The practice section of the Slowposium captures ideas and perspectives about what we do in the Third Space, how and why. It’s probably more of a mixed bag than some of the other sections – but that is kind of the embodiment of the 3S
Journeys into Third Space Working
Tara Webster-Deakin & Kelly Vere (Uni of Nottingham), Charlotte Verney (Uni of Bristol)
The contributors first share their fantastic article from the London Review of Education – Crossing and dismantling boundaries: recognising the value of professional staff within higher education – which I believe came from the Celia Whitchurch edited special issue on third space roles and identities in educational settings. This paper is informed by three separate qualitative studies undertaken by the authors focusing on people working in areas of widening participation, technical staff, and academic administration. They conclude that the HE third space should be regarded more as a way of working than a location for workers – which I strongly agree with. I’ve seen a bit of discussion from some people who disagree with the idea of the 3S because it makes them feel othered. I think they are missing the point – and I guess I should write something to explain why at some point.
But I digress. As someone who has held a number of ed tech focused roles, and noticed that ed technologists are by far the least discussed in research (like, to an embarrassing degree), it was great to see Vere foreground them particularly in this work.
For engagement, they provide a rich Padlet, filled with resources and personal experiences in working to create collaborative relationships. They share their professional experiences – which prompted a thought in me that there could be an inherent difference in the academic & professional domains which is fostered by the nature of career advancement. Academics (who can be lovely people) are most rewarded for their individual progress (publications, grants) while professionals are recognised for contributions to the overall advancement of the institution. Academics are not incentivised to engage in work that doesn’t benefit them personally. (Obviously, some could say that contributions to wider knowledge address this)
What can learning design do?
Jeremy Stothers, Monash University
Stothers makes the case for privileging pedagogy over technology in learning design practice. It’s not a new argument but it is definitely an ongoing one in the sector. He highlights the role of LDs in making content from academics more interesting – some would say better. This in itself is an important question – why do we exist if not to make things better? But then, how well will educators/academics react if our involvement implies that their work isn’t perfect? He takes some time to offer a really solid explanation of what constructivism offers in the way that learning activities and resources are designed.
Empowered OER – Explore this resource
Ash Barber – UniSA
The Open Educational Resources crowd are often found in third space gatherings and discussions. I’m interested enough to be wondering if we should be considering pulling all of the Slowposium resources and discussions into something free and open but I must confess that I’ve not really dived deep into how this works and how it is done. (And some of the open resources that I’ve come across have been a little dreary or basic or earnest in design. But I readily admit there could be a more exciting world of content out there)
Barber introduces an online resource for people interested in OERs and their (inclusive) development. Designers can use a rubric on the site to check their resources/processes to ensure that they are Learner-centred, Critical, Culturally sustaining, and based in Universal Design for Learning principles. Great tool for helping us to consider our work in wider context.
Redefining learning outcomes for the Future: The MOSAIC Model
Kay Harrison, Uni of Auckland
Harrison leans heavily into her practice in this section, proposing a new model – MOSAIC (Multifaceted Outlook on Skills and Abilities in the Connected age) – for supporting educators to develop learning outcomes. This is a great demonstration of the flexibility of the 3SS, the creativity of third space practitioners, and the ways we try to contribute to bigger issues. There are some nice videos describing the approaches taken by LDs in working with educators and the model provides some useful idea sparks for considering what is important in the course, from foundational knowledge to ethical reasoning, from innovation and entrepreneurship to social-emotional intelligence. I look forward to hearing more about the application of this beyond the hypothetical scenarios provided.
Learning for Learning’s sake in the Third Space
Dr Craig J Bellamy
This brief section serves one of the aims that I had for this event – stimulating conversation. While many contributors have gone above and beyond in building and sharing rich resources, the Slowposium is also about surfacing curly questions and Bellamy has done this nicely here. He flags a core difference of purpose in HE, which often affects academic and professional third space practitioners differently, where the institution expects staff to meet outcomes while there is a wider underpinning philosophical aim to foster learning for its own sake. These contrasting goals of professional and academic domains highlights the importance of understanding the goals of the other and emphasising points of commonality, as well as findings ways to achieve compromise. (Clearly things aren’t so black and white as to suggest that professionals only ever focus on outcomes and academics never do). I suspect that ultimately the decisions around what is prioritised are determined by the academic that the LD is working with, and what their needs and values are. The ability of LDs and third space practitioners in general to contribute to this is largely a matter of our ability to build relationships and communicate effectively.
Well it took me a little longer to come back to these blog posts than I had expected – organising the in person Symposium and then getting back into thesis work has taken some time. But the happy news is that the Slowposium will remain open for the foreseeable future, so there is still time to explore, discuss and learn.