| CODE | ACA5010 | ||||||
| TITLE | Adult Education, Community Action and Virtual Learning | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Arts, Open Communities and Adult Education | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Part 1 In this part of the unit students will be helped to get acquainted with the notion of community, to challenge their preconceptions about the concept, to look at various communities around them from different perspectives, to evaluate the pedagogical potential of the community paradigm, to evaluate the role of educators in communities, and to assess the use of different pedagogies to reach different aims when working in communities. This will be done by making reference to various authors from various geo-political backgrounds that will enrich the discussion that will ensue around the term and its different uses. Part 2 This part is intended to introduce participants to the key theoretical and practical issues in creating, developing and maintaining virtual adult learning communities. The course will be delivered entirely online, on Moodle, the University of Malta LMS. In Moodle, the participants will access online lessons, course materials, and resources.They will participate in a blend of self-paced and group-paced activities using Moodle and alternative Internet-based technologies. Activities will consist of chat, blogs, asynchronous discussion forums, e-mail, journaling, blogging, wikis, and web posting. Study-unit Aims: Part 1 • To make students aware of the different social, political, economic and pedagogical connotations related to the concept of community; • To enable students to reflect upon different forms of community in which they themselves are involved; • To enable students to reflect upon the potential of community as a way of promoting individual and collective growth, development and learning; • To enable students to become aware of the problems around the notion of ‘community’, deconstructing the term by working around it from different perspectives.• To enable the students to become reflective practitioners as educators in the community. Part 2 The primary aim of the econd part of the study unit is to provide an introduction to adult learning communities in the online dimension. The unit aims to provide a critical exploration of the major theories in education theories, particularly those most relevant to online teaching and learning. It also aims to generate discussion upon the unique characteristics of online teaching and learning to identify the key roles of the e-tutor and online adult learners. It also aims to critically explore the importance of teaching and learning online through dialogue. The course will also offer the students an opportunity to identify and investigate Internet resources (including Learning Management Systems, blogs and wikis) that can allow the creation and development of dialogue between the students and their tutor, and between the students themselves, during collaborative activities. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: Part 1 • Analyse the historical development of the term ‘Community’; • Analyse the political connotations of the term in relation to such notions as hegemony, resistance, conscientization and praxis; • Analyse the interconnection between individual and collective learning and growth; • Make reference to such authors as Nikolaj F. S. Grundtivg, John Dewey, Federico Garcia Lorca, Raymond Williams, Antonio Gramsci, Paulo Freire, Lorenzo Milani, Saul Alinsky, Augusto Boal, Tom Lovett, John Gaventa, Myles Horton, Etienne Wenger, Margaret Ledwith and Mae Shaw to see how different authors have contributed to the evolution of the term ‘Community’ and engaged with communities; • Make reference to the above mentioned authors to see how educators can develop their own ideas of what education and learning in a community perspective can mean. Part 2 1. Describe the main tenets of educational theories including behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, constructionism and connectivism, and adult learning theory, including andragogy; 2. Describe the key characteristics of the online teaching and learning dimension; 3. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of online teaching and learning (compared to face-to-face teaching and learning); 4. Describe the characteristics of successful online educators and learners; 5. Describe the methods that educators and designers can use to develop virtual learning communities; 6. identify the issues and concerns of learning communities; 7. identify teaching and learning approaches that create camaraderie, connectedness and belonging within a virtual community; 8. identify approaches that enhance communication and discussion between members of a community of learning; 9. describe the major tenets of the Community of Inquiry Framework; 10. identify and use the pedagogical features and functions of various online teaching and learning tools; 11. identify accessibility issues. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: Part 1 • Reflect upon the political, economic and social elements of different communities in the Maltese context; • Reflect upon the role of the educator in the context of Maltese communities; • Upon his/her own analysis of community/communities, develop his/her own pedagogical programme that will respect the aspirations of the community/communities and also his/her own values as educators committed to social justice. Part 2 1. participate effectively in synchronous and asynchronous virtual learning communities; 2. be familiar with the main features and functions of Moodle, the University of Malta Learning Management System; 3. apply the main tenets of educational theories to online teaching and learning; 4. create camaraderie, connectedness and belonging within a virtual community; 5. enhance communication and discussion between members of a community of learning; 6. apply the principles of the Community of Inquiry Framework in online teaching and learning efforts; 7. use the pedagogical features and functions of various online applications and tools, including Learning Management Systems, social networking sites and Web 2.0 tools; 8. identify and integrate MOOCs in their learning efforts; 9. identify and address accessibility issues; and 10. apply Universal Design principles to make the learning effort accessible to all members of the learning community. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Part 1 Texts: Main Part 1 Borg, C., Cardona, M. and Caruana, S. (2013) Social Class, Language and Power. ‘Letter to a Teacher’: Lorenzo Milani and the School of Barbiana. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. Dewey, J. (1997) Democracy and Education. New York: The Free Press. English, L and Mayo, P (2012), Learning with Adults. A Critical Pedagogical Introduction, Rotterdam, Boston and Taipei: Sense Publishers. English, L and Irving, C (2015) Feminism in Community Adult Education for Transformation, Rotterdam, Boston and Taipei: Sense Publishers. Supplementary Reading: Freire, P. (1990) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. London: Penguin Books. Freire, P. (1998) Education for Critical Consciousness. New York: Continuum. Gaventa, J. (2005) Reflections on the Uses of the ‘Power Cube’ Approach for Analyzing the Spaces, Places and Dynamics of Civil Society Participation and Engagement. The Netherlands: Mfp Breed Netwerk. Available from: http://www.powercube.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/reflections_on_uses_powercube.pdf. Ledwith, M (2005) Community Development. A Critical Approach, Bristol: BASW/Policy Press. Mayo, P. (ed.). (2010) Gramsci and Educational Thought. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. Rasmussen, P. (2013) The Folk High School: Denmark’s Contribution to Adult Education. In Mayo, P (Ed.) Learning with Adults. A Reader, Rotterdam, Boston and Taipei: Sense Publishers. Shaw, M. (2003) Community Work: Policy, Politics and Practice. Working Papers in Social Sciences and Policy. Hull: University of Hull/University of Edinburgh. Shaw, M. and Meade, R. (2013) Community Development and the Arts: Towards a more creative Reciprocity. In Mayo, P (Ed.) Learning with Adults. A Reader, Rotterdam, Boston and Taipei: Sense Publishers. Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice. Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress. Williams, R. (1977) Marxism and Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Main Readings Part 2: Anderson, T. (Ed.) (2008) Theory and Practice of Online Learning, Athabasca University, available at http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/pdf/TPOL_book.pdf. Ko, S. & Rossen, S. (2010) Teaching online: a practical guide (3rd edition), London, Routledge. Garrison, D. R. (2011) E-learning in the 21st century: a framework for research and practice, London, Routledge. Supplementary Readings: Kidd, T. T. (Ed.) (2010) Online Education and Adult Learning: New Frontiers for Teaching Practices, New York, Information Science Reference. Selwyn, N., Gorard, S. & Furlong, J. (2006) Adult learning in the digital age: information technology and the learning society, London: Routledge. All other readings are available online PlayMedia (2013) ‘Accessibility specialists: understanding “invisible” disabilities and what this means for online education, http://www.3playmedia.com/2013/04/30/accessibility-specialists-understanding-invisible-disabilities- what-means-online-education/ Ally, M. (2008), ‘Foundations of Educational Theory and Practice’, in Anderson, T. (Ed.) (2008) Theory and Practice of Online Learning, Athabasca University, http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch1.html Anderson, T. (2008) ‘Teaching in an Online Context’, in Anderson, T. (Ed.) Theory and Practice of Online Learning, Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada. Cercone, K. (2008), ‘Characteristics of adult learners with implications for online learning design’, AACE Journal, 16(2), 137-159, [available in pdf format] Constructivism and online education Anderson, T. (Ed.) (2008) Theory and Practice of Online Learning, Athabasca University, available at http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/pdf/TPOL_book.pdf. Ko, S. and Rossen, S. (2010) Teaching online: a practical guide (3rd edition), London, Routledge. Garrison, D. R. (2011) E-learning in the 21st century: a framework for research and practice, London, Routledge. Kidd, T. T. (Ed.) (2010) Online Education and Adult Learning: New Frontiers for Teaching Practices, New York, Information Science Reference. Selwyn, N., Gorard, S. & Furlong, J. (2006) Adult learning in the digital age: information technology and the learning society, London Routledge. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Joseph Vancell |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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