 |
 |
Hello, may I make a suggestion? I recently started a JISC discussion forum about adult learning: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/mature-learning.html This can get round the need for someone to create a new list and manage it. Joining is very simple, but you can email me, and I will join you in. I think you could find it useful to discuss your special interests within a group like ours. It would be stimulating for you and for the existing members. As Martin says, people need a special filip to re-kindle the energy after a while. It already has 120 members, and they have been discussing learning processes in very interesting ways relating to a range of contexts. The Niace lists are specialised and dont seem to cover that theme; GEM list strikes me as too big for it. The reason I started the list, by the way, is that the Institute is investigating the learning of its older students, and I am starting a course in January about Issues in Educating and Training Mature Adults, but obviously we are concerned with adult education in a general sense. Do joins us. Anita At 17:35 13/10/2007, Martin Bazley wrote: >Hi Essex and all > >Discussing Adult Learning in Museums >Technically speaking, it is pretty straightforward setting up a new >discussion list by following instructions at www.jiscmail.ac.uk , >provided certain conditions are met, mainly relating to the status >of the initiating organisation. >This is how the GEM list was formed around 10 years ago, and it now >has over 1000 subscribers. Managing a list is also relatively >undemanding and takes around an hour a month (less initially, as you >have no subscribers...) > >Making the list 'take off' is rather harder to achieve. The >majority of online forums fail to generate the critical mass of >contributions needed to sustain dialogue and interest among users, >and simply wither away. Current best practice for museums and >others seeking to engage new audiences is to tap into discussions >within their preferred channels, rather than creating new, isolated, >empty forums. > >So unless you are aiming to create a new entity or brand, I would >have thought it would be better to do your talking where the people >are already i.e. on the GEM list and on relevant, mature lists in HE >and FE, including the 12 lists already available via NIACE: >http://www.niace.org.uk/information/Forms/ListSubscribe.asp > >A blog or wiki might be more appropriate if the aim is to build up a >resource of useful comments, links to articles, etc - but that would >require major commitment to moderation, editing, dealing with >technical issues etc - which is a role or set of roles requiring >significant expertise and experience. Of course there is also >Facebook to consider, along with lots of other potential platforms. > >It is already difficult to keep in touch with all the channels >supporting similar threads of discussion. Many people who sit next >to each other in an organisation or 'opposite' each other in related >organisations are unaware of discussions that would be relevant to >them and are continually reinventing the wheel or missing out on >important social capital, simply because they don't know about or >can't be bothered to subscribe to or check in on all the relevant >lists or forums. > >So if the aim is simply to facilitate online dialogue about topics >relating to Adult Learning in Museums, I reckon it is a no-brainer >to use existing lists. >Rather than having to make people join your new list one by one, and >then each remember to suspend mail and sign up again after going on >holiday (as well as all the other lists they are on) and deal with >all the changes in email addresses etc etc... simply initiate new >dialogues with those interested among the 1113 active, intelligent, >articulate, considerate ...(I would go on but can sense you >blushing) users already subscribed to the GEM list. > >Martin >Martin Bazley >GEM list owner Anita Pincas, Senior Lecturer, Department of Continuing and Professional Education Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way University of London, London WC1H 0AL, UK Tel +44 0207 612 6522 Fax +44 0207-612 6467 Personal Web page <http://www.ioe.ac.uk/english/Apincas.htm>http://www.ioe.ac.uk/english/Apincas.htm COURSES: Issues in Educating and Training Mature Adults (50+) - blended <http://www.ioe.ac.uk/courses/ietma>www.ioe.ac.uk/courses/ietma Professional Diploma in Learning and Teaching - structured self-study http://www.ioe.ac.uk/schools/mst/LTU/PDLT/index.htm Online Education and Training - internet distance http://www.ioe.ac.uk/english/OET.htm