Funding proposals/Participatory Learning/MacArthur Bid

Digital Media & Learning Competition

 * Home Page: http://www.dmlcompetition.net/innovation-pl.php
 * Application Info: http://www.dmlcompetition.net/fastapps/login.php

About Innovation in Participatory Learning
Innovation in Participatory Learning awards are designed to support the most promising and dynamic projects that enable and enhance innovative participatory learning. These pioneering projects will demonstrate new modes of participatory learning in a variety of environments, by creating new digital tools, modifying existing ones, or using digital media in some other novel way.

Definition of Participatory Learning (as detailed in the Bid Info)
Participatory Learning includes the ways in which new technologies enable learners (of any age) to contribute in diverse ways to individual and shared learning goals. Through games, wikis, blogs, virtual environments, social network sites, cell phones, mobile devices, and other digital platforms, learners can participate in virtual communities where they share ideas, comment upon one another's projects, and plan, design, advance, implement, or simply discuss their goals and ideas together. Participatory learners come together to aggregate their ideas and experiences in a way that makes the whole ultimately greater than the sum of the parts.

Proposal describing the project (600 word maximum)
There is a considerable opportunity for creating learning activities within a community, through authentic learner (and facilitator) engagement and participation, and in using WikiEducator as a foundation. This could form the basis of a model which could scale across communities and geographic boundaries.

What I'm thinking is to identify a specific group (say, Entrepreneurial Women)...it could be an established group, or a group of women across several countries who are engaged in learning something - and also where there is a community service component. They can 'report' on their activities via WikiEducator, social networking, mobile technology, etc., - and disseminate this knowledge to others, thereby increasing individual capacity, and the capacity of the group. (i.e., double feedback loop). (see Nellie's use of WikiEd for her high school students).

I'm also thinking that any related pedagogy / curriculum be developed on WikiEd.

So, the focus is bringing people together around participatory learning AND community service, rather than simply taking an online course.--Randy Fisher 17:03, 5 October 2008 (UTC)

Community Service Leadership - introduction to leadership, connection with communities of need via the internet, providing support and direction

Offering the Community Service Leadership course as an open course on the web provides a unique opportunity to learn about community service, leadership and thinking globally. The organizations and communities where students are developing their leadership skills can be anywhere - on a college campus, in neighborhood county, remote regions of the developing world or any place in between.

Unlike Open Educational Resources (OER) which are static, Community Service Leadership is taught (or more accurately - facilitated) with a schedule, regular mediated discussions, active participation, collaborative learning and collegial interaction. Participants are encouraged to work with their community of interest for research and experience.

Leadership in community service learning and civic engagement are emphasized. Community Service Learning links academic study to community service through structured reflection so that each reinforces the other. The community service may address a variety of community needs, community outreach and education, research or policy analysis.

Students engage in community service learning activities or projects with external community organizations responsive to the needs of the community of interest. Academic topics - leadership, community building and collaboration, directly address the projects or services activities of the students. Student reflections document and strengthen leadership skills development, the dynamics of the course content concepts and the community based activity. Topics addressed in the Global Leadership Development course provide the opportunity for participants to bring their experience to the course for discussion and collaborative learning within the course cohort.

Much of community service focuses on education of community members. The course itself serves as a model for community education. By incorporating a variety of Open Educational Resources (OERs) - text, images, audio, video, it demonstrates a basic framework for bringing information and skills to a community. The establishment of community of experienced community leaders and those just developing their service leadership skills provides a group dynamic that benefits all.

"Education is free. There is a fee to get credit." An academic partner may use the tuition from registered students to ensure that course materials will be updated as appropriate and the course is sustainable, and will continue to be offered. Scholarships for students, aspiring local community leaders and international community representatives will ensure that the enrollment minimum is reached, to cover teaching and administrative costs for the course.

Course models
 * Facilitating Online Communities FOC08 - Otago Polytechnic - ? participants, ? enrolled
 * Connectivism and Connective Knowledge CCK08 - University of Manitoba - 2200+ participants, ? enrolled

Learning Outcomes Advisers, mentors
 * develop personal leadership skills
 * formulate an action plan to take a leadership role in a community service project
 * use freely-available technology to support the development and growth of collaboration within the community and outreach efforts to raise awareness, recruit participants, engage partners and solicit donations
 * FOC08 - Leigh, CCK08 - Stephen, George

Partners
 * De Anza College - Institute of Community and Civic Engagement (ICCE), Cupertino CA
 * WikiEducator, Vancouver BC
 * Michigan State University

Brief project description (200 word maximum)
Community Service Leadership combines critical basic education in the areas of community service and leadership with open educational resources and a global community connected via the internet to provide opportunities for large numbers of learners in an environment that is reproduceable, scalable and sustainable.

The Community Service Leadership project provides an innovative application of participatory learning for the community of learners preparing to provide important community service and lead organizations where ever they are.

Participatory Learning description (450 word maximum)

 * entrepreneurial women in different communities (i.e., US, Canada, Israel)
 * leadership development - personal goals, vision, community of interest, project, objectives
 * reading, research, guided self-discovery activities, skills development assignments, discussion, collaboration, group projects, reflection


 * developing connections to global partners
 * Access & Motivation - exploring the technology and access to it. Winning the learner’s trust, motivating participants
 * Socialization - social processes and ‘community building’
 * Information Exchange - exchanging information and performing tasks, interaction with the course content and with other participants and the facilitator
 * Knowledge Construction - knowledge development, discussion activities and group dynamics
 * Development - reflection and group learning


 * community service learning


 * global communities - use a variety of technologies for communication, outreach, reflection and self discovery including blog, RSS feed, enrolled students discussion within the course management system, portfolio of documents to promote and support organization of interest


 * mobile learning (phase 2?) - investigate practicality of offering the course and/or the course materials for access via mobile technology - more handsets everywhere, bypasses many of the limitations of personal computers and network infrastructure (cost, maintenance, connections, literacy), but presents other challenges for participation

Detailed budget in table form

 * Content development
 * Coordination travel - Cupertino CA, Vancouver BC


 * Course facilitation
 * Scholarships for credit - ?? DeAnza students / community, ?? International ? selection process


 * Promotion - Community Colleges League of Innovation Reno NV Spring 2009
 * Administration - hosting, registration
 * Course management - DeAnza registered students


 * Travel to Chicago


 * Indirect 15%

Résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) and those of any collaborators (2 pg maximum each)

 * DeAnza College - Project facilitator (Valerie), Community Service Leaning (ICCE)
 * WikiEducator - Wayne, Randy
 * Nellie Deutsch - Ph.D (2009) educational leadership

Letters of Recommendation: Names and email addresses of up to 2 people who will write LoRs (see below)

 * Up to 2 are permitted
 * one from DeAnza - Letha Jeanpierre, Dean, Business / Computer Systems
 * one from Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D., - COL, WikiEducator


 * Due November 1, 2008
 * Letter(s) should ideally be from experts in fields related to your project who are familiar with your project and can attest to its significance.
 * If appropriate, one letter should be from a supervisor who can attest that you will be allowed time and, if applicable, resources to work on the project.

may try to include student leader / applicant
 * Young Innovator applicants may use one letter as official endorsement from sponsoring internship organization.

Various other brief descriptions of timeline, collaborator roles, mentoring aspects, etc.
Timeline
 * course outline - in progress
 * FOC08 mini conference 27 October - 9 November 2008 - proposed outline and demo for review and discussion, suggestions, revisions
 * pilot Winter quarter Jan - Mar 2009, Spring Apr - Jun
 * curriculum committee, distance learning approvals - Spring 2009
 * presentation at Community Colleges League of Innovation Reno NV Spring 2009
 * offered as regularly scheduled course - Fall 2009
 * articulation for UC / CSU transfer ??

Advisers, mentors and models
 * Community service learning - Dr. Bob Franco, Kapio'lani Community College HI
 * Santa Clara University - School of Business, Global Women's Leadership Network GWLN - loosely modeled on their on-campus Women Leaders of the World program which includes proprietary training, doesn't scale, very expensive


 * FOC08 - Leigh, CCK08 - Stephen, George - demonstrates innovation, participatory learning - learners mostly educators and/or users of technology, somewhat limited audience because of subjects cf. leadership - ?x broader, less technical audience, greater need to know, greater potential to change lives of many