Knowmadic Existence

2011 will be the first year in 15 that I haven't had an office on campus. I'll have a desk in a shared space at the Campbell St Campus. With much disciplined sorting my previous office has been reduced to 4 garbage bins, 2 recycle bins and 4 boxes that now sit at home. This move has firmly established what has been developing for some time - my 'knowmadic existence' as described in 2008 by John Moravec.

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This mobility has been made possible through the advent of powerful handheld computing and fast 3G wireless broadband. It has also been supported through flexible workplace policies that recognise the demise of the 9-5 (8-4) five-day working week and the potential for increased productivity and lifestyle choices that this can bring.

My physical location is now determined by project work, classes, meetings and the need to use specialist resources or spaces - and usually changes every few hours. My 'office' (defined as the place you are likely to find me) has become my online presence.

For my 'knowmadic work' to be effective and efficient I have to net-work across many locations - both physical and online. My physical workplaces include staff rooms, campus libraries, meeting rooms, cafes, home and even the car when travelling around the state.

When I go to a workplace I usually pick one of several bags depending on anticipated tasks:

• light bag with current papers, iPhone and netbook or tablet computer (eeePC or iPad), and various USB memory sticks with portable apps
• laptop bag with current papers, HD camera, various USB broadband devices with router/switch (to set up a local internet enabled networks for up to 6 mobile devices)
• AV bag with various digital recorders and cables
  

My online work environment includes a Polytechnic staff intranet and global professional learning network (PLN); educational resources, environments and applications; working and archived documents. I was recently able to throw away most of my papers because everything is safely archived online.

An excellent ICT infrastructure across all campuses gives me consistent firewalled access to institutional communications, applications and documents. Much of this is accessible off-campus through a web browser.

An equally excellent :-) home wired and wireless network gives me firewalled access to range of shared resources including several Tbytes of storage. These resources are complemented by a growing range of cloud computing services providing communications, servers, applications and storage - shared and private.

Ubiquitous access to files, resources, people and systems is provided through a range of services that work across devices (iPhone, iPad, EeePC, laptop, desktop) such as:

• DropBox
• Google Docs, WikiSpaces
• Evernote, Delicious, Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, AuthorStream, and several more...
• LogMeIn, LastPass
• Skype, Google Talk
• GMail, work email
  

Informal chat now happens just as much online as face-to-face through:

• Twitter, Office Communicator (and hopefully iDialog one day), Facebook
• Google Reader, Blogger
• Online events in virtual spaces including Second Life/OpenSim

Online communication connects me across learning areas, campuses, educational sectors, state and international boundaries... I'm just as likely to chat and even collaborate with someone from another institution or country as I am with a local colleague.

It also disconnects me from those who are not comfortably online unless I make time for walking and talking. On the other hand I'm finding formal face-to-face meetings with both staff and students tend to be more focused and purposeful.

I wouldn't go as far as to describe myself as a nomad but perhaps it's another role to add to Stephen Downes list of educator roles :-)

Re-framing the Present

The current restructuring of Tasmanian public post year 10 education provides a good opportunity to re-conceptualise ICT services to match learning needs. A new ICT network infrastructure has been built from the ground up that supports both legacy and new systems across 16 campuses statewide.

Learning priorities have already been re-framed as the FACS Learning Model - Flexible, Applied, Connected and Supported Learning. In what ways can we re-conceptualise ICT services to enable, facilitate and support the FACS Learning Model?

We have already attempted to map a student perspective on current and planned ICT services, and to map the notion of a Virtual Campus. This post attempts yet another map - starting with learning. The learning priorities on the left are linked to the necessary ICT functionality to support them on the right:

Does it show the important ICT functionality required to enable, facilitate and support FACS Learning?

The next part of this mapping exercise emphasises the need for management processes and tools for the learner, the teacher and the institution .

'Manage MyLearning' is about each learner's need to manage all the processes, artifacts, resources, networks... as they continue their learning journey - particularly as the learner becomes more self-directed.

The teacher needs to manage their teaching processes, resources, classes, students, professional networks... Recently some have done this in a Learning Management System (LMS) - which has really been more of Teaching Management System for most.

'Manage MyInstitution' could be seen as the institutions need to manage facilities, services, staff and students... (Or it might be taking the 'My' trend too far...)

Are there other key roles that should be included here that will inform the provision of ICT services?

The next map shows some of the ICT services that might support learners, teachers and the institution. A brief description of each follows...

Folio & Pathway Management Systems: This is about much more than the provision of efolios. It is about each learner managing their own learning choices, resources, artifacts, networks... on their learning journey (pathway). The learner has control over who can view, access and share their learning resources and artifacts.

Learning Management Systems: This is the standard LMS functionality which is mostly about teacher structures and controls to support learning, teaching and assessment.

Information Management Systems: This is largely about managing and communicating institutional information and resources. Systems such as MOSS have evolved to integrate greater functionality however this requires authenticated access to a closed system.

Learning Environments: These include spaces and structures such as virtual worlds, simulations, serious games, augmented reality... Some of these can integrate resources and functionality from other management systems - eg Sloodle.

Virtual Learning Commons: This is the online component of the 'Learning Commons' that includes additional services to learning resource access such as learning support, client services and exhibition spaces.

Shared Services Management Systems: Finance, Facilities, Human Resources and much more.

Learning and Business Applications & Web Services: Office, specialist and learning tool software and web services. Includes application deployment.

Research & Project Management Systems: This has been somewhat ad-hoc in the past and could evolve to support collaborative innovation and research within and beyond the institution.

Course Management Systems: This could evolve beyond the management of in-house courses to the provision of access to Open Courseware.

What other key ICT services are required to support FACS learning?

Still missing from this mapping exercise are the range of services - including some of the management services above - that exist beyond the institution.

The full map can be seen here.

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Signage of the Times

I thought I should record this event - new signage going up today.

No more 'Hobart College'. No more 'TAFE Tasmania'. Is it a sign of the times? Changed students, changed workplaces, changed technology, changed expectations, changed world...

Is it a sign of an appropriate response? Time will tell...

Polly Waffle

The shape and size of the new Tasmanian Polytechnic emerged as a whole for the first time yesterday as we filled the Tailrace Convention Centre in Launceston.

CEO Belinda McLennan and a bevvy of Directors introduced themselves and their vision for the new post secondary educational institution for Tasmania. Much was said but for me some of the points that stuck in my mind were:

Challenging existing paradigms and cultures

This is possibly the biggest challenge of any organisational change - the more things change the more they stay the same. We are involved in a significant systemic change and while we may solve the logistical challenges unless we question our worldviews, assumptions and values little will change for students. While many are frustrated with the present lack of clarity in the roles, structures and processes of the emerging Polytechnic I see this as a positive sign that the nature of systemic change is well understood by those currently leading it.

Consultation - Collaboration - Co-construction

Several Directors spoke of entering a new phase of change now - one where the processes are more collaborative than consultative for most staff. As this happens more people are likely to begin to explore the possibilities and hopefully co-construct new ways to meet the educational needs of students and the community.

Applied, Supported, Connected and Flexible - Learning, Teaching and Assessment

It was good to hear new educational metaphors as Belinda and other Directors speak of connected learning and learning ecologies. This language and its underpinning 20th/21st century worldviews are essential if we are to move from an educational system founded on 16th-19th century materialism and reductionism.

Belinda also asked that we adopt a futures perspective and consider for example the jobs that are yet to be invented - or indeed have just been invented - that lead us forward into healthy, creative and sustainable lives at a time with many global challenges. I think this futures perspective deserves further exploration: How can we help students develop skills in problem prevention and problem posing as well as problem solving? How can we ensure social foresight informs our thinking and actions?

Adult Learners and Adult Learning

Ron Nash reminded us that we are dealing with adult or near-adult learners and that we now know much more about how adults learn and the flexibility and support that they require. We also need to address transformative learning which is a key element of adult learning that is being addressed in many leading tertiary educational institutions.

ICTs and Learning, Teaching and Assessment

Belinda noted the need for Web 2.0 and LMS technologies to enable and support learners and teachers in the new institution - something that resonated with me since it has been an important aspect of my work over the last few years. Of course I would add Web 3.0 - not that everyone needs a 'second life' but it has become clear that there are significant learning and employment opportunities in virtual worlds and serious games that are just starting to being realised.

Someone with a sense of humour convinced the organisers to give out Polly Waffles as we left - a treat and a challenge!

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New Role, New Institution - Same Desk

I have a new management role for 2009 - in a new institution, the 'Tasmanian Polytechnic' - with new colleagues - at the same desk :-)

My yet to be confirmed role is a 'Flexible Learning Facilitator'. The main duties listed in the draft position description are:

• Facilitate the provision of library and learning services across the state...
• Provide a resource development service for teachers...
• Develop and implement programs which foster the use of online learning... by all polytechnic teachers
• Liaise with Shared Services re the provision of appropriate technical support and equipment for teaching teams and students.

The position should be confirmed in the next week or so.

In the meantime much has been happening to set up the infrastructure for the two new statewide institutions that will replace Hobart College at Mt Nelson and a number of other year 11/12 college and TAFE campuses around the state - the Tasmanian Polytechnic, the Tasmanian Academy and Training Tasmania. The legislation to set up these institutions has recently passed through parliament and students have enrolled.

I had some good meetings with TAFE colleagues early in the year and am looking forward to meeting many again soon at a state Tasmanian Polytechnic workshop. In the interim regular updates on progress have been made available.

Physical signage on campuses will change in January so I've been making a list of the needed digital signage changes. This is no small task because in addition to our website and portal Hobart College has a presence on Flickr, YouTube, delicious, MySpace, Facebook, hosted Moodle, Blogger, Second Life, Google Earth, various hosted wikis...

Time to get out the digital paintbrush.
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