Category: EDCI 339 – Peer Response Posts

Hi Chase, I really enjoyed reading your post about UDL and accessibility. The ideas you shared in lists and tables are really practical and useful. I like that you have included reflection in your list of ways to offer feedback. In my experience as well, reflection is such a powerful learning tool for students to assess themselves and set their own goals.

It sounds like the English course that shifted to online during the Covid-19 pandemic really did not offer sufficient support. I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for those students who faced additional barriers to learning. Your use of this context to illustrate applications of UDL was very effective. I agree that online and asynchronous courses rely a great deal on the clarity and structure of course materials, and transparency in grading and schedule help students to direct work appropriately and to manage anxiety and time.

Hi Justin, thank you for sharing your thoughts on pedagogy and networked learning. I found your thoughts about different teaching styles interesting. You mentioned that you worked best when you have control over your learning and form your own opinions, but in a statistics course, you would rather be told exactly what to think and learn. I’m curious what you think the difference is in the courses. Is it that you prefer to have autonomy in courses where you have intrinsic motivation to learn the material? Or do you think some topics lend themselves better to student-directed learning than others?

It sounds from what you write like you have taken many online courses. I am curious how your more effective instructors encouraged discussions and created supportive learning environments. I can relate to being more engaged by interactive content and variety in forms of content. Digital learning spaces create a lot of opportunity for different ways of interacting with content and peers. In addition to videos, readings, and podcasts, I’m also thinking of virtual experiments and tours, games, and presentations. So much opportunity in the digital world!

Liam, I really enjoyed reading your Blog Post #2. Your experiences and insights made me think about these issues in new ways.

In particular, I was interested to read about how online learning in 2020 evolved your learning and helped you gain tools in open learning platforms and online conversation. I, too, learned a great deal by connecting with peers online, at first through email forums and then, when social media came into existence, through online groups. I agree that the added perspectives and resource networks are incredibly valuable.

I’m curious what you mean by Network Pedagogy becoming something you need to search for yourself. Are you saying that each student needs to find the online tools that work best for them?

Your view of the role of the instructor as one who “send(s) the students down the path of success” also piqued my interest, and I liked the way you articulated that. Often as teachers, we are focused on helping students learn and the different ways we might enhance their learning, but from a student perspective, instructor appreciation of what they have learned is an important motivating factor. Paying attention to detail and transparency in expectations and being flexible in how we see accomplishment in an online setting not only supports students to be fairly graded but supports a successful social exchange in which the student meets the teacher’s expectations and is rewarded with approval.

Thank you for your thoughts. I look forward to reading future blog posts!

Chase, thank you for sharing your thoughts about digital identity, online presence, and personalized learning!

I enjoyed reading about the very practical ways of creating, differentiating, and protecting one’s professional and personal digital identities. Your digital visitor and resident map caught my attention as I haven’t seen a tool like this before. I can see how useful it would be to learn about our online habits this way, particularly since we often have a skewed sense of how we spend our time. I wonder how many people underestimate the time they spend on social media. When we spend an evening with friends or pass an hour in an engaging lecture, time seems to slip away quickly, with the event over before we are ready to move on. No wonder online social connection is so hard to let go of, even if we want to.

I appreciated, as well, your tips on caution around our digital footprints. I do find it hard to keep up with privacy settings and app permissions. They frequently change without notice, and it is time consuming to constantly read through policies and check on permissions. In light of concerns around privacy and security, it really is important to stay on top of what information about ourselves we share.

Finally, thank you for sharing your perspective on learning approaches. It sounds like you enjoy having room to freely grow in your areas of interest and benefit from self-created structure when you need to learn things that aren’t intrinsically motivating.

Elena, I enjoyed reading your first blog post. It was well-organized and easy to folllow, and I liked having the photograph to dress up the text and make the post more appealing.

Your insight about the accessibility of distributed learning I think is an important one. People who can’t attend classes, whether because of transportation or time constraints, can access education that is online and asynchronous. At the same time, I agree that there is nothing like meeting in person to foster human connection and build friendships. I think of all of the non-verbal and proximity cues we unconciously give which can’t be seen or felt when we are sitting in front of a camera, and the connections we make when we make conversation as we wait for a class to begin. These are very difficult to replicate online. Perhaps the difficulty connecting in natural ways is the reason that, during the Covid years, people got “Zoomed out,” feeling stress with greater time in online connections even though in-person social connection generally tends to reduce stress.

Overall, I felt that your descriptions of different educational options and digital literacy were clear and detailed. It sounds like you have a good handle on the digital world and manage your online presence in a way which allows you to show your professional side while being safe with personal information.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your blog post, Percy! I enjoyed reading it. The graphics were informative and engaging, and I found the post well-organized and easy to read.

Your observations about the accessibility benefits of Distributed Learning were insightful. I think your point about remote and underserved areas is true because cities often have better services since many people can pool their money to build school structures and acquire resources. Yet, those who live in rural and remote areas also should have equal access to education. Likewise, I agree that people may find it hard to enroll in schools due to geographical distance, work commitments, or lack of funding. The access afforded through Distributed Education and Open Learning breaks down those geographic and financial barriers.

As you pointed out, these alternative types of learning may still be difficult if people struggle to access reliable Internet or lack technological skills. In your final paragraph, you talk about accommodating more needs by blending face-to-face with online modalities. I wonder how geographic and financial barriers would affect people who need to access online content and also participate in in-person sessions. I like your idea of providing digital resources (such as devices?) to ensure everyone can access online education.

Your blog post is really well laid-out, with headers and formatting that chunk and highlight your ideas, making them very easy to understand. I enjoyed the way you have used a variety of media to underscore what you’re saying and add more information – very engaging! I appreciated the emphasis you have put on accessibility, which is a key way in which our education systems are striving to improve.

In your discussion of Distributed Education, my interest was piqued by your observation that Distributed Education can “improve the diversity of educational contexts,” by “account(ing) for multiple perspectives.” It is true that having people from very different geographical locations can enrich discussions as they learn together. The differences in culture and personal experience that students can bring really add to opportunities for understanding a topic. I imagine the tricky part is ensuring these discussions remain respectful when differences in viewpoints are vast.

Overall, I found your blog post informative and comprehensive. I appreciated the additional references and video for further investigation. I can feel your enthusiasm for the learning that is to come in this course. I look forward to learning alongside you!