Creating Student-Centred Learning Environments: Opportunities and Issues

1. David M. Kennedy, PhD 甘明德 博士 Director, Teaching and Learning Centre Associate Professor , CDS Creating learning environments that are both teacher and student centred, simultaneously: Opportunities and issues

2. Outline • The context • Outcomes-based approaches to T &L • Learning design • The students • The tools • Impact • voices of the students • Feedback • Opportunities & Issues • Questions

3. Context • Research intensive University • Post- & under-grad. • OBA is now the norm • Previous exp. of students • Didactic • Exam-driven • F2F

4. 21st C University • Emphasis on • Critical thinking • Real problem-solving • Whole-person development • Communication – local and global! • Language – particularly in HK • Transforming information into knowledge • Being self-organised, engaged, passionate

5. Curriculum alignment • The Biggs model • align outcomes, activities and assessment • articulate criteria for success • rubrics • communicate expectations to students • provide examples • provide feedback • Content and concepts

6. Outcomes … and verbs Biggs, J. B. (2003). Teaching for quality learning at university (2nd ed.). Buckingham: Open University Press.

7. ALIGNMENT (McNaught, et. al., 2006)

8. ALIGNMENT (McNaught, et. al., 2006)

9. http://www.bargainpoolsupplies.com/images/NT125_RaftCad_beforeafter.jpghttp://www.bargainpoolsupplies.com/images/NT125_RaftCad_beforeafter.jpg Learning technologies Lots of opportunities BUT … Disorganized, disparate, demanding Design

10. Things to consider Learning tasks – Active authentic learning real problems involving reflective processes peer feedback, modeling and mentoring Learning resources for blended learning e + books, e + journals, e + media social networking Learning support using the tools to manage feedback, exemplars, rubrics Learning design I

11. Careful design to achieve curriculum alignment Integration of F-2-F AND technology Use the MOST appropriatetechnology (discipline) Don’t forget researchopportunities Learning design II

12. Use of ICTs Web 2.0 technologies in particular Blogs – for reflective writing Social networking – for communities of practice Walls, Tagging, Forums ePortfolios for more flexible assessment artifacts Learning design III http://www.ethics.org.au/resources/img/general-content/articles/0148b-hammer-cartoon.gif

13. The students http://baxterking.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/hong-kong-15-thumbnail-hong-kong-_tngpx10001x14537x1fa4c1096.jpg

14. ENGAGING SOCIALLy

15. 20%

16. The tools

17. MOODLE + FOSS

18. Mahara + FOSS

20. Learning outcomes • Under-grad • demonstrate the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to implement curriculum reforms in language education

21. Undergraduate

22. Undergraduate

23. http://moodle.cite.hku.hk/ Undergraduate …

24. http://digitalconversations.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/calvin-on-writing-a-thesis.jpghttp://digitalconversations.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/calvin-on-writing-a-thesis.jpg Learning outcomes • Post-grad • Demonstrate an effective understanding of the design of eLearning environments • build a blended learning environment • demonstrate an academic perspective

25. Postgraduate

26. Postgraduate http://moodle.cite.hku.hk/

27. Voice http://www.toastmasters.org/OtherImages/FindingYourVoice.aspx

28. Student voices • The student voice (MSc – ICT coordinator) • impact on your learning and class dynamics

29. Student voice • Primary school ICT coordinator • impact on your learning

30. Feedback from students … when I started this module I thought the assessment was unfair … but, as I undertook the tasks I was reminded of how you always ask us to demonstrate our knowledge. Now I have completed the tasks, built my own learning platform, set up forums, added videos I now have the confidence to develop myself further. Thank you, PL

31. FEEDBACK

32. Opportunities More engaging forms of assessment More choice in the assessment possible Better management Better modeling of assessment requirements Better evidence of reflective practice Better engagement Better motivation Better use of media to illustrate complex ideas (good teaching and course evaluations)

33. Issues • The need to model ‘academic’ blogging/presentation • Plagiarism – need Turnitin or equivalent • Citations and bibliographies • The effective use of media • The use of visual representations • Students do NOT naturally use learning technologies • These are non-trivial issues • The next slide

34. Don’t be a gatekeeper

36. Thank you and contact details • With thanks to • ALT-C for the invitation to share my T&L experiences • My students for sharing their views • David M. Kennedy • Director, Teaching and Learning Centre • Associate Professor, CDS • Lingnan University, Hong Kong • davidmkennedy@LN.edu.hk • http://www.ln.edu.hk/tlc/staff/davidmkennedy/dmk0.html

37. Abstract Some have argued that Web 1.0 environments are passé: Web 2.0 is where the action is! However, what may be more useful is to think of Web 1.0 and 2.0 applications as offering a raft of potential affordances and opportunities. Learning designs that incorporate an LMS/VLE to provide support for scaffolding, grouping and organising learning can be combined with Web 2.0 applications (e.g., for students to share, and collaborate) and ePortfolios. The synergy of these tools offers increased flexibility, manageability and more student-centred learning. The presentation will examine an outcomes-based approach to learning design and how this may be supported by the synergy of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 applications.