going the distance - what students say about effective learning in an online work-based postgraduate...

Going the distance - what students say about effective learning in an online work-based Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LTHE)

Anglia Learning & Teaching Conference 2014

Uwe Matthias Richter

Research Aims Evaluate factors that determine online

engagement and non-engagement• Learning community design• Learning activity design• Leaning environment usability• Online learner persona?

Improve learner experience on PGCert:

• Increase engagement• Improve community• Improve technology usability

Background

Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

• Two 30 credit modules• Semester 1, 2012: Enhancing Learning & Teaching Through

Reflective Practice (ELTTRP), • Semester 2 2013: Developing Assessment for Learning

(DA4L))• Semester 2 2014: Developing Assessment for Learning

(DA4L14)

• Compulsory staff development for new academic staff

• Moved fully online in 2011-12• 2012-13 evaluation, 2014 follow-up

A Deficit as Starting Point PGCert completely online and compulsory for all new academic staff

“Frustrating at times .. distance learning is not my preferred means of learning.”

often on top of high workload, and “Time constraints due to work commitments” (DA4L)

unfamiliar online learning environment“The module content is enjoyable and rewarding however navigating through that content is difficult, frustrating and ultimately reduces my capacity to connect with the material” (ELTTRP participant)

Improvements (Semester 1 to 2)

Models of Online Learning

Situated Learning (Lave and Wenger) Community of Practice (Wenger) Conversational Framework (Laurillard) Social Constructivist Learning (using

Salmon’s 5 Stage Model and e-tivity design)

occasional

transactional

peripheral

active

coordinator

core group

lurkers

leaders

sponsors

experts

beginners

support

outsiders

Levels of participationclients

(Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner, 2011)

Observer

MasterExpert

Apprentice

Salmon’s Five Stage Model

Source: Gilly Salmon http://www.gillysalmon.com/five-stage-model.html (creative commons)

Conversational Framework (Laurillard)

Teacher Concept

Learner Practice

Teacher Practice

Thoughts

Action plans

GuidanceOthers’

Concepts

Others’ Practice

Articulating ideas

Others’ ideas

Preparing Outputs

Others’ OutputsActing

Listening/ Reading

Reflection

Producing

Revising

Information

Learner Concept

Learner Practice

AdaptationReflectionAdaptation

Adapted from Laurillard, 2009, Creative Commons

Asking Questions

Learner Concept

Working to a goal

Internal Learner

CycleAdaptation Reflection

Research Design

Survey (after each module), Follow-up survey in 2014

6 Interviews (Semester 2: DA4L) Other sources:

• (Standard) Module Evaluation Questionnaire• Adhoc feedback (e.g. Ask the Tutor Forum)• Reflections in assignments

What Students said .. Impressions (DA4L)

What Students said .. Online engagement• “Time constraints due to work

commitments”

• “I was not able to do the tasks each week and therefore it happened always with a huge delay.”

• “Other students were not participating in online discussions [..] therefore, it was difficult to engage in online discussions”

• “The design of the module felt complicated in comparison to previous module delivery, which had very clear alignment to learning outcomes and patchwork [assessment].”

• “The learning activities were carefully thought out so that each week built upon the last.”

• “Deep learning was made possible due to the availability of rich learning resources”

• “Familiarity with the structure and format, .. using a wiki etc.. leading to being more securely engaged.”

What Students said .. EngagingTo what extend did your online engagement with other participants engage you?

“My online engagement went down as the course progressed as fewer and fewer people engaged” (ELTTRP)

“However, once we were divided into small groups this was not a good experience. I had no feedback from fellow students and limited feedback from tutor which was often too late.” (ELTTRP)

What Students said .. Socially engagingTo what extend did your online engagement with other participants engage you socially?

“The face to face [Induction] sessions were the only opportunity to socialise”. Different learning preferences: visual versus read / writeActive engaging (online activities) versus passive engagement (content)

What Students said in 2014 .. Engaging

Follow-up 2014 – Work-based learning

Can you give examples how your learning involved your workplace?

• “Recommended reading was very useful to identify how I could improve practices of assessment.”

• “Lesson observations, but also trying out new strategies in class or drawing from workplace experience to inform assessment work.”

• “The general concepts (i.e. reading the online material) made significant contribution by providing a theoretical approach to my work.“

Conversational Framework for work-based learning

Teacher Concept

Learner Practice

Teacher Practice

GuidanceWork

colleagues’ Concept

Work Practice

Articulating ideas

Colleagues’ feedback

Applying learning to work practice

Reflecting on application and

revision

Acting

Listening/ Reading

Reflection

Producing

Revising

Information

Peer Concept

PeerPractice

AdaptationReflectionAdaptation

Modified from Laurillard, 2009, Creative Commons

Asking Questions

Learner Concept

Working to a goal

Formal peer learning

Informal peer learning

SummaryIn the distance learning modules

improvements were achieved by:• Improve navigation in VLE (less is more)

Summary

Improvements were achieved by:– Reducing the number

of learning activities & tools

– Distributing between content and peer engagement

– Requiring less engagement towards the end

https://vle.anglia.ac.uk/modules/2013/MOD001546/SEM2-DL1/Content/Start.aspx

Summary• Embedding activity

tools in Content and increase the mix of media

DA4L 2014 Week 6 (https://vle.anglia.ac.uk/modules/2013/MOD001546/SEM2-DL1/Content/Week%206.aspx)

Future developments

• More immediacy through synchronous sessions (webinars) and personalisation through social networks (e.g. Facebook group)

• Design activities which encourage engagement with work-based community / work colleagues

Thank you for

your attention!

Questions?

References Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press. Laurillard, D. (2008). Digital technologies and their role in achieving our ambitions for education.

Professorial lecture. Institute of Education, University of London: IoE Publications. Available at: http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/628/1/Laurillard2008Digital_technologies.pdf. [Last accessed 16/06//2014].

Laurillard, D. (2009). Evaluating learning designs through the formal representation of learning patterns. PowerPoint presentation. In: ALT-C 2009 "In dreams begins responsibility" - choice, evidence and change, 8 - 10 September 2009, Manchester. Available at: http://repository.alt.ac.uk/id/eprint/654. [Last accessed 16/06//2014].

Laurillard, D. (2012). Teaching as a Design Science. Building Pedagogical Pattern for Learning and Technology. New York and London: Routledge. 

Salmon, G. (n.d.) The 5 Stage Model. Available at: http://www.gillysalmon.com/five-stage-model.html. [Last accessed 15/03//2014].

Salmon, G. (2011). E-Moderating: The Key to Online Teaching and Learning. 3rd edition. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Salmon, G. (2013). E-tivities: The Key to Active Online. 2nd edition. New York, Abington: Routledge. Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press. Wenger, E., McDermott, R. and Snyder, W. M. (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice. Boston:

Harvard Business School Press. Wenger, E. and Trayner, B. (2011). Levels of Participation. (Slide). wenger-trayner.com. Available at:

http://wenger-trayner.com/resources/slide-forms-of-participation/. [Last accessed 16/06//2014].

Discussion1. How do you engage participants online when

they don’t have time?

2. How can you develop a virtual learning community / community of practice for those who learn from engaging with others?

3. How can you encourage and promote engagement of participants in their work-based community?

4. How can you make the online environment a more “social” place?