1. © AJC 2004.1/11 Virtual Courses in the Big Room Alan J. Cann Department of Microbiology & Immunology University of Leicester. Big Room: noun. (Also: Big Blue Room) The large room with the blue ceiling found outside all computer installations. "He can't come to the phone right now, he's in the Big Room."

2. © AJC 2004.2/11 How Did We Get Here? I began using the WWW for teaching in late 1993. Since then, I have developed an extensive set of WWW-based learning materials: www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk The server currently has: ~200Mb of information in 3,000 files ~16,500 links (11,000 internal, 5,500 external) ~40,000 hits, 700Mb per day (?400,000 hits, 7Gb /day with caching?)

3. © AJC 2004.3/11 What are we trying to do? Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Benjamin Bloom, 1956: Knowledge Understanding Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

4. © AJC 2004.4/11 e-Learning 1 Access & motivation E-moderating - welcome & encourage Technical - Setting up & accessing 2 Online socialization E-mod - familiarization; building bridges (cultural, social & learning environment) Tech - sending & receiving messages 3 Information exchange E-mod - facilitate tasks; support use of learning materials Tech - searching, personalizing 4 Knowledge construction E-mod - facilitating process Tech - conferencing 5 Development E-mod - supporting, responding Tech - providing links outside closed conferences Salmon, E-Moderating, Routledge, (2004)

5. © AJC 2004.5/11 Virtual Learning Environments (Blackboard, WebCT, Fretwell-Downing, etc) A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) combines multiple e-learning tools in one package, adding… –Ease of use –Easy availability of materials (with password protection) –Communications tools accessible by all/selected sub-groups (discussion boards, virtual classroom, chat, e-mail) –Assessments and surveys using multiple formats –Tracking of student interactions with the materials –Gradebook

6. © AJC 2004.6/11 VLE Advantages Consistent navigation Statistics (tracking) Communication tools: –Email –Digital drop box –Discussion boards (asynchronous) –Virtual classroom (synchronous) –Calendar

7. © AJC 2004.7/11 VLE Disadvantages Cost! (5 figures) Strategy? (pedagogical, financial) Training?

8. © AJC 2004.8/11 Training Students Staff –e-Reflections: –To enable participants to become better online tutors –Over five weeks (one per stage) participants access:- Discussion groups Virtual classroom (chats) Learning materials … and create their own e-tivities!

9. © AJC 2004.9/11 Where Are We Going? CMS: Course Management Systems (Dreamweaver, GoLive) VLE: Virtual Learning Environments (Blackboard, WebCT) MLE: Managed Learning Environments (???) Individuals Individuals/ Institutions

10. © AJC 2004.10/11 Managed Learning Environments The entire range of information systems and processes of an institution (VLEs) which contribute, directly or indirectly, to learning and the management of learning.

11. © AJC 2004.11/11 http://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/AJC/talks.html alan.cann@leicester.ac.uk Education costs money - ignorance costs more.