Mind the gap: modeling learning in a professional curriculum

Dr. Jo Smedley

Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching) &

Alexandra Dobson Lecturer in Law

Changing learning and teaching styles

• Learners as participant with tutor as facilitator

• Teaching and learning accessible on an “anywhere, anytime, anyhow” basis.

• Student as a “customer” with a need to provide a consistently high quality student experience

• Earning and learning

• Evaluation with user groups to measure impact of learning through technology

• Multiple evaluating criteria included, reflecting the needs of higher education stakeholders.

The project

• Exploring innovative uses of modern technologies in learning and teaching enhancement

– Using technologies for assessment & feedback

– Podcasting .v. vodcasting

• Staff development

Feedback

• Did not access the information

Improvements

• It could have been longer • Connection speed • Very low production standards

Evaluating organisational learning through technology

• Bacsich (2005) focused on benchmarking in universities – Oriented to benchmarking administrative processes with

little directly about e-learning.

• UK national Benchmarking and Pathfinder programme between 2003-2008 provided UK Universities with a structured approach – Improve organizational approaches of learning using

technology and assist with its continued implementation.

• Involved five methodologies:- – ELTI (Embedding Learning Technologies Institutionally) – eMM (e-Learning Maturity Model) – MIT90s – OBHE/ACU – Pick and Mix

Using eMM

• Marshall and Mitchell (2005)

– Learning

– Development

– Support

– Evaluation

– Organization

• Organisational and individual perspectives

Modelling impact

• Organisational learning

• Individual learning

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Applying the model to a real-life case study: Law for Managers

• Four short-course/modules in employer facing flexible learning curriculum

– Law for Managers: Discrimination in the Workplace

– Law for Managers: Health and Safety/Corporate Manslaughter

– Law for Managers: Privacy in the Workplace

– Law for Managers: Business Characteristics

• Various blends of modern technologies

Evaluating impact from the learning

• Question categories for tutors and learners

– D: Aspects relating to delivery

– C : Aspects relating to content

– A : Aspects relating to assessment

– R : Aspects relating to resources

– Q: Quality of learning experience

Developing the modelling equations

• Impact

• Experience/expectation gaps

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Continuing developments

• Definition/categorisation of elements

• Optimisation of elements to maximise impact

• Weighting factors

Questions

Email: jo.smedley@newport.ac.uk & alexandra.dobson@newport.ac.uk http://wiki.newport.ac.uk/index.php?title=Jo_Smedley%27s_wiki