Virtual Lego TM & other e-tivities Tony Churchill (Staff Development Centre) [email protected]
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Virtual Lego TM & other e- tivities Tony Churchill (Staff Development Centre)
description
Virtual Lego TM & other e-tivities Tony Churchill (Staff Development Centre) [email protected]. Introduction. By the end of this session we will have… Explored a range of development activities for staff addressing the techniques and pedagogy of e-learning - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Virtual Lego TM & other e-tivities Tony Churchill (Staff Development Centre) [email protected]
Introduction
By the end of this session we will have…
• Explored a range of development activities for
staff addressing the techniques and pedagogy of
e-learning
• Considered the relevance of Gilly Salmon’s
model of networked learning
• Examined a framework to evaluate the outcomes
of programmes addressing these needs
Context
University of Leicester…
• 55% post-graduate
• Significant distance learning offer for post-graduate courses (65%)
• History of e-learning innovations
• Blackboard adopted as the University's preferred VLE in May 2002
Scale
Blackboard courses
98 Courses or modules with their own Blackboard course
Blackboard tutors
252 Teachers (and other staff) who can publish materials
Blackboard students
1,490 Active Blackboard accounts
In any institution there is likely to be a combination of these approaches.
E-learning implementation
‘Dictated’
‘Disorganised’
ST
RU
CT
UR
ED
OR
GA
NIC
Staff Development Courses
Blackboard FamiliarisationA one-hour session providing a 'hands-on' introduction to the features of Blackboard.
Blackboard Workshops Regular, themed sessions to provide support in:-– Creating a course– Communications tools– Content– Assessment tools
‘Enhancing your course with a VLE’
Possible development stagesStep One Stage Two Stage Three
Access to existing materials
Access to existing materials
Access to existing materials
+ Communication + Communication
+ Enhanced materials
+ Enhanced materials
+ Assessment & evaluation
+ Assessment & evaluation
+ Fully integrated into course
= Storage = Interaction = Integration
Possible development stagesStep One Step Two Stage Three
Access to existing materials
Access to existing materials
Access to existing materials
+ Communication + Communication
+ Enhanced materials
+ Enhanced materials
+ Assessment & evaluation
+ Assessment & evaluation
+ Fully integrated into course
= Storage = Interaction = Integration
Possible development stagesStep One Step Two Step Three
Access to existing materials
Access to existing materials
Access to existing materials
+ Communication + Communication
+ Enhanced materials
+ Enhanced materials
+ Assessment & evaluation
+ Assessment & evaluation
+ Fully integrated into course
= Storage = Interaction = Integration
What is an e-tivity?
They are:-• “…motivating, engaging, purposeful
activities developed and led by an e-moderator”
• “…frameworks for active and interactive online learning”
• “…in the hands of teachers themselves and promote active learning”
Salmon, E-tivities (2002)
E-tivity I - Virtual LegoTM…
The LegoTM exercise
Adapting a task we had already used in course team training, participants were asked to…
1. Describe two pieces of Lego they had received through the post
2. Work collaboratively online to design a model using all the pieces provided
The only communication allowed was via a discussion board with no images or other attachments.
Jane Wellens, UoL, (2002)
The LegoTM experience(a reminder of the student experience)
• Lack of direction– Where do we meet?– How do we progress?
• Disorientation– Familiarity with medium– Common Language
• Wither structure?
E-tivity II – NASA: Stranded in the desert
The NASA exercise
Adapting a task much used in management courses, participants were asked to…
1. Identify and rank the 10 most useful items in terms of their importance to their survival.
2. State their final rankings with reasons for their choice.
The only communication allowed was via the Virtual Classroom (or chat) facility.
NASA
The NASA experience
The key things we learned were that…• The expected differences (from f2f) did
not materialise• The spread of contributions was much
more even than our expectations• Culture could make profound
differences to the nature of the interaction
Teaching & learning online
1 Access & motivation
E-moderating - welcome & encourage
Technical - Setting up & accessing
2 Online socialization
E-mod - familiarization; building bridges (cultural, social & learning environment)Tech - sending & receiving messages
3 Information exchange
E-mod - facilitate tasks; support use of learning materialsTech - searching, personalizing
4 Knowledge construction
E-mod - facilitating process
Tech - conferencing
5DevelopmentE-mod - supporting, respondingTech - providing links outside closed conferences
Salmon, E-Moderating (2000)
Reflections
• A course to enable participants to become better online Tutors
• Over five weeks (one per stage) participants access:-– Discussion groups - a wide range of activities
taking 15 minutes per day (on average)– Virtual classroom (or chats) - weekly group
'reflections' on the issues raised in each stage– Materials - resources and web links exploring the
issues addressed in the session
…and create their own e-tivities!
STAGE ONE – Access & Motivation
AIMS - effective induction; address concerns (technical & content); recognition of reasons for and benefits of participation
• E-tivity 1 – introduce your surroundings & welcome others
• E-tivity 2 – agree a time for online chat and calculate time in other time-zones
• E-tivity 3 – thinks of reasons for lurking and draft a message to encourage a lurker to contribute
STAGE TWO – Online socialization
AIMS – explore appropriate information exchange; willing & able to exchange information; benefits clear
• E-tivity 1 – create personal homepage
• E-tivity 2 – dealing with inappropriate and misinterpreted contributions
STAGE THREE – Information Exchange
AIMS – feel in control of own learning; enabled to support the learning of others; clear what a learning community is
• E-tivity 1 – evaluate e-learning materials
• E-tivity 2 – consider effective (e-) learning
STAGE FOUR – Knowledge Construction
AIMS – able to create e-tivities; able to guide effective e-tivities; consideration of course structure
• E-tivity 1 – create a group review of an academic article
• E-tivity 2 – an exploration of online plagiarism (and how to avoid it)
STAGE FIVE – Development
AIMS – encourage group confidence & reflection; value interaction records as sources of reflection; recognition of collective nature of learning for most learners
• E-tivity 1 – planning & evaluation of an e-learning project
• E-tivity 2 – review of Reflections
Evaluation Matrix
Three phases…• Analysis & design• Development• ImplementationAlso…• Institutionalisation (ie To what extent
has innovation influenced the wider organisation?)
(after Dr Rob Phillips, Murdoch University, Australia) http://www.ltsn.ac.uk
/application.asp?app=resources.asp&process=full_record§ion=generic&id=172
Phase One: Analysis & design
• Curriculum analysis– What are the learning outcomes, course objectives and
institutional objectives for the programme?
• Teaching-for-learning analysis – What are the existing strengths of existing provision in terms
of achievement of learning outcomes and objectives?
• Specification of innovation – What will be the impact on teaching and learning strategy?
Can the focus on deep learning be maintained?
Phase Two: Development
• Formative monitoring of learning environment – What are the attitudes of staff and course
members to the e-learning tools?
• Formative monitoring of learning process – Is the change contributing to deeper learning
activities on the course?
Phase Three: Implementation
• Summative evaluation of the learning process – Do course members feel ‘supported’?
• Summative evaluation of learning outcomes – Have the e-learning tools enhanced course member
understanding of the course content?
• Summative evaluation of learning appropriateness – What are the costs and benefits of the change?
