Design effective online resources

1. Design effective online resources Gráinne Conole, University of Southampton Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk ESRC Research Methods Programme Workshop Manchester, 15th December 2004

2. Outline • A six-step framework for e-learning • Rationale for using e-learning • Understanding the tools • Understanding the context • Designing the curriculum • Reflecting and evaluation • Ensure the process is embedded

3. The missing link Plethora of tools and resources Enormous potential but underused Wealth of knowledge about learning Didactic/behaviourists models predominate • Gap between the • potentialof the technologies • (confusion over how they can be used) • and • applicationof good pedagogical principles • (confusion over which models to use)

4. Tackling the problem… • Need to understand • The way e-learning can (and can’t!) be used • Changing organisational context • New skills needed and impact on individuals • Rethink designing learning activities • Apply learning theory • Make appropriate use of tools and resources • Devise innovative approaches to assessment

5. Framework for e-learning Reasons for using e-learning Choice of tools and resources Understanding the context • The wider context • Organisational context • Skills and perceptions of staff and students Effective curriculum design Evaluation Embedding 1 2 3 4 5 6

6. Rationale for using e-learning 1 • Reasons for using e-learning can be • Pedagogical • Administrative • Political • Need to consider • The impact on the whole teaching and learning process • Organisational issues • Skills needed – for both staff and students

7. Types of tools and their uses 2 Manipulating data Word, Excel Presentation The Web, PowerPoint Finding information Search engines, portals Managing Databases, Project Manager Personal management Diaries, calendars

8. Types of tools and their uses 2 Communication Email, discussion forums Visualisation Mindmaps, visual tools Analysis SPSS, NVIVO Evaluation CAA tools, Web tracking Guidance and support Wizards, tutorials

9. Understanding the context 3 • Large-scale technological implementations common in business • E-business, online shopping, e-tickets • Education sector has been slower • Need to understand your • Institutional context and drivers and barriers • Audience! Teachers and students

10. Approaches Activities Evaluation Integration Design Quality Assurance Resources Assessment The curriculum lifecycle 4

11. Creating learning activities 4 • Use of a learning design toolkit to • Rethink teaching, learning and assessment • Make learning and teaching approaches more explicit • Enable appropriate use of • Tools and resources • Choice of teaching and learning techniques • Innovative approaches to assessment

12. Learning Activity Toolkit • Guides teachers through the process of articulating their teaching approach • Results in the production of a ‘lesson plan’ for a particular learning activity • Prompts and supports teachers as they create or modify learning activities, linking pedagogical approaches to teaching techniques, tools and resources

13. Methodology • Reviewed learning theories • Identified key elements of learning • Learning activity defined • Distil out teachers’ implicit thinking • Definition of a learning activity and its components • Relationships between components • Mapping and reality check with real examples

14. Learning activity components • Context • Subject, level, learning outcomes, environment, etc • Learning and teaching approaches • Theories and models • Tasks • Type, techniques, tools, resources, interaction, roles • Associated assessments – types, techniques

15. Context

24. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – didactic • Learning outcome – knowledge • Tasks – assimilative • Assessment - focusing on re-production of knowledge • MCQs, drills, short answer, essays • Tutor feedback, tutor assessed

25. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – cognitive apprenticeship • Learning outcome – application • Tasks - experiential • Assessment - focusing on use of concepts in different contexts • Report, field work, project • Tutor assessed; may be peer- or self-evaluated

26. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – problem-based • Learning outcome – analysis • Tasks – information handling • Assessment – focus on application of concepts to problems • Exercise, practical, project • Tutor assessed or peer- or self-evaluated

27. Making the link • Pedagogical approach – dialogic • Learning outcome – evaluation • Tasks – communicative • Assessment - focus on critiquing and argument • Group presentation • Peer-evaluated

28. Uses • Guidance • On the development of learning activity • Mapping pedagogy to tools and resources • Repurposing • Query database of existing learning activities • Research • Development of new e-learning models • Quality assurance

29. Benefits • Providing guidance and support • Making link between pedagogy and tasks more explicit • Mapping of approaches with techniques and associated tools and resources • As a means of articulating out practitioner understanding • Generation of generic templates and models

30. What is evaluation? 5 • ‘The process of making judgements about the worth (costs and values) of something’ (Martin Oliver, IoE) • About understanding and reflecting on a particular set of activities • To understand what’s happening! • To iteratively improve teaching and learning process

31. Evaluation functions 5 Selecting Researching Monitoring Validating Improving Justifying

32. Evaluation process 5 • Reasons Dissemination Stakeholders Questions Data analysis Data collection

33. The importance of evaluation 5 Understanding the teaching and learning process Identifying areas for improvement Way of documenting and providing evidence Part of quality assurance processes

34. Benefits of evaluation 5 Improves the curriculum process Encourages reflection Generates new ideas and innovations Makes process more explicit

35. Relationship to QA 5 • Evaluation and QA essential parts of curriculum lifecycle • Understanding the lifecycle requires rigorous models • QA strategies rely on the identification of • areas of potential improvement • need to document and evidence • specification and implementation of QA/E plans • Evaluation can • acting as part of QA process • as a structure for devising enhancement plans

36. The role of evaluation 5 • Evaluation can • can produce documentary evidence of assumptions, processes and outputs • provide a rich source of evidence for QA • be valuable to individuals seeking recognition for professional development through assessed reflective portfolios • contribute to notion of excellence • increase innovation and transfer of good practice

37. Embedding – lessons learnt 6 • Individuals need to see • relevance of e-learning • Know little about • organisational processes Institutions lack effective cost-benefit models Integrating existing legacy systems is difficult

38. Embedding – buy in 6 • Align e-learning development • with external funding Process for project to institutional embedding Integrate with institutional strategies and policy initiatives Pedagogical and organisational issues not just technical one

39. References • Conole, Dyke, Oliver, & Seale, (2004), ‘Mapping pedagogy and tools for effective learning design’, Computers and Education, June 2004 • Conole and Dyke, (2004), ‘The affordances of ICT’, ALT-J, 12.2 • Conole and Fill, (Submitted), ‘Specification for a learning design activities toolkit’, Computers and education • Conole, (2004), ‘Report on the effectiveness of tools for e-learning’, report for the JISC commissioned ‘Research Study on the Effectiveness of Resources, Tools and Support Services used by Practitioners in Designing and Delivering E-Learning Activities’ • Evaluation toolkit:www.ltss.ac.uk/jcalt/

40. Design effective online resources Gráinne Conole, University of Southampton Email: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk ESRC Research Methods Programme Workshop Manchester, 15th December 2004