Supporting further and higher education Understanding my Learning Helen Beetham Programme Consultant

Supporting further and higher education e-learning and Pedagogy Overall aim: ensure that e-learning in UK post-16 sector is pedagogically sound, learner-focused and accessible. First theme: design for learning –Practitioner planning perspective –How to support effective practice with e-learning? Second theme: understanding my learning (or learners experience of learning?) –Learner participating perspective –How to support good e-learning experiences?

Supporting further and higher education e-learning that is pedagogically sound, learner focused and accessible pedagogically soundlearner focused accessible e-learning learner characteristics learning outcome learning environment learning task

Supporting further and higher education learner characteristics learning outcome learning environment learning task practitioner planning perspective Tools, facilities, services and resources to be used in the learning task Existing skills and knowledge; learning needs, motives and approaches; prior experience of learning… Target knowledge and skills; topic and subject area interaction of learner with environment, leading to planned outcome

Supporting further and higher education Design for learning Practitioner planning perspective Learning task/interaction based –Which learners –asked to do what? –to achieve what outcome? –using what tools and resources? Could also support a practitioner evaluating/reflecting perspective Our aims: Review and investigate what makes for effective practice with e-learning Help practitioners to make more effective design decisions Help developers to design systems – especially learning design tools – that support effective practice

Supporting further and higher education learner characteristics learning outcome learning environment learning task practitioner planning perspective Tools, facilities, services and resources to be used in the learning task Existing skills and knowledge; learning needs, motives and approaches; prior experience of learning… Target knowledge and skills; topic and subject area interaction of learner with environment, leading to planned outcome

Supporting further and higher education learner characteristics learning outcome learning environment learning task learner participating perspective How do I do this? What am I supposed to use (tools/ resources)? Can I use this effectively (access, competence, preference)? Who am I working with? What is my role? Why am I doing this? Do I enjoy this? What skills and knowledge will I be using? What am I supposed to learn from this? What do I know about this already? What am I being asked to do? Have I done something like this before? What help can I get?

Supporting further and higher education Understanding my learning learners experience of e-learning? Learner participating perspective Task/interaction based (but a different perspective…) –What am I being asked to do? –With whom? Using what skills and knowledge? –Using what tools and resources? –What will I learn? Could also support a learner reflecting perspective Our aims: Review and investigate how learners experience and participate in e-learning Help practitioners support learners with different needs, experiences and preferences Help developers to design systems that: –support a wide range of learning tasks/interactions –meet different learner needs (access, competence) –and enable positive learning experiences

Supporting further and higher education Review our understanding of e-learning Research what we still need to know Reflect on and analyse outcomes Represent our new understanding of e-learning Apply those representations to development scenarios, user needs, evaluation criteria… to practice guidelines, case studies, toolkits, evaluation criteria…

Supporting further and higher education Review our understanding of e-learning Research what we still need to know Reflect on and analyse outcomes Represent our new understanding of e-learning Apply those representations to development scenarios, user needs, evaluation criteria… to practice guidelines, case studies, toolkits, evaluation criteria…

Supporting further and higher education e-learning learner focused pedagogically sound accessible and flexible person focustask/activity focus tasks outcomes approaches tasks/uses activities goals approaches needs user needs skills

Supporting further and higher education learner focused person focustask/activity focus tasks outcomes approaches tasks/usesuser needs Practitioners (D4L) Learners (UmL) Developers (DeL) Practitioners (D4L projects) –Tasks and technologies (typologies, taxonomies) –Constructive alignment with desired outcomes –Range of approaches and values (models) Learners (UmL projects) –Experience of e-learning activities –Relationship with existing knowledge and skills, goals etc –Range of needs, motivations and preferences For developers (DeL tools projects) –Scenarios/narratives - ensure systems flexible/accessible enough to support all kinds of learning activities –User requirements - ensure systems flexible/accessible enough to meet all kinds of learner needs activities goals approaches needs skills

Supporting further and higher education Work packages 1c Review: learner experience of e-learning 1d Research study: learner experience of e-learning 1e Elicitation of practice study 2b Review: learner differences 2c etc: Exploratory work on –E-portfolios –E-assessment –Personalised/individualised learning –(collaborative and discussion-based tasks) –(higher-order tasks e.g. problem-solving, synthesis, evaluation) 3 Develop taxonomies for learning tasks etc 4 Input to development work on e-portfolios, e- assessment and personalised learning environments 5a Collation and synthesis 5b Design, create and maintain practitioner-based resource(s) –Workshops, web site, publications, consultation process