Output Packet Pro Review

Main Advisor and OP Reviewer: Laura Kaestele
Associate Name: Carolina-Therese Winter
Output Packet #: 4
Program: Bachelor of Science
Phase/ALC: PreCAP-ALC1
Date Submitted: November 15th 2016
Date Reviewed: November 29th 2016
Mark: 66
Grade: C
Time Spent on Review: 3 hrs + 0.5 for review forms

Dear Carolina,

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read your Output Packet 4 and learn more about your project work and action learning in workshop organisation and self-directed educational tools. I appreciate the energy and time you put into creating this report and additional documentation as well as your efforts and learning steps in design application, writing styles, prototyping, research, project organisation and educational methods. I am looking forward to reading your final OP Learning Review, encourage feedback integration and will support you to successfully complete the first action learning cycle!

My review is broken into these sections:
1. PoDAPO Evaluation Form
2. Comments Per Section

Required Next Steps: None

Recommended Next Steps: 
•	Set and articulate clear, specific goals for your OP design, project work and self/world transformation and revisit them for evaluation and assessment at the end
•	Get proof-reading and editing support from an English native speaker for your OP work
•	Manage your pathway well and make sure to meet all program requirements around attendance, advising, presentations and community engagement
•	Update your Mahara profile page and portfolio to prepare for the ALC cycle wrap up

I respect your integrity in managing your pathway. I'm glad to be your advisor!

Cheers, 
Laura

OP REVIEW

 1.	PoDAPO EVALUATION FORM (attached)

2.	COMMENTS PER SECTION (see below)

COMMENTS PER SECTION

Title and Summary
Clear and concise page with beautiful layout, summarizing mindmap and supportive images
Nice guidelines for readers, short and to the point with useful notes on navigation, content and use of technology for the OP. Well done for sharing how you incorporate feedback 
Short comment on the OP title “Learnings in Education” kind of works and for me it doesn't quite tell me what your project is really about, maybe something like “Sharing Knowledge on Sustainability”,  “Workshop Facilitation and Self-directed Learning” - how can you capture the essence of your work in the title (and subtitle) you choose?

Clear structure and overview of your project work and outcomes in the OP summary, good pathway context in the beginning and description of your intentions and project activities
Interesting pattern to two split the OP core report in two parts, one for each project with two pages each one with an introduction with goals, design and outcomes and the second with more project details – open question for me what is the connection between the two projects and why did you choose to combine them in one OP? Would be great to share that with readers

Introduction Terra Preta
Mindmap in the top left corner gives useful brief overview of the page content together with a short sentence at the top – also great visual presentation with images and graphics
From my experience of the reading flow and logic it would make more sense to put the introduction paragraph first and then dive into the design process and project outcomes after 
Great short description of Dragon Dreaming and the four design stages in this process for project development and successful implementation – What about explaining the three steps within each phase of Dragon Dreaming (share a bit more in depth about this method)?

Would be great to add an external reference here about Dragon Dreaming and were it comes from as it is not a design method you developed yourself and if you add linked documents to the text, explain to the reader what the document is about and what additional information is provided, in the way you added the workshop design notes it is easy to miss as a reader
I appreciate the engaging storytelling writing style in the introduction piece about terra preta and sharing about the place, goals, content and collaboration efforts of the project
Excellent summary of key outcomes on a personal, peer, project, professional and political level

Terra Preta Workshop
Great mix of media and visual representation with mindmaps, graphics, hand-drawn sketches and photos supporting the written texts, colorful and lively page layout
What is the distinction between motivation and dream as you refer to them in the dream section? Would be great to explain a bit more about the Karrabirdt and how to use this planning tool in addition to the image itself, so people who are new to Dragon Dreaming can learn from it
Fantastic mindmaps and hand-drawn flowacharts/graphics for the design application, project planning and sharing of information – I love all the practical knowledge and TP production slides

Again some of the supportive evidence is linked in the text, but not really highlighted and explained for readers to know where to look for what and thus quite easy to miss while reading
Well done for experimenting with different writing styles and adding storytelling elements in the doing section sharing an impression of the workshop days
Clearly describing your role as the organiser of the workshop and Declan as the content provider (facilitator/teacher) would have been great in the beginning – project summary
In the celebration section I would have liked to read an explicit goal evaluation referring back to your intentions from the beginning and how well they have been achieved in the project
Are the mindmaps optional or core report materials – just for knowing what is in the word count?
I like the little reflections about how participants liked the workshop, did you ask for feedback as this would be great to share here – like participants testimonials

I would also like to read a little more about the collaboration with Declan, the community, permaculture park and interaction with course participants – please expand on that next time
For the conclusion it would be great to have less of a workshop evaluation and more your personal concluding thoughts, a project and outcomes summary and un/learning highlights

Introduction Learning
I appreciate your critical thinking on learning methods and the educational system as well as your use of questions in the introduction text, which would make sense to connect with the quote by Albert Einstein and put first on the page
What do you mean by brain-fulfilling learning strategies? Also next time please add another 2-3 sentences to the introduction to explain what the project is all about, I did not really get that from what you wrote – the project is about a prototype for an excerise book for learning new info

Great to include a graphic for the design process SADIM – in what way do you think it is non-linear? Isn't that a contradiction to being structured and analytical as you described...
I like how you used questions for each of the design stages – what are specific methods and activities you engaged in for each phase? Please reference existing design frameworks like SADIM!
Nice overview of key outcomes, although quite a few comments are repeated in more than one section, please distinguish more clearly

Prototype Learning Materials
What be great to be more specific with what you mean when you talk about a learning tool – it seems like you created a template for yourself to learn new information and capture it on paper
In your survey of learning strategies I would like to see more explanation about each concept,  critical evaluation of how it works and can be used for learning as well as a comparitive assessment on what the similarities and differences between methods are... so more focus on the critiquing and expanding part of ArCEA 
Would be good to explain the memoflip in a bit more detail and share why you chose to use this tool, how you applied it and whether you changed anything from the original concept by Vera von Birkenbihl – any new changes or additions you made to the original memoflips?

Also what was your process for creating and adapting the prototype???
Add more tracking, assessment and active experimentation to creating and evolving a prototype!
Why do you think and feel this learning tool is useful for yourself and others? What doesn't work with other learning strategies (what did you try/do before)? What needs does the memoflip meet and when is it appropriate to use? Would be great to have clear instructions on how to build your own memoflip for other people to experiment, create and use for themselves

I would have liked to see a first impression on your memoflip about resistant bees to really see how this learning template and tool looks like and works out
Collection of learning strategies – which strategies are you talking about?
I appreciate your considerations about the field of education and active efforts to try out new ways of effective learning and self-test them for their practical usage and long-term results
More information and critical thinking on learning strategies and tools would be helpful.

Pathway Reflection
Nice update on your pathway, life and managing time and promises, great to see that you created your own tracking & visualisation tools, next time you could focus even more on un/learnings, tools and best practices for time and pathway management – also I would like to read more about your experiences and un/learning with time management and renegotiation
Regarding your pathway I would also encourage you that look back at your LIPD in every OP cycle, re-evaluate your goals and achievements, update and adapt learning, project and output plans
The “My Gaia – Learning Map” is almost impossible to read even enlargening the photo

Project & Process Reflection
Happy to see that you successfully applied the SADIM design process to the creation of this OP and found it to be a supportive tool in managing tasks to complete and getting things done, great mindmap by the way with a combination of design steps and content elements
For the OP design I would love some more reflections on the design creation and implementation
Fantastic to witness you grow as a designer and appreciating design processes in your project work and how to best apply them for improved clarity, effectiveness and outcomes
I like the project reflections and how they serve as closing thoughts on both projects sharing about the key process stages, outcomes and next steps

Now I can also see a better connection between the two project being both focused on action learning and a exploring self-directed learning strategies working with theory and practice
I appreciate you integrating the feedback from previous OPs and starting a project management methods and best practice list – again you could add comments on how to use what and when, your personal experience, pros and cons and/or further information & resources 
Excellent accountability and time management to keep your pathway goals and complete things when planned, well done with the time, goals, skillflex and action learning (Kolb Model) tracking
Great to read your dissemination efforts on how your learning outcomes can be of benefit to workshop participants, other peers and your plan for write a blog to share your journey

Supportive Evidence
Great collection of additional design documentation and project outcomes as well as knowledge evaluation, an annotated resource revivew (feedback integration from previous OP), participation records and several journal entries – I would encourage you to share and write journal entries for your output, pathway and project developments and un/learnings as a way of ongoing documentation and tracking your progress 
With this project focus on education, learning and facilitation a assessment of the field would be great - what is “out there”, what is needed/missing and how you/your project contribute 

OP Reviews
Well done for your efforts integrating feedback from previous OPs and making comments about this on the first page, I completed the reuqired next steps from your OP3 pro review and consciously expanded on several other learning edges like writing styles, prototyping, resource review, design application, project management tools, clear structure, organisation and action learning. I appreciate your articulate and constructive feedback in the self and peer review, I can see how you deepened your understanding of the PoDAPO criteria and value your questions and tracking the progress you make through practice and improving with each output packet.