ICT tools to promote interaction to construct knowledge in online learning environments E-learning Forum. Bremen. April, 17 th /18 th, 2008 Workshop. 16:30 – 18:00

People: some of the eLene team  Teresa Guasch –Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Barcelona.  Magda Ritzen –IVLOS. Institute of Education. Utrecht University.  Gérard Casanova –Université Nancy.  Claire Englund –University of Umeå

Objectives & structure of the workshop Objectives  To know how to promote interaction to build knowledge in online learning environments (key success factors to improve interaction)  To know different tools to promote interactions and make decisions about how students are to interact and which tools are appropriate for a given type of interaction. Structure  Opening, getting to know one another. Teresa Guasch. 10’  Introduction to collaborative learning Teresa Guasch. 15’  Difficulties for collaborative learning in an online environment. Gérard Casanova. 15’  Tools to promote an appropriate interaction: annotation tool Magda Ritzen. 15’  Tools to promote an appropriate interaction: wiki Claire Englund. 15’  Conclusions. Open discussion 20’

To start the discussion… Two questions to be discussed: 1.What do we understand by “collaborative work”? 2.What kinds of interaction do we know within an online environment? Use post-its and share ideas (10’)

Theoretical Assumptions Process of helping, guiding and mediating the students’ knowledge construction. Active process (based on the shared construction of knowledge) It is generated through social interaction (through interaction we gradually accumulate advances in our levels of knowing)

Theoretical Assumptions Teacher Student/s Content/ task ICT ICT can be used as mediating tools of knowledge construction, depending on the actual use by teacher and students during the activity. Teaching & learning process

Theoretical Assumptions: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING Teacher Student/s Content/ task ICT

Collaborative learning in virtual teaching-learning environments Social interaction in order to promote cooperative construction of knowledge (Many studies show the profitable uses of technology for collaborative learning and knowledge construction. Harasim, 2002; Kanuka & Anderson, 1998). An approach of organising/designing an activity that complements the activities centred on the relation student-content and teacher-content Basic requirements: - group task (specific aim in order that students have to work collaboratively to get the aim of the group), - distribution and assignation of roles between the students; -resources for the planning and development of the activity -It should be taught and assessed -But most of the collaborative environments don’t have this characteristics Collaborative learning -Communication patterns -Teacher’s role - Student performances Implies differences in:

technologie santésciences sciences de l’ingénieur droit gestion économie sciences humaines et sociales

Bremen Pda Workshop  Context in France –two plans : The Regional Digital University and the Thematic Digital Universities :.Regional digital university : Groups of universities in the same geographical area. The main goal : providing on-line services (or digital services) to the entire university community..Digital Thematic Universities :Virtual organisations that –draw together universities in the same area –have since been involved in the creation of digital content. There are several DTU Unit :engineering, Umvf : medicine,Unjf :law, Aunege :economy and management, Uved : sustainable development, Uoh:Humanities

Bremen Pda Workshop  The main goals of these DTU are : –To produce and to share digital resources of content validated by the universities. –To distribute these resources within each university:.each student/teacher have to be able to use this resources through his digital workspace from everywhere. –To promote the use of this resources :.Information to the universities.Teacher training to use this resources (

Bremen Pda Workshop  ELene TLC and DTU –In the Elene TLC project we have to design and develop PDAs Professional development actiivties –To promote the use of the digital resources (Teacher training ).Design a PDA for the DTU.First step: training teacher trainers in several universities.Second step: training teachers by the teachers trainers

Bremen Pda Workshop  Context: –French PDa presentation.Title of the pda : How to design a blended learning course around existing content.forward-looking dates : March 17th 2008 until April 12th 2008 (the end will be delayed ).Number of participants ( teacher trainers) : 12 from several universities.learning environment : fully on line.ICT tools : – Learning Management System (Webct ) –Adobe connect videoconference

Bremen Pda Workshop  Context: –Pedagogical PDA presentation.ICT competencies from the competency framework : – creating activities related to specific aims –Making decisions about methodologies appropriate to previous knowledge and experience of students.Contents : –Competice (in the ELene TT centre ). –The compentency framework of Elene TLC –Getting to grips with ICT (in the ELene TT centre ). –Others French Websites.Pedagogical methodologies: –Learning by doing –Collaborative learning

Bremen Pda Workshop  Context: –Pedagogical PDA presentation.PDA Activities : –First activity »Learning Competice Scenarios »Choosing a pedagogical scenario –Second activity »collaborative learning activity to design at least one activity » pear review and sharing.Outcomes of the second activity: »Five or six activities usuable for the second pda (with the teachers ) to improve the design of a blended course with existing content

Bremen Pda Workshop  Problematic: –Question. Is the collaborative learning in fully online environnement possible with participants who didn’t know each other before? – Answer : It’s difficult especially when the training time is very short (less a month) even with ICT experts

Bremen Pda Workshop  Problematic: –Some solutions to improve interactions between participants.Lengthening training time (half month) –All the participants are working (not enough time) –Holydays are not at the same moment in the universities.Inviting each participant to present himself –In a forum message Good idea but it’s not enough to create sociable links –By audio/ video file Needs to train the participants to use software (like audacity) It’s take time.

Bremen Pda Workshop  Problematic: –Some solutions to improve interactions between participants.Proposing a chat to introduce the training and the participants –Unfortunaly technical problems.Proposing simple activities in small groups only to improve the communication between the participants (using a chat on a topic for example ) –Not easy to build small groups in a first step. –It’s difficult to impose groups.Proposing to do groups with people from the same university –When it’s possible.Using videoconference Next week

Bremen Pda Workshop  Problematic: –Some solutions to improve interactions between participants.Planning a meeting (in face to face) before the training on line good idea but only for long training.Using collaborative tools

Thank for your attention

Annotation system Bremen Forum, April 17 th 2008 Ineke Lam and Magda Ritzen Utrecht University IVLOS – Institute of Education Centre for ICT in Education

22/20 URL

23/20 The Annotationsystem Photo: Ineke van den Berg  What is it? –Discussion in context:.specific feedback.efficient communication –Writer decides  How does it work? –Webbased –Login procedure –Screen: both document and discussion

24/20 Effective feedback (on texts) is  On time(planphase,revisionphase)  Specific  Aimed at Content+ Structure+ Style  Contains all 4 feedbackfunctions –Analysis –Evaluation –Explanation –Suggestion

25/20 Working with Annotatiesystem  Quality peer feedback: –criterion referenced (‘Headings’) –Constructive  Motivation feedbackprovider: –writer rates feedback  Motivation every participant: –clear rules concerning expected frequency of posting and reacting  Collaboration: –benefits for students and teacher

26/20 Newness? Phases ICT use in education: substitution, transition and transformation  What affordances are created for learning through this particular use of technology and how do these change learning outcomes for students?  What affordances are created for teaching through this particular use of technology and how do these change teaching?  What affordances are created for assessment through this particular use of technology and how do these change assessment?  What are the potential constraints that we need to be aware of in each case?

27/20

28/20

Using Wikis to promote interaction in online environments Bremen Forum, April 17 th 2008 Claire Englund Centre for Teaching & Learning Umeå University

Wiki What is a Wiki?  Wikis in Plain English Wikis in Plain English How can they be used to support learning?  Collaborative work by students Collaborative work by students  Collaborative work by teachers Collaborative work by teachers

Wiki

33/20 Wiki Why should we use Wikis?  What affordances are created for learning through this particular use of technology and how do these change learning outcomes for students?  What affordances are created for teaching through this particular use of technology and how do these change teaching?  What affordances are created for assessment through this particular use of technology and how do these change assessment?  What are the potential constraints that we need to be aware of in each case?

Wiki  Affordances for learning? - enables students to work collaboratively, independent of time or place  Affordances for teaching? - easy to set up, doesn’t require a high degree of technical skills  Affordances for assessment? - it’s possible to follow individual students and group processes  Constraints? - there can be technical problems with the software

ICT tools to promote interaction to construct knowledge in online learning environments E-learning Forum. Bremen. April, 17 th /18 th, 2008 Workshop. 16:30 – 18:00 Thank you very much!!!