The Aftermath
Every story has an ending. Some will share an afterward or aftermath. That part of the story when we get to peek in on the characters after the consequences of their actions that comprise the story come to fruition. So too is the story of 6411 – Cognition and Learning. Here is the aftermath.
So an afterward includes a hint of stories yet to be told. This one is no different.
This isn’t so much a retrospective as a it is a looking forward. With another course on the horizon, where some of the lessons learned from this course can be put into action, there is much to reflect and anticipate. The essay I’ve just completed for this course may become fodder for future published or authored works. It certainly leaves as much unanswered as it revealed. There are so many additional connections and confluences that can come from this essay. This may even bring some topics for presentations at conferences where cognition and open education become topics of conversation.
The topics within the course will continue to resonate as I work toward a comprehensive portfolio. How did I complete all the weekly readings and responses within the structures of the course despite the fact that it didn’t suit my comfort. Getting the weekly topic ahead of time did allow me to select relevant readings that related to the topic, but did not always fit into the readings selected by my classmates. Having a twice weekly response requirement was also daunting. Working on the first response was something I could plan ahead and work on a point form or draft response, so this allowed me some flexibility to adapt my course work schedule around other family, teaching and event schedules.
But the two article critiques presented each week, as selected and shared by my classmates, was another story. These didn’t always fit into my topic analysis in any way I could anticipate. Once these were posted on the Wednesday of each week, it took dedicated time to read these critiques, scan the research article on which the critique was based, and then researching related and relevant research that could be brought into a discussion post in response to the critique. This was a tight timeline from Wednesday to Saturday each week, which made it challenging when life events occurred that impacted this time requirement. But, in reflection it’s easy to say it was all manageable. In the afterward of this particular story, I know I won’t need to do it the same way again. In the next steps of my PhD journey, there will be times when I will need to make a logical and informed argument in response to someone’s questions in a timely and succinct fashion. This experience in 6411 has prepared me for just that event. I’ll be able to critically read a diverging response, then analyze research for opposing or supporting documentation, and then pull information together to craft an effective argument in agreement or disagreement to someone’s point of view. Thanks to 6411, I’m better prepared to reflect before responding. Thanks to 6411, I’m able to craft an effective response in four paragraphs or less. And, thanks to classmates and the instructor of 6411, I know that diverging views and ideas can build connections where none were seen before.
In the aftermath of Cognition and Learning, there are certainly pieces that will continue to inform and shape future directions. In hindsight, there could have been more. In looking forward, there may be more connections and confluence than I can yet anticipate. The next story awaits – 6511 begins in January.
