as the work progressed in line with the approach. Stakeholders were identied from the outset and incuded personnel from the IEMT, IT Department, Quality Assurance Unit, and from the Library services who played multiple roles. The intention was to model shared open education beliefs at each stage of development using existing OER where ever available.
7. CC Publishing in at least 2 formats, making development tools available Free to: Reuse, Redistribute, Revise, Remix, Retain
8. The open approach was evidenced by an inception ‘Learning Design in the Open’ workshop using elements of the University of Leicester’s (2012) ‘7Cs of Learning Design Toolkit’ attended by all prospective module developers. The objectives in mind were threefold: firstly to explore the suitabiity of the methodology for the purpose of the Digital Fluency course modules design; secondly to workshop 2 draft modules (Virtual Storage and Access; General Digital Literacy) as examples in order to expand their concept and design; and thirdly to inform a further draft module (Learning Design and Development for Online Provision) by contextualising and adapting the methodology on the Moodle platform for propogation as an internal professional development workshop at OUT. 7Cs activities (University of Leicester, 2012) used included developing module descriptions, reflecting on the pedagogical model, considering course features, creating a course map, analysing activity profiles, clarifying learning outcomes, developing storyboards, using and reusing OERs, developing sample activities, and developing an action plan for completing the 5 modules.
9. Module outlines: Each module has been developed using innovative learning design methodologies and open educational resources, while still adhering to the regular OUT institutional processes. The modules are in 2 forms: a word document (primary institutional source) and a Moodle course (OUT eLMS). An internal OUT sub-project coordinator was appointed and a host Faculty for the course was deicded upon with the Digital Fluency course being officially assigned a code of ODF001. Teams of 2 persons (personnel from the IEMT and/or the IT Department) were assigned the task of designing each module. In addition, internal OUT module reviewers were also assigned to each module at an early stage. The OER Africa institutional lead provided ongoing external roject support. Module sub-topics were identified for development using existing OER where available. Although there was an attempt at standardisation, some modules comprised 4 sub-topics while others evolved into addressing 5 sub-topics.
10. Restart in 5-10 mins?
11. Upon completion of the 5 modules pilots, it was realised that further skills are essential – a 6th modules developed at Saide was then offered as a final module. The Facilitating Online Learning Module is a 2014 remix of Saide’s Supporting Distance Learners web-based course, and the well-known UCT Facilitating Online course.
12. Every template / guidelines etc that we found useful will be shared with the OERs when published. Links to existing resources used provided on slide & in google folder. Also useful docs for running the module: facilitator notes & participant progress tracker.
13. https://elms.out.ac.tz/course/index.php?categoryid=271 for all the digital fluency course modules (5) Mod 1: https://elms.out.ac.tz/course/view.php?id=2946 Mod 2: https://elms.out.ac.tz/course/view.php?id=2945 Mod 3: https://elms.out.ac.tz/course/view.php?id=2947 Mod 4: https://elms.out.ac.tz/course/view.php?id=2951 Mod 5: https://elms.out.ac.tz/course/view.php?id=2948
14. Both versions of ALL DF modules are available: text (.doc) and Moodle backup (.mbz)
15. Why the high drop-out rate? Time, competing priorities, limited prior knowledge of learning online …
16. Attempts to address drop-out rate - This would work if participants are co-located institutionally or regionally.
17. P2PU - Peer learning: By convening a group of learners who are interested in a similar topic, you’ve got the basis for an open, collaborative learning environment that has the potential to be the support system many learners need. Peer learning can create a rich learning environment in which everyone simultaneously teaches and learns, acts and observes, speaks and listens.
18. Both versions of ALL DF modules are available: text (.doc) and Moodle backup (.mbz)
19. To be completed when participants have finished looking through the modules.