Written by John Moravec on Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 10:47
If you’re new here and like what you read, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed.
Thank you for visiting!
Following-up from yesterday’s post on the characteristics of co-seminars, here’s a taste of what they 
look like.
This joint co-seminar, organized between the University of Minnesota, FLACSO-México, FLACSO-Chile and the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja is an “open seminar” – that is, with permission from the students and collaborating institutions, all course content and most of the interactions are available online through the course content management system and blogs for each of the participating institutions (see the class blogs for UMN, FLACSO-Mex, FLACSO-Chile, and UTPL).
The four institutions connected each work through a different syllabus, but we meet virtually to discuss intersecting points of interest related to various knowledge formats, knowledge management, etc. In this co-seminar, we chose to post mini-lectures online, which are available in both English and Spanish (see Spanish and English examples of this week’s video). Students then bring their questions to a bi-weekly video conference (and Skypecast) for discussion. To compensate for instances where technology breaks down, podcasts of recorded discussions are made available for download, and instructor responses students’ questions are made available as YouTube or Google Video:
So, what makes co-seminar experiences different from other online or in-person learning options? I’ll post more reflections as the seminar continues, but several key areas have already emerged:
- Student work (posted on the blogs) is phenomenally improved over what typically is produced in courses. What has been posted so far in the past two weeks has been refreshing in terms of thoughtfulness and academic scope – is this because they know other people are viewing and reviewing their writing as professional work?
- Without a shared, core “empirical reality” of what knowledge is among the cultures represented, participants at each institution are beginning to learn to embrace and attend to the chaos and ambiguities that emerge in such a course.
- The amount of coordination among international partners required by instructors is tremendous –but, it’s all worthwhile as we are all learning new things and making new contacts.
More on co-seminars coming up over the next few months…
Related posts
Category: Globalization, Innovation, Technology
Tags: blog, co-seminars, course, culture, FLACSO, knowledge, learning, online, students, University of Minnesota, video
Written by John Moravec on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 15:17
“Version 2.0″ of the open seminar “From Information to Innovation Knowledge” will kick off on January 24, 2008. Partnering institutions include the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota, FLACSO-México, FLACSO-Ecuador, and FLACSO-Chile. Confirmed guest lecturers include Dr. Nora Sabelli at SRI International and Ismael Peña-López at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
University of Minnesota students may join the co-seminar by registering for EdPA 5102 section 2 (”Knowledge Formats”). All others should contact Ana Karla Romeru at FLACSO-México for information on how to participate.
Utilizing Web 2.0 social technologies, Skype and Adobe Connect platforms, the course will connect the three FLACSOs with the University of Minnesota for both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Course content includes discussions of:
- A New Paradigm of knowledge production
-
- Tools for information and knowledge management
- Collective intelligence
- Learning technologies (including open sourcing of education)
- Knowledge, innovation and new context-creating workers
- Human capital development
- Complex systems
- “2.0″ technologies and beyond
The Minnesota sessions will be facilitated by Dr. Arthur Harkins and myself. Dr. Cristóbal Cobo will coordinate the course among our Latin American partners. For more information on the project or our co-seminar approach, please email me at moravec@umn.edu.
Related posts
Category: Globalization, Innovation, Technology
Tags: course, FLACSO, Innovation, knowledge, Minnesota, New Paradigm, open seminar, open source, Web 2.0
Written by John Moravec on Monday, June 11, 2007 at 8:33
Our joint UMN-FLACSO knowledge seminar will begin tonight! (There are still a few seats available for Minnesota students — it’s not too late to register!)
A growing glossary of key terms and ideas (in English and Spanish) is available at the course wiki. More news and ideas by all participants will be posted on the course blog.
Related posts
Category: General
Tags: blog, course, FLACSO, ICT, Innovation, knowledge, leadership, Mexico, University of Minnesota, wiki
Written by John Moravec on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 12:25
Cristobal Cobo notes that people at the Argentinian Ministry of Education, Science and Technology are taking interest in our joint knowledge seminar, offered by the University of Minnesota and FLACSO Mexico.
The course blog and wiki are taking shape already… For more information, click on one of the links, below:
Related posts
Category: Innovation, Technology
Tags: Argentina, blog, course, FLACSO, ICT, Innovation, knowledge, leadership, Mexico, wiki
Written by John Moravec on Friday, May 11, 2007 at 22:49
I’ve been busy preparing an innovative course with Dr. Arthur Harkins and corresponding colleagues at FLACSO México that deals with moving “from information to innovative knowledge.” The course is offered in the Innovation Studies and Liberal Studies programs at the University of Minnesota; and will be offered concurrently by FLACSO México. The course will meet twice per week for eight weeks this summer, and will involve real-time seminar activities (via Acrobat Connect, Skype, etc.) with our counterparts in Mexico City once per week. Asynchronous learning outside of the classroom will take place via a course blog and wiki.
This seminar focuses on the development and application of knowledge and innovation capital within competitive national and global contexts. The pedagogy is simulation based, utilizing a dynamic knowledge model managed by you, the student, to develop knowledge creatively and apply it innovatively within contexts ranging from the personal to the global. The seminar is intended to bring forward a wide range of literature, perspectives, and practical simulations on innovative knowledge development and its application to personal and organizational innovations.
Knowledge of Spanish is useful for the course, but not necessary. IS/LS students can register through UMN One Stop.
For more information, contact me at moravec@umn.edu or Art Harkins at harki001@umn.edu.
Related posts
Category: General
Tags: blog, course, FLACSO, ICT, Innovation, knowledge, leadership, Mexico, wiki
