Enhancing Professional Learning and Teaching using Technology Linda Price & Adrian Kirkwood IET, The Open University

2 Professional Learning & Teaching with Technology Aims: –To provide a review of evidence-based practice to learning and teaching with technology in higher education. –To examine what evidence exists to illustrate that technology is enhancing learning and teaching practices in HE. –To examine what evidence teachers use and what evidence they generate? It focuses on what evidence exists in the form of journals articles, reports and case studies.

3 HEFCE e-Learning Strategy Efficiency –Existing processes carried out in more cost-effective, time- efficient, sustainable or scalable manner Enhancement –Improving existing processes and the outcomes Transformation –Radical, positive change in existing processes or introducing new processes Benefits might be felt at three different levels, depending on the type of intervention:

4 What do we know already? “For the most part, faculty who make e-learning a part of their teaching do so by having electronics simplify tasks, not by fundamentally changing how the subject is taught. Lecture notes are readily translated into PowerPoint presentations. Course management tools … are used to distribute course materials, grades and assignments – but the course materials … and the assignments neither look nor feel different.” Thwarted Innovation - Zemsky & Massy, 2004

5 Issues In order to conduct the synthesis robustly we needed to have an understanding of –The nature of evidence –Technology-enhanced learning –Professional practices in learning and teaching with technology –Evidence-based practice

6 Approach Adopted Literature Review –Published articles of evidence-based learning and teaching with technology Practitioner Accounts – Case studies available online from HEA, JISC Online Survey of Practitioners’ Views Practitioner Reflections through Interviews and Project Website (Cloudworks)

7 Literature Review After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 50 unique articles and papers were selected for review. When reviewing the articles and papers the following aspects were considered: –what evidence was being used to drive the use of technology? –what evidence was gathered? –what evidence illustrates changes in professional (HE teachers) practice?

8 Review of Case Studies The JISC InfoNet and HEA EvidenceNet sites searched by use of appropriate keywords. 50 case studies scrutinised from the InfoNet site and 24 case studies from the EvidenceNet site When reviewing the case studies the following aspects were considered: –what evidence was being used to drive the use of technology? –what evidence was gathered? –what evidence illustrates changes in professional practice?

9 Review of Literature & Case Studies The published articles and the case studies covered a wide variety of technology uses in many disciplines. The uses of technology mainly involved classroom-based and blended learning activities. Various research approaches had been used –Many uses of technology were intended to replicate or supplement existing teaching practices –Some focused on new ways of working – either for students or teachers

10 Reflections on the Reviews The nature of the rationale for technology use was often under-reported Difficult to assess from accounts the extent to which the innovation had addressed the initial problem The driver for change was not always clearly articulated

11 Review of Findings The nature of evidence is unclear and open to differing interpretations. There remains considerable debate around what constitutes an enhancement in student learning.

12 Review of Findings The use of currently existing evidence in shaping academics’ engagement with technology in learning and teaching is difficult to discern from many of the available written accounts. –the nature of any evidence used often fails to make its way into readily accessible accounts. –often the available evidence to support claims that technology enhances learning is limited and requires careful interpretation.

13 Review of Findings The nature of the evidence reported often lacks contextual descriptions that allows for transfer to other situations –there is often insufficient information about the nature and context of the teaching/learning task(s) to inform developments and changes in practice. –investigation of the nature of the problem appears limited

14 Review of Findings Evidence that demonstrates benefits for learners is often limited to impacting at a micro level (i.e. within a particular teaching situation). –such evidence is unlikely to support more general application that impacts at meso (institutional) or macro (national/international) levels.

15 Action StrategyConsequences Modelling the solution or the problem? Single-loop and double-loop organisational learning (based upon Argyris & Schön, 1978) Single-loop organisational learning – using techniques that make strategies more efficient - i.e. modelling the solution

16 Action Strategy Consequences Governing Variable Single-loop learning Double-loop learning Modelling the solution or the problem? Double-loop organisational learning – examining the underlying goals, strategies, assumptions to detect modifications in an organisation’s underlying policies and practices - i.e. modelling the problem.

17 Underlying influences Context is everything: –what students? –what learning? –what outcomes? –which institution? Assessment is a major determinant of what students actually do How does technology support practitioners’ responses to these influences?