Authoring Assessment-Rich Learning Environments: A Faculty Development Tool to Drive Transformation The Advanced Educational Computing Project: A Boutique Model EDUCAUSE NLII Conference, New Orleans, 29 January > Donald P. Buckley, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biology Director of Instructional Technology, School of Health Sciences Quinnipiac University; Hamden, CT Computerworld Smithsonian Laureate Apple Distinguished Educator WWW: >

In memory of Dr. Karen L. Smith Director, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning University of Central Florida

Overview Pedagogical Feature Set of Interactive Multimedia LearningWare Interactivity fosters active learning Sensory rich information formats enable brain-based teaching/learning Communication tools promote social construction of knowledge Computers facilitate routine assessment Course Management Systems Web-delivered content Routine formative assessment Communication tools to promote cooperative learning styles Faculty Development Technology integration …to serve learning-centered pedagogies Transition to the Learning Paradigm Faculty development should be transformational & community wide Transformation Scalability

Institutional Change Is Necessary, But Faculty Populations Have Structure: Institutional change means that transformational experiences must be enticing to individuals less tolerant of complexity, ambiguity or failure …mid and late adopters (Conservatives and Skeptics).

Technology Often Heralded as a Solution Instructional Paradigm Learning Paradigm Faculty PracticesPedagogical Potential of the Technology Faculty still operating within the Instructional Paradigm will not recognize the value of advanced instructional technology, which is best suited to supporting learning centered pedagogies.

Also, most Faculty are Naive about Pedagogical Feature Set Interactive Multimedia: Interactive Multimedia: interactivity fosters active-learning interactivity fosters active-learning Interactive Multimedia: Interactive Multimedia: different information formats engage different cognitive different information formats engage different cognitive processes and therefore open different learning opportunities processes and therefore open different learning opportunities Communication Tools: Communication Tools: promote cooperative learning and the social construction of promote cooperative learning and the social construction of knowledge knowledge Computing components: simulations provide experience in the process of inquiry simulations provide experience in the process of inquiry authoring tools promote student construction of meaning authoring tools promote student construction of meaning powerful formative assessment tools are multi-faceted powerful formative assessment tools are multi-faceted

Traditional Technology Training Limited potential (e.g., slide show authoring) oBecause “faculty don’t have the time to commit to deeper efforts” Problem: making a better lecture is not transformational oIt doesn’t foster transition to learning-centered pedagogies oFaculty wonder “why spend all that effort for limited gains?” Result: limited faculty willingness to participate in more training

Solution: Up the Ante Capture the pedagogical high ground …focus on learning & inquiry. Focus on genuinely transformational faculty development to change faculty attitudes and behaviors Authoring experiences can be transformational

U N I V E R S I T Y O F H A R T F O R D Advanced Educational Computing A Tool To Foster Student-Centered Learning Advanced Educational Computing A Tool To Foster Student-Centered Learning

Deep Authoring Is Transformational Experience It was enormously stimulating for most participants to create learning environments that would enable them to teach things that they could not teach well before. It was enormously stimulating for most participants to create learning environments that would enable them to teach things that they could not teach well before.

Full-fledged Interactive Multimedia Authoring Chosen for Training Because Programming Was Required To Meet Faculty Functionality Goals To customize interfaces that allow students to explore the content areas in intuitive ways To build simulations that emulate the real world To build formative assessment tools Because Programming Was Required To Meet Faculty Functionality Goals To customize interfaces that allow students to explore the content areas in intuitive ways To build simulations that emulate the real world To build formative assessment tools

Major Features of Faculty Development Program 1. Full-fledged Interactive Multimedia Authoring …Transformational 2. But our goal was NOT to create multimedia authors 3. Emphasize pedagogy …this is not about “learning technology.’’ 4. Keep the technology transparent ! Technology is the mentor’s job. 5.Heavy reliance on Faculty Mentoring Faculty and other collaboration. 6. High quality support necessary to minimize risk and maximize success. 7. Promote a culture of teaching reform and pedagogical scholarship. 8. Create a versatile faculty reward structure that values innovation. 1. Full-fledged Interactive Multimedia Authoring …Transformational 2. But our goal was NOT to create multimedia authors 3. Emphasize pedagogy …this is not about “learning technology.’’ 4. Keep the technology transparent ! Technology is the mentor’s job. 5.Heavy reliance on Faculty Mentoring Faculty and other collaboration. 6. High quality support necessary to minimize risk and maximize success. 7. Promote a culture of teaching reform and pedagogical scholarship. 8. Create a versatile faculty reward structure that values innovation.

Major Features of Faculty Experience Focus on Pedagogical Innovation & Student Learning Train clusters of 3-4 faculty from a discipline (interdisciplinary next time) First, 30 hours of group introduction (1:1 trainee:trainer ratio) Then, committed and prolonged individual mentoring Let each faculty member build a tool to solve a problem in their content area Author small projects to ensure success and formative development Don’t let faculty fail Build a faculty reward structure …development, class, grants, presentations

Summary of Core Training Concepts Use Technology that Provides Transformational Pedagogical Experiences But Keep the Technology Transparent Focus on Pedagogical Innovation Build Collaborations Seek the Eager-Beavers Use Technology that Provides Transformational Pedagogical Experiences But Keep the Technology Transparent Focus on Pedagogical Innovation Build Collaborations Seek the Eager-Beavers

Recruitment Preconceptions Humanists would be reluctant...wrong! Specialists would be naturals...wrong!  educational specialists  cognitive types  techies...including toy-collectors REALITY  Train the eager-beavers  Eager-beavers pop up in surprising places  Look for people with a history of service...risk takers, “altruists”  Making eager beavers successful makes other eager beavers Humanists would be reluctant...wrong! Specialists would be naturals...wrong!  educational specialists  cognitive types  techies...including toy-collectors REALITY  Train the eager-beavers  Eager-beavers pop up in surprising places  Look for people with a history of service...risk takers, “altruists”  Making eager beavers successful makes other eager beavers

Authoring Tool Feature Set WYSIWGEnvironment ScriptingEnvironment MediaIntegration for example: SuperCard or ToolBox Ease of Use Comprehensive Content Editing Tool Set WWWAuthoring AuthoringMetaphor

Which Way to Institutionalization? Media Center Faculty Development Slide show presentations Faculty Development Slide show presentations GOAL: sophisticated practitioners & pedagogical innovators Faculty Development Multimedia authoring Faculty Development Multimedia authoring

Scale of Faculty Participation in AEC Program Art 5 4 Biology2 Business4 Chemistry4 Communication7 Computer Science4 Education5 Engineering/Technology6 English/Humanities6 Foreign Languages2 Health Professions5 Hillyer College/Humanities3 Judaic Studies1 Music3 Physics1 Political Science3 Psychology5 Sociology4 Two Year Total (1 June 1996) 74 Number of faculty trained: 74 out of a population of 320 Art History

Faculty Self-Description of Developmental Stage No significant differences were observed between AEC-trained faculty and other faculty. This suggests that AEC outcomes are not based on preferential recruitment of evangelists into the program.

Faculty Attitudes About Student Motivation AEC Faculty tend to be more optimistic that educational technology can improve student motivation to learn.

Faculty Attitudes About Student Ability AEC Faculty tend to be more optimistic that educational technology can improve student ability to learn.

Faculty Multimedia Use AEC Faculty were trained in interactive multimedia authoring. These data indicate that AEC-trained faculty exhibit much greater tendency to use multimedia.

Overall Information Technology Use

1. Faculty report ability to teach new things 2. Early data indicate improved student learning...e.g., class means increased by as much as 3 grade levels 3. AEC has created a forum on active-learning styles 4. Greatly increased cross-disciplinary collaboration 5. Changed faculty culture...increased adoption of advanced educational technology tools & learning centered pedagogies 1. Faculty report ability to teach new things 2. Early data indicate improved student learning...e.g., class means increased by as much as 3 grade levels 3. AEC has created a forum on active-learning styles 4. Greatly increased cross-disciplinary collaboration 5. Changed faculty culture...increased adoption of advanced educational technology tools & learning centered pedagogies AEC Project Outcomes

Edward Klonoski ◊ UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD ◊ Donald Buckley Project Outcomes: Institutional Change in Faculty Attitudes and Technology Use in Teaching

Overview Pedagogical Feature Set of Interactive Multimedia LearningWare Interactivity fosters active learning Sensory rich information formats enable brain-based teaching/learning Communication tools promote social construction of knowledge Computers facilitate routine assessment Course Management Systems Web-delivered content Routine formative assessment Communication tools to promote cooperative learning styles Faculty Development Technology integration …to serve learning-centered pedagogies Transition to the Learning Paradigm Faculty development should be transformational & community wide Transformation Scalability

Problem with IMM Training: Scalability Authoring IMM LearningWare is a deep experience Problem …very effort intensive Faculty do become sophisticated consumers of LearningWare Another kind of authoring experience needed, to scale up and integrate pedagogies/technologies Course Management Systems?

Institutional DB CMS Database Course Management Systems: The Enabling Technology Infrastructure? Faculty ContentComm ToolsAssessment Student Experience on the Web

Some Emergent Goals for Utilizing CMS Technology: Technology-assisted Facilitation of Learning-centered Teaching Styles Content Delivery Communication Assessment Lecture Content delivery Activities Problem-based Project-based Case-based Episodic Pervasive Routine reflection within and among teams SummativeFormative Teacher-centeredLearner-centered CMS Pedagogical Tools A Continuum of Teaching Styles

A model for coupling the feature set of course management systems to learning centered principles. Smart Tutor Web-based Homework System: routine formative assessment out of class time Research Simulation Emulating the Process of Professional Investigation Revision of Class Time content delivery system from Lecture to Discovery Activities Mitigating the Coverage DilemmaDevelop Epistemological Skills Students Need to Build Meaning

The Coverage Dilemma Coverage Learning & Inquiry NOW Emphasis on Delivery of Content Emphasis on Effective Learning

A Solution to the Dilemma? GOAL Coverage Emphasis on Delivery of Content Learning & Inquiry Emphasis on Effective Learning

Can we use technology to mitigate the Coverage Dilemma ? Routine Online AssessmentIn Class Traditional Approach Web Assisted Foundational Information Inquiry-orientation and powerful pedagogies smart tutor homework