CEo2

Who?
Anyone who registers via http://bit.ly/CEApply, which entails a commitment to attend the first live session and at least two of the other three live sessions.

CEs have been initiated by the [|Critical and Creative Thinking] graduate program and the [|Science in a Changing World] graduate track at the University of Massachusetts Boston. To date, faculty members, staff, students and alums of the UMass programs form a reliable core of those participating and facilitating these learning experiences.

How?
The live sessions happen as a google+ hangout, with the URL for the hangout supplied to everyone who has registered. Hangout participation requires a headset, a [|google+ or gmail account], installation of the audio and video plugins, and a reliable internet connection (preferably not wifi). It also requires being ready to start by the set time and muting your mic when not talking.

During the live sessions, there is a lot of listening to others, starting off with autobiographical stories that make it easier to trust and take risks with whoever has joined the particular CE. There will also be writing to gather your thoughts, sometimes privately, sometimes shared. Between sessions exchanges happen on a private google+ community with optional postings to the corresponding public community, either [] or []. You should spend at least an hour between live sessions on your own inquiries into the issues. Over the course of the CE, you can expect what you want to find out evolve as you pursue your own inquiries and learn from those of others. (More details of Getting set up technically and the Session Structure)

Why?
Whatever thread of inquiry you pursue in any specific CE, your posts and contribution to live sessions should aim to stimulate and guide the learning of other participants, and build towards the final tangible product described in the scenario. The complementary, "experiential" goal is to be impressed at how much can be learned with a small commitment of time using the CE structure to motivate and connect participants.

In contrast to MOOCs (massive open online courses), which seek to get masses of people registered knowing that a tiny fraction will complete it, a CE focuses on establishing effective learning in small online communities then potentially scaling up from there. CEs aim to address the needs of online learners who want to: dig deeper, make “thicker” connections with other learners; connect topics with their own interests; participate for shorter periods than a semester-long MOOC; learn without needing credits or badges given for MOOC completion.

For the initiators of CEs at UMass Boston, the goal is support and build community beyond the formal programs of study and engage others outside of the programs in deep and meaningful self-directed learning inquiries.

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