A very striking phrase that I read in Anderson’s text (2008) was: “The formal learning process should not be a lonely one”. Even studying in face-to-face or hybrid courses, it is possible to observe the feeling of loneliness when there is no structure designed for collaborative learning or a prepared and motivated teaching presence mediating the process. This loneliness can be amplified in courses that only happen in the online environment, even if there is a high frequency of synchronous classes and activities that require some interaction. As I was a teacher in online courses (in the recent past), I know exactly how it is not easy to perform a motivated, prepared and open teaching presence for students’ demands. Being a teacher in this context can also be lonely if you cannot count on a department structure and open colleagues for collaboration and exchange of knowledge and experiences.
“The formal learning process should not be a lonely one” (Anderson, 2008)
It can be very challenging all the expectations that are placed on the teacher in the development of a leadership capable of taking care of the group but also of the individual needs of each student. However, it is important that, as teachers, we seek to place ourselves also in the role of the student (attending this course is a great opportunity) so that we can make a critical analysis of the practices themselves, what can be improved and what can be left behind.
An occasion when real collaborative learning took place, that moved my own thinking forward
I remember some moments when I was able to observe the collaborative learning of my students. One of them occurred in 2017 when I requested the writing of a collaborative text in a tool that students had never used in this way (collaboratively). Initially, it was a challenge for them to understand all the steps for using the tool itself, but after overcoming technical issues (that they overcame with each other’s help), I could see before my eyes the learning taking place and the collaboration between students and between students and me as a teacher in a very interesting and fluid way. The result of the collaborative text was surprising and the students left this experience more motivated to work more this way in the future and even wanted to suggest to other teachers the use of this collaborative writing tool. Some students who did not participate in group work in person, seemed more confident using the collaborative text writing tool to express themselves and to contribute to the group’s work, as they felt less exposed in this way. I could count on several experiences of this type but this was the one that occurred to me at this moment.
My own Personal Learning Networks
I really like to participate in collaborative networks and I have already engaged in some in the last few years. I personally have some personal learning networks that I built in Brazil and abroad and from which I have learned a lot. Since my first master’s degree in 2012 (until 2018), I joined a research group that presupposed collaboration during the study of bibliographies in the field of education and also the production of collaborative texts for academic conferences. Along with some teachers and colleagues I was able to develop my learning/teaching with support both in terms of practices and reflections on my research and my writing.
In 2017, I was able to be part of a collaborative group at The Open university/UK called “Responsible Research and Innovation – Brazil”. This network uses, analyzes and develops technologies, courses and events for co-learning and co-research following the principles and practices for responsible research and innovation. This was a great experience where I was able to learn a lot from teachers, researchers and students from different parts of Brazil and Europe. As most of the members were spread out in different parts of the world, this group was using technology tools, such as videoconferencing and online text writing using Google docs.
The newest collaborative group in which I find support for learning and exchange started in 2020 at the pandemic beginning called “Educações em Rede” (Education in networking). Feeling the need to create a space for reflection and instructional materials, reflections and suggestions for good practices in the use of technologies in education, I decided to co-create this teaching and learning network together with 4 other teachers and researchers in the field of education, connecting and learning with teachers from Brazil, Portugal and also other Portuguese speaking countries. Since then, we have been working collaboratively, organizing events, webinars, tutorials, materials and texts in a collaborative way. Through the work I do in this group that operates in a collaborative network, I have developed many technological skills and updated my pedagogical practices, as the exchange with team members and other teachers interested in the network is very interesting and stimulating.
Another place where I have started to find peers and develop a learning network is Linkedin. More than a network to disseminate our CV and be a showcase of what we have done professionally, Linkedin has been an ally in the search for professionals who have common interests and that produce interesting insights and reflections on education.
Reflect on how I can use technologies to enable my own networks for learning processes
My question would be: why not use the technologies to enable my own networks for the learning processes?
In 2021, the second year of the pandemic is important to think in learning networks using technologies, because it is precisely the tech and the people behind the tech that make learning happen nowadays. Obviously there are socio-cultural realities in which the learning networks take place in other ways depending on the social configuration or the lack of technological resources. But when it comes to a context in which technologies are available, I believe that learning networks can and should benefit from technologies, such as social networks. I know that the Facebook is currently a very problematic network, but in a survey I conducted with my colleagues in Education in Networking, we found that most of the teachers who accessed our pedagogical content were actively on Facebook, interacting, teaching and learning all day. So, why not create learning groups on Facebook platform, since this is a network where there is a convergence of interests and people are already there?
Why not use the technologies to enable my own networks for the learning processes?
It is very easy for us at the academy to fall into this elitist thinking and seek for more “refined” resources, when in fact the people who need the learning networks most and urgently are already connected to the least rated resources for formal learning itself . What I have learned in recent times is that in times of urgency, we also need to think about the emergency uses of technological tools and resources that can meet the real demands and needs. One way to do this is to ask the people involved: what kind of learning they need? where are they? what they prefer? and how they prefer it? and then, make the delivery and the collaboration learning network work happen where/when it is really needed.
Thank you for reading my text!
Simone.