Enhancing Curriculum Delivery for Postgraduate Distance Learning Through New Technologies Ming Nie and Alejandro Armellini Beyond Distance Research Alliance University of Leicester, UK

Plan The DUCKLING project context and aims Challenges and technologies to address them Research methods Work done and in progress Results so far Next steps New challenges

DUCKLING context D ELIVERING U NIVERSITY C URRICULA : K NOWLEDGE, L EARNING AND IN NOVATION G AINS Started in January 2009, funded by JISC for 2 years 3 DL programmes in 2 disciplines – MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL – MSc in Occupational Psychology and Psychology of Work

Challenges in curriculum delivery Students feeling distant and isolated Students not satisfied with the feedback provided Time-poor students Materials too ‘dry’ Materials’ relevance to work-based contexts

3 technologies to address the challenges Podcasting E-book readers Second Life

Action Research Stakeholders: –Past/current students –Two course teams –Employers Data collection and analysis: –Programme/course documentation –Surveys and in-depth interviews –Blackboard discussion board –Discussion with staff Research methods

Podcasting Started in April 2009 Psychology Education Dissertation Module 4 assignment Research methods Individual assignment feedback Introductory Language change and variation Standard English World Englishes Bilingualism and language choice Discourse analysis

Producing Outstanding Dissertations Key messageSectionsPurposesDurationWho Navigate handbook Informal supplement to handbook 1 Introduction/Inspire Get students to use handbook 1 minAndrew Socialise Help at design stage Supervisors: who they are 2 State who we are and roles 2 minsAll Structure of dissertation Different routes 3 Explain/ Discuss deliverables 4 minsSue Help you to do justice to work Procedures, advice Expectations 4 Outline of the whole podcast series 2 minsRay

Building student-tutor relationship –Resembling direct communication –Personalised and live –Less distant, but closer and more connected Providing clearer and more detailed information –No need to ask further questions through BB Repeating and reassuring Thinking and planning ahead Increasing flexibility and mobility – iPod, iPhone or MP3 player –On the move, on bus or in a car Results from Psychology podcasts

Student quotes… have the conversation with them getting some of their time The stress and emphasis tones It’s nearly like you could have the conversation with them [tutors]in a room. You feel you’re getting some of their time to listen to their input… The stress and emphasis tones, all of that come across in the podcast. feel closer to my tutors build a relationship Podcasts made me feel closer to my tutors and I think they help you to build a relationship with them. reassured me that I was on the right lines with what had started helped me concentrate my thoughts I found that they [podcasts] reassured me that I was on the right lines with what had started, and for the assignment I haven’t yet started, [they] helped me concentrate my thoughts more.

Second Life Starting in October 2009 Psychology – Training and Development module – Simulation of evacuation procedure from an oil rig – Comparative study Education – All students – Visiting Languagelab and observing classes

E-book readers Starting in September Psychology and 8 Education students SONY PRS-505 –Memory capacity: 192MB, 200 books –Expandable with Memory Sticks and SD cards –Cost: £145 + VAT Pre-load course materials and podcasts Copyright issues: e-books and journal articles

Next step … More podcasts –Module assignments (Psychology) and feedback (both) –Podcasts for Materials Development module (Education) –Student-created podcasts for assignments (Education) E-book readers –More course materials available for students to download through BB

New challenges… Curriculum Design and Delivery Open Educational Resources (OERs)

Learning Futures 2010 is the 5th International Conference to be hosted by the Beyond Distance Research Alliance, and will take place from 7th — 14th January 2010 For the first time this conference will be entirely online, and we invite you to join us to explore positive disruption for learning from a variety of worldwide perspectives and themes For further details please see: own learning in HE Thank you! Any questions?