After stumbling through the hypothes.is user name sign up sequence, mistakenly using a pseudonym (sultanofsurrey), rather than my real name, it came as no surprise that this manifesto for “teaching online” hails from the United Kingdom. Like the University of Edinburgh, the University of Liverpool has also been encouraging and delivering a platform to support online learning for students abroad for well over 100 years, albeit for the most part without the technological advancements of late.
My experience with the hypothes.is was delightful and most certainly would have enjoyed aspects of this tool during portions of my undergrad. For the most part, my competencies mastering new web tools has been average to above average; however, I do have some concerns moving forward. With so many “advancements” with interactive tools, programs and applications to accentuate and expand the intent of the learning, I fear that all these additional steps/tasks to master/tackle multiple user names, pseudonyms, passwords, sites, pages will impede the actual learning we are here for. I realize that within the framework of distance/online learning at the graduate level, we cannot return to “read this book and communicate your understanding through an essay”; therefore, ultimately my hope is that these tools will eventually become simple enough to amplify, versus muffle the intent of the learning.
Matt