Layered conversation presentation.

Layered Conversations: a Blended Learning Approach to Building Critical

Reflection Skills

Dr. Beth CrossKaren Timoney

ContextCommunity Learning and Participation Degree

Programme delivered through a blended approach of 12 face to face hours, 50 hours on-line learning, and 50

hours independent learning.

Course Context

The course requires students to synthesise information from several social science

disciplines and apply it to the development of professional skills, framed by the CLD Standards

Council’s competencies(2009).

Problem

• How to develop critical thinking and group discussion skills that underpin both academic and employment skills in a limited time frame for a dispersed student group of non-traditional learners?

• How to:“establish patterns of reciprocal communication and

create a place of trust and respect in which reflection and exploration can flourish” (Boud and Walker 1998:

204).

Theoretical UnderpinningFink’s Taxonomy (2003)

Theoretical Underpinnings

Community of Enquiry (Sapere 2013)

Touchstones Programme(St. John’s College 2013)

Year One Approach

• Set targeted readings• Set a framework for discussion• Video discussion• Host on Vimeo• Link to forum within Module Moodle site.• Moderate Forum• Link to subsequent discussions until all members of

class have participated.• Provide consistent advice on how discussion links to

practice and assessment.

Year Two Approach

• Students participate in a recorded field visit where practice is relevant to core issues in citizenship curriculum.

• Engage in a post visit reflective recorded session.• Both are posted to moodle site and provide content

for a forum discussion.• In second face to face day text based approach for

year one is followed and supplemented by also drawing on key moments in discussion and forum posts.

Intended Outcomes

• Students enrich their understanding of key concepts through sharing multiple perspectives and building on each other’s knowledge.

• The opportunity to replay what they have discussed supports transition from spoken to written analysis.

• The sequencing of discussions provides entry to text encouraging engagement that otherwise might falter.

• Provided a sense of continuity without demanding weekly travel to campus thus supporting students’ development of learning identity within the blended course delivery constraints.

Technical Aspects• Class and Field Trips recorded on a Flip

Camera• Consent to be recorded gained.• Loaded to Vimeo• Field Trips supplemented by Flickr slideshow.• Forum created on Moodle

Excerpt from Forumhttp://moodle.uws.ac.uk/mod/forum/view.php?id=188471

Student Feedback

• The tactic fit with students who were already working and could bring experience to the discussion.

• Allowing time to go over text, breaking it down into smaller manageable chunks at the beginning of the discussion time together was really helpful.

• People could compare meanings come forward with what they really thought throughout the discussion.

• Students felt much more likely to look at the video than if it was just readings and forum.

• Students who participated in forum made further links to practice on the topic discussions.

Quotes Year One Students

“It was more like an everyday situation rather than just reading theory. It was looking at context and relating it to everyday practice.”

“The lecturer brought a lot of the connections out within the discussion.”

Quotes from Year Two Students

On reviewing videos and posts during face to face day:

This aspect came along at the right moment for me. Sharing the experience and the online posts after others had been able to look at them really

brought the module together for me.

Student Perception

• Students had technology challenges (sound).• Many students are still reluctant to post in

forums.• Guidance on how to use discussions within

assessment presentation and report could have been clearer.

• Students would like more continuity between module delivery and assessment.

Student Feedback: Meeting Challenges

“If you are in a discussion when you say something, you’ve said it, but if you are writing you stop and think, does that makes sense, how are people going to take that. Will people think I’m stupid. Will they really get what I meant.”

“It would be easier if it was anonymous.”

Future Adaptations

• Students Nominated as forum moderators• Further Use of Structured Discussion• Use off Voice Thread or other app (Nvivo ?) to

make the post-discussion forum more interactive.

• Make clearer links from discussion to assessment

References• Boud, D. and Walker, D. (1998) Promoting Reflection in Professional Courses:

the challenge of context, Studies in Higher Education 23(2): 191-206.• CLD Standards Council (2009) The competencies for Community Learning and

Development.• Fink, L.D. (2003) Creating Significant Learning Experiences : An Integrated

Approach to Designing• College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass• St. John’s College, (2013) St. John’s College Program, accessed 29 May 2013,

http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/admissions/learnmore/admission/program.html.

• Sapere (2013) Community of Enquiry, accessed on 28 May 2013, http://www.sapere.org.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=76.

• Stewart, M. (2012) Understanding learning: theories and critique in Hunt, L. and Chalmers D. (2012) University Teaching in Focus: a learning-centred approach, London: Routledge.

Further Discussion?

Beth [email protected]

Storyseeds on Flickrhttp://bethatuws.wordpress.com/