Collaboration: A pathway to empowerment

through the PG Cert Blended and Online

Education Julia Fotheringham and Keith Smyth

Edinburgh Napier University

MoodleMoot14

Outline of session

• Provide an overview of the PG Cert Blended and Online

Education, focussing on the different assessed

collaborative activities

• Explore the progression from basic use of Moodle

discussion boards to student-led seminars, and ultimately

to the development of a shared open-access professional

communities wiki

• Describe strategies for securing shared focus and active

participation from all group members

• The MSc BOE is a teaching and learning qualification for

educators seeking to develop their knowledge,

understanding and skills within their discipline in technology

enhanced environments

• As participants can exit after the Pg Cert, this development

has to be achieved within the three core modules of the

programme

• Work based qualification, delivered fully online

• Choice formative and peer assessment, reflection and feed

forward are essential components of the students’

experience

MSc Blended and Online Education (BOE)

http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/academicdevelopment/TechBenchmark/Pages/home.aspx

Curriculum design underpinned

by 3E framework

The 3E Framework within the Pg Cert BOE

Enhance: Thought Discussions

We provide:

Links to journal articles and e-books

Clear guidance on participation

Assessment criteria

Assessment

• Based on participants submitting their choice of six

discussion posts (from across the Thought Discussions) to

be tutor-assessed against a set of criteria (summarised

below) that emphasise quality of contributions:

Criteria A Well written and made in a timely fashion

Criteria B Relevant to general themes of Thought Questions

Criteria C Draw on other participants' responses in a constructive way

Criteria D Demonstrate evidence of critical analysis and exploration of

concepts and ideas relevant to the general themes of the Thought Questions

Criteria E Supported where relevant by good use of current literature

• A reflective piece on their participation that also involves

identifying areas for their own further learning

We provide each seminar

group with:

Private group work discussion

space

Link to Blackboard Collaborate

Moodle Community server

seminar space

Extend: Student-led Seminars

This year’s Seminar topics:

• Feedback

• Retention of Online

Learners

• MOOCs and Badges

• Gamification

Use of Moodle tools:

• Debates and polls

• Discussion

• Wiki

• Badges

• Mobile

Debate and polling

Extend: Student-led online seminars

Open access

tools

embedded in

Moodle

Cartoon strip

generator

Avatars: Voki

Padlet,

Animoto for

summary

Screencast:

Screenomatic

Assessment

Self and peer evaluation and assessment

Peer evaluation pro forma:

https://survey.napier.ac.uk/n/zzzca.aspx

Seminar design (including criteria relating to claritand

purpose of seminar objectives, quality of resources)

Moderation skills (e.g. tutor visibility and responsiveness,

peer interaction opportunities, encouraging critical thought)

Working together pro forma:

https://survey.napier.ac.uk/n/zzzcb.aspx

Moodle wiki for Professional

Communities activity

External wiki tool -

professional communities

Plus audio of reflective evaluation of relevance to

own practice and professional development

Strategies to enable and

ensure collaboration

Groups form around shared

interests

Opportunities for participant

choice around project focus

Learning contracts

Peer evaluation and peer

assessment of group working

Withholding of peer marks,

where peer evaluation is not

submitted

Learning contracts

• Chosen issues or topic

• How progress will be recorded

• Roles and responsibilities within the group

• Communication protocols amongst the group

and with the tutor

• Media

• Timescales

Lessons Learned?

• Clear written instructions for any activity

• Learning contracts for group activities

• For complex activities, break the assessment

down into bite size pieces

• Incorporate an element of peer assessment

• Tutors need to clarify and constantly review their

role in collaborative activities

Thank you

Keith Smyth

k.smyth@napier.ac.uk

Julia Fotheringham

j.fotheringham@napier.ac.uk