Learning4Content/Workshops/eL4C50/Report

Background
The "WikiEducator Learning4Content and Collaborative Learning "Study to remember, and you will forget, but study to understand, and you will remember", free online workshop was held from April 27 - May 11, 2011.

The workshop's objectives were to provide basic training to the participants in learning Wiki skills so that they can adopt and make use of WikiEducator platform in their teaching learning setting. Truly the theme "Study to remember, and you will forget, but study to UNDERSTAND, and you will remember" is so fitting for this purpose.

Expected Output
The expected outcomes of the workshop were:
 * Help participants to acquire basic wiki editing skills which they would practice and demonstrate on their User page;
 * Provide them with an authentic WikiEducator experience
 * Help them to achieve the community certification (and community kudos) of a WikiApprentice Level 2 or even WikiBuddy during this workshop. The skills participants will demonstrate on their User page would be used for our community certification according to our WikiMaster typology.
 * Provide opportunities for the participants to give the gift of knowledge by developing or donating a teaching resource for our community.

Resource Requirements
This free wiki workshop was presented online over 10 working days and required approximately 15 - 20 minutes per day of practical exercises after reading the instructions. We advised all participantts to dedicate about 1 hour a day to ensure good practice of the instructions and guidelines provided. This time period also made allowances for the sometimes low internet connectivity. The course was presented asynchronously -- so as to allow participants to work at times which fit their own schedule.

Daily instructions were provided to the participants via emails and through Announcements at eL4C50 Home Page.

WikiEducator Moodle platform was also used to establish continuous interaction with the participants.

Target Participants
The training programme was targeted at educators who wish to use online mode of instructions for the benefit of their students, teachers who wish to have online collaborations with other colleagues, and anyone who has interest in learning more about WikiEducator.

Outcome and Demographics
The workshop consisted of the following demographics:

Demographics
Total Participants: 77 Female: 36 Male: 41

There were some registrations, which could not be accommodated this time because their registrations were received at the stage when this workshop was in advanced stage. They were advised to register for next WikiEducator Learning4Content Workshop.

This workshop was facilitated by an International Facilitators Team comprising of Ramesh Sharma; Patricia Schlicht; Gita Mathur and Michael Verhaart

Country Participation
The participants (including facilitators) were from the following 25 countries :

Wiki Discussions

 * General Forum

General Forum was the place where the participants could add their questions, thoughts, or ideas. There were general queries realted to how to post an introduction on the Section on Introductions; how to carry out daily instructions; where to find teaching material; wish to understand the structure of wikieducator; how to to make a lesson plan or a worksheet; choice of topic under learning contract; editing pages; adding photo in sandbox or infobox; and how to link a wikipage from a png or jpg picture, etc. Useful discussion was held at the page on [Thoughts on Quality].
 * Concerns about the quality of educational resources developed using an open authoring approach

Main participants who expressed their views are:
 * 1) Nimsparam
 * 2) Virginia abraham
 * 3) Gudny Gudmundsdottir
 * 4) K.S.Ramakrishnan
 * 5) Harbans
 * 6) Ana Maria Panait
 * 7) Paul Sang
 * 8) Dr. K.S.Ramakrishnan
 * 9) Louisa Linterman
 * 10) Heather Piper
 * 11) Veena Dhume
 * 12) K. G. Bhole
 * 13) Simon-Peter K. Aheto
 * 14) F.Glasgow

Following colleagues expressed their intention of working on a [Community Development Learning Project]
 * Ideas for a wiki project

1. K.S.Ramakrishnan with the theme on Mobile phones in Open and Distance Learning.

But this should not be read as only one participant submitted the details for the project. Rest of the participants indicated their choice on their respective pages. We have the feedback that they are motivated to carry out these community development learning projects and enter the details from time to time.

There was no discussion pertaining to [real and perceived barriers to sharing teaching materials using collaborative authoring approaches, and what we can do to remove these barriers]
 * Barriers

Top 5 high performing participants
Congratulations to the top 5 high performing participants in terms of number of edits (greater than 100) so far on the wikieductor site! They are:-

1. K S Ramakrishnan 925 edits 2. Harbans Singh 360 edits 3. V Anitha Devi 248 edits 4. Moana-Lee Raihania 217 edits 5. K G Bhole 103 edits We also wish to appreciate these colleagues for their efforts and enriching their pages

6. Veena Dhuma 78 edits 7. Nirmala Parameswaran 76 edits

Reflection
I am very grateful for full support extended to me by my colleagues Patricia Schlicht; Gita Mathur and Michael Verhaart as Co-Facilitators. My wholehearted thanks also go to Dr Wayne Mackintosh for his support, encouragement and visit to our "place" time to time, although he is quite busy in conducting a series of workshops on [OERu]. You may like to know more about OER University by visiting [this link].

In addition I would like to thank all the participants for their time and zeal to learn the skills for collaborating online and develop OERs as part of this project. The facilitators and participants interacted with each other through their respective user-pages, Moodle Forum and by email. I observed that participants were not hesitating when they needed some assistance (good sign of an active participation!). I am sure that they will continue to practice these skills they have learned now. All the best. -- Ramesh Sharma, PhD 20:06, 22 May 2011 (UTC)