A learning design toolkit for fostering effective e-learning

Professor Gráinne Conole, University of SouthamptonEmail: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk

NVU –Konferansen 2005, Kaltur for e-elearningLevanger 15-16th March 2005

Communication tools

Email, discussion boards, chat

Assessment tools

TOIA, QuestionMark

Integrated learning environments

Blackboard, WebCT

Online information tools

Gateways and portals

Growth of e-learning tools

Mediating tools and resources

Multiple forms of communication

Variety of resourceVia gateways and portals

Testing systemsVirtual simulations

Tools to manipulateand store

Increasing impact of ICT

National initiatives ICT catalysts - VLEsFunding drivers

Drivers

Organisational structures

Roles, skills and practice

Teaching, learning and assessment

Impact

ICT as mission critical

ICT promises

New modesof learning

Building on work

of others

Communities of learners

Sharing resources

Individualised Interoperable

Richer feedback

Mobile

E-learning hype

Patch use of communication toolsStilted collaborations

VLEs for admin and as content

repositories

Information overloadNot pedagogically

informed

-ve

Negative aspects

Critical mass of mediating

tools and resources

Shift from individual to socially situated

Learning in contextLearning through problem solving

+ve

Positive aspects

Technology pros and cons

Access to wealth of resources Information overload, quality issues

New forms of dialogue Literacy skills issues

New forms of community Learner identity and confusion

Speed of access, immediacy Lack of permanency, surface

Virtual representations Lack of reality, real is fake

New methods of online

data collection

Adaptivity

Virtual networks

Intelligent tools

International collaboration

Information explosion

The Grid

Beyond the web - the next generation

Learning by doing

In the companyof others

Through experience

Through dialogue

Socially situated

Through reflection

Mercer

Vygotsky

Laurillard

Papart

Kolb

Dewey

LaveJarvis

Paiget

Wenger

Theories of learning

Key characteristics

of learning

The missing link

Plethora of tools and resourcesEnormous potential but underused

Wealth of knowledge about learningDidactic/behaviourists models predominate

Gap between thepotential of the technologies

(confusion over how they can be used)and

application of good pedagogical principles(confusion over which models to use)

Back to the drawing board…

• Use of a learning design toolkit to – Rethink teaching, learning and

assessment– Make learning and teaching approaches

more explicit– Enable appropriate use of

• Tools and resources• Choice of teaching and learning techniques• Innovative approaches to assessment

What is a toolkit?

Toolkit are: Easy-to-use for practitioners Produce demonstrable benefit Provide guidance, but are not prescriptive Adaptable and easy to customise to local

context Used to plan and scope Used iteratively over time Reusable – can share resources and

templates

Learning Activity Toolkit

• Guides teachers through the process of articulating their teaching approach

• Results in the production of a ‘lesson plan’ for a particular learning activity

• Prompts and supports teachers as they create or modify learning activities, linking pedagogical approaches to teaching techniques, tools and resources

Methodology

• Reviewed – Learning theories and identified key

elements of learning• Definition of a learning activity

– Distil out Geographers’ implicit thinking – Definition of a learning activity and its

components– Relationships between components– Mapping and reality check with real

examples

Learning activity components

• Context– Subject, level, learning outcomes,

environment, etc• Learning and teaching approaches

– Theories and models• Tasks

– Type, techniques, tools, resources, interaction, roles

– Associated assessments – types, techniques

Tackling the problem…

• Need to understand– The way e-learning can (and can’t!) be used– Changing organisational context – New skills needed and impact on individuals

• Rethink designing learning activities– Apply learning theory– Make appropriate use of tools and resources– Devise innovative approaches to assessment

Creating learning activiites

• Use of a learning design toolkit to – Rethink teaching, learning and

assessment– Make learning and teaching approaches

more explicit– Enable appropriate use of

• Tools and resources• Choice of teaching and learning techniques• Innovative approaches to assessment

Making the link

• Pedagogical approach – didactic• Learning outcome – knowledge• Tasks – assimilative• Assessment - focusing on re-

production of knowledge– MCQs, drills, short answer, essays– Tutor feedback, tutor assessed

Making the link

• Pedagogical approach – cognitive apprenticeship

• Learning outcome – application• Tasks - experiential• Assessment - focusing on use of

concepts in different contexts– Report, field work, project– Tutor assessed; may be peer- or self-

evaluated

Making the link

• Pedagogical approach – problem-based

• Learning outcome – analysis• Tasks – information handling• Assessment – focus on application of

concepts to problems– Exercise, practical, project– Tutor assessed or peer- or self-evaluated

Making the link

• Pedagogical approach – dialogic• Learning outcome – evaluation• Tasks – communicative• Assessment - focus on critiquing and

argument– Group presentation– Peer-evaluated

Making the link

• Pedagogical approach – problem-based

• Learning outcome – analysis• Tasks – information handling• Assessment – focus on application of

concepts to problems– Exercise, practical, project– Tutor assessed or peer- or self-evaluated

Uses

• Guidance– On the development of learning activity– Mapping pedagogy to tools and resources

• Repurposing– Query database of existing learning

activities

• Research– Development of new e-learning models

• Quality assurance

Benefits

• Providing guidance and support• Making link between pedagogy and

tasks more explicit• Mapping of approaches with

techniques and associated tools and resources

• As a means of articulating out practitioner understanding

• Generation of generic templates and models

References

• Conole, Dyke, Oliver, & Seale, (2004), ‘Mapping pedagogy and tools for effective learning design’, Computers and Education, June 2004

• Conole and Dyke, (2004), ‘The affordances of ICT’, ALT-J, 12.2

• Conole and Fill, (Submitted), ‘Specification for a learning design activities toolkit’, Computers and education

• Conole, (2004), ‘Report on the effectiveness of tools for e-learning’, report for the JISC commissioned ‘Research Study on the Effectiveness of Resources, Tools and Support Services used by Practitioners in Designing and Delivering E-Learning Activities’

Acknowledgements

• People– Karen Fill– Martin Dyke– Chris Bailey– Martin Oliver– Helen Beetham– Jonathan Darby

• Funders– JISC/NSC DialogPlus project– HEFCE E-Learning Research Centre– JISC e-pedagogy programme

A learning design toolkit for fostering effective e-learning

Professor Gráinne Conole, University of SouthamptonEmail: g.c.conole@soton.ac.uk

NVU –Konferansen 2005, Kaltur for e-elearningLevanger 15-16th March 2005