A learning design toolkit for fostering effective e-learning

1. A learning design toolkit for fostering effective e-learning Professor Gráinne Conole, University of Southampton Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk NVU –Konferansen 2005, Kaltur for e-elearning Levanger 15-16th March 2005

2. Growth of e-learning tools Online information tools Gateways and portals Integrated learning environments Blackboard, WebCT Assessment tools TOIA, QuestionMark Communication tools Email, discussion boards, chat

3. Models Resources Testing systems Virtual simulations Variety of resource Via gateways and portals Mediating tools and resources Tools to manipulate and store Multiple forms of communication Management Communication

4. Impact Organisational structures Roles, skills and practice Teaching, learning and assessment Funding drivers National initiatives ICT catalysts - VLEs Increasing impact of ICT ICT as mission critical Drivers

5. New modes of learning Building on work of others Communities of learners Mobile Sharing resources Richer feedback Individualised Interoperable E-learning hype ICT promises

6. Negative aspects Patch use of communication tools Stilted collaborations VLEs for admin and as content repositories -ve Information overload Not pedagogically informed

7. Positive aspects Critical mass of mediating tools and resources Shift from individual to socially situated +ve Learning in context Learning through problem solving

8. Access to wealth of resources New forms of dialogue New forms of community Speed of access, immediacy Virtual representations Information overload, quality issues Literacy skills issues Learner identity and confusion Lack of permanency, surface Lack of reality, real is fake Technology pros and cons

9. New methods of online data collection Virtual networks Intelligent tools Information explosion Adaptivity International collaboration Beyond the web - the next generation The Grid

10. Papart Vygotsky Learning by doing Constructivism Paiget Laurillard Social learning Mercer Kolb Through experience Through dialogue Theories of learning Key characteristics of learning Dewey Wenger Through reflection In the company of others Socially situated Jarvis Lave Cognition Communities of practice

11. The missing link Plethora of tools and resources Enormous potential but underused Wealth of knowledge about learning Didactic/behaviourists models predominate • Gap between the • potentialof the technologies • (confusion over how they can be used) • and • applicationof good pedagogical principles • (confusion over which models to use)

12. Back to the drawing board… • Use of a learning design toolkit to • Rethink teaching, learning and assessment • Make learning and teaching approaches more explicit • Enable appropriate use of • Tools and resources • Choice of teaching and learning techniques • Innovative approaches to assessment

13. What is a toolkit? • Toolkit are: • Easy-to-use for practitioners • Produce demonstrable benefit • Provideguidance, but are not prescriptive • Adaptable and easy to customise to local context • Used to plan and scope • Used iteratively over time • Reusable – can share resources and templates

14. Learning Activity Toolkit • Guides teachers through the process of articulating their teaching approach • Results in the production of a ‘lesson plan’ for a particular learning activity • Prompts and supports teachers as they create or modify learning activities, linking pedagogical approaches to teaching techniques, tools and resources

15. Methodology • Reviewed • Learning theories and identified key elements of learning • Definition of a learning activity • Distil out Geographers’ implicit thinking • Definition of a learning activity and its components • Relationships between components • Mapping and reality check with real examples

16. Learning activity components • Context • Subject, level, learning outcomes, environment, etc • Learning and teaching approaches • Theories and models • Tasks • Type, techniques, tools, resources, interaction, roles • Associated assessments – types, techniques

17. Tackling the problem… • Need to understand • The way e-learning can (and can’t!) be used • Changing organisational context • New skills needed and impact on individuals • Rethink designing learning activities • Apply learning theory • Make appropriate use of tools and resources • Devise innovative approaches to assessment

18. Creating learning activiites • Use of a learning design toolkit to • Rethink teaching, learning and assessment • Make learning and teaching approaches more explicit • Enable appropriate use of • Tools and resources • Choice of teaching and learning techniques • Innovative approaches to assessment

28. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – didactic • Learning outcome – knowledge • Tasks – assimilative • Assessment - focusing on re-production of knowledge • MCQs, drills, short answer, essays • Tutor feedback, tutor assessed

29. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – cognitive apprenticeship • Learning outcome – application • Tasks - experiential • Assessment - focusing on use of concepts in different contexts • Report, field work, project • Tutor assessed; may be peer- or self-evaluated

30. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – problem-based • Learning outcome – analysis • Tasks – information handling • Assessment – focus on application of concepts to problems • Exercise, practical, project • Tutor assessed or peer- or self-evaluated

31. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – dialogic • Learning outcome – evaluation • Tasks – communicative • Assessment - focus on critiquing and argument • Group presentation • Peer-evaluated

32. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – problem-based • Learning outcome – analysis • Tasks – information handling • Assessment – focus on application of concepts to problems • Exercise, practical, project • Tutor assessed or peer- or self-evaluated

33. Uses • Guidance • On the development of learning activity • Mapping pedagogy to tools and resources • Repurposing • Query database of existing learning activities • Research • Development of new e-learning models • Quality assurance

34. Benefits • Providing guidance and support • Making link between pedagogy and tasks more explicit • Mapping of approaches with techniques and associated tools and resources • As a means of articulating out practitioner understanding • Generation of generic templates and models

35. References • Conole, Dyke, Oliver, & Seale, (2004), ‘Mapping pedagogy and tools for effective learning design’, Computers and Education, June 2004 • Conole and Dyke, (2004), ‘The affordances of ICT’, ALT-J, 12.2 • Conole and Fill, (Submitted), ‘Specification for a learning design activities toolkit’, Computers and education • Conole, (2004), ‘Report on the effectiveness of tools for e-learning’, report for the JISC commissioned ‘Research Study on the Effectiveness of Resources, Tools and Support Services used by Practitioners in Designing and Delivering E-Learning Activities’

36. Acknowledgements • People • Karen Fill • Martin Dyke • Chris Bailey • Martin Oliver • Helen Beetham • Jonathan Darby • Funders • JISC/NSC DialogPlus project • HEFCE E-Learning Research Centre • JISC e-pedagogy programme

37. A learning design toolkit for fostering effective e-learning Professor Gráinne Conole, University of Southampton Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk NVU –Konferansen 2005, Kaltur for e-elearning Levanger 15-16th March 2005