And so it begins...

My new blog coincides with some on-line training I have just begun on intergrating multi-user virtual environments into teaching practice. Sounds rather complex and high-tech I know - and believe me, when I have looked at the other participants and their experiences I am feeling rather small and inexperienced, (just hope I don't show myself up too early in the course - although I may already have done that by emailing one of the course organisers for a password when I had it all along!!). But on a positive note I guess I can only move forwards in my knowledge and experience and have nothing but to gain from the experience of others.

So my first tasks on the programme are to reflect on the following:

Can we learn from each other? My previous experience of being a student at degree and masters level has followed the more traditional route of face to face learning, and I will admit to preferring to learn independently of others, making my own way through the learning experience and demonstrating my own outcomes at the end with the usual assessment. However, over the last 2 years I have been involved in co-developing an MSc in Advanced Occupational Therapy to be delivered totally on line - from registration to graduation. This means that we will never see our students face to face in the "real world" and I have had to spend a huge amount of time learning, understanding and using a range of applications that allow contact with and between our students in the process of their learning.
What I have experienced is a whole new aspect to learning - that of networking with people and organisations that I would never have met under "normal" circumstances. I have "met" with occupational therapists in New Zealand, New Zealand [2], Malaysia using skype, wikis, blogs and virtual classrooms. I have been inspired by blogs run by a midwife in New Zealand, and many more blogs from backgrounds considered unrelated to my own experience, but who have offered support and guidance in my endeavours.
Recently a group of us who met via blogging presented at my professional body conference on how social networking is bringing occupational therapists together. The presentation was developed across 3 different countries and presented by the UK posse - who only met for the first time in the real world on the morning of the presentation.
Finally, I took part in the 31 Day Blog Challenge which has really aided me to become a better blog citizen by introducing me to netiquette and online identity.
So, what have I learned from this?

a) That there is much to be gained from moving out of my comfort zone and creating an online presence for networking with others
b) that I have a keen interest and a limited knowledge of the virtual world in terms of learning
c) that learning often happens unintentionally - ie as a result of a conversation/email/blogpost comment.
d) that the issue of online identity and online presence are quite complex
e) that I still enjoy learning new things and engaging in new experiences
f) that I enjoy online learning and can engage in a more productive way than in traditional learning environments

I have been particularly keen to use wikis and have found these invaluable for a variety of occasions in relation to organising and collecting data. In particular I have introduced them to my undergraduate students as a way of developing the PBL (problem-based learning) approach to many of their modules. Students are able to share their learning and report a much deeper learning experience in sharing in this way. I intend to consider developing my professional portfolio by using a wiki - as one of my blogging colleagues has done - but I have yet to make a start on this. I am hovering on the brink of how public an identity I want to create for myself, what to share within a public arena etc.
I am, of course, extremely excited about Second Life and can see huge potential for educational purposes - but I have tried to run before I can walk and now find that I really have very little understanding of what it can do - so am very keen to remedy this within the training.

In terms of being a pioneer - yes I would say that in my own field I would be classed as one of those leading the way into linking technology into a constructivist pedagogy . Our new MSc is the first totally online programme developed in this way at the University of Salford and within Occupational Therapy in the UK. We have pushed (and continue to push) boundaries within the university in terms of having an online presence, intellectual property rights, using negotiated assessment for all modules etc. We have often been frustrated at the slow response to needs - but have so far remained optimstic on the outcomes and we have received support from many areas within the university.

So, my first blogpost comes to a close. I can see that I have not reflected as deeply as I would like to have done, I definitely need to brush up my skills of analysis and conclusion - as I would comment on my student's work - I have possible spent too long on the description of the events rather than the reflection. I will try harder next time. Please feel free to offer comment on this post. Thanks