Learning in an open world

1. Learning in an open world Gráinne Conole, The Open University, UK Lifelong learning & workspaces Southampton University, 3rd June 2010

2. The gap between the promise and reality Paradoxes Technologies not fully exploited Little evidence of use (& reuse) of OER Media sharing Blogs & wikis Reasons Technical, pedagogical, organisational… “Lack of time, research vs. teaching, lack of skills, no rewards, no support….” Solutions? Case studies, support networks Learning Design, Open Educational Resources Virtual worlds & online games Social networking World of warcraft http://www.flickr.com/photos/shardsofblue/3981216281/

3. Redefining ‘openness’ • Snapshot of the impact of new technologies • Vision for redefining openness • Examples from existing research • Theoretical and methodological issues

4. A focus on Mediating Artefacts Design Learning activity or Resource Can now use or repurpose Has an inherent Mediating artefacts MediatingArtefacts Content Tools Conceptual tools Can we develop new innovative mediating artefacts? How can we make the design more explicit and sharable?

5. From Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 Shift from: Web 1.0 – content repository and static information Web 2.0 – user generated content/social mediation Media sharing • Web 2.0 characteristics • Peer critiquing • User generated content • Collective aggregation • Community formation • Digital personas Blogs & wikis Social networking Virtual worlds • Trends • Shift from content to social mediation • New practices of creation and sharing • Evidence of scaling up/network effects

6. A typology of Web 2.0 technologies (Conole and Alevizou, 2010), Review of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/1895

7. A Tweet is simply 140 characters… Examples of use Posting queries Commenting Backchannel Crowdsourcing Gathering opinions Sharing events/ideas Brainstorming Social presence Issues Your ‘a-ha’ moment The right network Your digital voice Inappropriateness Personal/private Too much! Use with other tools A passing fad?

8. I haven’t got enough time in my first life! Examples of use Archeological dig Cyber-law Virtual exhibitions Language schools Medical wards Gifted kids workshops De-schooling spaces Virtual conferences Issues Technical barriers Cultural Time Aimless/empty Replicating real-life Identity Misuse Commercial use

9. Communication Virtual worlds Online games Redefining ICT… Video conferencing Social networking sites Audio conferencing Google wave Forums Wikis Instant messaging Blogs Twitter Email Social bookmarking File sharing sites Mash ups Interactivity Web pages

10. Mapping to pedagogy Use of RSS feeds and mash ups Personalised learning Location aware devices, Virtual worlds, online games Situated, experiential, problem-based learning, role play Google, media sharing repositories, user-generated content Inquiry or resource-based learning Blogs and e-portfolios, wikis, social networks Reflective and dialogic learning

11. A vision of openness… Design Courses design & shared openly Delivery Use of free tools & resources Open Research Sharing of research data Evaluation Critical reflection

12. Co-evolution of tools and practice Representation Preferences Communication Interests Evolving practices Connection Skills Interactivity Context Affordances of technologies Characteristics of users

13. Principles and application Research Open Evolving Impact Teaching

14. Impact: Intervention framework Policy Research & development Academic perspective Learner experience

15. Open: open approaches Resources Tools Open Practices Policies

16. Open Design Open Research Open Delivery X-Delia Open Evaluation

17. Decision time…. • More on Learning Design • The approach and some of the views • Cloudworks • New patterns of user behaviour • Open Educational Practices • Definition and dimensions

18. A learning design approach Shift from belief-based, implicit approaches to design-based, explicit approaches A design-based approach to creation and support of courses Encourages reflective, scholarly practices Promotes sharing and discussion

19. Consists of…. Tools Activities Course views Cloudworks Resources Resources Theoretical perspectives Collaboration Visualisation Activities Tools Tools Activities Resources CompendiumLD Excel template

20. Translates into… Tailored guided pathways of different levels of intensity and length CBM awareness ‘LD-lite’ workshops Design challenges Master’s level OER Free format

21. Financial health check game: conceptual design tools Pedagogy profile Dimensions Task swimline Learning intervention overview Learning outcomes

22. Learning intervention overview Guidance & Support Linear guided pathway Content & Activities Interactive tips and hints on financial planning and management Financial audit quiz Communication & Collaboration Individual standalone game Face-to-face session with advisor Reflection & Demonstration Formative feedback on completion of quiz Summary A 25 minute game plus a face-to-face session with an advisor Key words iPhone app, financial capability, quiz, financial health check

23. Pedagogy profile • 10 mins reading • 5 mins interactive activities • 10 mins quiz • 20 minsf-t-f session with advisor

24. Dimensions view • Breaks down nature of course against the 4 higher level categories

25. Task swimline • Maps tasks to tools and resources

26. Learning outcomes view • Maps learning outcomes to activities and outputs

27. Cloudworks A space for sharing and discussing learning and teaching ideas and designs Application of the best of web 2.0 practice to a teaching context To bridge the gap between technologies and use Teachers say they want examples/want to share/discuss New skills needed for engaging with new technologies’

28. Key concepts: A cloud Clouds: Ideas Design or case studies Tools or resources Questions or problems

29. Key concepts: Cloudscapes Cloudscapes: Conferences Workshops Course team Student cohort Research theme Project Open Reviews • A space to: • discuss • add • follow • collate • archive • share • expertise • experiences

30. Evaluation methodologies • Principles • User-centred • Theory-based • Critically reflective and evolving • Methodology • Rich evaluation - virtual ethnography and discourse analysis • Topic trails • User trails • Data collection • Web stats including google analytics • Interviews • ‘Cloudfests’ and focus groups • Observation and reflective diaries • Critical friends group and design summits

31. Evolving: socio-technical co-evolution Content seeding Event support, flash debates, etc Open reviews, expert consultation, etc Social interventions Vision Virtual ethnography Technical interventions RSS feeds, activity streams etc Events listing, voting, favourites, etc Beta release

32. Initial theoretical perspectives “Social objects” Social networking makes little sense if we leave out the objects that Mediate the ties between people Engeström • Design framework for sociality • Enabling practice • Mimicking reality • Building identity • Actualising self • Bouman et al.

33. Prompted by a tweet and post by @mattlingard, I've set up this cloud.

34. Categories of use • Events cloudscapes • ETUG workshop, OER Meeting, Monterey, Int. conf on open and distance learning • Debate cloudscapes • The changing nature of conferences, Is Twitter Killing Blogging? • Open review cloudscapes • Literature review of Web 2.0, Positioning of educational technologists • Expert elicitation cloudscapes • OPAL project review of OER and associated practices • Resource or topic cloudscapes • Horizon reports, Using mindmapping in teaching • Learning and teaching cloudscapes • Masters students, Business school tutors • Design cloudscapes • Design course team • Reading cloudscapes • ELESIG virtual reading cycle

35. Flash Debate: Is twitter killing blogging? Matt has set up a quick survey to ask people how using twitter has impacted on how much they blog or not. • 49 comments • 1027 views • summaries & additional content • 19 links • 6 references

36. Ritual performance Goffman – ritual performance Knowledge building and collective intelligence Distributed cognition Initiation, ownership of spaces Questions and answers Recognition of expertise Support and advice Recommendations

37. Collective intelligence Levy, Solomon et al. The nature of communication in popular activities How do users express themselves? Open reviews Expert elicitation Rapid aggregation of resources Crowdsourcing a new topic

38. Evaluating the collective … Patterns of Contribution in the Exeter Open Review (Galley, 2010 expanding on Cross, 2010)

39. Community indicators framework Galley, 2010 • How does socio-technical design shape trajectories of negotiation and progress? • User centred • How do coordinated activities can be designed to foster existing communities and relational networks? • Themed activities-centred (e.g. OER)

40. Open Educational Practices

41. Vision and approach Open Educational Practices (OEP) Practices around the creation, use and management of Open Educational Resources Approach 60 case studies of OER collected Dimensions of OEP derived Online consultation process

42. Dimensions • Strategies and policies • Quality Assurance models • Partnership models • Tools and tool practices • Innovations: • Skills development and support • Business models/sustainability strategies • Barriers and success factors