Thursday, October 20, 2011

Why am I lurking in MOOC instead of participating?


I am overwhelmed with the scholarly thoughts and somewhat intimidated--to the extend I am terrified to self-identify as someone who knows so little in such a big, open, community. I'm trying to make sense of everything. I can't find others at my same level of bewilderment. I'm not much of a self-directed learner either--I need a "CLASS" or external influence to make me perform. It's an experiment in self-directed learning for me. And, I'm not too happy with my current progress. 
 
This was my response to to AK in Multilitteratus Incognitus who was wondering why so many people lurked in MOOC instead of actively participating.
 
 I wonder, if my lack of "self-directedness" is a artifact of my age--because when I was "in school" expectations were very evident--you were told what needed to be done to excel in the coursework. As we all know, "life" is not so straightforward. Sometimes, it doesn't matter if you do all the things that are suppose to help you "get ahead". You still get a blow to the gut instead of a passing grade or the achievement you want.

Will the next generation of learners be more able to self-direct? I've seen my own child struggle to achieve when those external forces are not in place--and it's difficult to watch as she attempts to find her way through the world after leaving school. Is this just a family problem or a problem created by an educational system so focused on "Metrics" and "Rubics" (if that's even the right word.) I don't see her self-directing--even though she has two areas of interest. 
 
Are we lacking passion or a "road map" to get where we want to go?  I'm quite sure we are not the only two people in this world who can't find our passion or direction.