Assignment: 

You know a lot about the challenge generally, now you want to get to know your target learner.  In pairs, spend at least 30 minutes chatting with two different target learners, one for each problem.  If your learner is a child, talk to a parent.  (Note: ALWAYS get parent permission when talking to minors.)

Write up a one-page brief documenting what you learned about this learner’s goals, context, challenges, and assets. Look for insights into possible opportunities to solve real problems.  Add your brief here.

Response:

Chatted with Matej and Omair about what would be the features in a LMS that would scaffold them into creating effective courses. 

Matej’s strategy when he started thinking about the process of creating his own courses, was to look at what others were doing, what kind of language they were using, and which ones resonated most with his style of thinking. The tool could provide easier access to successful examples with videos, curricula, lesson plans and so on.

Omair’s desire was to have a tool that would help him remember all the topics he must cover. Using keywords and a mind map for each piece of content, the system would alert him if any node was not covered yet. His main concern is covering the entirety of the content. 

The more I look at the problem, the more I see that I would need to focus on a subject matter due to the particularities of each, pedagogically speaking. To try to create an overarching generalized system that helps you create ‘better’ courses seems like an outreach and a  technocentric view of a solution. 

My initially narrow view of wishing to create a magical tool that would help me create a course by giving me tips and suggestions along the way might have the be reconsidered. 

I am starting to see that a larger challenge that has to be addressed is teacher professional development. How do we scale it? How do we integrate it into their daily routines? How do we use technology to aid lesson planning, course management, pedagogical activities, and student engagement?

Is there space to evolve from a Material Management System or a Learning Management System towards a “Teaching Management System” that coaches, facilitates and promotes interactivity amongst educators and amongst learners. 

I feel that now I have to interview more learners (educators) as to what this tool might look like, concentrate on a subject matter, audience and learning environment to convince myself that what I am looking at is a relevant problem which may cause positive impact on the educational setting.