Online Learning Discussion Group
Goal of the Online Learning Discussion Group
The goal is to discuss effective ways to create and improve online educational resources (e.g., videos, exercises), with a dual focus on using these resources to do research on learning and education, and creating high quality practical resources that can be distributed at scale.
We will focus on:
What is already known, in terms of existing scientific literature, freely available software for e-learning, practical resources.
Tackling the specific research and practical problems of people in the group – how you might use an online study to explore your research topic, and how to create high quality online educational resources to teach a topic you care about.
As an example, in different meetings we could:
Discuss software solutions that would easily allow one to implement an online version of a mathematics exercise for a K-12 or university student.
Consider research literature that provides guidance on how to improve learning by incorporating question prompts into such an exercise.
Evaluate how to quickly run an online study comparing different kinds of instruction.
Consider how the internet could be used to disseminate such an exercise to a broad range of people.
Details
When & Where: Tentative time is Wednesday at 2 pm, starting Wed 30 January, in Tolman 3201 (Warner Brown Room).
That can be changed based on people's schedules, and each week will be modular so if a time doesn't work you can just attend whenever you are free.
Sign up: Sign up at https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/learningeducationresearch to be added to the mailing list/forum or email joseph_williams AT berkeley DOT edu.
Format: Fifty minutes total: 15 minutes of informal presentation on the focal topic, and 35 minutes of discussion.
Webpage for the group: http://www.josephjaywilliams.com/online-learning-discussion-group
Tentative schedule of topics is below.
Tentative Schedule of Topics
Wiki of Articles & Resources
Content for the group will be added to an associated wiki:
http://www.cognitivescience.co/learn
E.g. hyperlinks to online PDFs for excellent articles, links to great online resources on research literature, tools for educational research, curriculum standards, conferences, media, organizations and think tanks that could be useful.
Here's an example of the kind of resources we can post: www.cognitivescience.co/learn/resources
Uses of the Mailing List
The group will be used by members to:
* Announce weekly readings.
* Send links to relevant events occurring on campus or online.
* Send links to extremely good resources on linking research to educational practice.
* Draw on the expertise present in the group: We may often be solving similar problems or have similar questions and challenges, and so it'd be good to not reinventing the wheel. Also, we can draw on a range of people who know a lot about particular disciplines and particular topics.