Designing for Blended Learning with MyeLearning :

1. Designing for Blended Learning with MyeLearning: Session 1 Chris Fowler 13/12/2011

2. Before we start……. • How many of you have taught online or blended learning courses? • What problems or issues, if any, did you encounter? • What benefits, if any, resulted? • What were the costs, if any (time etc)? • Did the students like it? Not like it? How do you know? • Any impact (+ or - ) on academic performance? How do you know? • Did you have a choice on what technology to use? • How many of you have undertaken training on MyElearning?

3. Overall Outcomes & Objectives • To design innovative, valid and valued blended learning courses by (session 1): • To able to use the MyeLearningfunctionality to meet your learning requirements (Sessions 2, 3, & 4)

4. Session 1 Objectives • To arrive at an agreed definition and common understanding of what we mean by Blended Learning (Part 1) • To specify good learning designs (Part 2) • To introduce and describe the MyeLearningfunctionality (Part 3)

5. But….. • You will not become an expert user overnight – designing for learning is as much an art as a science – no prescriptions! • Technology is only as good as the pedagogy – don’t be seduced by the latest gadget! • Pedagogy is only as good as the technology – choose wisely! • Learning is learning regardless of whether its mediated through technology (there is no such thing as elearning or even blended learning there’s just learning!).

6. Part 1: Blended Learning Definitions • Brainstorm some definitions

7. Blended Learning Definition (1) • Blended Learning refers to a mixing of different learning environments. Blended learning gives learners and teachers a potential environment to learn and teach more effectively.

8. Learning Environments CLASSROOM (f2f) ONLINE OTHER

9. Blended Learning Definition (2) • involves a combination of traditional classroom-based learning and remote Distance Learning formats. In a blended course, students are usually required to attend some classes on campus while completing other technology-based work remotely.

10. Blended Learning Continuum

11. Web-based Learning activities VOLUNTARY MANDATORY Weak BLENDED Strong

12. Understanding the mix: Levels of Granularity • Institutional • Some programmes completely online others completely traditional = Blended? • Programmes • Some courses completely online others completely traditional = Blended? • Course • Some sessions completely online others completely traditional = Blended? • Session • Some parts of the session completely online others completely traditional = Blended?

13. Models of Blended Learning • Two key models: • Supplement Model : where online technologies are used to support not to replace traditional f2f teaching • Replacement Model: where online technologies are used to replace existing f2f teaching. • Only the replacement model is truly a (strong) Blended Learning Approach • No reason why Supplement model can not also be used (but it’s weak blend)

14. Blended Learning Definitions • The phrase has many specific meanings based upon the context in which it is used. • In our context definition 2 is preferred: Blended Learning involves a combination of traditional classroom-based learning and remote Distance Learning formats. In a blended course, students are usually required to attend some sessions on campus while completing others using online technology. • This rules out the ‘weak blend’ options

15. Why Blend? • Brainstorm • Advantages of Blended learning? • Disadvantages (constraints & challenges)

16. Why Blend? • More effective learning? • More flexible (time & place) learning? • More cost effective use of resources? • Students prefer it?

17. But…… • Technology constraints (everybody has to have some technology and know how to use it)’ • Computer Security constraints (firewalls etc) • Pedagogical constraints (not understanding how to use the technology effectively) • Institutional constraints (lack of data; lack of commitment; lack of policies; lack of know-how) • Time & resource constraints (any transformation takes time, money and effort) • People constraints – see no reason to change.

18. How? Making the right decisions. • Brainstorm – • what do we need to consider in making the decision to adopt a blended learning approach? • How do we decide which components of our course should go online?

19. How? Making the right decisions.

20. Part 2: Designing for Learning • The key to making the decision about what to blend is having well designed Learning Activities • Decide how and if the learning activity can be supported by online technologies

21. What are Learning Activities • Definition (based on Conole, 2007): ‘activities undertaken by learners, within a given learning context, to complete a series of tasks in order to achieve a set of learning outcomes’ • Task v’s Activities - activities are undertaken by learners in response to tasks usually set by the teacher.

22. Designing for Learning Four parts: • Stages of Learning (Mayes) • Learning Objectives (Bloom) • Learning Activities (Conole) • Mapping technical functions onto Learning activities

23. Mayes’ Learning Stages Delivery technologies.... Audio Streaming Video Streaming HTML pages Lectures,Text books TV, Radio, CDs Conceptualisation Laboratories, seminars, field work, workshops, practicals Construction Java, Shockwave Remote sensors Whiteboards Conferencing ( audio, video, text) Tutorials, informal chats, Dialogue

24. Lecture The Learning Activities

25. The Context Consider the following: • Locus of Control (teacher or learner?) • Group dynamics (individual or group) • Teaching dynamics (One-to-one? One-to-many? Many-to-many?) • Activity authenticity (naturalness?) • Level of interactivity (high, medium or low) • Source of information (social; reflection; informational; experiential) These combined with the required learning activities will help determine the choice of pedagogical approach (i.e instructional; co-constructional, problem solving; apprenticeship)

26. Pedagogical Approach • The combination of Stages, Objectives and Activities within a given context can generate a particular pedagogical approach • Pedagogical approaches include: • Instruction (teacher-centric; emphasis on orienting learners, and the introduction of new concepts; learners have a relatively passive role) • Co-instruction or ‘Teach-back’(learner as instructor through individual feedback process or execution of the task) • Construction (learner-centric; learner constructs knowledge through active participation; discovery; testing etc) • Social Construction ( learners working in groups but relying on social processes to support and benefit individual activities) • Problem based (learner centric; collaborative; emphasis on use of prior knowledge; very applied/concrete; emphasis on transfer of knowledge) • Situated Learning (knowledge is contextually situated; learning from real world setting; including the social context (communities of practice etc). • Apprenticeship (teacher as coach (expert); context vital; social process critical)

27. What to blend? Tool Functionality Specification Concepts Requirements Mayes’ Conceptual Framework Learning Stages Forums BID Specification Wikis Learning Objectives Bloom’ s Learning Taxonomy Podcasts Pedagogical Approach Conole’ s Mini-learning Activities Learning Activities Skype Context

28. What not to do online: Some Policies & Recommendations • Its SoE Policy (draft) that the following should be done f2f: • Orientation sessions (first class principle) • All major revision classes (last class principle) • The following are recommended to be done f2f: • Remedial sessions (slots have been left free) • Practical sessions Basically sessions required for social bonding, have a high emotional content, are conceptually difficult and/or require haptic (touch) or other manipulative skills should be done f2f.

29. Part 3: MyeLearning • Prerequisites • MyeLearningaccount • Course Shell • Lots of patience!

30. Accessing MyeLearning • You must have a university approved course registered on Banner • Only the first markers will be allowed access • Make sure you have been assigned the role of a ‘teacher’. • Log in directly http://myelearning.sta.uwi.edu or via http://www.mysta.uwi.edu • First time use Staff ID number and DoB as your password (they can be changed later)

31. Course Shells • For new courses, once on Banner, myeLearning will automatically generate a course shell . • It is the course shell that you develop/populate to create your online course. • You can request (via the Service catalogue) for an old course shell (i.e from a previous course) to be used instead.

32. MyeLearningFunctionality • Can be divided into two major components: • Management/Administration functions • Role assignment • Lessons • Calendars • Tools • Communication Tools • Forums (discussion groups) • News • Email/Messages • Assessment Tools • Quizzes • Choices • Grading • Assignments • Content Tools • Databases • Glossaries • Surveys • Wikis • journals

33. MyeLearningActivities • The main pedagogical activities including: • Assignments Submitted online and can be graded • Choices Quick poll ( question with multiple responses) • Database Create, display, search a bank of record entries (image files, URLS) • Forums Place for text-based , asynchronous discussions (posting) • Glossary Students can create and maintain a list of definition. • Journals For recoding reflections on topics (blog)

34. Activities cont’d 7. Lesson Bounded content, learners proceed to the next lesson or return to a previous lesson depending on their response to a question. 8. Quizzes Design and set multiple choice, true-false, short- answer questions 9. Surveys Verified instruments to help teachers gather feedback from learners 10. Wikki A Collaboarative (multi-authored) web page 11. Workshop Peer assessment activity

35. Support • CITS Help desk (helpdesk@sta.uwi.edu) or 662 2002 x 84357 • Faculty MyeLearning Handbook (available from staff wiki) • MyeLearning online Tutorial.

36. Thank you!