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Connecting research with policy and practice

Gráinne Conole, Open University, UKEDEN research workshopBudapest, 25th October 2010

More info, slides and references:http://cloudworks.ac.uk/

Outline A framework for linking research

with policy & practice

Scrutinising the e-learning history line lessons from the past a glimpse into the future

Learners’ experience

Teacher practice

Bridging the gap between rhetoric and reality Leaning Design Open Educational Resources

Emergent themes and challenges

Policy

Teacher practiceResearch

Learner experience

Framework for research, policy and practice

Conole, 2010 http://oro.open.ac.uk/21618/

Scrutinising the e-learning timeline Context

Globalisation, networked society, changing societal norms, ICT advances

UK: Dearing review of ICT Range of funded initiatives & support bodies

US: Fragmented policy, driven by individuals and commercial imperative

Education/Industry partnerships, spin offs, Open Educational Movement

Impact

Local culture vs global hegemony, changing roles & structures, commercial vs. government supported, dissemination and impact evaluation

Policy Practice

DriversWidening participation, personalization, lifelong learning, quality assurance, developing the work force, commercial imperative

Conole, (2007) in Andrews & Haythornwaite

Technology trends

A typology of new technologies

Technology Examples

Media sharing Flckr, YouTube, Slideshare, Sketchfu

Media manipulation and mash ups

Geotagged photos on maps, Voicethread

Instant messaging, chat, web 2.0 forums

MSN, Paltalk, Arguementum

Online games and virtual worlds WorldofWarcraft, SecondLife

Social networking Facebook, Myspace, Linkedin, Elgg, Ning

Blogging Wordpress, Edublog, Twitter

Social bookmarking Del.icio.us, Citeulike, Zotero

Recommender systems Digg, LastFm, Stumbleupon

Wikis and collaborative editing tools

Wikipedia, GoogleDocs, Bubbl.us

Syndication/RSS feeds Bloglines, Podcast, GoogleReader

(Conole and Alevizou, 2010), Review of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Educationhttp://heacademy.ac.uk/assets/EvidenceNet/ConoleAlevizou2010.pdf

A

AssociativeFocus on individualLearning through association and reinforcement

ConstructivistBuilding on prior knowledgeTask-orientated

SituativeLearning through social interactionLearning in context

ConnectivistLearning in a networked environment

Pedagogies of e-learningMayes & De Freitas, 2004Conole 2010cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/2982

E-trainingDrill & practice

Inquiry learningResource-based

Experiential, Problem-based Role play

Reflective & dialogic learning, Personalised learning

Some case study examples

E-training, drill and practice

Experiential, problem-based, role

play

Inquiry learning, resource-based

learning

Reflective and dialogic learning,

Personalised learning

Interactive materials, E-assessment

Virtual worlds, Location aware devices, Online

games

Google, Media sharing repositories,

User-generated content

Blogs, RSS feeds, E-portfolios, Wikis,

Social networks

E-training, drill and practice

McNaught, 2010, Edmedia Keynote

Going mobile

Inquiry-based learning

The Personal Inquiry projectInquiry-based learning across formal and informal settingsSharples, Scanlon et al.http://www.pi-project.ac.uk/

My community

Resource-based learningGLO Maker

Learning Objects

Open Educational Resources

Podcasts - iTunes U

Situated learning – virtual exhibitions

Aims to develop proficient technical writing and design skillsCohort of 82 students created a movie poster of the film, AvatarVirtual exhibition in SecondLife

What can avatars do? Virtual realities in collaborative learningLi et al., 2010, Edmedia conference

Other examples:Archeological digsMedical wardsArt exhibitionsCyber-lawVirtual language exchangeBeyond formal schooling

Role-based learning

Pheny and Shun, 2009, Ascilite conference

Wills et al., 2010

Reflective and dialogic learningUsesBlogs and E-portfolios for personal reflection Wikis/social bookmarking for aggregationWikis for project-based workCohort blogs for shared understandingWeb 2.0 tool to connect beyond the courseE-portfolios for aggregation and evidenceTwitter for just-in-time learning

Joyes, 2009, Ascilite conference

Web pages

Communication+

Interactivity

A redefining of what ICT means

Blogs

Wikis

Virtual worlds, online games & immersive environments

Social networking

Twitter

Google wave

Media sharing Mash ups

Email

Forums

Instant messaging

Audio & video conferencing

Co-evolution of tools and practice

Evolving practices

Characteristics of users

Preferences

Skills

Interests

Context

Affordances of technologies

Reflection

Dialogue

Aggregation

Interactivity

Affordances (Gibson)‘All "action possibilities" latent in an environmentt… but always in relation to the actor and therefore dependent on their capabilities.’For instance, a tall tree offers the affordances of food for a Giraffe but not a sheep.

Basic communications & gestures

Symbolic representations (words, numbers)

1st wave technologies (phone, radio, fax, TV, CD/DVDs)

2nd wave technologies networks, mobiles, the Internet)

Learners’ use of technologies

Immersed in technologies

Increasing use of Web 2.0 tools

Multiple channels for communication

Rich multiple representations of information

Just in time and peer learning

Outcomes focussed

Multiple career paths

Teacher practiceParadoxes

Technologies not fully exploitedLittle evidence of use of OER

Predominance of ‘old practices’Media sharing

Blogs & wikis

ReasonsTechnical, pedagogical,

organisational…“Lack of time, research vs. teaching, lack of skills, no rewards, no support….”

Solution…New approaches to

designing for learningVirtual worlds &online games

Social networking

World of warcraft http://www.flickr.com/photos/shardsofblue/3981216281/

Learning Design

Shift from belief-based, implicit approaches to design-based, explicit

approaches

Encourages reflective, scholarly practices

Promotes sharing and discussion

A design-based approach to creation and support of

courses

Andrew Brasher, Simon Cross, Juliette Culver, Rebecca Galley, Paul Mundin

The learning design concept wheel

Tools

Resources

Act

ivit

ies

Tools

Resources

Activities

Tools

Res

ourc

es

Activities

Foundations

Representation

Dialogue & collaboration

Learning Design taxonomyMediating artefactsAffordances

Excel template

CompendiumLD

Course views

Cloudworks

’DesignChallenge’DialogPlus toolkit

Phoebe plannerPedagogic planner

Course views: conceptual and data-driven

Course Map

Learning Outcomes

Task Swimlane

Pedagogy Profile Course Dimensions

Course Performance Cost effectiveness

Guidance & SupportCourse guide, study

calendar, study planner, 20 learning guides, General

assessment guidelines and assignments

Tutor support: 1:20, 21 hours

Reflection & Demonstration

Journal space in the Mystuff e-portfolio,

6 assignments online (50% of overall score)

Content & Activities3 co-published books, DVDs of 3 practice settings, core

questions, thinking points in course books

Own experience and practicePDFs, e-journal articles &

websites, activities in learning guides, 5 website

interactivities

Communication & Collaboration

F-t-F tutorials near beginning, middle and end,

Course-wide café forum, Tutor-group forums with sub-

groups for each block

Course summaryKE312 - Working together with

Children, 60 pt course over 32 weeks, 3 blocks/20

guidesWhole weeks devoted to assignments

Consolidation week (week 22)

Key wordsPractice-related, aligned to latest

professional framework for multi-agency working, rich cases

Read-Relate to practice – Reflect - Write

KE312 - Course map

Pedagogy profile

Learning Activity Taxonomy - Conole, 2008

Map of learner tasks to time periods (weeks, semesters, etc.)6 types of learner task + assessment

AssimilativeInformation handlingCommunicationProductiveExperientialAdaptiveAssessmentEach cell indicates the amount of time spent on each type of task

Course dimensions

Guidance &Support

Content &Activities

Reflection &demonstration

Communication & Collaboration

Learning outcomes

Mapping learning outcomes to:

ActivitiesAssessmentBased on Biggs’ work (1999) on constructive alignmentMaps course and highlights any gaps

Task swimlane

Focus on the tasks learners doBase on:

Roles (learner, tutor, etc.)Tasks (read, discuss, etc.)Tools and resourcesOutputsAdvantagesMakes design explicitMaps out designSharable with othersGood at activity levelUseMind mapping tools – CompendiumLD, CMap, FreemindPen, paper and stickers

New forms of dialogue & collaboration

Dialogue and collaboration

Design challengeCreate a course in a day!

CloudworksSpace to share and discuss

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

Helps develop skills needed for engaging with new technologies’

Quick language guideCloud: Anything to do with learning and teaching

Cloudscape:A collection of clouds

Activity stream:Latest activities on a Cloudscape or people Favourites:

Vote for things your like

RSS feeds:For Cloudscapes, Clouds & people

Follow:Cloudscapes, Clouds or people

Attend: Conferences & workshops

Embedded content

DiscussionLinksReferences

Author

Tags

Title

Policy

Teacher practiceResearch

Learner experience

Framework for research, policy and practice

Conole, 2010 http://oro.open.ac.uk/21618/

Institutional & national fundingEmbedding in strategyAligning to technology trends

Horizon scanning new technologies

Scrutinising teachers’ practice

How are learners using technologies?

Final thoughts

There will be an ongoing co-evolution of tools and use

New digital literacies are needed for both teachers and learners

There is a narrower but deeper digital divide

We need to devise pathways for navigating an increasingly complex digital landscape

We need new language and metaphors to make sense of this

Roles and structures are changing: learners, teachers, institutions

We need a better link between research and policy and practice

We need to develop a better theoretical basis for the field

We don’t know the future, but we can say this…