Using Elluminate® to develop Open University Associate Lecturers at a distance (the OU in the North West)

Annie Eardley, Elke St John

Content of session• Background information• Our project• Benefits of delivering training online & traps to

avoid• How to devise an effective session

Aims of Session• Understand the benefits & traps of online training• Identify pedagogical and technical aspects of

online training• Recognise key aspects of successful online

training

Staff Development for Associate Lecturers at the Open University

• Induction• Central briefings• Regional events (generic and faculty-based)• Online material

The OU in the North West

• 1000 Associate Lecturers• 15 000 students

Media of delivery• Face-to-face• Elluminate• Combined face-to-face & Elluminate

example

Previous events• Training on and about Elluminate

FamiliarisationImproverRole of teacherLearning StylesTeaching activities

• Generic trainingExploring TutorHomeMove to OutlookALs as role models for reflective practice (dual mode)

Planned events for 2011-12Title of event Venue

How to apply for a job f2f & Elluminate

Library training Elluminate

TutorHome workshop Elluminate

Handling expectations & conflicts F2f & Elluminate

Students with mental health issues Elluminate

Elluminate training

Familiarisation with Elluminate

Improver: Learning more tools in Elluminate

Teaching ideas with Elluminate

Elluminate

Ethics on social networking F2f & Elluminate

Challenges and opportunities of tutoring offender learners Elluminate

How to quickly adapt OU Open Learning resources for your students. F2f & Elluminate

Planned events for Languages ALs workshop title

Meet the HoD

'Projet Aquitaine: the OU's involvement in an international distance language learning project'

Teaching cultural competence in language learning

Supporting Language students within the Autism spectrum

Blended teaching and the changing role of the language tutor

Establishing and maintaining a relationship with your students

VLE 2.0 – what is in it for the language tutors?

Teaching through assessment

Giving audio-visual feedback to your students with Jing

Differentiation project

Teaching Pronunciation

Mobile Learning Project

Using assignment feedback to good effect

“Where did I save that file? – organising your electronic documents and resources”.

Benefits of online SD events

• Improve performance of tutors when teaching on Elluminate

• Reach a bigger cohort of ALs• Make ALs more confident with technology• Can be run simultaneously with a face-to-face

session

Traps to avoid before session

• Send out pre-training information, e.g. podcasts Top tips ; Audio set-up ; Accessing room

• Set-up forum for questions R08-TRAINING• Stress that it is online training• Emphasise that headset is necessary

How to devise an effective sessionPedagogical Issues1.adapting the f2f teaching skills2.non-verbal communication3.raising hands4.time issue5.silence (especially with smaller groups)6.class room management7.follow-up with forum discussion8.participant workspace necessary

How to devise an effective session

Technical Issues1.multitasking technical aspects necessary2.text chat3.keep training simple4.create a safe learning environment

Reflection on our experience

• Laughter in sessions/humour• Not making assumptions• Recording of training

do we need an Elluminetiquette?certain classroom ethics can be developed

Our experience within existing research

• Situated learning (e.g. Lave et al.) : i.e. training is not useful if not carried out on Elluminate

• Learning by doing (e.g. Brown et al.)• Participatory approach (e.g. C McLoughlin builds

confidence)

Conclusion: lessons learnt

• Initial reluctance needs to be overcome therefore: extended programme ALs have to move through

• Training not useful as a one-off, Als need workspace to follow up