Exploring eLearning Pedagogy and Moodle Course Design

1. Introduction to eLearning courses: A primer for lecturers new to eLearning and Moodle Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

2. This presentation provides a quick introduction to: • eLearning pedagogy • andeLearning course design Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

3. Part 1: eLearning pedagogy Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

4. eLearning uses media and technology to create learning communities. Communities where students interact, share knowledge, and collectively make meaning of new information. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

5. 3 Research has identified 3 types of ‘presence’ in eLearning communities. teacher cognitive social Garrison et al (2000). Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

6. How do you think people studying online might: • create cognitive connections? • interact? • experience ‘teacher presence’? Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

7. In eLearning, the teacher (or lecturer) has the role of facilitator. Instruction is intentionally designed so that connections occur without the constant presence or direction of the instructor. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

8. You may ask, ‘How can teaching be effective with this ‘hands off’ approach?’ Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

9. You may wonder about the role of Q&As and class discussions, and ask, ‘How can anything beat face to face dialogue?’ Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

10. Well, eLearning enables social interactions in ways that are very beneficial to learners. eLearning gives learners time to think before making a response, so their contribution can be of a higher quality. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

11. You may wonder about group work and ask, ‘How can students develop critical thinking skills when studying online?’ Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

12. Well, eLearning is all about student connection and collaboration. Courses are designed to give learners opportunities to reflect, share and think critically about topics. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

13. You may ask, ‘How do I connect personally with students and identify their individual learning needs?’ Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

14. Well, eLearning software provides facilitators with a ‘window’ to track learner performance. Facilitators can see when students need help and provide scaffolding. eLearning courses can be designed with self, peer and teacher assessment, so learners have many sources of feedback. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

15. Part 2: Moodle and eLearning course design Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

16. Moodleis a learning management system used to develop and maintain online learning communities. Learning management systems are also sometimes referred to as ‘Virtual Learning Environments’. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

17. Designing a Moodle course means creating an online learning environment where learners … Engage with the facilitator about the subject matter. Engage with the subject matter. teacher Engage with peers about the subject matter. cognitive social Garrison et al (2000). Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

18. eLearning courses have more than lecture presentations and readings. They havecritical thinking activities and communication tools to engage learners cognitively and socially. Students need to engage with their course content and with each other in order to construct meaning (Nichol, 2009). Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

19. Creating an effective eLearning course means thinking about the stages learners progress through on their eLearning journey. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

20. .. and guiding learners through those stages. Okay, what are the stages? Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

21. Gilly Salmon’s (2000) research identified 5stages of eLearning that require teacher facilitation. Development Knowledge Construction Information Exchange Socialisation Access and Motivation

22. Deeper levels of cognitive, social and teaching presence occur as learners progress through these 5 stages. Demonstrating acquisition of knowledge and skills; participating in assessments to measure performance; self reflection on learning. Applying new knowledge to tasks / problems, comparing outcomes with others, reflecting on the meaning. Accessing content, reflecting on the content, discussions with others. Getting to know the lecturer and other students. Access to the course.

23. Given that eLearning facilitators guide learners toward deeper and deeper levels of meaning, do you think instructional practices are similar or different to those of classroom teaching? Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

24. The following slide shows the range of instructional practices commonly applied to classroom-based teaching. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

25. setting contexts summative assessment setting expectations reflection on learning prior knowledge check formative assessment instructions content practice tasks critical thinking tasks peer feedback group tasks discussions scaffolds Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

26. Do you think these instructional practices are used in eLearning courses? Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

27. Review 2 or 3 Moodlecourses in your Faculty and critically examine them for evidence of: Setting contexts Signposts (instructions, performance expectations) Content (text, visual or multimedia) Learner discussions Practice tasks, collaborative tasks, critical thinking tasks Peer feedback Lecturer feedback or scaffolds Formal assessment Learner self-reflection of learning. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

28. Instructional practices used in classroom teaching are also used in the design of eLearning courses. Indeed, instructional practices combine with the tools of a learning management system to provide a dynamiclearning community. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

29. Summary: eLearning pedagogy is about creating onlinelearning communitiesthat combine cognitive presence, social presence and teacher presence. Moodle is a technology that supports eLearning pedagogy. Lecturers can apply proven instructional practices to the design and facilitation of Moodle courses. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011

30. You’ve now completed the primer. Part 1: eLearning pedagogy Part 2: Moodle and eLearning course design Please proceed to the Moodle software tutorials and begin designing your eLearning course. Designed by Janette Iorns, 2011