1. The killer app in LAMS V2.1: Branching James Dalziel Professor of Learning Technology, and Director, Macquarie E-Learning Centre Of Excellence (MELCOE) Macquarie University james@melcoe.mq.edu.au www.melcoe.mq.edu.au Presentation for 9 th Sakai Conference, Paris, France, July 1 st, 2008

2. Overview Background to LAMS LAMS integrated into Sakai LAMS 2.1 Branching Case Study –Interactive Whiteboard adoption Role Play Other LAMS 2.1 Features Upcoming: Activity Planner Discussion

3. Background to LAMS LAMS is the world’s leading software for Learning Design –1000s of educators across 80+ countries –Translated into 25 languages Visual “drag and drop” approach to designing activities –Helps educators to visualise teaching and learning processes LAMS Sequences can be shared, re-used and adapted –LAMS Community (www.lamscommunity.org) –Approximately 3300 members, 86 countries, 290 shared sequences downloaded 7500 times, 3700 discussion postings Freely available as open source software –(Fee-based hosting and tech support from LAMS International)

4. Background to LAMS LAMS can be used stand-alone, or integrated with Virtual Learning Environments (Single-Sign-On) –Learners: URL to LAMS sequence from course page –Educators: Author, select, launch and monitor sequences Current integrations include: –Sakai –Moodle –Blackboard (Blackboard & WebCT versions) –.LRN –Microsoft Sharepoint

5. LAMS Integrated with Sakai

6. LAMS + Sakai: Learner Sequence launched from Sakai Course page (SSO)

7. LAMS + Sakai: Instructor Monitoring of Learner Progress through Sequence

8. Instructor Authoring of New Sequence (inc Branching) to launch for students in Sakai

9. To test LAMS + Sakai, sign up at http://sakai.lamscommunity.org/

10. Interactive whiteboard adoption role play Available in LAMS Community - developed as an adaptation of an earlier role play (on LAMS adoption) Considers the adoption of interactive whiteboards in a typical secondary school from the perspective of 4 roles –“Pro” teachers – who are very keen on IBs –“Con” teachers – those concerned about wider adoption of IBs –School management – see both benefits and issues –Students – like IBs when well used, dislike tech for tech sake Three main stages: Pre-role play role preparation, role play proper, then post-role play reflection

11. Interactive whiteboard adoption role play Introducing LAMS V2.1 –Branching Teacher allocated Group-based Tool-output based (MCQ, Forum, Vote, Task List) –Sequences in optional Student choice of one or more sequences “Branching” is always teacher or system driven (ie, automatic from the student’s perspective); optional sequences allows for student choice “branching”

12. Key concept before we start: Properties bar in Authoring (click on it to open)

13. LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Role tasks with Branching

14. LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Inside branching for role tasks

15. LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Naming of branches

16. LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Setting up role groups

17. LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Naming role groups

18. LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Branching type = groups

19. LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Mapping groups to branches

20. So… after launching the Role Play sequence in Monitor, a Learner can now access it…

21. Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Student view of Forum (private for Pro Teacher role)

22. LAMS 2.1: Alternative branching approach: Teacher choice instead of group-based

23. LAMS 2.1: Alternative branching approach: Launch in monitor, then allocate to branches

24. LAMS 2.1: Teacher allocating students to branches by hand in Monitor

25. LAMS 2.1: Alternative branching approach: Student view of Branch 2 (“con” teacher)

26. LAMS 2.1: Alternative branching: Tool-output based branching based on Vote (using MCQ)

27. Imagine using Vote to create new “yes” and “no” subgroups for extra resources & forum

28. LAMS 2.1: Tool-output branching: Creating conditions from tool outputs

29. LAMS 2.1: Tool-output branching: … then mapping conditions to Branches

30. Branching summary Three types of branching –Group-based –Teacher choice –Tool output (& conditions) Can have multiple groups, multiple branching activities, multiple sub-groups applied to one branch, “skip” option for branching (no task for some learners) –Tool outputs can be Boolean (either/or) or Scores –Current tools are MCQ, Forum, Vote, Task List Task List is first example of “Conditions” approach

31. LAMS 2.1: New Optional *Sequences* feature (under optional; properties for settings)

32. LAMS 2.1: New Optional Sequences - allows students to choose 1 or more sequences

33. Pedagogical uses of new features Can assign different students to different topics –Each group investigates a different aspect of a phenomenon, then reports findings back to the whole class Can use Branching with Tool Output (and Skip) to provide remediation tasks for only some students (eg, quiz score < X, then do branch remediation activities; otherwise skip branch) Can allow students to choose from different optional sequences (according to topic, skill, thoroughness, etc) Can seek student opinion (eg, Role Play Vote), then create group tasks that respond to different opinions

34. Other LAMS/RAMS 2.1 Features Live Edit of running sequences New Tool: Task List Flash Audio/Video player can be used in all tools Merge/Insert sequences in Author Optional Non-Flash Learner Interface (mobile LAMS) Sequence completion status Re-arrange lesson order on main page For full feature list, see –http://wiki.lamsfoundation.org/display/lams/LAMS+2.1+Feature+List

35. Application to Research Activities The concept of re-usable sequences of learning activities can also be applied to research activities –Research team management –Research workflows –Modeling of research processes ahead of time (eg, biosecurity) RAMS (Research Activity Management System) –Shares a common workflow core with LAMS –Many new LAMS features (Branching, Live Edit, Conditions, etc) have arisen from RAMS requirements

36. New Feature (from RAMS): Live Edit (starting with running sequence in Monitor)

37. New Feature: Open live sequence in special author mode (some locked)

38. New Feature: Can change sequence structure/tools for those not locked

39. New Feature: Live sequence is immediately updated for current users

40. New LAMS 2.1 Task List Tool: Author View

41. Student View of Task List Tool

42. New “Conditions” Feature: Creating Conditions for Branching using tool data

43. Flash Movie/Audio Player can be used in all tools

44. Example of Non-Flash Learner Interface: Useful for mobile devices (eg, iPhone)

45. Upcoming: Activity Planner (aka Pedagogic Planner) A new layer over the top of LAMS that provides good practice templates, advice on choosing and editing, and simplified authoring (NB: under development) Flexible Learning Design Platform: Capable of many pedagogic approaches Good practice templates + Limited authoring “Full” Authoring

46. LAMS Activity Planner: Selecting a template

47. LAMS Activity Planner: Filling out the key content for a selected template

48. Further LAMS Information Introduction to LAMS – walkthroughs, videos, case studies http://cd.lamsfoundation.org/ http://cd.lamsfoundation.org/ General demonstration accounts for LAMS http://demo.lamscommunity.org/ http://demo.lamscommunity.org/ General information about LAMS http://www.lamsfoundation.org/ http://www.lamsfoundation.org/ LAMS Community http://www.lamscommunity.org/ http://www.lamscommunity.org/ Live Edit new features 2.1 http://saturn.melcoe.mq.edu.au/lams2/docs/winks/newLiveEdit.htm http://saturn.melcoe.mq.edu.au/lams2/docs/winks/newLiveEdit.htm Adoption of Interactive Whiteboards in schools Role Play – download V1 version of sequence from http://lamscommunity.org/lamscentral/sequence?seq_id=376440 http://lamscommunity.org/lamscentral/sequence?seq_id=376440 Animated “mock-ups” for Pedagogic Planner concept http://saturn.melcoe.mq.edu.au/jly/Ped_planner.htm http://saturn.melcoe.mq.edu.au/jly/Ped_plannerv2.htm http://saturn.melcoe.mq.edu.au/jly/Ped_planner.htm http://saturn.melcoe.mq.edu.au/jly/Ped_plannerv2.htm

49. Discussion