A holistic approach to design for learning – a vision for the future

1. A holistic approach to design for learning – a vision for the future More info, slides and references: http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/2695 Gráinne Conole, Open University, UK Annual International CODE Symposium, Chiba, Japan, 18th February 2010

2. Context My background: Irish PhD Chemistry Professor of e-learning • Open University, UK: • 1st ‘Open University’ • More than 200, 000 students • 570 courses in 70 subjects • Supported Open Learning: • (Materials+Tutor+Assessment) • 7,000 tutors • 20 partnerships in 30 countries • Expertise in e-learning • Learning innovation • Learning environment: Moodle+ • YouTube channel • iTunes • OpenLearn • SecondLife

3. Outline The landscape of the web 2.0 world…. Exploring new digital territories • Context • Recent key reports and research • Convergence of technology and pedagogy? • Paradoxes created by ‘digital’ and educational dilemmas • The gap between the promise and the reality • Daring to think differently • Designing for learning • Representing and guiding design • Discussing and sharing • Drawing on related research • A framework for intervention • Research evidence • Policy direction • The learner voice • Academic practice

4. Technologies: changing, evolving… Abundance of online resources Ubiquitous, just-in-time, learning Mobile technologies IT services decentralised (Cloud computing)

5. Virtual learning

6. Redefining content

7. The learner voice • Technologically immersed • Learning processes • Task orientated, experiential, cummulative • Attitudes and approaches • group orientated, experiential, able to multi-task, just in time mindset, comfortable with multiple representations • Disconnect between student & institutional approaches • Caution re: net gen claims, importance of taking account of student differences • Do seem to be age related changes taking place and these are strongly linked to social networking and the use of a range of new Netgeneration, Digital Natives.... (Oblinger, Prensky, etc.), Ecar reports, Kennedy survey, Chris Jones, Mary Thorpe, JISC LEX projects, Sharpe and Beetham (forthcoming)

8. Personalised and mobile Individualised Personal Learning Environment Synchronised information across devices Location and context aware Have we crossed a threshold? The i-phone as truly transformative ….but what’s next?

9. Reflection: e-portfolios

10. New learning spaces SKG: Learning Spaces project, Australia Combining the affordances of new technologies with good pedagogy Taking account of context, location and time Blurring of real and virtual

11. Tool-user co-evolution Internet + c b Radio a What’s the next stage of the co-evolution? 1 3 2 TV Phone We can now interact at a distance, accessing complex & useful resources in ways unimaginable in early eras Smart tools Mobile devices Inspire by Pea &Wallis, 2008

12. Modern pedagogy Converging practices Modern technologies • Web 2.0 practices • Location aware technologies • Adaptation & customisation • Second life/immersive worlds • Google it! • “Expert badges”, World of warcraft • User-generated content • Blogging, peer critiquing • Cloud computing • From individual to social • Contextualised and situated learning • Personalised learning • Experiential learning • Inquiry learning • Peer learning • Open Educational Resources • Reflection • Distributed cognition

13. Paradoxes created by the digital Death of expertise/ everyone an expert Expansive knowledge domain Multiple pathways/lost in cyberspace Hierarchy & control less meaningful Beyond ‘digital space’/New metaphors Increasingly complex digital landscape Multiple (co-)locations/ loss of content integrity Content distributed, everything is miscellaneous Social collective/digital individualism Collective intelligence Issues re: ownership, value, business models Free content & tools, open APIs and mash ups

14. Educational dilemmas Challenges the role of the teacher Expansive knowledge domain Need for new learner pathways Hierarchy & control less meaningful Widening skills gap between ‘tech savy’/others Increasingly complex digital landscape Need to rethink the design process Content distributed, everything is miscellaneous Potential for new forms of learning Collective intelligence Lack of uptake Free content & tools, open APIs and mash ups

15. Digital literacies • Jenkins twelve skills for participatory culture • Play – experimentation/problem solving • Performance – alternative identities • Simulation – construct models of real-world processes • Appropriation – sample and remix of media content • Multitasking – scanning and then focusing on salient details • Distributed cognition – interaction to expand mental capacities • Collective intelligence - to pool knowledge with others • Judgment – evaluation reliability of different information • Transmedia navigation – follow the flow of stories across modalities • Networking – search for, synthesize and dissemination information • Negotiation – travel diverse communities, multiple perspectives • Visualisation – different data representations for ideas, patterns, trends

16. Not fully exploited Array of technologies Free resources Little reuse The gap between promise & reality • Common reactions: • “I haven’t got time” • “My research is more important” • “What’s in it for me?” • “Where is my reward?” • “I don’t have the skills to do this” • “I don’t believe in this, it won’t work” • Common resistance strategies: • I’ll say yes (and do nothing) • Undermine the initiative • Undermine the person involved • Do it badly • Classic mistakes: • Emphasis on the technologies, not the people and processes • Funding for technology developments but not use and support

17. Daring to think differently • Can we develop new technology-enabled approaches to support ‘core’ learning and teaching? • Finding (resources, information, tools, expertise) • Creating and adapting (resources) • Designing/aggregating (learning activities or pathways) • Communicating (peer-peer, learner-teacher) • Reflection (assessment, professional development)

18. Designing for Learning Representing pedagogy OULDI Open University Learning Design Initiative Empirical evidence base Guiding design Sharing ideas Andrew Brasher, Paul Clark, Gráinne Conole Simon Cross, Juliette Culver, Rebecca Galley & Paul Mundin

19. OULDI…. Events: Tools: Visualisation & guidance Design methods: schema & patterns Cloudworks: sharing & discussing

20. Visualisation • To support effective design • Identifying key requirements at different levels • Integrating design advice and support at key points in the process

21. CompendiumLD • Tool for visualising designs • Based on: • Roles – student, tutor, etc. • Tasks – read, discuss, etc. • Tools and resources • Outputs • Advantages • Makes design explicit • Maps out design • Sharable with others • Good at activity level

22. Course map &Pedagogy profile • Course map • Gives an ‘at a glance’ view • Based on 5 mains aspects of a course • Can differentiate ‘real’ & digital • Pedagogy profile • Maps to types of activities the students do • Can look at different timeframes • Advantages • Profiles pedagogical overview • Can compare with other courses

23. Course map Thinking and reflection “Meta-cognition”: Internalisation and reflection, e.g. in-text questions, blog, e-portfolio Course Map View: Course title Information and experience “Contents and activities”: Course materials, prior experience, learner-generated content, e.g. reading, DVDs, podcasts, labwork Guidance and Support “Learning pathway”: Course structure and timetable e.g. course calendar, study guide, tutorials Communication and Interaction “Dialogue”: Social dimensions of the course, interaction between learners and tutors, e.g. course forum, email Evidence and demonstration “Assessment”: Diagnostic, formative or summative, e.g. multiple choice questions, TMAs, ECAs Course summary Level, credits, duration, key features Key works Description words indicating pedagogical approach, special features

24. Pedagogy profile • Map of student tasks to time periods (weeks, semesters, etc) • Six types of student tasks + assessment • Each cell indicates the amount of time spent in that period on each type of task • Widget provides graphical view

25. Collaboration • Key part of informal process • Sharing best practice • Ideas, support and advice • Enhancing professional knowledge Cloudworks

27. Key concepts • Clouds: • core objects in Cloudworks • Cloudscapes: • collections of clouds • Activity streams: • dynamic filters of new activity • Follow and be followed: • Personal activity stream and peer recognition

28. Toolbox • Bringing together tools, resources and frameworks developed over a number of years across projects • Mapped to ‘touch-points’ and gaps identified • Supporting advice and guidance • Trialled across a range of teaching and learning environments LD Toolbox

29. Training and support • Activities graded: introductory, intermediate and advanced • 4 interventions offered (Independent, community peer support, tailored events, side-by-side mentoring) • Co-creative approach to ensure relevance and uptake

31. A framework for intervention Institutional & national funding Embedding in strategy Aligning to technology trends Policy Actual use in practice What’s in it for me? Research & development Teacher practice Changing user behaviour Drivers and challenges The learner’s experience Evidence of impact

32. A holistic approach to design for learning – a vision for the future More info, slides and references: http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/2695 Gráinne Conole, Open University, UK Annual International CODE Symposium, Ciba, Japan, 18th February 2010

33. Flickr images Treasure island 1 http://www.flickr.com/photos/tontoncopt/2075310775/ Web 2.0 city http://www.flickr.com/photos/4everyoung/313308360/ Grand challenges http://www.kamaelia.org/GrandChallengesCover.png Flexible Open Space InQbate CETL in Creativity University of Sussex http://www.flickr.com/photos/jiscinfonet/403331689/ Secondlife image http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramona538/ / CC BY 2.0