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<\/p>\nDigital technologist and award-nominated author Dr Michael Flavin writes about his MAODE experience and the developments it has led to in both of his parallel careers.<\/p>\n
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Dr Michael Flavin writes:<\/p>\n
I studied the MA Online and Distance Education, 2007-10. On enrolment, I was an Associate Lecturer at the OU, having done a degree, MA and PhD in English. I was also teaching at a school. Studying for the MAODE undoubtedly made it clear that I was committed to and engaged with the digital environment, and led to me getting a full-time university post in my first year on the MA, at King\u2019s College London, where I still teach.<\/em><\/p>\n The MAODE re-ignited my love of learning and, on completion, I went straight on to do a second PhD, this time in technology enhanced learning, leading to two books, Disruptive Technology Enhanced Learning (2017) and Re-imagining Technology Enhanced Learning (2020), both published by Palgrave Macmillan, together with a range of other academic articles (see Google Scholar<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n Getting back into the study groove on the MAODE also led to me doing a third MA post-second-PhD, this time the OU\u2019s MA in Creative Writing, by the end of which I had a full first draft of a novel. I kept working at it and my d\u00e9but, One Small Step<\/a>, was published by Vulpine Press in September 2022. The novel is set in the community I grew up in, the Irish diaspora in Birmingham at the time of the IRA\u2019s mainland bombing campaign. I\u2019ve written about One Small Step for the Irish Post<\/a> and writing.ie<\/a>, and have been interviewed about it on the Irish Left Archive podcast<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n You can read One Small Step in the gaps between assignments on the Masters in Online Teaching. For me, postgraduate study at the OU was a springboard, one from which I\u2019m still rising.<\/em><\/p>\n Editor\u2019s note: Michael\u2019s short story ‘Berthing,’ has been shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowship prize: https:\/\/alpinefellowship.com\/writing-prize<\/a><\/p>\n Interested in finding out more about The Open University\u2019s Masters in online teaching?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Cover](\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/MAOT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cover-200x300.png\")
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