Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ On throwing a party. Inclusive practice in Higher Education

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

I'm not sure I've even been to a dinner party. Oh sure, I've been to parties, and even hosted a few memorable ones. But not dinner parties - that feels like a thing people Not Like Me do. People with nice dining rooms and settings for twelve. But I've heard of them (and one of my favourite podcasts, before it ended, was the Dinner Party Download, which gives me a sense of what they're all about). And that's the danger of an analogy, isn't it? It speaks to a particular demographic, a particular mindset. Compared to the chaos of the parties I've attended, the idea of "clear and meaningful structure and sequencing" seems like some sort of foreign language. "A good balance between different types of activities: passive and active, individual, pair and group activities, independent, peer-reviewed, collaborative and tutor-engaged activities" sounds like pre-planned party games to me. Please, no. What kind of host am I? Bring what you can, take what you need, there is no 'host' (except to prevent people from burning the furniture), the right people are the people who are there, the right fun is whatever we decide to do in the moment.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Apr 29, 2024 04:04 a.m.

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