Foresight and choices for 21st Century learning
Professor Alejandro ArmelliniUniversity of Northampton
East Midlands LETB, 22 March 2013
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Outline: today’s journey
Context and trends in online learning
Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs)
Designing for effective online learning
Going open – really open
Throughout: Implications for practice Ideas for inspiration and innovation
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One learning outcome?
By the end of the session, you will be…
…inspired to try out one new thing, with the potential to further inspire your learners.
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Context
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UK context
Technology needs to enhance student choice and meet or exceed learners’ expectations
A strategic approach to embed online learning
Development and exploitation of open educational resources to enhance efficiency and quality
Source: Collaborate to Compete, OLTF, 2011
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US context
31% of all HE students take at least one online course
67% of academic leaders rate learning outcomes in online education as the same or superior to those in f2f education
Online learning is a critical part of the long-term strategies of 65% of HEIs
Source: Going the Distance: Online Education in the United States, 2011
E-Learning timelineM
ultim
edia
reso
urce
s
80s
The
Inte
rnet
and
the
Web
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Lear
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Man
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ent S
yste
ms
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Ope
n Ed
ucati
onal
Res
ourc
es
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Mob
ile d
evic
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Gam
ing
tech
nolo
gies
00So
cial
and
par
ticip
ator
y m
edia
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Virt
ual w
orld
s
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E-bo
oks
and
smar
t dev
ices
Mas
sive
Ope
n O
nlin
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urse
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07 08
Lear
ning
Des
ign
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http://scienceoftheinvisible.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/a-ramble-through-history-of-online.htmlhttp://halfanhour.blogspot.be/2012/02/e-learning-generations.html
Lear
ning
obj
ects
94 09
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So you have a VLE?
What is a VLE (or LMS)?
What a VLE is not
A VLE or LMS
Content Communication tools
Collaborationtools
Assessment tools
Upload tools
Trackingtools
Library
Finance
Student records
Registration
Timetabling
Conole, forthcoming, UNESCO briefing paperhttp://www.iite.unesco.org/policy_briefs/
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Our Moodle VLE
Is Moodle a solution looking for a problem?
What is the problem to which Moodle is the solution?
CC Image by rosipaw on Flickr
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For example…
I want to teach online but don’t know where to start
Everyone has a VLE so I want one too
Limited skills (pedagogical, technical) + little time = poor learner experience
I want a safe repository for course content
We need a safe environment to host our discussions
My course is not interactive enough
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Imagine…
You want to learn to write academic articles
Someone gives you MS Word
Image by St0rmz on Flickr
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In course design terms
You want to design effective online courses and…
Widen access Add flexibility Save time Promote engagement Impact positively on the learner experience
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Is a VLE the solution?
Someone gives you Moodle.
Surely, that’s your problem solved.
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I can fix that!
That’s ok, I can get training.
…but what you often get is training that focuses on the tool itself (e.g. Moodle).
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Effective training for course design
Instead, the training should:
Focus on and address your problem, your needs, your course
Use a team approach to course design
Enable you to capitalise on the VLE’s features, as and when those features address pedagogical problems
Build capability and autonomy
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Design for learning
E-moderate for participation
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“I put my content online, therefore my students do e-learning”
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bowena/
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“But they won’t engage!”
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VLE design targets
Level Focus Key features
Foundation/ Threshold/ Bronze/ ‘Red’
Delivery Absolute minimum expected Course information Learning materials
Intermediate/ Silver/ ‘Yellow’
Essential in blended courses
Participation In addition to ‘Delivery’: Online participation designed into the course. Tasks provide meaningful formative scaffold. Online participation encouraged and moderated, but not essential for
achievement of learning outcomes.
Advanced/ Gold/ ’Green’
Essential in DL courses
Collaboration In addition to ‘Delivery’: Regular learner input designed into course & essential throughout. Participative tasks provide meaningful scaffold to formative and
summative assessment. Collaborative knowledge construction central to a productive
learning environment.
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Delivery
Good
Bad
Bad GoodDesign
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Delivery
Good
Bad
Bad GoodDesign
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Delivery
Good RECOVERY
Bad
Bad GoodDesign
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Delivery
Good RECOVERY
Bad WHAT A WASTE!
Bad GoodDesign
Draw map of course
Gather my materials & borrow materials from
colleagues
Review learning outcomes & assessment
Download stuff
Identify gaps
‘Write’ the rest
Check consistency & go
Build a storyboard
Create a scaffold
Draft a blueprint
Select and adapt OERs
Gather materials & identify gaps
Design missing bits
Reality check, adjust & go
MAIN TYPE OF INTERACTION DESIGNED INTO COURSE
TEAC
HER
’S P
ERFO
RMAN
CE
DU
RIN
G D
ELIV
ERY
Learner-Content Learner-Teacher Learner-Learner
Poor
Goo
d
Interactions in design and delivery
MAIN TYPE OF INTERACTION DESIGNED INTO COURSE
TEAC
HER
’S P
ERFO
RMAN
CE
DU
RIN
G D
ELIV
ERY
Low impact on course
Expected practice
Missed opportunity
Learner-Content Learner-Teacher Learner-Learner
Poor
Goo
d
Interactions in design and delivery
Added value: personalisation,
course ‘humanised’
MAIN TYPE OF INTERACTION DESIGNED INTO COURSE
TEAC
HER
’S P
ERFO
RMAN
CE
DU
RIN
G D
ELIV
ERY
Low impact on course
Expected practice Tangible enhancement
Bad practiceMissed
opportunity
Learner-Content Learner-Teacher Learner-Learner
Poor
Goo
d
Interactions in design and delivery
Added value: personalisation,
course ‘humanised’
MAIN TYPE OF INTERACTION DESIGNED INTO COURSE
TEAC
HER
’S P
ERFO
RMAN
CE
DU
RIN
G D
ELIV
ERY
Low impact on course
Expected practice Tangible enhancement
Bad practiceMissed
opportunity
Learner-Content Learner-Teacher Learner-Learner
Poor
Goo
d
Interactions in design and delivery
Principles
Low cost, high value
Sustainable: design once, deliver many times
Forward-looking: alignment, assessment for learning, rapid feedback
Connected with industry & community
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MissionsMarketscontexts
new
new
present
present
Technology& Pedagogy
Well-established learning & teaching +University-owned & supported technologies
Creative applications of existing tools to target new markets
Future, potential technologies foremergent learning & learners
Established programmes and approachesembracing new technological opportunities
Innovation pipeline
ResearchDevelopment
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Back to our VLE: Moodle
Presence on the VLE is not an add-on to the course. It is the course.
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Open Educational Resources (OERs)
Teaching, learning and research materials in any medium, digital or otherwise, that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions (UNESCO, 2012)
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OER repositories (1)
JORUMOER CommonsMIT OpenCourseWareOpenLearn (Open University) iTunesU
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OER repositories (2)
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Format
ContentText &
graphicsAudio Video Slides (eg
PowerPoint)Other (eg
Adobe Presenter)
What I already have
What I find and reuse as is
What I find, tweak and use
What I find, repurpose and use
What I create for this module
Design PlannedEnhancement
Strategic Enhancement
Delivery Just-in-timeEnhancement
ReflectiveEnhancement
As is Repurposed
OER use
Curr
icul
um
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From Moodle to MOOCs
Massive Open Online Courses
and free
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21st Century learning
Knowledge and learning as open, mobile, connected and scalable
Flexibility as the norm
New forms of communication and collaboration
Rich multimedia representation
Regularly renewed expectations
Harnessing the global network
Implications
Blurring boundaries
New business models
Open practices
Changing roles
Digital literacy skills
Disruptive and complex
Unpredictable challenges
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Summary
The few concepts you should not escape without…
Image by Quayarts
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Shift to…
Appropriate ‘blends’
Openness
Flexibility
Mobility
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Effective course design…
Is team-based
Focuses on the different types of interaction
Is not obsessed with content
Offers low cost but high value
Requires digital literacy skills
Must be innovative, participative and fun
May benefit from a VLE
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Moodle…
An enabler, not a barrier
Can help you design courses
Should meet your needs and those of your course, your learners, your team
Not a content dump
Not an add-on to your course: it is your course
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OERs…
Content is not king
Free, high-quality resources will hit you (and your learners)
Browse and use OERs to enhance your courses
Contribute your own: don’t agonise over the family silver
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MOOCs…
Register on one
Consider contributing to one
Put yourself and your organisation on the global MOOC map
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Our chance to shape the future of learning
Professor Alejandro Armellini
University of Northampton