1. Session 3: Messages What themes and issues are emerging?

2. … is pervasive in learners’ lives
As learners have allowed us in, they have shown us many examples of the pervasive and integrated technology use we talked about in Phase 1. Students talk about turning the computer on as soon as they wake up, being ‘facebook addicts’, personalising their tools (lexdis) and adapting personal technologies for study e.g. video recording lectures on their phones (stroll). 2

3. Learners need multiple literacies to succeed academically

4. Are the ‘learners of the future’ here?
BUT
many learners lack basic information literacy
many learners have no idea how they should be using technology for learning, even after induction
many learners expect their tutors to introduce them to the technologies they will need for successful learning
the digital divide may be getting narrower and deeper
Many learners use personal devices, social software and online services to help fit learning into their lives
Some learners blend formal and informal, online and face-to-face, collaborative and individual learning
Some learners use sophisticated strategies for finding, evaluating, managing and re-using information
Some learners are skilled in content creation and sharing (blogging, tagging, commenting, rating, pod/web-casting, photo/video sharing…)
Even without our help? – Sophisticated online learners are deploying skills they didn’t learn at college or in school. Will this change? Should this change? (‘not in my space’ scenario) What is the picture like in schools for example?

5. Some themes we are exploring in more detail
Access
Preferences, choices, patterns of use
Personalisation
Beliefs and expectations
Effective e-learners
Change and transition
Social software
Specific learners & contexts
Institutional level practices
Course level practices

6. Access
Preferences, choices, patterns of use
Personalisation
Beliefs and expectations
Effective e-learners
Change and transition
Social software
Specific learners & contexts
Institutional level practices
Course level practices

7. 1. Issues learners struggle with in transition
Little understanding of how they will be expected to study and learn – even after induction
Uncertainty and loss of familiar processes
Transfer of key processes from paper to computer
Wider variety of software, more choice, upgrading
Over-confidence in information skills
Digital disadvantage (narrower and deeper divide)
Disabled learners having to master assistive technologies
?clash of knowledge cultures (practice, authority, media)
academic and web-based knowledge practices
multimedia content creation/sharing and text-based academic content

8. 2. Ways in which learners mature in their studies
Increased use of technology and a broader range of uses
Athens, online databases, journals, library system, podcasts…
Increased time spent online, especially on academic sites
Preferences change
mobiles and laptops over desktops, USB sticks over discs, Mac over PC, digital over paper-based media…
More careful and strategic over use of time
Improved research and investigation skills
Use of personal and social technologies for learning
e-portfolios, blogs, social bookmarking…
Introduced to many subject-specific technologies

9. Activity #3: Change and transition
In pairs/small groups (again) consider either:
What three changes could we make to the induction process to support students more effectively? or
What three things do we need to embed into first-year programmes to help learners ‘mature’ in their studies?

10. Strategies of effective e-learners
Access
Preferences, choices, patterns of use
Personalisation
Beliefs and expectations
Effective e-learners
Change and transition
Social software
Specific learners & contexts
Institutional level practices
Course level practices

11. Activity #4: Strategies of effective e-learners
In your table group, look through the ‘strategies’ cards (two sets per table)
In pairs, select three strategies of effective e-learners that seem important to you
e.g. because they are being used by learners in your context
or because you think they would benefit learners in your context
or because you find them interesting for other reasons
(You may have to fight for the ones you want!)

12. Activity #4: Strategies of effective e-learners
For each strategy consider:
What are the educational benefits of this strategy?
How could you (practitioners, course teams, central service teams) support this strategy better?
(If time) go on to consider
Are there any downsides to this strategy?
What solutions or alternatives could you offer to learners?

13. LexDis guides and strategies database

14. Reflection and feedback
How effective were those activities at communicating key themes?
How could they be more effective?
How could you adapt or repurpose them for your communities?

15. A problem
Access
Preferences, choices, patterns of use
Personalisation
Beliefs and expectations
Effective e-learners
Change and transition
Social software
Specific learners & contexts
Institutional level practices
Course level practices
How do we communicate all this effectively?

16. Mind-maps of themes and evidence?

17. Key messages Over lunch : Explore the ‘key messages’ posters
Add your comments e.g.
agree/disagree (why?)
have evidence/ have counter-evidence
ideas for responding to this message in practice
Consider how these could be used for staff development