Students Motivation and Assessment in e-learning or Experimental teaching through the application of UEL Plus the need

1. Students Motivation and Assessment in e-learningor Experimental teaching through the application of UEL Plus & the need for greater engaging tools for students and a �buying-in� method of encouragement. Understanding Consumption and Production , Level One, Core Module, Blended. Marta Rabikowska & Maxine Newlands

2. Students Motivation and Assessment in e-learning Blended learning � a �Face off� with Facebook Knowledge Production through communication; teaching beyond the class room. Empirical evidence of research � Key themes from our research Pedagogical solutions New learning and teaching habits Conclusion � e-portfolio

3. The original aims of e-elements on the course To engage the students with module content and the cohort. (discussions, blogs, chats). To supply additional aids and resources for independent learning and team work (UEL platform) To enhance their critical skills through flexible modes of communication-i.e blogs and discussion To enable self-reflection on the learning process (blogs) To motivate students� learning through a formative assessment on UEL+ (tutors� replies to blogs)

4. At present: main two approaches in using ICT Kember and Kwan 2000 : Storing knowledge produced by the tutor and making it available to the student (teacher- centred) Communication: encouraging a dialogue beyond the class ( learner-centered) In both approaches the class-based habits and methods of teaching and learning are transplanted on a VLE.

5. Our objective: Knowledge production through communication beyond the class �Critical Constructivism�: learning through mutual influence and constructed meaning. Hoffman 1998:xii �Knowledge is the product of our linguistic practices and social institutions that are specifically instantiated in the interactions and negotiations between others� Mills:162

6. Methods  UEL Blogs (formative assessment) Each week students were asked to self-reflect on the lecture material Discussion Boards (forum) As a tool for communication between the members and organising their presentations

7. Problems: 73% technical

8. Other problems: mainly lack of relevance and engagement

9. Other problems cont. Problems with digital divide among the cohort Staff engagement was uneven and motivation for spending time online after work was in decline. Evidence shows a need for extra staff training on all three modes: design, build & teach. Altogether: VLE teaching is perceived as an obstacle rather than facilitator.

10. On the other hand� Some evidence of relational communication and self-reflection: Students do learn from each other (blogs, discussion comments) beyond the classroom (constructivist learning) Student self-discipline themselves seeing others doing it (organisational skills). Tutors react to the student�s questions and suggestions and adjust the material and modes of delivery accordingly. Students feel more responsible for the course and become the knowledge producers.

11. Two pedagogical approaches converge: Repetitive/transmissive:. In Distance Education it is an Industrial Model based on economy of scale: Argyris and Schon (1978) single loop organisational learning Knowledge is evoked not analysed Content of VLE is transplanted to essays and classes in form of ready-made patterns. The use of e-tools is descriptive: today the lecture was about����. Very rich content on VLE�s is still used in a passive wayVery rich content on VLE�s is still used in a passive way

12. Analytical, independent learning Building knowledge from individual responses and reinterpreting it on a level of generalisation in a wider context than that identified in the class. Filtering knowledge critically and demanding a different angle of interpretation, mainly adjusted to a personal situation. Producing new knowledge in relation to doubts and questions expressed by others.

13. Factors motivating the analytical approach: Interaction with others: they have to be online with no major technical problems. �Silent� students become more active. Inspiration by tutor�s case studies provided in response to the current questions (through blogs and discussions) and exchange for case studies from the students (social learning: Kirkwood and Price 2006) Using online content produced by the students back in the class. Tutor support. Bridging life and academic environment Marks turned out to be less important once the students realised what they can achieve on the module. However, marks can force them to try again and again and relate to what is happening online and in the classMarks turned out to be less important once the students realised what they can achieve on the module. However, marks can force them to try again and again and relate to what is happening online and in the class

14. Facebook Culture and UEL+ Facebook Easiness Constant connection (mobile phones, laptops) Building up an individual approach Exchange with wider spectrum of people Responsiveness Own content Responsibility for own presence and content UEL Plus Underdeveloped/ Technical problems Higher percentage of peer review Lack of ability to personalise Lack of Individuality Ethical issues- students may feel they are unable to fully express opinions Data Protection

15. Analytical approach enhanced by Facebook method? Or a shift to the new learning and teaching habits (social conceptions of learning and assessment: Kirkwood and Price 2006) Response to the changing higher education environment and students� needs. Questioning the classical teaching methods (from the tutor to the student) and academic structures and policies: double loop: Kirkwood and Price 2006

16. �Double loop� �Double loop learning involves questioning the underlying goals, strategies and assumptions to identify the governing variable(s)� (2006:3) Kirkwood and Price (2006) Adaptation for a Changing Environment: Developing learning and teaching with information and communication technologies, International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 7(2): 1-14.

17. Pedagogical results before technology Facebook approach as a cognitive challenge: For enhancing critical skills on a blended course: a VLE can contain lots of different, individually adapted e-learning tools combined with face2face methods.

18. Our proposition: One block of lectures and seminars in which online resources will be used in the class. (relevance and consistency) Assessment: an e-learning portfolio - combination of emails, blogs, discussions, chats, group schedules, creative work, research, self-reflection. Ideally a software should be designed and adapted on the course.

19. Limited use of the institutional VLE: Uel+Opening to other, individually tailored tools instead.  UEL+ will provide 1.a common discussion platform (synchronous and asynchronous) which will reflect all other forms of communication and exchange (with appropriate links) 2. Personal blogs for those who want to run them and use the tutor�s support. 3. Weekly guidelines and self-assessment exercises which will support a development of the portfolio for those who need them.

20. Final e-learning portfolio (or a PDP) Will include all evidence of communication across all means during the semester in a reflective order. Reflective order: a form of the portfolio which will document the way of thinking about the material and its relevance for the student.

21. E-PORTFOLIO Adoption of faceBook culture Uel+ Tools, discussion, blogs and chat Wikipedia Dreamweaver Increase student role in negotiating a learning plan

22. Technology innovations do not in themselves lead to improved educational practices Kirkwood , A.,and Price , L.(2005) Learners and Learning in the 21st Century: What do we know about students� attitudes and experiences of ICT that will help us design courses? Studies in Higher Education 30(3): 257-274. Laurillard, D. (2002) Rethinking University teaching (2nd ed.) London: Routledge Bostock, S.J. (1997) Designing web-based instruction for active learning in B.H.Khan (ed.) Web-based instruction (225-230) Englewood Cliffs, NJ.:Educational Technology Publications Sept , J. (2004) The Stone Age in the Information Age in W.E.Becker and M.L.Andrews (eds.) The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in higher Education (47-80) Bloomington, IN.:Indiana University Press Prosser, M.,Trigwell, K.,and Taylor , P. (1994) A Phenomenographic study of academics� conceptions of science learning and teaching, Learning and Instructions 4(3): 217-232. Sch�n, D.A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action, New York : Basic Books Memorising features and repeating patterns are classical @gains@ from VLE�s, in that sense they remind of face2face passive, one direction, remote learning: from tutor to student. Student do not learn to compare or generalise from individual studies to build an integrated understanding. Schon: knowledge is treated as a netowrk of molecules which can be passed to students in the same untarnished form., Memorising features and repeating patterns are classical @gains@ from VLE�s, in that sense they remind of face2face passive, one direction, remote learning: from tutor to student. Student do not learn to compare or generalise from individual studies to build an integrated understanding. Schon: knowledge is treated as a netowrk of molecules which can be passed to students in the same untarnished form.,