Off with a hiss and a roar!

My experience with online learning

Cath Sheard, Assistant Manager Cultural Services, South Taranaki Libraries

Oooh, look – something new to try!

ANZ23mobilethings started in April.

People had been talking about it for a while, especially on Twitter.

There was a lot of hype and excitement.

I love learning new things and I love social media.

At about the same time, there were calls for people top register for the #hyperlibMOOC and ILN (International Librarian’s Network) partnerships.

Caught in the hype

I knew a lot of this would be useful to me, and to my customers.

I was sure I could fit it in around other commitments.

It would be a fun way to connect with other librarians.

AND I could use it for my LIANZA re-registration journal.

What could be more perfect?

But, and it’s a big one…

It’s confession time:

I got caught up in the excitement.

I wanted to be included.

I underestimated the time commitment.

I wasn’t treating it seriously enough.

I was suffering from that web-based disease, FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out.

I wasn’t the only one

More than 700 people signed up initially for ANZ23mthings.

The Twitter account gained almost 600 followers.

One Twitter chat trended in NZ – not easy to do.

And people were signing up for ILN and the MOOC in their droves.

The enthusiasm was contagious…

Did I set myself goals?

No, not really.

I wanted to participate.

I wanted to learn new things.

Because it was online I figured it would just happen. After all, it’s “just” time online, right?

Initially

I started with a hiss and a roar.

I participated on Twitter.

I commented on the blog.

I encouraged other users.

I explored all the #things.

I wrote about it on my blog.

And then?

I got stuck!

#thing11 Augmented Reality. I could read the words, see the possibilities, but then my brain would stall. I just couldn’t get past it.

Okay, never mind, onto #thing12 -

Games. I hit the wall on this one too … it seems that gamification and I don’t mix.

I drifted along for a few weeks, not gaining much out of it and not contributing to other people’s success.

And now?

I’m back on track.

I wrote the weekly wrap-up blog post for #thing14: Curating with Pinterest, Tumblr, and Scoop.it

I also wrote the intro blog post for #thing15: Adobe ID.

I’ve dipped my toes in the water with Tumblr and am eyeing up Scoop.it.

I helped host this week’s Twitter Chat on curation and eBooks.

What have I learnt from all this?

Some very cool new online stuff, but more importantly:

Online learning is fun

It helps you to form relationships.

It helps build your professional learning network.

It’s a good way to jam one more thing into your busy week!

Butt! ;-)

eLearning takes time and commitment.

On its own, signing up achieves nothing.

eLearning is not a magic bullet.

What would I do differently next time?

Ask myself “Why I am participating”?

If I am joining in for the right reasons I would:

Write down my goals.

Set aside dedicated time each week.

Put it in my Outlook Calendar.

Ask my manager, or a trusted friend, to check on my progress.

Is there a next time? Heck yes!

I’ve just started the #hyperlibMOOC (massive online open course) through the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science with Michael Stephens.

I’m in the second round of partnerships with the International Librarian’s Network, starting in September.

Final thoughts

If you have the chance to participate in some eLearning – do it, but do it well.

There are some fabulous opportunities out there, grab one and go for gold!

I look forward to meeting you all online…