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Assessment of the Effectiveness of the CAD eLearning certificate

Assessment of the Effectiveness of the CAD eLearning certificate. Daniela Giannini-Gachago, Ann Munene, Marilyn Lee, Spoon Mafote Centre for Academic Development, University of Botswana. eLearning at UB. Introduced in 2002

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Assessment of the Effectiveness of the CAD eLearning certificate

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  1. Assessment of the Effectiveness of the CAD eLearning certificate Daniela Giannini-Gachago, Ann Munene, Marilyn Lee, Spoon Mafote Centre for Academic Development, University of Botswana

  2. eLearning at UB • Introduced in 2002 • Definition: appropriate organisation of ICTs for advancing student-oriented, active, open and life-long teaching-learning processes • Focus on blended learning approach • Use of WebCT CE4.0 (upgrade to CE6.0 planned for July 2007) • By May 2006: 446 courses, 146 designers (18% of UB staff), 13000 students in last semester • Lecturers are trained by eLearning support team

  3. UB eLearning community

  4. The CAD eLearning certificate • Introduced in 2003 • To train academic staff embarking on eLearning • Focus on technical and pedagogical skills • 4 Areas: eLearning, Information and Computer skills, Multimedia Production and WebCT • Offered mainly as half day WS on monthly basis • Completion by attendance and application (evidence of application in T&L) • By May 2006: 208 WS, 680 participants, 66 certificates

  5. Awarding the certificate Acting Director CAD Marilyn Lee awards certificates during eLearning launch

  6. Purpose of study • First evaluation of certificate in 2004 • Results: 23 completed certificates, but only 7 (30%) had online courses • Immediate action: include evidence of application in completion requirements • Request for a more detailed study to investigate usefulness and effectiveness of individual workshops and certificate in preparing lecturers for eLearning

  7. Literature review • South Africa examples of innovative staff development in eLearning: Durban Institute of Technology (Online Pioneers), University of Cape Town (multifaceted staff development programme), Tshwane University (Partners@Work) • Common elements: structured programme, combination of skill workshops with online learning, collaboration / development of COP, peer support and mentoring, research, accreditation / recognition of prior learning

  8. Research methodology • Quantitative and qualitative • Workshop evaluation questionnaire (771) • eLearning certificate effectiveness questionnaire (82) • SPSS v12.0 for quantitative data • Content analysis for qualitative data (open ended questions) in questionnaires to confirm/explain findings of quantitative data

  9. Findings • What are the reasons staff attend the eLearning Certificate? • Do participants apply knowledge and skills of the eLearning Certificate workshops? If yes, which skills? If no, why not? • Is the way the Certificate is currently offered conducive to change lecturers’ way of teaching and learning to reach EduTech’s goal – to make Teaching and Learning more learner-centred, collaborative, active and lifelong?

  10. Q1: Reasons to attend workshops • On average 1-4 workshops attended • 15.9% of respondents completed the certificate • Predominant reasons to attend: • Acquire technological skills (95.1%) • Use eLearning for teaching (87.7%) • Wish to obtain certificate (63.4%) • General interest (59.8%)

  11. Q2: Application • Top 5 workshops (only 1 eLearning related!): • Principles of Course Design, • MS PowerPoint, • Introduction to eLearning • Management Information Techniques • Online Information Gathering • Skills applied: yes (74.4%), mainly use of MS PowerPoint, search engines, information management • Only 17.4% had put course online

  12. Q2 ctd. • Reasons for not putting skills and knowledge in practice (23.2%): • Time constraints • Preference for traditional teaching/learning methods • Limited facilities at faculty level • Limited accessibility to computers and the Internet for students

  13. Q3: Change of T&L? • Main reason for attending workshops is acquisition of technical skills • Favorite workshop however is Course Design (focusing on innovative teaching and learning methods) • But application mainly centers around technical skills (e.g. PowerPoint, Information Gathering and Management)

  14. Discussion • Workshops successful, well attended and perceived as useful • Big gap between attendance and application, especially where eLearning and the use of innovative teaching and learning methods are concerned • But definition of eLearning at UB is very wide (encompasses all use of ICTs in T&L) • Therefore high demand for basic IT related topics understandable and part of EduTech’s mandate • But current format not conducive for eLearning application in stricter sense (development of online course in learner-centred way)

  15. Recommendations • Phase out current certificate • Move basic ICT skills workshops to IT Training Unit • Redesign eLearning certificate • Concentrate on eLearning core workshops • Stricter structure (beginning and end, sequence of workshops) • Provide combination of workshops and online course (experience as online learner) • Parallel development of online course (immediate application) • Promotion of Community of Practice (COP) • Mentoring • Biggest challenge: loss of flexibility, but outweighed by impact of new certificate on participants’ teaching and learning

  16. Ref. Staff Development in SA • Cox, G. & Carr, T. (2006). A multi-faceted staff development approach to integrating technology into University courses. 1st International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training, UNCC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Book of Abstracts, pp32-36. ICWE: Berlin, Germany. • Peté, M & Fregona, C. (2004). Sustaining online learning during times of change through a multi-disciplinary community of practice. Conference proceeding of Ed Media 2001 World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Norfolk, VA USA. Retrieved 13th of June 2006 from http://emerge2004.net/connect/site/UploadWSC/emerge2004/file73/PeteEdMedia2004.pdf • Tshwane University (n.d.). Information about the Partners@Work Programme. Retrieved June 29, 2006, fromhttp://www.tut.ac.za/tut_web/index.php?struc=2914

  17. Contacts • Daniela Giannini-Gachago, Manager, Educational Technology Unit, CAD, University of Botswanagiannini@mopipi.ub.bw • Ann Munene, Research Assistant, angima@yahoo.com • Marilyn Lee, Associate Professor, Nursing, School of Nursing, Howard College Campus, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa, Leem@ukzn.ac.za • Spoon Mafote, Online Media Developer, Educational Technology Unit, CAD, University of Botswana, mafote@mopipi.ub.bw

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