ENMDA Aims

Perspectives and ideas from Aalto experiences

Aalto UniversityStrategic Support for Research and EducationICT in Education TeamLauri Saarinen28.5.2014

How to work today? Your choices:

Aalto platforms, organization and support

Trends and challenges in general

ENMDA Aims Discussion

@ Aalto University – why, who, what & how

Strategic Support for Research and EducationICT in Education TeamLauri Saarinen28.5.2014

Strategy as a starting pointhttp://www.aalto.fi/en/about/strategy/

Key Areas of Development

1. Improving the student/teacher ratio and student guidance

2. Creating a learning-centred culture an teaching methods

3. Building teaching and academic leadership

4. Assessing the quality of teaching and learning

5. Merging research, art and pedagogy in academic activities

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Excellence in teaching

”promoting a culture of creativity and entrepreneurship and preparing the students for entering professional life are key goals of our teaching.”

- Aalto strategy

Strategic Support for Research and Education

Part of Aalto Services

University Pedagogical Training and Develoment

Study Psychology Services

Educational Leadership Development

Research and Education Evaluations

ICT in Education

Units within Strategic Support for Research and Educationhttp://www.aalto.fi/en/about/services/strategic_support/

Aalto University support for development of teaching and learning

The primary tasks of Strategic Support for Research and Education (TOST) are:• To provide support to rectors and other management at Aalto

University in drafting outlines for strategic policies related to research and teaching and in realising these strategies.

• To support and guide teachers at the university in developing their teaching, and to encourage them to use varied teaching methods.

• To support and encourage the use of information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for teaching and learning.

• To carry out evaluations in research and teaching (e.g. Evaluation of teaching and education (TEE) carried out at Aalto University in the spring of 2011).

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ICT in education –teamhttps://wiki.aalto.fi/display/VipuPiste/How+to+get+started

Encouraging, supporting, training and guiding teachers to use ICT pedagogically

We drive the cultural change towards learning-centered education We advocate openness, sharing and collaboration

We encourage the teachers to choose the appropriate methods and tools to reach their pedagogical goals

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Our team evaluates, develops and supports usage of ICT in teaching, studying and research

Focus on learning instead of teaching

Encourage students to be actively envolved

Emphasise interaction in teaching and learning processes

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What do we want students to learn?

How should the learning happen?

How do we improve the learning processes?

How do we increase collaboration?

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How?

Services we provide for teachers

consultingworkshops, courseseventseducating, presentationshelp desk

Some tools in Aalto University

Online Learning Environment

Moodle, Optima, Noppa Participation platforms and tools

Presemo, clickers

Wiki, blogs, Adobe Connect

SummaryICT in Education Team

Enhancing the Aalto Virtual Learning Environment and improving the skills of the faculty in blended learning by restructuring the infrastructure and providing training and support to the faculty.

Providing necessary new elements such as plagiarism detection to the environment in addition to coordinating the use of current network services will increase learning centered activities and in the long run result in cost savings.

Improving the skills of the teaching staff in blended learning results in more interactive and student-centered teaching and learning both virtually and in classrooms due to the increased use of modern learning technologies.

Trends and challenges

Big ships turn slowly

Encouragement and support are needed

Takes time and effort to learn tools

Culture of “Do-it-yourself”, “little sharing” and competitive attitudes

Will the “new generation” think and act any different? Digital natives

Ups and downs – challenges and enablers

AALTO in practise

• Campus-based activity on three locations• Blended Learning as a strategic development goal• Most teachers create their own material• Material is delivered through several systems –

https://wiki.aalto.fi/display/AaltoPilvi/• Moodle / Optima, • Wiki, Blogs, • Adobe Connect / Webex• Social media

• Support units• IT Helpdesk (infrastructure and technical support)• ICT in Education team (applications to support pedagogical solutions)

Principles of formation of educational content for distance learning

Examples of different approaches

• MIT - http://ocw.mit.edu• MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually

all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.

• Open University UK - http://www.open.ac.uk/• The Open University is a world leader in modern distance learning,

the pioneer of teaching and learning methods which enable people to achieve their career and life goals studying at times and in places to suit them.

• Aalto - http://www.aalto.fi/en/about/strategy/• Aalto University is a new multidisciplinary university, where science

and art meet technology and business.• Blended learning, and the production and open sharing of teaching

and learning materials will become key aspects of the learning community’s operations.

Principles of formation of educational content for distance learning

• Quality management in general

• RAE-project followed by TEE-project – external panel evaluations• The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) audits

all Finnish Universities• External Programme Accreditations and other evaluations of the

School of Economics (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA, CEMS, PIM) - http://econ.aalto.fi/en/about/accreditations/

• University’s Annual Resource Dialogue – resource allocation.• Personal Development Discussions – rewards?

Process analytics and evaluation, and their influence on the optimization of the educational content

http://www.aalto.fi/en/about/strategy/quality_work/

http://biz.aalto.fi/en/about/accreditations/ http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/standards/2013-business/learning-and-teaching/

• Problems in participation

• Class-room lectures sometimes skipped > exchange of notes• Worries about reduced participation due to lecture capture and other

online services• Learning centered culture a strategic development goal

• A learning-centred culture challenges teachers and researchers to readdress their teaching methods, improve their performance in mentoring students and strengthen the link between education andresearch. Students are guided towards a strong commitment to their studies and to taking responsibility for their own development. The University is a true learning community and its environment encourages and inspires the active development of new ways of learning and building expertise.

Motivation factors in students’ participation in the process of distance learning

• Interaction through discussion boards demands activation of the

discussion.• Online processes require effort on process planning, scheduling and

communication• The use of online activities on a course can best be motivated when

– The students are not within the same geographical area.– Students cannot assembly easily for other reasons.– Extra possibilities for discussion support the learning process.– In some cases the numbers of participants is not large.– It saves costs for organizing teaching and learning (without

hindering learning).– Students are familiar with ICT technology.– The maintainer is able to publish materials and managing the

course (or support functions are well resourced and organized).

General factors in in the process of distance learning

Future

Aalto Virtual Learning Environment

Aalto Open Learning -portal

Increasing the number of virtual workspaces and their pedagogical use

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ENDMA aims …

• To develop new Master curriculum in Graphic Design and Digital Arts by Dec 2014 and to upgrade teachers skills with modern methods of teaching and learning by Apr 2015

• To establish the international hybrid learning space based on modern educational technologies and methods by July 2015

• To develop a quality assurance mechanisms ensuring the quality of Digital Arts training by Sep 2015

• Dissemination of the new Master curriculum, new methodology, teaching materials and methods among creative community in RU by October 2016

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To develop new Master curriculum in Graphic Design and Digital Arts by Dec 2014 and to upgrade teachers skills with modern methods of teaching and learning by Apr 2015

Strategic Support for Research and EducationICT in Education TeamLauri Saarinen28.5.2014

Curriculum Planning

• “I will master …”• What kind of learning ... • What kind of employee, artist, freelancer, entrepreneur …

• How to plan?• Who’s involved?

• Program level planning matrix of learning goals, methods, outcomes

• Every course is aligned with program level issues

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Teacher training

• Same challenge, different target group• What kind of learning • … • Alignment

• The teachers and the students should create and share common culture

• Community of practice – masters and pupils

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Trends

• NMC - http://www.nmc.org/• ECAR - http://www.educause.edu/ecar• Flipped - http://flippedlearning.org/site/default.aspx?

PageID=1

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To establish the international hybrid learning space based on modern educational technologies and methods by July 2015

Strategic Support for Research and EducationICT in Education TeamLauri Saarinen28.5.2014

Learning Space

What kind of studying and learning we support with technology?

• Blooms’ Taxonomy revisited: • Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Create

• Blooms’ Taxonomy simplified: • Learn, Teach, Evaluate

• Distance Learning• eLearning• Blended Learning• Flipped Classroom

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Alternatives

Choosing the platform

• Open or closed• Remote or blended

A community platform for students and pro’s

Aalto Cloud Infohttps://wiki.aalto.fi/display/aaltocloudinfo/Home

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To develop a quality assurance mechanisms ensuring the quality of Digital Arts training by Sep 2015

Strategic Support for Research and EducationICT in Education TeamLauri Saarinen28.5.2014

Management or development?

• How to and what for to use “the system”

• Student feedback during degree studies

• After studies evaluation

• Credits, rewarding, gamification

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Dissemination of the new Master curriculum, new methodology, teaching materials and methods among creative community in RU by October 2016

Strategic Support for Research and EducationICT in Education TeamLauri Saarinen28.5.2014

A big project• A professional project manager• Manage material production• Plan interaction management• Use faculty and student expertise• Design principles

Enhancing ICT supported distributed learning through action design research

Saarinen, Lauri, 2012 

Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS 

http://epub.lib.aalto.fi/pdf/diss/Aalto_DD_2012_092.pdf 

Contextualization should have an effect on the design on many levels starting from an individual user's viewpoint all the way to the organizational aspects of goal setting and institutional constraints.

The concordance principle guides the emergent process to a possible real-life solution through framing the possible outcomes.

Collaborative development iteration cycles make it possible to build an artifact that reflects the actors' real needs.

Commitment at the organizational level ensures that the possibilities that the implementation of an ICT system beholds in enhancing organizational practices and culture do have a possibility to be realized. The utility of the intervention may be seen only after considerable time.

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ENDMA aims …

• Learning outcomes define the curriculum• Learning styles demand adjustments in teaching methods• Learning evaluation aligned with learning goals

• Engage by employing student and faculty expertise • One home-base for secure learning, spread out to expand experience

• Quality development follows quality management • Empower enthusiasm to work better • Codes of conduct

• Build a formal professional project organization• Choose design principles

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End notes

• Every student should learn • Project management• Communication and networking skills• Learning skills• Business skills• Media / substance

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Thank you!