What I’m up to

What with the semester winding down, I’ve been pretty bad about keeping up with the blogging that I promised to do, to keep my colleagues in SILS informed about what I’m up to here in Seattle. So here’s a quick update on my current major projects. One: We’re relaunching the Metadata MOOC, Probably in mid-July. I’m very pleased and excited about this, because I’ve been contacted by email and Twitter,.. Read More

On advising Masters papers remotely

Part of my agreement with my Dean, that allows me to be remote for this academic year, is that I will document the effects of being remote on doing the job. So, now that the deadline has passed for our Masters students to submit their Masters papers (basically a thesis, only without a committee, just a single advisor), I wanted to write a bit about how it went to advise.. Read More

Thoughts on group projects

I’m teaching the Library Assessment course for SILS this semester. The major assignment for that course is one large semester-long project: the students work with a client library on an actual evaluation project, usually one that otherwise might not get done at all. Thus, hopefully this project is a win-win: the students get experience working on a real project, and the library gets some free labor. But the point is,.. Read More

Metadata MOOC in the news

My Metadata MOOC has been receiving some publicity recently, and I wanted to dedicate a post to documenting it. Not just because I have a big ego –- though I do –- but also because it’s good publicity for UNC and SILS. Honestly, this MOOC is probably the most high-profile thing I’ve ever done professionally. And on that note, I would like to point out that I’ve brought more attention.. Read More

If you want something done right, do it yourself

We’ve had two issues come up in the MOOC in last few days that I think are worth discussing here, as they’re both related to the issue of relying — or not — on other people’s resources. First: For some of the Unit 2 homework questions, I had pointed to students to a metadata record from Europeana, and asked questions like “What’s the name of the property in such-and-such property-value.. Read More

Thoughts on ILS curricula

The Provost’s office at UNC issued a call for proposals for MOOCs back in November of last year. I’d been wanting to teach a MOOC for some time at that point, having taken 3 or 4 as a student by then. So I submitted 2 proposals, one for a Metadata course & one for an XML course. Obviously the Metadata course was the one that the selection committee liked, and.. Read More

On teaching an overload

I’m teaching my regular 2-course load this semester. Of course, because I’m in Seattle, I’m teaching both courses online. But that’s no big deal: I’ve taught online several times before, though never 2 courses at the same time. But I’m also teaching my MOOC –- in fact it launched just yesterday –- so I’m effectively teaching an overload this semester. (Though not getting paid for an overload, I would like.. Read More

Reflections on visiting Chapel Hill

Part of the arrangement with my Dean that enables me to work remotely for this academic year was that I would return to Chapel Hill for the beginning- and end-of-semester faculty planning meetings. I returned from visiting Chapel Hill a few days ago, for the beginning of Fall semester faculty meeting. Since these bi-semesterly trips East are part of the deal, I wanted to comment on them here. First of.. Read More

On finding a place to record videos

The first thing I want to report on, in my new series on working remotely, is the problem of finding a place to record videos for my MOOC. If I were in Chapel Hill, I could use the studio that ITS Teaching and Learning has set up for us MOOC instructors. Heck, I could even set up in my office. But I’m not in Chapel Hill, and I no longer.. Read More