This document summarizes an open consultation process using Open Space Technology to identify factors for developing a blended learning program. It provides an overview of the process, which involved participants brainstorming issues and opportunities, organizing ideas in small groups, and sharing results. The document discusses tensions faculty felt with encouraging self-organized learning but notes that emergent information from groups provided valuable program insights. It also describes how the researchers used narrative inquiry to examine their own tensions in introducing open courses through open discussion and self-organization.

1. The Scary World of Letting Go:
Critical Decisions in an Open
Consultation Process
Title of presentation
umanitoba.ca

2. Overview
• Aim: Needs analysis of blended learning
in a self organizing context
• Approach: Open Space Technology (How
it Works)
• Opportunities to experience OST (you
will try it)
• Debrief your experience
• Share our experience

3. Aim: Our problem
• We wanted to identify the key factors
that would contribute to the
development of a program specifically
targeting blended learning
• We were seeking an emergent response
to blended learning.
• We wondered if we could get valuable
information through an open self
organizing framework

4. Who are we?
• Through a show of hands
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Faculty members
Administrative staff
Instructors (college or university)
K-12 educators
Training developers (commercial or NFP)
Technical support staff
Other

5. Your turn to Experience Open Space
Technology

6. How it works: Open Space Technology
•Bulletin Board
•On a post it, write your
response to the question
(issues and opportunities)
•Read your post it to the
group then post it in the
market place
•Market Place
•Organize the initial thoughts
• Break into small interest
groups to discuss further
•Record the results of these
small conversations to be
shared later

7. Rule of the Feet
If at any point you feel you are not learning
or contributing to a conversation, feel
free to move to another group.

8. What is your current thinking with respect
to the future and quality of Open
Education Resources?

9. Debrief Participant Experiences
• What were the tensions you felt as a
participant in this process?
• How do you feel about Open Space
Technology as a teaching method?

10. Our Experience (Research Findings)
• Tensions in our narrative
– Although we both align with constructivism, encouraging self
organization of learning was difficult
– Concerns about quality and relevancy of information arose
• Johnson (2001) makes the case for the effectiveness of self
organization using the metaphor of a community of ants
– This metaphor held true for us
– The “plants” were not necessary, however the group relied on
some key more knowledgeable others within groups
– Emergent information from groups provided valuable insights
into future program planning
– We observed tensions within the participants however informal
evaluation rated the experience as quality learning

11. The research method: narrative inquiry
• Much of the work on MOOCs focuses on
quality, accreditation, technology,
student experience…
• But one of the limiting factors in the
introduction of open courses is
instructor’s faith in the process
• Using the narrative allowed us to
examine this tension.

12. Thank you!
Kathy Snow, kathy.snow@umanitoba.ca
Ben Akoh
Ben.akoh@umanitoba.ca

13. Title of presentation
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