Learning4Content/Workshops/Face-to-Face schedule/L4C56/Workshop Report

56th Learning4Content Workshop Report

Belize


The 56th Learning4Content Face-to-Face WikiEducator Workshop was held at the University of Belize in Belize City on April 17 and 18, 2009. The workshop’s sixteen participants, ten males and six females, who completed the workshop were UB faculty members primarily from the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences & ICN Department. The main objectives of this workshop were as follows: The workshop was facilitated by Maud Hyde and Shawn Rhaburn.
 * familiarize participants with Open Educational Resources while building capacity to develop and produce learning resources
 * introduce workshop participants to the wiki concept and assist them to develop wiki skills that can readily be used in developing courses for distance delivery
 * build strategy for growth and sustainability of e-learning community at UB as well as become future WikiAmbassadors;

Workshop Agenda
Day one targeted wiki skills necessary for participants to attain Apprentice Level 1 certification and day two targeted skills required to attain Apprentice Level 2 certification. From the start of the workshop to the completion of day two participants showed a high level of interest and enthusiasm. Each activity on the agenda proved to be stimulating as participants quickly acquired new wiki skills and enthusiastically shared their work with each other. Participants came with a range of computing skills however, all were able to learn wiki syntax and editing skills quickly.

At times participants’ enthusiasm had to be curbed to enable them to take more time to practice and fine-tune their user pages. The excitement began from the point of creating new accounts and continued throughout the workshop as participants proudly displayed their achievements to each other and the facilitators. By the end of the workshop most participants had successfully acquired wiki skills to be certified Apprentice Level 2 as is evident from the User Page of workshop participants. Apart from acquiring and practicing wiki skills, participants were encouraged to hold lively discussions on issues relating to free content, wikis and WikiEducator. Workshop participants found discussion topics addressing Open Education Resources and Copyright issues interesting and informative. Many were unaware of the availability of OERs and Creative Commons licenses and expressed their interest to be a part of the OER movement. Facilitators used the opportunity to point them to WikiEducator projects already started and available OERs. Participants expressed their willingness to participate in free content sharing, authoring and editing as they continue to develop editing skills. All participants received certification ranging from WikiNeighbour to WikiApprentice Level II.

Conclusion
At the close of day two some participants who were unable to spend the entire time at the workshop requested assistance to complete the training beyond the scheduled time. Facilitators agreed to continue the training on a one-to-one basis during the following week. Requests were also made for a follow-up-workshop to advance wiki skills. Participants proposed early June as a favourable date for a follow-up-workshop.

The University of Belize wishes to once more thank COL for supporting us to conduct another Learning 4Content workshop. Sincere appreciation is extended to Dr Wayne Mackintosh and Ms Patricia Schlicht of the Commonwealth of Learning for their continued support and assistance towards making this workshop happen. Thanks is also extended to Ms Lin Smith of UB’s Faculty of Education and Arts who assisted with the logistics for the workshop.