1. Virtual Lego TM & other e-tivities Tony Churchill (Staff Development Centre) tc40@le.ac.uk

2. Introduction By the end of this session we will have… Explored a range of development activities for staff addressing the techniques and pedagogy of e-learning Considered the relevance of Gilly Salmon’s model of networked learning Examined a framework to evaluate the outcomes of programmes addressing these needs

3. Context University of Leicester… 55% post-graduate Significant distance learning offer for post-graduate courses (65%) History of e-learning innovations Blackboard adopted as the University's preferred VLE in May 2002

4. Scale Blackboard courses 98 Courses or modules with their own Blackboard course Blackboard tutors 252 Teachers (and other staff) who can publish materials Blackboard students 1,490 Active Blackboard accounts

5. In any institution there is likely to be a combination of these approaches. E-learning implementation ‘Dictated’ ‘Disorganised’ STRUCTURED ORGANIC

6. Staff Development Courses Blackboard Familiarisation A one-hour session providing a 'hands-on' introduction to the features of Blackboard. Blackboard Workshops Regular, themed sessions to provide support in:- –Creating a course –Communications tools –Content –Assessment tools ‘Enhancing your course with a VLE’

7. Possible development stages Step OneStage TwoStage Three Access to existing materials + Communication + Enhanced materials + Assessment & evaluation + Fully integrated into course = Storage= Interaction= Integration

8. Possible development stages Step OneStep TwoStage Three Access to existing materials + Communication + Enhanced materials + Assessment & evaluation + Fully integrated into course = Storage= Interaction= Integration

9. Possible development stages Step OneStep TwoStep Three Access to existing materials + Communication + Enhanced materials + Assessment & evaluation + Fully integrated into course = Storage= Interaction= Integration

10. What is an e-tivity? They are:- “…motivating, engaging, purposeful activities developed and led by an e- moderator” “…frameworks for active and interactive online learning” “…in the hands of teachers themselves and promote active learning” Salmon, E-tivities (2002)

11. E-tivity I - Virtual Lego TM …

12. The Lego TM exercise Adapting a task we had already used in course team training, participants were asked to… 1.Describe two pieces of Lego they had received through the post 2.Work collaboratively online to design a model using all the pieces provided The only communication allowed was via a discussion board with no images or other attachments. Jane Wellens, UoL, (2002)

13. The Lego TM experience (a reminder of the student experience) Lack of direction –Where do we meet? –How do we progress? Disorientation –Familiarity with medium –Common Language Wither structure?

14. E-tivity II – NASA: Stranded in the desert

15. The NASA exercise Adapting a task much used in management courses, participants were asked to… 1.Identify and rank the 10 most useful items in terms of their importance to their survival. 2.State their final rankings with reasons for their choice. The only communication allowed was via the Virtual Classroom (or chat) facility. NASA

16. The NASA experience The key things we learned were that… The expected differences (from f2f) did not materialise The spread of contributions was much more even than our expectations Culture could make profound differences to the nature of the interaction

17. Teaching & learning online 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 (2000)

18. R e flections A course to enable participants to become better online Tutors Over five weeks (one per stage) participants access:- –Discussion groups - a wide range of activities taking 15 minutes per day (on average) –Virtual classroom (or chats) - weekly group 'reflections' on the issues raised in each stage –Materials - resources and web links exploring the issues addressed in the session …and create their own e-tivities!

19. STAGE ONE – Access & Motivation AIMS - effective induction; address concerns (technical & content); recognition of reasons for and benefits of participation E-tivity 1 – introduce your surroundings & welcome others E-tivity 2 – agree a time for online chat and calculate time in other time-zones E-tivity 3 – thinks of reasons for lurking and draft a message to encourage a lurker to contribute

20. STAGE TWO – Online socialization AIMS – explore appropriate information exchange; willing & able to exchange information; benefits clear E-tivity 1 – create personal homepage E-tivity 2 – dealing with inappropriate and misinterpreted contributions

21. STAGE THREE – Information Exchange AIMS – feel in control of own learning; enabled to support the learning of others; clear what a learning community is E-tivity 1 – evaluate e-learning materials E-tivity 2 – consider effective (e-) learning

22. STAGE FOUR – Knowledge Construction AIMS – able to create e-tivities; able to guide effective e-tivities; consideration of course structure E-tivity 1 – create a group review of an academic article E-tivity 2 – an exploration of online plagiarism (and how to avoid it)

23. STAGE FIVE – Development AIMS – encourage group confidence & reflection; value interaction records as sources of reflection; recognition of collective nature of learning for most learners E-tivity 1 – planning & evaluation of an e-learning project E-tivity 2 – review of R e flections

24. Evaluation Matrix Three phases… Analysis & design Development Implementation Also… Institutionalisation (ie To what extent has innovation influenced the wider organisation?) (after Dr Rob Phillips, Murdoch University, Australia) http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/application.asp?app=resources. asp&process=full_record&section=generic&id=172 http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/application.asp?app=resources. asp&process=full_record&section=generic&id=172

25. Phase One: Analysis & design Curriculum analysis –What are the learning outcomes, course objectives and institutional objectives for the programme? Teaching-for-learning analysis –What are the existing strengths of existing provision in terms of achievement of learning outcomes and objectives? Specification of innovation –What will be the impact on teaching and learning strategy? Can the focus on deep learning be maintained?

26. Phase Two: Development Formative monitoring of learning environment –What are the attitudes of staff and course members to the e-learning tools? Formative monitoring of learning process –Is the change contributing to deeper learning activities on the course?

27. Phase Three: Implementation Summative evaluation of the learning process –Do course members feel ‘supported’? Summative evaluation of learning outcomes –Have the e-learning tools enhanced course member understanding of the course content? Summative evaluation of learning appropriateness –What are the costs and benefits of the change?

28. Virtual Lego & other e-tivities Tony Churchill (Staff Development Centre) tc40@le.ac.uk