SOLSTICE Conference 2015

4th & 5th June 2015

Designing and facilitating cross-country collaborative learning in a professional education context

Sarah Cornelius, University of Aberdeen, UKBlair Stevenson, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Finland

Our ambitions

• To raise vocational educators’ intercultural awareness through meaningful and manageable collaborative tasks that can be achieve within existing course structures, requirements and timetables

• To explore issues around the design and facilitation of collaborative online learning

Plan

Reflect

Observe

Actx2

2013-14 n=192014-15 n=27

Step 1 – make contact

Step 2 – describe your classtype into the documentAdd any other info – e.g. professional challenge you are investigating

Step 3: Finnish studentswill design you a lesson – you can help!

Step 4: Provide feedback on lesson plan

Step 5: Teach lesson or activity

Step 6: Online meeting

Access and motivation

Online socialisation

Information exchange

Knowledge construction

Development

Local introduction, technology availability

Online introductions

Sharing contextual and class related info

Lesson planning and review

Implementation and group review

Salmon 5 stage modelhttp://www.gillysalmon.com/five-stage-model.html

Implementation

Task ownership

Task character

Task control

Sense of belonging and commitmentIndividual learner accountability and positive interdependence

Relevant and authentic activityMeaningful stagesOpportunities for feedback

Exploring assumptions and expectationsTechnology choicesCommunication preferences

Kirschner P, Strijbos K and Beers P H (2004) Designing electronic collaborative learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development 52(3) 47-66

ownership

character

controlFramework for CollaborationKirschner et al (2004)

ParticipantsInformal discussionQuestionnaire feedback

FacilitatorsLog of activityReflective conversation

CPD professionalsProfessional dialogue

Sources of evidence

Preliminary findings

Unable to make contact

Lesson plan implemented

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5

Successes

• implementation of the lesson as planned with positive feedback from learners and subsequent redesign of future inputs

• exchange of additional lesson plans and information beyond the activity requirements

• significant learning about new technologies and tools for collaboration (including Padlet and Skype)

• renewed appreciation for international issues and for the value of cross-disciplinary exchange in vocational education rather than a close focus on individual discipline areas

Challenges

• initial difficulties in communication with allocated peers

• mis-interpretation of the task • difficulties in understanding the task• developing sharing understandings of the

context or subject areas• obtaining effective feedback

Areas for improvement

Access and motivation

Online socialisation

Information exchange

Knowledge construction

Development

Email issues, timing

Establishing identity: tutor intros, video selfies

Common topic, improved clarity of task

Community resources exchange

Support ongoing group dialogue

Issues for facilitators• Pre activity

– Finding synergies between programmes – commit to course outcomes and learners

– Sharing of teaching approaches/assumptions• Creating the learning space

– creating social presence and intercultural understandings– developing trust, individual and ‘corporate’ responsibility– Support information exchange (within and between groups)

• During the activity– Encouraging and monitoring progress– Managing adult learners - supporting those who prefer structure and

certainty as well as those who are comfortable with ambiguity and risk taking

– Managing expectations

– What technologies?– Online identities – use of video?– Creating effective groups and networks?– Scaling up?– Learning from other contexts?

How can we provide authentic opportunities for international online collaboration between vocational educators that support ongoing

professional development?

Sarah Cornelius s.cornelius@abdn.ac.ukBlair Stevenson blair.stevenson@oamk.fi

Thanks to colleagues and students who participated in the project and contributed to evaluation.

www.slideshare.net/sarahcorneliusTwitter: sarah.cornelius