What do teachers in HE expect from OER

Karin van den Driesche (Filterdesign)Robert Schuwer (Open Universiteit)

28 September 2010 EADTU, Zermatt

What do teachers in HE expect from OER?

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Agenda

> Context: Wikiwijs> Research question> Approach: User Centered Design> Results for HE

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Context: Wikiwijs

Wikiwijs has to become the place on the internet where

all teachers in the Netherlands, ranging from Primary education to Higher

education, Can find, (co)develop, share, rework and use

digital learning materials, published under an open license.

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Wikiwijs offers …

a Repository of open educational resources a Referatory to digital educational resources:

> open and closed> free access and access to be paid for> public and commercial

easy to use arrangement and development tools for teachers / professors

end-user support for teachers / professors when creating and using learning materials

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Wikiwijs: what’s in a name …

Wikiwijs is referring to the philosophy of Wikipedia (using ‘the wisdom of the crowds’)

Wikiwijs is not referring to the functionality or user interface of Wikipedia

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Research question

Users of Wikiwijs: teachers What functionality should Wikiwijs offer to its

users? (Functional requirements) Under what conditions should these functionalities

be offered? (Quality requirements)

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Approach chosen

Method chosen: User Centered Design Reasons:

Large group of mostly unknown (potential) users

Good experiences in earlier studies using this approach

New information system with no earlier experience on the whole field to be supported (which excludes the “waiter strategy”)

photo@radboudstichting.nl

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User Centered Design (UCD)

Putting the focus on the needs, wishes and capabilities of end users during every part of the design process

Preventing behavioural preference of one or two (super) users.

Preventing the pitfall to build what the user asks instead what people actually will use.

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UCD: techniques

Personas A description of a fictitious user, representing

1000’s of users based on realistic behaviour, motivation,

attitude, skills and needs. life span of about five years

Mental model Describes the work from the standpoint of the

users in their own words. life span of about five years

And many more (not used in this research)

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Persona example

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Persona example (cont.)

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Mental model example

>4x

Polytechnic

University

handling of information in relation to the development, use and choice of materials

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Choice of interviewees

Goal of interview: know how people organize their work process whether they deal with things in the same way

as another person does. Find out how tasks are divided into activities,

goals, strategies and several individual steps. Determine different roles

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Choice of interviewees (2)

Each role in at least 3 interviews In example we need 1 or 2 more interviews Can be adapted during the process

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Results for HE

Interviewees were selected taking into account: Level (University or Polytechnic) Experience in using digital learning materials

(low, high) Experience in creating digital learning materials

(low, high) Teacher educator (yes, no)

Difference teaching in Bachelor/Master Too few results for teaching at Master level

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Types of users

Determined by the way they collect and developed learning materials

The Collector: Approach: Simple, little demands, adhoc and short term Goals:

Clarifying existing lessons.

Connect to the reality/world of the students.

Variations in lessons.

To be sure of your teaching skills.

Connect to different levels in a group.

Didactics, keep order.

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Types of users (cont.)

The Hunter Approach:

Extensive, many demands, growth, long term. Goals:

Take on new issues and subjects.

Make lesson schemes.

Guarantee educational quality.

The existing method is not up to standards.

Connect to different levels in a group.

Doing better than the existing method.

Connect to the reality/world of the students.

No existing learning materials available.

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Five personas

Sven Pateel: Higher Education (Hunter)

“For part-time education I combine the background of students and the learning materials in order to achieve new insights. That to me is very instructive and fun. But that requires other methods than standing in front of the classroom and talk.”

Maarit Kotting: Higher Education (Hunter, developer of a digital education system)

“A digital board can be useful but it's not about me making notes but that my students can make notes. I use an ordinary projector and my laptop and you can go online anywhere here in this school.”

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Five personas (cont.)

Minke Ulrich: Higher Education (Collector)“I really never find materials which I can use without editing.

But what I do find online are separated materials and nice ideas, but ultimately I develop it all myself.”

Elsbeth Weeda: University Master and Bachelor (Collector)“Frankly, I think you have to ask yourself at any stage: Will a

piece of chalk do the job, a whiteboard now, or must you create a complex digital rumpus.”

Casper Wilson: University masters (Hunter)“The basic lessons I’ll tape on video, I'll teach them well once

and they stand for the next five years. That’s also the way I see Wikiwijs, a basic will arise and you pick up from there on.”

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Mental model: categories

Finding and using digital learning materials Looking for different ways to perform

educational activities Author and institution are important

determinants for using specific learning materials

Efficiency is important

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Mental model: categories (cont.)

Creating or adapting digital learning materials Develop modules as a team Demands by students are the trigger

Sharing digital learning materials Use Slideshare for slide presentations meant for

students Use intranet sites; only accessible for your own students

Communicating with students Combine Slideshare, blogs, twitter, e-mail Do not use the Electronic Learning Environment for

communication (not suited)

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Thanks for your attention!

Robert.Schuwer@ou.nl

www.wikiwijs.nl