Why Ownership is So Important
We have spent a good deal of time in my first two grad school courses talking about ownership. But to do so and yet skip over the question regard "why" ownership is so important, we would be remiss.
According to RIkard, "Domains’ [referring to an initiative at a specific university to require each student to have his/her own domain / website] is radical not because it is a technological shift, but because it encourages a pedagogical shift. The domains project isn’t revolutionary to the traditional classroom, but it is revolutionary to a classroom reimagined around public scholarship, student agency and experimentation. It makes sense when students find ownership in what they choose to create, how they put it online, and how it engages a broader audience. The question bigger than data ownership is how to make ownership over ideas happen" (2015). Ownership is crucial for the education process; it moves assignments from busy work to formative learning experiences. It allows a learner to truly learn rather than simply punching the clock or biding one's time as they move toward graduation.
The thing about ownership is that it can be uncomfortable. For those who have spent many years in the academic system, they may know the system and how to succeed in academia. Doing the minimum standard and fitting withing "the box" of homework assignments gives students comfort. I found myself in such a situation toward the end of my collge career. I had spent so much time in primary and secondary school that I knew how to put forth a certain level of effort to get solid grades. For much of my college career, I put forth comments in my discussion classes for participation points and drafted papers that fit a certain form/format. That being said, I had two or three classes in my major of Broadcast Production where I really loved the work I did. In Audio Production and Advanced Video Production, we were given full creative authority to make audio files, video "commercials," and a twenty- minute documentary. I loved the creative process and really took on a sense of ownership for those projects. Not only were they my favorite classes, but I also wanted to do well for myself - not just for good grades - and I ended up getting good grades anyway. I have no doubt my time in the Digital Leading and Learning program at Lamar will be the same way. The more I step out of the box and take on COVA in my program, the more I will own my learning.
References:
Rikard, A. (n.d.). Do I Own My Domain If You Grade It? (EdSurge News). Retrieved September 8, 2015, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-08-10-do-i-own-my-domain-if-you-grade-it