Tapping the Potential of Open Blended Courses in Virtual Worlds

Stylianos Mystakidis University of Patras

Stylianos Mystakids

• Learning Innovator @ Library & Information Services, University of Patras

• Adjunct Faculty @ Open University of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain) WWW

• Teaching Assistant @ University of Washington (Seattle, USA) SL

Fast Track!

Synopsis

Open Education + Virtual Worlds =

Change

This is my story!

University of Patras (Upatras)

• World Ranking*: #327 • Greece Ranking*: #2 • 24,000 students | 800 Faculty members • Prominent Research Center on ICT &

Engineering

*Webometrics,2012

Patras • 3rd largest city of Greece • 222.000 population • History & Technology

Rion - Antirrion Bridge St. Andrew’s Church

Library & Information Services

• National & European Research Projects • Institution-wide Services (e.g. Repository) • ISO 9001:2000 • Openness-oriented

Explosive Environment

Budget Cuts

Retirements

Reformation of Higher Education

E-Learning in Greek Higher Education?

Mission Impossible?

Business As Usual User Training & Support

Training Needs Analysis

Target Audience: Graduate & PhD Students

Survey Interviews

Aim: What & How

Training Needs Analysis (2)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEFUeFhkX2tWMUw2MWttaUlHNWVjakE6MQ#gid=0

Syllabus Threads 1.Information Literacy 2.Academic Development 3.Life-long Learning 4.Professional Development

1. Information Literacy

• Information Literacy Models (Big6, Sconul etc.)

• Information seeking • Location & Access of Information • Organization & Evaluation of Information • Information Synthesis

2. Academic Development

• Paper Writing • Publishing in Journals • Presentation in Scientific Conferences

3. Life Long Learning

• Personal Learning Network (PLN/PLE) • Learning 2.0 • Effective use of Social Media & Collaborative

Web 2.0 Services • Innovation & Creativity

4. Professional Development

• Resume (CV) & Cover Letter • Job seeking strategies • Job Interviews

Skills, Knowledge, Attitudes

http://www.mindmeister.com/119798295

Action-packed Learning

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Blended Learning α. Asynchronous Self-Study & Group work • Wiki (Community & Collaboration)

openworkshop.pbworks.com

β. Synchronous Workshops (weekly physical & virtual meetings) • Library & Information Services Lab • Virtual Immersive Learning Environment (SL)

Marketing • Telephone, p2p • Posters • Documents to Departments • E-mails • Social Media

Administration on the Cloud • Enrollment

– Google Forms & Documents • Communication

– Blog (News, Announcements) openworkshop.wordpress.com

– Facebook Page facebook.com/UpatrasOpenWorkshop

– Twitter (IM) openworkshopUoP – Tag: #owilupatras

Intermediate Report Nov 2011 – Jan 2012

Open Workshop on Information Literacy

Learner Profile

22%

44%

18%

5%

2% 9%

85 Applicants

Undergraduate Graduate PhD Candidates Faculty Teaching Personell Other

Biology; 2 Geology; 3 Business Administration; 2

Preschool Teachers; 11

Electrical Engineers; 2

Medicine; 1

Mathematics; 10

Information Science; 9

Mechanical Engineering; 1 Financing; 4

Education; 12

Civil Engineering; 1

Pharmacy; 2

Philology; 4

Philosophy; 4

Physics; 4

Chemistry; 2

Chemical Engineering; 5

Other; 6

Academic Development Skills & Knowledge

Professional Development Skills & Knowledge

Aquintance with new Learning Environments

51

55

67

Motivation

Instructional Strategy

Asynchronous Collaboration (wiki)

Faculty | Speakers

• University of Patras (3) • Other Universities (2)

Active Participation

Learner Participation

• Applicants: 85 • Wiki: 64 members • Facebook page: 40 likes • Second Life Group: 38 μέλη • Weekly Meetings: 25 (Μ.Ο.)

Evaluation

Feedback on Learning Quality

I liked Wednesday’s meeting very much. […] I enjoyed the presentation mostly because beyond plagiarism critique, it offered practical alternative methods to avoid it. […] I got several new ideas from this session.

Faculty Member Comment, 12/10/12

Spontaneous Open Self Reflection

Reaction

Motivation

Learning

Accomplishments

1st Greek University Course in Virtual Worlds

Learning without Time limitations

• 2 hours 35 minutes: Time Interval between the end of the 1st Meeting and and 1st student activity (edit) in the Course’s Wiki

• 57,9%: Percentage of student activity in the Wiki after midnight during the first week (64,3% after 9 pm)

The end of Geography

Recorded Access Points: • Greece

Patras, Athens, Corfu, Rhodes

• France • The Netherlands • USA

1st Mendeley Training in a 3D Environment (worldwide)

Local & Global Publicity (AERA)

Result?

The Protagonists

Dr. Catherine Synellis

• Director @ Library & Information Services, University of Patras

• MSc, University of Bonn, Germany • PhD, University of Ioannina, Greece • Hellenic Open University Faculty

Dr. Giannis Tsakonas

• Librarian @ Library & Information Services, University of Patras

• PhD in Information Science, Ionian University, Greece

• Postdoctoral Researcher in Cultural Data

University of Washington

Special thanks to • Professor Michael Eisenberg,

UW Dean Emeritus • Mr. Randy Hinrichs, Faculty of UW’s Virtual

Worlds Certificate Progam

Open Education + Virtual Worlds =

Change

Lessons Learned

• Evolution, not Revolution • Get a Sponsor for your Project (PMI) • Find Support from the Innovators • Document & Measure Success (Metrics) • Inspire the Visionary • Lead by Example

“If you want to change the world,

start with deceptively small things”

Questions?

Stylianos Mystakidis Learning Triathlete

blog.edu.gr

@stylianosm2

mystakidis@upatras.gr

Stylianos Ling