1. Stop (Reading Your Emails) Look (at My Slides) and Listen (to What I Am Saying):Encouraging Student Engagement/Interaction in a Virtual ClassroomKerry TrabingerEducational Designer and Senior LecturerCentre for Education ExcellenceCanberra Institute of TechnologyAustralia

2. Todays SessionPart 1 Use of the Virtual Classroom at the Canberra Institute ofTechnologyPart 2 Stop Look and Listen (Virtual classroom/Multitasking Research)Part 3 Future of the Virtual Classrooms 3. Backgound to CIT- Large multi-campus Institute with 4 campuses- Over 30 000 students ranging in age from 16 years to 70 years.- 1100 full time equivalent staff members of which 800 are academic staffmembers.- Part of Australias Vocational Education and Training (VET) system.- Delivers qualifications from Certificate 1 to Bachelor Degree.- Website is http://cit.edu.au 4. Online Background- Delivers 3261 subjects every year with approximately 65% coursesdelivered online- In 2008 moved to a new a new integrated Online Learning Environmentwhich included integration with a Virtual classroom. This resulted in avery sharp increase from limited use of the VC by teachers to in 2011 tohaving over 82 active staff members. In 2012 it is expected that thisfigure has also increased. 5. CIT Use of theVirtual Classroom (VC)Teachers- Delivering completely online courses- Delivering to apprentice students- Able to use the Virtual classroom when unable to attend a class face to face can presentfrom home (eg broken leg or casual teachers )- Able to present using modern technology eg. Forensic teacher using USB microsope viathe webcam- Teachers and students able to Network with other teachers and students around theWorld (eg. Advanced Diploma)- Teachers able to give one on one help eg. tutor support or just usual student drop intime students can drop in to teachers virtually 6. CIT Use of the Virtual Classroom (continued 1)Recordings- Teachers can pre record a session if they are going to be a away- Teachers can post up a session and students can use as revisionStudents- Who are unable to attend face to face due to illness/broken leg able to attend virtually- Able to log on from any location including a BUS!- Able to present assessment from any location- Students able to access Virtual classroom with or without teachers and practice activities such as interview techniques 7. CIT Use of the Virtual Classroom (continued 2)Guest Speakers: able to present from anywhere in the worldOther uses: Meetings/PD/ConferencesUsing the classroom in Blended delivery and recording!The most popular use of the VC is to have a normal face to face class with the VC onthe front screen. The teacher will use a wireless mic and a tracking webcam so canwalk around hands free. This session can then be for:- Face to Face students AND/OR- Students who cannot come to the class log in virtually AND/OR- It is recorded for those students who cannot come at all The recording can also be use for revision for use by ANY of the above students. 8. Higher Engagement levelsAntedotal and informal evidence at thisstage is indicating higher engagement bystudents leading to better results.Particularly in some of the tradesapprentices. 9. Ideas from YOU! 10. STOP (reading your emails) LOOK (at my slides) and LISTEN (to what I am saying):Encouraging student interaction, engagement and attention inthe Virtual Classroom (An investigation into the phenomena of multitasking)University of Southern QueenslandPrincipal Supervisor Associate Professor Peter Albion Associate Supervisor Dr Henriette van Rensburg 11. Research HypothesisThe research aims to prove that there is a direct correlation betweeninteraction and student success. The purpose of the study is to explore methods and strategiesteachers can employ to focus the students attention on the relevantlearning or learning activity rather than multitasking (task switching). It is anticipated that the results from the data analysis will reveal thatstudents do multi task while participating in a VC and that this willdecrease the amount of effective teaching and learning that occurs. The data collection and analysis will not be complete until November 2012. 12. Introduction to the ResearchWho: VET teachers and students from Canberra Institute of Technology.What: The amount of multitasking by VET studentswhen using the Virtual classroom and how this may affect the teachingand learning that occurs.Why:1/ Results from an informal study at CIT2/ The increase in popularity of the use of the Virtual classrooms3/ The lack of research about multitasking and/or Virtual Classrooms in the VETSector.4/ Need for improved PD including training and guidelines 13. Introduction to the Research (continued)Where:- The Canberra Institute of Technology across all disciplines and all Centres- The Virtual classroom platform Wimba then BlackboardWhen: Semester 2 2011 and Semester 1 2012How: Surveys, Polls, Interviews, Tracking log, Journals, Recordings of the VCsessions 14. Literature Review(Gap in Knowledge) 15. Theoretical FrameworkMoores (1973, 1989, 1993) transactional distance theory. Areas to be investigatedinclude:- a teachers manipulation of the tools in the VCs (the audio, chat, emoticons,interactive whiteboard and webcams)- the design of the sessions;- and the frequency and type of interactions that occur including: learner-content interaction learner-instructor interaction learner-learner interaction. learner-interace (This research will also investigate a further interaction(Hillman, Willis & Gunawardena 1994). 16. Research Questions How can teachers design content and/or activities toencourage interaction, engagement and attention andreduce the experience of transactional distance? What training, support and guides do VET teachers andstudents require to provide a learning environment whichsupports students in their learning. 17. Design Based Research Iterations Teachers to have access to guides and PD training prior to delivery of first VC session Feeback from teachers and students (data collection) Analyse data Iteration 1 Consult with Centre for Education (CEE) staff to redesignSem 2 2011 guidesa and PD training Teachers to have access to improved guides and improved PD training prior to delivery of first VC session Feedback from teachers and students (data collection) Analayse data Iteration 2 Consult with CEE staff to redesign handouts and PD training forSem 1 2012 future use 18. Teacher Data Collection Entry Survey Blog Journal entries Teacher Interview Exit Survey 19. Student Data Collection Entry Survey End of VC Poll for EVERY session Exit Survey 20. Stop Look and Listen! 21. Additional Data Collection Recording of VC session (Wimba Archive) Wimba Tracking Data of VC session Researcher e-Diary Centre for Education Excellence Staff Group Interview(including educational designers, graphic designers,assessment teachers, professional development teachersand online help desk staff) 22. Stop Look and Listen! 23. Stop Look and Listen! 24. Case StudiesSemester 2 2011 Teachers - 5 Case Studies ofindividual teachers and their student cohortEACH semester for 2 semesters includingteachers from different disciplines.- 2 male/3 female- Average age 45 54 years- Average length of time at CIT 6 years. 25. BreakdownMixture of full time, part time and casualFrom Statistics Animal Health Modelling Data Bases (ICT) Use Legal Terminology Communication in Forensic Science 26. Non Participation3 teachers completed all required activities.Of the two who did not reasons were:1/ Equity students refused to buy headsets.2/ Teacher very keen however first session had complaint lost confidence. 27. Quote 1 I did have a lot of moments where Iasked the students to give me an answerand I got nothing- just blank. Were theymultitasking or just didnt want to givean answer. I think they mostly were notmultitasking but I am not sure. 28. Quote 2Did you feel the students were focusing on you orwhere they multitasking?I thought they were focusing as this was a level 4 classand the students were in a test week - hard to tell thoughthey are quick and may have been doing other things too. 29. Tools - from TeachersWhich tools do you believe engaged the students the mostduring your VC sessions?Teachers responses: Whiteboard tools eg drawing on the whiteboard/student Use of chat Engaging power point 30. Tools from StudentWhich tools did the teacher/presenter use that did engageyou the most?Student responses: Whiteboard tools eg drawing on the whiteboard/student Webcam Voice 31. What did they multitask with?If you did multitask/task switch during this VCsession what did you do? Please list all tasks.example - email/Facebook/Twitter/watched TV- Google- Texted- Twitter 32. Outcomes and Contribution to Knowledge- Limited research on the use of VCs in VET sector- Limited research on Multitasking- No research on Multitasking in the VC- The use of the VCs are becoming increasingly popular as adelivery method in the VET sector. 33. Outcomes and Contribution to Knowledge (2)Expected outcome will be the creation of effective ProfessionalDevelopment including training, hand outs and guidelines for:- CIT teachers and students, instructional and educational designers and theTeacher Education department.- Other TAFE and community college teachers and students, instructional andeducational designers both withinAustralia and worldwide- Higher Education and K-12 Sector teachers and students, instructionaldesigners and educational designers both within Australia and worldwide. 34. The Future using the VC Using additional tools Using Mood gauges More mobile Using on Smart TVS !!! 35. Questions? Canberra InstituteTo do two things at once is to do neither. of TechnologyPubiIius Syrus, Roman Slave, first CenturyB.C.Kerry Trabingerkerry.trabinger@cit.edu.auPhone 02 62073313Mobile 0421 645641