The Cutting Edge: the future potential of elearning

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The Cutting Edge the future potential of
e-learning

• Workshop 4
• TLDU Conference, Nov 2004
• A Blended Approach to E-Learning at Sussex

Julie Coultas Tom Hamilton Diane Brewster
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• Tom Hamilton
• Background Health, education and design.
• Recent work Design and development of e-learning
  resources (NHS) and e-learning strategy
  (DfES, Sussex LSC)
• Current work Research fellow
• ELTI (TLDU)
• Creativity Incubator (HEFCE)
• Use of technology to enhance creativity

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• Julie Coultas
• Background Psychology and education.
• Recent work
• Community ICT Project
• Systematic Review of Summative Assessment,
  Motivation and Learning
• Current work Research fellow
• Eduserv project - Review of the evidence for the
  effectiveness of e-Learning

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• Diane Brewster
• Teacher (7 yrs) - RE in high school, then cross
  curriculum teaching in home and hospital tuition
  unit - teacher in charge of ICT 1983 style.
• Lecturer (8yrs) for Birkbeck in Womens Studies
  and Religious Studies.
• Seduced by technology. BSc (OU) MSc (Sussex)
• Currently DPhil student in IDEAS lab and tutor on
  Interactive Learning Environment.
• Interested in how to support teaching and
  learning in the HE sector with technology.
• Currently undertaking a study, for Sussex, on
  Plagiarism.

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• About the Ideas Lab
• Interactive Digital Educational Applications
  Systems
• Part of the Human-Centred Technology Group
• Interdisciplinary team
• Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cognitive Science
• Psychology
• Philosophy
• Creative Media
• Strong links with industry, broadcasting, and the
  wider educational community.

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• E-learning - Learning and technology
• Evaluating the effective use of appropriate
  technologies to support learning.
• Developing educational applications, grounded in
  constructivist pedagogic theory.
• Investigating how learning can be delivered by
  different technologies in different contexts
• Technologies include Mobile devices, digital
  toys and interactive TV.
• Contexts include Home, classroom and work.

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• Todays workshop
• Case studies
• E-Learning - The Eduserv Project
• Technology - The Diva/ Smile Project
• Small groups - Application of technologies to
  teaching
• Whole group - The technology-teaching matrix
• Off-the-wall technologies and possible futures

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• e-Learning - The Eduserv project

Is There Compelling Evidence for the
Effectiveness of E-Learning in Higher Education?
www.reveel.sussex.ac.uk
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• e-Learning - The Eduserv project
• If someone is learning in a way that uses
  information and communications technologies
  (ICTs), they are using e-learning (Department for
  Education and Skills UK, 2003)

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• e-Learning - The Eduserv project
• e-learning is the capability required of a
  learner/user in order that they can manage their
  own learning in the twenty-first century, using
  technology as appropriate to context, sector and
  task.
• (Reveel expert seminar May 2004)

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The Learning Context Pedagogy

• SMILE Sussex Mobile Interactive Learning
  Environment.
• Course Interactive Learning Environments (ILE)
  explores the use of technology in education over
  10 weeks.
• Students 19 Yr3 Undergraduates and 9 Masters
  students
• Rubric 2 X 1 hour lectures per week plus seminar
  time PG 2 hrs, UG 1 hr. Assignments included
  the design/evaluation of a learning experience
  that used mobile technology.

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The Learning Context Pedagogy

• Technology
• Hardware (Personal) Networked and standalone
  Desktop PCs on campus/at home. Mobile devices
  XDAs with PDA functionality and full Internet
  access. Paper etc.
• Hardware (Delivery) Data projection, TV/VCR,
  chalk board.
• Hardware (Data Collection) Digital Video
  Recording, Questionnaires
• Software MS Office, email, www browser, Logging,
  GPRS counter, File utilities (file Manager with
  ZIP support, Picture Viewer, Task Manager, Screen
  Capture utility) Yahoo group, Powerpoint,
  Quicktime, Media player etc. etc.

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Data Analysis

• Multiple data sources and formats
• Logged data, email and web
• Device backups
• Online poll
• End of course questionnaire
• Video and still photography
• SMS data
• Notes from evaluation sessions

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Analysis - student attitudes
It wasnt my device so I didnt bother putting
stuff on it
(4) Reliability of Device and the Software
(1) ownership issues
- mine kept freezing / crashing
(3) Device functionality
You can do too much stuff on it - who needs all
that?
Its too small and too big - carrying it around
is a major issue
(2) Ergonomic
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Analysis - student attitudes
I put stuff on it because I could synch with my
home PC
(4) Reliability of Device and the Software
Interesting and enjoyable most of the time
(1) ownership issues
I found it useful brainstorming on the XDA then
e-mailing to the group
Maybe the problem is with how web sites are
designed - not the device?
(3) Device functionality
(2) Ergonomic
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Analysis - hourly mail checks
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Some Conclusions

• Adding connectivity to the device dramatically
  increases the administrative burden.
• Students respond well and make intelligent
  choices when offered a choice of technology for
  their context.
• The large number of features offered by such
  devices is not always a positive factor.
• Tutors need to be available, both online and F2F
  to provide both technical support and task focus.

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What Next?

• Connectivity and collaboration were emerging
  themes from the SMILE data.
• How could we build more of these into the ILE
  course but reduce the administrative burden?
• What kind of device would provide a less complex
  way of enabling collaboration?.
• How would it be possible to compare this device
  with the XDA?

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• Same ILE course, similar student body to SMILE.
• Undergraduates issued with Pen drives,
  Postgraduates with pen drive and XDA.
• Emphasis on collaboration
• Something new student logs

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Course materials text, audio, HTML links
Students find additional material to share
In-house software for annotating audio files
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Analysis - student attitudes to the pen drive
I already have my own pen drive
I wasnt sure how trustworthy it was
it was the piece of technology that made an
impact on the way I store data
I liked the fact that it was small and light
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Analysis - student attitudes to the XDA
It changed my habit of using post it notes
stuck on my computer
If I had been able to use the XDA as a phone I
might have found it of some use
The loss of data made me more furious than I
thought (after letting the battery die)
The PDA became almost the only thing I had in my
bag
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Data Gathered

• Multiple data sources and formats
• student logs
• yahoo group data
• web site log ins and downloads
• Online poll
• pre post course questionnaire

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What Next?

• Collaboration is a continuing emerging theme from
  the SMILE DIVA data.
• Again, how can we build more of these into the
  ILE course? What about the administrative burden?
• What kind of device / system would provide a more
  effective way of enabling collaboration?.
• WIKIs and Blogs?

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• Other technologies

EyeToy
Chat/ Messenger/ ICQ
Learning environments
Mobile phone
Dance mats
Shared whiteboard
Email
Discussion boards/ groups
SMS (Text messaging)
iPod
MP3 player
Blogs/ diaries /websites
XDA
Voice recorder
RFID tags
Conferencing
Tablet PC
Picture messaging
Wikis
Camcorder
GPS receiver
Digital camera
Memory stick
Scanner
Graphics tablet
Voice recognition
Plasma screen
Voice transcribing
Touchscreen
Scanner pen
Interactive Whiteboard
PC notes taker
e-beam / mimio
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• Mapping these technologies to teaching
  activities
• There is no single magic technology.
• Each technology has different strengths and
  weaknesses.
• The groups will discuss the various technologies
  and map these technologies to teaching
  activities.
• Using Laurillards interpretation of Gagnes
  classification but there are other models.

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• Gagnes classification of teaching activities
• Activating motivation
• Informing learner of the objective
• Directing attention
• Stimulating recall
• Providing learner guidance
• Enhancing retention
• Promoting transfer of learning
• Eliciting performance
• Providing feedback

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• Groups
• Handouts
• Explanation of technologies
• Characteristics of individual technologies
• Gagnes teaching activities
• Matrix to map technologies to teaching activities

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• Off-the-wall technologies
• Dance mats
• Eye toy