Exploring whether e-Learning has lived up to the early promise e-learning: A Reality Check Durham University, January 2009 Andy Ramsden Head of e-Learning University of Bath http://go.bath.ac.uk/andyramsden andyramsden eatbath-present Link: download the presentation

expectations Keep to the conference themes – reality check & practitioner focus No excessive quoting of verse & scripture, JISC, HEA or HEFCE publications More a reflective piece, a winding road that you will help shape (that should be interesting) By the end of this honest appraisal will be the message that we are agents of change, and have a very important role to play to ensure over the next few years we re-align our aspirations for elearning and then meet these. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bidryboo/300945382/

my aims & your role I’ve three broad aims, and adopted a very traditional approach to answering the broad question, “has e-learning lived up to its early promise” Identify what the pattern is Try to understand the underlying causes Based on these causes identify appropriate interventions This will be addressed through a number of approaches – the what is will involve looking at two different contexts (out of a possible three), the explanation will lean heavily on the use of the Collis and Moonen 4E’s model, and the this will be applied to how we might more effectively implement some emerging technologies with the University of Bath context. Your role, is to participate :-) http://www.flickr.com/photos/pigpogm/13839044/

How long have you been involved in some capacity within e-learning? less than a year one to three years four to five years six to eight years nine years and above I’m not

What would you like me to talk about next? Departmental use of the VLE Uses of technology in face to face teaching

The reality: vle use One that is close to our hearts Going to look at from the perspective of Moodle use by departments at the University of Bath Data is part of a longitudinal project on evaluating how departments use the VLE

A framework for analysing VLE use Category 1: Content & Support Model Category 2: Wrap around Model Category 3: Integrated Model Where content is delivered in print or online and support is provided online. Content and support are not integral to one another. Online support is an optional extra Where there is a mixture of prepared content and online learning activities. The learning activities involve online discussion and collaborative activities. Where most of the learning takes place via collaborative online activities and content is largely determined by the learners, either individually or as a group. Unit Handbook Lecture material Reading lists Problem sets Timetable Web links RSS infeeds Forums (admin, T&L) Moodle Lesson Moodle Quiz Moodle Survey Text Chat Wiki Journal/blog Group Tools Many will recognise the Mason (1998) framework. Which suggests there are three ways of modelling / categorising the use of a VLE Onto this I’ve grafted the Julian Cook’s (2002) work on simple and complex ways to use a VLE. This associates common tasks mapped to the broad categories. This is a very simple framework to make a comparison, and is relatively robust and quick way of taking a snapshot a use across a large number of courses (or so I told the person who crunched all the data).

VLE use at University of Bath Dept / School Category 1 (Content & Support) Category 2 (Wrap around) Category 3 (integrated) No of courses (as a percent of available units) A 61 27 12 40 (31) B 82 15 3 82 (64) C 79 19 2 185 (54) D 70 25 5 54 (26) E 73 24 70 (59) F 84 1 30 (26) Group Average 75 21 4 Before unpicking the results, a little context about the University of Bath (yippee goes Malcolm) Medium sized institution, research intensive, teaching model is very traditional, face to face, large group teaching, strong emphasis on industrial placements, strength in science and engineering, some strength in distance learning Been using a VLE (or equivalent) for many many years No of courses … relatively low Moodle participation – no three line whip Overall pattern … group average indicates a content and support model Dept A bucks trend – School of Health who run significant number of CPD / Distance learning courses. This would suggest, that technology (investment in e-learning) haven’t changed the way our academics teach – the result is e-admin

So across to you To what extent do you agree with the following statement. “I’d confidently predict a similar pattern of VLE use at my institution” Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

The reality: face to face teaching Before unpicking the results, a little context about the University of Bath (yippee goes Malcolm) Medium sized institution, research intensive, teaching model is very traditional, face to face, large group teaching, strong emphasis on industrial placements, strength in science and engineering, some strength in distance learning

The respondents Number of respondents: 69 Average Mode Largest Class Size (students) 115 150 Smallest Class Size (students) 29 15 Time in teaching (years) 14 30 Note – low response rate, so don’t bet your house on what I’m saying Selection of data that I need to collect very quickly for a JISC TechDis interim report that I’m writing I assume there is a definition of what a large group is, but I’d suggest that over a 100 is a large group. Also note, the demographic is very expereinced, on average 14 years of teaching, with a mode of 30 years. Over that period there has been huge investment in classroom / lecture theatre technologies, and in staff development on these technologies. Number of respondents: 69

What do they do with lecture notes? Do you consistently make your material (slides, links, multimedia) available on Moodle (or online) before the lecture? Yes: 48.3% No: 51.7% If no to above, do you consistently make your material (slides, links, multimedia) available on Moodle (or online) after the lecture? Yes: 78.1% No: 21.9% Harmless question, VLE use highlight the primary use of the VLE was to store supporting lecture material. It is a 7 people who don’t. Surprising given that many people do and have for years, the technology is available to capture chalked material, plus the S.S.L.Cs (at Bath) regularly raise it.

What technologies do they use? Which of the following electronic resources have you used in your lecture this term (you can select more than one) Number of responses Powerpoint 50 Audio recording 16 Video or animation 35 Accessing a web site 38 A graphic (still image) 34 Other 18 OHPs Web surveys Twitter Video conferencing Simulations Spreadsheets A few interesting observations, as you’d expect … all using powerpoint, web, but also lots of video / animation, simulations and spreadsheets going on. Plus OHPs are still there, and probably re-born through the emergence of the visualisor Also, some potentially interesting applications of twitter and video conferencing in teaching. As an aside, I like this type of survey as it indicates that we haven’t really a clue what is going on :-) N=69

What is their lecture style? Could you summarise how you lecture, in particular, the style you adopt and the technologies that you use. This is a word cloud generated from the free text responses to the question concerning style. As you’d expect USE – POWERPOINT jumps out at you. However, also, see technology light activities – blackboard, talk, chalk, ask traditional, questions, and discussion. This would suggest, that technology (investment in e-learning) haven’t changed the way our academics lecture.

The reality: sharing stuff Enough about me wingeing on about Bath, lets re-set the focus on you 

Within your team (s) do you regularly share web resources? Yes No

How do you share these resources? how do you share these resources? For instance, email, shared word document, wiki, blog, social bookmark software (diigo, delicious) or other 07624 804921

Word cloud

In your view, has e-learning lived up to it’s early promise? 1 2 3 4 5 1 – oh, yes 2 3 – no view 4 5 – oh, no Previous evidence suggested that, if e-learning was about administration than at the institutional level, yes, otherwise no. I’d probably say 2 … I’d want to factor in the point that it was all over hyped, and not based on realistic time frames … then at the individual level there it has lived upto it’s early promise … see JISC reports.

What might explain this reality? Lots of caveats on the following, very complex situation, no silver bullet, So what to look at it from the perspective of the individual – what determines their effective use of a technology. Take the idea that a martian has landed at the University of Bath, just taken up a lecturing post, and is thinking about enhancing their teaching through using the VLE. The question is, what would they use in the VLE and why?

Collis & Moonen 4 E’s Model I am very familiar with it I’m familiar with it I’ve heard of it I’ve no idea I don’t care

Collis and Moonen 4 E’s Model Organisational influences environmental (institutional) factors Social-cultural influences Technological influences threshold “an individual’s likelihood of making use of a technological innovation for a learning related purpose is a function of for groups of factors” Educational effectiveness (perceived or actual) ease of use (personal) engagement

Back to Bath … use of VLE for specific tasks Dept / School Include a copy of the course handbook (%) Include an online formative or summative quiz (%) No of courses A 70 8 40 B 84 4 82 C 79 3 185 D 28 2 54 E 21 F 80 30

Pattern makes sense if you put yourself in the academics shoes Putting lecture notes online Running an objective test Actual level of use in the organisation Medium (2) Low (1) Level of day to day support High (3) Adequacy of technical infrastructure Previous experiences Environment: Total Score 10 4 Likely to solve a learning related problem Help me do routine tasks more quickly Result in new learning experiences in institution Better grades for students Effectiveness: Total Score 5

Putting lecture notes online Running an objective test Network is adequate in speed and reliability High (3) Low (1) Software is easy to learn Lets me do what I want / need for the task Ease of use: Total Score 9 3 Encourage others to follow Self confident at using the software Improve my career prospects My prior experiences of this task have been +ve Engagement: Total Score 10 6

The outcome (black: notes) environmental factors The new lecturing martian will put up his lecture notes, and not start to engage into developing online objective testing Educ effectiveness ease of use Personal engagement

How might we change the situation? Small cog … work within the constraints of our institutions, Staff development programme … if I was the martian, i’m being channelled down the e-leaning is e-administration route.

Implementing a new technology A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The "QR" is derived from "Quick Response", as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. QR Codes are common in Japan where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional codes. Common tasks that can be achieved using a qr code, include, Link to web site Send an sms to a phone Transfer a phone number Provide more text http://www.mobile-learning.blog-city.com

Generating lots of different uses QR Codes only QR Codes with other tools e-Admin Student (campus) induction Sign up for news alerts using QR codes Library catalogue Classroom evaluation Append to Moodle printouts e-Learning Access to further guidance Augmented Reality Gaming

Students know about them … Do you know what a QR Code is? Yes: 13.8% with 95% confidence interval, then 12.34% - 15.26% of total student population are aware of QR codes. N = 1800 17% of our FTE (Hesa returns)

Some students have accessed a QR Code Have you accessed a QR Code? Yes: 2.2% with 95% confidence interval, then 1.58% - 2.82% of total student population have accessed a QR code. The most common action was Web site – 33 responses Read more text – 28 responses Phone a number – 19 responses Send a pre-written SMS – 12 responses

They have the technology in their pockets QR Code Readers: Kaywa, Quickmark, i-Nigma & SnapMaze

Back to Collis and Moonen 4 E’s Model environmental (institution) factors threshold Down with …. Central workshops, a large case study which takes a year to publish, one single specialist within the team down Central workshops, no large case studies, no single specialist in the team INSTEAD Educ effectiveness ease of use Personal engagement

Back to Collis and Moonen 4 E’s Model environmental (institution) factors threshold Up with …. Dedicated project blog, attending uses and co-writing session reports, a project lead but all the team deliver, prioritise profiling at meetings (DoS, LTC, Innovations Week, eLPF), implement with other teams, focus regular deliverables on lit reviews, encourage academics to submit journal and conference papers, assist with evaluation and resource, ring fence LT development time, organise publicity events with external speakers, commit to the long term (3 year plan). down Central workshops, no large case studies, no single specialist in the team INSTEAD Educ effectiveness ease of use Personal engagement

Back to Collis and Moonen 4 E’s Model environmental (institution) factors threshold down Central workshops, no large case studies, no single specialist in the team INSTEAD Educ effectiveness ease of use Personal engagement

Why do you think e-learning has not lived up to it’s early promise?

What would others say? “Much of the potential is only now becoming apparent as technological and pedagogical expertise builds up” – Kukulska-Hulme and Traxler (2007) in “Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age”

In response … The pedagogical expertise is taking a very long time to develop, and it is still a very narrow base … back to themes of the conference - why it matters that we practice what we preach, why we need to disseminate this effectively and efficiently roll these findings into our staff development programmes

thank you & questions Andy Ramsden a.ramsden@bath.ac.uk andyramsden eatbath-present