Designing for effective e-learning - feeding pedagogical research into practice

1. Designing for effective e-learning- feeding pedagogical research into practice Gráinne Conole University of Southampton Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk E-Learning symposium: pedagogy and practice, 14th December 2005

2. Outline • Education in a modern context • The rise and impact of e-learning • Gap between potential and reality • Mediating artefacts • Designing learning activities

3. Education in a modern context • Giddens, Becks, Castells • Unpredictable, constantly changing world • Increasing impact of technology • Unintended consequences and manufactured risks • Networked society • Culturally rich and complex society with changing norms and values

4. 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

5. Virtual learning environments Tutor skills & changing roles Organisational level Interactive & engaging materials Unintended consequences Impact of e-learning

6. To what extent is this true? What is the link between the pedagogy and the technology? The holy grail of e-learning Smart, adaptable, personalised New forms of learning Learning anywhere anytime Pedagogical re-engineering A global connected society Rich multimedia representation

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

8. Positive aspects Critical mass of mediating tools and resources Shift from individual to socially situated +ve Learning in context or through problem solving New innovative uses of e-learning

9. Types of tools Manipulating data Word, Excel Presentation The Web, PowerPoint Finding information Search engines, portals Managing Databases, Project Manager Personal management Diaries, calendars

10. Types of tools Communication Email, discussion forums Visualisation Mindmaps, visual tools Analysis SPSS, NVIVO Evaluation CAA tools, Web tracking Guidance and support Wizards, tutorials

11. 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 Accessibility Speed of change Diversity Communication & collaboration Reflection Multimodality Risk Immediacy Monopolisation Surveillance ICT affordances

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

13. The gap between potential and reality 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)

14. Mediating artefacts Peer dialogue Case studies Narratives Expert guidance Networked communication Lesson plans Tips and tricks FAQs Demonstrations Toolkits Models/Patterns Learning activity Mediating artefacts Context Pedagogy Tasks

15. Mediating artefacts • Mediate between user and learning activity • Help inform decision making • Support re: context, pedagogy or tasks or a combination • Contextually rich to more abstract • Range of formats – textual, dialogic, visual, structural

16. MA affordances • Accessibility– ease of retrieval, simplicity • Speed of change - adaptability • Diversity - tailored to individual needs • Communication and collaboration- ‘peer dialogue’ MA better than a ‘lesson plan’ MA • Reflection– toolkits designed to encourage the user to revisit and adapt

17. MA Affordances • Immediacy- degree of contextualisation • Multimodality– navigational routes, toolkits more multimodal than lesson plans • Risk - a more tightly MA has less unintended consequences • Monopolisation- ‘one-size-fits-all’ cf bespoke, contextually located MAs • Surveillance- in-built tracking and recording mechanisms

18. A toolkit for learning design • Reviewed • Learning theories • identified key elements of learning • Tools and resources • their use and impact • Definition of a learning activity • Distilled out practitioners’ implicit thinking • Derived a definition for a learning activity and associated taxonomy • Reality checked the taxonomy with real examples

28. Using e-learning to support different types of activities • Negotiating goals • Face-to-face discussion with tutor • Choice of goals mapped to resources (VEOU) • Explore new concepts • Lectures and group work • Interactive resources supported by discussion forum or linked to face-to-face sessions • Evaluate concepts • Tutor-led tutorial • Peer-to-peer evaluation online, tutor as facilitator • Share and discuss • Group work • Online discussion via chat, email and discussion boards

29. Using e-learning to support different types of activities • Solve problems • Exercises or experiments • Multimedia scenarios and simulations coupled with online discussions • Apply concepts • Exercise in class or as homework • Interactive whiteboards and voting systems • Visualise and present concepts • Tutor explanation and testing of understanding • Mind-mapping, presentation software, bite-size chunks on mobiles • Assessment • Tutor sets tests and provides feedback • Online quizzes and activities so learners can assess their own learning; peer-assessment, e-portfolios

30. Examples • Linguistics: Item bank (Associative) • Learners develop skills through structured tasks • Practising, drill and practice, item bank, individual learners, formative assessment • Multi-lingual ESOL group (Cognitive/constructive) • Learners develop skills through doing • Voting system, interactive whiteboard • Virtual Interactive Practice (VIP) (Situative) • Learners developing understanding together • Scenarios followed by peer-group critique

31. 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

32. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – cognitive • 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

33. 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

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

35. 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

36. References • Conole, G. (2005), ‘Mediating artefacts to guide choice in creating and undertaking learning activities’, presentation at CALRG seminar, Open University, 1st November • Conole (2002), ‘The evolving landscape of learning technology research’, ALT-J, 10(3), 4-18 • Conole, Dyke, Oliver, and Seale, (2004), ‘Mapping pedagogy and tools for effective learning design’, Computers and Education, June 2004 • Conole and Dyke, (2004), ‘What are the affordances of Information and Communication Technologies?’, ALT-J, 12.2 • 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 • JISC Effective practice with e-learning, http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=elp_practice • JISC Innovative practice with e-learning, http://www.jisc.ac.uk/eli_practice.html

37. Designing for effective e-learning- feeding pedagogical research into practice Gráinne Conole University of Southampton Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk E-Learning symposium: pedagogy and practice, 14th December 2005