Dimensions of usability as a base for improving distance eduction

A work-in-progress design study

Annika Wiklund-EngblomJohanna Björkell, Luzilla Backa, Margareta Wihersaari

Designs for Learning conference Copenhagen, 18-20 May 2016

My background

• MA Developmental psychology (Åbo Akademi University)• IT-pedagogue (Kalmar University)• Educational doctor (Åbo Akademi University)

Research interests: Digital design for learning and self-regulationDesign from a human needs perspective

Twitter: @awengblom

Defined by history

• 700 years of Swedish rule in Finland (1150-1809)

• 400.000 Swedish speakers in Finland• Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) founded

1918• 7000+ students, 1200+ employees• 2 campuses: Åbo and Vasa

• Population 180.000+• The city of Vasa (60.000+)• Finland’s largest energy cluster• Demand for more energy experts

Ostrobothnia (Österbotten)

Finland’s largest energy cluster

http://energyvaasa.vaasanseutu.fi/

Strategic funding for educating energy experts in Vasa

• M.Sc. programme in Energy and Environmental Technology

• Under the Faculty of Science and Engineering at ÅAU in Åbo (Turku)

• The programme is carried out in partnership with Novia (University of Applied Sciences)

56 enrolled students so far

Programme started in 2011

120 ECTS (1/3rd) are distance courses

Teaching with Adobe Connect

Research question

How does the design of the distance courses meet the needs of students and teachers?

-> how is the design usable for teaching and learning?-> how can we improve the design?

The HCI term ”usability” (Nokelainen, 2006, p. 180)

(Nokelainen, 2006, p. 188)

(Adapted from Reeves, 2006, p. 59) 

A work-in-progress design study: Phase 1

Phase 1: Identifying problems

Multiple methods: • Questionnaires (24 students)

• Evaluation by media production experts• Observation in class • Recorded lectures

• Stimulated interview by watching 14 short clips of recorded lectures as examples to guide the discussion

• 4 students • 7 university teachers

Interview data: Qualitative content analysis

• 2 researchers• Repeated listening• Transcribing• Meaning condensation• Coding• Categorisation

Results: Five usability dimensions of the learning design

1. Technical usability 2. Pedagogical usability 3. Social usability 4. Metareflective usability 5. Collegial usability

Usability dimensions

Multimedia content

Interface Styling

System design

Scaffolding & visualising learning

(Figure edited and adapted from Peters, 2013)

Collaboration, social meaning negotiation

MetalearningMetareflective usability

Social usability

Pedagogical usability

Technical usability

Collegialusability

Technical usability issues

• Audio problems• Laptop webcam displays people as ”shadows on the screen”• Technology is time consuming

• ”The normal 20 minutes of tech problems before we can start”• Tendency to forget the students due to tech problems• Tech issues being emphasized rather than didactical issues

• Orchestration of technology + F2F students + distance students

Don’t underestimate the need for continuous technical guidance and media skills!

Pedagogical usability issues

• Adapting their didactical design – or not; “trial and terror”• Less spontaneous teaching and physical mobility• Lack of nonverbal feedback from students • More need for activation during lectures• Orchestration of teaching (F2F + distance students)

• Raises issues of equality

Don’t underestimate the power of didactical exploration in communication with the learners!

Social usability issues

• AC-based classes often creates anonymity • No feelings of community between the groups

• The distance group have created a tight bonding• F2F students exclude distance group from shared information

• The traditional (passive) learning culture does not transfer well• Hesitance towards demanding interactivity of students during lectures• Treshold to participate in discussions• The presence of interactive students benefits all

Don’t underestimate the power of creating dialogue and relationships!

Social relations in digital didactical designs

(Jahnke, 2016)

Metareflective usability issues

• Dependence on recorded lectures and the tight group• Searching additional material online to compare• The importance of asking questions to reflect• Taking advantage of supervision• Awareness of pros and cons of being a distance student:

• Requires diligence, engagement, being proactive, and taking responsibility • Creates feelings of freedom and autonomy• Motivated by feelings of relatedness to peers

Don’t underestimate the power of discussions about learning!

Multimedia content

Interface Styling

System design

Scaffolding & visualising learning

(Figure edited and adapted from Peters, 2013)

Collaboration, social meaning negotiation

Metalearning Metareflective usability:

How the design supports and facilitates awareness and reflection about factors impacting own learning; i.e., visualising the learning process for the learner

Metareflective usability issues

Collegial usability issues

• A few teachers collaborate, but many struggle alone• Need for developing the didactical design for distance courses• Need for discussions about distance teaching, sharing ideas• Need for discussions about content overlap• Need for creating a shared learning culture

Don’t underestimate the need for didactical discussions and support!

TPACKTeachers’ ability to design & implement digital didactical designs

(Mishra & Koehler, 2008)

Phase 2: Redesigning for empowerment

Creating mindfulness reflection in learningfor learningabout learning... and about tools for learning

Teacher-2-Teacher Teacher-2-Students

Co-creative teacher workshops & ”design thinking”

Teacher-2-Teacher

Cogenerative student dialogues

• Involving students in co-creating the learning culture• Organised student meetings to discuss non-content related issues:

(a) Individual needs and group needs (b) Reactions on course content and the learning process(c) Possibilities for optimizing teaching and learning

(Bondi et al., 2016)

Teacher-2-Students

Creating a new learning culture by designing ”patterns” for...:

... giving feedback

... repeating content to confirm understanding

... students to easily repeat content

... lowering the treshold for asking questions

... providing an activating learning atmosphere

... an abundance of tasks for practice

... clear guidance, demands, and structure

... routines of collaboration

... routines of supervision

... equality among students

... positive attitudes

... relationships and authentic meetings

Don’t underestimate the need for a local support person andF2F meetings

Sustainable design thinking

“Good design acknowledges the fact that redesign is the norm, not the exception, and that it is a correlate of sustainability, not of failure.” (Goodyear & Dimitriadis, 2013)

Therefore, all teachers ought to be action researchers!

Thank you!Annika Wiklund-Engblom, Ed.D., M.A. dev.psychologyUniversity teacher in pedagogics of higher education

Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies Åbo Akademi UniversityVasa, Finland Email: awiklund@abo.fiTwitter: @awengblomBlog: mediasolutionsblog.wordpress.com/ Publications: researchgate.net/profile/Annika_Wiklund-Engblom Profile: linkedin.com/in/annikawiklundengblom