Activities this session

•iPad: ‘iBrainstorm’ for starter activity•Mindmap: ‘Inspiration’ for group brainstorm•Voting systems: Turning Point for group quiz•Screencasting: ‘Poll everywhere’ to demo online voting•Wikis: ‘You Tube’ interactive demo video clip•iPad: ‘Notes’ for wiki simulation activity•iPad and blogs: ‘Warwick blogs’ for iPad evaluation activity.

Collaborative E-LearningSara Hattersley

Learning outcomes

• To discuss the benefits and issues arising from collaborative learning approaches.

• To explore key technologies which can be used to foster collaboration.

• To consider the ‘purposeful use’ of e-learning tools and to discuss how to incorporate collaborative e-learning into planning.

What is collaborative learning?

• The grouping and pairing of learners for the purpose of achieving a learning goal.

• An instruction method in which learners at various performance levels work together in small groups toward a common goal.

• The learners are responsible for one another's learning as well as their own.

http://www.gdrc.org/kmgmt/c-learn/index.html

Screen shot from Freemind (free mindmap software)http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Key benefits

• Interdependence and ‘accountability’; encourages learners’ responsibility for learning.

• Fosters constructivist learning approach; removes teacher from ‘didactic’ position.

• Peer teaching reinforces learning for individuals.• Develops communication skills, decision-making and can

increase group cohesion.• Frees up teacher to observe and assess learning

taking place.

Key issues

• The need for sound curriculum design to ‘make it work’. This includes pre- and post-activity instruction and reflection.

• Collaborative learning has to be purposeful.• Learners may not have collaborative learning skills – this

may need teaching explicitly.• Encouraging ‘equal contributions’ can be

challenging; as can managing different levels.• Teacher feels ‘out of control’ as just a facilitator.

Teaching activities during collaborative

e-learning

NRDC (2007) Effective teaching and Learning: Using ICT, London, pg.39

Collaborative e-learning

• The principles of collaborative learning can be applied to the e-learning context.

• Additional considerations will be access to technology, room layout etc.

• Classroom based V remote approaches• The importance of finding the best tool to match

learning outcomes.• Accounting for technology failure!

Tools for collaborative

e-learning

blogs

podcasts

screencasts

webquests

forums/chat

rooms

social networking

emails

virtunal learning

environments

web authoring

tools

M-Learning

MS Office tools

tablets

voting technology

interactive white

boards

wikis

Voting systems

• Allow the whole class to work towards a common learning outcomes, with individual responses.

• Individual learners are not identified in responses; can contribute anonymously.

• Whole group and individual performance can be assessed and reflected upon.

• Good for understanding percentages.• Can be used in conjunction with M-Learning.

Voting system example: http://www.qwizdom.co.uk/

• Press and hold Menu key to turn on the remotes

• Select your answer• Press the send key

• Receive personal feedback

• Numerous Question types

Voting system example: www.polleverywhere.com

Voting system example: www.polleverywhere.com

Wiki• Creating shared resource– authorship (learner-

centred/ecological approach).• Responsibility – only accurate, suitable materials are

sustained (e.g. good contributors ‘last’).• Democratic – all learners are ‘knowledge creators’. • Good for developing writing skills and understanding of

‘hypertext’ genre, error checking.• Encourages reading skills such as scanning and

comprehension.

Wiki example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uk

How to create a wiki:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

Wiki example: http://www.wikispaces.com

Wiki example: http://www.wikispaces.com

Contributions from others can be viewed and compared.On the wiki page, however, the combined texts appears as continuous , unidentified prose.

Podcast/ Screencast

• Recorded in ‘real time’ and can be uploaded to the Internet, played, saved and downloaded.

• ‘Authentic voices’ – tutor or learner• Encourages visual/auditory/kinaesthetic learning styles.• Can be used to give instructions to learners, or them to

instruct each other.• Good for the developing of spoken discourse• Recording learning for later use/supportive distance

study materials

Podcast/screencast examples: http://audioboo.fm/ http://www.techsmith.com/jing/

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Webquest• A sequential, directed learning activity where learners

progress through a number of clearly defined stages.• Structure encourages ‘purposeful’ use of ILT.• Can eliminate the need for direct tutor input.• Encourages constructivist model/discovery method of

learning.• Good for developing understanding of instructional text,

reading through hypertext, group projects and anything requiring sequential learning approaches.

Web 2.0• The use of technology on the World Wide Web which

allows any kind of interactive content• Includes use of blogs, chat facilities and social

networking.• Enables remote access and distance study possibilities.• Many learners already familiar with Web 2.0 formats and

conventions.• Ability to embed other e-learning objects (e.g.

questionnaires, podcasts) within these.• Encourages holistic approaches to learning

Blog example: http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk

Social networking example: http://www.facebook.com

Links to photos and videos

Events and notices

Group privacy settings

Links to key resources

Purposeful design• Some learning objectives lend themselves more readily

to collaboration.• Alternatively, some learning objectives, traditionally

taught as individual tasks, could be adapted to collaboration.

• Design must include ethical considerations, such as access to technology and equity of skills and opportunity.

• Structuring and preparation of the activity is as important as the learning objective (e.g. good instructions; established equipment etc).

Evaluative cycle

Lesson planning

Collaborative e-learning can be used…• As a whole group session starter• As the ‘delivery mechanism’ for a new concept• As a tool for peer assessment and checking• For formative and summative assessment purposes.• In pairs, small groups or whole class arrangements• In the classroom or remotely as a homework task.

Activity design

Sara HattersleyEssential Skills Resource Centre

024 76574558

S.Hattersley@warwick.ac.uk