Monday 12 December 2011

Microworlds for Science

The idea of microworlds has been around since the 70s. These are typically small java based mathematical simulations of various principles. The main idea is they allow the user to play with the parameters of a simulation in order to understand how a system works. There are many of these that have been developed over the years on the internet, although they are becoming more unfashionable as some have moved onto smart phone development. Below are some links, but as usual before making a copy to distribute on the web or on DVD we ask you to check with the copyright holders. It should also be mentioned that you should check the quality of the particular microworld you want your students to use.

 

http://phet.colorado.edu/

http://mste.illinois.edu/resources/ 

http://shodor.org/interactivate/activities/

http://www.engapplets.vt.edu/

http://onlinelabs.in/biology

 


Monday 14 November 2011

alternatives to webpa for group peer assessment

Just wantto collect some links. I would love to have webpa. But I’m not sure how they are progressing with the blackboard bridge

Casper http://www.caspar.co.uk/

iPeer http://sourceforge.net/projects/ipeer/

Friday 11 November 2011

framework for use of video audio in courses (Dial-e)

Deil-e is a useful site for helping staff see the range of uses for found and created video and audio resources. It takes them beyond the obvious.

http://dial-e.net/

Monday 7 November 2011

ALT-C 2011 videos published

Some interesting stuff here. Looks poorly attended. Good job they recorded these as now I can attended.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ClipsFromALT#g/c/488BC24721DF2544

Friday 4 November 2011

feedback 'on demand' process from Leeds Met

Useful idea from staff at leeds. they are asking students to request feedback via a very organized process


Here are the details from the paper


5. Investigation of feedback behaviour and preferences with
efficient solutions for improving student satisfaction

  Authors: 
Ollie Jones and Andrea Gorra
Leeds Business School, Leeds Metropolitan University

  Abstract

  There are many pressures on academics to ‗satisfy‘ students‘ needs for feedback, not least the
inclusion of questions about feedback in the National Student Survey. In this paper we firstly
investigate how a student cohort in a UK Business school perceives and defines feedback by using a
questionnaires and group interviews. The initial research showed that there were significant
differences in views regarding both the preferred method and the relative value of different types of
feedback. In addition, feedback provided before the final summative assessment was perceived as
more preferable, than feedback after the final submission.  

  Many authors have commentated on the lack of student engagement with summative feedback but
others also argue that it is important in terms of improving individual student performance. Hence the
second part of the paper outlines an action research project which involved offering feedback ‗on
demand‘. Several authors have looked at a range of reasons why students do not collect their
feedback but this paper investigated why students Do collect feedback. We used access statistics
data from the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to identify the actual rate of feedback collection.
There appeared to be a discernable preference for seeking feedback where the difference between
the expected grade and the actual grade was greater. Survey evaluation and the VLE access data
both indicated that students were satisfied with an individual criteria approach if the mark was similar
to their expectations. 

  We argue that student cohorts are not homogenous in their feedback preferences and that it is not
resource efficient or effective for academic staff to provide detailed individual feedback to all students.
Students should be offered a hierarchy of feedback on demand and some of the effort could then be
reallocated from summative feedback to formative assessment and feedback. 

  Keywords = feedback, feedback on demand, summative feedback, formative feedback, NSS , VLE 

  http://www.studynet1.herts.ac.uk/intranet/lti.nsf/0/A8BCA73604E06A6D80257920004BB829/$FILE/IBLC%20Proceedings%202011.pdf#page=48

Thursday 20 October 2011

20% of uk institution use lecture capture software

Research

Method

This research is a very quick scan through Google looking for university ‘ac.uk’ sites that return for the different systems. The hits where then reviewed to make sure the information was claiming that the institution was using the technology, and not just discussing the idea.

Limitation

This research makes no claim that this is a full list or that the extent of which the tools are being use.

36 institutions identified (20%) 29 – Echo 360, 7 – Panopto

Use of lecture capture in external institutions

Contents

Date. 2

Research. 2

Method. 2

Panopto – uk based (7) 2

Bath. 2

Southampton. 3

Anglia Ruskin. 3

Bristol 3

Aberystwyth. 3

Aston. 3

Northampton. 3

Echo 360 – UK based (29) 3

Bournemouth. 3

Loughborough. 3

Sussex. 3

Imperial College London. 3

Birmingham.. 3

Exeter 3

Edinburgh. 3

Manchester Metropolitan. 3

LSE.. 4

Coventry. 4

Aston University (UK) 4

Birkbeck University (UK) 4

Brunel University (UK) 4

Heriot Watt University (UK) 4

Institute for Child Health, University College of London (UK) 4

Kings College London (UK) 4

Lancaster University (UK) 4

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK) 4

Queen Mary University of London (UK) 5

The Royal College of Pathologists (UK) 5

University College London (UK) 5

University of Aberdeen (UK) 5

University of Falmouth (UK) 5

University of Glasgow (UK) 5

University of Greenwich (UK) 5

University of Nottingham (UK) 5

University of Sheffield (UK) 5

University of West of Scotland (UK) 5

University of York (UK) 6

Date

20/10/2011

Research

Method

This research is a very quick scan through Google looking for university ‘ac.uk’ sites that return for the different systems. The hits where then reviewed to make sure the information was claiming that the institution was using the technology, and not just discussing the idea.

Limitation

This research makes no claim that this is a full list or that the extent of which the tools are being use.

36 institutions identified (20%) 29 – Echo 360, 7 – Panopto

Panopto – uk based

The return of positive hit for this technology in UK institutions

Bath

Shall we Panopto - University of Bath

Southampton

Panopto Lecture Capture System ... - University of Southampton

Anglia Ruskin

The Pedagogy of Lecture Capture

Bristol

Lecture Capture in SSL - Bris.ac.uk - Bristol University homepage

Aberystwyth

http://www.panopto.com/site/CustomerSuccess/case_studies.aspx

Aston

http://clipp.blogs.aston.ac.uk/category/lecture-capture/

Northampton

http://northampton.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer/Default.aspx?id=987f75e9-177d-4833-b34e-73d9b7955311

Echo 360 – UK based

The return of positive hit for this technology in UK institutions

Bournemouth

http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/library/staff/lecture_capture.html

Loughborough

http://blog.lboro.ac.uk/elearning/?p=46

Sussex

The Echo360 Lecture capture system - University of Sussex

Imperial College London

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/edudev/events/edday2010

Birmingham

Lecture ... - Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre

Exeter

PRE-RECORDING LECTURES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

Edinburgh

Lecture Capture Pilot Report - University of Edinburgh

Manchester Metropolitan

http://www.celt.mmu.ac.uk/ltia/issue16/fakira.php

LSE

http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29184/

Coventry

http://cuba.coventry.ac.uk/eltac/the-project-team/

Royal Veterinarian College

http://www.rvc.ac.uk/eMedia/Activities.cfm

Aston University (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

Birkbeck University (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

Brunel University (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

Heriot Watt University (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

Institute for Child Health, University College of London (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

Kings College London (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

Lancaster University (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

Queen Mary University of London (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

The Royal College of Pathologists (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

University College London (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

University of Aberdeen (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

University of Falmouth (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

University of Glasgow (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

University of Greenwich (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

University of Nottingham (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

University of Sheffield (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

University of West of Scotland (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

University of York (UK)

Cited in ECHO 360 Site

Friday 7 October 2011

Group learning

Hi

Here is some information on today’s session. Please contact me or your local learning tech officer for more details

Self Enrol in a group – this is where students enrol on a group.

Students creating their own groups

Batch upload groups – a useful tool if you are working with large cohorts and you know who is in each group

Group Peer Assessment

WebPA – The tool I would like to see adopted

http://webpaproject.lboro.ac.uk/

CatME – this tool you can use now, it’s free to create groups and run peer assessments. Please contact me if you need further information.

https://engineering.purdue.edu/CATME

Research

The assessment of group work: lessons from the literature

Professor Graham Gibbs

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/documents/Brookes%20groupwork%20Gibbs%20Dec%2009.pdf


Wednesday 5 October 2011

Friday 16 September 2011

Monday 12 September 2011

Example of blended delivery in Pharmacy

A Pharmacy Preregistration Course Using Online Teaching and Learning Methods

Rohan A. Elliott, BPharm, MClinPharm,

Image001
ab Jenny McDowell, BPharm,a Jennifer L. Marriott, BPharm, PhD,a Angela Calandra, BPharm,a and Gregory Duncan, BPharm, MPHa

aDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, Monash University

Abstract

Objective

To design and evaluate a preregistration course utilizing asynchronous online learning as the primary distance education delivery method.

Design

Online course components including tutorials, quizzes, and moderated small-group asynchronous case-based discussions were implemented. Online delivery was supplemented with self-directed and face-to-face learning.

Assessment

Pharmacy graduates who had completed the course in 2004 and 2005 were surveyed. The majority felt they had benefited from all components of the course, and that online delivery provided benefits including increased peer support, shared learning, and immediate feedback on performance. A majority of the first cohort reported that the workload associated with asynchronous online discussions was too great. The course was altered in 2005 to reduce the online component. Participant satisfaction improved, and most felt that the balance of online to face-to-face delivery was appropriate.

Conclusion

A new pharmacy preregistration course was successfully implemented. Online teaching and learning was well accepted and appeared to deliver benefits over traditional distance education methods once workload issues were addressed.

This has a useful description of the course design and e-moderator activities. It has realistic outcomes that tend to show the level of workload as a factor in online delivery.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2739060/

Friday 9 September 2011

support guide for external blogging students

Hi Fellow Blogger

We would like to make sure are fully informed about blogging practices and recognise all the benefits and issues.

Here is a quick overview of the kind of issues you need to be aware of. We are doing this so that you are aware of all the possible issues that could be raised with building content out in the wider world. We don’t want to take away your creativity or enjoyment of these types of spaces.

Appropriateness of Content.

What kind of content should be included in a public blog space? Photographs and private information? Consider what you are revealing to the wider world before committing to posting a post or comment.

Flaming

Use settings on blogs that try to mitigate against malicious commenting about particular individuals, students and staff on sites. Such as moderating comments before they are posted on your site and building a positive supportive community of bloggers.

Ownership

Some sites have different policies of ownership, meaning that by placing your work on a particular site you are handing out some of your ownership rights to that content. E.g. Tumblr do not claim any rights over your work, while Posterous claims some rights while that content is on their site, once you remove the content they lose this ownership.

Longevity of Content. Even though you can remove content, copies of any of the content may have been made by other individuals

Backing Up Content

Where content is meant for a summative assignment, have to understand that you will need to take responsibility for backing up content in case the site losses or is down during the marking period

Watermarking Images

Images of your  work could be downloaded from sites and used without consent. This is very difficult to prevent but by using small image files and watermarking images the chance of this happening can be reduced. http://picmarkr.com/ can help you do this.

Using other peoples content without permission

If you have taken the time to write an interesting post, upload something and shared it, you would probably be annoyed to see this on someone else site where it is claimed to be theirs. Always use links or embed videos or images rather than copy without showing where you got that content.

Thursday 8 September 2011

Clicker experimental study to measure learning difference between traditional and clicker sessions

What can be done to improve student engagement and learning in college lectures? One approach is

to ask questions that students answer during the lecture. In two lab experiments, students received a

25-slide PowerPoint lecture in educational psychology that included four inserted multiple-choice

questions (questioning group) or four corresponding statements (control group). Students in the

questioning group used a personal response system (PRS), in which they responded to questions

using a hand-held remote control, saw a graph displaying the percentage of students voting for each

answer, and heard the teacher provide an explanation for the correct answer. Students in the control

group received the corresponding slide as a statement and heard the teacher provide an explanation.

The questioning group outperformed the control group on a retention test in Experiment 1 (d¼1.23)

and on a transfer test in Experiment 2 (d¼0.74), but not on other tests. The results are consistent with

a generative theory of learning, and encourage the appropriate use of questioning as an instructional

method.

Questioning as an Instructional Method: Does it Affect

Learning from Lectures?

JULIE CAMPBELL and RICHARD E. MAYER*

University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Appl. Cognit. Psychol. 23: 747–759 (2009)

Wednesday 7 September 2011

What happens to students after they arrive at university?

Betwixt spaces: student accounts of turning point experiences in the

first-year transition Studies in Higher Education 39

Mark Palmer, Paula O’Kane and Martin Owens

Abstract

‘Not belonging’ is becoming a prevalent theme within accounts of the first-year

student experience at university. In this study the notion of not belonging is

extended by assuming a more active role for the idea of liminality in a student’stransition into the university environments of academic and student life. In doing so, the article suggests that the transition between one place (home) and another (university) can result in an ‘in-between-ness’ – a betwixt space. Through an interpretative methodology, the study explores how students begin to move from this betwixt space into feeling like fully-fledged members of university life. It is concluded that there is a wide range of turning points associated with the students’ betwixt transition, which shapes, alters or indeed accentuates the ways in which they make meaningful connections with university life. Moreover, transitional turning point experiences reveal a cast of characters and symbolic objects; capture contrasting motivations and evolving relationships; display multiple trajectories of interpersonal tensions and conflicts; highlight discontinuities as well as continuities; and together, simultaneously liberate and constrain the students’ transition into university life.

List of full changes Harvey,

Drew, and Smith (2006, 13)

·         performance and retention: predicting success; assessing performance; withdrawal and retention;

·         factors influencing performance and persistence: institutional, personal and external;

·         support for the first year: induction, adjustment and skill support;

·         learning and teaching: new techniques for first-year groups and first-year learning behaviour.

The authors say you can look at this problem from a structural point of view by providing supporting processes that make this transition easier. But in the end these are individuals making a great change to their lives, the sense of belonging that we want them to develop doesn’t come easily and is highly individualised.

The method first teaches the participants about the concepts then gathers data on experiences and then late asks further reflection on those answers.

There are some really interesting data gathering processes here. Asking for 10 words that summerise feelings, or asking students to filling thought bubbles in cartoons relating to experience.

They used Strauss and Corbin’s (1990) interpretation of grounded theory which allows themes to emerge during the research but not with out influence from literature, and they used Gibb’s (2002) process to code the data 3 successive ways.

Turning points are – within 6-8 weeks of starting and trigger or result in greater feelings of belonging or not belonging.

Wilcox, Winn, and Fyvie-Gauld [2005]

for an overview of government funded projects in this area

Tuesday 6 September 2011

MBA online 'case studies' example - Dr Bonk strikes again

A review of case-based learning practices in an online MBA program: A program-level case study.

Authors:     Seung-hee Lee1 seunglee@dima.ac.kr
Jieun Lee2 jieunlee@kw.ac.kr
Xiaojing Liu3 xliu@indiana.edu
Bonk, Curt J.4 cjbonk@indiana.edu
Magjuka, Richard J.5 rmagjuka@iupui.edu

Source:       Journal of Educational Technology & Society; Jul2009, Vol. 12 Issue 3, p178-190, 13p, 1 Chart

Abstract:    This study examines how a case-based learning approach was used and facilitated in online business education. Perceptions of students and instructors regarding the practices of case-based learning in online environments are explored in terms of instructional design, facilitation, and technology support. This study finds case-based learning to be a valuable instructional method for online business students who practice authentic problem solving by applying what they learned. The study demonstrates that case-based learning in many of the online courses analyzed in this study was implemented in a similar way to traditional classrooms (e.g., cases in text delivery format, individual case studies, or case discussions). It addresses the issues of integration of diversified technological tools for pedagogical facilitation of case-based activities and developing multimedia cases in order to enhance student involvement and engagement in understanding contexts embedded in cases toward solutions from multifaceted aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

                   

Persistent link to this record (Permalink):  http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=44110957&site=ehost-live

                   

Database:   Academic Search Complete

Department:

MidWestern US Uni

Class/Course:

MBA (online)

Students:

109 students

Technology:

VLE discussion board with ‘case based’ textural scenarios + some video + media (supporting online textural theoretical resources

Assessment Activities:

Group online case-based work

Efficiencies:

This study did not concentrate on this issue. However, there was strong implication that this was common to  f2f practice on this course, so it was easy to adapt pre-existing resources.

Learning Gains:

Little evidence beyond perceptions, but students did recognise that this was a very effective method of applying new knowledge


Purpose

Was to review current practice and develop in this area of practice at the university

Research method
interview with staff and a small number of students. Survey of 108 students

Issues

Cases are hard to update in order to rule out cross cohort cheating

Interesting use of very short (3 hour online) summative group activites

A CSCL Approach to Blended Learning in the Integration of Technology in Teaching.

Authors:     Jones, Michael1 mjones@uow.edu.au

Source:       Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning & Learning Objects; 2010, Vol. 6, p103-113, 11p, 4 Charts

Abstract:    This paper presents a case study of a blended learning design where technology was integrated into a second year management subject in an attempt to increase student flexibility and interest while simultaneously delivering commercially valuable skills. Specifically, the study will evaluate the effectiveness of this move to a blended learning model of delivery and the use of social networking tools in aiding student learning. The technologies were designed to enhance the learning experience of students by providing an opportunity to work in small groups to collaborate on a group submission based on an authentic workplace scenario. Tasks were also designed to allow students to discuss their group project both synchronously, using a chat tool, and asynchronously, using discussions in the eLearning space. The success of this blended learning design is reported through analysis of the results from a student survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

                   

Persistent link to this record (Permalink):  http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=58036279&site=ehost-live

                   

                   

Database:   Academic Search CompleteFull Text Database:

Department:

University of Wollongong (Aus)

Class/Course:

Management

Students:

Level 5

Technology:

VLE, Google Docs, Google Chat – homework tasks using these tool in between each F2F session

Assessment Activities:

Series of group tasks set for 3 hours, 50% group answer, 25% presentation, 25% use of technology

Efficiencies:

Online tasks replaced some lectures

Learning Gains:

Student perception of an increase –

83% more convenient and flexible

74% saw it as gaining valuable skills

70% improvement in team work

However only 39% found the subject enjoyable

Purpose

Authentic assessment

Prepared for work environment

Maintain student interest

Challenging Tasks

Research method
Case Study – survey with open questions, analysis of task design using theory

Issues

Students and staff wanted to keep f2f

Stress from sudden increase in workload

Group issues including lack of skills and needs to allocate roles

Anonymous peer assessment increases level of criticality and number of suggestions

Anonymity to Promote Peer Feedback: Pre-Service Teachers' Comments in Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication.

Authors:     Howard, Craig D.1
Barrett, Andrew F.1
Frick, Theodore W.1

Source:       Journal of Educational Computing Research; 2010, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p89-112, 24p, 2 Black and White Photographs, 4 Charts

Abstract:    In this quasi-experimental case study, we compared five sections of a basic undergraduate technology course. Within an asynchronous web forum, pre-service teachers wrote short critiques of websites designed by their classmates. This peer feedback was provided anonymously by students in two classes (n = 35) whereas providers and recipients of peer feedback were identified by their real names in three other classes (n = 37). Computer-mediated discourse analysis methods (Herring, 2004) were used to code student written comments according to substance and tone of feedback. Next, we estimated likelihoods of specific feedback patterns through Analysis of Patterns in Time (Frick, 1990). Results indicated that students who were anonymous were approximately five times more likely to provide substantively critical feedback than were those whose identities were known to their recipients. When feedback was given anonymously, students were approximately four times more likely to provide reasons for needed improvement to a website, and then to suggest design alternatives. In light of advantages afforded by this form of pseudonymity, we conclude with a discussion of pedagogical prescriptions for supporting learners' production of feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

                   

Persistent link to this record (Permalink):  http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=52242842&site=ehost-live

                   

                   

Database:   Education Research Complete

Department:

MidWestern American Uni

Class/Course:

Technology Course

Students:

35 (level not given)

Technology:

Wiki with anonymous comment tool

Assessment Activities:

Peer evaluation

Efficiencies:

This was an experiment based study looking at the effects of allowing comments from peer review.

Learning Gains:

Comments left anonymously were more likely to leave feedback, were more critical but also were 4X more likely to leave suggestions for improvements.

Issues

Students sometimes did leave “unwarranted negative comments”

All students knew that staff could use the system could identify them. So there was not complete anonymity

Posted via email from abstractrabbit (Jim Turner) posterous

Example of blog used as learning portfolio

Introduction and Development of a Blog-Based Teaching Portfolio: A Case Study in a Pre-Service Teacher Education Programme.

Authors:     Tang, Eunice1

Source:       International Journal of Learning; 2009, Vol. 16 Issue 8, p89-100, 12p, 3 Charts, 6 Graphs

Abstract:    In this presentation, a blog-based e-learning environment and learning community for preservice language teachers will be introduced. After 2 years of development, Platforms for Language Teacher Education (PLaTE) is set up with the aims of providing academic and professional support to students, graduates and teaching professionals through a variety of online reference and learning tools. PLaTE includes: 1.databases of self-developed teaching and learning materials and videos of exemplar teaching, available at English Teacher Education on the Net (ETENet) and Chinese Teacher Education on the Net (CTENet); 2.online platforms for exchanges of insights on current issues of language teaching, available at Netter and Bo Yu; and, 3.blog-based teaching portfolios of students. The blog-based Teaching Portfolio was first introduced to Year 3 and Year 4 BEd. in Language Education (English) undergraduate students at the Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong in the academic year 2007-2008. The aim of setting up the blog is to promote reflective, collaborative and dialogic environment for academic and professional development. Student teachers were expected to take active participation in the blog during their practicum to upload their lesson plans, reflections and video-taped lessons, initiate discussion and exchange views. An end of practicum survey showed that the new initiative was well-received and supported by the students. In this presentation, we will present: 1.the objectives and design of PLaTE ; 2.results of the survey on blog-based Teaching Portfolio; and, 3.the pedagogical implications of blog-based Teaching Portfolio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

                   

Persistent link to this record (Permalink):  http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=47479342&site=ehost-live

                   

                   

Database:   Education Research Complete

Department:

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Class/Course:

Language Teachers

Students:

105 preservice language teachers, years 3-4 BEd

Technology:

Blog (teaching portfolio) + Learning Resources

Assessment Activities:

20% of final mark on blog activity

Efficiencies:

This is an enhancement rather than focused on efficiency

Learning Gains:

Results were

‘well received’ by students

Students self reported a rise in reflection skills


Purpose

To:

Promote reflection

Collaborative + dialogue discussion

Upload lesson plans – reflections + videos of lessons – then discuss

Research method

The Intervention

Students uploaded various items over the year to the blog. They were encouraged to interact and comment on each others (details of this are not included)

Issues

Students complained about the workload, they had not been asked to do this type of activity on any other module.

Some issues in students using the blog tool

Friday 2 September 2011

Example of podcasts created by pairs of staff members rather than individually

Podcasting to support students using a business simulation

Audio or video podcasts can be a useful tool to supplement practical exercises such as business simulations. In this paper, we discuss a case study in which different types of podcast were utilised to support the delivery of a course in international business. The students work in groups and run a fictional company using business simulation software, which gives them the opportunity to evaluate their decision making skills. A number of podcasts were used as reusable learning objects for different student cohorts. Faculty members produced visually enhanced audio podcasts offering tutor discussions of key elements of the computer-assisted business simulation used by the students. The podcasts were made available via the virtual learning environment (Blackboard Vista), as well as for subscription by web browser-based RSS readers, such as Google and downloadable RSS readers, such as iTunes. Our evaluation of this approach to using podcasts takes into account pedagogic and technical issues. Firstly, faculty members involved in this case study were interviewed to obtain their views and experiences on the process of producing podcasts as well as the suitability of podcasts to support their teaching. Secondly, students were surveyed and interviewed about the value of the podcasts and the way in which they were used. This work is on-going and initial informal student feedback indicates that the podcasts engaged the students and supported their understanding of the international business module. This paper presents a snapshot of the current findings which generally support the value of this innovative way of using podcasting for learning and teaching.

ISSN:1479-4403 Reference: Gorra, A., Finlay, J. (2009) Podcasting to Support Students Using a Business Simulation. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 7 (3) December, pp.203-211. Item type:Journal article Published status:Published Official URI:http://www.ejel.org/volume7/issue3 Refereed status:Refereed Deposited on:30th June 2011, 17:06 Author:Andrea Gorra; Janet Finlay Publisher:Management Centre International Limited Deposited by:Nick Sheppard Linked Resource:

Podcasting to support students using a business simulation

Department:

Leeds Met

Class/Course:

Business Studies (International)

Students:

2nd years to start with expanding to all 2 years (700) students in total

Technology:

Media Enhanced Podcasts

Assessment Activities:

Not stated

Efficiencies:

This is an enhancement rather than focused on efficiency

Learning Gains:

Flexibility in delivery – students could extend study beyond classroom activity

Greater range of methods of delivery

Podcasts were created in teams of 2 by staff, this proved useful in connecting staff and sharing ideas


Purpose

To support a classroom based business simulation games by demonstrating how the game connects with theory. Extend learning beyond classroom

Research method
Interviews with staff. Survey of all students + focus group with 10 students.

Issues
Students listened to them online rather than as ‘true’ podcasts.

Staff are worried that this only supports the students who are engaged.

Need to think about how they connect with other activities

Example

Teams that Discuss more more online produce more successful outcomes - findings from DEGREE OF ONLINE COLLABORATION AND TEAM PERFORMANCE

DEGREE OF ONLINE COLLABORATION AND TEAM PERFORMANCE: A Case Study.

Authors:     Thompson, Ling1 lthompso@regis.edu
Heng-Yu Ku2

Source:       Quarterly Review of Distance Education; Summer2010, Vol. 11 Issue 2, p127-134, 8p, 2 Charts

Abstract:    This case study investigated the relationship between degree of online collaboration and quality of group project among four teams. Thirteen participants were randomly assigned to form 4 teams to work on 4 collaborative projects across 16 weeks. Two different data sources of discussion archives and quality of group projects were collected and analyzed. Results indicated that there was a strong relationship between the degree of online collaboration and the quality of group projects.

                   

Persistent link to this record (Permalink):  http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=53953962&site=ehost-live

                   

                   

Database:   Academic Search Complete

Notes

This is a very small study looking at how online collaboration on team projects work. The conclusion is not surprisingly is if they talk more online then they achieve better outcomes, and the recommendation is to encourage this within teams.

Interesting wiki writing process- A Collective Case Study of Online Interaction Patterns in Text Revisions.

A Collective Case Study of Online Interaction Patterns in Text Revisions.

Authors:     Yu-Fen Yang1 yangy@yuntech.edu.tw
Shan-Pi Wu1

Source:       Journal of Educational Technology & Society; Apr2011, Vol. 14 Issue 2, p1-15, 15p

Abstract:    Learning happens through interaction with others. The purpose of this study is to investigate how online interaction patterns affect students' text revisions. As a sample, 25 undergraduate students were recruited to play multiple roles as writers, editors, and commentators in online text revisons. In playing different roles, they chose to read peer writers' texts, edit peer writers' errors, evaluate peer editors' suggestions and corrections, and finally rewrite their own texts. Students' choices of actions in the system to interact with their peers for the common goal of text improvement were identified as interaction patterns in this study. Results of this study revealed significant differences in students' interaction patterns and their final texts. The interaction pattern of students who made both local (grammatical corrections) and global (the development, organization, and style of texts) revisions was an extensive and reciprocal process. The interaction pattern of students who made only local revisions was almost a one-way process. Based on these interaction patterns, we suggest that teachers encourage low-participating students to engage in interactions with their peers by showing the benefits of peers' text revisions in the final drafts. Providing necessary assistance and guidance to low-participating students is essential, given their difficulties in writing texts, editing peer writers' texts, and evaluating peer editors' suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent link to this record (Permalink):  http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=63157437&site=ehost-live

                   

Database:   Academic Search Complete

Department:

Not known

Class/Course:

English as a foreign language

Students:

25 students in a experimental design conditions

Technology:

Wiki

Assessment Activities:

Not stated

Efficiencies:

Learning Gains:

The wiki process is interesting cycle of changing roles. The movement of students from Writing (submitting text) to Editor (checking text, making changes) to Reviewer (seeing what has been suggested by peers to one’s own writing)


Purpose

These students were developing their language skills. The experiment showed that the decrease in errors from the peer feedback was not just the individuals rewrites, but due the developing understanding from the student taking on these different roles

Research method
experimental study

Issues
Struggling students needed more support because of their lack of skills.

Example

Thursday 1 September 2011

Using a blended approach to facilitate postgraduate supervision.

Using a blended approach to facilitate postgraduate supervision.

Authors:     de Beer, Marie1
Mason, Roger B.2

Source:       Innovations in Education & Teaching International; May2009, Vol. 46 Issue 2, p213-226, 14p, 1 Black and White Photograph, 3 Diagrams, 1 Chart

Abstract:    This paper explores the feasibility of using a blended approach to postgraduate research-degree supervision. Such a model could reduce research supervisors' workloads and improve the quality and success of Masters and Doctoral students' research output. The paper presents a case study that is based on a framework that was originally designed for blended learning activities. It is based on supporting different types of interaction between postgraduate research students and their supervisors. The findings show that a blended approach to postgraduate supervision improves the supervision process, reduces the administrative workload of the supervisor, and creates a dynamic record of the supervision process. The results to date imply that traditional supervision practice needs to be revisited and modified to include digital procedures. The research project is in its infancy and, since at least three years is necessary for the completion of postgraduate degrees, this paper reports only on the first two stages of the research project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

                   

Persistent link to this record (Permalink):  http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=39768740&site=ehost-live

                   

                   

Database:   Education Research Complete

Department:

Class/Course:

Postgraduate Research

Students:

14 initially (research is on going) 3 yrs of intake now in Blended learning

Technology:

VLE and email (track changes in word

Assessment Activities:

Currently this is now a series of formative task completed and the student submits and receives feedback on sections of research

Efficiencies:

No increase in workload, time saved is reinvested in providing range of support

Learning Gains:

It is better for non English speaking students, they felt closer to academic, more meaningful intervention

They like the 24/7 aspect

Better for audit trail for both parties – less misconceptions

Externals and auditors of course find it more transparent


Purpose

Seen as a way to deal with administrative burden

Currently supervisior meetings with student are on the most part not recorded, this does not help both parties to see the progress and learn from the full experience of the supervisor meetings

Research method
Qualitative

Issues

Students don’t use all the learning resources (there are plans the first activity will involve activie understanding of roles and duties rather than passively allow them to read these if they want

Need to build trust at the beginning

Example