Open Networked Learning – developing digital literacies and a lifelong quest for best pedagogical practices

The Open Networked Learning (ONL) course offers an interdisciplinary forum which provides valuable insights into open online teaching and learning. The focus is on problem-based and solution-oriented learning. Participants discuss pedagogical theories, share best practices, and consider the impact of an increasing plethora of digital resources and tools, which can offer great possibilities and challenges for teachers and students. In brief, this international and interdisciplinary community provides inspiring, state-of-the-art ideas and practices regarding open online pedagogy.

At first, the ONL community might seem to be unquestionably in favour of openness in the context of massive open online courses (MOOCs). Nevertheless, while MOOCs are controversial, many of the good practices and resources shared in this course will be very useful for all modes of teaching. In addition, the ONL course invites participants to reflect on the evolution of online pedagogy and learning, from pre-pandemic to current post-pandemic practices and trends. During the pandemic, many teachers and students have understood that online courses might lack important social components, causing a sensation of information whelm and frustration among learners and instructors alike. Now, in post-pandemic times, it is even more evident that all modes of teaching equally serve a good purpose, depending on the target group, contents, goals, course objectives, and learning outcomes.

As for ONL222 (the Autumn 2022 iteration), the logical order of four main topics provided relevant content, guidance, and understanding of open networked learning. Many good pedagogical theories, tips and practices were shared in our PBL groups (of approx. six to eight members each) and in the weekly webinars presented by different experts, with a focus on:

• Online socialization, participation, and digital literacies (David White, Head of Digital Academic Communication and Practice, University of the Arts London)
• The concept of sharing and openness (Maha Bali, Professor of Practice at the Center for Learning and Teaching at the American University in Cairo)
• Networked collaborative learning in communities (Kay Oddone, Charles Sturt University, Australia)
• Design for blended and online learning (Robin Kay, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada)

Based on timeless frameworks such as the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model (Garrison et al., 2000) and the Focus-Identify-Share (FISh) model (Nerantzi & Uhlin, 2012), the ONL course encourages participants to discuss and identify practical solutions to problems described in four different scenarios. The focus on open online pedagogy, related benefits and challenges, and experiences gained during the pandemic help educators design courses that offer meaningful learning experiences. ONL emphasizes the importance of presence in terms of social, cognitive, and teaching presence, selecting relevant content, establishing a positive and supportive climate from the start of a course, as well as encouraging meaningful discourse among all members of a learning community.

The webinars offer a wide range of practical pedagogical advice, such as related to the preparation and organization of online courses, e-culture, video creation, and assessment. To offer a taste of useful resources and open collaborative online learning, staff members interested in taking this course may find the resources provided by the Open University Design Team useful.

Overall, the ONL course sheds light on current trends, challenges, and opportunities in (online) pedagogy, and provides interesting input thanks to its interdisciplinary nature. For example, as for new technologies and tools, our PBL group discussed potential benefits and challenges related to AI and increasingly sophisticated language models, such as ChatGPT.

On a critical note, careful time management is crucial as participants might otherwise be left with the incomplete feeling of possibly having paid fragmented attention to the wide range of resources, valuable ideas, and best practices shared in other PBL groups. As for the estimated workload of 80 hours, it is more realistic and beneficial to schedule a minimum of ten hours per week during this 11-week course. Considering the versatile nature of this open, interdisciplinary community of teachers exchanging interesting pedagogical practices, and considering the complexity of online pedagogy in an ever-faster developing digital world, teachers will (again) realize that we are learners who can never be complete in our pedagogical wisdom, professional skills, and digital literacies.

On an encouraging note, the ONL community certainly provides many useful ideas and inspirational resources, and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to work with highly motivated teachers and a wonderful team.

Christoph Zimmel
University Instructor
Faculty of Education and Culture, Language Centre, Tampere University