Metaphorically Speaking #edcmooc

I am literally Drowning In A Sea Of Information, and yet I am starved for knowledge.  When I enrolled in the EDC MOOC, little did I realize what I was heading for.  This being my second MOOC, I thought it would be somewhat like another one that I had just completed, which was more of an xMOOC, with prerecorded online video lectures and online weekly quizzes, AND relatively simpler, if I may add. And so, I was in for a kind of a cultural shock when I first accessed this MOOC, watched the intro, and waded through the instructions and the vast pool of resources.

The wave of overwhelm that had engulfed me initially soon passed as I became more comfortable with the working of this MOOC and I am happy to say I am now managing to hold my nose above the water, though from time to time the wave of overwhelm does threaten to push me under. What is really interesting, however, is that it has got me cruising along the internet super-highway, looking up all kinds of information related to the course, most of it being extremely thought provoking. So much so that I have had to oil the rusty cogs in my brain to get them to move in sync with the amount of information that I am soaking up. My biggest concern right now is keeping all of it in the sponge and ensuring that it does not seep out.

Added to that is the fact that time is a thief who threatens to deprive me of some of the information each week. Being simply unable to cope with all of the resources, I have graciously taken the advice of the instructors, and handling only that which I can handle, and leaving the rest aside in the hope that someday when I can manage to beat time, I will catch up with all of it.

The other good thing that has come out of this MOOC is that I have met so many wonderful people on this journey. Fellow passengers travelling with me, down this road that is leading us to a better understanding of what digital cultures are all about. It has been a fun journey so far and apart from the social media space, some of us have managed to form a small PLN of our own. The vivacious and bubbly Monica (@monica_yaya) and the seriously focused Dimitra (@dkapnia) are wonderful friends whom I share my ideas with, and get helpful feedback in return. And then there are the ever helpful Maddie (@maddiekp) and Ary (@trendingteacher), who are always sharing wonderful links and advice with us, being seasoned veterans of the first run of the EDCMOOC. A small but wonderful world, really. It has been a roller-coaster ride for the last two weeks, trying to keep up with the work schedule and keeping up with the course material, juggling things around to make sure that I stay on track.

I have got so used to doing the balancing act – this tight-rope walk over the last two weeks – that I am sure that once this over I shall feel blue. What felt like an intellectual assault on the mind in the first few days is now a challenging game that promises to overhaul my very concept of what e-learning and digital cultures are all about. And if my description of the journey thus far has started to give you too a sinking feeling, it means that I have succeeded, to some extent, to rub off my enthusiasm on you, metaphorically speaking.