Open Source Learning Community
17 Sep 2008
One key aspect of the D.Min program I will be leading for George Fox, is the ‘open source’ nature of the program.
Other than student grades, we are going to try through social media to have the course materials, discussions, etc freely available to anyone who wants to participate with us. My hope is that lots of people who would benefit from some or all of the program, but can’t be registered students will join us.
If there is a node of students working at the heart of this, my biggest dream is to foster an extended learning community around the focus of the D.Min.
So some ideas, so far, for how that might work:
1. Twitter: Follow along with us as we use grouptweet for posting interactions in our own contexts with what we are learning
2. Books/Podcasts/Videos etc: Whatever I recommend, whatever other students come across we’ll share with everyone, and what ever others in the extended learning community recommend we’ll share.
3. Blogs: Students will have blogs and all their papers and reflections will go on there, so others can find and interact with them directly.
4. Facebook: Build an extended community for everyone following along, for news, information and updates on all that’s going on.
5. Face 2 Face: In the three visits to three continents, make research times, teaching sessions, excursions, open to people who want to join us and participate, to help their learning and ours.
6. Other web 2.0: Also have the students and others connected to the learning community use Dopplr, and FireEagle location services to connect with each other, and locate each other for meeting up in real time.
Any ideas you have for how we might extend and make this happen?
Tagged: Community, D.Min. Resources, Learning, Open Source, Social Media, Theology, Web 2.0
13 comments
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Comment by Faith Carter
7.16 am on 17 Sep 2008
Jason,
This is a fabulously innovative way to invite others into discussions on the church. One of the challenging pieces is how to engage colleagues in the kind of dialogue that I have experienced at GFS. What you are proposing is an easily assessable medium. If they accept the invitation to log-on, my guess is they’ll be enthralled and eager to engage.
Thank you for your continued Kingdom endeavors…
Faith
Comment by Jason
7.20 am on 17 Sep 2008
Hi Faith, great to hear from you, I hope your masters work is going well.
Comment by fernando
7.46 am on 17 Sep 2008
Excellent – truly excellent. There’s scores of reasons why.
Comment by Jason
7.49 am on 17 Sep 2008
tnx mate, still hoping you’ll part of this ‘learning community’
Comment by ange
10.54 am on 17 Sep 2008
This is the first I’ve heard of the D Min. The course outline sounds fascinating and essential, and the open-access aspect will be greatly welcomed as I have still 1 year to go in my current studies!
This is much appreciated Jason! I pray that you are continually strengthened and refreshed in Him.
Comment by Jason
10.56 am on 17 Sep 2008
tnx Angela, where in the world are you?
Comment by ange
11.33 am on 17 Sep 2008
E. London / Cambridge (for studies). You helped me earlier this summer with some suggested reading for a dissertation I was considering.
Comment by Jason
11.55 am on 17 Sep 2008
Of course! I hope that’s going well.
Comment by ange
12.17 pm on 17 Sep 2008
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find an appropriate supervisor (not particularly surprising), so I felt it best to leave that venture until after Cambridge -> I hope to do some form of post-grad in Theology at LST or Spurgeons etc. Nevertheless, the reading list is much appreciated – I am enjoying “Primer on Postmodernism” at the mo.
Comment by Mark Brown
1.34 am on 18 Sep 2008
This is a stunningly attractive idea and almost worth ditching my present doctoral studies to sign up!
Comment by Jason
7.00 am on 18 Sep 2008
Tnx Mark :-)
Pingback by Anyone outside the USA? at Jason Clark
7.12 am on 18 Sep 2008
[...] hope is that students from around the world will join the program, given the hybrid online nature of the program, the international focus of the course, and the three continents of Europe/Africa [...]
Comment by Cliff Kay
8.33 pm on 27 Sep 2008
Hi Jason
I think this has lots of potential. I am studying for an MA in Missional Leadership via a UK Bible college, and will hopefully continue study beyond that. It is always beneficial to receive input from diverse sources, build wide connections, and find research options. I also see it as a way to encourage Church Leaders to participate in ‘the discussion’ of future Church away from the pressure and entrenched expectations of congregations, who themselves often struggle to see the need for new expression.
The larger the ‘discussion participants’ the more momentum will be maintained from my experience. I think a Facebook group would be ideal because of its ease and accessability
regards
Cliff-
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