Inclusive Online Learning we.learn.it Prof. Tim Unwin and Fargani Tambeayuk CTO For South African “Educators” Johannesburg, 18th January 2015

1. Inclusive Online Learning
we.learn.it
Prof. Tim Unwin and Fargani
Tambeayuk CTO
For South African “Educators”
Johannesburg, 18th January
2015

2. The context of
online learning
and OER
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3. Strong and long
tradition of e-
learning in South
Africa
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2003

4. Technology and pedagogy
• Pedagogy
– From didactic to constructivist
– Role of teacher changing from wise
knower to facilitator
• Technology
– Internet and computers/tablets/phones
– Enables education to be democratised
– Closely allied with notion of 21st century
skills
• Corporations driving changed
educational practices in line with
constructivist models
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5. Problem solving and critical
thinking
• Much use of ICT in education focuses on
– Content
– Collaborative networking
• But not on
– Problem solving
– Critical thinking
• We are in danger of creating a society of
‘replicants’
– Emphasis on learn and regurgitate
throughout the education systems
– With an inability to think creatively
– And ICTs are contributing significantly to
this
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6. And so to we.learn.it
EU funded initiative
to develop and
share learning
expeditions
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7. Centrally built around expeditions
But how novel really is this?
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8. EU funded project: innovative
use of broadband for education
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Exploration and creativity rarely happen in isolation.
we.learn.it supports the development of collective learning expeditions
involving:
young people – teachers –master explorers - guides
from different schools, regions, countries, personal experience and cultural
backgrounds

9. we.learn.it Portal
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10. we.learn.it portal
• Explorers Network:
teachers, young people,
schools, master explorers &
guides
• Crowdsource ideas
• Empower everyone in the
network to jointly propose
and conduct learning
expeditions
• Share methods and
technology
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11. Introduction
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12. Main stakeholders
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13. What the partners offer
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14. Expeditions
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16. What do you
understand by
“expeditions”?
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17. Enjoyable and intrinsically
motivating
• Empowers the learners
• Playful
• Purposeful
• Encourages visualizing and
making things tangible
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18. Experiential and adventurous
• Out of the classroom, real-life
problems and context
• Learning by doing
• Applying what is learnt to real-life
• Enables accidental & unexpected
learning
• Encourages critical reflection
• Supports learning to be creative and
learning through being creative
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19. Collaborative
• Between teachers, learners,
schools, facilitators, experts,
across regions and
countries
• Interdisciplinary
• Cross-curriculum
• Co-creation
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20. Toolkits
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21. Tutorials
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22. Encouraging participation from
Commonwealth schools beyond
Europe
Share it - we.learn.it
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23. But is this
actually
relevant to
the needs of
South African
learners?
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24. How might it
be made
valuable?
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2003

25. An invitation to be involved in
shaping the future of we.learn.it
Europe learning from
Africa: I’m not sure
Europe is ready for it
yet!
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