Online work-based inquiry led learning: Benefits, issues and

possibilities Lydia Arnold

“This is an interesting, radical and important initiative worthy of wide attention. The programme addresses particular

sorts of educational needs, and is pushing the boundaries of what is organisationally and academically acceptable.”

BA (Hons) Learning Technology Research

•Since 2003•Second chance learners•Distributed learners - UK and the world•Online•Work-based•Inquiry led (action inquiry & reflection)•300 graduates•Research project by design

Inquiry-ledAn action enquiry into improving the chemotherapy receipt of referral to treatment process within an Oncology Centre.

An AE into promoting the correct letter formation within emergent pre-school handwriting.

An action inquiry into developing personalised learning with a group of pupils with additional needs.

An Action Inquiry into improving the transition procedure between my secondary school and its feeder primaries by encouraging greater parental involvement

Technology … work based learners may live with a sense of isolation from their academic peers (Rowe, 2008) because much of the actual learning experience is in the workplace… academic separation is cited as a key reason for the cessation of studies (Trotter and Cove, 2005).

Online Community

•Asynchronous•Web space•Flexible space•Peer support (24/7)•Web & client•Peer review•Facilitation is proactive

The community gave me an opportunity to debate ideas with other people, by this method you have to learn to express your opinions in a balanced way, to see what others are saying and if necessary to moderate or define your views.

I also feel that being in the community I am more focussed on the discussion. In a common room after a lecture I can't remember many students reflecting on the content - the emphasis was definitely on home, pub or what was happening in everyone else social lives.

Patchwork text and media

Patchwork text …“a general name for written texts where the unifying structure is not simply a linear narrative but a series of loosely linked pieces illustrating a theme or gradually building up a set of perspectives” (Winter, 1999, p. 67).

Patchwork media … “a non linear portfolio that embraces multimedia elements, e-learning patches and online community learning” (McGuire et al. 2006).

“reflect on what has been learned in the module in order to revise personal frames of reference and promote self exploration” (McKenzie, 2006, p.153)

Patchwork

Patchwork media

• Widening Participation• Sociable-distance learning• Autonomous learning • Relevant and personalised learning

Benefits

[I was] left with a distinct inability to practically apply any of it to the real world. I would undoubtedly have had to take an 'apprenticeship' or workplace training equivalent in whichever specialisation I would have chosen to pursue to learn the practical application within a specific workplace role. At that time, my husband, who had only a long gained hobbyist's practical knowledge, was more capable of day to day tasks than I, the qualified one, was. By personalising our research we were able to apply the theory we had been learning within a practical environment. We were given first hand experience of how it works and how to make it work in the way we wanted. To me, this served to eliminate the need for the apprenticeship part of any subsequent employment. I felt much more confident in my abilities as a result of this and feel we all left as much more 'work ready' graduates.

• Researcher G (recent graduate)

L2L

• Learning is the object of conversation• Learners define topic and focus• The real world gives a complex laboratory• Plan, Research, Learn, React, Re-plan, Re-learn

Organisational Impact• Practice• Dissemination of practice• Development of graduate skills

• “From my research into reading and spellings and the results I achieved the school is now wanting me to train other Learning Assistants into the actions I under too”.

• "the kids are really excited. teachers from downstairs are commenting that every time they come upstairs children are reading - walking along the corridor reading, books under their arms when they go downstairs to monitor etc ... They get so excited when a delivery of books comes in too".

Impact on the individual within organisation

Skills for super-complexity“the capacity to cope, to prosper and to delight

in a world in which there are no universals … it is a task of – and a challenge to – the university to provide those capacities”

(Barnett, 2005)

One of the strengths of Ultraversity has been its flexibility in

the face of rapidly changing technology. … Researchers are encouraged to explore the potential of new technologies. Many work within the given resources, a smaller but significant number seek new ways of learning and presenting. (Russell, 2007).

Managing change, pushing boundaries

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Harnessing innovation

How much can we or should we

squeeze from people?

Transferable elements

Modeling Behaviour

community of practice

reflective blogging

Media play

exposing ideas

remote team - encountering same issues of communication

culture of co-research

Inject authentic expertise : The Hotseat

Peer to peer :The hotseat model

Authenticity

Peer Review for learning

“partnering up with just one or two people in the final year was a big stress saver” (researcher J).

modelorganise scaffoldassess appreciate

An alternative learning partnership

Communities of diversity

• Due to the diversity of work contexts amongst groups of work-based learners, students may be working alongside each other but on different topics, and from different perspectives and in different contexts.

• The common ground for discussion may not always be apparent and could then contribute to further isolation. A community of inquiry celebrates differences in individual learning whilst remaining cohesive and functional. Students are united by their inquiring minds and by the processes of learning.

Questions•Are there approaches here that may be useful in your practice? •What can we do to eradicate student stress?

•How can academics work to decentralise knowledge? (should they?)

•How can ‘the university’ begin to assimilate informal technology?

•How can we enhance authenticity in WBL?

Lydia.arnold@anglia.ac.uk

www.lydiaarnold.netwww.anglia.ac.uk/ultraversity

lydia.arnold@anglia.ac.uk

www.lydiaarnold.net

www.anglia.ac.uk/ultraversity