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This presentation by Caroline Coles, from the Leicester Institute of Legal Practice, explores innovative approaches to increase student engagement in distance learning courses. It highlights the role of interactive digital technologies like wikis, which enable collaborative and autonomous learning beyond traditional classroom settings. Emphasizing social constructivism and creative practices, Coles discusses students' experiences with wikis, addressing both successes and challenges in fostering engagement and critical thinking. The session aims to identify effective methods for integrating wikis into legal education to enhance student interaction and learning outcomes.
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Building engagement online in distance learning courses Caroline Coles Leicester Institute of Legal Practice 6th May 2010
The Student experience • Learning beyond the classroom: part time, work-based, mobile • Diversity • Interactive digital technology
Aims for Higher Education • Rigour, disciplined thought, curiosity (NCIHE 1997) • Social constructivism (Vygotsky 1986, Laurillard 2002) • Creativity.Autonomous learner • Dynamic learning (Sabry,Barker 2009) • Knowledge economy (BIS 2009)
What is a wiki? • Collaborative web site • Public or private • Inside Blackboard or use a free external host e.g. www.wikispaces.com, www.pbwiki.com • For text, diagrams, pictures, live web links • This session wiki http://wikisession-seda2010.wikispaces.com/
Graduate Diploma in Law • Leicester Institute of Legal Practice, post graduate in time but graduate in nature • Issues: Engagement; diverse; scarce discussion • Aims: engagement,express ideas, synthesize, collaborate • Structure: series of tasks, minimal tutor involvement, reward with documents • Blackboard wiki
Student response • “Very helpful” • “could be filled in at your own pace and enhanced learning” • “Would like to use it in tutorials more – this way students will have to make a comment and become more confident” DMU GDL students 2009
Student response- tutor reflection • Greater evidence of engagement • High quality of contribution – reflective, critical • Improved academic writing skills BUT • Minimal collaboration: • Evidence of protective ownership of pages? • “Lurking”
Student response other examples • “The Wiki page is a good part of learning because it encourages class members to integrate, which was quite helpful…” • “I learnt a lot from other people's input, whenever I got stuck alone Cubric 2007
Aligned assessment • General : • Group assessment issues • Assessment criteria: criticality, wider research, academic presentation • Storage for external examiner • Specific: • Formative
Future • In class role? Observation project (Coles 2010) • Practice page “sandbox” • Assigned student roles eg summariser • Explicit construction tasks eg legal drafting • Community building tasks • RSS alert
Future • Approach of non-westernised cultures • Emotive issues of technology enhanced learning
Discussion • Can you see a role for wikis in your practice? • If you answer yes, what tasks do you believe may be appropriate? • If you answer no, what are the barriers to using wikis in your practice?
References • BIS 2009: Great Britain.Department of Business,Innovation and Skills (2009) Higher Ambitions .Also available at http://www.bis.gov.uk/Policies/higher-education/shape-and-structure/higher-ambitions • Bostock,S. E-learning:engaging learners through technology.SEDA Paper 119.Available from www.seda.ac.uk • Coles ,C.( 2009) The role of new technology in improving engagement http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/jilt/2009_3/Coles • Cubric,M.(2007) Good practice in using wikis to enhance learning,student support and retention for business students BMAF HEA Issue 1 April 2007 • Laurillard,D.(2002) Rethinking University Teaching :a conversational framework for the effective use of ICT, 2nd edn.London: Routledge.
References • Maharg,P.( 2007) Transforming Legal Education.Ashgate Publishing.Also available at www.transforming education.org.uk • NCIHE (1997). National committee on Inquiry into Higher Education. London. Also available at www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe • NACCCE (1999).All Our Futures http://www.hmie.gov.uk/documents/publication/hmiepcie.html • Sabry,K. and Barker,J. 2009 Dynamic Interactive Learning Systems. Innovations in Education and Teaching International Vol 46,No 2 May 2009 pp185-197 • Vygotsky,L.S. (1986) Thought and Language.Cambridge,MA:MIT Press • Images: BIS.gov.uk;ljmu.ac.uk;nikkichrager.com