EE‐‐Learning in Learning in Higher EducationHigher Education

Gráinne Conole

University of Leicester 

19th October 2012

New technologies and education 

for multilingualism

European Parliament, Brussels

National Teaching Fellow 2012

Outline

• E‐Learning timeline

• Technologies trends

• Learning Management Systems

• Teacher practice and paradoxes

• Learning Design

• E‐Pedagogies

• Conclusion

E‐learning – a definition

The development and research of the application of technologies in education

E‐Learning timelineMultim

edia resou

rces

80s

The Internet and

 the Web

 

93

Learning

 Managem

ent S

ystems 

95

Ope

n Educational Resou

rces

01

Mob

ile devices 

98

Gam

ing techno

logies 

00Social and

 participatory med

ia 

04

Virtual w

orlds 

05

E‐bo

oks and sm

art d

evices 

Massive Ope

n Online Co

urses 

07 08

Technological trends

• Mobiles and e‐books

• Personalised learning

• Cloud computing

• Ubiquitous learning

• BYOD (Bring your own device)

• Learning analytics

Google glasses project

• Can ‘see’ the Internet on glasses

• Context sensitive information

• Context lenses planned

Learning Management Systems

Content Content  Communication tools

Communication tools

Collaborationtools

Collaborationtools

Assessment tools

Assessment tools

Upload toolsUpload tools

Trackingtools

Trackingtools

LibraryLibrary

FinanceFinance

Student recordsStudent records

RegistrationRegistration

TimetablingTimetabling

Conole, forthcoming, UNESCO briefing paper

Forums

• Provides a space for structured asynchronous and moderated discussion

• Forum for question and answer sessions

• Can be used as an informal social space

http://edublogs.org/2010/07/07/using‐forums‐for‐learning/

Blogs

• An online, chronological collection of personal commentary and links

• Sequential posts of content and multimedia

• Facility to add comments

• Can be used to foster reflection

• Group blogs to aggregate resources

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7006.pdf

http://www.flickr.com/photos/acroamatic/310140834/

Wikis

• Web space that can be viewed  and modified by a group 

• Promotes asynchronous communication and collaboration

• A shared space for group activities

• A record of who has contributed

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7004.pdfhttp://shtmteacherswiki.pbworks.com/f/1158829114/wiki%20in%20classes‐1.jpg

Comparison

Discussion Forums Blogs Wikis

• Structured and moderated discussion

• Problem Solving• Brainstorming

Quick response to questionsFAQs at start of a module/coursePromotion of new ideas and concepts

• Reflective space• Aggregation of

resources• Portfolio of

learning achievements

• Share ideas with the wider communityRelating theory to practice in a work-based context

• Knowledge gathering and sharing Collaboration and group work

• Aggregation of resources

• Record of contributions

Promise and reality

Social and participatory media offer new ways to communicate and collaborate

Wealth of free resources and tools

Not fully exploited

Replicating bad pedagogy

Lack of time and skills

Learning Design

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

explicit approaches

Encourages reflective, scholarly practices

Promotes sharing and discussion

Learning DesignA design-based approach to

creation and support of courses

Learning Design of a Learning Activity

Learning Design of a Learning Activity

Institutional context

External context

Technology affordances

Pedagogies

Teacherpractice

Learner characteristics

http://openclipart.org/

Course FeaturesCourse Featureshttp://linoit.com

Course MapCourse Map

Guidance and support Content and experienceTools & resources Responsibilities & relationships Tools & resources Responsibilities & relationships

1. 2. 3.4.5.6.7.

1. 2. 3.4.5.6.7.

Reflection and demonstration Communication and collaborationTools & resources Responsibilities & relationships Tools & resources Responsibilities & relationships

1. 2. 3.4.5.6.7.

1. 2. 3.4.5.6.7.

Course/module summary: Key words: 

http://tinyurl.com/ActivityProfileFlash

Activity Profile

• Assimilative (Read, view, listen)

• Information Handing

• Communicative

• Productive

• Experiential

• Adaptive

• Assessment

StoryboardStoryboardhttp://linoit.com

EvaluationEvaluationWe made a big breakthrough. We have achieved the insight about the need to structure it as a course, an online course, and not just simply as a set of learning activities plus integrated resources.

The visual nature of the tools and the quick and easy way that one could use it without too much elaborative training. They help stimulate us to look at the course in a different way, in a natural and creative way even if we didn’t see all the little links right upfront.

I wanted to have my thinking 

challenged with regard to course 

design and development and I 

definitely left reflecting and 

questioning our unit's current 

approach and have some good 

tools and approaches to pilot with 

course design teams.

It’s a way of free

ing your mind and 

putting all the 

ideas of all the p

eople in the cou

rse team down 

somewhere, not hav

ing to be so presc

riptive. It 

was just a much free

r and [more] cre

ative 

experience than 

getting the learn

ing outcomes 

and writing them

 as active verbs,

 and getting in a

t 

a granular level.

  It was quite sort

 of a liberating 

thing to just hav

e everybody move com

ponents 

around and say, ‘

Do you know I re

ally like all these

 

features. I’d like 

to do some proble

m‐based 

learning. I’d like 

to do peer‐revie

w.’

Ming Nie

AA

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‐learningE‐AssessmentDrill & practice

Inquiry learningCollective intelligenceResource‐based

Experiential, Problem‐based Role play

Reflective & dialogic learning, Personalised learning

E‐Assessment, drill and practice

Mobile learning

Study calendarsE-booksLearning resourcesOnline modulesAnnotation toolsMind mapping toolsCommunication mechanisms

Collective intelligence

Situated learning and role play

Archeological digsMedical wardsArt exhibitionsCyber‐lawVirtual language exchangeBeyond formal schooling

Image by James Cridland

100 million adults can’t afford university (UNESCO)

Resource‐based learning

• Over ten years of the Open Educational Resource (OER) movement

• Hundreds of OER repositories worldwide

• Presence on iTunesU Podcasts ‐iTunes U

The OPAL metromap

http://www.oer‐quality.org/

Evaluation shows lack of uptake by teachers and learnersShift from development to community building and articulation of OER practice

Outputs• Inventory of more than 100 OER initiatives

• 11 country reports and 13 mini‐reports

• 7 in‐depth case studies

• 3 EU‐wide policy papers

• 7 options brief packs for EU nations/regions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW3gMGqcZQc

MassiveOpen Online Course

http://www.olds.ac.uk/

Resources Learning pathways

Support Accreditation

Disaggregation of education

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emclibrary/2459359483/

Open accreditation

www.p2pu.org/en/

Peer to Peer University

wikieducator.org/OER_university/

OER University

Implications for institutions

• Disaggregation: resources, learning pathways, support  and accreditation

• What is the role of traditional institutions?

• Tension of institutionally support systems and Cloud services

• More open approaches to learning, teaching and research

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoosay/6738302627/

http://www.slideshare.net/GrainneConolehttp://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/beyond‐distance‐research‐alliance

grainne.conole@le.ac.ukhttp://e4innovation.com