Oscar Vallazza

Intercontinental Master’s Programin Adult Learning and Global Change

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

ASSIGNMENT: REFLECTIONS AND SELF-ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Learner: Oscar Vallazza – Linköping University

Course: Locating Oneself in Global Learning, Part II

(UBC)

Instructors: Garnet Grosjean, Deo Bishundaya

Tutor: Emilia Fägerstam

Date: March 3, 2010

Format: A4

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 1

REFLECTIONS AND SELF-ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Each heading has a hyperlink to the relevant section

INTRODUCTIONNOTICE TO READERS

PART ONEA REVIEW OF MY LEARNING PLANMAKING SENSE OF THE EXPERIENCE

Intercultural Communication dimension and global perspectiveWorking asynchronously with technologyDeveloping Master’s proficiencyAcademic competencies

PART TWOSELF-ASSESSMENT SCHEDULEINITIAL CAPABILITY ENVELOP

1. To learn about learning practices across cultures 2. To learn about the effective use of technology in international

education3. To build, develop and improve international networking competencies 4. To develop competencies in consulting work for educational

programs across cultures5. To assess, analyze, organize, and synthesize my previous learning

experiences, including formal, informal, unstructured, and self-directed learning as a path to personal growth

ADDITIONAL OUTCOMESEnglish language proficiency and relevant reading skillsCo-operative learningResearch skills

REFERENCES

ADDENDUMSchedule of Self-Assessment of CapabilitiesALGC Program Objectives

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 2

INTRODUCTION

This document presents my reflections on my participation in the Intercontinental Master’s Program in Adult Learning and Global Change. It also includes a comprehensive Self-assessment schedule.

The document is divided into three parts.

In PART ONE, I summarize my original Learning Plan, and reflect on the initial goals and changes that have intervened since the end of the first part of this course. I will attempt to make sense of my overall experience in the Program.

In PART TWO, I present an updated version of my self-assessment schedule that will address each capability and how the original goals have been achieved.

The ADDENDUM shows a summary of my learning progress as reflected in the changes that have intervened in my personal ALGC capabilities.

NOTICE TO READERSWhen document is viewed on-line, hyperlinks have been provided for additional clarification.

(*) To view the hyperlinks to Itslearning pages cited in this document, Itslearning log-in is required.

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PART ONE

A REVIEW OF MY LEARNING PLAN (LP)

This section develops from my LP and briefly outlines the relevant capability envelop.

My original LP is posted at https://www.itslearning.com/liu/oscarvallazza/assPortfolio/LP/ (*) http://worldconnections.wordpress.com/course-documents/learning-plan-2008/

I joined the ALGC for its multidisciplinary, collaborative and international nature. From the beginning, I have tried to adopt a synergetic and systemic approach to my learning, which is reflected in my LP and its set of somehow ambitious capabilities that I set for myself at the start of the Program. 1. To learn about learning practices across cultures;2. To learn about the effective use of technology in international education;3. To build, develop and improve international networking competencies 4. To develop competencies in consulting work for educational programs across

cultures;

5. To assess, analyze, organize, and synthesize my previous learning experiences, including formal, informal, unstructured, and self-directed learning as a path to personal growth.

I periodically reviewed these capabilities in the course of the Program. A relevant review document is posted at:https://www.itslearning.com/liu/oscarvallazza/Coursedoc/reviews/ (*)http://worldconnections.wordpress.com/course-documents/learning-plan-2008/review-january-2009/

In general, it has been possible for me to engage in the achievement of each goal through my active participation in each course, which included constructive interaction with the other members of the cohort, teachers, and tutors. A detailed analysis of my LP goals is presented in SECTION THREE.

Comments and evaluations by other learners and teachers supported me in this effort and attest to my attentive progression through the various courses. Since this document is about self-reflection, I will not discuss teachers’ evaluations, which will be instead presented in the final portrayal document. I posted some of them as

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 4

“comments” at the end of each written graded assignment to be found under ESSAYS at:https://www.itslearning.com/liu/oscarvallazza/Essays/http://worldconnections.wordpress.com/essays/A compendium of teachers’ evaluations for all graded assignments is available at http://worldconnections.wordpress.com/course-documents/teachers-evaluations

MAKING SENSE OF THE EXPERIENCE

Here I present my considerations on a set of issues, beyond the structured analysis of my LP. From the start, I have tried to approach my learning experience from a systems-thinking perspective. Consequently, reflecting on my experience in the ALGC requires me to also include my thoughts on the program itself, as the two dimensions are clearly interconnected.

Intercultural Communication dimension and global perspectiveAs outlined in my LP, I came to the program moved by a passion for international education and equipped with Intercultural Communication skills and knowledge. The ALGC has given me the opportunity to apply that to my learning experience within an international cohort. Each course has presented me with issues directly related to communication across both the participants’ cultural differences, and the organizing universities’ own approaches towards education and learning. I have had the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of issues of international education, globalization, the work market, specific national and regional policies on work and learning, and also to clarify the interplay of local and global dynamics and how that affects education and learning in the 21st century.

The Intercultural dimension has been a fundamental component of my studies and was often discussed in my posts and assignments, as explained below under capability #4. I feel strongly that this dimension is relevant to “understanding the implications for practice of different discourses of globalization, adopting a social justice perspective on all issues of learning, and reading and acting on cultural sensibilities and sensitivities”, which are among the main objectives of the ALGC Program.

A collection of my contributions to the discussion forums with specific emphasis on the intercultural dimension is available at http://worldconnections.wordpress.com/intercultural/

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 5

Working asynchronously with technologyUsing the Itslearning platform to effectively and collaboratively interact with the other members of the cohort has been a core aspect of my on-line study experience. As we became more comfortable with the system, the initial struggle with the newly introduced platform transitioned into more productive and interesting times. Since my Itslearning e-portfolio can only be viewed when logged-in on Itslearning, I created a parallel personal website that allows me to share my work with external viewers. Furthermore, I adapted - hopefully successfully - my written language to the needs specific to on-line communication. I have noticed how my narrative has changed over the course of the program, from long-winded to more pin-pointed and focused. Even though verbosity in writing may be seen as a cultural issue, and therefore should not be penalized, I certainly appreciate having developed the ability to adjust my writing style to the requirements of on-line learning. Having worked in this mode for almost two years, I am now more mindful of the effect that words may have on others and of the traps presented by asynchronous cross-cultural communication. I learned to communicate more effectively and clearly with other learners and tutors also by outlining my thoughts in an organized way. In particular, considering our language and cultural differences, I am very happy with the quality of my communication with Song-ee Ahn, my thesis supervisor at Linköping University, which is a great example of both our personal accomplishments and the possibilities presented by projects of collaborative learning across cultures.

Developing Master’s proficiencyI came to this program with academic skills gained during my undergraduate years and many years of informal self-study. These initial skills included the ability to observe, analyze and draw lessons from the events that had occurred in my life.

During my attendance of the ALGC, I have engaged in several challenging tasks that have facilitated the emergence of more focused and mature proficiency in the field of education and learning. They also helped in the development of an integrated framework for my academic, personal, and professional activities (see below, capability #5). Among the challenges I encounter in the ALGC, it is worthwhile mentioning the following: dealing with a high volume of readings; writing concise and synthetic enunciations; structuring my learning within the framework of each course; formalizing and publishing outcomes in the form of essays, reports, evaluations, reflective posts, web pages, and contributions to the discussion forums; developing a mid-to-long-term learning perspective to cover the several stages of the ALGC; managing information and assignments; writing my research proposal and discussing all relevant aspects with my supervisor;

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 6

networking with people at Linköping University outside the ALGC; representing my experience to people unfamiliar with the ALGC; being supportive of my fellow learners; establishing collaborative relations with all the people in the Program, including teachers, tutors, my learning partner, and administrators.

As clearly shown in this compendium, my participation in the ALGC has resulted in significant and positive changes in my ability to perform in and reflect on all the above situations.

Academic competenciesInstead of presenting specific academic competencies gained from each course on a course-by-course basis, I will write a brief narrative summary to outline what I believe I have been able to achieve through my participation in the ALGC.

Learning theories on adult learning and education help me bind together my knowledge and understanding of issues of adult learning with processes of globalization. Such theories and relevant discourses provide me with a solid basis for their application to a variety of contexts, including higher education, vocational education, life-long learning, cooperative learning, experiential learning, workplace and organizational formation. Additionally, having learned about the historic, economic, and political aspects engendered in processes of learning, I have come to appreciate several philosophical perspectives that allow me to address issues of power, inequality, accessibility, participation, discrimination, exclusion, motivation, personal and social transformation. These are no trivial matters and my brief mention of them does not attempt to detract from their paramount importance in the creation of our communities of practice (Wenger, 1998; 1999).

Among the several approaches to learning presented in the ALGC, I was particularly intrigued by the enactivist perspective, anchored in the whole systems thinking tradition. I believe that such approach can be very inspiring in my own professional practice, as the educator is viewed as a communicator, story-maker, and interpreter (Fenwick, 2001, p. 49).

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 7

PART TWO

SELF-ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE

This section develops from my original LP. It presents each capability and relevant learning goals, outcomes, and evaluations. It provides me with an opportunity to reflect on each of them by linking them to my experience, the artifacts produced during the Program, and comments received on my work. For this document, I have kept the layout used in my original LP, with each capability having its distinct color and graphics.

INITIAL CAPABILITY ENVELOP

1. To learn about learning practices across cultures;2. To learn about the effective use of technology in international education;3. To build, develop and improve international networking competencies 4. To develop competencies in consulting work for educational programs across cultures; 5. To assess, analyze, organize, and synthesize my previous learning experiences, including formal, informal, unstructured, and self-directed learning as a path to personal growth.

TO LEARN ABOUT LEARNING PRACTICES ACROSS CULTURES

This capability matches the following Program Objectives:

understand and act on commonalities and differences across different contexts for adult learning

learn and work globally learn how to learn in a complex international environment read and act on cultural sensibilities and sensitivities create networks of relationships across countries and help establish a global

community of adult learning practitioners challenge orthodoxies in adult learning theory and practice understand the implications for practice of different discourses of globalization adopt a social justice perspective on all issues of learning

GOALS

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 8

Personal goals:

1. To learn more about other cultures; specifically, to acquire a diversity of both similar and different cultural perspectives;

Professional and academic goals:

2. To learn about learning theories and their practical application, and develop critical skills for their discussion.

3. To better understand the impact of globalization on learning processes. 4. To build my knowledge of issues of globalization and of how they interface

with cross-cultural communication theories; Reflections/Evaluation:

I believe that I have achieved this goal by actively participating in the coursework and by doing the required reflective writing assignments. Specifically, Locating Oneself in Global Learning helped me set up a framework for personal and collaborative learning that I have used throughout the ALGC; Adult Learning: Context and Perspectives; Fostering Learning in Practice; Global/Local Learning provided me with a strong academic background to achieve this goal.Evaluative evidence of my learning:

Most of the following is available for viewing on-line at both my personal website and my Itslearning e-portfolio page:

Feedback from the cohort, teachers, learning partner and tutors. Course evaluations for Adult Learning: Context and Perspectives; Fostering

Learning in Practice; and Global/Local Learning.

Outcomes:

Journal entries with reflections on this topic; Assignments for the required courses; (participation in the discussions and

essays) Graduate thesis for Linköping University (in progress).

TO LEARN ABOUT THE EFFECTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

THIS CAPABILITY MATCHES THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

use teaching and learning technologies globally understand knowledge based societies and their implications for learning

GOALS

Personal goals:

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 9

1. To understand and use the It’s learning platform with confidence and competence;

2. As the program progresses, to expand that knowledge from the It’s Learning platform to other teaching/learning tools;

Professional and academic goals:

3. To learn how to use appropriate technology to facilitate learning/teaching by using various technical solutions for the design and development of my portfolio;

4. To understand the social and cultural implication of the use of technology in learning/teaching;

Reflections/evaluation:

I have been developing this capability throughout the Program, as it is embedded in the very nature of the ALGC. Working asynchronously to effectively and collaboratively interact with the other members of the cohort was a core aspect of my study experience. It presented me with the highest challenge, as my on-line study was tightly linked to issues of effective interpersonal and intercultural communication.

It was clear from the onset that the development of this capability has reflected on the quality of my learning and the effectiveness of my participation in the several discussion forums. Once I became more familiar with the Itslearning platform, my ability to communicate effectively increased, in spite of some limitations inherent in the technology.

To maximize my learning outcomes, I interfaced my overall academic learning experience with the available technology. To that extent, I took full advantage of the Itslearning platform, and consistently used the e-portfolio section as a window display for my learning experience. I regularly and timely updated the site with new material, providing relevant hyperlinks to the discussion forums and to my personal webpage. My e-portfolio is viewable at https://www.itslearning.com/liu/oscarvallazza/about/ (*)

As mentioned earlier, not sure of what would happen to my Itslearning e-portfolio at the end of the ALGC, I created a personal webpage to mirror my e-portfolio. In doing so, I also wanted to create a searchable website, since discussion forums in Itslearning do not offer that option. My personal website has also been invaluable for sharing my ALGC learning experience with others (see capability #3), including my network of professional practitioners. My website is viewable at http://worldconnections.wordpress.com/about/.

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 10

Evaluative evidence of my learning:

Most of the following is available for viewing on-line at both my personal website and my Itslearning e-portfolio page:

Feedback from the cohort, teachers, learning partner and tutors. Course evaluations for Location Oneself in Global Learning (I).

Outcomes:

My learning portfolio and personal webpagei. Documents (readings, links, resources);ii. My posts and reflections for each course (blog);iii. My course documents (e.g. Capabilities Self-Assessment Schedule;

Learning Plan; LP review; progress chart; research proposal)iv. My essays (course written assignments);v. My course bibliography and web resources with relevant

annotations;vi. My reflection on my personal, professional and academic

experience;vii. My self-evaluations;viii. Other people’s evaluations and feedback on my work, including

coursework evaluations by tutors and faculty;ix. Master’s thesis (this includes the literary review; the design for my

research platform; the master documents and other research-related material);

Journal entries with reflections on this capability; Successful completion of all tasks for the course Locating Oneself in Global

Learning; Assignments for the required courses; (participation in the discussions and

essays; collaborative papers).

TO BUILD, DEVELOP AND IMPROVE INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING COMPETENCIES

THIS CAPABILITY MATCHES THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 11

understand and act on commonalities and differences across different contexts for adult learning

learn and work globally use teaching and learning technologies globally read and act on cultural sensibilities and sensitivities critically reflect on one’s own professional practice create networks of relationships across countries and help establish a global

community of adult learning practitioners

GOALS

Personal goals:

1. To apply my cross-cultural communication competencies to working within a global network;

2. To develop new friendships;3. To develop constructive communication with course participants and

teachers; Professional and academic goals:

4. To participate in a global network of practitioners;5. To explore issues of cultural and conflict transformation as they apply to

global learning; 6. To identify links between the different areas of my personal, academic and

professional interests in of third-culture (multicultural) identity, third-culture building, conflict transformation and cross-cultural communication. This goal interfaces with those outlined for capability #5.

Reflections/evaluations:

This capability connects my overall learning experience in the ALGC to my personal and professional contexts. As mentioned earlier, the ALGC has provided a valuable setting in which I have been able to refine my intercultural communication competence. My active participation in Work and Learning, Fostering Learning in Practice and Global Local Learning greatly contributed to the development of this capability. More recently, I used my acquired networking skills to solicit constructive feedback for my research proposal from an international network of Intercultural Communication practitioners. That led to my current participation in an international project on Intercultural Competence. (http://www.diversophy.com/ic_comp/index.html)

In spite of my initial hope, I do not believe that I have been successful in including members of the ALGC cohort into the “global network of practitioners” that I had envisioned at the start of the program. Maybe there is a chance to finalize this aspect before the end of the ALGC.

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 12

Evaluative evidence of my learning:

Most of the following is available for viewing on-line at both my personal website and my Itslearning e-portfolio page.

Feedback from the cohort, teachers, learning partner and tutors; Course evaluations for Fostering Learning in Practice and Work and

Learning; Feedback on my research proposal from faculty and external viewers.

Outcomes:

Successful completion of the course Fostering Learning in Practice and Work and Learning

My learning portfolio and personal webpage (see above under capability #2) Journal entries with reflections on this capability; Posts published in professional forums on relevant topics

(InterculturalInsights; SIETAR Europa); Thesis proposal and literature review on third-culture (multicultural) identity.

TO DEVELOP COMPETENCIES IN CONSULTING WORK FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ACROSS CULTURES

THIS CAPABILITY MATCHES THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

understand and act on commonalities and differences across different contexts for adult learning

learn and work globally appreciate the historical context of present developments and link these to

practice critically reflect on one’s own professional practice create networks of relationships across countries and help establish a global

community of adult learning practitioners

GOALS

Personal goals:

1. To further refine my cross-cultural communication competencies;2. To re-establish connections with people working in the field;

Professional and academic goals:

3. To up-date my knowledge of the field and of relevant professional opportunities;

4. To discuss the impact of globalization processes on international educationReflections/evaluations:

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 13

The course Fostering Learning in Practice (FLIP) was very valuable in applying my initial goals to my professional practice. As Lorraine White-Hancock recognized in her final evaluation,1 I believe I have developed a good understanding of the multidimensional nature of working across cultures. This would apply not only to international cultures, but also – as in the case of my case study for FLIP – to the different “cultures” interacting within a professional practice. Global/Local Learning and Contexts and Perspectives were also very important in the development of this capability, as they provided me with a strong theoretical background and the opportunity to learn about its applicability to culturally different contexts. I particularly enjoyed learning, discussing and writing about the Learning Region as a model for a synergistic approach to third-culture building (see capability #3) at the interface of civil society and learning/education practices. The relevant final analysis of this model is available at:https://www.itslearning.com/liu/oscarvallazza/Essays/Glocal/ (*) http://worldconnections.wordpress.com/essays/global-local-learning-course/the-learning-cape-a-critical-presentation-of-a-case-of-transformative-learning-from-a-localglobal-perspective/

To develop this capability I have built on my initial Intercultural Communication skills. Consistently with this plan, parallel to my active participation in the ALGC I have also pursued my interest in issues of Intercultural Communication and used that to make regular contributions to the ALGC discussion forums. (http://worldconnections.wordpress.com/intercultural ). Several students have recognized the value of my comments. This effort eventually laid the foundation for my research proposal, which will allow me to further develop this capability by locating my research topic at the interface between Intercultural Communication and theories of learning.

Evaluative evidence of my learning:

Most of the following is available for viewing on-line at both my personal website and my Itslearning e-portfolio page.

Feedback from the cohort, teachers, learning partner and tutors. Course evaluations for Fostering Learning in Practice, Global/Local Learning

and Contexts and Perspectives Feedback on my research proposal from ALGC tutors and external viewers.

Outcomes:

1 http://worldconnections.wordpress.com/essays/fostering-learning-in-practice-course/a-report-on-fostering-learning-in-practice-to-address-my-hot-issue/#comment-66

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 14

Successful completion of Fostering Learning in Practice, Global/Local Learning and Contexts and Perspective; my Research Proposal.

My learning portfolio and personal webpage (see above under capability #2) Journal entries with reflections on this capability; Research proposal ; Posts published in professional forums on relevant topics;

(InterculturalInsights; SIETAR Europa)

TO ASSESS, ANALYZE, ORGANIZE, AND SYNTHESIZE MY PREVIOUS LEARNING EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING FORMAL, INFORMAL, UNSTRUCTURED, AND SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AS A PATH TO PERSONAL GROWTH

This capability matches the following Program Objectives:

understand the implications for practice of different discourses of globalization adopt a social justice perspective on all issues of learning read and act on cultural sensibilities and sensitivities critically reflect on one’s own professional practice

GOALS

Personal goals:

1. To create a framework for my life-long learning experiences;2. To reflect on previous and current experiences to develop clarity on goals,

achievements and failures;Professional and academic goals:

3. To reflect on my own personal and cultural identity in the light of scholarly studies in this area, as an attempt to explore, make sense and integrate it within the narrative on international and intercultural experience

4. To discuss the outcome of my reflections with members of the cohort, including teachers, tutors, and my learning partner.

Reflections/evaluation:I believe this capability deserves special attention in this compendium. It has been the most comprehensive capability in my LP and has served as a meta-capability that encompasses all aspects of my academic, personal, and professional experiences.

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 15

To develop this capability I have used a variety of tools to help me gain a better understanding of myself, of where I am coming from, and where I am heading to. Throughout the Program, I have used feedback, readings, writing, philosophical approaches, interaction, reflection, and evaluation to examine my personal and cultural identity in the light of the examined literature, in the attempt to explore, make sense, and integrate my experience within current intercultural communication narratives. I have shared parts of my self-reflections with members of the cohort. The writing of this document is also part of this process, as it allows me to achieve synthesis and clarity, which will be very important for my final Master’s thesis.

Evaluative evidence of my learning & outcomes:

As explained in my LP, for this capability outcome and evaluation are two faces of the same process. The activities and the learning required to develop this capacity have formed a circular feedback loop that now serves both as intended outcome and assessment. My evolving learning experience and relevant evaluation were integrated into the learning process and have become a record of my iterative learning in progress. As I wrote in my LP, I consider having successfully developed this capability to the extent to which I have been able to synthesize my learning experience and instill such new understanding and growth into my research proposal.

The following is an itemized list of what has served as both a contribution to and an evaluation of my learning (whenever possible, some hyperlinks are provided):

Itslearning e-portfolio; (*) Personal website; Official course evaluations; Feedback from the cohort and teachers; Journal; Participation in ALGC discussion forums:

my Itslearning blog (*) and my other blog; Collaborative projects; (e.g. Adult learning Context and Perspectives); Participation in external discussion forums and projects:

InterculturalInsights, diversophy; Discussion of the intercultural dimension; Capability envelop and Learning plan; Capabilities self-assessment; Learning Plan review;

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Evaluations; Reflections; Analysis of my learning context; External feedback; Research proposal and literature review; Graduate thesis for Linköping University in progress (*).

ADDITIONAL OUTCOMES

During my participation in the ALGC, there has been a good amount of unexpected learning in several areas. I would like to start with expanding on my LP by inserting at least three capabilities that I have developed in addition to the ones outlined above.

English language proficiency and relevant reading skills:

Considering that English is not my first language, I clearly sense that my level of proficiency – especially in writing – has greatly improved throughout my attendance in the ALGC. I have also grown more comfortable with reading assignments, which will be useful as I move deeper into my final research project. My improved language abilities play a powerful role in my interactions with the cohort, as I have become more mindful of nuances and communication styles as found in our linguistically very diverse learning community.

Co-operative learning:

Working on my personal capabilities has allowed me to improve the quality of my contributions to the discussion forums. I have come to appreciate the co-operative aspect of our Program and the value inherent in sharing thoughts and resources. As an example, during Understanding Research I enjoyed sharing on Itslearning the resources I was finding in my own searches. That proved that it is indeed possible to be co-operative and at the same time stay focused on one’s own goals.

Research skills : Understanding Research and my current work on my research project have given me the opportunity to gain skills that I had not conceptualized when I wrote my initial LP. They include the ability to make sense of a large body of specialized

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 17

literature and apply it to the scope and aims of my research project. In my research efforts I have developed the ability to iteratively and concurrently read and evaluate scholarly sources, and to include, synthesize, select, exclude, compare available literature based on my specific research needs. This is still a work in progress, but I believe that this capability deserves special acknowledgement in this compendium.

REFERENCES

Fenwick, T. (2001). Experiential Learning: A Theoretical Critique from Five Perspectives. Information Series No 385, ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career and Vocational Education now located at the Centre for Education & Training for Employment at Ohio State University, accessed on June 2, 2009 at http://www.uni-koeln.de/hf/konstrukt/didaktik/situierteslernen/fenwick1.pdf

Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: learning as a social system. In The Systems Thinker, No. 5, 1998, Accessed on Oct. 20, 2008 at http://www.co-i-l.com/coil/knowledge-garden/cop/lss.shtml

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ADDENDUM

SCHEDULE OF SELF-ASSESSMENT OF CAPABILITIES - March 3, 2010Summary of ALGC capabilities where knowledge is rated on a 1-to-5

scale:1=expert, 2=experienced, 3=moderate, 4=some knowledge;

5=novice

Specific ALGC capabilities include the ability to: (from the official ALGC Program description document)

My initial level of competence

My desired level at the start of the ALGC

My current perceived level of competence

Change between initial and current levels

learn how to learn in a complex international environment

3 2 2 +1

understand and act on commonalities and differences across different contexts for adult learning

4 3 2 +2

learn and work globally 1 1 1 change here has been qualitative and contextual

understand knowledge based societies and their implications for learning

4 3 2 +2

understand the implications for practice of different discourses of globalization

3 2 2 +1

appreciate the historical context of present developments and link these to practice

4 3 1 +3

adopt a social justice perspective on all issues of learning

3 2 2 +1

use teaching and learning technologies globally

3 1 1 +2

read and act on cultural sensibilities and sensitivities

2 2 1 +1

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critically reflect on one's own professional practice

3 2 1 +2

create networks of relationships across countries and help establish a global community of adult learning practitioners

2 1 1 +1

challenge orthodoxies in adult learning theory and practice

4 2 2 +2

This table is only a summary and cannot reflect all the nuances of my actual learning experience in the ALGC Program.

ALGC Program Objectives The following list interfaces the ALGC Program learning objectives with my personal capability envelop. The numbers in brackets refer to my own capabilities as outlined in my LP.

Specific capabilities to be developed in the ALGC Program include the ability to: (From the official ALGC Program description document)

learn how to learn in a complex international environment (1)

understand and act on commonalities and differences across different contexts for adult learning (1) (3) (4)

learn and work globally (1) (3) (4)

understand knowledge based societies and their implications for learning (2)

understand the implications for practice of different discourses of globalization (1)

appreciate the historical context of present developments and link these to practice (4)

adopt a social justice perspective on all issues of learning (1) (5)

use teaching and learning technologies globally (2) (3)

read and act on cultural sensibilities and sensitivities (1) (3) (5)

critically reflect on one’s own professional practice (3) (4) (5)

create networks of relationships across countries and help establish a global community of adult learning practitioners (1) (3) (4)

challenge orthodoxies in adult learning theory and practice. (1)

Oscar Vallazza –Program review – Block 5 20