Maybe as an educator I am responsible too for keeping the students safe in their journey? (thanks Mariana Funes) Or if I am a student I am responsible too for keeping my fellow students safe in their journey?
“…Universities have the responsibility to foster in faculty, staff and students a sense of social responsibility and a commitment to the social good, which, we believe, is central to the success of a democratic and just society. (Talloires Declaration) … ”
In what degree as an (online) educator am I responsible for the journey of students? What does ‘as best as one can’ mean for online teaching? In (most online) teaching the teacher is not omnipresent, so do not expect the teacher to be responsible for learning outcomes. In schools students are (most of time) not expected to be responsible for the learning outcomes of fellow students. Should we change that?
In Teaching Today (Geoff Petty, 3th ed. Nelson Thornes Ltd UK) p. 481 ” .. Never mind the teaching, never mind the system, never mind the college, it’s the learner[S] and the learning that counts! …” [S] added by me.
Questions 
Yes, the learners are what matters. And if I choose to organise a learning event online or offline then i have a duty of care to my students to create an environment that challenges without paralysing. A place where they feel free to bring mutliple and opposing persectives to learn. In cMOOCs the safety is self directed and if I do not feel safe I leave. Hence, as the organiser I think all is well as those who stay feel safe, the others have left. Check Jenny Macness blog http://jennymackness.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/trust-and-security-in-open-networks/ in the comments she explains how originally the intention of cMOOCs was different to how they have evolved now. My evolving perspective is that it is different to frame something as a course than as open web learning. And open web learning is exciting and full of possibilties but not ineherently safe. Hence, I observe small and not so small tribes get together and travel from one cmooc to another or just hang out together. Self forming around like mindedness. This is both a support and can be the source of discord. Complex complex issues. Made harder by conflicting explanatory constructs of what is happening in the virtual. Our love for it may blind us.
I agree that online learning is co-learning space where responsibility falls on to the instructor and the student.
Though I may disagree with you r previous post on feedback. Feedback has one of the largest outcomes on student achievement (see Hattie’s work) and outcomes.
How do we keep people safe in online class. The first step is not getting them lost.This to me is one of the great challenges of open teaching. Reducing inferences iin instructional design helps, but it also constrains.’
I think we build in multiple pathways of knowledge into our classes, let students choose, and try to give many opportunities to participate.
Greg, thank you for your feedback.
I do agree on your comment on feedback. I did try in this previuos post to think about the best form and best way to give and to word feedback. Online feedback could be more difficult than f2f feedback.
let students choose is for some students (cultural background is important here) an unsafe situation. But, choice and multiple pathways are excellent instruments to make high quality online courses.