1 Learning Centre Activities and Virtual Learning Projects at Åbo Akademi University Visit by Mary Stott, IT Services, University of Warwick 10 June, 2009 Tove Forslund, Learning Centre

2 Today’s programme  What is the Learning Centre and the “Virtual University” of ÅAU  Support for educational and course development at ÅAU  Production of e-learning courses –Why –Support –Technology Group work and facilitation using a web-conference tool: creating a synchronous learning environment Producing video and audio material  Staff training  Written support material  Other IT-related projects –Software for plagiarism –Electronic exam system –Web forms  Student support (for efficient academic studies)

3 The Learning Centre in Åbo  Learning Centre in Åbo started as a Virtual Learning Centre –opened on 1 September, 2003 –All support & services from one place: one contact person, one e- mail address one web-site  Permanent offices: head of the Learning Centre, student councelor, AV-assistant  Part-time personnel (8): IT systems developer, librarians and planning officers  A ‘physical’ centre is being planned: –facilities and modern technical equipment for teachers and students  Background: Finnish Virtual University-project  Main activities: –Taking initiatives for new routines, methods and software for teaching and learning –Supporting staff in developing their teaching –Supporting students in developing their general/transferable skills and competences for working life and for academic studies as well as supporting their study planning

The Organisation of the “Virtual University” of Åbo Akademi University Steering sommittee for development of webbased teaching at ÅA (Vice Rector) Steering Committee for the Learning Centre in Åbo/Turku Steering Committee of the Virtual University activities in Vasa Faculty based reference groups Lear- ning Centre CoordinatorFaculty based reference groups Learning Centre Head of Learning Centre Faculty, student & support unit representation Learning Centre Representation of all teaching units (faculties, adult education, language centre) + students

Production of e-learning courses Production of e-learning courses Support services Indiv.support Facilities Technology&software Financing Training Webbased support material Development of services Development of services Cooperation Project coordination Information Evaluation Improved information Staff training IT Information management University pedagogics E-learning & -teaching Student support General student councelling Courses (IT etc) indiv e-study plans Pro gradu guidance Support for academic writing Learning Centre PC-rooms, equipment Initiatives for new methods, routines & applications Initiatives for new methods, routines & applications

6 Support for educational/course development 1.Access to software and equipment 2.Multimedia room > studio 3.Production of multimedia 4.One-to-one support 5.Staff training 6.Written support material: pedagogical guides, user guides for software etc. 7.Special financing for course development projects

7 Production of eLearning courses at Åbo Akademi University in Åbo

8 Strategies & numbers  Strategies for web-based teaching –Since 2001, now the third strategy for web-based teaching at ÅAU –Most faculties incl. language centre have their own strategies for web-based teaching ( )  Statistics –around 900 ECTS eLearning courses were produced with special funding in (a large number enabled distance studies) Today eLearning is becoming an integrated part of ’ordinary’ teaching –Around 3500 ECTS (650 courses) can be offered as eLearning courses at the moment 18 % of the courses can be taken as distance courses

9 Added value of web-based teaching and learning  The courses are more accessible for students and teachers –Multi-campus university –Adult students, open university students, students doing e.g. field practice –Teachers from outside the university, teachers living outside the university city –Less overlapping of courses, when students from several faculties –Less problems with students not attending classes

10 Added value of web-based teaching and learning  More effective course administration –Course material more transparent (for students, for all teachers on a course, for new teacher taking over a course) –Cheaper and quicker distribution of course material –Easier to update course material –Continuous grading during the course available for each individual student

11 Added value of web-based teaching and learning  Improved learning –Activating learning methods application of knowledge during the course new forms of examination, from final exams to continuous examination support reflection –Support different learning styles –More interactivity > more feedback and guidance students teachers students –Authentic and problem-based activities –Support collaboration –The students can easily take part of each others’ texts –Better structure of the learning process –No free-riders

12 What contributes to a successful/less successful web-based course? Success  Simple and clear instructions  Varied, proceeds in suitable steps  Discussions feel useful and inspiring  All courses don’t have to be ”pakko social”!  Taking special features of students and subject into consideration  Individual feedback, the students feel that the teacher is present  Course participants get to know each other  Suitable group size  Participants’ motivation and study experience  Audio and video material Failure  Teaching / course structure is dull and monotonous  Learning platform/course environment is difficult to navigate, hard to find material you’re looking for  Too much content/too many activities  In discussions you must comment self-evident things or things somebody else has already said Cf various course evaluations + ”Verkkokurssin suunnittelu” /TY/Kulttuurituotannon ja maisemantuktimuksen laitos

13 1. Available technology for elearning courses,  Course structure/’scaffolding’ –Moodle (Blackboard)  For communication och facilitation/web conferencing –Adobe ConnectPro  For production of audio and video material –Adobe Presenter (sound and video to PowerPoint) –Adobe Captivate (sound and video to ’moving’ screenshots) –Adobe ConnectPro (video to PowerPoint, web- sites) –Video cameras och digital dictaphones (for video och audio recording)

14 Learning platforms  Lotus Learning Space (Centre for Continuing Education) 2000-around 2005  Blackboard  Moodle around –Complement to lecture-based courses –Distance education

-No blocks you don’t need -Pictures that illustrate and makes it look nicer Clear headings – you know what you get!

- Very ’short’ modules (i.e. only headings) to give a good overview of the course on this first page in moodle - Very similar layout for each module - Descriptive topics for each assignment: what kind of task (”plan a guided tour”), on what topic (”around paintings from the early Renaissance”)

Identical structure of instructions in all assignments in this course / for all courses within basis studies

18 Adobe ConnctPro for…  group work and facilitation using : creating a synchronous learning environment  video meetings

20 Adobe Connect Pro  Enables –meetings –Online lectures –Online facilitation and guidance –Online group work –The recording of lectures/meeting

21  Purpose of ACP on this course: –This course should give participants experiences of various ways of online studies –Oral activity, practice presentation skills –Variation to text-based activities, opportunity for students to talk to/meet each other  Acitvity –Web lecture + reading material > written activity (time schedule in Word) > Presentation of time schedule & discussion on time management skills in small groups (2-6 students) in ACP –Following pods were used by participants: Camera&Voice, Chat, Share. –Oral feedback by course tutor (and other participants) –40-75 min./group Case: ACP for group presentations and discussions on ”Academic Study Skills” course

22 Preparation  When course started –Poll in Moodle about web cameras and headsets –Information on where students can use web cams&headsets on ÅA computers –Doodle ( for choosing suitable times for group meetingwww.doodle.com  A few days before meetings: about where to log in, group formations, ”don’t worry”!

23 During the session...  the students were asked to log in 10 min. before session (or previously that week)  We checked that everyone managed to log in and that their cameras&headsets worked  Participants introduces themselves  Everyone preseted their assignment via Share-pod (My Computer Screen/Windows or Documents/Ppt)  Chance to comment on each other’s presentations  Evaluation/”debriefing”

24 Support for participants in e-meeting learning sessions  Short written guide  Audio Setup Wizard  Testing session  Chat  (Teacher’s phone number)

25 Producing video and audio material

26 Why audio/video material?  Variation  Supporting auditory learners  Giving the teacher a face  Repetition  Distance education –Lectures –”Rests” (”jämät”) from class room lectures –Oral feedback on web-courses –Correct math assignments  Saving guest lectures for future use  Illustrating processes, demo  etc

27 Adobe ConnctPro  Video (or only sound) to Ppt or webpages or other documents  One take – i.e. you cannot edit the lectures much  Purposes ”Welcome to this course” Lectures Oral feedback

Editing function: parts can be cropped

29 Adobe Presenter  Sound or video to Ppt  Example: korpostrom/unipid14May09/ korpostrom/unipid14May09/  License to Adobe ConnectPro  Add-on to PowerPoint  Easy to use

32 Recording audio or video with digital recorders  Dictaphones –Time efficient  Video cameras –A camera man is usually needed –Help with editing

4. Support and teamwork Technology (Computer Centre, Learning Centre) software hardware staff training individual guidance multimedia production Contents (Departments) Pedagogical support (LearningCentre, Centres for Continuing Education, Library) staff training written material pedagogical support library services

34 5. Training for teaching staff  Training programmes –University pedagogic 12 ECTS (Fac. of Pedadgogics) –”LIN 1 – Learning in Networks” 8-25 ECTS (Learning Centre Tritonia in Vasa) – online course + video seminars  Short courses  A number of places on national conferences and seminar  Introductions for new staff (+ new teaching staff + new teacher tutors  Lunch seminars –Demo of IT applications –Current topics among teachers (introductory presentations + ”problem solving” in group)  Yearly mini conference on teaching projects – teachers present for their colleagues  One-to-one tuition (introduciton or advanced tuition in softwares, problem-solving sessions)  Ope.fi-portfolio 2-10 ECTS

35 ”Ope.fi”  Ministry of Education: three levels of ”Ope.fi” – general IT-skills  skills in using IT in teaching  expert skills  Training programmes, e.g. ”TieVie” 8-15 ECTS – arranged by national network  At ÅAU: Ope.fi-portfolio 2-10 ECTS – portfolio of short courses + products + self evaluation  Yearly mini conferences since 2001 – presentations of best practices

36 Short coursesProductionsSelf evaluation Module 1 Planning web-based courses Module 2 Content production Module 3 Carrying out web-based courses Each module consists of a number of differens short courses Examples of the use of different technologies in your own teaching Survey of skills and needs for staff training. + Reflective report on your own skills Requirements: For each study point participation in 12 h of face-to-face teaching is required. Courses from each course module should be included. Requirements: Examples of the use of 2-3 technologies for each sp Requirements: Survey + report of around 500 words Ope.fi-portfolio 2-10 sp

PlanningProductionStartCarrying outEvaluation & documentation Administrative questions Production of course material Handbook for production of digital material Registration of students on the course Introduction into the learning environment Course finishes Course evaluation Pedagogical planning Planning of activating methods and assignments Registration of students in learning platform (User names for course participants) Face-to-face teaching Choice of mediaPlanning of course facilitation and feedback Test of facilities, software and hardware FacilitationDocumentation, updating of material and further development of course Information about the course Learning environment & layout Course startExamination Evaluation of the course design 6. Written support material among others: Handbook for production of web-based courses

2. STARTING POINTS FOR PLANNING - what is good learning? - why e-learning? 1. PRACTICAL QUESTIONS -financing -team -time-planning -support systems -technology and software 3. TARGET GROUP ANALYSIS 5. CONTENTS - aims - modules 4. COURSE DESIGN - medium - material - examination 6. DESIGNING ACTIVITIES 7.E-MODERATING 9.EVALUATION -work process -course 8. LEARNING PLATFORM /WEB ENVIRONMENT Process for course design Based on Hely Lahtinen, TY

39 Three stages in the lifecycle of a web-course  Planning –Administrative questions –Pedagogical planning –Planning of course material –Choice of medium –Creating tasks and assignments –Planning moderation –Technical production  Teaching –Face-to-face / group meetings –Moderation and feedback  Updating the course material, documentation of the course, storage  Payment

Tool for planning

Check-up of course plan + workload

Gilly Salmon: “The 5 stage model”

43 Other IT-based projects for teaching

44 Software for plagiariasm: Urkund  Software for plagiarism in 2009 –Swedish software Urkund –Available for all teachers this year: testing & evaluation > purchase of licenses for 2010-?  Why a software: –Quality assurance: ÅAU needs to be able to show a system for detecting plagiarism A software enables systematic plagiarism detection A software makes the teachers’ work easier A software makes plagiarism detection more equal and fair University perspective – student perspective –A general belief that plagierism is increasing

45 Procedures for handling cases of plagiarism in undergraduate studies  ÅAU Senate approved of the procedures  ”Incautious use” – ”plagiarism” –Incautious use of material: Incautious use of material refers to a situation where a student unintentionally presents material produced by another person as his/her own work. The criteria for incautious use of material is met in cases of misunderstanding the nature of the work task, negligence or perceptible inexperience in the correct use of quotations and/or other referencing techniques by the student. –Plagiarism: Plagiarism refers to a situation where a student intentionally presents material produced by another person as his/her own work. The criteria for plagiarism is met in cases where a student knows or should know that the reproduced material has been created by another person, or where the student has neglected to follow the teacher’s instructions for avoiding incautious use of material

47  See interactive demo on the Urkund website: >  Information in English on the ÅA-web: More information on Urkund

48 System for electronic exams  Electronic exams/exam aquarium – a room where the students gets exam questions through a computer and write the exam answers on the computer, while being supervised by a video camera  Student initiative > now a cooperation project with the other universities in Turku –There are systems for electronic exams in quite a few other universitites in Finland  Electronic exams suitable for –individual exams of different type –summer exams –book exams –exams with quizzes/self-correcting questions –for students with certain forms of handicap

49 Advantages with electronic exams For students:  More flexibility in time  Improves access to exam books  Can write exam answers on computer For teachers  The teacher/department would not have to make the practical arrangements for various kinds of individual exams  Computer-written exam answers

50 Room, video supervision, examination instructions – things to keep in mind when planning an electronic exam system  Computer room  No cheating: –video supervision –computers screened off from each other –no books or similar things into the room –not access to any other software or the Internet from the computers  Identification of those who write exams  Potential problems when writing an e-exam: clear instructions for students how to act, offer new chance to take the exam as soon as possible  Changes probably needed to examination instructions: time span before students get feedback on their exams (now 2 weeks)

51 Software (elomake) for webforms  Since March 2009  Course evaluation

52 Student support

53  ”Academic Study Skills” 1-3 ECTS –Optional course once a year (20-50 students) –Web-based course Moodle: forum, assignment, quizzes, poll Introductory ’lectures’ recorded in Adobe ConnectPro Recorded lectures in Adobe Presenter Web conference in Adobe Connect Pro (presentations in small groups) Students produce their own blogs (blogger or wordpress)

54  IT-courses for 1st year students  Support for exam papers: ”Gradu Journey” – ”Gradu Road” – ”Gradu Club”

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56 What does the teacher/department gain from the Virtual University project?  teacher training –Short courses –Tailor-made courses for the department –National programme (TieVie)  individual support –Planning, pedagogical and technical advice –By , phone, meetings  extensive web-based material for course development: –Checklists etc  extra pay for those who develop web-based courses  copy-right agreements  chance to influence decision making through ”reference groups” (faculty level)  web-based services for students: pro gradu-guidance, inividual e- study plans etc