Introducing and Integrating Webbased Learning

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Introducing and Integrating Web-based Learning

• Cynthia Rohner
• Information Designer
• Educational Multimedia Services
• Teaching and Educational Development Institute

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Overview

• Using WebCT as online learning platform since
  1998.
• Some schools/faculties have developed own
  Web-pages and encouraged lecturers to develop
  them as well.
• One main large WebCT server, but also a number
  within separate schools/faculties.

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Overview

• Upgraded system to WebCT version 3.2 in 2001.
• All previously developed courses migrated to
  the latest version.
• Training and professional development for staff
  transferring their courses to WebCT V3.
• Training and professional development for staff
  starting down the online path.

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Usage of WebCT at UQ

• 121 course elements hosted on the central ITS
  server.
• Faculty of Arts
• Language and Comparative Cultural Studies 6
• Faculty of Biological Chemical Sciences
• Molecular Microbial Sciences 6
• Biomedical Science 2

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Usage of WebCT at UQ

• Faculty of Business, Economics Law
• Commerce 8
• Economics 3
• Management 11
• Tourism Leisure Management 13
• Technology Management - 7

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Usage of WebCT at UQ

• Faculty of Engineering, Physical Sciences
  Architecture
• Computer Science Electrical Engineering 2
• Mining, Minerals and Materials Engineering 6
• Geography, Planning Architecture 1
• Health Sciences
• Health Rehabilitation Sciences 2
• Human Movement Studies 2
• Pharmacy 1
• Population Health - 2

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Usage of WebCT at UQ

• Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture
  Veterinary Sciences
• Agriculture Horticulture 11
• Animal Studies 2
• Land Food Sciences 8
• Natural Rural Systems Management 3
• Veterinary Science - 1

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Usage of WebCT at UQ

• Faculty of Social Behavioural Sciences
• Education 10
• Political Science International Studies 1
• Psychology 1
• Social Sciences 4
• Social Work Social Policy 18
• Contemporary Studies - 21

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Flexible Learning at UQ

• Not just information and communication
  technologies.
• Ipswich campus Feb 1999.
• Purpose built campus
• Buildings/architecture
• Information technological architecture
• Information technology software and hardware and
• Teaching support for integration.

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Flexible Learning at UQ

• Part of Universitys Strategic Plan for
  2000-2004.
• Learning is leveraged by the use of technology.
• student centred.
• Goal technology and resources are used to
  improve learning outcomes .

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Flexible Learning at UQ

• Its resource-intensive. Students are expected
  to use the wide range of printed, multimedia, and
  online materials available to them, rather than
  relying simply on a textbook and lectures

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Developing a Learning Organisation

• Organisational strategic emphasis in staff
  development
• Support and advice to become more flexible
  available within the University.
• Educational design.
• Editorial support.
• Desk top publishing.
• Professional development in online integration.
• Multimedia development information design.

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Developing a Learning Organisation

• Training refers to a specific set of training
  needs narrow concept.
• Learning organisation more learner centred.
• Working and learning are inextricably linked.
  (Field, 1995)
• Need to see skill development as integral to a
  workplace.

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Developing a Learning Organisation

• Need to change the emphasis from
• training to learning opportunities
• competency-based training to people centred
  learning
• passive, uninvolved trainees to involved
  learners
• training time to learning time.

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Training in Online Learning - WebCT

• WebCT Training 1998 2000.
• 3day comprehensive seminars.
• Space bound, time bound.
• Ipswich focussed.
• WebCT in 2000 2001.
• 5-module structure over 6 weeks but still space
  time bound.
• Learning guides.
• Available at 3 campuses.
• Access over time to trial course.

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Training in Online Learning WebCT 1998 - 2000

• Online Learning Manager coordinated and taught
  3-day workshop.
• Constant personal support to staff who were
  working with WebCT by the Online Learning
  Manager.
• Feedback
• access to comprehensive notes/guides
• possibility of smaller time commitment
• Long-term access to trial course.

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Training in Online Learning WebCT 2000 - 2001

• Ameliorate time bound/space bound nature.
• Establish a Community Resource Centre (WebCT
  interface) open to all staff.
• Discussions board monitored by WebCT Developers.
• Email contact with Help.
• Frequently asked questions collated from
  Discussions.
• Guidelines and resources to aid in development
  and use of WebCT.

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WebCT Community Resource Centre
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Training in Online Learning WebCT 2000 - 2001

• Ameliorate time bound/space bound nature.
• Phone support for WebCT usage and Development.
• Information Technology Services support.
• Specialist WebCT design support.
• WebCT training site.
• Participation for 3 weeks after each module
  attended.
• Encourage and develop participant interaction in
  anonymous environment.

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Follow the clues to WebCT - WebCT 3.1.3
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Training in Online Learning WebCT 2000 - 2001

• Ameliorate time bound/space bound nature.
• WebCT training site
• Use of tools as a student.
• General use of
• navigation
• content development
• use of assessment options.

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Training in Online Learning WebCT 2000 - 2001

• Ameliorate time bound/space bound nature.
• Use of training trial WebCT site in which
  participant is a Designer of the course.
• Monitored by facilitator of workshops.

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Training in Online Learning WebCT 2000 - 2001

• Emphasis on adult learning principles.
• Based upon Constructivist pedagogy.
• Learning is process of an individual constructing
  their knowledge through interaction with
  different types of resources and information.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Adult Learning Considerations

• Needs to consider the individual processes of
  each participant.
• Multiplicity of learning opportunities
• group-based, space and time bound
• online group interaction
• learning individually with print material
• support for when the right moment of learning
  need arises
• Combination determined by participant.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Adult Learning Considerations

• Everyone brings a range of experience, knowledge
  and emotional investment to the learning upon
  which they embark. For learning to be successful
  it must build on and relate to what they bring to
  their learning.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Adult Learning Considerations

• Learning is not simply the satisfaction of needs.
  It also involves acknowledgment of goals,
  intentions, motivations and aspirations that
  inform someones decision to learn.
• Development of participant profiles to aid in
  reflection of prior understanding and intended
  purpose for this learning.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Adult Learning Considerations

• Whatever the circumstances of the learning, all
  adults come to their learning from a complete
  social environment.
• Attendance is voluntary.
• Access to the resources other than workshops is
  made available.
• Diverging from the workshop plan is encouraged
  and supported.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Adult Learning Considerations

• All adults have developed, implicitly if not
  consciously, their own particular ways of
  pursuing and coping with the demands of their
  learning and development.
• Use of diverse range of modes of learning.
• Visual, aural and kinaesthetic.
• Learning structured to enable the possibility of
  learning opportunity redundancy . (Nonako, 1991)

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WebCT 2000 2001 Features of Adult Learning
Episode

• They are usually episodic in character, not
  continuous.
• Learning occurs in short bursts.
• Focussed on achievement of certain immediate
  goals.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Features of Adult Learning
Episode

• The goal that is set is usually some concrete
  task, some immediate problem that seems
  important.
• Aim at solution of specific problem.
• Workshops have clear overall structure with
  concrete learning activities and tasks.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Features of Adult Learning
Episode

• Adults tend to adopt a particular range of
  learning styles and strategies
• analogical thinking (linking with existing
  knowledge and experience)
• trial and error
• the creation of general patterns and meaningful
  wholes to make sense of new material.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Features of Adult Learning
Episode

• Adults tend to adopt a particular range of
  learning styles and strategies
• minimal reliance on memory or rote learning and
• use of practical demonstration and imitation.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Features of Adult Learning
Episode

• Adults tend to adopt a particular range of
  learning styles and strategies.
• Learning activities offer a range across these
  learning methods emphasising on clear
  demonstration in a static environment and moving
  to the more relatively fluid state of the Web
  itself.

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WebCT 2000 2001 Features of Adult Learning
Episode

• In specific episodes, there is relatively little
  interest in overall principles.
• Encouraging the emphasis of efforts centred on
  achievement of the immediate and particular, not
  long term and general.

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Thoughts for the Future

• First series of workshops on two campuses
  complete.
• Problems
• Technical
• change of servers
• change of versions and
• allowing participants from one site to attend at
  another.

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Thoughts for the Future

• Use of the participant profile
• developed after first session and used at
  subsequent introductory sessions
• not well utilised
• Non-attending participants given learning guides
  but not good follow-up.
• Development of the learning guides
• change of information updates
• information design element.

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Thoughts for the Future

• Development of comprehensive PowerPoint
  presentations which contained simple animations
  within a static environment very time
  consuming.
• Participants wanted to use these for note taking
  despite having learning guides provided after
  the first workshop.

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Thoughts for the Future

• Development of a staff development course which
  uses WebCT as a platform so that staff could
  experience it in a real student environment.
• We want to facilitate staff development.
• Learning for the growth of the individual, group
  or organisation which is not related to a
  specific or current job. (Moy, 1991)