The Basics

The basics of this course can be found on the Canvas Network introduction page. You probably read that weeks ago when you first signed up, but for a refresher go back and read about the basic purpose and instructors:

Humanizing Online Instruction: The #HumanMOOC

So What is the Big Picture?

You basically have two choices before you, the Stream and the Garden:

 

THE STREAM

The Stream is what you are probably most accustomed to in a standard educational setting. It is the typical instructor-led course, where you will be guided through a linear path of material, videos, and activities designed to give you a focused examination of the content from the expert’s view. Interaction is a factor, but not the focus.

THE GARDEN

The Garden is the more free-form self-guided option. It is similar to workplace group work sessions where you will be given a problem to work on and solve in whatever method you agree upon as a group. This path is less linear with less instructor guidance and more reliance on connections with fellow learners.

Which Path is Better?

Both and neither. It is all up to you and what your needs are as a learner. If you need guidance, you can go through the guided path. If you want more interactive self-directed learning, you can choose the social learning path. Or you can mix elements of both… or switch back and forth as needed.

So What’s The Catch For Each Path?

Both paths will learn about humanizing online instruction. Both paths will practice with various humanizing elements (to be discussed in the Activities section).

The Stream path will look more like a traditional learning environment. You will be guided by the content and given a chance to test your knowledge with various traditional tools. Your interaction with other students will not be required. Moving through the content in a pre-defined linear fashion according to a set path is the guiding principle.

The Garden path will look less ordered. You will be responsible for forming groups or connecting with your learning network to work on problems. You will be self-guided and expected to connect with other students to form support networks. Your interaction with other students will greatly help you, as will sharing your learning process through social media. Determining your own method to demonstrate what you learned is the guiding principle.