Class One: May 5

The course began with introductions. Clearly, we have a diverse and interesting group. We began the course in a constructivist fashion. Francine asked the probing question: what are your most pressing questions about post-secondary education?  Each of us suggested a variety of question focusing on multiple issues. 

An hour in the computer lab brought two computer based support systems into play. The blogs will allow us to interact with the course content on an individual level, and to potentially allow commentary from others.  Nicenet is used at this point as a management system It may be that Nicenet will be used minimally, as a way to link to the individual blogs and to link to appropriate online sites.

Already there are three comments on the blogs, each of which helps to provide insights into your needs and interests. 

Brian appeared around 7 PM, and introduced his assignment, and the concept of a case study.

A folk-definition of education was presented within the final hour: "Mark Hopkins at one end of a log and a student at the other." This definition needs to be examined for the elements of any  teaching -learning situation. We have a named instructor; an unnamed student, a medium of communication (the log?) The setting is natural, not enclosed. The content is not explicated. The teaching is one-one. The design of the setting seems to imply a constructivist model encouraging discussion, rather than lecture. For a "folk definition", there is a lot of power here. It can also, however, be studies for what is absent or missing, as well as what is present. The absent-present dichotomy provides a space for a potentially rich philosophic discussion. 

The first reading (10 Characteristics of Adults as Learners) and first exercise was assigned by Brian.