Emerging Technologies to Improve Teaching and Learning

in Higher Education April / May 2013

Veronica Mitchell M Phil (HES), B Sc (Physio)

Veronica.Mitchell@uct.ac.za

Education Development UnitFaculty of Health Sciences

University of Cape Town (UCT)South Africa

Overview

• How did I go about exploring what I needed to do?

• How did I design and develop my learning activity?

• How did I formatively evaluate my prototype learning activity?

An educational shift in Obstetrics

Emerging Technologies

tools, technologies, innovations

and advancements utilized

in diverse educational settings

to serve varied education-related purposes

George Veletsianos 2010:3http://www.aupress.ca/books/120177/ebook/01_Veletsianos_2010-Emerging_Technologies_in_Distance_Education.pdf

“

http://www.aupress.ca/books/120177/ebook/01_Veletsianos_2010-Emerging_Technologies_in_Distance_Education.pdf

www.tagxedo.com

Unpacking traditional practices

Looking beyond the classroom

http://www.open.ac.uk/personalpages/mike.sharples/Reports/Innovating_Pedagogy_report_July_2012.pdf

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-higher-ed-preview.pdf

ConfrontingEmerging Technologies

Disruptive / Constructive

Photo by SJCckell http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjcockell/3251147920/

Collaboration as main theme

Our networked society

Awareness

We are beginning to see developments in online learning that offer different affordances than

physical campuses, including opportunities for increased collaboration while equipping students

with stronger digital skills

NMC 2013 Horizon Report (2012:4)

Context

Choices

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net3d Man With Multiple Arrow Paths"vv

Possible tools

to enable students to share

Icons by http://dryicons.com

Social media

Websites

Blogs

Wikis

Google Drive

Educational development

Established practice

On VulaUCT’s Learning Management System (LMS)

1. Six Step Spiral for Critical Reflexivity

2. Compliments & Complaints reporting tool

Vula

On Vula & published on UCT OpenContent

http://opencontent.uct.ac.za/Health-Sciences/Probing-Professionalism-Towards-Positive-Practice

Six Step Spiral for Critical Reflexivity (SSS4CR)

Thanks to Dr Kevin Williams, Prof Athol Kent, Nariman Laattoe, Dr Simone Honikman, Sarah Crawford-Browne

Vula Students’ posts on Forum threads

Compliments & Complaints

New design

Google Drive

Individual => Critical partners => Group

• Intro session– Demonstrate using a student example– Students write their comments in subgroups

• During the practical block– Individual and partner contributions– Facilitator support and feedback

• End of block – Expert input– Share with colleagues in department and beyond

Individual => Critical partners => Group

• Intro session– Demonstrate using a student example– Students write their comments in subgroups

• During the practical block– Individual and partner contributions– Facilitator support and feedback

• End of block – Expert input– Share with colleagues in department and beyond

Scaffolding

Folder created

A student example

Using the SSS4CR

Google form

Expresso theme

Google Drive folder

Action

E-mail to Head of Department on 11th May 2013

Perhaps we could try a Google document for listing the students’ experiences. I’m not sure if you already use Google docs or not. It offers a number of affordances in the cloud such as sharing with students, staff and perhaps outside experts, and a space for comments and feedback next to the text. One chooses who to offer access to the document. It can facilitate a collaborative approach. It will also illuminate how the critical friend / partnership dialogue is happening that I’ve recently introduced. I’m keen to try the latter aspect with the next student block.

Affordances“An affordance is the action potential of a technology”

Siemens (2009:21)

Examples of affordances of Googe Drive include:

View-ability Use-ability

Record-ability Inclusiv-ability

Permission-ability Search-ability

Share-ability App-ability

Synch-ability Mobil-abilityBower 2008:7

• Feedback • Learning from others

• Student participation• Colleagues comments• The insights shared or not shared• Departmental engagement

Evaluation

From students, facilitator & colleagues

Self reflection

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hikingartist/7165990596/sizes/m/in/photostream/ CC.BY-ND

My blog

http://medededu.blogspot.com/

What next?

Stacey Stent illustration 2010http://opencontent.uct.ac.za/Centre-for-Higher-Education-Development/Studying-at-University-A-guide-for-first-year-students

Implementation of G DocsBuy-inFeedback, EvaluationsMonitoringExpert input

Assessment opportunitiesCourse ConvenorsTask structure

MeaningfulnessRather than strategic learning

• Resistance to reflection• Reflections are private• Google Drive

– Getting connected– Developing groups– Using it effectively

• Assessment opportunities through negotiation with course convenors

Challenges

Can hierarchy & sharing co-exist ?

http://opensource.com/business/10/8/can-hierarchy-and-sharing-co-exist

Thank you

References

Bower, M. 2008. Affordance analysis – matching learning tasks with learning technologies. Educational Media International. 45:1:3–15. Veletsianos, G. (ed.) 2010. Emerging Technologies in Distance Education, (online book). Edmonton: AU Press. Available: http://www.aupress.ca/books/120177/ebook/99Z_Veletsianos_2010-Emerging_Technologies_in_Distance_Education.pdf Accessed 20 May 2013. New Media Consortium. 2012. Horizon Report. 2013. Available: http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-higher-ed-preview.pdf Accessed May 18, 2013. Siemens, G. 2005. Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2:1. Available http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm Accessed 20 May 2013.