Week 5 Reflection – Learning in the Open
Photo by Johan Mouchet on Unsplash
This week, I explored the idea of open pedagogy and how teachers can create learning environments that are more open, collaborative, and connected. The reading introduced the Open Hub Model, which is designed to help instructors and students learn in open online spaces while still feeling supported (Graham & Roberts, 2018). It helped me think differently about what learning looks like when it is not limited to the classroom.
Key Ideas
One thing that stood out to me is how online learning today isn’t just about reading information. Instead, students are encouraged to connect, create, and share knowledge (Graham & Roberts, 2018). The authors also explain that students have different comfort levels when learning openly, so teachers need to scaffold slowly—from private class blogs to public sharing when students feel ready.
The article also highlighted the role of blogs in learning. Instead of only consuming content, students can write, reflect, and interact with others, which builds real digital literacy skills (Graham & Roberts, 2018).
Why I think It Matters
This model feels important because it helps learners build a sense of community, even when learning online. I personally find that when students can comment, share, and respond to each other, learning becomes more meaningful and less isolated.
I also appreciated the reminder that open learning must protect safety, privacy, and comfort (Graham & Roberts, 2018). Not everyone is ready to post their work publicly, and that’s okay. I like that students can choose how “open” they want to be.
How I Can Use This
Going forward, I want to:
- Participate more in comments and discussions (not just posting!)
- Build my confidence in writing publicly online
- Try connecting with others in the class through their blog posts
- Think of blogging as part of my personal learning network, not just homework
I can already see how this approach will help me as a future educator — especially with teaching students digital citizenship and collaboration skills.
Reference
Graham, L., & Roberts, V. (2018). Sharing a pragmatic networked model for open pedagogy: The open hub model of knowledge generation in higher-education environments. International Journal on Innovations in Online Education, 2(3), 1–19.